Olguín to Direct English-Language Version of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”

Jorge Olguín is (hunch)back with a new project…

The Chilean horror filmmaker is set to direct an English version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Jorge Olguín

The ambitious project, with a more than $2 million budget, could make Olguín a bigger name in the U.S.

“I really think it’s what will catapult [him] to the next level,” said Olguín’s U.S. agent Chris Sablan of Original Artists.

Sablan’s client Peter Carlisle is penning the screenplay for the film tentatively titled The Hunchback.

“Visually he wants to shoot it a la Sin City, but storywise it’s Batman meets Sherlock Holmes,” said Sablan.

Talks are underway between Sablan and potential U.S. co-producers.

Olguin is also on track to film Indolencia, a self-written project based on the true case of a serial killer who murdered 16 young girls in Chile’s Atacama Desert region.

“This is probably my next film, which will shoot in early 2015,” said Olguín.

In 2002, Olguín released Sangre Eterna, a vampire film that became a cult classic and one of the highest grossing Latin American horror films.

He most recently worked on Whispers in the Forest, Chile’s first 3D feature.

Baccarin Lands Role on Fox’s Batman Series “Gotham”

Morena Baccarin is headed to Gotham City…

The 35-year-old Brazilian actress, who earned an Emmy nomination for her acclaimed performance on Showtime’s Homeland, has joined the cast of Fox’s new Batman series Gotham.

Morena Baccarin

She’ll appear as a recurring actor this season and will become a regular in Season 2.

Baccarin will portray Dr. Leslie Thompkins, a gifted and dedicated physician who was a friend of Bruce Wayne’s parents, Thomas and Martha. She’s determined to use her skills to aid Gotham’s most in need, which currently means working at the newly opened Arkham Asylum’s Home for the Criminally Insane.

In addition to her medical skills, her coolness under pressure will serve her well as she finds herself drawn close to James Gordon and into more and more dangerous waters.

This marks Baccarin’s return to Fox ,where she previously co-starred on Joss Wheden’s Firefly. It was one of several cult sci-fi series Baccarin is known for, including Stargate SG-1 and V, which was produced by Warner Bros. Television, the studio behind Gotham.

Zayas Lands Mobtastic Role in Fox’s Batman Prequel Series “Gotham”

David Zayas is heading to Gotham City…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actor and Dexter alum has joined the cast of Fox’s Batman prequel drama series Gotham.

David Zayas

Zayas will portray DC Comics character Mob Boss Salvatore Maroni in a recurring role. He’s considered one of the city’s most dangerous gangsters.

In the Batman mythology, Maroni is a street operator who clawed his way into controlling the city’s drug trade and unions. He is second only to Carmine Falcone in power and reach, and second to none in his appetite for violence.

In time, Maroni will develop into one of Batman’s first enemies and become infamous as the man responsible for disfiguring district attorney Harvey Dent, leading to his transformation into Two-Face.

But for now, as he strives to increase his territory in Gotham, he’ll find himself on a crash course with his rival Falcone (portrayed by John Doman) for control of the city.

In the feature film The Dark Knight, the role of Maroni was played by Eric Roberts.

Zayas, a former New York police officer, segued to a career in acting in 1992, originally focusing on theater before expanding to film and television projects. While co-starring on the short-lived UPN cop drama The Beat, Zayas met the show’s executive producer Tom Fontana who went on to create the Enrique Morales character on his HBO series Oz for him. He’s best known though for his role as Angel Batista on Showtime’s Dexter.

He recently recurred on the FX comedy series Saint George. He also appeared in the features The Expendables, Skyline and Michael Clayton and will next be seen in the indie Ride and the Annieremake.

Cartagena Upped to Series Regular on Fox’s Batman Prequel “Gotham”

Victoria Cartagena is officially a full-time a Gotham girl…

After guest-starring in the pilot,the Latina theater and television actress has been promoted to series regular on Fox’s Batman prequel Gotham.

Victoria Cartagena

Fox’s Broadcast Chairman Kevin Reilly gives high praise to the drama, predicting it will be “this season’s biggest and noisiest hit.”

Based on DC Comics characters from the Batman universe, the hour-long drama series explores the origin stories of Commissioner James Gordon (portrayed by Ben McKenzie) as an idealistic rookie detective in Gotham City, along with Bruce Wayne and the villains who made Gotham City famous.

Cartagena portrays a detective Renee Montoya in the major crimes unit of the Gotham Police Department. In the comic books, is initially a police detective from theGotham City Police Department, assigned to the Major Crimes Unit who comes into frequent contact with the maskedvigilanteBatman. Over the course of her comic book history, Renee is outed as a lesbian, and later resigns from the police force, disgusted by its corruption. After being trained by the first man to bear the name, Montoya has operated as the Question out of a lighthouse she shares with Aristotle Rodor on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Gotham also stars Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith, Zabryna Guevara, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, David Mazouz and Camren Bicondova.

Fox has picked up the Batman prequel series for a full season this fall.

Guevara Lands Role in Fox‘s Batman Prequel Drama Series “Gotham”

Zabryna Guevara will soon be calling Gotham home…

The Latina actress has been cast opposite Ben McKenzie in Fox‘s Batman prequel drama series Gotham.

Zabryna Guevara

Based on the DC Comics characters from the Batman universe, Gotham explores the origin stories of Commissioner James Gordon (McKenzie) as an idealistic rookie detective in Gotham City; Bruce Wayne following the death of his parents; and the villains that made Gotham City famous.

Guevara, who most recently starred on television in the USA Network’s spy series Burn Notice, will portray Captain Essen, Gordon’s boss at the GCPD Homicide Squad, who balances the worlds of police and politics with a Machiavellian skill that’s as much corporate litigator as cop.

Guevara’s other credits include appearances in the films The Guilt Trip and Marley & Me, as well as television appearances in Blue Bloods, Person of Interest and Common Law.

Gotham is written and executive-produced by The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller, with Warner Bros. Television producing.

Armisen Starring in MOCAtv’s Web Series “Ambiance Man”

Fred Armisen has landed a super(hero) web project…

The 45-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live cast member is starring in Ambiance Man, a web series that also stars Jack Black and Jibz Cameron.

Fred Armisen as Ambiance Man

Debuting on December 20 on MOCAtv, the Museum of Contemporary Art’s YouTube platform, the series was created by artist Alix Lambert, who had an idea for a superhero named Ambiance Man.

He doesn’t save the world or even rescue a cat trapped in a tree — he just fixes bad ambiance.

“Like bad lighting, an ant infestation — anything that could ruin your day-to-day,” Lambert tells The Hollywood Reporter. “He’s a Pre-Raphaelite superhero.”

The series follows the well-mannered hero, played by Armisen, on his quest for good vibes against the supervillain team of Buzzkill (Cameron) and Unidentifiable Odor (Black).

“It’s so silly,” Lambert says, barely containing her laughter as she explains the show’s content.

It’s a goofy concept, no doubt, but Armisen, Black, and Cameron (who creates outrageously comedic performance art under the name Dynasty Handbag) are the masters of the art of goofiness.

Ambiance Man kicks off MOCAtv’s Art + Comedy season, which will feature programming from Alex Bag, David Robbins and Martin Kersels, among other artists.

The idea was born years ago during an evening of drinks at her friend’s house.

“Her roommate kept passing through the room we were in,” Lambert recalls. “Every time he would come through, he would do something like light a candle or open a window. We were just like, ‘It’s Ambiance Man.’ I told that story for years, and liked this idea of a superhero who [comes to the rescue] if you’re on an awkward date, or if you’re sweating too much — more day-to-day stuff. I’m all for Batman stopping the end of the world, but I need today fixed.”

After a chance meeting with MOCAtv’s director, Emma Reeves, that turned into a greenlight, Lambert called on her longtime friend Armisen, whom she says she’s known for dozens of years, and her neighbor Cameron. Cameron brought her friend Black aboard, and the series suddenly had legs. “Fred is super talented, and I just thought of funny things that I wanted him to do, and I let him run with that. And he has his sidekick Feng Shui [played by comedian Atsuko Okatsuka]. She also fixes things, but she’s interested in order.”

Ambiance Man, which was filmed at YouTube Space L.A., will debut with a private screening at MOCA in downtown Los Angeles on December 19, which will be accompanied by a live element involving Armisen and Cameron.

Lambert hopes that the series will find an audience and go on beyond the four episodes she’s already made for MOCAtv. “The idea is that it will continue,” she says. “We’re talking to various people that we could partner with for that. We haven’t made anything concrete, so I don’t want to jinx it.”