A24 Releases First Trailer for Wagner Moura’s Action Epic “Civil War”

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s War time for Wagner Moura.

A24 has released the first trailer for he action epic Civil War, starring the 47-year-old Brazilian actor, director and filmmaker.

Hailing from Alex Garland, the film will be released in theaters (including on IMAX screens) on April 26, 2024.

While the film’s plot has been kept under wraps, it’s now described as chronicling a race to the White House in a near-future America balanced on the razor’s edge.

Moura, Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny appear to play journalists at a time when the United States has become a literal battleground, with 19 states seceding from the Union.

While not previously announced as part of the cast, Nick Offerman is introduced in the trailer as playing a fascist U.S. President, who’s at war with the so-called “Western Forces” of Texas and California. Also making an appearance as a threatening figure along our central trio’s path to D.C. is Dunst’s husband, Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons. Rounding out the cast are Stephen McKinley Henderson and Sonoya Mizuno.

Garland directed Civil War from his own script. In addition to serving as distributor, A24 produced the film alongside Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of DNA and Gregory Goodman.

Moura’s previous credits include the films The Gray Man, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,and Wasp Network, as well as the television series Narcos.

Gloria Estefan to Host This Year’s Kennedy Center Honors Ceremony

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is preparing to take Center stage.

The 66-year-old Cuban Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and entrepreneur will return as host of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, which will air on CBS on Wednesday, December 27.

Billy Crystal, Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb, Queen Latifah and Dionne Warwick are this year’s recipients.

The ceremony will air from 9:00 – 11:00 pm ET/PT and stream on Paramount+.

The actual ceremony, one of the biggest entertainment events of the year for D.C. politicos and media, will take place on December 3. This year’s event also will honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

Done+Dusted is returning as producer in association with ROK Productions. Elizabeth Kelly is executive producer along with David Jammy, and Alex Rudzinski is the director.

Estefan received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2017.

The ceremony traditionally has been preceded the night before by a dinner hosted by the U.S. Secretary of State. Just before the event, the president hosts a reception at the White House for the honorees. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have attended the ceremonies the past two years.

NBC News Names Gabe Gutierrez Its Senior White House Correspondent

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Gabe Gutierrez is working on his White House credentials…

NBC News has named the Latino news correspondent to its White Housesenior White House correspondent.team as Its senior White House correspondent.

Gutierrez, who joined the network in 2012, had been working as an NBC News correspondent based in New York.

“Gabe’s arrival following his accomplishments as one of the most collaborative and hardest working journalists will enable us to build upon our leadership position at the White House,” says Ken Strickland, Washington bureau chief and senior vice president for NBC News. “He joins an All-Star Team led by Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander and Kelly O’Donnell, Senior White House Correspondent and the new President of the White House Correspondents’ Association.”

Strickland’s memo reads: As an NBC News National Correspondent based in New York, Gabe has been at the forefront of the biggest stories in recent memory, including the coronavirus pandemic, immigration issues at the southern border, the death of George Floyd, and the 2022 midterm elections. Internationally, Gabe has reported from Ukraine and this year’s deadly earthquakes in Turkey. Most recently, he has been traveling the country covering the Republican presidential field as it continues to take shape.

Gutierrez is expected to start next month as Kristen Welker, who has been a White House correspondent, becomes the moderator of Meet the Press.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez Files Paperwork to Run for President

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Francis Suarez appears to be making a major political move…

The 45-year-old Cuban American lawyer and politician, currently serving as the mayor of Miami, has filed paperwork to run for president, according to new FEC filings, in what’s considered a long-shot campaign.

Suarez is scheduled to speak on Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

During an appearance on Fox News over the weekend, the mayor said he would make a “major announcement” in the coming weeks and pointed to his remarks at the Reagan Library as “one that Americans should tune in to.”

Suarez is currently in his second term as mayor of Miami, Florida’s second-most populous city. Until recently, he also served as the president of the bipartisan US Conference of Mayors.

Ahead of his filing, a super PAC supporting Suarez on Wednesday released a two-minute video touting his leadership of the Florida city as he teased a long-shot bid for the White House.

“Conservative mayor Francis Suarez chose a better path for Miami,” the video’s narrator says, highlighting his approach to crime and support for law enforcement.

The first major Hispanic candidate to enter the Republican race, Suarez starts off as a decided underdog in the primary, with former President Donald Trump, a resident of nearby Palm Beach, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis towering over the field in polling. The primary also includes former Vice President Mike Pence, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Trump’s recent federal indictment over his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office has also roiled the Republican contest. The former president remains popular with the party base, and candidates have been split in their reactions to the indictment.

Suarez, who has previously been critical of Trump, told Fox News on Sunday that the news of the former president’s first federal indictment felt “un-American” and “wrong at some level.”

In an interview with CBS News last month, Suarez said deciding on a presidential bid was a “soul-searching process.” He also nodded to his lack of national name recognition, saying, “I’m someone who needs to be better known by this country.”

Suarez’s late entry into the GOP primary, relative to other rivals, could affect his chances of qualifying for the first Republican primary debate, scheduled to take place in Milwaukee on August 23.

The Republican National Committee has laid out strict polling and donor thresholds that candidates must meet to make the stage.

President Joe Biden Nominates Anna Gomez to Serve on Federal Communications Commission

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anna Gomez is President Joe Biden’s communications commission choice…

The Latina telecom lawyer has been nominated by Biden to serve on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a five-member regulatory body stuck in a 2-2 deadlock.

In addition to the nomination for Gomez, Biden announced the re-nomination of commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr to serve additional 5-year terms.

Gomez, a former FCC and U.S. Senate staffer, is serving as a telecom policy adviser in the U.S. State Department. She also served as deputy administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a key agency within the Commerce Department involved in improving internet accessibility.

For more than two years, the FCC has been in a stalemate, which has significantly limited its ability to weigh in on all but the most anodyne topics. Commissioners are nominated by the president, meaning the regulatory body should be in Democratic control with Biden in the White House.

Gigi Sohn, a longtime Washington presence and veteran regulator, withdrew her nomination earlier this year after intense opposition from Republican activists and industry lobbyists. Sohn had been part of an effort led by President Barack Obama to achieve net neutrality, a policy opposed by major broadband providers and telecom firms. During confirmation hearings, Senate Republicans said Sohn would shift the FCC too far to the left.

In a statement, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel congratulated Gomez, Starks and Carr. Gomez, she said, “brings with her a wealth of telecommunications experience, a substantial record of public service, and a history of working to ensure the U.S. stays on the cutting edge of keeping us all connected.” She added, “I look forward to working with a full complement of FCC Commissioners to advance our mission to connect everyone, everywhere.”

Cristo Fernandez & “Ted Lasso” Cast to Discuss Mental Health at White House

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Cristo Fernandez is heading to Washington, D.C.

The 32-year-old Mexican actor and former professional footballer and his Ted Lasso cast mates will visit the White House on Monday to participate in a discussion with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on “the importance of mental health to promote overall wellbeing.

Apple announced the meeting Sunday afternoon.

President Biden teased the appearance minutes before Apple’s confirmation, posting a reference to the Apple TV+ hit comedy: “Tomorrow.”

“Ted Lasso has inspired the world through its universal themes around optimism, kindness, and determination and the Lasso philosophy to ‘believe,’” reads Apple’s announcement of the meeting of the minds.

Excerpts from the event will be released on the White House’s official social media channels.

The third season of Ted Lasso debuted on Apple TV+ on March 15, kicking off its 12-episode season. There remains uncertainty whether a fourth season of the show will be approved by showrunner and star Jason Sudeikis, who has stated that such a matter “will always be dictated by the stories.”

Sudeikis developed Ted Lasso along with Bill Lawrence, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt. It’s based on the existing format and characters first featured on NBC Sports.

Sudeikis serves as an executive producer in addition to starring. Lawrence executive produces via Doozer Productions. Hunt, Kelly and Bill Wrubel also executive produce along with Doozer’s Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer as well as Jane Becker and Jamie Lee. Goldstein is a writer and co-executive producer on the series.

It’s produced by Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television.

Fernandez portrays the lovable Dani Rojas on the series.

E.L. Losada to Appear on Netflix’s Upcoming Shondaland Mystery Series “The Residence”

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

E.L. Losada has found his residence…

The 39-year-old Cuban American actor will appear on Netflix’s upcoming Shondaland mystery series The Residence.

Losada, who has starred in Loot and Los Frikis, will appear in a recurring role.

Losada joins series lead Uzo Aduba in the series along with cast members: Andre Braugher, Edwina Findley, Molly Griggs, Jason Lee, Ken Marino, Al Mitchell, Dan Perrault, Bronson Pinchot, Susan Kelechi Watson, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Mary Wiseman, and Randall Park.

The official logline for the show states, “132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective (Aduba). One disastrous State Dinner. The Residence is a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world’s most famous mansion.”

Losada will play energy healer St. Pierre.

Paul William Davies is the showrunner and executive producer on The Residence. Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers executive produce on behalf of Shondaland via the company’s Netflix overall deal.

Liza Johnson will direct the first four episodes.

Jimmy Humilde & Rancho Humilde Executives Discuss Latino Politics with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jimmy Humilde goes to Washington…

Earlier this month, the Mexican American music executive, the CEO of Rancho Humilde and executives at the indie label traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).

Joined by the label’s co-founding partners José Becerra and Roque Venegas, the meeting, requested by Humilde, focused on discussing key issues that affect the Latino community in the U.S., like a path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the country.

The last time the U.S. immigration system was meaningfully reformed was in 1986, when then President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act.

Additionally, Humilde expressed his “desire for U.S. consulates and embassies to create panel discussions and educational programs that enable the discovery of hidden talents that can be developed in the U.S. market,” according to a press release. The label executives also met at the White House with President Joe Biden’s senior advisory team to “assess possible ways for the Latin community to participate more in important voting processes at the national level.”

While the discussions in Washington have yet to lead to any sort of reform or the introduction of any new policies, Humilde and his L.A.-based team have been active on a local level.

Most recently, Rancho Humilde and its artist Fuerza Regida made a joint donation of $20,000 to the organization Inclusive Action for the City, whose work is promoting the legalization of street vending.

“Street vending should be recognized in the city as an honest trade,” Humilde said in a statement. “It is not only a source of job creation, but it’s also a sector that boosts consumption in the city. I understand their hardships and concern, because at one point it was there where I found my living and that of my family.”

In February, Humilde hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Producers chart (dated Feb. 4) for the first time, thanks to nine production credits on the Hot Latin Songs survey.

Rancho Humilde, whose roster includes artists link Ivonne Galáz, Junior H and Fuerza Regida, finished at No. 4 on Billboard’s 2022 year-end Hot Latin Songs Labels recap.

Josué Guerra to Star in FX Drama Pilot “The Border”

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Josué Guerra is headed to the border…

The Mexican actor has been cast as a series regular opposite E.J. Bonilla in the FX pilot The Border, a drama based on the third book in Don Winslow’s bestselling Cartel Trilogy, from Daniel Zelman, Shane Salerno sequels and FX Productions.

The Border is an epic saga that reveals the dark truths about America’s failed 50-year war on drugs. Taking us from the streets of New York to the poppy fields of Mexico, the jungles of Central America, and the White House, The Border explodes the myths of the drug war through the intertwining narratives of characters on both sides of the Mexican-American border: an obsessive Mexican-American DEA agent, a young boxing promoter who inherits a drug empire, a jaded teenager who rises to power in the world of high class escorts, and an Irish kid from the streets of Hell’s kitchen who becomes a ruthless, international hitman. We follow these characters on a raw, unflinching journey through history, as they are pulled ever deeper into the drug war and forced to confront the limits of their humanity.

Guerra will play Raul Barrera.

In addition to Bonilla, he joins previously announced series regulars Frank Blake, Annie Shapero, Sebastián Buitrón and Luis Bordonada.

Zelman will write and serve as showrunner and executive producer along with Salerno, who adapted The Border for television with Zelman, Winslow, Diego Gutierrez, Jayro Bustamante, who will direct the pilot, and Scott Free.

Produced by FX Productions, the pilot will begin production in Mexico in 2023.

Guerra was most notably seen last in James Schamus’ Netflix limited series, Somos.

Camila Cabello Releases Cover of Bing Crosby’s Holiday Classic “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is getting into the holiday spirit…

The 25-year-old Mexican Cuban singer and current The Voice coach has released her rendition of the holiday classic “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”

In Cabello’s version of the classic track — which was originally performed and released by Bing Crosby in 1943 to honor soldiers stationed overseas during World War II — she gives it an update with a Latin flare through the use of a big band and romantic, acoustic guitar to flesh out the instrumental.

“I’ll be home for Christmas/ You can plan on me/ Please have some snow and mistletoe/ And presents by the tree/ Christmas eve will find me/ Where the love light gleams/ I’ll be home for Christmas,” Cabello effortlessly sings the song’s defining chorus.

Cabello previously delivered her “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” cover on two separate occasions last year for her performance at the White House for In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season and for Michael Bublé’s Christmas in the City.

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” is far from Cabello’s first foray into holiday tunes — in 2021, she teamed up with her then-boyfriend Shawn Mendes for a cover of Nat King Cole’s Christmas classic, “The Christmas Song,” which served double duty as a fundraiser for Feeding America.

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