Starz to Premiere Third & Final Season of Monica Raymund’s “Hightown” in January

Monica Raymund is preparing for her swan song…

Starz has announced that season three of its drama series Hightown, starring the 37-year-old half-Dominican American actress, will be its last.

Monica Raymund, HightownFrom creator Rebecca CutterHightown premiered in 2020 with Raymund set as the gritty crime drama’s star.

The series is set in the beautiful but bleak world of Cape Cod and follows Jackie Quiñonez’s journey to sobriety is overshadowed by a murder investigation dragging her into its fold.

Set to premiere on January 26, the third and final season follows Massachusetts State Trooper Jackie Quiñones (Raymund) who has fallen off the wagon and her job due to it. Jackie doesn’t let any of that stop her from trying to help save many of the most often ignored and forgotten victims in Cape Cod, sex workers.

In Season 2, Quiñones finally becomes a real cop with the hope of doing some good in this world. Thrust immediately into the crime wave of deadly carfentanyl flooding the Cape, she was laser-focused on bringing down drug dealer Frankie Cuevas (Amaury Nolasco), the man she holds responsible for the death of her best friend, Junior (Shane Harper). With disgraced officer Ray Abruzzo (James Badge Dale) off the force and mired in depression, Jackie finds a new partner in Leslie (Tonya Glanz), the only other female on the force. Through it all, Jackie must walk the tightrope of sobriety as she struggles to stay above an ocean of secrets, betrayal and the shame and failure of her past.

In addition to Raymund, Dale and Nolasco, the returning cast includes Riley Voelkel, Atkins Estimond and Dohn Norwood. Imani Lewis, Mark Boone Junior and Mike Pniewski return in recurring roles while Ana Nogueira, Taja V. Simpson, Michael Drayer, Garret Dillahunt and Jeanine Serralles all guest star.

Luis Guzmán Launching Own Production Company ‘Mascot Camp Productions’

Luis Guzmán is expanding his resume…

The 66-year-old Puerto Rican actor is launching his own production company, Mascot Camp Productions.

Luis GuzmanMascot Camp has already formed a partnership with Rescue Dog Productions, Matthew Dwyer and Michael Hollingsworth, to finance the first two years of productions, consisting of plans to make six feature films and four television series.

The company plans to get the ball rolling with the release of two feature films: Enough, a feature film about a trans man and his family; and 6 Rounds, which tells the story of how a gun and the six bullets inside it changed a town forever.

Guzmán, John LaBrucherie, Dwyer and Hollingsworth will all be executive producers.

“I’m excited to take this journey with an amazing group of talented individuals,” said Guzmán. “Born out of friendship and family this team is ready to create visual stories that will uplift and inspire. Our partnership with Rescue Dog Productions gives us the opportunity to tell the stories we want to tell in the way it should be told.”

Guzmán and LaBrucherie aim to establish a production company that will create uplifting stories that impact not only the industry but larger communities and cultures. The team includes his co-founder, Manny Padilla, Christopher Cope of Orbital Studios and Raleigh Studios, Michele LaBrucherie, Cemi Guzmán, founder of Dark Rabbit Productions, and Hector Kron.

“The aggressive production plan in place is meant to immediately impact the current viewing environment. Ten original stories that matter. This rollout is designed to maintain our presence on the air year round. Our strength is in our numbers and our diversity. Through inclusion and outreach we have already began the development beyond this two year plan. The mascots are coming and we are here to stay,“ John LaBrucherie said.

Guzmán has had a prolific career for the past few decades, making him one of the most recognizable character actors of modern times.

In addition to his appearance in the hit Netflix series Wednesday, he has logged credits in countless TV series like Code Black, Hightown, Shameless and Perpetual Grace, LTD.

He has also starred in films like Boogie Nights, Traffic, Punch-Drunk Love and Carlito’s Way.

Starz Renews Monica Raymund’s Crime Drama Series “Hightown” for Third Season

Monica Raymund is riding high(town)

Starz has renewed its critically acclaimed crime drama series Hightown, starring the 35-year-old half-Dominican American actress, for a third season.

Monica RaymundThe Cape Cod-set series is created and executive produced by Rebecca Cutter and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Lionsgate Television.

“Hightown is such an incredible show, and we could not be happier that it’s been renewed for a third season,” said Kathryn Busby, President, Original Programming for Starz. “We are excited to return to Cape Cod to see our iconic characters battle their past mistakes as well as new foes in the dangerous underworld that lies beneath this idyllic setting.”

In Season 2, the picture-perfect version of summer on Cape Cod clashed with its off-season reality. Per the logline: Achieving her dream of becoming a real cop, Jackie Quinones (Raymund) is out to do some good in this world. Thrust immediately into the crime wave of deadly carfentanyl flooding the Cape, Jackie is laser-focused on bringing down drug dealer Frankie Cuevas (Amaury Nolasco), the man Jackie holds responsible for the death of her best friend, Junior. For Jackie, it is personal — but then again, for Jackie, everything is personal.

When Frankie’s cousin Jorge (Luis Guzmán) joins his operation, he introduces a new level of violence and chaos. With disgraced officer Ray Abruzzo (James Badge Dale) off the force and mired in depression, Jackie finds a new partner in Leslie (Tonya Glanz), the only other woman on the force. Through it all, Jackie must walk the tightrope of sobriety as she struggles to stay above an ocean of secrets, betrayal and the shame and failure of her past.

Riley Voelkel, Atkins Estimond, and Dohn Norwood also star.

Cutter made her television directorial debut in Season 2. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rachel Morrison also directed two of the second season’s 10 episodes.

Raymund, Brandon Sonnier, Radium Cheung, Antonio Negret and Eagle Egilsson also directed in Season 2.

Season 2 is streaming on all Starz platforms.

Monica Raymund to Star in Dick Wolf’s Scripted Podcast Drama Series “Dark Woods”

It’s a dark time for Monica Raymund.

The 35-year-old half-Dominican American actress and Hightown star will star opposite Corey Stoll and Reid Scott in Dark Woods, a scripted podcast drama series from Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment.

Monica Raymund

The thriller centers around the suspicious death of a young park volunteer in the California Redwood Forest.

It’s the Law & Order creator’s second foray into the world of scripted podcasts after the launch of Hunted, starring Parker Posey and Brandon Scott, in 2019.

It brings together two actors from the wider Wolf world; Stoll played Detective Tomas Jaruszalski in Law & Order: LA, while Raymund starred as Gabriela Dawson Casey in Chicago Fire.

The series, which launches on November 8, begins when the body of a young volunteer is discovered in the middle of the California redwoods. It brings together two estranged ex-spouses, a stubborn game warden and a charismatic councilwoman, who must put their personal differences aside to learn the terrifying truth about what is happening in their state park. The investigation leads to a surprising twist impacted by illegal marijuana grow sites and a much larger crime organization.

Written by David Pergolini and directed by Takashi Doscher, it is executive-produced by Dick Wolf and Elliot Wolf. The series is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Endeavor Content in association with Waverunner Studios.

The series was recorded remotely with Raymund recording during breaks from Starz’ Hightown, Stoll was in New York and Scott was in LA.

Wolf (right) added that the sound design was key to the audio drama, the idea of creating traditional scenes that would be strong enough to follow along without a visual.

“The goal was to make this as an immersive experience as possible and to make it feel as real life as possible. The actual sound design is largely recorded sounds in the forest. When you hear a coffee mug being picked up, it’s an actual coffee mug,” he said.

Monica Raymund Teases Second Season of Starz’s Crime Drama “Hightown”

Monica Raymund is back in (High)town

The 35-year-old half-Dominican American actress returned to television for the second season of Starz’s crime drama Hightown, which premiered on Sunday, October 17.

Monica RaymundWhile her character Jackie Quiñonez is in much better place than she was in the first season, it’s too early to tell if she can stay on the straight and narrow.

“At the top of Season 2, she’s got some days of sobriety under her belt and she’s working for the police department. She’s finally starting things off on the right foot,” Raymund tells Deadline. “She has a new partner name Leslie Babcock [Tonya Glanz] and they’re the only two women on the police task force—two girls in a room full of men. So they get very close.”

On the dating front, Jackie is not necessarily on the prowl as we saw her in Season 1 but she’s certainly open to meeting new people.

“Yeah, she’s going to be mixing a little work with pleasure,” she says with a cheeky grin. “What I can say is that lines are going to get crossed and they’ll get pretty blurry. It’s going to get really hot!”

The heat really will also be high with the addition of Luis Guzman to the cast, who stars as Jorge Cuevas, cousin of drug kingpin Frankie Cuevas (Amaury Nolasco), both of who are now out of prison and looking to take the business to the next level.

“He and Frankie are taking over and things are going to get real hairy, nasty, and dark,” she teases. “Guns blazing! I’ll interact more with Frankie this season, we’ll be going head to head. You can expect some friction on that front.”

Adds Nolasco of Guzman, “I couldn’t believe they were able to secure Luis to play my cousin this season. I grew up watching him. And, of course, he’s Pachanga in Carlitos Way! From the first moment we were on set, it was just two Puerto Ricans working in North Carolina having an amazing time.”

As Latinos do, Frankie welcomes Jorge into the home he shares with his fiancee Renee (Riley Voelkel) and their young son Frankie Jr. (Rumi C. Jean-Louis). When Renee asks Frankie how long he will be staying, she realizes he is welcome to stay indefinitely, much to her chagrin. The new living arrangement will wreak havoc on Frankie and Renee’s already fragile relationship.

“What it comes to Latinos, family comes first,” Nolasco says. “But of course, it’s inconveniencing the mother of his kid. So Frankie is very much in the middle, like a slice of ham in a sandwich. There’s a lot of push and pull and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, can’t we all just get along?’ And Jorge begins to plant these seeds of doubt and it will all come down to trust. Who should Frankie trust?”

Adds Voelkel, “Renee and Jorge are not each other’s biggest fans. She’s finally in this place where she’s made her decision, she’s chosen Frankie and she’s finally starting to move up and tackle more responsibilities when Jorge comes in and tries to take over. She doesn’t like that. And Jorge is always trying to sew distrust between Renee and Frankie which is not good for them. He just brings this whole new level of chaos and violence to the situation.”

Part of that chaos is Jorge’s new girlfriend Daisy (Jona Xiao)—the Bonnie to his Clyde.

“Daisy works at the strip club run by Frankie and Renee where she meets Jorge and they begin a relationship,” reveals Xiao. “And we stir up a lot of trouble! It was crazy shooting during Covid-era because we have some intimate scenes together but we couldn’t sit in the same car together because of restrictions. And as far as Daisy and Jackie are concerned, what I can tease is that they’ll face off a little bit.”

She adds, “One thing I’d like to add since it’s very easy to hypersexualize Asian women— with a character like Daisy who is a stripper—I think it’s easy to go that route. But what I love about the writing of her story is that she’s so layered and you see a real three-dimensional woman that is powerful and smart. We need to see more of these types of characters on TV.”

Hightown airs Sunday nights via Starz.

Signature Entertainment Acquires Rights to Luis Guzman’s Mob Crime-Drama “The Birthday Cake” in UK-Ireland & Australia-New Zealand

Luis Guzmán will be having birthday cake on four islands…

Signature Entertainment has acquired the mob crime-drama The Birthday Cake, starring the 64-year-old Puerto Rican actor, for distribution in the United Kingdom-Ireland and Australia/New Zealand.

Luis Guzman

In addition to Guzman, the film also stars Ewan McGregor, Val Kilmer, William Fichtner, Emory Cohen, Aldis Hodge, Penn Badgley, Ashley Benson, Lorraine Bracco and Shiloh Fernandez.

Currently in post-production, the film comes from first-time feature director Jim Giannopoulos, whose past work includes music video collaborations with A$AP Rocky, Miley Cyrus and Kid Cudi.

The Birthday Cake follows Giovanni (Fernandez) who, on the 10th anniversary of his father’s death, reluctantly accepts the task of bringing a cake to the home of his uncle, a mob boss, for a celebration. Just two hours into the night, Gio’s life is forever changed after witnessing a murder and learning the truth about what happened to his late father.

Guzman’s previous credits include television roles on Shameless, Hightown and the film The Padre.

Carlos Gomez to Appear on Season Two of Starz’s “Hightown”

Carlos Gomez is coming to (high)town

The 58-year-old Latino American actor has landed a recurring role on the second season of Starz’s crime drama series Hightown, starring Monica Raymund, from Jerry Bruckheimer and Lionsgate Television.

Carlos Gomez

The second season picks up about six weeks after the events in the Season 1 finale, around Halloween, in Cape Cod’s desolate, cold but still achingly beautiful off-season. The tourists are gone, and all of our characters are in a different place compared to where they were at the beginning of season one. The weak are now powerful, and the powerful are now weak. But beyond that, there is darkness beneath the surface of all of our main characters, particularly Jackie and Ray. Both have shadow sides of their personality — holes in their souls that they try to fill with drugs, alcohol, women, ambition and work. There’s a new terror on The Cape, and it may be its greatest White Whale yet.

Gomez will play Rafael. Father of Jackie (Raymund), past his glory days but always looking for a good time. Charismatic and charming with a dark side, Rafael is a fisherman in New Bedford, MA. He has a strained and complicated relationship with his daughter.

Rebecca Cutter created the series and serves as executive producer with Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed.

Gomez’s previous television credits include The Baker and the Beauty, Chicago Med, Elementary and Madam Secretary.

Luis Guzmán to Appear on Season 2 of Starz’s Crime Drama Series “Hightown”

Luis Guzmán is coming to (High)town

The 64-year-old Puerto Rican actor has been cast for a season-long arc on the second season of Starz’s crime drama series Hightown, starring Monica Raymund, from Jerry Bruckheimer and Lionsgate Television.

Luis Guzman

Production is currently underway on the 10-episode second season of the series created by Rebecca Cutter, who will make her television directorial debut this season. Oscar–nominated filmmaker Rachel Morrison will return to direct two episodes. Raymund, Dawn WilkinsonRadium Cheung and Eagle Egilsson are also tapped to direct this season.

Guzmán will play Jorge Cuevas, Frankie’s (Amaury Nolasco) cousin. A charming and hilarious yet dangerous sociopath. Also joining the recurring cast are Jona Xiao as Daisy, a stripper at Xavier’s. Bubbly and working class with a hard edge. She’s got swag and can handle herself. Charline St. Charles as Henriette, first generation Haitian-American, wife of Sgt. Saintille (Dohn Norwood) and Dominic L. Santana as Chuleta, Jorge (Guzman) & Frankie’s (Nolasco) muscle.

They join returning cast members Raymund, James Badge Dale, Riley Voelkel, Nolasco, Atkins Estimond and Dohn Norwood. Tonya Glanz also returns in a heavily recurring role as Leslie Babcock, Jackie’s (Raymund) partner in the Narcotics Unit.

“I’m so in love with this cast and the way they brought my vision to life in Season One,” said Cutter, who recently entered an overall deal with Lionsgate Television. “Now I feel inspired to create in a whole new way, through directing. I will be learning from some of the best in the business – Rachel Morrison and Monica Raymund — and I can’t wait to showcase Cape Cod in a new light as we focus on the off-season. We are thrilled to be back in production and bringing you the next chapter in this story.”