Penelope Cruz to Receive Honorary César Award

Life is c’est magnifique for Penelope Cruz 

The Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma has chosen the 43-year-old Oscar-winning actress as the recipient of this year’s honorary César Award.

Penelope Cruz

Cruz has appeared in five films for director Pedro Almodovar, a staple of the Cannes Film Festival.

She recently wrapped the next film from Asghar FarhadiEverybody Knows, which she shot in Madrid with her husband Javier Bardem and which is produced by France’s Memento Films Production. The drama is tipped for a Cannes berth this year.

Her other recent credits include the box office hit Murder on the Orient Express and FX’s The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

The César nominations will be announced on Wednesday.

The ceremony, which awards France’s equivalent to the Academy Award, will be held on March 2.

Cruz to Portray Donatella Versace in Ryan Murphy’s “Versace: American Crime Story”

Penélope Cruz will be making her U.S. television debut in style…

The 42-year-old Spanish actress will star as Donatella Versace, the sister of murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace, in Versace: American Crime Story, the third installment in the Emmy-winning anthology series from Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson.

Penelope Cruz

Donatella is a central character in Versace, with the role attracting A-list actresses looking to work with Murphy.

Cruz will star opposite Edgar Ramirez and Darren Criss in the 10-episode limited series, which examines the shocking July 1997 assassination of Gianni (Ramirez) on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion by sociopath and serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Criss).

Versace, from Fox 21 and FX Productions., is based on the book Vulgar Favors by Vanity Fair writer Maureen Orth. Tom Rob Smith is writing the first two and multiple subsequent episodes, and Murphy, who received an Emmy nomination for directing the opening episode of The People v. O.J. Simpsonwill direct the first hour.

Versace will begin production in April in Los Angeles and Miami for a 2018 premiere. It will follow the second installment in the franchise, Katrina: American Crime Story.

This marks the U.S. television debut for Cruz, who won an Oscar in 2009 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. In 2016, she finished production on Escobar and Murder on the Orient Express.

Cruz Attached to Star in Todd Solondz’s New Project “Love Child”

Penélope Cruz is getting ready for Child’s play…

The 42-year-old Spanish actress is attached to star in Todd Solondz’s new project Love Child.

Penelope Cruz

Cruz would star opposite Edgar Ramírez, who starred in the Roberto Duran boxing biopic Hands of Stone.

Solondz, the man behind Wiener Dog and Welcome To The Dollhouse, writes and directs the project, which is described as a dark and hilarious twist on the classic Oedipal theme.

The story follows 11-year-old Junior, a delusional aspiring Broadway star with an inappropriate obsession with his mother Immaculada. After orchestrating an accident that nearly kills his abusive father, he encourages Nacho, the handsome man living in the family’s guesthouse, to court his mother and become his new dad. But when the two fall in love, Junior becomes so jealous that he is no longer the subject of his mother’s attention that he hatches a plan to frame Nacho for his father’s murder.

The film is currently in pre-production.

Cruz recently joined the cast of Kenneth Branagh’s Murder On The Orient Express, based on Agatha Christie’s beloved murder mystery novel. She’ll join an ensemble cast including Michael Peña, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Judi Dench. She’s also in Escobar with husband Javier Bardem in a film that examines the love affair between drug lord Pablo Escobar and Colombian journalist Virginia Vallejo.

Ramirez recently starred alongside Emily Blunt in The Girl On The Train, adapted from Paula Hawkins’ bestselling book, and Gold with Matthew McConaughey, the adventure mining story. He’s also got a role in Netflix’s sci-fi pic Bright with Will Smith and Noomi Rapace.

Garcia-Rulfo to Star in “Murder On The Orient Express” Remake

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is about to Express himself…

The 35-year-old Mexican actor has been cast in Fox’s Murder On The Orient Express, the remake based on Agatha Christie classic novel to be directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo

Garcia-Rulfo, who will portray Marquez, joins an all-star cast that includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Michael Peña, Josh Gad and Leslie Odom Jr. as well as Branagh.

Garcia-Rulfo, who made his first major American film with Bless Me, Ultima, last starred in Antoine Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven. He also recently completed shooting on Soldado.

His other credits include appearance in the film Cake and in the television series From Dusk till Dawn: The Series.

Cruz to Star in “Murder on the Orient Express” Remake

Penelope Cruz has to Orient herself with a new project…

The 42-year-old Spanish actress is set to star in the Murder on the Orient Express remake.

Penelope Cruz

Cruz joins a powerful ensemble cast that includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Michael Pena, Judi Dench and Josh Gad along with Kenneth Branagh, who is starring as detective Hercule Poirot and also directing the film.

Based on the beloved 1934 Agatha Christie novel, the mystery begins after an American businessman is murdered aboard the train and the investigator tries to solve the murder, finding out eventually that 13 people all had something to do with the murder victim.

Cruz is currently shooting Escobar with husband Javier Bardem in the movie that examines the love affair between the drug lord Pablo Escobar and Colombian journalist Virginia Vallejo.

Peña Starring in “Murder On The Orient Express” Remake

Michael Peña is taking the rails…

The 40-year-old Mexican American actor has signed on to star in Murder On The Orient Express, the 20th Century Fox remake of the Agatha Christie classic that’s being directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Michael Peña

Peña joins a cast that includes Josh Gad, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench and Branagh as famed detective Hercule Poirot.

The film is expected to begin production in November.

Blade Runner 2 scribe Michael Green adapted from Christie’s novel.