Apple & Skydance Release Trailer for Ana de Armas’ Romantic Action-Adventure Film “Ghosted”

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ana de Armas is ghosting…

Apple and Skydance have unveiled the first trailer for their romantic action-adventure film Ghosted, reuniting Knives Out stars Chris Evans and the 34-year-old Spanish-Cuban actress, the first Cuban woman to earn an Oscar nomination.

The film is set to premiere globally on Apple TV+ on April 21st.

The film from director Dexter Fletcher watches as salt-of-the-earth Cole (Evans) falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie (De Armas) — but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world.

Adrien Brody, Mike Moh, Amy Sedaris and Tate Donovan also star in the film, which was penned by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, as well as Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers.

de Armas served as exec producers.

Luis Guzmán to Star in Rian Johnson’s Peacock Series “Poker Face”

Posted on September 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Guzmán is playin’ poker…

The 66-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star in Peacock’s Poker Face, a mystery drama series starring Natasha Lyonne, hailing from Rian Johnson, his T-Street banner and MRC Television.

Guzman is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Cherry Jones, Hong Chau and Reed Birney.

Details of their roles, as well as plot details of the 10-episode anthology-like series are being kept under wraps.

In addition to Lyonne, the four join previously announced cast members Adrien Brody, Angel Desai, Audrey Corsa, Benjamin Bratt, Charles Melton, Chloe Sevigny, Clea DuVall, Danielle MacDonald, Dascha Polanco, Ellen Barkin, Jasmine Aiyana Garvin, Jameela Jamil, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Judith Light, Leslie Silva, Lil Rel Howery, Niall Cunningham, Nicholas Cirillo, Nick Nolte, Ron Perlman, S. Epatha Merkerson, Shane Paul McGhie, Simon Helberg, Stephanie Hsu, Tim Blake Nelson and Tim Meadows.

Johnson is the creator, writer and director of Poker Face and will also executive produce alongside T-Street partner Ram Bergman and the company’s television president Nena Rodrigue. Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman (Prodigal Son, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) serve as showrunners and executive producers. Lyonne also will serve as an executive producer via her Animal Pictures. The company’s Maya Rudolph and Danielle Renfrew Behrens will co-executive produce.

Guzmán is best known for his roles in Steven Soderbergh’s films such as Out of Sight, The Limey, and Traffic, and in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love.

On television, he has had key roles on Showtime’s Shameless, Epix’s Godfather of Harlem and Perpetual Grace, LTD.

Santino Fontana to Star in Stage Adaptation of “The Pianist”

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Santino Fontana has landed his next Broadway project…

The 40-year-old part-Spanish American actor will star in the stage adaptation of The Pianist, based on the Władysław Szpilman memoir that was the source of the Oscar-nominated 2002 film of the same name.

The project is being developed by director Emily Mann with an eye toward Broadway.

An industry reading is set for New York City this month with the Tony Award-winning Fontana in the lead role

The project was announced by producers Robin de Levita Productions, Gorgeous Entertainment, and Wolk Transfer Company.

Described as a play with music, The Pianist features an original score by Dutch concert pianist Iris Hond.

The invitation-only industry reading is set for June 23, with Fontana leading a company that includes Richard Topol, Georgia Warner, Claire Beckman, Arielle Goldman, Paul Spera, Addison Finley, Jordan Lage, Robert David Grant and Tina Benko.

The Pianist tells the true story of Szpilman, a survivor of Nazi-occupied Warsaw in World War II. The 2002 film adaptation of Szpilman’s 1946 memoir won Adrien Brody an Oscar for his portrayal of the composer, with Roman Polanski winning Best Director and Ronald Harwood Best Adapted Screenplay.

“The Pianist tells a soaring tale of survival and triumph through music,” says producer Wolk. “It is a riveting story that is fiercely present tense — though it’s set in the past, it shows us that just like today, worlds are destroyed when we demonize each other. And it gives us hope by showing how human connections and the power of music can transcend hate and fear and heal our hearts.”

Producers say the production will feature the first-time theatrical use of “a richly immersive soundscape” enhanced by Atmos Dolby Surround Sound, that allows for surround sound effects, isolating particular parts of an audio track, to be placed in a particular area of a theater. The production team also includes scenic design by Beowulf Boritt and sound design by Mark Bennett.

Netflix Releases First Footage of “Blonde,” Featuring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Ana de Armas’ blonde-ing moment…

Netflix has released the first footage from Andrew Dominik’s Blonde, starring the 34-year-old Cuban actress as Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe.

The film, based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol Oates, is notable for its NC-17 rating. The supporting cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams.

The official Blonde synopsis from Netflix reads: “[The film] boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe. From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, Blonde blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.”

“Andrew’s ambitions were very clear from the start — to present a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens,” de Armas recently told Netflix Queue. “He wanted the world to experience what it actually felt like to not only be Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane. I found that to be the most daring, unapologetic, and feminist take on her story that I had ever seen.”

“We worked on this film for hours, every single day for almost a year,” de Armas added. “I read Joyce’s novel, studied hundreds of photographs, videos, audio recordings, films — anything I could get my hands on. Every scene is inspired by an existing photograph. We’d pore over every detail in the photo and debate what was happening in it. The first question was always, ‘What was Norma Jeane feeling here?’ We wanted to tell the human side of her story. Fame is what made Marilyn the most visible person in the world, but it also made Norma the most invisible.”

The film’s NC-17 rating reportedly created tension between Dominik and Netflix, but the filmmaker told ScreenDaily in February that he has “nothing but gratitude for Netflix,” noting the streaming giant supported the title even if it had some issues with its content.

Netflix “insisted” on bringing in Hereditary and Tenet editor Jennifer Lame to “curb the excesses of the movie.” Dominik added that Blonde is “a demanding movie. If the audience doesn’t like it, that’s the fucking audience’s problem. It’s not running for public office.”

Speaking to Vulture in May, Dominik added about the film: “There’s something in it to offend everyone.”

Blonde releases globally on Netflix on September 23.

Tony Revolori to Star in Wes Anderson’s Latest Still-Untitled Film

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Tony Revolori is ready to go Wes, once again…

The third time is apparently the charm when it comes to Wes Anderson and the 25-year-old Guatemalan American actor, the breakout star of Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel.

Revolori is reuniting with the director on his next project. This will mark their third outing together after having also just worked on The French Dispatch.

Joining Revolori are Anderson alums Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston and Tilda Swinton, as well as Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Rupert Friend and Tom Hanks. The film is expected to shoot in Spain.

Outside of Anderson writing and directing, not much is known about the project.

The project has gained momentum following the premiere of The French Dispatch, at the Cannes Film Festival and bows in theaters this October.

Besides The French Dispatch, Revolori can be seen next in Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. He was also recently seen in the second season of Apple’s Servant.

Revolori is wrapping up production on the first season of Willow for Disney+.

First Image Released of Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe for Netflix Film “Blonde”

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

If blondes have more fun, Ana de Armas is livin’ it up…

In a new image from the set of Netflix’s Marilyn Monroe film Blonde, the 31-year-old Cuban-Spanish actress is the spitting image of the late blonde bombshell.

de Armas, a natural brunette, stepped out in a full Marilyn ensemble, complete with hair and makeup, and people were honestly shocked by the similarities. It was like the late actress was brought back to life! The hair and makeup department nailed every aspect of Monroe’s look, from the red lipstick to the perfectly coiffed hair. It helps that de Armas exudes the sensuality and appeal of the Hollywood icon.

de Armas stars opposite Bobby Cannavale and Adrien Brody in the film. The former is set to don the New York Yankeesjersey as the famous Joe DiMaggio, while Brody is stepping into the character of Arthur Miller, Marilyn’s husband of nine months.

Blonde will delve into the life of the Hollywood starlet, as well as the relationships that captivated the press.

Ana de Armas In Talks to Star in Film Adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s Novel “Deep Water”

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Ana de Armasmay soon find herself in deep water…

The 31-year-old Cuban-Spanish actress is in talks to star opposite Ben Affleck in the film adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel Deep Water.

The film, to be directed by Adrian Lyne, is described as an erotic thriller, right in the wheelhouse Lyne established with such blockbusters as Indecent Proposal, Fatal Attraction, and 9 1/2 Weeks. The filmmaker has long been intrigued with this project, first setting it up with Fox 2000back in 2013. New Regency bought control of the property last year, and this gives them another plum project to go with the James Gray-directed Ad Astra with Brad Pitt, and the Robert Eggers-directed The Lighthouse.

Affleck and de Armas are in negotiations to play Vic and Melinda Van Allen, an attractive young married couple whose mind games with each other take a twisted turn when people around them start turning up dead. The couple staves off divorce in a loveless marriage by allowing each to take lovers, but it becomes messy as Highsmith exposed the surface facade of American suburban life.

Zack Helm and Sam Levinson have adapted from the Highsmith novel.

Lyne is eyeing a November production start on Deep Water, which will be fully financed by New Regency.

Pending all the pieces falling into place, the plan is for the film to go through its deal with Fox/Disney.

de Armas is having her moment in Hollywood. She is about to begin shooting the Andrew Dominik-directed Netflix film Blonde, in which she plays iconic actress Marilyn Monroe, with talks going on for Adrien Brody to play Arthur Miller and Bobby Cannavale to play Joe DiMaggio in a fictionalized look at her life. Dominik worked for years on this project, and looked at many actresses for the role of Monroe. He was intrigued when he saw de Armas in Blade Runner 2049, and they worked long and hard with a dialect coach to lose her Cuban accented inflection for Monroe’s breathy delivery before a screen test pleased Netflix and Plan B’s Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner. She follows that film with the James Bond 25 film.

Banderas to Star in Millennium Films’ Thriller “Unchained”

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Antonio Banderas’ career is off the chain…

The 56-year-old Spanish actor has landed a role in Millennium Films’ Reservoir Dogs-style thriller Unchained.

Banderas joins a cast that includes Adrien Brody and John Malkovich. Paul Solet will direct the film.

They play career criminals who trap themselves in a warehouse with the law closing in, and run into the attack dog named DeNiro. The tale is told in an a series of intertwining narratives that explore the love, fear and conditioning and all the wrong turns that have put them in the dog house, fighting for their lives.

Ori Pfeffer and Alexandra Dinu have also been cast.

Unchained begins production on November 14.

Nuñez Earns His First-Ever Primetime Emmy Nomination

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Nuñez is having an Emmy-otional week…

The Television Academy has announced the nominees for the 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards, with the 57-year-old Cuban actor and comedian earning his first career nomination.

Nuñez, best known for his SAG Award-winning role on NBC‘s The Office, picked up the nod in the Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series category for his performance in the History Channel‘s The Crossroads of History.

Anthony Mendez has picked up his second consecutive nomination in the Outstanding Narrator category for narrating the CW‘s Jane the Virgin. Mendez faces stiff competition from the likes of Hollywood A-Listers Adrien Brody and Laurence Fishburne.

Fred Armisen has earned his fourth nomination in the Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for co-writing IFC’s Portlandia. The 49-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star co-created the sketch-comedy series, which that parodies life in Portland, Oregon, with Carrie Brownstein and Jonathan Krisel.

Goya Award-nominee Victor Reyes has picked up the first two Emmy nominations of his career. The 54-year-old Spanish composer earned nods in the Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score) and Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music categories for his musical work on AMC’s series The Night Manager.

He’ll face off against Rodrigo Amarante in the Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music category. The Brazilian singer-songwriter picked up his first Emmy nod for his musical work on Netflix’s series Narcos.

The 68th annual Primetime Emmy Awards will broadcast live at 5 p.m. PT Sunday, Sept. 18 on ABC.

Momentum Pictures to Release Hayek’s “Septembers of Shiraz” in June

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek will celebrate September in June…

Momentum Pictures has acquired the rights to the thriller Septembers of Shiraz, starring the 49-year-old actress.

The film, which also stars Oscar winner Adrien Brody, follows a secular Jewish family in Iran as they fight for their lives following the 1979 revolution.

The Wayne Blair-directed drama was adapted from Dalia Sofer‘s best-selling novel by screenwriter Hanna Weg.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released in New York, Los Angeles and additional cities on June 24.

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