Tag Archives: WV Entertainment

Laura Di Lorenzo & Mimi Davila Are Developing “The Chonga Girls” at CBS Studios

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Laura Di Lorenzo is celebrating a little (chonga) girl power.

The 34-year-old Venezuelan comedian, actress and writer – who performs alongside Mimi Davila as the comedy duo The Chonga Girls – is set to write, star and co-executive produce an eponymous multi-camera comedy series in development at CBS Studios, per Deadline.com.

Laura Di Lorenzo, Mimi Davila, The Chonga Girls Di Lorenzo and Davila—who perform as The Chonga Girls— are part of the project that hails from Marlena Rodriguez, who will serve as writer.

Additionally Rodriguez will executive produce alongside Wilmer Valderrama and Kaitlin Saltzman under his WV Entertainment banner, and Al Madrigal.

The Chonga Girls follows two dangerously confident childhood friends, Mimi and Laura, who move from Miami to Hollywood to realize their dream of becoming famous. But, much to their surprise, they find themselves working at the makeup counter for a department store right off the Walk of Fame.

Davila is a Cuban/Bulgarian actress, comedian and writer who, alongside her best friend Di Lorenzo, released the viral video Chongalicious in 2007. Most recently, she wrapped shooting the lead role in the indie film The Scout. She can also be seen in Julio Torres’ feature film Problemista and Gala Film’s new dystopian series RZR.

Davila and Di Lorenzo perform regularly together at comedy festivals.

Di Lorenzo is a Venezuelan Miamian whose voice was behind the music of Selena Quintanilla in the Netflix series Selena: The Series. She is best known for co-creating the comedy web series The Chonga Diaries, which spawned her segment, “Laura’s Corner,” available from Mitú via Comcast.

WV Entertainment is known for highlighting and uplifting the stories of Latinx and underrepresented communities across traditional media and podcasts. Last year, the company signed a first-look deal with CBS Studios.

Additionally, Valderrama became a shareholder of the My Cultura Podcast Network from iHeartMedia. He hosts and produces podcasts as well as helps curate the network’s slate of Latinx-focused podcasts which includes scripted and unscripted projects from Eva Longoria, Freddie Prinze, Jr, Cobra Kai stars Xolo Maridueña and Jacob Bertrand, and Princess of South Beach starring Rachel Zegler and Sheryl Rubio, to name a few. Additionally, WV Entertainment is developing a reimagined Zorro series for ABC among other projects currently in various stages of production.

Madrigal and Valderrama, as multihyphenate powerhouses in Hollywood, find synergy in their dedication to bringing Latino stories to the forefront. Madrigal currently stars in NBC’s Lopez Vs. Lopez, the only network series featuring a Latino family, alongside George Lopez, Mayan Lopez and Selenis Leyva. As a producer, he also has various projects in development yet to be announced. Previously, he created the comic book series Primos and starred in multiple film and TV projects.

Wilmer Valderrama Developing Drama Series Based on Anthony Almojera’s Memoir “Riding the Lightning”

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Wilmer Valderrama is riding high…

The 42-year-old Venezuelan and Colombian American actor is developing a drama series alongside Eric I. Lu based on Anthony Almojera’s memoir Riding the Lightning: A Year in the Life of a New York City Paramedic.

Wilmer Valderrama CBS Studios is the studio.

Riding the Lightning will follow a veteran team of EMS workers in New York City grappling with life-or-death emergencies while welcoming an eager group of new recruits to their tight-knit unit.

Lu will serve as the writer and executive producer; Valderrama and Kaitlin Saltzman will executive produce through his WV Entertainment. Almojera will serve as a consultant on the project.

Lu will feel right at home working on a medical drama due to his four years working as a writer and producer on Fox’s The Resident. He joined the show in Season 2 and departed after the sixth season.

Valderrama is an actor and producer who’ll next reprise the role of Fez in Netflix’s That ’70s Show spinoff That ’90s Show. The series’ freshman season premieres on January 19. Projects under development include the straight-to-series drama Keep This to Yourself for Peacock/Telemundo and a reimagined Zorro series for Disney Branded Television.

Wilmer Valderrama Becomes Shareholder of IHeartMedia’s My Cultura Podcast Network

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Wilmer Valderrama is taking on more responsibility…

The 42-year-old Venezuelan and Colombian American actor has expanded his role with My Cultura Podcast Network from iHeartMedia by becoming a shareholder.

Wilmer ValderramaIn addition, Valderrama will help to curate the network’s slate of Latinx-focused podcasts and has committed to five new shows that will be executive produced by and/or star him.

According to the company, monthly podcast downloads across My Cultura have more than doubled since the beginning of the year, with 9 in 10 of the network’s total downloads coming from listeners aged 18-49.

“Representation shapes not just how others see us, but also how we see ourselves. It is imperative that every facet of our media includes narratives that uplift Latino and Hispanic voices,” Valderrama tells Deadline in an exclusive statement. “At WV Entertainment it is our mission to not just choose purposeful projects that accurately represent the stories of the Latinx community but to also make sure these stories are accessible to everyone. We are so grateful to our partners at iHeartMedia for seeing the value in this and prioritizing the need to highlight the joy, the power, and the heart of our community in ways that are still all too rare.”

Valderrama’s relationship with My Cultura began in the Summer of 2021 with the launch of his podcast, Essential Voices with Wilmer Valderrama.

The weekly interview series, executive produced by Valderrama and Leo Klemm via his production banner WV Entertainment and Clamor, features conversations with people in the front line of food service, transportation, child-care, and other systems where workers’ voices are often overlooked.

“We are excited to have Wilmer on board in an even larger, expanded capacity as a shareholder in iHeart’s My Cultura Podcast Network,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia’s Digital Audio Group. “His energy, experience, and creativity will set this network up for even further success in year two and beyond.”

“We’re incredibly proud of the rapid growth our network has seen in its first year,” said Gisselle Bances, SVP, Head of Production and Development for iHeartMedia’s My Cultura. “We are the first majority Latinx-owned podcast network, and we are grateful to our partners and our diverse roster of hosts, including Wilmer, who continue to further My Cultura’s mission to tell our own stories. It’s stories by us for everyone to enjoy.”

Other popular podcasts from My Cultura include Connections with Eva Longoria, Princess of South Beach starring Rachel Zegler and Sheryl Rubio, Wrestling with Freddie from Freddie Prinze, Jr., Sisters of the Underground executive produced by Eva Longoria and Dania Ramirez, Chiquis and Chill, and Lone Lobos with Xolo Maridueña and Jacob Bertrand. Listeners can hear all My Cultura shows on iHeartRadio and anywhere podcasts are found.

Broken English Options “A Christmas to Remember” Screenplay from Erick Galindo & Patty Rodriguez

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It’ll be a Christmas to remember for Erick Galindo and Patty Rodriguez.

Broken English has optioned an original screenplay by the award-winning Latino writer, producer and journalist and the best-selling Latina author for the holiday ensemble film A Christmas to Remember.

Erick Galindo & Patty Rodriguez

The film tells the story of Rose Klug, who has turned White Elephant into a war of attrition, one where bringing the best or most creative gift is more important than Christmas itself. The battles have become legendary among locals on the powdery slopes of Big Bear where the former hedge fund manager has called home for decades (she called it quits to manage a growing ulcer problem).

Rose feels like she’s from a different era: she drinks whiskey straight, she doesn’t say much yet commands attention, and she never takes two steps when one will do. Her family gift exchange is the one time of year she allows herself to go wild. But this Christmas, something threatens to upstage Rose’s epic game of White Elephant: her estranged and rebellious daughter Ana Klug is bringing home a rich and famous fiancé.

Broken English is currently in talks to attach a director to the project. Filming is expected to begin in Los Angeles in the fall.

Tamara Nagahiro of Grandave International will be introducing the title to buyers at next month’s Cannes Film Market.

“Erick and Patty have been on my radar for some time. I am excited to go on this journey with such visionaries,” said Jolene Rodriguez, president of Broken English Productions.

Galindo most recently announced the development of the family comedy series Mexican Beverly Hills for CBS in collaboration with Wilmer Valderrama’s WV Entertainment. He is also is a five-time Telly Awards winner known for the shorts The Bubble Machine and El De Buena Park.

Rodriguez is coming off a 15-year career at iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS FM Los Angeles where she most recently served as senior producer and on-air talent of the internationally syndicated show On Air With Ryan Seacrest.

She is also created and co-founded Lil’ Libros, a bilingual children’s media publisher.

Under their banner Sin Miedo Productions, Galindo and Rodriguez created the podcast Out of the Shadows: Children of ‘86, which is currently in production with iHeartMedia.

A Christmas to Remember will be produced by Broken English’s Rodriguez with Stanley Preschutti of Grandave Capital as executive producer.

Wilmer Valderrama Signs First-Look Deal with CBS Television Studios

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Wilmer Valderrama has a new deal…

The 38-year-old Colombian and Venezuelan American actor’s production company, WV Entertainment, has signed a two-year first-look deal with CBS Television Studios.

Wilmer Valderrama  

WV Entertainment’s first-look agreement is for scripted and unscripted projects, with a strong emphasis on diversity.

“As someone who immigrated to the United States at 14 years old, I am immensely passionate about this opportunity to create engaging and culturally relevant projects with CBS Television Studios,” says Valderrama.

Valderrama’s production company has produced several projects, including The Hollywood Puppet Show, Handy Manny for Playhouse Disney, and Douglas Family Gold for Oxygen.

On the feature side he produced and is voicing the upcoming animated film Charming alongside John H. Williams, producer of the Shrek franchise.

Valderrama’s philanthropic endeavors include Harness, a group he launched recently with America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams, which is dedicated to connecting communities through conversation to inspire action and power change. Valderrama also serves on the board of Voto Latino and is co-chair of their artist coalition. He is also the spokesperson for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and is the founder of their Ready 2 Lead program, which educates and empowers Latino youth.

In 2013, Valderrama was honored with an ALMA Award for Outstanding Social Activism.

Wilmer Valderrama Acquires Rights to Dave Gutierrez’s WWII Book “Patriots from the Barrio”

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It’s a Patriots mission for Wilmer Valderrama…

The 37-year-old Colombian and Venezuelan American actor/producer and former That ’70s Show star and his WV Entertainment have acquired film and television rights to Patriots from the Barrio, Dave Gutierrez’s 2014 book that delves into the history of a segregated U.S. Army combat unit comprised entirely of Mexican Americans from South Texas that was part of the first division to set foot in Europe in World War II.

Wilmer Valderrama

Gutierrez’s book came about while he was researching a relative, Ramon G. Gutierrez, who during the war was captured and escaped twice, both times able to make it back across Allied lines. He later received the Silver Star and three Purple Hearts, and the Soviet Union gave him the Order of the Patriotic War. His Company E in the 36th Division fought in Italy at San Pietro in the Liri Valley, and in 1944 was nearly wiped out in the Battle of Ripaldo River, one of the U.S. Army’s biggest losses of WWII.

“During Hispanic Heritage Month, this story is especially timely, and I’m honored as a proud Latin American to amplify the courage and contributions of these incredible men,” Valderrama said.

Valderrama, who joined as a regular on CBS’ NCIS last year, also has the animated film Charming coming next year on which his WV Entertainment serves as a producer.