Disney & Pixar Release Trailer for Animated Film “Elio,” Featuring America Ferrera

America Ferrera is getting animated…

Disney and Pixar have released the first teaser for Elio, featuring the 39-year-old Honduran American award-winning actress as part of the voice cast.

America FerreraIn addition to Ferrera, the voice cast of Pixar Animation’s 28th animated feature will also include up-and-comer Yonas Kibreab, Jameela Jamil and Brad Garrett.

Directed by Adrian Molina, the co-director and writer of Pixar’s Coco, Elio introduces viewers to Kibreab’s character of the same name. An underdog with an active imagination, Elio finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide.

Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, and completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien life forms, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.

Ferrera voices Elio’s mom, Olga, with Jamil as Ambassador Questa and Garrett as Ambassador Grigon.

Produced by Mary Alice Drumm, who associate produced Coco, the film is set for release in theaters on March 1, 2024.

America Ferrera to Star in Disney/Pixar’s Intergalactic Animated Film “Elio”

America Ferrera is getting animated…

The 38-year-old Honduran American actress will star in Disney & Pixar’s new animated film, Elio.

America FerreraElio centers on an 11-year-old boy who finds himself transported across the galaxy and is mistaken for the intergalactic Ambassador for our Planet Earth.

Yonas Kibreab stars as Elio, with Ferrera as his mom, Olga Solis.

“Olga is super-confident, smart and can hold her own in any situation,” the Superstore and Ugly Betty alum says. “She’s a character who speaks to me in so many ways as a mother. And of course, with my advanced mathematical degree, I can finally put it to use. Don’t Google it.”

The film is directed by Annie Award-winning Coco co-helmer and screenwriter Adrian Molina and produced by Mary Alice Drumm.

Elio is set to hit theaters in Spring 2024.

https://twitter.com/Pixar/status/1568391606654627840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1568391606654627840%7Ctwgr%5E1faca911a59bbdcf322882f312ef9d8f548ec078%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdeadline.com%2F2022%2F09%2Felio-pixar-movie-america-ferrera-yonas-kibreab-adrian-molina-1235113672%2F

Justina Machado Wins Imagen Award for Best Actress – Television

Justina Machado is celebrating her big Day

The 33rd annual Imagen Awards were announced over the weekend, with the 45-year-old Puerto Rican actress taking home one of the big prizes.

Justina Machado 

Machado was named Best Actress – Television for her starring role on Netflix’s One Day at a Timewhich earned the award for Best Primetime Program.

It’s her second consecutive award for portraying Penelope Alvarez on the series.

The Imagen Awards are presented by the Imagen Foundation, an organization that encourages and champions the positive portrayal of Latinos in entertainment.

Pixar’s Coco took the trophy for Best Feature Film and Best Director for Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina.

Other winners included Overboard stars Eugenio Derbez and Eva Longoria, as well as a tie for Best Supporting Actress in television for Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Stephanie Beatriz and Suits actress Gina Torres.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Best Feature Film: Coco(Disney Pixar)
Best Director: Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina, Coco(Disney Pixar)
Best  Actor  –  Feature  Film: Eugenio  Derbez,  Overboard (3Pas  Studios  and  Pantelion, Lionsgate MGM)
Best Actress – Feature Film: Eva Longoria, Overboard(3Pas Studios and Pantelion, Lionsgate MGM)
Best Primetime Program – Drama: Station 19(ABC; ABC Studios)
Best Primetime Program – Comedy: One Day at a Time(Netflix)
Best Primetime Program – Specials, Movies & Mini-Series: The Long Road Home(National Geographic; Phoenix Pictures, Finngate Television, and Fuzzy Door for National Geographic)
Best Actor – Television: E.J. Bonilla, The Long Road Home(National Geographic; Phoenix Pictures, Finngate Television, and Fuzzy Door for National Geographic)
Best Actress – Television: Justina Machado, One Day at a Time(Netflix)
Best Supporting Actor – Television: Jorge Diaz, The Long Road Home(National Geographic; Phoenix Pictures, Finngate Television, and Fuzzy Door for National Geographic)
Best Supporting Actress – Television (TIE):
 Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine(Fox; Universal Television, Fremulon, Dr. Goor Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment)
Gina Torres, Suits(USA Network; Universal Cable Productions)
Best Young Actor – Television: Jenna Ortega, Stuck in the Middle(Disney Channel; Horizon Productions, Inc.)
Best Variety or Reality Show: Pati’s Mexican Table(WETA/American Public Television; Co-production of Mexican Table LLC, WETA Washington DC, and FRANK)
Best Children’s Programming: Elena of Avalor(Disney Junior; Disney Television Animation)
Best Documentary: The Pushouts(Curious Matters, LLC)
Best Informational Program (Local or National): Noticias Telemundo: “Nuestra Gente Extraordinaria” (Telemundo Network)
Best Short-Form Non-Fiction Program: ESPN Features – SC Reportajes – “Hoops Sagrado” (ESPN Deportes; ESPN)
Best On-Air Advertising: Broken Crayons (brokencrayons.us; Republica

“Coco” Co-Director Adrian Molina Picks Up Three Trophies at the Annie Awards

Adrian Molina has plenty of reason to celebrate…

The 32-year-old Mexican American filmmaker, screenwriter and storyboard artist’s Coco was the big winner at the 45th annual Annie Awards.

Adrian Molina

The Day of the Dead-themed Disney/Pixar film pummeled the competition, going 11-for-13 in its nominated categories including Best Animated Feature.

Molina, Coco’s co-director, screenplay writer and lyricist, picked up three awards, sharing the trophies for Outstanding Achievement, Directing – Animated Feature Production, Outstanding Achievement, Writing – Feature Production and Outstanding Achievement, Music – Feature Production.

Presented by ASIFA-Hollywood, the Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 36 categories including Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Special Production, Commercials, Short Subjects and Outstanding Individual Achievements.

 

“Coco” Co-Director Adrian Molina Named as a Finalist for This Year’s Humanitas Prize

Adrian Molina is in the running for a special prize…

The 32-year-old Mexican American screenwriter and storyboard artist has been named a finalist for this year’s Humanitas Prize.

Adrian Molina

Nine films from a combined 21 screenwriters will compete in three categories, a first this year. The award was created to honor film and TV writers whose work inspires compassion, hope and understanding in the human family.

The finalists are vying in the categories of drama, comedy, and family films, with three nominated films competing for each prize.

Molina, who served a co-director, screenplay writer, and lyricist on the Disney/Pixar hit animated film Coco, is nominated alongside his Coco colleagiues Lee Unkrich, Jason Katz and Matthew Aldrich.

Molina and company are nominated in the Feature – Family category, facing off against the people behind Ferdinand and The Breadwinner.

The Humanitas Prize winners will be announced February 16 during a gala at the Beverly Hilton.

Here are the 2018 Humanitas Prize finalists:

Feature – Drama

MUDBOUND
Screenplay by Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

THE POST
Written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Written by Martin McDonagh

Feature – Comedy

LADY BIRD
Written by Greta Gerwig

THE BIG SICK
Written by Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani

THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED)
Written by Noah Baumbach

Feature – Family

COCO
Story by Lee Unkrich, Jason Katz, Matthew Aldrich, Adrian Molina, Screenplay by Adrian Molina and Matthew Aldrich

FERDINAND
Story by Ron Burch & David Kidd and Don Rhymer, Screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Tim Federle and Brad Copeland

THE BREADWINNER
Screenplay by Anita Doron, Story by Deborah Ellis

Guillermo del Toro Named Best Director at This Year’s Golden Globes

It’s a long overdue first for Guillermo del Toro

The 53-year-old Mexican filmmaker picked up his first Golden Globe trophy at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards.

Guillermo del Toro

del Toro, who’d never been nominated before this year, took home the trophy for Best Director, for his inspired work on The Shape of Water.

Known for his work on monster movies like Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth and Blade, del Toro is considered a master of the genre.

In The Shape of Water, he continues in that same world, telling the story of a lonely janitor who forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held captive. It was originally conceived with 1960s monster movies in mind, but transformed into something quite different as the deep relationship between its characters evolved.

“Since childhood, I’ve been faithful to monsters,” said del Toro in his acceptance speech, calling them “patron saints of imperfection.” del Toro noted that he has spent 25 years handcrafting “very strange little tales” that ultimately “have saved my life.”  He closed by noting, “My monsters thank you.”

Meanwhile, Disney/Pixar’s hit Coco was named Best Animated Feature. The film’s director Lee Unkrich gave a shout-out “to the incredible people of Mexico” without whom he said the film would not exist.

The win follows best animated film honors from the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics Circle.

Coco takes place during the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos. Directed by Unkrich and Adrian Molina, Coco follows a young boy, Miguel, who wishes to be a star-studded crooner of standards, just like his grandfather, the legendary singer Ernesto de la Cruz. However, music is of the devil in Miguel’s family, and de la Cruz is largely to blame for the curse. In order to make generational events correct, Miguel finds himself on the other side of life with relatives he’s only heard stories about.

The 75th anniversary Golden Globe Awards were handed out at the Beverly Hilton..

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Motion Picture, Drama: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Actress, Motion Picture Drama
: Frances Mcdormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Actor, Motion Picture Drama
: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Best Motion Picture, Musical/Comedy
: Lady Bird, Iac Films; A24
Best Actress, Motion Picture – Comedy
: Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Best Direction, Film
: Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape Of Water
Best Limited TV Series/Made For TV Movie
: Big Little Lies, HBO, HBO Entertainment / David E. Kelly Productions / Pacific Standard / Blossom Films
Best TV Series, Comedy/Musical
: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon, Amazon Studios
Best Actor, Limited Tv Series/Made For TV Movie: 
Ewan Mcgregor, Fargo
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
: Martin Mcdonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture
: Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Best Animated Film
: Coco, Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Best Supporting Actress TV Series/Limited Series/Tv Movie
: Laura Dern, Big Little Lies
Best Actor Motion Picture, Musical/Comedy
: James Franco, The Disaster Artist
Best Original Song, Film
: “This Is Me” — The Greatest Showman, Music By: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Lyrics By: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
Best Original Score, Film
: Alexandre Desplat, The Shape Of Water
Best Supporting Actor, TV Series/Limited Series/Made For TV Movie
: Alexander Skarsgård, Big Little Lies
Best TV Series, Drama: 
The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu, MGM
Best Actor, TV Series – Drama
: Sterling K. Brown This Is Us
Best Actress TV Series, Drama
: Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Best Actress TV, Musical/Comedy:
 Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Best Supporting Actor, Film:
 Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Actress Limited Series TV:
 Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies

Anthony Gonzalez’s Disney-Pixar Film “Coco” Wins Thanksgiving Holiday Box Office

He’s nowhere near voting age, but Anthony Gonzalez is beating superheroes at the box office…

The 13-year-old Latino actor voices the character of Miguel, a young Mexican boy with musical dreams who has a wondrous adventure in the Land of the Dead in DisneyPixar’s animated film Coco, which won the Thanksgiving holiday box office.

Anthony Gonzalez

Gonzalez’s Coco earned $71.2 million at 3,987 North American sites during the Wednesday-Sunday period, while Warner Bros.DC Entertainment’s Justice League pulled in $60 million at 4,051 locations during the same timeframe in its second weekend in theaters.

Coco posted for the fourth-best Thanksgiving holiday opening ever, trailing three other Disney titles — Frozen with $93 million in 2013, Moana with $82 million in 2017 and Toy Story 3 with $80 million in 2010.

Audiences surveyed by comScore’s PostTrak gave Coco strong ratings with 66% calling it “excellent,” and another 23% rating it “very good.”  Surveys also showed 77% of viewers saying they would “definitely recommend” the movie to friends and 20% saying they would watch it again in a theater.

Coco

Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich and co-directed by Adrian Molina, is based on the traditions surrounding the Day of the Dead holiday in Mexico and centers on a 12-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a musician and explores his family history in the Land of the Dead. The studio hasn’t released a price for the movie. Disney-Pixar titles are usually budgeted in the $175 million to $200 million range.

In addition to Gonzalez, in his breakout role, Coco’s ensemble voice cast includes Benjamin Bratt, Gael Garcia Bernal, Renee Victor, Edward James Olmos, Ana Ofelia Murguia, Jaime Camil, Sofia Espinosa, Gabriel Iglesias, Cheech Marin and Lombardo Boyar.

The holiday weekend is one of the busiest moviegoing periods of the year. According to comScore, this year’s five-day Thanksgiving weekend saw total grosses his $268 million — $7.5 million better than last year’s when Moana opened with $82 million, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them taking in $65 million in its second weekend.

The strong holiday performance left the 2017 overall domestic total at $9.71 billion, or 4% behind the same point last year, according to comScore. The industry fell behind last year’s record-setting total due to downbeat performances in August and October — so much so that the much-anticipated Dec. 15 opening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi will probably not be enough to pulled this year even.