Gigi Saul Guerrero to Direct Biopic About the Late Jenni Rivera

Gigi Saul Guerrero is bringing a Mexican American icon’s life story to the big screen…

The 32-year-old Mexican Canadian filmmaker and actress will direct “Jenni,” a film about the life of the late Jenni Rivera.

Gigi Saul Guerrero The biopic, which is authorized by the late artist’s estate, will be produced by Los Angeles-based multimedia company Mucho Mas Media and De Line Pictures.

Developed by Guerrero and screenwriter Shane McKenzie, the movie follows Rivera’s rise as a Spanish singer who successfully crossed over to U.S. and global audiences, as well as her work as a women’s rights activist. She died in a plane crash in 2012 at age 43.

Rivera’s variety of banda, mariachi and norteño music made her one of the best-selling regional Mexican artists ever, with 15 gold and platinum records and top-drawing tours.

She produced multiple television series like “Chiquis & Raq-C” and “I Love Jenni,” and in 2012 she was named one of the top 25 most powerful women by People en Español. She also established charities like the Jenni Rivera Love Foundation, which supports single mothers and children who have been victims of domestic abuse.

Jenni will premiere on TelevisaUnivision’s premium streaming tier VIX+ and in select theaters throughout the U.S. and Mexico. A release date has not been announced yet.

Saul Guerrero was named by Variety in 2019 as a Latinx talent to watch. Since then, she signed a first-look deal with Blumhouse Productions after the debut of her first movie, Culture Shock.

On the acting front, she has voiced characters in “Supernatural Academy” and “Angry Birds: Summer Madness.”

Gurrero also created and directed the 2017 web horror series La Quinceañera and short film El Gigante, and she co-founded the Latin genre-focused company LuchaGore Productions.

McKenzie, a frequent collaborator of Saul Guerrero’s at LuchaGore Productions, wrote the screenplays for “El Gigante,” “La Quinceanera” and “Bingo Hell.”

Jenni Rivera Enterprises will executive produce.

“Gigi is so confident in her voice and storytelling and has an innate understanding of Jenni’s life.

MGM in Exclusive Talks for Jared Leto’s Supernatural Thriller “Adrift”

Jared Leto is (a)drifting away…

MGM is reportedly in exclusive negotiations for the supernatural thriller Adrift, with the 49-year-old part-Spanish American Oscar-winning actor and singer attached to star and Darren Aronofsky on board to direct.

Jared Leto

Jason Blum will produce the film, which saw MGM was extremely move fast to be in pole position to land the package. Details behind the financing are unavailable since the deal hasn’t officially closed.

Blum will produce through his Blumhouse Productions along with Leto and Emma Ludbrook via their production company Paradox, as will Carla Hacken through her Paper Pictures banner.

The film is based on a short story by Koji Suzuki, who wrote The Ring. Aronofsky and Luke Dawson will be co-penning the script. Insiders close to the package say Leto identified the project and he and Ludbrook pursued the rights for 10 years before bringing to Blum and Aronofsky.

The story is set in the dead calm of the open sea, where a fishing boat discovers an abandoned yacht with a strange distress call. A deckhand agrees to take lone control of it while it’s towed into port, but soon he discovers why the rest of his more experienced crew members call it a “Ghost Ship.”

No production start date has been set as a script still needs to be written and scheduling needs to be worked out.

Leto currently appears in The Little Things for Warner Bros. starring opposite Denzel Washington and Rami Malek. That film dropped today in theaters and on HBO Max. He also is developing a handful of projects including a sequel to Tron: Legacy, which has him attached to star and Garth Davis on board to direct. He can also be seen in the upcoming Spider-Man spinoff Morbius

Guillermo del Toro’s “Shape of Water” Named to Sight & Sound’s Annual Critics List of The Year’s Best Films

Guillermo del Toro’s latest film is earning more accolades…

The 53-year-old Mexican film director, screenwriter, producer and novelist’s latest film, The Shape of Water, has earned a spot on Sight & Sound’s annual critics list of the best films of 2017.

Guillermo del Toro

The BFI’s international magazine polled more than 180 critics, programmers and academics from around the world to secure the results which, for the first time, include a television series in the Top 10: David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return came in 2nd.

del Toro’s critically acclaimed fantasy drama, which was awarded the Golden Lion for best film at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, comes in a No. 14, in a tie with Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country.

Written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, the film stars Sally HawkinsMichael Shannon and Octavia Spencer, and follows a mute custodian at a high-security government laboratory who befriends a captured sea creature in 1962 Baltimore.

Get Out, from Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures, topped the list.

Argentinian filmmaker Lucrecia Martel’s Spanish-language film Zama made the Top 5.

Below are the Top 21 titles on the list.

1. Get Out, dir: Jordan Peele
2. Twin Peaks: The Return, dir: David Lynch
3. Call Me by Your Name, dir: Luca Guadagnino
4. Zama, dir: Lucrecia Martel
5. Western, dir: Valeska Grisebach
6. Faces Places, dir: Agnes Varda
7. Good Time, dirs: Ben and Josh Safdie
8. Loveless, dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev
9. Dunkirk, dir: Christopher Nolan
9. The Florida Project, dir: Sean Baker
11. A Ghost Story, dir: David Lowery
12. You Were Never Really Here, dir: Lynne Ramsay
12. BPM, dir: Robin Campillo
12. Lady Macbeth, dir: William Oldroyd
14. God’s Own Country, dir: Francis Lee
14. The Shape Of Water, dir: Guillermo del Toro
16. Let the Sunshine In, dir: Claire Denis
16. Mudbound, dir: Dee Rees
16. Strong Island, dir: Yance Ford
16. I Am Not Your Negro, dir: Raoul Peck
16. Personal Shopper, dir: Olivier Assayas

Universal Pictures to Release Tyler Posey’s Supernatural Thriller “Truth or Dare” in April 2018

Tyler Posey is ready to play some Truth or Dare next spring…

Universal Pictures will release Blumhouse Productions’ supernatural thriller Truth or Dare, starring the 26-year-old half-Mexican American actor and Teen Wolf star, on April 27, 2018.

Tyler Posey

In the film, a harmless game of ‘Truth or Dare’ goes sideways when someone—or something—begins to punish those who tell a lie—or refuse the dare.

Truth or Dare, directed by Jeff Wadlow, also stars Lucy Hale, Violett Beane, Nolan Gerard Funk, Hayden Szeto and Sophia Taylor Ali.

Truth or Dare will go up against Lionsgate’s TraffikOrion’s Every Day and A24’s untitled horror film.

Lucas, who played Jennifer Lopez‘s son in the romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan, plays Lucas in the film.

Luna Lauren Vélez to Star in the Latest Installment of “The Purge” Film Series

Luna Lauren Vélez is feeling the urge to purge

The 52-year-old Puerto Rican actress has been cast in the fourth installment of The Purge film series from Blumhouse Productions, Universal Pictures and Platinum Dunes.

Lauren Vélez

Velez, best known for her role as María LaGuerta on Showtime‘s Dexter, joins a cast that includes Mo McRae, Joivan Wade, Steve Harris, Patch Darragh and Mugga.

The group joins previously announced Y’lan Noel and Lex Scott Davis for The Purge 4, which Burning Sands director Gerard McMurray is directing from a script by franchise creator James DeMonaco, who wrote and directed the previous three films.

This chapter will serve as a prequel, focusing on the events that lead up to the inaugural Purge event where, for a 12-hour period, all crime is legal.

DeMonaco is producing with Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, Andrew Form and Sébastien K. Lemercier. The film hits theaters July 4.

Velez most recent appeared on ABC’s How To Get Away with Murder.

Victoria Justice to Star in George Gallo’s Film “Bigger” about the Weider Brothers

Victoria Justice has landed a Bigger role…

The 24-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/singer will star in George Gallo’s film Bigger, which centers on fitness forefathers the Weider Brothers.

Victoria Justice

Justice, who made her mark in Fox’s Rocky Horror Picture ShowNickelodeon’s Victorious and Blumhouse Productions/MTV’s Eye Candywill portray Kathy, Joe Weider’s (Tyler Hoechlin) first wife.

Bigger is being produced by Steve Lee JonesBee Holder Productions and Scott LaStaiti.

Gallo starts shooting the film next month in Alabama.

Acevedo Lands Undisclosed Role in “Insidious: Chapter 4”

Kirk Acevedo has an Insidious future…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican actor, who currently stars in Syfy’s time-travel thriller series 12 Monkeys, has joined the cast of Insidious: Chapter 4which is filming and scheduled to open on October 20, 2017.

Kirk Acevedo

Acevedo’s character is being kept under wraps.

Universal Pictures/Blumhouse Productions’ latest installment to the $370M microbudget franchise is being helmed by series newcomer Adam Robitel.

Acevedo joins Lin Shaye as parapsychologist Elise Rainier, as well as franchise co-creator Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson, who respectively play Specs and Tucker.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is financing Insidious: Chapter 4 and handling international distribution. Whannell wrote all four Insidious movies and directed Chapter 3.

Acevedo plays Ramse in Syfy’s 12 Monkeys and previously starred in Dawn of the Planet of the ApesHis other credits include Prime Suspect, The Walking Dead, Band of Brothers, Thin Red Line and Oz.

Chavarria to Star in the Naval Action Thriller “Hunter Killer”

Gabriel Chavarria is in the Navy

The 27-year-old Honduran American actor has joined Millennium Films’ naval action thriller Hunter Killer.

Gabriel Chavarria

Chavarria will star in a key role, joining Gerard Butler, Common and Gary Oldman in the story of an American submarine commander deployed to Russian waters in order to save the elected Russian president from a military coup.

Chavarria will portray a Navy SEAL aboard the American submarine.

Chavarria recently wrapped filming on 20th Century Fox’s War for the Planet of the Apes in which he plays one of the two human leads alongside Woody Harrelson, set for release July 14, 2017.

His credits include the Los Angeles Film Festival pic Lowriders, from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions, and his Hulu series East Los High that premieres its fourth season July 15.

Donovan Marsh is directing Hunter Killer from a script by Peter Craig and Jamie Moss based on the George Wallace and Don Keith novel Firing Point

Hunter Killer is set to begin filming in London on July 25.

Longoria Developing Drama Project “Casino” NBC with Carlos Portugal

Eva Longoria’s gamble is paying off…

The 40-year-old Mexican American actress, producer and activist’s production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment has sold another project, the drama Casino, to NBC.

Eva Longoria

Written by East Los High co-creator Carlos Portugal, the project centers on the aftermath of a mogul’s mysterious death when his ambitious young widow and his illegitimate son have to join forces to save his famed casino, while circumstances surrounding his death come to light and threaten to take them both down.

Portugal executive produces with UnveliEVAble Entertainment’s Longoria and Ben Spector.

Universal Television, where the company is based, is the studio.

Casino stems out of efforts by the former Desperate Housewives star — who holds a master’s degree in Chicano studies — to bring Hispanic voices to television.

Born in Cuba, Portugal began his career at San Francisco PBS station KQED, where he produced the Emmy-winning documentary Frida Kahlo: Portrait of an Artist.

For the past three seasons, he has served as creator, showrunner, head writer and director of Hulu’s original drama series East Los High, directing 42 of the 48 produced episodes to date.

Before East Los High, Portugal worked on Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns and House of Payne for TBS.

UnbeliEVAble has midseason NBC comedy series Hot & Bothered, starring Longoria, as well as three other broadcast projects in development: genre drama Zone of Silence at NBC with Blumhouse Productions and writer Rashad Raisani, comedy Bonita & Mechelle at NBC with Will Packer Prods and writer Kriss Turner Towner and a comedy at ABC with veteran comedy writer Bobby Bowman.

Chavarria to Star in 20th Century Fox’s “War of the Planet of the Apes”

Gabriel Chavarria has plenty of reason to go bananas…

The Honduran American actor, who recently signed with Paradigm Talent Agency, is finalizing a deal to be one of two human leads in 20th Century Fox’s War of the Planet of the Apes, the latest installment of the franchise.

 Gabriel Chavarria

Matt Reeves returns to direct, shooting expected to begin in October in Vancouver, Canada.

The film’s sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apesgrossed $708 million worldwide last year with Reeves at the helm, nearly double the business of the franchise reboot — a major score for Fox and producer Chernin Entertainment.

Chavarria, the young star of Universal Pictures’ upcoming film Low Riders, is the male lead on Hulu’s drama series East Los High.

In Low Riders, from Imagine Entertainment and Blumhouse Productions, he plays an East LA teen immersed in the world of lowrider cars and street tagging while caught between his traditional father (Demian Bichir) and his estranged gangbanger brother, who both are competing in the annual lowrider “Supershow.”

His other recent credits include Aquarius, Prime Suspect, Southland and the feature Teacher of The Year.