Rodriguez Being Courted to Star in Catherine Hardwicke’s “Miss Bala” Remake

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez may have found her next crowning project…

Catherine Hardwicke is in talks to direct Miss Bala, the remake of the Mexican film co-written and directed by Gerardo Naranjo, with the 32-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star being courted for the leading role.

Miss Bala, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film, centers on a beauty pageant contestant who witnesses the brutality of a drug gang and is dragged into their dangerous business.

Kevin Misher and Pablo Cruz are producing, Andy Berman is executive producer. Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer is adapting the script by Naranjo and Mauricio Katz.

Rodriguez, who earned a Golden Globe for her performance in Jane the Virgin, rose to acclaim after starring the indie film Filly Brown. Her other film roles include Deepwater Horizon and Enter the Dangerous Mind.

Rodriguez Signs Multi-Year Development Deal with CBS Television Studios

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez has a new deal…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star has inked an overall deal with CBS Television Studios, the studio behind the CW dramedy that recently was renewed for next season.

Under the multi-year pact, Rodriguez will develop projects for network, cable and streaming platforms through her I Can and I Will Productions, named after her father’s mantra, which Rodriguez has shared in speeches.

Rodriguez, a strong proponent of diversity, will continue her efforts though I Can and I Will Productions, which has hired Emily Gipson as development executive.

In the company’s first move under the overall deal with CBS Television Studios, Rodriguez has optioned the German format Dr. Illegal. The first production for I Can and I Will Productions was The Young Women Honors, launched on the CW in December.

Rodriguez is working on a book encompassing all of the lessons she has learned from her father, Genaro Rodriguez. Titled, I Can and I Will: Tools My Daddy Gave Me, the book is expected to be released this year through CBS Television Studios’ sister company, Simon & Schuster.

Rodriguez took home the Golden Globe in 2015 for Best Comedy Actress for her starring role in Jane the Virgin, now in its third season.

Rodriguez Joins Voice Cast of Sony Pictures Animation’s “The Star”

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez is wishing on a Star…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican actress has joined the A-list voice cast of Sony Pictures Animation’s The Star.

The story follows a small but brave donkey named Bo (Steven Yeun) who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. As the logline states: “One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told – the first Christmas.”

In addition to Yeun and Rodriguez, the Golden Globe-winning star of the CW’s Jane the Virgin who will voice Mary in the film, the star-studded voice cast includes Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Tracy Moran, Kris Kristofferson, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelly Clarkson, Gabriel Iglesias, Ving Rhames and Christopher Plummer who will voice King Herod.

Directed by Oscar-nominated writer-director Timothy Reckart, the family-friendly film will be released wide on November 10.

The screenplay was written by Carlos Kotkin from a story by Kotkin and Simon Moore.

Guerrero to Star in CBS’ Immigration Drama “In the Country We Love”

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Diane Guerrero has gone Country…

The 30-year-old Colombian American actress, a recurring guest star on Jane the Virgin, has partnered with executive producer/showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, executive producer Ben Silverman and co-executive producer Paul Sciarrotta for In the Country We Love, a potential drama project for CBS.

Guerrero is attached to star in the drama, which is based on her memoir. Jane the Virgin producer CBS Television Studios is the studio.

Written by Sciarrotta, In the Country We Love centers on a successful corporate attorney who starts taking pro bono cases for undocumented immigrants after her past as the child of deported parents is revealed by a family emergency.

Guerrero’s memoir In the Country We Love: My Family Divided, co-written with best-selling author Michelle Burford, chronicles Guerrero’s harrowing experience as a teenager.

She was 14 when her parents were taken from their Boston home by immigration agents and deported to their native Colombia while she was at school. From then on, Guerrero, who was born in the U.S., had to rely on the kindness of family friends.

Guerrero was named a White House Ambassador for Citizenship and Naturalization in 2015 and is an outspoken advocate for common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform, having worked with Immigrant Legal Resource Center and Mi Familia Vota, a nonpartisan Latino civic engagement organization to promote citizenship and voter registration.

This is the second broadcast drama project in development for next season that touches on the hot-button issue of immigration, along with The CW’s Casa, from Warner Bros Television and Berlanti Prods.

Guerrero is best known for her role as Maritza Ramos on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black. She plays Jane’s (Gina Rodriguez) best friend Lina on Jane the Virgin.

Rodriguez Raps Nostalgic on This Week’s Episode of “Lip Sync Battle”

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez is grillin’ like a villain…

Rocking dreadlocks and wearing a grill, the 31-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star takes to the stage in this week’s episode of Lip Sync Battle with an inspired take on Lil Wayne‘s 2008 hit “A Milli.”

The Golden Globe winner is anything but G-rated as she shows off her rapping chops and hip thrusts on stage, much to the astonishment of co-host Chrissy Teigen.

Rodriguez’s faced off against Wilmer Valderrama and his nostalgia-provoking take on the Backstreet Boys‘ “Everbody (Backstreet’s Back).”

Catch Rodriguez and Valderrama on Lip Sync Battle this Thursday, May 12 at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Spike.

Isaac In Talks to Star in the Post-Apocalyptic Horror Adventure “Annihilation”

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac is facing annihilation…

The 37-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor is in talks to reteam with Alex Garland, his director for the acclaimed sci-fi movie Ex Machina, for Annihilation, a post-apocalyptic horror adventure feature for Paramount Pictures.

Isaac, who was a standout as X-wing pilot Poe Dameron in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens, would star opposite Natalie Portman and Gina Rodriguez in the film, which is an adaptation of a book by Jeff VanderMeer.

The story follows a biologist, to be played by Portman, as she embarks on a four-person expedition into Area X, a territory cut off from civilization. While there, she must deal with a mysterious contamination, disappearing colleagues, a deadly animal and a being known as the Crawler, all while searching for clues regarding her husband’s disappearance.

Isaac will play Portman’s husband, who may not have disappeared after all.

Isaac starred with Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson in Ex Machina, in which he played the Steve Jobs-like owner of a search engine tech company creating artificial intelligence.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, meanwhile, blasted box office records and currently has grossed over $933 million domestically, $2 billion worldwide

Rodriguez Shares Her Golden Globes Dress with a Fan

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez is being heralded as a real-life fairy godmother…

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star has sent one of her fans the black Badgley Mischka gown she was wearing when she won her first Golden Globe for Best Actress, Television Comedy in January 2015.

Back in January, according to Us Weekly, Jessica Casanova, a fan of the Jane the Virgin star, tweeted Rodriguez, saying that she’d love to wear the Zac Posen gown Rodriguez wore to this year’s Golden Globes gown to her high school prom.

To Casanova’s surprise, Rodriguez responded. “Where do you live? I only own my first Globes dress, the one from last year … Maybe we can make this happen,” Rodriguez tweeted back.

Casanova, who lives in Buffalo, New York, was thrilled, saying she’d be honored to wear it to her prom. This past week Casanova let Rodriguez know that she received the dress.

Rodriguez responded, “Yay! Do you like it?” She also requested that Casanova share a photo of her in the dress.

The teen replied, “Of course, it is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. I so love it, and, yes, I will send you millions of pictures.”

That generous gesture has led several publications to call Rodriguez a real-life fairy godmother.

Isaac Earns First Acting Critics’ Choice Awards Nomination

Posted on December 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac is getting a heroes reception…

The 36-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor is among the Latino talents earning a Critics’ Choice Awards nomination.

Isaac earned his nod in the Actor in a Movie Made for Television or Limited Series for his performance in the HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero. It’s his first nomination in an acting category. He previously was nominated in the Song category for co-penning “Please Mr. Kennedy” for the film Inside Llewyn Davis with Adam Driver and Justin Timberlake.

Gina Rodriguez, who earned a Golden Globe earlier this year, picked up her second consecutive nomination in the Actress in a Comedy Series category for her starring role in The CW’s Jane the Virgin.

Rodriguez’s Jane the Virgin co-star Jamie Camil picked up his second nod in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category for his role as Rodriguez’s onscreen father. He’ll face off against Mel Rodriguez, who received his nomination for his performance on HBO’s Getting On.

In the film section, Alejandro González Iñárritu earned a nod in the Director category for helming the western drama/thriller The Revenant, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. The Mexican filmmaker was nominated last year in the same category for directing Birdman. He lost in that category, but took home the Screenplay trophy for the same film.

Meanwhile, the film’s lenser Emmanuel Lubezki received a nom in the Cinematography category. He’s the two-time reigning champion in the category after winning for his work on Gravity in 2014 and Birdman in 2015. He also won the prize in 2012 for The Tree of Life.

Paco Delgado picked up a nod in the Costume Design category for his work on The Danish Girl. He previously was nominated in 2013 for his work on Les Misérables.

Hosted by T.J. Miller, the awards show will be held on January 17 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. It will air simultaneously on A&E, Lifetime and LMN.

Here are the categories featuring Latino nominees for the 21st annual Critics’ Choice Awards:

MOVIE

DIRECTOR
Todd Haynes – Carol
Alejandro González Iñárritu – The Revenant
Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott – The Martian
Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol – Ed Lachman
The Hateful Eight – Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road – John Seale
The Martian – Dariusz Wolski
The Revenant – Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario – Roger Deakins

COSTUME DESIGN
Brooklyn – Odile Dicks-Mireaux
Carol – Sandy Powell
Cinderella – Sandy Powell
The Danish Girl – Paco Delgado
Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Assassin
Goodnight Mommy
Mustang
The Second Mother
Son of Saul

TELEVISION

ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Wes Bentley – American Horror Story: Hotel – FX
Martin Clunes – Arthur & George – PBS
Idris Elba – Luther – BBC America
Oscar Isaac – Show Me a Hero – HBO
Vincent Kartheiser – Saints & Strangers – National Geographic Channel
Patrick Wilson – Fargo – FX

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Rachel Bloom – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – The CW
Aya Cash – You’re the Worst – FXX
Wendi McLendon-Covey – The Goldbergs – ABC
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin – The CW
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish – ABC
Constance Wu – Fresh Off the Boat – ABC

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Fox
Jaime Camil – Jane the Virgin – The CW
Jay Duplass – Transparent – Amazon
Neil Flynn – The Middle – ABC
Keegan-Michael Key – Playing House – USA
Mel Rodriguez – Getting On – HBO

Navedo Signs with Agency for the Performing Arts (APA)

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Andrea Navedo has new representation…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican actress has signed with the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA).

Navedo portrays Gina Rodriguez’s mom Xiomara on the beloved CW series.

She earned her this year’s Imagen Award for best supporting actress as well as HOLA’s Elizabeth Pena Breakthrough Artist Award for her breakthrough role.

She previously recurred as a detective for three seasons of Law & Order and appeared in half of How to Make It in America’s series run on HBO.

Her film credits include Remember Me, Once Upon a Time in Queens and the Fast and Furious parody Superfast! (as the Michelle Rodriguez analogue).

Navedo continues to be represented by LEG Management and Morris Yorn.

Rodriguez Signs with 42West

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez is heading (42) West…

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star has signed with 42West for publicity.

42West is one of the leading full-service public-relations firms in the entertainment industry.

Rodriguez, who may co-star opposite Natalie Portman in the sci-fi film Annihilation, won her first Golden Globe in January for her starring role the CW’s Jane the Virgin.

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