Dascha Polanco to Star in the Superhero Thriller “Samaritan”

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Dascha Polanco is a good Samaritan…

The 37-year-old Dominican actress is set to star in MGM’s superhero thriller movie Samaritan.

Polanco joins a cast that includes Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, Sylvester Stallone, Martin Starr, Pilou Asbækand Moises Arias.

Walton will play a young boy who’s out to discover if a mythic superhero, who vanished 20 years earlier following a tragic event, is still alive.

Julius Avery is directing from a screenplay by Bragi F. Schut, with additional writing by Mark L. Smith, Zak Penn, and Chuck MacLean.

The story is based on Schut’s original idea.

The film is scheduled for release on December 11 via United Artists Releasingwith Universal handling foreign.

Polanco portrayed Dayanara Diaz on Netflix’s Orange is the New Blackfor seven-seasons and starred in Ava DuVernay’s 2019 Netflix limited series When They See Us. She’ll soon be seen in her first lead film role in Adrian Martinez’s indie dark comedy iCreep, and Warner Brothers’ adaption of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heightsthis summer. Her additional credits include the FXanthology series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Storyand films including Joy, The Perfect Match, The Cobblerand Gimme Shelter.

Arias first made a name for himself as series regular on the Disney Channel hit original series Hannah Montana, and has since gone on to appear in several Sundance films including Kings of Summer, The Land and Stanford Prison Experiment. Last year, he appeared in CBS Films’ Five Feet Apart as well as the Sundance World Dramatic Competition Special Jury Award winner Monos and the SXSW opening weekend film The Wall of Mexico.

Guillermo del Toro to Write & Direct the Action Film “Zanbato”

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Guillermo del Toro has a new fighton his hands…

The 54-year-old Mexican filmmaker is attached to write and direct the action movie Zanbato for Paramount Pictures and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot.

The logline is under wraps. Zanbatocenters on a young girl with lethal fighting skills. del Toro posted the news on his Twitter account that the project has been in development for the past six years without leaking, adding, “We are still developing steadily.”

del Toro also said Friday that he’s in pre-production on Pinocchiofor Netflix, on which he’ll make his animated feature film directing debut in a stop-motion musical version of the classic children’s tale about a puppet who wants to be a real live boy. Netflix and del Toro announced in October that he would write and produce the film, set in Italy during the 1930s, when fascism was on the rise.

del Toro is also producing Scott Cooper‘s Antlersat Fox Searchlight, and Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkatCBS Films.

He won Academy Awardslast year for producing and directing The Shape of Water.

CBS Films/eOne to Release Michael Garza’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” in August

Posted on December 15, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Michael Garza is going Dark next year…

CBS Films/eOne’s feature take on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, starring the 18-year-old Latino actor, will open on August 9 next year.

From Oscarwinner Guillermo del Toro, who is co-writing and producing, the film is being directed by André Øvredal.

The movie centers on a group of young teens who must solve the mystery surrounding sudden and macabre deaths in a small town. The film is based on Alvin Schwartz’s young adult novel series, which del Toro has long been a fan of and owns ten of the books’ original illustrations by Stephen Gammell.

del Toro wrote with Daniel Hageman & Kevin Hageman, and the Shape of Water filmmaker is producing with Sean Daniel, Elizabeth Grave, Jason F. Brown, and J. Miles Dale.

In addition to Garza, who starred in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Wayward Pines, the film also stars Zoe Colletti, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur and Natalie Ganzhorn.

Oscar Isaac Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac has new representation…

The 39-year-old Cuban and Guatemalan actor, who most recently starred in and produced Chris Weitz’s MGM film Operation Finale and will reprise his role as Poe Dameron in Star Wars: Episode IX, has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation in all areas.

Isaac, who won a Golden Globe in 2016 for HBO’s Show Me a Hero, has several film projects in the works including starring in JC Chandor’s ensemble Triple Frontier, the long-gestating dramatic thriller set up at Netflix.

He also voices Gomez Addams in MGM’s upcoming animated The Addams Family movie.

Additionally, Isaac plays Paul Gauguinopposite Willem Dafoe’sVincent van Goghin At Eternity’s Gate, the biopic directed by Julian Schnabelthat CBS Filmswill release on November 16.

His credits include Alex Garland’s Ex Machina in 2014, the same year he starred in Chandor’s A Most Violent Year; both films were in that season’s awards mix. He also starred in Garland’s follow-up Annihilation, which bowed this year. He nabbed his first Golden Globe nomination for the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis in 2013.

Star Wars: Episode IX, which returns JJ Abrams to direct in the finale of the Skywalker saga franchise, has a December 20, 2019 release date.

Isaac had been at UTA for almost a decade with that agency sealing the deals that helped him grow into an A-list name, breaking out in Nic Refn’s Drive opposite Ryan Gosling.

Michael Garza to Star in the Film Adaptation of Alvin Schwartz’s YA Novel Series “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Michael Garza is ready for a little scary storytelling…

The 18-year-old Latino actor has been cast in the CBS Films/eOne feature film adaptation of Alvin Schwartz’s YA novel series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

In Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark a group of horrific deaths have impacted a small town and it’s up to a group of teens to solve them.

In addition to Garza, recently added cast members include Austin Abrams, Gabriel Rush, Austin Zajur and Natalie Ganzhorn.

They join Zoe Colletti in the André Øvredal-directed movie.

“We spent months searching for and assembling the perfect group of actors to help us realize the most terrifying adaptation that we could conceive,” said Øvredal.

Producer and screenwriter Guillermo del Toro agreed, adding, “I am honored to support Andre’s vision and, with our partners, to bring the incredible world of Scary Stories to the screen.”

del Toro has been a longtime fan of the book series and owns ten of the books’ original illustrations by Stephen Gammell.

Kevin Hageman and Dan Hageman co-wrote the screenplay with The Shape of Water Oscar-winner del Toro and Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan, adapting from Schwartz’s books.

CBS Films will release the film in the U.S. via their partnership with Lionsgate.

Garza’s credits include Wayward Pines and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.

del Toro to Direct & Produce a Cold War Drama for Fox Searchlight

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Guillermo del Toro is going off to war…

The 51-year-old Mexican filmmaker is set to direct and produce an untitled Cold War drama from Fox Searchlight.

It’s described as a mysterious and magical otherworldly love story set in 1963 America. J.Miles Dale will produce with del Toro.

Sally Hawkins is set to star in the film, and Octavia Spencer is in talks to join the cast.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Peak and Pacific Rim filmmaker is developing and might direct Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark for CBS Films, based on the book trilogy by Alvin Schwartz.

Santos to Star Opposite Bella Thorne in CBS Films’ Teen Comedy “The DUFF”

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Bianca Santos is heading back to high school…

The Cuban- and Brazilian-American actress has joined the cast of CBS Films’ upcoming teen comedy The DUFF, which will also star Bella Thorne.

Directed by Ari Sandel, the film is an adaptation of the Kody Keplinger’s young adult novel The DUFF: (Designated Ugly Fat Friend).

Mae Whitman stars in the comedy about contented high schooler named Bianca, whose world is shattered when she discovers the student body knows her as ‘The Duff’ (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). She reinvents herself, setting out to overthrow the school’s reigning queen bee.

Santos,who starred on the first season ofABC Family’s The Fosters, will portray one of Bianca’s more popular friends.

Thorne will star as Bianca’s ruthless rival Madison.

Ken Jeong is set to play her favorite teacher, with Nick Eversman playing Bianca’s crush and Robbie Amell as a slick and charming jock she enlists for her grand scheme.

Josh Cagan adapted the script from Keplinger’s novel.

Thorne Starring in the Teen Comedy “The DUFF”

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Bella Thorne is reporting for DUFF duty…

The16-year-old half-Cuban American actress has joined the cast of The DUFF, a teen comedy from CBS Films.

Directed by Ari Sandel, the film is an adaptation of the Kody Keplinger’syoung adult novel The DUFF: (Designated Ugly Fat Friend).

The DUFF centers on Bianca (portrayed by Mae Whitman), an off-beat honor roll student who discovers she is considered the DUFF — designated ugly fat friend. She then enlists the help of her neighbor, a jock, to become less socially awkward so she can ask her longtime crush on a date.

No word on Thorne’s role in the movie, which is set to shoot in Atlanta in late May.

Isaac Appears in “Inside Llewyn Davis” Featurette

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac is more than a great actor… He’s also a talented singer.

The 33-year-old Guatemalan/Cuban actor, who is earning rave reviews and award nominations for his performance in Joel and Ethan Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis, is featured in a new video for the film that highlights his musicality.

In the video, the directors explain how their collaboration with T Bone Burnett created a musical sound that was as important as dialogue in capturing the early ’60s folk music scene in Inside Llewyn Davis.

They explain how they and Isaac pulled it off in the CBS Films release, which has earned a lot of Oscar buzz.

Isaac’s “Inside Llewyn Davis” to be Screened at the AFI Fest

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac will be the closing act at the AFI Fest…

The 33-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor’s latest film, the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, will be the screened during the AFI Fest’s Closing Night Gala on Thursday, November 14.

Isaac’s film, which co-stars Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund and Justin Timberlake, won the Grand Prix when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival back in May.

The film follows a week in the life of a young folk singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.

Inside Llewyn Davis will also be screened at the New York Film Festival and be the center of a concert benefit later this year.

CBS Films will release the film in theaters starting December 6.

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