Rachel Zegler Earns First Career Golden Globes Nod for “West Side Story”

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Rachel Zegler is celebrating a Golden honor…

The 20-year-old half-Colombian American actress/singer, who recently claimed her first-ever major film award from the National Board of Review, has earned her first-ever Golden Globes nomination.

Zegler is nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her lead role in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic musical West Side Story.

Meanwhile, Zegler’s co-star in the film, Ariana DeBose has earned her first Golden Globes nod.

The 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress is nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for her role as Anita in West Side Story.

Javier Bardem is back in the running at the Globes.

The Spanish Oscar-winning actor, who won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture in 2007 for No Country for Old Men, is nominated in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for his portrayal of Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos.

Anthony Ramos is taking his career to new heights…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican actor/singer has picked up his first Golden Globes nomination. He’s up for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his work in In The Heights.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has earned a Golden Globe nod in the Best Original Song – Motion Picture category for “Dos Oruguitas,” a single from Disney’s Encanto.

Two Latinx composers are nominated in the Best Original Score – Motion Picture category: Germaine Franco for Encanto, and Alberto Iglesias for Parallel Mothers.

MJ Rodriguez leads the pack of Latinx nominees in the television categories…

The 30-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress and singer earned her first-ever Golden Globes nod in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama for her work on FX’s Pose.

Meanwhile, Oscar Isaac is hoping to win a second Globe…

The 42-year-old Guatemalan & Cuban actor, who won a Golden Globe in 2015 for his work in Show Me a Hero, could win another trophy for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television. He’s nominated in the category again, this time for his performance in Scenes from a Marriage.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which during the past eight months has been reforming its organization in the wake of criticism over a lack of diverse membership, questionable standards and conduct, announced the nominations on Monday for its 2022 Golden Globes.

The event from the Beverly Hilton, presided over by new president Helen Hoehne and Snoop Dogg, who both read the nominations, comes amid fallout that saw studios, networks and top PR firms cut working ties with the organization, and NBC, which broadcasts the Globes each year as a key awards-season stop, decide not to broadcast the 2022 edition.

The 79-year-old HFPA has been making changes since April, expanding its ranks of journalists to include more diverse members, restructuring its board, hiring a chief diversity officer, amending its code of conduct and changing bylaws but is pushing forward with some semblance of awards recognition this season.

In October, interim HFPA CEO Todd Boehly and Hoehne said the group is planning to have some sort of awards ceremony on January 9 despite not having a broadcast home.

“This has been a year of change and reflection for the Hollywood Press Association,” Hoehne said today in opening the nominations ceremony, which was streamed online, adding of the 21 new members “not only have they brought in a fresh perspective, but new ideas that will help us to continue to evolve.”

Here’s the list of this year’s nominees:

MOTION PICTURES

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BELFAST, Focus Features
CODA, Apple TV+
DUNE, Warner Bros
KING RICHARD, Warner Bros
THE POWER OF THE DOG, Netflix

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
JESSICA CHASTAIN, THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE
OLIVIA COLMAN, THE LOST DAUGHTER
NICOLE KIDMAN, BEING THE RICARDOS
LADY GAGA, HOUSE OF GUCCI
KRISTEN STEWART, SPENCER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
MAHERSHALA ALI, SWAN SONG
JAVIER BARDEM, BEING THE RICARDOS
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, THE POWER OF THE DOG
WILL SMITH, KING RICHARD
DENZEL WASHINGTON, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
CYRANO, MGM
DON’T LOOK UP, Netflix
LICORICE PIZZA, MGM
TICK, TICK…BOOM!, Netflix
WEST SIDE STORY, 20th Century Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
MARION COTILLARD, ANNETTE
ALANA HAIM, LICORICE PIZZA
JENNIFER LAWRENCE, DON’T LOOK UP
EMMA STONE, CRUELLA
RACHEL ZEGLER, WEST SIDE STORY

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, DON’T LOOK UP
PETER DINKLAGE, CYRANO
ANDREW GARFIELD, TICK, TICK…BOOM!
COOPER HOFFMAN, LICORICE PIZZA
ANTHONY RAMOS, IN THE HEIGHTS

BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED
ENCANTO, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
FLEE, Neon / Participant
LUCA, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
MY SUNNY MAAD, Totem Films
RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, Walt Disney Studios

BEST MOTION PICTURE – NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE (FORMERLY FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
COMPARTMENT NO. 6 (FINLAND / RUSSIA / GERMANY), Sony Pictures Classics
DRIVE MY CAR (JAPAN), Janus Films
THE HAND OF GOD (ITALY), Netflix
A HERO (FRANCE / IRAN), Amazon Studios
PARALLEL MOTHERS (SPAIN), Sony Pictures Classics

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
CAITRIONA BALFE, BELFAST
ARIANA DEBOSE, WEST SIDE STORY
KIRSTEN DUNST, THE POWER OF THE DOG
AUNJANUE ELLIS, KING RICHARD
RUTH NEGGA, PASSING

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
BEN AFFLECK, THE TENDER BAR
JAMIE DORNAN,BELFAST
CIARÁN HINDS, BELFAST
TROY KOTSUR, CODA
KODI SMIT-MCPHEE, THE POWER OF THE DOG

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
KENNETH BRANAGH, BELFAST
JANE CAMPION, THE POWER OF THE DOG
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL, THE LOST DAUGHTER
STEVEN SPIELBERG, WEST SIDE STORY
DENIS VILLENEUVE, DUNE

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, LICORICE PIZZA
KENNETH BRANAGH, BELFAST
JANE CAMPION, THE POWER OF THE DOG
ADAM MCKAY,DON’T LOOK UP
AARON SORKIN, BEING THE RICARDOS

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT, THE FRENCH DISPATCH
GERMAINE FRANCO, ENCANTO
JONNY GREENWOOD, THE POWER OF THE DOG
ALBERTO IGLESIAS, PARALLEL MOTHERS
HANS ZIMMER, DUNE

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“BE ALIVE” — KING RICHARD, Music by: Dixson, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Lyrics by: Dixson, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
“DOS ORUGUITAS” — ENCANTO, Music by: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lyrics by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
“DOWN TO JOY” — BELFAST, Music by: Van Morrison, Lyrics by: Van Morrison
“HERE I AM (SINGING MY WAY HOME)” — RESPECT, Music by: Carole King, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Hartman, Lyrics by: Carole King, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Hartman
“NO TIME TO DIE” — NO TIME TO DIE, Music by: Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell, Lyrics by: Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell

TELEVISION

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
LUPIN, NETFLIX
THE MORNING SHOW, APPLE TV+
POSE, FX
SQUID GAME, NETFLIX
SUCCESSION, HBO/HBO MAX

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
UZO ADUBA, IN TREATMENT
JENNIFER ANISTON, THE MORNING SHOW
CHRISTINE BARANSKI, THE GOOD FIGHT
ELISABETH MOSS, THE HANDMAID’S TALE
MICHAELA JAÉ RODRIGUEZ, POSE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
BRIAN COX, SUCCESSION
LEE JUNG-JAE, SQUID GAME
BILLY PORTER, POSE
JEREMY STRONG, SUCCESSION
OMAR SY, LUPIN

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
THE GREAT, HULU
HACKS, HBO/HBO MAX
ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, HULU
RESERVATION DOGS, FX
TED LASSO, APPLE TV+

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
HANNAH EINBINDER, HACKS
ELLE FANNING, THE GREAT
ISSA RAE, INSECURE
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, BLACK-ISH
JEAN SMART, HACKS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
ANTHONY ANDERSON, BLACK-ISH
NICHOLAS HOULT, THE GREAT
STEVE MARTIN, ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING
MARTIN SHORT, ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING
JASON SUDEIKIS, TED LASSO

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
DOPESICK, HULU
IMPEACHMENT: AMERICAN CRIME STORY, FX
MAID, NETFLIX
MARE OF EASTTOWN, HBO/HBO MAX
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
JESSICA CHASTAIN, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE
CYNTHIA ERIVO, GENIUS: ARETHA
ELIZABETH OLSEN,WANDAVISION
MARGARET QUALLEY, MAID
KATE WINSLET, MARE OF EASTTOWN

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
PAUL BETTANY, WANDAVISION
OSCAR ISAAC, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE
MICHAEL KEATON, DOPESICK
EWAN MCGREGOR, HALSTON
TAHAR RAHIM, THE SERPENT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ON TELEVISION
JENNIFER COOLIDGE, THE WHITE LOTUS
KAITLYN DEVER, DOPESICK
ANDIE MACDOWELL, MAID
SARAH SNOOK, SUCCESSION
HANNAH WADDINGHAM, TED LASSO

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ON TELEVISION
BILLY CRUDUP, THE MORNING SHOW
KIERAN CULKIN, SUCCESSION
MARK DUPLAS, THE MORNING SHOW
BRETT GOLDSTEIN, TED LASSO
O YEONG-SU, SQUID GAME

“West Side Story” Star Rachel Zegler Earns First-Ever Major Film Award from National Board of Review

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Rachel Zegler is celebrating a major first…

The 20-year-old half-Colombian American actress/singer has received the first-ever major film award from the National Board of Review.

Zegler, a Hollywood newcomer, was named Best Actress for her leading role as Maria in Steven Spielberg‘s critically lauded big-screen update of the Stephen Sondheim classic West Side Story.

Established in 1909 by theater owners fighting the revoking of exhibition licenses by New York City officials, the NBR is now comprised of film enthusiasts, academics, and other movie professionals working inside the industry. In recent years, it has evolved into a vital stepping stone (and visibility booster) on the path to potential Oscar glory for would-be contenders.

Here’s the full list of the 2021 National Board of Review winners below.

Best Film: Licorice Pizza
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson — Licorice Pizza
Best Actor: Will Smith — King Richard
Best Actress: Rachel Zegler — West Side Story
Best Supporting Actor: Ciarán Hinds — Belfast
Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis — King Richard
Best Original Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi — A Hero
Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen — The Tragedy of Macbeth
Breakthrough Performance: Alana Haim & Cooper Hoffman — Licorice Pizza
Best Directorial Debut: Michael Sarnoski — Pig
Best Animated Feature: Encanto
Best Foreign Language Film: A Hero
Best Documentary: Summer of Soul
Best Ensemble: The Harder They Fall
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel — The Tragedy of Macbeth
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Flee
Top Films (in alphabetical order)
Belfast
Don’t Look Up
Dune
King Richard
The Last Duel
Nightmare Alley
Red Rocket
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order)
Benedetta
Lamb
Lingui, The Sacred Bonds
Titane
The Worst Person in the World

Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order)
Ascension
Attica
Flee
The Rescue
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order)
The Card Counter
C’mon C’mon
CODA
The Green Knight
Holler
Jockey
Old Henry
Pig
Shiva Baby
The Souvenir Part II

Ariana DeBose to Appear on Season Finale of Brian Stokes Mitchell’s On Demand Streaming Talk Show “Crossovers Live!”

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ariana DeBose is preparing for a crossover…

The 30-year-old half-Afro-Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer will be a guest on the season finale of Brian Stokes Mitchell’s on demand streaming talk show Crossovers Live!.

DeBose will appear along side fellow Broadway star Audra McDonald.

Portions of ticket sales for the live show will benefit The Actors Fund.

The season holiday finale episode is set for Monday, December 20 at 8:00 pm ET.

A Stellar Original presentation in association with Atomic Focus Entertainment, Crossovers Live! was created and will be directed by Tom Wiggin, and is designed to showcase performers who have made the jump from stage to film, television or music.

Since the monthly series debuted last June, Crossovers Live!, hosted by Mitchell, has featured such guests as Vanessa Williams, Daniel J. Watts, Marc Shaiman, Megan Hilty, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth and David Hyde Pierce.

Blending candid interviews, rare footage and various surprises, the series is livestreamed in New York City and also available on demand. Ticket info is available here, with a minimum of 10% of net proceeds benefiting The Actors Fund.

DeBose made her television debut competing on So You Think You Can Dance and her Broadway debut in the musical Bring It On. Other Broadway credits have included Motown: The Musical, the revival of Pippin, A Bronx Tale and as Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which earned her a Tony Award nomination.

On film and television, she appeared in the filmed version of Hamilton, Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of Broadway musical The Prom, and most recently in Apple TV’s Schmigadoon!.

She’ll soon be seen on the big screen as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film adaptation of West Side Story.

Ariana DeBose to Star in Apple Original Films’ Actioner “Argylle”

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

The spies have it for Ariana DeBose…

The 30-year-old half-Afro-Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer has joined the cast of Argylle, an action film from Apple Original Films and Matthew Vaughn’s Marv Studios.

The film is currently in production in Europe.

DeBose, a Tony Award nominee, joins a cast that includes Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, and Grammy winner Dua Lipa, who is making her big screen debut.

The film—setting up a new franchise for Vaughn—follows the world’s greatest spy, Argylle, as he is caught up in a globetrotting adventure, which takes him from America to London and beyond.

It’s based on Elly Conway’s upcoming spy novel of the same name, which is set for publication via Transworld Publishers Ltd, a division of Penguin Random House, next year.

Vaughn is directing Argylle from a script by Jason Fuchs. Dua Lipa will also pen the film’s original title track and score.

“We have assembled an absolutely stellar cast to inhabit each of the wonderfully original and captivating characters in this thrill ride of a story,” said Vaughn. “We’re so excited that production is now off and running, bringing us closer to sharing this epic action spectacle with audiences around the world.”

DeBose earned her Tony nomination in 2018 for her turn as Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. She also featured in the original cast of Hamilton, along with other Broadway titles including Bring It On: The Musical and Pippin.

She will next be seen portraying Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, and can currently be seen in Apple’s musical comedy series Schmigadoon!.

Critics Choice Association to Honor Rita Moreno at Inaugural “Celebration of Latino Cinema”

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special celebration for the legendary Rita Moreno…

The 89-year-old Puerto Rican actress, dancer and singer will be honored alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda and Demián Bichir at the Critics Choice Association’s inaugural Celebration of Latino Cinema.

Moreno, Miranda and Bichor will be honored alog with a group of additional honorees, many associated with upcoming 2021 films, still to be announced.

The Celebration of Latino Cinema, to be presented virtually, will take place on Thursday, December 9, 2021 and aims to put a spotlight on the contributions of great Oscar-winning and -nominated artists like Moreno, Miranda and Bichir, but also Latino filmmaking in general, a facet of the motion picture industry that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves during awards season.

Among other things, the CCA’s Celebration of Latino Cinema aims to change that.

“We are thrilled to be launching the first annual Celebration of Latino Cinema which recognizes the talented performers and skilled professionals who create the acclaimed films we are so proud to honor,” said Claudia Puig, a CCA member and co-programmer of the event.

“Films by our honorees represent the diverse and multi-faceted Latino community, and reflect our increasingly inclusive industry” said CCA board member and event co-programmer Clayton Davis.

The Celebration of Latino Cinema will be produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates. Stagedge will be responsible for transforming the show into an immersive virtual experience.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to LA Collab, whose mission is to accelerate Latino access, visibility and representation in the entertainment industry.

Moreno has won all four of the most prestigious awards in show business: an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy. She recently co-starred in the Latinx reimagining of Norman Lear’s classic sitcom One Day at a Time, and her documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival before being released in theaters; it will be broadcast on PBS’ American Masters in October. Moreno also co-stars in and executive produces Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story.

She is a recipient of the Peabody Career Achievement Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Arts.

Miranda is a Pulitzer-, Grammy-, Emmy– and Tony Award-winning songwriter, actor and director, and creator and original star of Broadway’s Hamilton and In the Heights. A recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Award, a Kennedy Center Honor and the Portrait of a Nation Prize, he received an Emmy with Tom Kitt for their song “Bigger” from the 67th Tony Awards. Upcoming projects include Disney’s Encanto and his directorial film debut, tick, tick… BOOM!

Bichir received a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 2012 for his role in Chris Weitz’s A Better Life, becoming the first Mexican-born actor to be nominated in that category by the Academy since Anthony Quinn in 1957. He more recently received rave reviews for his performance in the film Land, directed by Robin Wright. His film credits include Steven Soderbergh’s Che, Oliver Stone’s Savages, Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills, Paul Feig’s The Heat, Richard Shepard’s Dom Hemingway, Ridley Scott’s Alien, George Clooney’s The Midnight Sky, and Adam Wingard’s Godzilla Vs. Kong.

Rita Moreno to Star in the Feature Film “The Prank”

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Rita Moreno is pranking around…

The 89-year-old Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer, an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony Award winner) has landed a starring role in the feature film The Prank, which will be directed by Maureen Bharoocha.

Moreno will star opposite Connor Kalopsis and Ramona Young.

The Prank follows two high school students who play a prank on their physics teacher, Mrs. Wheeler, played by Moreno. When she fails them on a test; they teach the imperious, demanding, insulting instructor a lesson by falsely accusing her of the murder of a missing student.

Other cast in The Prank includes Keith David, Meredith Salenger, Jonathan Kimmel, Nathan Janak and Kate Flannery.

Filming begins this month in and around Los Angeles.

The dark comedy is written by Rebecca Flinn-White & Zak White.

“Rita Moreno is a force of nature and an icon who continues to redefine herself,” said Bharoocha. “Her brilliant comedic mind lends itself to the perfect ‘Mrs. Wheeler’, a character we have never seen her play, and one that will no doubt surprise audiences.”

Moreno has won an Oscar (West Side Story), a Tony (The Ritz), two Emmys (for her turns respectively in 1977 and 1978 on The Muppet Show and Rockford Files), and a Grammy (Best Children’s Album for The Electric Company).

Moreno has starred on Broadway and London’s West End, appeared in more than 40 feature films and has performed in numerous regional theaters, including her one-woman show, Life Without Makeup, at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. She recently co-starred in the critically acclaimed Latinx reimagining of Norman Lear’s classic sitcom One Day At A Time.

Her documentary, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, produced by Lear, Lin Manuel Miranda and Brent Miller had its world debut at the Sundance Film Festival this year. The film, which was met with acclaim from critics and audiences alike, will have its television debut on PBS’ American Masters nationwide on October 5.

Moreno also co-stars and is an executive producer of the Steven Spielberg remake of West Side Story, set to open on December 10.

The recipient of the Peabody Career Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime contributions to American culture, she was also honored by her peers as the 50th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.

Moreno’s all-Spanish-language album, Una Vez Más, was produced by her good friend Emilio Estefan, and she is a New York Times bestselling author with her first book, Rita Moreno: A Memoir. Moreno has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush and the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama.

Rachel Zegler to Star as Snow White in Disney’s Live-Action Adaptation of the Classic Animated Film

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Rachel Zegler’s royal coronation is around the corner…

The 20-year-old half-Colombian American actress and singer will star as Snow White in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the classic film that started it all for the studio’s legendary slate of animated features.

Marc Webb will direct the film, with Marc Platt producing. Production is expected to begin in 2022.

“Rachel’s extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts,” said Webb of the actress who will star as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s new retelling of West Side Story. “Her strength, intelligence and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairytale.”

The original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs cartoon, based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale, was released in 1938.

It was Disney’s inaugural animated feature and became a massive success for the studio.

Insiders say the live-action film will expand upon the story and music from the original. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the Oscar– and Tony Award-winning duo behind La La Land, The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen, will write new songs for the film.

The studio had been taking its time on the live-action adaptation because they wanted to get the music right, and insiders says higher-ups are excited with what Pasek and Paul have come up with so far.

As for the casting process, Webb and studio execs had been meeting with talent for several months for the role of Snow White. Zegler’s auditions impressed everyone, insiders say, but another factor was footage from West Side Story that blew away the Disney studio brass who’ve seen it, and helped push the decision across the finish line.

The casting also marks a step in the right direction of Disney diversifying its Disney Princess characters, after tapping Halle Bailey to play Ariel in the upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid film.

Zegler was just 17 when she beat out more than 30,000 actresses for the lead role of Maria in West Side Story. The new adaptation will debut on December 10 and also stars Ansel Elgort and Rita Moreno.

She’ll also star in her first big comic-book film, joining Zachary Levi in D.C.’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Roadside Attractions Acquires North American Rights to Rita Moreno’s Documentary “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided To Go For It”

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Rita Moreno is ready to bring her life story to America…

Roadside Attractions has acquired North American distribution rights to the 2021 Sundance Film Festival documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided To Go For It, about the 89-year-old Latina living legend.

A release is planned for June 18.

Roadside’s deal excludes the television license to PBS’ American Masters, which will present the exclusive U.S. broadcast premiere of the doc after it hits theaters.

In addition to Moreno, others featured in the Mariem Pérez Riera-directed doc include George Chakiris, Héctor Elizondo, Gloria Estefan, Tom Fontana, Morgan Freeman, Mitzi Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear, Eva Longoria, Justina Machado, Terrence McNally, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Karen Olivo.

The film covers Moreno’s 70-year-plus career rise and struggles, from her beginnings in poverty on a Puerto Rican farm to becoming a rare EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscars, Tony Awards) winner.

She’s the first Latina actress to win an Oscar (for her role as Anita in 1961’s West Side Story). Despite the win, studios continued to offer Moreno lesser roles as stereotypical ethnic minorities, ignoring her proven talent.

“Roadside Attractions, I’m so pleased for your commitment to my story and especially for making it available to a broader audience. Curtain Up!,” Moreno commented.

“Stars like Rita are few and far between, her showbiz story and personal remembrances resonate for a large, diverse audience, and the heights she continues to achieve are a true crowd pleasing uplift after the year we’ve all had,” said Roadside co-presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff.

“Rita is an incredible inspiration to so many, hers is a success story for all women who feel alone as they struggle to assert themselves with courage and bravery against heavy odds,” offered director Pérez Riera. “We are so thrilled to bring Rita to theaters for audiences to spend time with a woman who, when speaking about herself, speaks to and for a lot of us.”

“There were only a small group of distributors we hoped would take notice at Sundance. Roadside was at the top of that list,” said film’s producer, ACT III’s Brent Miller and EP Norman Lear. “We think we’re in great hands with Howard and Eric at the helm and couldn’t be more excited for the world to know the Rita we now know and love.”

American Masters Pictures and Act III Productions in association with Artemis Rising and Maramar Films are producers.

Rachel Zegler to Star in the “Shazam” Sequel, “Shazam: Fury of the Gods”

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Rachel Zegler’s latest project is Gods will…

The 19-year-old Colombian American actress, who will soon star as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story, has joined the cast of Shazam: Fury of the Gods, the sequel to New Line and DC Comics’ 2019 film Shazam! starring Zachary Levi as the kid-at-heart superhero who is bestowed with the powers of six gods.

The sequel will hail from the same filmmaking team behind the first installment, with David F. Sandberg directing from a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan.

It will continue the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!” is struck by the Living Lightning of the gods and transformed into his adult superhero alter ego, Shazam.

Zegler will star opposite Ansel Elgort and Rita Moreno when West Side Story is released in December.

Ariana DeBose to Star in the Space Thriller “ISS”

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ariana DeBose has landed an out of this world role…

The 30-year-old half-Afro-Puerto Rican actress/singer has been cast in ISS, the space thriller from LD Entertainment and director Gabriela Cowperthwaite.

DeBose joins previously announced stars Chris Messina and Pilou Asbaek, as well as John Gallagher Jr., Costa Ronin, and Masha Mashkova.

Nick Shafir wrote the screenplay, which was featured in the recent 2020 Black List. The plot follows six astronauts living aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and the actions they take after receiving distressing information from Earth that threatens their missions and their lives.

DeBose will play Kira Foster, a promising biological engineer and the newest arrival of six astronauts aboard the ISS.

Production is set to begin this month in Wilmington, NC.,

DeBose was most recently seen in Ryan Murphy’s all-star Netflix musical, The Prom,

She also earned a Tony Award nomination in 2018 for her portrayal of Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and was part of the Off Broadway cast of Hamilton.

Up next, she can be seen in the role of Anita for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: West Side Story