Al Madrigal to Star in the New Feature “Drugstone June”

Al Madrigal is headed to the drugstone

The 51-year-old half-Mexican American comedian, writer, actor and producer has joined the cast of Drugstone June, a new feature from UtopiaAll Things Comedy and Shout! Studios.

Al MadrigalMadrigal is part of a cast of notable comedic talents that includes Esther PovitskyBobby Lee, Beverly D’Angelo, James Remar, Brandon Wardell, Danny Griffin, Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams, Miranda Cosgrove, Haley Joel Osment, Matt Walsh, Jackie Sandler, Nick Rutherford, Jon “Dumbfoundead” Park, Trevor Wallace, Bhad Bhabie, Steph Tolev, Jon Gabrus and Bill Burr.

The film, directed by Nicholaus Goossen, follows a self-involved young woman who decides to solve the robbery of a local pharmacy while struggling to get over her ex-boyfriend.

Goossen is directing from his and Povitsky’s script.

“The team on this film has been stellar. We’re all big Esther Povitsky fans and it’s her time to lead a feature film,” said Utopia’s founder. “With Nicholaus Goossen at the helm, her collaborator on the comedy special HOT FOR MY NAME, the two have established a fresh, unique and standout comedic style. Mix that in with this star-studded ensemble, and it’s exciting to think of what’s to come for the film!”

Adria Arjona to Star in Zoë Kravitz’s Directorial Debut Film “Pussy Island”

Adria Arjona is island-bound…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican actress will star in Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut Pussy Island.

Adria ArjonaArjona will star alongside Christian SlaterAlia Shawkat, Geena DavisHaley Joel Osment, Liz Caribel Sierra, Levon Hawke, Trew Mullen, Saul Williams, Cris Costa and Kyle MacLachlan.

The actors join an ensemble that also includes Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum and Simon Rex, as previously announced.

The MGM genre film written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum follows Frida (Ackie), a young and clever Los Angeles cocktail waitress who has her eyes set on the prize: philanthropist and tech mogul Slater King (Tatum). When she skillfully maneuvers her way into King’s inner circle and ultimately an intimate gathering on his private island, she is ready for a journey of a lifetime. Despite the epic setting, beautiful people, ever-flowing champagne and late-night dance parties, Frida can sense that there’s more to this island than meets the eye. Something she can’t quite put her finger on. Something terrifying.

Pussy Island is currently in production in Mexico.

Arjona most recently starred as the female lead in Sony’s Marvel film Morbius, opposite Jared Leto. She can currently be seen in HBO’s Irma Vep opposite Alicia Vikander and in HBO Max’s Father of the Bride remake, and will make her Disney+ debut in the Star Wars series Andor on August 31st.

Sierra recently wrapped on Ellen, a miniseries from Automatik and New Regency in which she stars opposite Lin Shaye. Up next, she stars as Regina in the feature God’s Time, written and directed by Daniel Antebi, which made its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.

Costa is an executive protection consultant who, like Hawke, is making his feature film acting debut.

Olga Merediz Starring in Dave Franco-Directed Amazon Original Film “Somebody I Used to Know”

Olga Merediz is in the Know

The 65-year-old Cuban actress/singer, who originated the role of Abuela Claudia in the Broadway musical In the Heights, has been cast in Somebody I Used to Know, the Amazon original film being directed by Dave Franco and starring Alison Brie, Jay Ellis and Kiersey Clemons.

Olga Merediz

Merediz is among a list of cast newcomers that includes Julie HagertyHaley Joel OsmentAmy Sedaris, Danny Pudi, Zoe Chao, Evan Jonigkeit, Ayden Mayeri and Kelvin Yu.

With the cast filled out, production is underway in Oregon on the romantic comedy co-penned by Franco and Brie.

The film hails from Temple Hill Entertainment and Black Bear Pictures and marks a reteam of Franco, Brie and Black Bear after last year’s horror pic The Rentaldirected by Franco and starring Brie.

Somebody I Used to Know centers on Ally (Brie), a workaholic who on a trip to her hometown spends a night reminiscing with her ex-boyfriend Sean (Ellis), which makes her start to question everything about the choices she’s made and the person she’s become. And things only get more confusing when she meets Cassidy (Clemons), a younger woman who reminds her of the person she used to be.

The film is expected to debut exclusively on Prime Video worldwide next year.

Merediz’s other credits include appearances on Shades of Blue and Netflix‘s Orange Is the New Black.

Trailer Released for Kevin Smith’s “Tusk,” Starring Rodriguez and Justin Long

Génesis Rodríguez is ready to thrill audiences this September… 

During Friday night’s Comic-Con activities, writer and director Kevin Smith revealed the trailer for his oddball horror thriller Tusk, starring the 26-year-old Venezuelan- and Cuban-American actress.

Haley Joel Osment, Kevin Smith and Genesis Rodriguez, Tusk

“All that separates man from animal… are the stories he tells,” readers the message at the beginning of the film’s first official trailer.

Set in the Canadian wilderness, the film stars Justin Long as a podcaster who’s assigned to interview a mysterious seafarer (portrayed by Michael Parks) who happens to have a strange obsession with walruses.

The idea for the movie came during the recording of SModcast259 The Walrus and The Carpenter. In the episode, Smith and his longtime friend and producer Scott Mosier discussed an article featuring a Gumtree ad where a homeowner was offering a living situation free of charge, if the lodger agrees to dress as a walrus. The discussion went on from there, resulting in almost an hour of the episode being spent on reconstructing and telling a hypothetical story based on the ad. Smith then told his Twitter followers to tweet “#WalrusYes” if they wanted to see their hypothetical turned into a film, or “#WalrusNo” if they didn’t. A big majority of Smith’s followers agreed that the film should be made.

In addition to Long, Parks and Rodríguez, who portrays Allison in the film, Tusk also stars Haley Joel Osment and Johnny Depp.

Tusk is scheduled for release on September 19, 2014, by A24 Films.

Rodriguez to Star Opposite Haley Joel Osment in the Indie “Tusk”

Génesis Rodríguez is preparing for her latest role…

The 26-year-old Venezuelan- and Cuban-American actress has landed a role in the Kevin Smith-helmed indie film Tusk.

Génesis Rodríguez

The film centers on a character named Teddy (portrayed by Haley Joel Osment), whose best friend and podcast co-host (Justin Long) goes missing in the backwoods of Canada.

He joins forces with his friend’s girlfriend (Rodríguez) to search for him.

Production begins next month in North Carolina and Los Angeles.

Alba Starring in IFC’s New Original Comedy “The Spoils of Babylon”

Jessica Alba is Babylon-bound.

The 32-year-old half-Mexican American actress has joined the cast of IFC’s new original comedy The Spoils of Babylon, starring Will Ferrell.

Jessica Alba

A parody of epic television mini-series, The Spoils of Babylon is produced by Funny or Die and executive produced by Ferrell,

Along with Ferrell and Alba, the cast includes Val Kilmer, Tobey Maguire, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Sheen, Tim Robbins and Kristen Wiig.

“This amazingly talented cast will give this decadent genre its due respect,” said Jennifer Caserta, president and general manager of IFC. “Never before has a parody of a mini-series been more poised for showers of accolades.”

The Spoils of Babylon is a television adaptation of a best-selling epic novel by fictional famous author Eric Jonrosh (Ferrell) whose library spans 57 best sellers in 85 different languages. Jonrosh’s other titles include: The Spoils of Galaxy 7, The Spoils of Grasping for God, The Spoils of the Sahara, The Spoils of the Singing Night Squirrel, The Spoils of the Weeping Falcon and The Spoils Beneath the Sea.

“I’m thrilled my masterwork is finally making it to the screen, albeit the small screen. Although I guess these days people have pretty big screens in their homes but still not as big as “the big screen.” I mean, some people who have home theaters might have screens that big, but most wouldn’t, at least that’s what I would imagine. Still, I’m thrilled, and I personally DO have a giant screen TV so….” trailed off Jonrosh in a quote that was dictated over the phone from his yacht The Super Bard, anchored off his personal island in the Caspian Sea.

The Spoils of Babylon, a century-spanning saga, chronicles the sexy and dramatic lives of the Morehouse family, led by Jonas Morehouse (Robbins), his daughter Cynthia (Wiig) and her adopted brother Devon (Maguire) who made their fortune in the oil business. The series takes viewers from the oil fields of Texas to boardrooms in New York City, through war torn battlefields and velvet-sheeted bedrooms.

Cynthia and Devon’s unbridled and taboo passion for one another cannot be prevented. Add in Cynthia’s evil son Winston (Osment), her put upon husband Chet Halner (Sheen), and Devon’s new love interest Dixie Mellonworth (Alba), and the booze, the pills, more passion, more pills and the heartache, and you have a mercurial potboiler. Then add in illegal arms deals, international espionage, the Shah of Iran (Ferrell), and two US Army Generals (Kilmer, Steve Tom) and it begins to overflow with boiling liquid in a pot on a hot stove that is operational.

Production began June 2 in Los Angeles. Six, half-hour episodes will premiere on IFC in early 2014.