Rudi Garcia Named New Coach of Serie A Side Napoli

Rudi Garcia has landed a new job…

Italian champions Napoli have named the 59-year-old Spanish-French former-soccer-player-turned-manager as their new coach, replacing Luciano Spalletti, the Serie A side said on Thursday.

Rudi Garcia Napoli did not specify the length of Garcia’s contract. 

Garcia coached Italy’s AS Roma from 2013-16, before moving to French Ligue 1 sides Marseille and Lyon.

Garcia coached Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr last season. They finished second in the Saudi Pro League with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack.

Al Nassr parted ways Garcia in April, amid reports of an uneasy relationship with Ronaldo.

Former Napoli coach Spalletti, who led them to their first Italian league title since 1990, asked to take a break from the job for a year.

Juanpa Zurita to Star in & Executive Produce “Carpe DM with Juanpa” for Roku

Juanpa Zurita is ready to seize the day

The 27-year-old Mexican social media influencer, vlogger, actor and model will star in and executive produce Carpe DM with Juanpa for Roku.

Juanpa Zurita “Can I fly a jet, ride a bull, jump a Monster Truck? A lot of us have these strange curiosities buried in the back of our minds or saved in our inboxes for later. Yet we do nothing,” reads the show’s synopsis.

Zurita is out to change that.

In each episode of the bilingual series Carpe DM with Juanpa, he will face challenges that push his body and mind to the limit all across the United States. Along the way, Juanpa will show all of us the transformative power of stepping outside your comfort zone and bringing your inner adventurer to life.

The six-episode series is produced by INE Entertainment and ARCO. Eric Day, Mark Koops, and Sarah Davies executive produce for INE. Juanpa Zurita and Brenda Tubilla executive produce for ARCO. Dave Lingwood is also set to executive produce.

Zurita rose to acclaim in 2013 by making comedy videos on the Vine app. Later, he diversified his activities by publishing vlogs and entertainment videos on the YouTube platform, and most recently he started his own water company in the middle of a drought, exploiting the resources of his own country.

He has created various campaigns in favor of humanitarian aid, in one of which he raised 25 million Mexican pesos through donations to make houses to several victims of an earthquake in Mexico City, in September 2017. In 2016, he began modeling for fashion brands including Pull&BearLouis VuittonDolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein.

Manolo Gonzalez Vergara to Host Roku Competitive Cooking Show “Celebrity Family Cook Off”

Manolo Gonzalez Vergara is heading to the kitchen…

Roku has ordered a celebrity cooking show Celebrity Family Cook Off, which will be hosted by the 31-year-old Colombian actor and executive produced by his mother Sofia Vergara.

Manolo Gonzalez Vergara & Sofia VergaraThe streamer has greenlit the new series, which will see famous families face off in the name of charity.

In each episode, a food-loving celebrity and a family member compete against another celebrity family duo in a two-round battle, dinner followed by dessert. Each round of the competition will feature a culinary challenge inspired by a hit movie or television series. The winning celeb-family duo will receive a cash prize to donate to a charity of their choice.

Gonzalez Vergara will be joined by judges Kalen Allen and Fariyal Abdullahi.

The six-episode series is produced by Butternut, the Wheelhouse company run by former Food Network boss Courtney White and Latin World Entertainment, the company founded by Luis Balaguer and Vergara.

It is Roku’s latest food show after The Great American Baking Show, Morimoto’s Sushi Master, Martha Cooks and Emeril Tailgates.

Brian Tannenbaum, Head of Originals, Roku Media, said, “It’s incredible to have the opportunity to collaborate with Sofia Vergara and Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, alongside the production teams at Butternut and Latin World Entertainment, to serve up Celebrity Family Cook Off, a new Roku Original series that will dish out food, family and competitive spirit in the name of charity.”

“We’re so excited to be partnering with Roku to bring you a fun, new cooking competition! Working as a family is great and doing it in the spirit of giving back is even better,” said Manolo Gonzalez Vergara.

Courtney White added, “This show perfectly blends Sofia and Manolo’s infectious love for family with their shared passion for food. We think this series will be an absolute delight for viewers and a great addition to Roku’s endless entertainment offerings. Our team at Butternut is excited to be part of the fun.”

Danny Trejo to Star in Indie MMA-Themed Drama “American Underdog”

Danny Trejo is mixed-ing things up…

The 78-year-old Mexican American actor and Machete star has landed a role in American Underdog, an indie drama set in the world of MMA.Danny TrejoVeronica Falcón will also star in the film, which is now in production in Chicago.

The film, marking the feature directorial debut of Peruvian-American filmmaker Gustavo Martin, will also star Vishy Ayyar and Andrew Gray.

The film’s protagonist is Jai (Ayyar), an ex-con on a soulful path wrestling with personal redemption when outside circumstances pit him in the ring against the fierce opponent, Marcus (Gray).

Trejo portrays Dennis, who reluctantly comes out of retirement to train his former student, while Falcón steps into the role of Marcella, a local gym owner and community legend shepherding Jai in his return to fighting.

A production of Peach Partners, in association with Mulberry Films and MxW VenturesAmerican Underdog will also star Suleka Mathew (Your Honor), Taylor Treadwell (Big Little Lies), Omi Vaidya (3 Idiots), Ranjita Chakravarty (Never Have I Ever) and Jaspal Binning (The Newsroom).

Martin and Matthew Mascia wrote the script, with Naveen A. Chathapuram (The Last VictimBrown Nation), Rashaana Shah (IFC’s Bollywood Hero) and Cristy Coors Beasley (The WestsidersLonelyGirl15) aboard to produce.

Trejo is best known for his work in such films as MacheteGrindhouse, Planet TerrorFrom Dusk Till DawnHeat, Good MourningThe Ridiculous 6PredatorsHalloween, Smiley FaceThe Devil’s Rejects, the Spy Kids franchise, Once Upon a Time in MexicoxXx and Con Air, among many others.

His notable television credits include Better ThingsAmerican GodsThe Flash and Sons of Anarchy.

Falcón can currently be seen in the second season of HBO’s Perry Mason and has also appeared on shows like OzarkWhy Women Kill and Queen of the South, to name a few.

Her notable film credits for the actress include The StarlingJungle CruiseThe Forever Purge and Voyagers. Up next for release for her is the Amazon Studios drama A Million Miles Away with Rosa Salazar, Garret Dillahunt and Michael Peña.

Roku Renews Jessica Alba’s “Honest Renovation” Series for Second Season

It’s an Honest time for Jessica Alba

Roku is requesting more honest time from the 42-year-old half-Mexican American actress and entrepreneur.

Jessica AlbaThe streamer announced the renewal of Alba’s home improvement series Honest Renovation, which she hosts and executive produces alongside Lizzy Mathis, for Season 2.

The original series follows the pair as they renovate the homes of deserving families while having candid conversations about parenthood across eight one-hour episodes.

Production on Season 1 originally kicked off in late 2022.

“Becoming a parent was exciting, scary, and confusing all at once. Parenthood is the most transformative life experience, and no matter how much you think

Pedro Pascal in Final Negotiations to Star in Paramount’s Untitled “Gladiator” Sequel

Pedro Pascal is ready to Rome

The 48-year-old Chilean actor is thisclose to joining the cast of the untitled Gladiator sequel for Paramount.

Pascal would join Paul Mescal, who will star as Lucius, as well as Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington.

Ridley Scott is returning to direct.

Pascal’s role is unknown.

The new film follows the 2000 blockbuster Gladiator, which earned more than $460 million in worldwide box office and was nominated for 12 Oscars, winning five including Best Picture.

The role of Maximus, the Roman general-turned-gladiator, was a career-changer for Russell Crowe, not only delivering him the Best Actor Oscar but also launching him to the top of every leading-man list. Once it was made clear last year that the sequel would be Scott’s next movie, every male actor in town that fit the profile began chasing the part.

David Scarpa penned the script.

Also returning from the original film are John Mathieson (director of photography), Arthur Max (production designer) and Janty Yates (costume designer).

Paramount Pictures has dated the film for November 22, 2024.

The first film was co-production between Universal and DreamWorks, and while DreamWorks will not be involved in the sequel, Universal has the right to partner again when the project is packaged.

Pascal has been a major player following his scene-stealing role in his one season on Game of Thronesbut his star has blasted off following The Last of Uswhich has become one of the most popular shows in HBO’s history. While HBO is looking to get the show up and going next year, Pascal had been weighing a number of options to shoot before jumping back in to that and the opportunity on this film was too hard to pass up.

Besides The Last of Us, which will certainly have him in award season chatter this Emmy season, he also reprised his role on the Disney+ series The Mandalorianwhich just had its Season 3 finale last week.

Pascal can next be seen starring alongside Ethan Hawke in Pedro Almodovar’s short film Strange Way of Life, which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and will be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics this fall.

Additionally, Pascal is in Ethan Coen’s film Drive-Away Dolls, distributed by Focus Features and releasing in September. Pascal also stars in Anna Boden’s Freaky Tales, which is likely to come out later this year.

He also hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this year, earning rave reviews, and is also in contention for some Emmy love this awards season.

Ivy Queen to Perform First Concert in Puerto Rico in 15+ Years

Ivy Queen preparing for her long-waited homecoming concert…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican singer, rapper, songwriter and actress will perform her first concert in Puerto Rico in over 15 years.

Ivy QueenShe’ll perform some of her most emblematic hits such as “Quiero Bailar,” “Te He Querido, Te He Llorado,” and “La Vida es Así,” to name a few, at her “Killa Queen” concert taking place on September 9 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

“I have beautiful emotions and nostalgia,” expressed Ivy on social media.

Eric Duars of Duars Live said in a statement: “Being responsible for La Diva’s return to the stage is a source of pride and represents a great responsibility for our company. We will work on a production that lives up to what Ivy deserves. She is the most important female figure in the urban genre and her career of more than 20 years proves it.”

For more information, visit www.ticketera.com.

Arcángel Announces 14-Date “Just In Time Tour” of North America

Arcángel is making time for his fans…

The 37-year-old Dominican American Latin trap star will hit the road this summer for his Just In Time Tour.

Arcángel The 14-date stint, produced by Live Nation, will kick off on August 26 at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago area, making stops across the U.S. in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and more before wrapping up in Orlando at Amway Center on October 1. 

The cross-country tour is preceded by a new album Sr. Santos, which he released late last year, and seven back-to-back nights at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in February, a hard-hitting collaboration with Bizarrap (“BZRP Music Sessions #54”) that he unleashed in March and has nearly 50 million views on YouTube (so far).

Sr. Santos scored Arcangel his sixth top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart when it debuted at No. 3 in December. The set, which includes collaborations with Bad Bunny, Young Miko and Myke Towers, among others, is a tribute to his late brother Justin Santos who died at 21-years-old in 2021.

“Life surprised us with the death of [my brother] so we canceled everything,” Arcángel previously told Billboard Español. “I built up courage and said, ‘since he loved these songs so much, let’s finish it and make and album that will be dedicated to him.’”

In 2021, Arcángel released Los Favoritos 2.5 — a follow up to Los Favoritos 2 from 2020 — which peaked at No. 15 on the Top Latin Albums chart and No. 11 on the Latin Rhythm Albums.

Tickets for his Just In Time Tour will go on sale April 13 at 10:00 a.m.

Here’s the complete list of dates:

Aug. 26 — Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL
Aug. 31 — Smart Financial Centre, Houston, TX
Sept. 2 — The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving, TX
Sept. 3 — Payne Arena, Hidalgo, TX
Sept. 7 — Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
Sept. 9 — Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, San Diego, CA
Sept. 10 — YouTube Theater, Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 15 — Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, CT
Sept. 16 — Eaglebank Arena, Fairfax, VA
Sept. 17 — Santander Arena, Reading, PA
Sept. 22 — Barclays Center, New York, NY
Sept. 23 — Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
Sept. 30 — Kaseya Center, Miami, FL

Ketchup Entertainment Releases Trailer for Robert Rodriguez-Directed Thriller “Hypnotic”

Robert Rodriguez is hypnotizing audiences…

Ketchup Entertainment has released the trailer for Hypnotic, the thriller directed by 54-year-old Mexican American filmmaker.

Robert Rodriguez

The film, which stars Ben Affleck, will open in theaters on May 12 release.

The film is coming off a work-in-progress screening last month at SXSW.

Ketchup Entertainment acquired the U.S. rights to the big-budget film earlier this year; the project, which went into production in late 2021 after several pandemic delays and a lawsuit, saw its original financier and U.S. distributor Solstice Studios shut down. Now it will be released via Ketchup on more than 2,000 screens, helped by several former Solstice executives who will assist in getting the film over the finish line.

The feature centers on a detective (Affleck) who finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole while investigating a series of reality-bending crimes mysteriously connected to his missing daughter. Aided by a gifted psychic (Alice Braga), he is pursued by a lethal specter (William Fichtner) who he believes holds the key to finding his daughter.

JD Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey and Jackie Earle Haley also star.

Anthony Ramos to Receive Rising Star of the Year Award at Cinema Con 2023

Anthony Ramosstar is on the rise… 

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and actor and Dominique Fishback have been set to receive the Rising Stars of the Year Award at CinemaCon 2023.

Anthony RamosThe Transformers: Rise of the Beasts stars will receive the recognition from NATO’s official convention at its Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony, which takes place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas the night of April 27.

They join a list of honorees that also includes Oppenheimer‘s Christopher Nolan & Emma Thomas (NATO Spirit of the Industry Award), the cast of Lionsgate’s Joy Ride (Comedy Ensemble of the Year Award) and the Dune franchise’s Zendaya (Star of the Year Award).

The new Steven Caple Jr.-helmed Transformers film set for release in theaters June 9 hails from Paramount Pictures and Skydance, in association with Hasbro and New Republic Pictures.

It’s billed as a globetrotting adventure transporting audiences back to the ’90s alongside the iconic Autobots, which also introduces a brand-new faction of Transformers, the Maximals, to join them as allies in the ongoing battle for Earth.

Ramos’ and Fishback’s human characters participating in that fight are tech wiz Noah Diaz and museum artifact researcher Elena Wallace, respectively.

“With a breadth of experience across theater, television and film, Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback will undoubtedly captivate audiences as they take on their first action-packed franchise film in this summer’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” CinemaCon managing director Mitch Neuhauser said. “We are thrilled to be honoring these two talented individuals with this year’s CinemaCon Rising Stars of the Year Award.”

A Grammy winner, as well as a Golden Globe and Emmy nominee, Ramos is best known for originating the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Tony-winning Broadway smash Hamilton, and for leading Warner Bros’ feature adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s other famed musical In the Heights. He’s also previously been seen in films like Godzilla: King of the Monsters and A Star Is Born, along with series including She’s Gotta Have It and In Treatment. Other upcoming projects include the films Distant and Dumb Money, as well as the Disney+ Marvel series Iron Heart.

CinemaCon takes place this year from April 24-27.