Adrienne Bailon-Houghton to Reunite with Raven-Symone on Disney Channel’s “Raven’s Home”

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton is heading Home

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian American singer, actress and television personality is set to recur on the fifth season of Raven-Symone’s Disney Channel series Raven’s Home.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Raven's Home, Raven-Symone,

Bailon-Houghton will reprise the role of Raven’s high school bully Alana from That’s So Raven, according to TVLine. What’s more, Alana is now the principal of Bayside, where Booker enrolls after he and Raven move back to San Francisco to care for her father.

“I’ve always been hopeful about [playing Alana again], so to be able to make it happen was a dream come true,” Houghton tells TVLine. “I always love working with [Raven-Symoné]. We did the first Cheetah Girls movie when I was 19, and now I’m 38, so we’ve stayed friends for almost 20 years. We laugh at the fact that we were playing the high school students… and now we’re playing the parents. It’s so bizarre!”

The entire experience of returning to Raven’s world was “wildly nostalgic” for Houghton, beginning with the flowers she found in her dressing room from Gary Marsh, the president and chief creative officer for Disney Branded Television.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Raven's Home, Raven-Symone,

“Gary has been one of those beacons of light throughout my career, ever since I was in The Cheetah Girls,” she says. “I would call him my industry father. To have a letter from him, welcoming me back to Disney Channel, I almost bawled my eyes out. I was so happy to be back. Not only was That’s So Raven filmed on that lot, but I also did The Suite Life of Zack and Cody on that lot. I remember all of our Cheetah Girls photo shoots and promo shoots. Even just being in the dressing room was insane.”

As for Alana being the principal, Houghton admits she was “fully shocked” by her character’s new gig. “How genius of the writers of this show to create that dynamic where the school bully becomes the principal,” she says. “It’s funny and ironic, and I’m loving being the authority figure.” Sure, it’s possible that Alana will eventually have a “pivotal moment” that inspires her to change her ways, but Houghton says she’s “having too much fun torturing Raven Baxter as a grown woman” to let that happen anytime soon.

Raven and Alana’s confrontational (yet playful) dynamic is on full display when the women eventually reunite, which Houghton credits to her and Raven’s decades-long friendship.

“We were able to have fun when Alana was the bully because we were comfortable enough to do all that physical comedy,” she says. “There are things we created and did that we were able to do because we were really friends.”

A premiere date for Raven’s Home Season 5 has not yet been announced.

Chrissie Fit to Star in Indie Comedy “The List”

Chrissie Fit is makin’ The List

The 37-year-old Cuban American actress has joined the cast of The List, the indie comedy from director Melissa Miller Costanzo.

Chrissie Fit

Fit forms part of a list of new cast additions that includes Jonah Platt, Will Peltz and Zach Reino.

They join previously announced leads Halston Sage, Christian Navarro and Gregg Sulkin.

The film written by Rob Lederer and Steve Vitolo centers on Abby (Sage), a woman who is about to get married, for whom everything is perfect. Until she finds out her fiancé Matt (Platt) has slept with a celebrity from his “free pass” list. To get her mind off things, Abby and her best friend Chloe (Fit) come up with a crazy idea: Abby should pursue a celebrity from her own list. But things become complicated when she meets Jake (Navarro), a sweet and charming waiter at a neighborhood cafe, who gives her a fresh perspective.

Peltz is portraying Avon, an LA-based rapper/pop star who is on a lot of free pass lists, including Abby’s, with Reino as Matt’s best friend and consistent bad influence, Connor.

Fit is best known for turns in Universal’s Pitch Perfect franchise and Disney Channel’s Teen Beach films. She can currently be seen in Amazon’s series reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer, and will next be seen in Showtime comedy series I Love This for You, as well as Starz’ horror comedy, Shining Vale.

Fit has also recurred on Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens and Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor, among other series. Additional film credits include Universal’s All My Life and HBO Max’s Women Is Losers.

Reino is a comedian and actor who has appeared on the TV side in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Netflix’s Brews BrothersA.P. BioSofia the FirstSpeechlessCrazy Ex-Girlfriend and more. He recently wrote on Peacock’s new series Baking It with Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg and co-hosts Off Book, a popular podcast, which originally debuted on Earwolf. Reino also co-wrote the script for Elizabeth Banks’ upcoming Amazon film Where the Fore Are We? with David Wain and Jess McKenna.

Felix Avitia to Appear on Disney Channel’s “Raven’s Home”

Felix Avitia is coming Home

The 19-year-old Latino actor has been cast in Disney Channel’s Raven’s Home, which has just been renewed for a fifth season.

Felix Avitia

Starring Raven-Symoné as Raven Baxter and Isaac Ryan Brown as her son Booker, the spinoff series will continue to follow the adventures of the somewhat psychic Raven Baxter and her teen son Booker, who has inherited the same gift of catching glimpses of the future.

No word yet on Avitia’s role on the series.

In addition to Avitia, season five welcomes Rondell Sheridan to the cast, reprising the role of Victor Baxter, Raven’s dad, as well as Mykal-Michelle Harris and Emmy Liu-Wang.

Scott Thomas and Jed Elinoff developed the series and join Symoné as executive producers, along with Anthony C. Hill.

The series was created by Michael Poryes and Susan Sherman and is a production of It’s a Laugh Productions, Inc.

Avitia’s previous credits include Zero, Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything and Just The Tip.

Aimee Carrero to Star in Searchlight’s Comedic Psychological Thriller “The Menu”

Aimee Carrero is ordering from the menu

The 33-year-old Dominican and Puerto Rican actress has joined the cast of Searchlight’s The Menu.

Aimee Carrero

The film, directed by Mark Mylod, is a darkly comedic psychological thriller set in the world of eccentric culinary culture, centering on a young couple who visit an exclusive restaurant on a remote island where an acclaimed chef has prepared a lavish tasting menu.

Previously announced cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph FiennesJohn LeguizamoNicholas Hoult, and Hong Chau.

Carrero has a long list of credits in both television and film. On the small screen, she’s appeared in The MentalistThe AmericansLevel Up, and Young & Hungry, among others. And in The Last Witch HunterAlvin and the Chipmunks: The SqueakquelHolidate, and most recently, Wander Darkly, for the big screen.

She’s most famously known for voicing Disney’s first Latina princess Elena of Avalor in the Disney Channel animated series of the same name, and for bringing to life the titular character in Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princess of Power.

Up next for Carrero is a recurring role in The Maid for Netflix set to be released October 1, and the as-yet-untitled The Boys spin-off for Amazon Prime Video.

Jake T. Austin to Star in the Psychological Thriller “Daft State”

Jake T. Austin is heading to a new State

The 26-year-old part Puerto Rican, Argentine and Spanish American actor will star in Daft State, the psychological thriller from Chad Bishoff, which just entered production.

Jake T. Austin

Austin will star alongside Paulo CostanzoIman Karram and Ka’ramuu Kush, as well as previously announced cast members Christopher Backus and Skye P. Marshall.

The film, scripted by Bishoff and Sam Harter, charts the mysterious psychological destruction of Easton (Backus), who is driven to the edge of sanity, and possible self-harm, by those that love him most—his wife (Marshall) and daughter. Will Easton succumb to their increasingly traumatizing pressure, or will he conquer the dark forces at play in his addled psyche?

“We’re so fortunate to have such an incredibly talented cast in our film,” said Bishoff of the additions to his ensemble. “I can’t wait for audiences to see what they bring to the screen.”

“Having a cast of this caliber with such extensive and established fan bases to help tell this gripping story centered on the complex nature of mental health, is an honor,” added producer Erich Hover.

Austin is a five-time Young Artist Award nominee and Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards nominee who co-starred in the Disney Channel series The Wizards of Waverly Place, along with other family-centric projects, including Go Diego Go!, Hotel for Dogs and The Emoji Movie. He most recently appeared in Lionsgate’s Adverse, alongside Mickey Rourke, Lou Diamond Phillips and Sean Astin.

Selena Gomez Shares Glam Cowgirl Photos on Social Media

Selena Gomez is embracing her Texas roots…

The 28-year-old Mexican American singer/actress has shared photos on Instagram of the former Disney Channel star wearing a sequined fringe cowgirl jacket, black lace bralette, jeans and black lace-up heeled boots and sporting her own Rare Beauty makeup line.

Selena Gomez

Rare Beauty’s official account praised their founder for being “100% that girl,” while DJ Snake crowned the social media queen with an emoji.

Their bilingual collab “Selfish Love” debuted within the top 10 region of Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart and hit No. 1 on the Latin Digital Song Sales (on the chart dated March 20). The song comes off Gomez’s chart-topping Spanish-language EP Revelaciónwhich she released March 12.

Gomez recently contemplated possibly retiring from her music career in her cover story for the April issue of Vogue. “It’s hard to keep doing music when people don’t necessarily take you seriously. I’ve had moments where I’ve been like, ‘What’s the point? Why do I keep doing this?'” she confessed. “‘Lose You to Love Me’ I felt was the best song I’ve ever released, and for some people it still wasn’t enough.”

Shop Rare Beauty at Sephora.

Aimee Carrero to Star in Amazon’s College-Set “The Boys” Spinoff

Aimee Carrero is one of The Boys gang…

The 32-year-old Dominican actress will star in Amazon’s college-set spinoff of The Boys, which is nearing a formal green light.

Aimee Carrero

Carrero will star opposite Shane Paul McGhie and Maddie Phillips in the project.

All three will play young superheroes on the show, joining previously cast Jaz Sinclair and Lizze Broadway who play fellow young superheroes.

Written by The Boys executive producer Craig Rosenberg, the Untitled The Boys Spinoff is set at America’s only college exclusively for young adult superheroes (and run by Vought International). It is described as an irreverent, R-rated series that explores the lives of hormonal, competitive Supes as they put their physical, sexual and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities. Part college show, part Hunger Games — with all the heart, satire and raunch of The Boys.

The spinoff is from the entities behind the original series: Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television in association with Point Grey Pictures, Kripke Enterprises and Original Film. Rosenberg will serve as executive producer/showrunner on the spinoff.

Based on the bestselling comic book, The Boys is heading into its third season on Prime Video.

Carrero is best known for her voicing the title roles in Disney Channel’s popular animated series Elena of Avalor and Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. She also was a series regular on Freeform’s long-running sitcom Young & Hungry and recurred on the NBC dramas Blindspot and The Village.

Disney Channel Orders “Descendants: The Royal Wedding” Animated Special Starring Sofia Carson

Sofia Carson is getting animated…

Disney Channel has ordered Descendants: The Royal Wedding, an animated special starring the 27-year-old Colombian American actress/singer as Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen.

Sofia Carson

In addition to Carson, the Descendants special, set to premiere this summer, will feature a number of stars including Dove Cameron and Booboo Stewart.

The special will also pay memory to late cast member Cameron Boyce. The actor, who appeared as Carlos, died in July 2019 of epilepsy. He was 20. The absence of Boyce’s character will also be acknowledged.

Descendants: The Royal Wedding will follow Auradon’s epic social event, the marriage between Cameron’s Mal and Mitchell Hope’s Ben. Also reprising their roles for the special are Sarah Jeffery, Melanie Paxson, China Anne McClain, Jedidiah Goodacre, Anna Cathcart, Dan Payne, Bobby Moynihan and Cheyenne Jackson.

Descendants introduced a fantasy world of stories and characters anchored in Disney mythology. For the past six years, it captivated young viewers and grew to become among Disney Channel’s biggest entertainment franchises ever. It had the benefit of immensely talented stars, who we now welcome back for this animated ‘Royal Wedding’ special that will bridge the audience to what we hope will be a new chapter of compelling ‘Descendants’ stories and characters yet to come,” said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Branded Television.

Descendants: The Royal Wedding, by Sara Parriott & Josann McGibbon and Ricky Roxburgh, is based on the Descendants movies by Parriott and McGibbon.  The special is produced by Le Cube with Salvador Simó is set to direct.

Scarlett Estevez to Star in Disney Channel’s Superhero Luchador Action-Comedy “Ultra Violet & Blue Demon”

Scarlett Estevez is ready to luchar

Disney Channel has given a series order to Ultra Violet & Blue Demon, a superhero coming-of-age luchador action-comedy from a girl’s point of view, starring the 13-year-old Latina actress as Ultra Violet and Mexican luchador and professional wrestler Blue Demon Jr. as a version of himself.

Scarlett Estevez 

The project had received a cast-contingent pilot order in January 2020, and now has received a formal series greenlight.

The series, which introduces a relatable Mexican American family with a very special legacy, will showcase a predominately Latinx main cast and producing team.

The series unfolds as a magical luchador mask selects 13-year-old Violet (Estevez) to become Ultra, the superhero successor to her uncle, who is the famous Mexican wrestler Blue Demon Jr. and a superhero-in-disguise. Ultra begins her own secret superhero training with her uncle, all while having to navigate the ups and downs of middle school. As they start to work together, Uncle Blue realizes he can learn a few things from Ultra’s modern Gen-Z take on crime-fighting.

“Blue Demon Jr. is a Mexican cultural icon and we are looking forward to introducing him—and the luchador mythology—to our viewers,” said Rafael Garcia, vice president, Development, Disney Branded Television. “With Violet and her family, we also have the opportunity to present an authentic Mexican American family in a series that combines humor and adventure in a unique Latinx shake-up of the superhero genre.”

Also starring are Marianna Burelli as Violet’s mother, Nina; Juan Alfonso as Violet’s father, Sebastian; Brandon Rossel as Violet’s brother, Miguelito; Zelia Ankrum as Violet’s best friend, Trudy; and Bryan Blanco as Violet’s goody-two-shoes classmate Enrique Diaz-Diaz.

Blue Demon Jr. will co-executive produce.

The pilot episode was written and executive produced by Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit and directed by Alejandro Damiani.

Estevez’s previous credits include Lucifer, Bunk’d, Daddy’s Home and Daddy’s Home 2.

Demi Lovato to Star in the NBC Scripted Food Issues Comedy “Hungry”

Demi Lovato is hungry for new projects…

The 28-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress will return to scripted television in a food issues comedy in the works at NBC.

Demi Lovato

Lovato, who got her break in the Disney Channel’s Camp Rock franchise and starred in Sonny with a Chance, is to star in and executive produce Hungry, which has received a put pilot commitment from NBC.

The single-camera comedy is being written and exec produced by Will & Grace writer and Hot In Cleveland creator Suzanne Martin. It comes from Hazy Mills and SB Projects in association with Universal Television.

Hungry follows a group of friends who belong to a food issues group help each other as they look for love, success and the perfect thing in the fridge that’s going to make it all better.

Lovato, herself, appeared in a guest role in the final season of Will & Grace, her first role since guest starring on Glee in 2013. The singer, who has battled bipolar disorder and addiction, is the subject of a YouTube Originals doc series Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, which will premiere at SXSW.

Lovato and Martin will exec produce with Hazy Mills’ Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner and SB Projects’ Scooter Braun, James Shin and Scott Manson.