Lissette Feliciano to Write & Direct Film Adaptation of Gloria & Emilio Estefan Broadway Musical “On Your Feet”

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Lissette Feliciano is ready to get you on your feet.

The 33-year-old Latina writer, director and actress will write and direct On Your Feet, a feature adaptation of the same-name Broadway musical that’s in early development at Sony Pictures, Deadline has learned.

A jukebox musical that tells the inspiring true story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, two Cuban immigrants who launched themselves to international musical stardom from humble beginnings, On Your Feet will be produced by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, as well as John and Jordan Davis of Davis Entertainment, with John Fox executive producing.

Premiering in November 2015 at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway, where it ran for more than 750 performances, the show specifically hones in on Gloria’s Estefan’s trajectory from her early days in Miami to her breakthrough as the lead singer of the Miami Sound Machine — a crossover artist, blending Latin and pop music — and ultimately, her triumphant return to the stage after a near-fatal accident. The musical delves into the challenges she faced as a young artist, including her struggles to balance her cultural identity, family expectations, and artistic ambitions, and at the same time explores her romantic relationship with Emilio.

With a book by Alexander Dinelaris, the show features such hit songs from the Estefans as “Conga,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” and “Get On Your Feet.”

Directed by Jerry Mitchell, it went on to earn a Tony Award nomination for Choreography, as well as seven Outer Critics Circle Award nominations and three Drama League Award nominations, before going on to tour the U.S. and internationally.

Feliciano is best known for Women Is Losers, the 2021 indie drama that marked her feature directorial debut. Set in ’60s San Francisco, the film watches as a once-promising catholic school girl, Celina Guerrera (Lorenza Izzo), sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future for herself that sets new precedents for the time. Also starring Bryan Craig, Chrissie Fit and Simu Liu, the film premiered to critical acclaim at SXSW and was acquired by Max following its successful nationwide festival run.

An NYU Tisch alum and a Tribeca Film Institute AT&T Untold Stories grant recipient, the filmmaker is repped by Verve and Adelman Matz.

Lorenza Izzo Signs with M88 for Representation

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lorenza Izzo has new representation…

The 32-year-old Chilean actress and producer has signed with M88 and its sister company Uncmmn for representation.

Izzo will next be seen in Greg Mottola’s Miramax comedy, Confess, Fletch, opposite Jon Hamm.

She can currently be seen in HBO Max’s Emmy-winning comedy series Hacks, and in Lissette Feliciano’s award-winning film Women Is Losers, which was released by HBO Max after premiering in competition at SXSW. Izzo also produced the latter title, in which she stars opposite Shang-Chi‘s Simu Liu.

Izzo has previously appeared on the film side in Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar winner Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood; Universal and Amblin’s The House with a Clock in Its Walls, opposite Jack Black and Cate Blanchett; and writer-director Dan Fogelman’s multigenerational Amazon drama, Life Itself, opposite Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde.

She also starred opposite Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas in the Lionsgate psychological thriller Knock Knock, from director Eli Roth.

Izzo also recently starred on the television side in John Logan’s Penny Dreadful spin-off, City of Angels. Additional TV credits include AMC’s Feed the Beast, in which she starred alongside David Schwimmer and Jim Sturgess, the Gaumont/Netflix series Hemlock Grove, Hulu’s Dimension 404 and the fourth and final season of Hulu’s Casual.

Izzo is well known in Chile for starring in a pair of comedies from director Nicolas Lopez: Que Pena Tu Boda and Que Pena Tu Familia.

She continues to be represented by ICM and Viewpoint.

Former WME Partner Phillip Sun and Macro Founder & CEO Charles D. King launched M88 in 2020, with an eye toward supporting the work of the next generation of artists and cultural leaders. Sun leads the firm with partners Oronde Garrett and Gaby Mena.

Chrissie Fit to Star in Indie Comedy “The List”

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Chrissie Fit is makin’ The List…

The 37-year-old Cuban American actress has joined the cast of The List, the indie comedy from director Melissa Miller Costanzo.

Fit forms part of a list of new cast additions that includes Jonah Platt, Will Peltz and Zach Reino.

They join previously announced leads Halston Sage, Christian Navarro and Gregg Sulkin.

The film written by Rob Lederer and Steve Vitolo centers on Abby (Sage), a woman who is about to get married, for whom everything is perfect. Until she finds out her fiancé Matt (Platt) has slept with a celebrity from his “free pass” list. To get her mind off things, Abby and her best friend Chloe (Fit) come up with a crazy idea: Abby should pursue a celebrity from her own list. But things become complicated when she meets Jake (Navarro), a sweet and charming waiter at a neighborhood cafe, who gives her a fresh perspective.

Peltz is portraying Avon, an LA-based rapper/pop star who is on a lot of free pass lists, including Abby’s, with Reino as Matt’s best friend and consistent bad influence, Connor.

Fit is best known for turns in Universal’s Pitch Perfect franchise and Disney Channel’s Teen Beach films. She can currently be seen in Amazon’s series reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer, and will next be seen in Showtime comedy series I Love This for You, as well as Starz’ horror comedy, Shining Vale.

Fit has also recurred on Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens and Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor, among other series. Additional film credits include Universal’s All My Life and HBO Max’s Women Is Losers.

Reino is a comedian and actor who has appeared on the TV side in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Netflix’s Brews Brothers, A.P. Bio, Sofia the First, Speechless, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and more. He recently wrote on Peacock’s new series Baking It with Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg and co-hosts Off Book, a popular podcast, which originally debuted on Earwolf. Reino also co-wrote the script for Elizabeth Banks’ upcoming Amazon film Where the Fore Are We? with David Wain and Jess McKenna.

Trailer Released for Lissette Feliciano’s Debut Feature “Women Is Losers,” Starring Lorenza Izzo

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lorenza Izzo isn’t ashamed of a Losers role…

The trailer for Lissette Feliciano’s debut feature film Women Is Losers, starring the 32-year-old Chilean actress, has been released.

In September, HBO MAX had acquired the film, which it will stream exclusively on October 18.

The film is about young Latinx single mother Celina Guerrera in 1960’s San Francisco and her journey to rise against sexism, discrimination, and poverty to chase the American Dream.

In addition to Izzo, Women Is Losers stars Simu Liu, Chrissie Fit, Bryan Craig. Steven Bauer, Liza Weil, Cranston Johnson, Alessandra Torresani, Alejandra Miranda, Shalim Ortiz, and Lincoln Bonilla.

Feliciano wrote and produced the film with David Ortiz.

Women Is Losers had its world premiere at SXSW this year, in addition to winning at the Oxford, Cleveland, and Columbus film festivals and official selections at Mill Valley and Urbanworld Film Festivals.

HBO Max Acquires North American Rights to Lorenza Izzo’s Latest Film “Women Is Losers”

Posted on September 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lorenza Izzo is winning at Los(er)ing…

HBO Max has acquired the North American rights to Women Is Losers, the 1960s-set indie drama starring the 31-year-old Chilean actress and model.

Hailing from writer-director Lissette Feliciano, her debut feature, Women Is Losers has its world premiere at this year’s SXSW.

In addition to Izzo, the film also stars Chrissie Fit, Bryan Craig and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu. The streamer will now debut the film exclusively on the platform on October 18.

Set in 1960s San Francisco, the plot centers on a once-promising Catholic schoolgirl (Izzo) who sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future for herself that sets new precedents for the time. The filmn is inspired by real women and the Janis Joplin song of the same title. Steven Bauer, Liza Weil, Cranston Johnson, Alessandra Torresani, Shalim Ortiz and Lincoln Bonilla also star.

Feliciano and David Ortiz are producers.

“We set out to make a film that was as bold, funny, and honest as the women that inspired it,” said Feliciano, who also discussed the film at Deadline’s SXSW Studio earlier this year. “We could think of no better time in our nation’s history for this film to reach the women of America. This is one you’re going to want to watch with your family. We’ve found the perfect partner in HBO Max who are known for their provocative and entertaining content. This film is an inter-generational story and at its core is about always having hope no matter how big the obstacles. Lorenza Izzo, Chrissie Fit, Simu Liu, and Bryan Craig give their hearts in these performances. I can’t wait for you all to see them.”

Lissette Feliciano Signs with Verve

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lissette Feliciano has new representation…

The 31-year-old Latina writer, director and actress has signed with Verve following the success of her SXSW debut feature, Women Is Losers, which she wrote, directed, and produced.

Set during the 1960s in San Francisco, Women Is Losers follows bright and talented Catholic school girl Celina Guerrera (Lorenza Izzo), who survives a difficult home life by following the rules. That is until an indiscretion creates a series of devastating consequences. As Celina faces the compounded obstacles of being young and alone, she sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future that sets new precedents for the time.

The film is inspired by real women and the Janis Joplin song of the same title.

Simu Liu, Chrissie Fit and Liza Weil (How to Get also star.

A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Feliciano is a Tribeca Film Institute AT&T Untold Stories grant recipient, and was named as one of Shoot Magazine’s new directors to watch.

Her production company, Look at the Moon Pictures, develops original content that shines a lens on underrepresented groups, joining the ranks of creators filling the market gap in storytelling for a new young, multicultural audience.

Under Feliciano’s leadership, Look at the Moon was among the first production companies to mandate 50 percent BIPOC representation across leadership positions on and off-camera.

Feliciano joins Verve’s growing roster of Latin filmmakers including Gigi Saul Guerrero, Peter Murrieta, Cristina Gallego, David Blue Garcia, Aitch Alberto, Marvin Lemus and Aurora Guerrero.

Chrissie Fit to Appear on Amazon’s “I Know What You Did Last Summer” Series

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Chrissie Fit has big summer plans…

The 36-year-old Cuban American actress/singer and former Pitch Perfect star has landed a recurring role on Amazon’s I Know What You Did Last Summer series.

A modern take on the 1997 horror film, the project comes from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios Original Film.

Written by Sara Goodman based on the 1973 novel by Lois Duncan, the I Know What You Did Last Summer series has the same premise as the movie adaptation – in a town full of secrets, a group of teenagers are stalked by a mysterious killer a year after a fatal accident on their graduation night.

Details about Fit’s character have yet to be revealed.

The previously announced cast includes Madison Iseman, Brianne Tju, Ezekiel Goodman, Ashley Moore, Sebastian Amoruso, Fiona Rene, Cassie Beck, Brooke Bloom, Bill Heck and Sonya Balmores.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television. Goodman will write and executive produce. Craig Macneill will serve as director and executive producer for the first episode.

Fit appeared in the Pitch Perfect and Teen Beach Movie franchises. She also acted opposite Jessica Rothe and Harry Shum Jr. in All My Life.

Her additional credits include Lissette Feliciano’s SXSW film Women Is Losers and Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens.

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