Esai Morales to Star in National Geographic’s Sci-Fi Series “Mars”

Esai Morales has landed an out-of-this-world role…

The 54-year-old Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast for season two of National Geographic global sci-fi series Mars, from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment and Radical Media.

Esai Morales

Shooting began this week in Budapest on the six-episode series, which is slated to premiere in spring 2018.

The second season’s six-part arc jumps ahead several years into the future after the Daedalus astronauts have built a full-fledged colony called Olympus Town. Having established humankind as an interplanetary species, Mars examines the impact that humans have on the Red Planet and the consequences the planet has on us.

Morales will play Roland St. John, CEO of private enterprise Lukrum Corporation.

Reprising their roles from Season 1 are JiHAE (Mortal Engines) as Hanna Seung, a mission pilot and twin sister of Joon Seung, capsule communicator of mission control; Sammi Rotibi (The Darkest Minds) as Robert Foucault, a Nigerian mechanical engineer and roboticist; Alberto Ammann (Narcos) as Javier Delgado, a hydrologist and geochemist; Clémentine Poidatz (Marie Antoinette) as Amelie Durand, French mission physician and biochemist; Anamaria Marinca (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) as Marta Kamen, a Russian exobiologist and geologist; and Cosima Shaw (The Danish Girl) as Leslie Richardson, a British nuclear physicist.

“This season takes us literally into new territory,” said showrunner Dee Johnson. “With no laws, no government and no safety nets of any kind, what is it like to be among the first settlers of Mars? Not only do we explore dangers and mysteries of this brand-new world, but we also explore what it means to be human in a place where so few exist.”

Morales, a presidential candidate for SAG-AFTRA, most recently starred on Ozark. His other credits include How To Get Away With Murder, Chicago P.D. and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

Charisma Carpenter to Star in the Sci-Fi Family Drama “Mail Order Monster”

Charisma Carpenter is going postal…

The 46-year-old part Spanish-American actress and former Buffy The Vampire Slayer star is set to star in the sci-fi family drama Mail Order Monster, from director Paulina Lagudi and Jax Productions.

Charisma Carpenter

The film stars Madison Horcher as 12-year-old Sam Pepper, who lost her mother in a car accident, and her reclusive, quirky nature makes her an easy target for bullying. Realizing she’d had enough, Sam orders the parts to build a “Monster” from a comic book ad, and is finally able to get back at the bully. When Sam discovers her father Roy (Josh Hopkins) proposed to his girlfriend Sydney (Carpenter), she relies on her monster to keep her from getting a new mom.

Lagudi and Marc Prey co-wrote the film, which will go before cameras next month in Kentucky.

Carpenter, who starred on Angel, recently appeared in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Lucifer.

Aguilera to Star in “Predator” Reboot “The Predator”

It’s preying time for Augusto Aguilera

The Latino actor has been cast in the final main role in 20th Century Fox’s Shane Black-directed reboot The Predator.

Augusto Aguilera

Aguilera is the final piece of the alien-hunter team alongside Sterling K. Brown, Trevante Rhodes, Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Tremblay, Olivia Munn and Keegan-Michael Key.

The plot is being kept under wraps, but the film is part of the original franchise that began with 1987’s Predator.

Black co-wrote the script with Fred Dekker.

Production began last month and Fox has already slated the film for release on February 9, 2018.

Aguilera, who appeared as Kieran on Chasing Life, has guest-starred on Major Crimes and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. His other credits include the Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s Hulu pilot Citizen, Ice for Antoine Fuqua and John Singleton’s FX pilot Snowfall.

Torres Lands Recurring Role on Fox’s Baseball Drama Series “Pitch”

Jeff Torres is Pitch perfect…

The 31-year-old Latino actor has booked a recurring role on Fox’s Pitch, Dan Fogelman’s baseball drama series.

Jeff Torres

Written by Fogelman and Rick Singer and directed by Paris Barclay, Pitch follows Ginny (Kylie Bunbury), a young pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues.

Torres will portray Stubbs, one of Ginny’s teammates on the Padres team.

Torres performed in this year’s NBC Diversity Showcase. He also has guest-starred on Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Telenovela.

Cardenas Cast as a Series Regular on FX’s “Snowfall” Pilot from John Singleton

Juan Javier Cardenas is bracing for a White season 

The Latino actor has been cast as a series regular on FX’s Snowfall, the 1980s cocaine-epidemic drama pilot from John Singleton.

Juan Javier Cardenas

Co-created and executive produced by Boyz N The Hood director Singleton and Erick Amadio, and directed by El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the pilot has been undergoing a revamp.

In addition to Cardenas, who has made appearances on The Good Wife, Blue Bloods and Law & Order SVU, new additions to the cast include Carter Hudson, Angela Lewis and Filipe Valle Costa.

Hudson will play Teddy McDonald, a CIA operative banished to the Los Angeles office after a tragic misstep in the past. When he sees an opportunity to reverse his fortunes, Teddy risks everything to get his life back on track. Lewis will portray Louise Saint, Franklin’s (Damson Idris) party girl aunt.

Cardenas will play Alejandro Usteves, a calculating rebel from the Nicaraguan Contras movement who is determined to keep his revolution alive by any means necessary.

Costa will play Pedro, the cocky heir apparent of a Mexican crime family that sells marijuana throughout Los Angeles.

Cardenas’ other TV credits include Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, NCIS: Los Angeles and Scandal.

Costa’s credits include Blue Bloods, Gotham, and the feature film Hamlet.

de la Garza to Star in CBS’ “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders”

Alana de la Garza is going beyond borders…

The 39-year-old half-Mexican American actress has booked a series regular role opposite Gary Sinise on CBS’ Criminal Minds planted offshoot Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

Alana de la Garza

Like Criminal Minds, which centers on the FBI’s Analysis Unit, Beyond Borders focuses on a division of the FBI. It follows agents helping American citizens who find themselves in trouble abroad.

de la Garza, who recently landed a recurring role on CBSScorpion, will play Clara, a smart, well-traveled cultural anthropologist on the International Response Team.

de la Garza played the female lead on ABC’s Forever. Her previous television credits include Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Los Angeles, as well as the short-lived series Do No Harm.

Like the original series, Beyond Borders hails from ABC Studios, CBS Television Studios and the Mark Gordon Co.