Javier Bardem to Star in Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Bardem has landed a monster(s) role…

The 54-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor will star in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the second season of the acclaimed Netflix crime anthology Monster from creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

Bardem will star alongside Chloë Sevigny, Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch in the series.

Bardem abd Sevigny will respectively play Jose and Kitty Menendez, the Beverly Hills couple murdered by sons Lyle (Chavez) and Erik (Koch).

The new season comes on the heels of Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which starred Evan Peters as the notorious serial killer and quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular English-language series ever when it debuted in September 2022.

It was in 1989 that Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered parents Jose and Kitty in their L.A.-area home. Although not initially looked at as prime suspects, they came under investigation in the months following and eventually confessed to parricide, at the same time claiming that their actions stemmed from years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their father. Their first of two trials, broadcast on Court TV, had the nation in its grip, much like the 1994 trial of O.J. Simpson, and is believed to have played a part in the modern-day fascination with true crime.

The prosecution argued that the pair were in fact seeking to inherit their father’s multimillion-dollar estate, and the Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole, though the case continues to unfold to this day. Last summer, Erik and Lyle filed documents in hopes of a new hearing, following former Menudo bandmember Roy Rosselló’s claim that he was molested by José Menendez at the age of 14.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is one of two forthcoming seasons of the Monster anthology announced as of November 2022. The story at the center of the third chapter has not yet been revealed. In addition to the scripted series on the Menendez brothers, Netflix has a feature doc on the duo in the works, brought to life with exclusive access to the subjects.

Most recently portraying King Triton in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Bardem will next be seen in Dune: Part Two, out March 1 following a strike-imposed delay, and Apple’s Formula 1 racing movie with Brad Pitt.

Carlos Sainz Teams Up with Justin Thomas to Claim First-Ever Netflix Cup Trophy

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Sainz is celebrating his Netflix and thrill moment…

The 29-year-old Spanish racing driver, who currently competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, and pro golfer Justin Thomas teamed up to win the first-ever Netflix Cup, a crossover event featuring PGA TOUR players and F1 drivers competing in an eight-hole scramble.

The first-of-a-kind event was held Tuesday at Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas.

The duo hoisted the Cup together in the post-match ceremony, with Thomas then drinking from the Cup. Then Sainz had his turn, and he dropped the trophy, which broke.

Thomas and Sainz defeated the tandem of Tony Finau and Pierre Gasly in the closest-to-pin contest on the final hole after the four-team field was cut in half following eight holes of match play.

The competition qualified as silly at times, but the spectators lining the course to watch seemed to find it entertaining.

A number of celebrities were on hand for the event, which also included controversial topics.

Protesters, apparently representing PETA, came onto the course to demand that F1, with parent company Liberty Media, cut ties with the Iditarod dogsled race in Alaska.

While golf was the designated sport, it was far from any typical round.

There were plenty of antics with the golf itself. For instance, on the first tee, four golfers teed off at the same time and then raced to their golf carts, following the designated “race course” onto the fairway to get to their balls. Golfers raced to get to the green and to see who could arrive fastest, locate their golf balls and then putt amid the mayhem on the greens.

As part of the race to get to the greens, golfer Rickie Fowler was driving the cart with F1 driver Lando Norris as the passenger.

The other team was Max Homa–Alex Albon. Finau was credited with the competition’s first birdie.

This competition was a prelude to the weekend’s Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix.

This was Netflix’s first live airing of a sports event.

Maná to Make Long-Awaited Debut at Mexico’s Vive Latino Festival

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Maná is preparing for a special festival debut…

The legendary Mexican Grammy-winning Latin rock band will headline the 2024 Vive Latino Festival, the group’s debut at the emblematic rock festival.

The “Oye Mi Amor” band will co-headline the festival with Belanova, marking the group’s long-awaited return to the Mexican stages.

The varied Vive Latino lineup also includes Scorpions, Jorge Drexler, Silvana Estrada, Paramore, Greta Van Fleet, Fito Páez, Hombres G and Babasónico.

Taking place March 16 and 17, and held for the first time at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City (headquarters of Formula 1 and the Corona Capital Festival), the official announcement was made on Sunday, November 12 by OCESA via social media and the official Vive Latino page, where Internet users discovered who was part of the lineup through an interactive online game.

Bad Religion, James, Semisonic, Gogol Bordello, Mexican Institute of Sound, Los Lobos, Portugal. the Man, Junior H, The Warning and San Pascualito Rey are also part of the festival’s lineup, which will gather ’80s rock, ska, Balkan music, reggae, punk and metal bands.

Although Vive Latino has opened its doors to genres such as regional Mexican and cumbia, the music festival is one of the largest and longest running festivals dedicated to Latin rock, and currently the one with the longest tradition in Mexico with 24 editions held. Given its history, the presence of Maná for the first time was a pending issue.

“CDMX, see you soon,” expressed the quartet from Guadalajara, Jalisco, on its X account, in which the group shared the festival poster.

Belanova, on the other hand, will make its comeback to the Vive Latino stage after an almost six-year hiatus. Vocalist Denisse Guerrero, keyboardist Édgar Huerta and bassist Ricardo Arreola will arrive at Mexico City after their participation in the Bésame Mucho festival, in Austin, Texas, on March 2.

In its 2024 edition, Vive Latino joined forces with Amazon, which is already preparing several innovations for the festival through its technology and multiple services. Ticket presale for Citibanamex cardholders will take place at 2:00 pm (Central Mexico time) on Wednesday, November 15 through Ticketmaster Mexico.

Camila Márdila to Star in Netflix’s Highly-Anticipated Biopic Series “Senna”

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Márdila is preparing for life in the fast lane…

The 35-year-old Brazilian actress will star in Netflix’s highly-anticipated Senna biopic series.

Over the course of six episodes, Senna will, for the first time, depict the journey of overcoming obstacles, ups and downs, joys, and sorrows of Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna da Silva, a Brazilian racing driver who won the F1 World Drivers’ Championship in 1988, 1990 and 1991.

Senna is one of three Formula One drivers from Brazil to win the World Championship and won 41 Grand Prixs and 65 pole positions, with the latter being the record until 2006.

He died tragically in Italy during the San Marino Grand Prix.

A 2010 documentary from Asif Kapadia on the sports star won Best Documentary at the BAFTAs.

Mardilla, who joins previously-announced lead Gabriel Leone and Kaya Scodelario, is part of a roster of new cast additions that includes Alice Wegmann, Christian Malheiros, Gabriel Louchard, Hugo Bonemer, Julia Foti, Marco Ricca, Pâmela Tomé and Susana Ribeiro.

Other previously announced cast members include Matt Mella, Arnaud Viard, Joe Hurst, Johannes Heinrichs, Keisuke Hoashi, Leon Ockenden, Patrick Kennedy, Richard Clothier, Steven Mackintosh and Tom Mannion .

The large-scale production and some of the actors have just arrived in Brazil, where filming is taking place in São Paulo and Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro.

The Gullane-produced miniseries, one of Netflix’s biggest in Brazil, has already filmed in Argentina and Uruguay and will proceed to the UK after completing filming in the country.

Vicente Amorim is showrunner and the director is Julia Rezende.

Neon Releases Official Trailer for Adam Driver & Penelope Cruz’s “Ferrari”

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Penelope Cruz is driving interest in her latest film project…

The official trailer has been released for Michael Mann’s Ferrari, starring the 49-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actress opposite Adam Driver.

“Two objects cannot occupy the same point in space at the same moment in time,” begins the trailer.

The film finds automotive mogul Enzo Ferrari at a personal and professional crisis point in his life. “The corner races at you, you have perhaps a crisis of identity,” says Driver’s Ferrari. “Am I a sportsman, or a competitor?” he asks.

Facing bankruptcy and a marriage unraveling, Ferrari’s best hope of saving his legacy and his failing business is to win the treacherous Mille Miglia 1,000-mile race across Italy.

Neon will release the film on December 25. “If you get into one of my cars, you get in to win.”

Here’s the film’s description: It is the summer of 1957. Behind the spectacle of Formula 1, ex-racer Enzo Ferrari (Driver) is in crisis. Bankruptcy threatens the factory he and his wife, Laura (Cruz), built from nothing 10 years earlier. Their volatile marriage has been battered by the loss of their son a year earlier, and Ferrari struggles to acknowledge his son with Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley). Meanwhile, his drivers’ passion to win pushes them to the edge as they launch into the treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy, the Mille Miglia.

Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Gordon, Gabriel Leone and Jack O’Connell also star in Mann’s vehicle, which was scripted by Troy Kennedy Martin.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Ends Max Verstappen’s Winning Streak with Singapore Grand Prix Victory

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Sainz has put an end to Max Verstappen‘s record-breaking run of victories…

The 29-year-old Spanish racing driver, currently competing in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, won a tense Singapore Grand Prix to end Verstappen’s record-breaking run and Red Bull‘s hopes of an unbeaten season.

Sainz drove a tactical masterclass in the final laps, keeping Lando Norris‘ McLaren close enough that he had use of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) overtaking aid to keep charging Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton at bay.

In a dramatic finish, on the final lap Russell crashed out while chasing Norris to hand the final podium spot to Hamilton.

Sainz’s win was his second in F1 and Ferrari‘s first since his teammate Charles Leclerc won the Austrian Grand Prix on July 10 last year.

In the time since, Red Bull had lost only one race, when George Russell won the Brazilian Grand Prix in November.

Sainz’s victory ended Verstappen’s record run of 10 wins in a row as the huge pace advantage Red Bull had all year disappeared under the lights of Marina Bay.

Verstappen had to settle for fifth position, his first race off the podium this year.

What had been a quiet contest exploded into life in the final 10 laps.

Russell and Hamilton had been brought into contention when Mercedes used a Virtual Safety Car on Lap 45 of 62 to bring both drivers in for fresh tyres when the others did not.

The pace advantage saw them quickly catch the lead three cars, but after both got by Leclerc with relative ease, Russell was unable to get past Norris, who was always within one second of Sainz.

When told how close Norris was behind at one stage, Sainz told Ferrari: “Yeah, it’s on purpose.”

F1’s rules allowed him use of the DRS overtaking aid, and the speed boost it gave Norris on the straights was enough to keep the McLaren driver ahead, which he did with some good defending driving four laps from the end.

Having failed to get by Norris on a couple of occasions, Russell then clipped the inside wall and went straight on into the barrier on the final lap.

That promoted Hamilton to third and Leclerc to fourth in the other Ferrari.

Verstappen finished fifth, extending his huge championship lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who finished eighth.

Verstappen is now 151 points clear; a win Sunday would have given him the chance to wrap up the title in Japan next week. Instead, the earliest he can do it is October 8 at the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull has utterly dominated the season and will hope the race at Suzuka is business as usual.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was sixth, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

Liam Lawson continued his impressive start to life in F1, scoring the first points in his career in ninth.

Lawson is expected to drive again at the Japanese Grand Prix, with Daniel Ricciardo still not ready to return to racing after breaking a hand in a crash ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Kevin Magnussen managed to snatch a point for Haas to reward the team for a strong weekend that had seen both cars start inside the top 10.

Edwin De Los Santos Agrees to Fight Shakur Stevenson for Vacant WBC Lightweight Title

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Edwin De Los Santos is ready to Shakur things up…

The 23-year-old Dominican boxer and Shakur Stevenson have agreed to a deal for a November 16 fight in Las Vegas for the vacant WBC lightweight title.

The 135-pound title bout will headline a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card two days before Formula 1‘s debut race on the Las Vegas Strip.

Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) had been slated to fight undefeated contender Frank Martin after a deal was reached last week, but Martin decided not to proceed with the bout after the contract was sent over. De Los Santos was the next available contender in the WBC‘s lightweight rankings.

De Los Santos (16-1, 14 KOs) has impressed in his past two fights. He rose off the canvas to score a third-round knockout of Jose Valenzuela in September 2022 and followed that with a unanimous-decision win over Joseph Adorno in July. De Los Santos’ lone defeat was an eight-round split decision against William Foster in January 2022.

Less than two years after that setback, De Los Santos will meet Stevenson, ESPN’s No. 9 pound-for-pound boxer, for the title formerly held by undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.

The WBC named Haney “champion in recess” after he decided to move up to 140 pounds for a shot at the organization’s junior welterweight title. That fight for Regis Prograis‘ WBC title will take place December 9 in San Francisco.

“Most ducked fighter in the sport of boxing,” Stevenson posted on Instagram after Martin withdrew. “Edwin get ready, I’m tired of [you] saying my name.”

Stevenson, 26, is one of the fastest-rising stars in boxing. The Newark, New Jersey, native has won titles at 126 and 130 pounds and will look to do the same in a third weight class.

A southpaw who is perhaps the sport’s best defensive fighter, Stevenson scored a sixth-round stoppage of Shuichiro Yoshino in April in his lightweight debut.

Kaya Scodelario to Star in Netflix’s Limited Series “Senna” About Formula 1 Legend Ayrton Senna

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Kaya Scodelario isn’t racing to leave Netflix just yet…

The 31-year-old half-Brazilian English actress, who recently wrapped the streamer’s Guy Ritchie series The Gentlemen, will star in the Netflix limited series Senna.

The series will tell the story of Brazilian Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna.

Scodelario, whose mother is from Sao Paulo, will play a fictional character in the series, which is filming in Brazil and Argentina.

The six-part series will show the three-time Formula 1 champion’s trajectory of overcoming joys and sorrows, exploring his personality and personal relationships. The starting point of the series will be the beginning of Ayrton’s racing career, when he moves to England to compete in Formula Ford, until the tragic accident in Imola, Italy, during the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.

Senna is produced by Brazilian production company Gullane, which was founded by Caio and Fabiano Gullane with Brazilian filmmaker Vicente Amorim as showrunner. It’s directed by Vicente Amorim and Julia Rezende. The series is produced in participation with Senna’s family.

“Being half-Brazilian it has always been a dream of mine to work on a Brazilian Production. It is an honor to be involved in a project that tells the story of Ayrton, a true national hero who means so much to the people of Brazil and around the world. It’s a huge responsibility and I am so excited to go on this journey,” said Scodelario.

Scodelario is best known for her roles in The Maze Runner and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, as well as breaking out via British teen series Skins.

Toni Calderon Developing New Docuseries Focused on IMSA Amateur Sportscar Drivers

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Toni Calderon is revving up for a new project…

The Latino producer has teamed up with Brad Peyton on a new docuseries focused on the high-energy, high-intensity world of amateur sportscar drivers.

The still-untitled project will shine a spotlight on the arena of IMSA pro-am racing, following the lives of the everyday men and women who look to compete against the best professional race car drivers in the world, including Katherine Legge and Filipe Albuquerque.

The project will have unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to the amateur drivers, and to how racing against professionals can risk their relationships, their businesses, and more importantly, their lives.

In addition to executive producers Peyton and Calderon, the producing team includes former Netflix executive Justin Price; Mike Zhu, who formerly served as Head of Strategy and Planning for wiip; Hardpoint Motorsports’ President & CEO, Rob Ferriol; The Gentleman Driver producer Beaux Jackson; and the Atlanta-based film producer and entrepreneur Mark Sunderland, who specializes in development and early stage companies.

Production on the series, examining the 2023 racing season, will launch at the end of this year. CAA Media Finance represents the project’s worldwide distribution rights.

“I’m fascinated by the raw nature of pro-am racing and more importantly the stories and stakes of the men and women drivers who compete in it,” said Peyton. “This league and these drivers have captivating stories that mainstream America hasn’t seen yet. I’m excited to dive into the unscripted world with this project and can’t wait to be at Daytona when we kick-off the production!”

“This series aims to shine a light on the unsung heroes of motorsports – the amateur drivers – and bring fans a rare look at their lives,” added Calderon. “We want to share the incredible stories of drivers who risk their lives and put themselves in impossible situations because of their passion for and love of the sport. These are men and women from all walks of life going out there and risking it all to prove that they are as good as the pros and to earn a coveted seat at Le Mans.”

Calderon serves as Chief Growth Officer for the Austin-based AI company Valkyrie, and is also a partner at the motorsports company Speed Group.

His 20 years of experience across management, advertising, sales and marketing in the motorsports arena has had him working on high-profile commercial projects tied to Formula 1, the World Endurance Championship and the International Motor Sports Association.

He previously executive-produced Netflix’s feature documentary The Gentleman Driver, examining the lives of businessmen moonlighting as race car drivers, which was released in the U.S. in 2019.

Carlos Sainz Claims First Career Formula One Victory at British Grand Prix

Posted on July 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Sainz has found the winning formula…

The 27-year-old Spanish racing driver has claimed his first Formula One victory ahead of Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton at a rollercoaster and action-packed British Grand Prix.

The race, one of the best of the season so far, included a dramatic crash at the start which saw Zhou Guanyu‘s car flipped over tire barrier, protesters forcing their way onto the track on the opening lap and championship leader Max Verstappen dropping down the order with a damaged car.

Sainz’s chances of a first win appeared to have completely disappeared at two different points in the race, first after a big mistake at Becketts and then after he obeyed a team order to let teammate Charles Leclerc through on Lap 32 of 52.

A late Safety Car and race restart 10 laps later provided a perfect opportunity for Sainz to reclaim the lead and scamper away with the win as an unbelievable finish unfolded in the battle for second behind him between Perez, Hamilton and Leclerc.

“Yes! We did it! Yes! Vamos!” Sainz shouted over the radio after crossing the line, securing his first win in 151 F1 attempts.

Home favorite Hamilton had looked in a perfect position to challenge the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz for his first victory of the season until that Safety Car deployment and immediately lost position to Perez at the restart.

An epic battle for second and third then unfolded between Perez, Hamilton and Leclerc, featuring multiple position changes and some aggressive driving from all three drivers.

On lap 48, Perez forced Leclerc wide at the final corner, allowing Hamilton up into second. Several corners later, Perez forced Hamilton wide to reclaim the position and the Mercedes driver fell behind Leclerc.

Leclerc turned in some incredible defensive driving to keep Hamilton at bay for as long as he could in the closing stages but in the end could not do anything about the major tyre disadvantage he had been left with at the Safety Car restart.

For Hamilton it was his second visit to the podium in two races and a clear sign of the progress Mercedes has made in recent races.

Leclerc had to settle for fourth position, having lost a rare opportunity to make a bigger dent in Verstappen’s championship lead.

Verstappen finished seventh after holding off Haas’ Mick Schumacher in the run to the finish line.

Verstappen still holds a healthy lead in the championship, 34 points ahead of teammate Perez and 43 ahead of Leclerc.

Sainz’s win moved him ahead of George Russell, who did not finish, and into fourth position in the title fight.

The events of the first 10 seconds of the race set the tone for the dramatic afternoon which followed.

Alfa Romeo rookie Zhou Gaunyu was vaulted into a terrifying barrel roll at Turn 1 which left his car upside down in the tire barrier and prompted a red flag race suspension.

Zhou had been tagged by the Mercedes of George Russell, who in turn had been hit by Pierre Gasly‘s AlphaTauri.

Russell’s race ended in the gravel trap at Turn 1, while Alex Albon was also spun into the wall at Turn 1.

Gasly was later spun around by teammate Yuki Tsunoda.

All those incidents opened up a perfect opportunity for Haas to bounce back from a deflating Saturday which had seen both drivers eliminated in Q1, as Schumacher finally claimed the first F1 points of his career.

An emotional Schumacher apologized to Haas after finishing after swearing over the radio as he celebrated the finish.

Teammate Kevin Magnussen claimed the final points paying position of the afternoon in 10th.

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