The 39-year-old Cuban American actress and former Brooklyn Nine-Ninestar will appear as the female lead opposite Randall Park in Blockbuster, Netflix’s upcoming single-camera workplace comedy.
Blockbuster, from Universal Television, is a 10-episode ensemble comedy that takes place in the last Blockbuster Video store in America. It explores what it takes – and, more specifically, who it takes – for a small business to succeed against all odds.
Fumero will play Eliza, a dedicated mother whose marriage to her high school sweetheart is on the rocks. She left Harvard after one semester to start a family and now works at Blockbuster alongside Timmy (Park) as his trusty Number 2 — and maybe more.
The series is created by Vanessa Ramos, with David Caspe and Jackie Clarke also serving as writers/executive producers. John Davis and John Fox executive produce for Davis Entertainment. Payman Benz will direct and co-executive produce four episodes, including the pilot.
Fumero is segueing to Blockbuster from,Brooklyn Nine-Nine, on which Ramos did a stint as a writer-producer and Benz as an episodic director.
Fumero starred as Det. Amy Santiago on the cop comedy, which recently wrapped its eighth and final season on NBC.
She is shooting Jim Mahoney’s independent comedy feature Bar Fight, alongside Rachel Bloom.
Fumero’s credits also include the voice of Melissa in Marvel’s animated series M.O.D.O.K.for Hulu, a recurring role on Netflix’s One Day at a Timeand a guest-starring role on HBO’s Room 104.
The 39-year-old Cuban American actress will star in Bar Fight, a comedy from writer/director Jim Mahoney, which wrapped production this week in Los Angeles.
Fumero is part of a cast that includes Rachel Bloom,Luka Jones and Julian Gant.
Bar Fight follows exes Nina (Fumero) and Allen (Jones), who split everything in their lives 50/50 after their break-up to avoid any drama—everything, that is, except for their favorite local bar. Nina and Allen must compete in a ridiculous, tavern-style custody battle for their prized watering hole, in which lines will be drawn, sides will be chosen, and beers will be drunken.
The film is presented by Particular Crowd and Ingenious Media.
Fumero is best known for her turn as Amy Santiago in NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The actress has also featured on the television side in Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., Elena of Avalor, One Life to Live, Gossip Girland more. She has appeared on the film side in Dan Cohen’s A Stone in the Water and Henry Barrial’s The House That Jack Built, among other titles.
Eighty-six film and television writers have been named finalists for the 2020 HUMANITAS Prize, as announced by HUMANITAS Executive Director Cathleen Young and President Ali LeRoi, with the Spanish animator and screenwriter’s Spanish animated film Klaus making the list.
Klaus, which Pablos wrote and directed, is nominated in the Family Feature Film category.Distributed by Netflix as its first original animated feature, the film was co-written by Zach Lewis and Jim Mahoney. It stars Jason Schwartzman, J. K. Simmons, Rashida Jones and Joan Cusack and serves as a fictional origin story to the myth of Santa Claus.The plot revolves around a postman stationed in a town to the North who befriends a reclusive toy-maker (Klaus).
Steven Canalshas earned his own Humanitas nod…
The queer Afro-Latinx screenwriter and co-creator of FX’s Pose was named a finalist in the Drama Teleplay category for co-writing the Pose episode “In My Heels,” alongside Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck.
Mario Correa is also being recognized this year…
The Chilean screenwriter and playwright was named a finalist in the Drama Feature Film category for co-writing the screenplay for Dark Waters with Matthew Michael Carnahan; based on the New York Times Magazine article “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” by Nathaniel Rich.
The HUMANITAS Prize, now in its 45th year, honors film and television writers whose work inspires compassion, hope, and understanding in the human family.
The finalists are nominated for their work in 10 categories including Comedy Teleplay, Drama Teleplay, Children’s Teleplay, Independent Feature Film, Drama Feature Film, Comedy or Musical Feature Film, Family Feature Film, and Documentary. In addition, this year HUMANITAS has introduced two new categories, Limited Series, TV Movie or Special and Short Film, to reflect the increased significance of those forms in the digital media landscape.
All prize winners will be announced at the 45th Annual HUMANITAS Prize event on Friday, January 24, 2020, at The Beverly Hilton Hotelin Beverly Hills, California.
“As we celebrate four and a half decades of empowering, supporting, and honoring storytellers, HUMANITAS continues to evolve and grow to reflect the world around us,” said LeRoi. “This year we have added two new categories to recognize work in forms that have seen dramatic increases in both popularity and artistic merit in the age of streaming and online viewing.”
Added Young: “As our world faces enormous challenges to the goal of peace and love in the human family, which is at the core of HUMANITAS’s mission, it is extremely inspiring to be able to honor the work of so many talented individuals. Intelligent, insightful and compassionate storytelling remains one of the most powerful weapons against hate and intolerance, and our finalists’ work epitomizes those qualities.”
The 45th Annual HUMANITAS Prize finalists are:
Drama Teleplay Category THIS IS US “Our Little Island Girl” Written by Eboni Freeman POSE “In My Heels” Written By Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuck & Steven Canals THE TWILIGHT ZONE “Replay” Written by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds THE HANDMAID’S TALE “Useful” Written by Yahlin Chang; based on the novel by Margaret Atwood
Comedy Teleplay Category SHRILL “Annie” Teleplay by Aidy Bryant & Alexandra Rushfield & Lindy West; based on the book Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman by Lindy West BLACK-ISH “Black Like Us” Written By Peter Saji ATYPICAL “Road Rage Paige” Written By Robia Rashid VEEP “South Carolina” Written By Alex Gregory & Peter Huyck
Limited Series, TV Movie or Special Category WHEN THEY SEE US “Part 4” Teleplay by Ava DuVernay & Michael Starrbury; story by Ava DuVernay TRUE DETECTIVE “Now Am Found” Written by Nic Pizzolatto CHERNOBYL “Vichnaya Pamyat” Written by Craig Mazin LIVE IN FRONT OF A STUDIO AUDIENCE: NORMAL LEAR’S ALL IN THE FAMILY AND THE JEFFERSONS “All in the Family #406: ‘Henry’s Farewell'” Written by Don Nicholl; “The Jeffersons #101: ‘A Friend in Need'” Teleplay by Don Nicholl, Michael Ross & Bernard West, Barry Harman & Harve Brosten; story by Barry Harman & Harve Brosten
Children’s Teleplay Category THE LOUD HOUSE “Racing Hearts” Written by Kevin Sullivan A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS “The Penultimate Peril, Part 1” Teleplay by Joe Tracz; based on the book by Lemony Snicket ELENA OF AVALOR “Changing of the Guard” Written by Kate Kondell NIKO AND THE SWORD OF LIGHT, SEASON 2: NIKO AND THE AMULET OF POWER “The Automatron” Written by Shaene Siders
Drama Feature Film Category A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster; inspired by the article “Can You Say… Hero?” by Tom Junod A HIDDEN LIFE Written and directed by Terrence Malick; source material: letters between Franz and Fani Jagerstatter taken from Franz Jagerstatter: Letters and Writings from Prison edited by Erna Putz DARK WATERS Screenplay by Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan; based on the New York Times Magazine article “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” by Nathaniel Rich BOMBSHELL Written by Charles Randolph
Comedy or Musical Feature Film Category YESTERDAY Story by Richard Curtis, Jack Barth; Written by Richard Curtis THE FAREWELL Written by Lulu Wang JOJO RABBIT Screenplay by Taika Waititi; Based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens THE LAUNDROMAT Written by Scott Z. Burns; based on the book Secrecy World by Jake Bernstein
Family Feature Film Category THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON Written by Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz FROZEN 2 Story by Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Marc E. Smith, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez; Screenplay by Jennifer Lee TOY STORY 4 Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones & Will McCormack, Martin Hynes and Stephany Folsom; Written by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom KLAUS Story by Sergio Pablos; screenplay by Sergio Pablos, Jim Mahoney, Zach Lewis
Independent Feature Film Category END OF SENTENCE by Michael Armbruster HOTEL MUMBAI by John Collee & Anthony Maras BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON Written and directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo THE BANKER Story by David Lewis Smith & Stan Younger and Brad Caleb Kane; screenplay by Niceole Levy & George Nolfi and David Lewis Smith & Stan Younger
Short Film Category VARIABLES Written by Sabina Vajraca PURL Written by Kristen Lester THE CHARGE FOR THE SUN Story by Terence Nance; screenplay by Eugene Ramos KITBULL Written by Rosana Sullivan
Documentary Category TORN APART: SEPARATED AT THE BORDER Directed by Ellen Goosenberg Kent ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS Directed by Jenifer McShane, SEA OF SHADOWS Directed by Richard Ladkani; THIS IS FOOTBALL “Redemption” Directed by James Erskine, Written by John Carlin
The David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Fellowship Eliana Pipes (Boston University) FAUXRICUA Nick Madson (Boston University) DOWN AND OUT Sheridan Watson (USC) LADY LAZARUS
The Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Fellowship James Bentley (UCLA) THE PIRATES OF FELLOWSHIP, MAINE King Lu (Columbia) FROM JUNE TO JULY Jennifer Frazin (USC) CHOSEN PEOPLE
New Voices Winners Robert Axelrod, TUCKED Christina Brosman, SACRIFICIAL Jeanine Daniels, CONVOLUTED John Doble, THE AMEN SISTERHOOD Obiageli Odimegwu, THE SHOW Roniel Tessler, BLUE MOON
For more information, visit the HUMANITAS Prize at www.humanitasprize.org.
Blockbuster, from Universal Television, is a 10-episode ensemble comedy that takes place in the last Blockbuster Video store in America. It explores what it takes – and, more specifically, who it takes – for a small business to succeed against all odds.
