Cristo Fernández to Star on Season 3 of Apple TV+’s “Acapulco”

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Cristo Fernández is heading to Acapulco…

The32-year-old Mexican actor and Ted Lasso scene-stealer has joined the cast of the Apple TV+ series Acapulco for Season 3.

In Acapulco, Fernández will portray an artist and community organizer, joined fellow new cast member Jaime Camil, who will portray in the role of Alejandro for Season 3.

Production on the 10-episode new season is currently underway.

When Acapulco returns with new episodes, it’s time to reconcile past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo (Enrique Arrizon) continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build.

The cast also includes Fernando Carsa (as Memo), Damián Alcázar (Don Pablo), Camila Perez (Julia), Chord Overstreet (Chad), Vanessa Bauche (Nora), Regina Reynoso (Sara), Raphael Alejandro (Hugo), Jessica Collins (Diane), Rafael Cebrián (Hector), Carlos Corona (Esteban) and Regina Orozco (Lupe).

Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman created the series.

The project hails from Lionsgate TV, 3Pas Studios, Zihuatanejo Productions and The Tannenbaum Company.

Jaime Camil to Star on Season 3 of Apple’s “Acapulco”

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jaime Camil is resorting to new work…

The 49-year-old Mexican actor has joined the cast of Apple’s Acapulco for Season 3. Production on the 10-episode new season is currently underway.

Camil will guest star as Alejandro, the brother of one of the wealthiest men in Mexico and a new co-owner of Las Colinas who makes his co-owner Diane Davies’ (Jessica Collins) life miserable at the hotel.

From Lionsgate TV, 3Pas Studios, Zihuatanejo Productions and The Tannenbaum Company, in Season 3 of Acapulco, it’s time to reconcile past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo (Enrique Arrizon) continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build.

Acapulco is inspired by 3Pas Studios and Lionsgate/Pantelion Films’ box office hit How to Be A Latin Lover. Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman created the series.

Executive producers include Winsberg and director Jay Karas; Derbez and Ben Odell for 3Pas Studios; Eric and Kim Tannenbaum, as well as Jason Wang on behalf of The Tannenbaum Company. Sonia Almanza Gambaro co-executive produces for 3Pas Studios.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Acapulco are now streaming globally on Apple TV+.

Camil is currently starring in Season 2 of Apple’s Schmigadoon! where he portrays Sergeant Rivera, Schmicago’s chief of police. He is most notably known in the U.S. for his series regular role as Rogelio de la Vega in the CW’s Jane the Virgin across all 5 seasons. He also starred in and executive produced the CBS comedy series, Broke. Most recently, he brought to life the legendary Vicente Fernandez in Netflix’s El Rey, Vicente Fernandez.

Before making a splash in the English-language market, Camil was already a bona fide star in his native Mexico and stateside for his work in Spanish-language projects both in TV and film. Hits include the telenovela La Fea Más Bella, Por Ella Soy Eva and Qué Pobres Tan Ricos, to name a few.

Camil currently has a first-look deal with VIS (a division of Paramount) to develop an array of TV and film projects for Paramount+.

Eugenio Derbez’s 3Pas Studios Signs Multi-Year Production Deal with Audible

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez is getting audible…

The 61-year-old Mexican actor, writer, director and producer’s 3Pas Studios, the entertainment company he co-founded with business partner Ben Odell, has signed a multi-year production deal with Audible.

Through their overall exclusive audio deal, 3Pas Studios will produce scripted and unscripted audio content for Audible in both English and Spanish.

“The partnering of Audible’s powerful medium with 3Pas’ culturally authentic stories is an exciting combination. We will be developing fiction and non-fiction stories in both English and Spanish in order to reach audiences with our storytelling pillars of the 3 H’s: Humor, Heart, and Humanity,” said Odell, CEO and co-founder of 3Pas Studios.

To lead these efforts, 3Pas has hired Cristy Marrero as Head of Podcast Content Development; Marrero will oversee all creative and physical production of 3Pas podcast content.

An award-winning bilingual journalist and media executive with over two decades of experience in the U.S. Latino and Latin American markets, Marrero has held leadership roles at Dotdash Meredith, Courier Newsroom, Hello and Hola. At age 30, she became the youngest Latina Editor in Chief, leading Meredith Corporation’s Siempre Mujer magazine.

3Pas brings culturally-inspired stories to life through feature films, scripted and unscripted television, podcasts, digital, and more. With first-look English language deals at Lionsgate for features, ABC Signature for television and TelevisaUnivision for Spanish language content, and Audible for audio content, 3Pas develops and produces English and Spanish language content for global audiences.

This collaboration joins Audible’s production and development deals with top industry creatives including President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground, George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures, Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, Kerry Washington’s Simpson Street, and Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani’s Hillman Grad Productions and Daniel Dae Kim’s 3AD Productions, to name a few.

Apple TV+ Renews Enrique Arrizon’s “Acapulco” for Third Season

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Arrizon isn’t leaving Acapulco just yet…

Apple TV+ has renewed the bilingual comedy series Acapulco, starring the 29-year-old Mexican actor, for a 10-episode third season. Production is set to begin this spring.

In Season 3 of the series inspired by the 3Pas Studios and Pantelion Films’ feature How to Be A Latin Lover, it’s a time of reconciling past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build…

“We at 3Pas Studios are thankful to Apple TV+, the perfect home for Acapulco, along with our production partner Lionsgate, filmmakers, and cast and crew,” said star and executive producer Derbez. “We have always believed that the stories we tell about our communities and cultures can resonate with global audiences, so crank up the AC, it’s about to get a lot hotter at Las Colinas Resort.”

The upcoming third season will be showrun by Sam Laybourne. In addition to Derbe and Arrizon, the returning Acapulco ensemble cast includes Fernando Carsa, Damián Alcázar, Camila Perez, Chord Overstreet, Vanessa Bauche, Regina Reynoso, Raphael Alejandro, Jessica Collins, Rafael Cebrián, Carlos Corona and Regina Orozco.

Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming globally on Apple TV+.

“We’ve seen an overwhelming response from audiences all over the world who have fallen in love with Acapulco,” said Morgan Wandell, head of international programming for Apple TV+. “Eugenio, Austin, Ben, Eric, Kim, and the talented cast and crew behind ‘Acapulco’ have created a feel-good show that has a lot of heart, emotion, and laughs, and we can’t wait to bring even more of that into season three.”

Acapulco is created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman. Winsberg also serves as executive producer alongside Derbez, Ben Odell, and co-executive producer Sonia Almanza Gambaro for 3Pas Studios; director Jay Karas; Eric and Kim Tannenbaum along with Jason Wang for The Tannenbaum Company.

The project is produced for Apple by Lionsgate Television, 3Pas Studios, Zihuatanejo Productions, and The Tannenbaum Company.

Eugenio Derbez’s 3Pas Studios Signs Multi-Year First-Look Deal with ABC Signature for English TV Content

Posted on October 29, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez is hoping to develop new television projects in English…

The 61-year-old Mexican actor and comedian’s 3Pas Studios, which he runs will Ben Odell, has signed a multi-year first-look deal with ABC Signature for English-language television content.

As part of the deal, 3Pas will develop and produce English-language projects for the studio.

Reporting to Derbez and Odell, Sonia Gambaro, the vice president of 3Pas’ English-language television division, will oversee development, identify and source talent, ideas, and IP for ABC Signature across all platforms.

“Eugenio and Ben transcend culture through their diverse and inclusive storytelling, driven by their deep connection to talent and source material from Latin America,” said Jonnie Davis, president of ABC Signature. “We couldn’t be more excited to shepherd their next wave of brilliant and culture-defining English language projects at the studio.”

3Pas has been creating content in both English and Spanish with multiple studio and platform partners over the last several years.

Most recently, the company’s series Acapulco premiered its second season on Apple TV+. It stemmed from the television deal 3Pas previously had at Lionsgate.

On the film front, Hulu recently released 3Pas’ film The Valet following the success of other Derbez-led projects including Overboard and How To Be A Latin Lover.

Derbez’s workplace comedy series titled They Came At Night is in development at Vix+, a project that stems from 3Pas’ deal with TelevisaUnivision for Spanish-language film and TV projects.

Additionally, they recently premiered their first Vix+ series, La Noche Del Diablito which premiered on October 13.

3Pas also recently re-upped its first-look film deal with Lionsgate.

“For actors, writers, directors, and creators like myself, Disney has long been a leader in inclusive and diverse storytelling. We are so grateful for this incredible opportunity to lift up new, diverse voices with ABC Signature,” said Derbez.

Added Odell, “At the heart of our stories we bring people together and celebrate our common humanity. We have a treasure trove of incredibly diverse stories, talent, and creators across the United States and Latin America. We can’t wait to start the party with ABC Signature and their fantastic team.”

Vix+ to Premiere Mauricio Barrientos’ Reality Series “La Noche Del Diablito” This Week

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Mauricio Barrientos is preparing for a devilish time…

Vix+ has set the premiere date for the reality series La Noche Del Diablito, starring the 45-year-old Mexican actor/comedian, for October 13.

The reality series is the first project from the first-look deal with 3Pas Studios, the entertainment company co-founded by Eugenio Derbez and his producing partner Ben Odell.

In La Noche Del Diablito, Barrientos, better known as “El Diablito,“ and Paloma Cedeño travel around the city to share the colors and culture of Mexico City with their guests. The conversations will revolve around life, relationships, and sex— specifically who, why, and how people ultimately connect with each other. The reality series delves into the exciting stories of provocative characters and closely explores taboo topics in a curious and fun way.

Celebrity guests will also appear in each 30-minute episode and will be seen dining with hosts and exchanging personal anecdotes and sexual experiences.

Special guests include Sofía Rivera Torres, Eduardo Videgaray, Michel Brown, Manu NNa, Rodrigo Murray, Fabiola Campomanes, Susana Zabaleta, and Pepe y Teo.

“We are very excited to launch our first production on Vix+ with a show that challenges conservative perceptions about sex in Mexico, done always with humor, heart, and humanity,” Odell tells Deadline in an exclusive statement. “3pas has become a leader in unscripted Spanish language content and La Noche del Diablito showcases the talents of both our 3pas Mexico team and our production services arm, Visceral, as well as the comedic wizardry of our host Mauricio ‘El Diablito’ Barrientos.”

Javier Williams, VP of Spanish content, served as executive producer and oversaw the development and production for 3Pas Studios; Derbez and Odell also EP. The series is directed by Pipe Ybarra and produced by Mexico City-based Visceral, the arm of physical production of 3Pas Studios.

Eugenio Derbez Developing Workplace Comedy Series “They Came At Night” with ViX+

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Night time for Eugenio Derbez.

The 61-year-old Mexican actor/producer is developing the workplace comedy series They Came At Night with ViX+ under the first-look deal between 3Pas Studios and TelevisaUnivision.

They Came At Night is inspired by true events and offers a behind-the-scenes look at a group of underdogs who went on to create the critically acclaimed Spanish version of the 1930 horror classic, Dracula.

While Bela Lugosi filmed Dracula during the day on the Universal lot, at the end of each day another cast and crew arrived to make the same exact movie… only in Spanish.

Using the same sets, costumes, and a translated version of the script, the cast and crew of the Spanish Dracula filmed from dusk to dawn, and, against all odds, the critical consensus is that the Spanish version turned out to be the better film.

Derbez is set to star in the comedy created and written by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher.

Production services on They Came At Night will be handled by 3pas Studios’ Mexican production services company, Visceral.

“I have not worked in scripted Spanish language TV comedy for well over ten years and was looking for something really special to come back,” Derbez said in a statement. “This story really jumped out at me because it tells the story of Latinos always having to accomplish more with fewer resources and harder conditions. It’s also a world we’ve never explored in Spanish language TV, Hollywood in the 30s but like every moment in US history, the Latinos were there and doing their part even if history forgot them. And of course, it’s ripe for so much humor…”

Hulu Releases Trailer for Eugenio Derbez’s “The Valet”

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez is taking the keys this month…

Hulu has released the trailer for its original film The Valet, starring the 60-year-old Mexican actor, comedian and filmmaker and Samara Weaving, which will premiere globally across Disney’s streaming services on May 20.

In The Valet, world famous movie star Olivia (Weaving) faces a PR disaster when a paparazzi snaps a photo of her with her married lover, Vincent (Max Greenfield). The hard-working valet Antonio (Derbez) accidentally appears in the same photo and is enlisted to pose as Olivia’s new boyfriend as a cover-up. This ruse with Olivia thrusts Antonio into the spotlight and unexpected chaos. In this fish out of water romantic comedy, two worlds and cultures collide as both Olivia and Antonio start to see themselves more clearly than ever before.

The Valet is an English-language remake of the hit 2006 French film of the same name.

It also stars Betsy Brandt, Carmen Salinas Lozano, Amaury Nolasco, Marisol Nichols, Diany Rodriguez, Tiana Okoye, John Pirruccello, Ravi Patel, Noemí González and Lunay.

Richard Wong directed from a script by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher, with Derbez and Ben Odell producing for 3Pas Studios.

Romeo Santos Executive-Producing Debut Film “Never Look Back”

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Romeo Santos is readying for his Hollywood moment…

The 40-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American singer and former Aventura frontman, known as the King of Bachata, is working on his debut film, Never Look Back, under his production company Chimby Films.

In association with Amazon Prime and Eugenio Derbez’s company 3Pas Studios, the film will combine fantasy, horror, and romance in a modern-day story inspired by the Greek mythology of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Executive produced by Santos, the film will be set in the Bronx and feature a multicultural cast.

The original soundtrack, which will feature Santos as the music supervisor, will include bachata, reggaeton, salsa, and hip-hop, as well as a new song by Santos.

According to a press statement, Never Look Back will be produced by 3Pas’ Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell, with Jordan Rubio supervising the project for Chimby, and has an estimated budget of more than $40 million.

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Additionally, Santos revealed photos of himself at the studio, preparing for his Formula, Vol. 3 album.

Hulu Releases First Look Photos of Eugenio Derbez’s “The Valet”

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez is on valet duty…

Hulu has released the first photos from its original film The Valet, starring the 60-year-old Mexican actor, comedian and filmmaker and Samara Weaving, which will premiere globally across Disney’s streaming services on May 20th.

In The Valet, world famous movie star Olivia (Weaving) faces a public relations disaster when a paparazzi snaps a photo of her with her married lover, Vincent (Max Greenfield). The hard-working valet Antonio (Derbez) accidentally appears in the same photo and is enlisted to pose as Olivia’s new boyfriend as a cover-up. This ruse with Olivia thrusts Antonio into the spotlight and unexpected chaos. In this fish out of water romantic comedy, two worlds and cultures collide as both Olivia and Antonio start to see themselves more clearly than ever before.