HBO Offers Sneak Peek at Season 2 of “The White Lotus,” Which Will Star Aubrey Plaza

Aubrey Plaza’s career is blossoming

The 38-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/comedian will star in the second season of HBO’s The White Lotus.

Aubrey PlazaThe premium cable channel offered a first look from the Sicily-based Season 2 via a promo that highlighted new and returning series coming up for release.

Jennifer Coolidge will be joined by her fellow The White Lotus original cast member Jon Gries in the HBO dark comedy’s second season.

The first season of the series – created, written, directed and executive produced by Mike White – was set at a tropical Hawaiian resort, following the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week. Coolidge portrayed Tanya McQuoid—a troubled vacationer mourning the loss of her mother—with Gries as her love interest, Greg.

While Tanya and Greg left Hawaii together after meeting on their respective trips, it hadn’t been confirmed until now that the characters remain together up through Season 2. The footage from the new promo shows Tanya holding onto Greg on the back off a motorcycle.

The White Lotus recently earned 20 Emmy nominations for its first season, with Coolidge among those landing their firstThe show’s first season ensemble also included Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Sydney Sweeney, Alexandra Daddario, Jack Lacy, Fred Hechinger, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Steve Zahn, Lukas Gage and more.

Although it was initially presented as a limited series, The White Lotus was renewed for a second season in August, after debuting to critical acclaim and a No. 1 ranking on HBO.

The next edition of the series will follow a different group of vacationers as they book their stay at an Italian White Lotus property and settle in temporarily amongst its inhabitants.

In addition to Plaza, others joining The White Lotus in Season 2 include Will Sharpe, Sabrina Impacciatore, Theo James and Meghann Fahy, as well as F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, Michael Imperioli, Haley Lu Richardson, Leo Woodall, Beatrice Grannó and Simona Tabasco.

Benjamin Bratt’s Cancelled Fox Series “Star” May Return with a TV Movie

Benjamin Bratt’s star could shine again soon…

The 55-year-old half-Peruvian American actor’s cancelled Fox musical drama Star could return as a televised movie, according to show’s co-creator Lee Daniels.

Star

“The bad news is that Star is not getting picked up for series,” said Daniels in a video post on Instagram, calling the explanation “too long of a story to cry about.”

“The good news is: we’re doing a movie of the week to wrap things up for you all,” he said, adding, “We’re going to make something real special for you to scream about, with all of our cast members – even the dead ones.”

Star, a drama series about three girls’ rise to fame, was cancelled in May after three seasons on the air. Co-created by Daniels and Tom Donaghy, the show was produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Lee Daniels EntertainmentJude Demorest.

Bratt starred alongside Ryan DestinyBrittany O’GradyQueen LatifahQuincy Brownand Amiyah Scottin the series.

William Levy Lands Series Regular Role on Fox’s Music Drama Series “Star”

William Levy’s star is on the rise…

The 37-year-old Cuban actor is joining the cast of Fox’s music drama series Star as a new series regular for the upcoming third season.

William Levy

Levy will play Mateo Ferrera, a driven media mogul who can charm the devil into church. He is rich, successful, smooth as silk and married to his equal, Nina Ferrera, played by Camila Banus. Mateo makes and breaks his own rules as he sprints toward success. The first generation son of immigrant parents, he is determined to make his mark and build his legacy by any means necessary.

Co-created by Lee Daniels and Tom DonaghyStar follows three talented singers – running from their pasts and desperate for a new start – with ambitions of stardom, as they navigate the cutthroat music business.

The large ensemble cast includes Queen Latifah, Benjamin Bratt, Jude Demorest, Ryan DestinyBrittany O’Grady, Amiyah Scott, Quincy Brown, Miss LawrenceMichael Michele, Stephen Dorff and Luke James.

Telenovela star Levy’s Spanish-language Triunfo Del Amor was the most watched scripted series on American television. On the film side, Levy appeared in Lionsgate’s Addicted, Universal’s Term Life alongside Vince Vaughn, and most recently, Universal’s blockbuster Girls Trip.

Fox Renews Bratt’s Drama Series “Star” for a Second Season

Benjamin Bratt’s star is still shining bright…

Fox has renewed its freshman drama series Star, starring the 53-year-old half-Peruvian American, for a second season.

Benjamin Bratt

The music-centric series was co-created by Lee Daniels, the co-creator of Fox’s hit series Empire, as well as Tom Donaghy.

It follows three talented singers – running from their pasts and desperate for a new start – with ambitions of stardom, as they navigate the cutthroat music business. The Season 1 finale airs March 15 before Empire returns to the Wednesday 9 PM time period. Guest stars set to appear on Star over the next four weeks include Naomi Campbell, Big Boi, Rickey Smiley, Missy Elliott and Paris Jackson.

“Lee Daniels is a true visionary, and he and Tom Donaghy have delivered a series with a unique and meaningful point of view,” Fox Entertainment president David Madden said.

Launching behind the fall finale of Empire, Star hasn’t been a breakout hit like the soapy hip-hop family drama. But it has had a stable audience, averaging a Live+Same Day rating between 1.2 and 1.3 in adults 18-49 for the past five weeks, rising to about 1.9 in Live+7. Its L7 average of 2.1 demo rating is below Lethal Weapon (2.5) and above Lucifer (1.9), both of which were recently renewed, along with Fox flagship Empire.

Star, whose cast includes Bratt, who plays talent manager Jahil Rivera, Queen Latifah, Jude Demorest, Brittany O’Grady, Ryan Destiny, Amiyah Scott and Quincy Brown, averages 7.5 million multi-platform audience, according to Fox.

Star is a production of 20th Century Fox Television in association with Lee Daniels Entertainment.

Gonzalez to Star in Fox’s Untitled Music-Themed Pilot from “Empire” Co-Creator Lee Daniels

Nicholas Gonzalez us ready to make a little music…

The 39-year-old Mexican American actor has been cast opposite Queen Latifah and Benjamin Bratt in Fox’s untitled pilot from Empire co-creator Lee Daniels (aka Star).

Nicholas Gonzalez

Co-written by Daniels and Tom Donaghy and directed by Daniels, the pilot follows three young women (Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, Brittany O’Grady) who form a girl group with the hope of making waves in the music industry, and the choices they face along the way.

Gonzalez will play the abusive foster father of Simone (O’Grady), the younger sister of Star (Demorest).

Gonzalez recently wrapped work on the indie film Praying For Rain and had recurring roles on The CW’s Jane The Virgin and Amazon’s Bosch.