Wilmer Valderrama’s Allied Management Group Signs a Slew of Latino Writers

Wilmer Valderrama is giving up-and-coming Latino writers their big break…

The 44-year-old Venezuelan & Colombian American actor’s Allied Management Group, which he set up with John Pollak, has signed a number of Latino writers to its roster.

Wilmer ValderramaThe company has signed Luisa Leschin, Raphael Draccon & Carolina Munhóz, The Original Content Society’s Raúl Campos and Felix de Valdivia, and Daniel and Diego Ayala López.

The goal is for Allied to bring these Latino writers to networks, streamers and studios in the U.S English-language market.

Leschin has worked on nearly 500 episodes of television including Netflix’s Gentefied, where she was a co-exec producer on its second season, Max’s Head of the Class, where she was a co-EP and Hulu’s East Los High. She has also worked on series including Everybody Hates Chris and The George Lopez Show.

Draccon and Munhóz are a husband-and-wife writing team who showran The Chosen One and Invisible City for Netflix and have a first-look deal with Warner Bros. Discovery LatAm to work with Max. They have also written comic books for both Marvel and DC

Campos and de Valdivia are brothers, born in Mexico, who run The Original Content Society. They created, wrote, directed and produced the first YouTube Original sitcom in Latin America – Sobrevivi – as well as Spotify’s first original comedy series, El Grupo, and are co-exec producers for the third and fourth seasons of Amazon’s LOL starring Eugenio Derbez. In addition to producing and directing 24 Netflix comedy specials, they have a first look deal with ITV America, where they are developing an international comedy series called Güerita.

Daniel and Diego Ayala López, born in Colombia were behind Amazon series Manes, which was the most-watched series for Amazon Colombia, and Los BillisThey have worked with Colombia’s Caracol and are currently developing a number of projects with U.S. studios and production companies.

“These writers are currently helping to define the future of Latino story telling by creating universal stories that aren’t defined by borders or language, but instead reflect the modern content experience- groundbreaking storytelling that can be consumed by viewers in a global market,” said Pollak and Valderrama.  “As the need for fresh stories and unique points of view continue to be the priority for Hollywood, these writers will lead the charge and redefine how premium content is created and Allied Mgmt Group is honored to be working alongside them.”

Aimee Garcia to Star In & Executive Produce the Rom-Com “Match Me If You Can”

Aimee Garcia has met her match

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress and Lucifer star will executive produce and star in Match Me If You Can, a romantic comedy about the world of dating in today’s geek culture. 

Aimee Garcia

Marian Yeager is directing the film from a script by Betsy Morris.

Garcia, who’ll reprise her role as Ella Lopez in the sixth and final season of Netflix’s Lucifer, will play Kip Parsons, a talented computer nerd who is rejected by an online dating service as “unmatchable.” After her online blog about her humiliating status goes viral, Kip quickly becomes the reluctant spokesperson for all the frustrated singles out there. There’s just one problem: the dating service swears they didn’t reject her and she becomes the target of a kangaroo court.

Production is slated to commence Spring 2021 in Texas.

Garcia, who can be heard in the forthcoming Marvel M.O.D.O.K. animated series at Hulu, has previously appeared in Showtime’s DexterThe George Lopez ShowRoboCop, opposite Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton, Lorenzo DiBonaventura’s superhero movie El Chicano, and MGM’s The Addams Family with Charlize Theron and Oscar Isaac.

Merediz to Star as George Lopez’s Mom in the FX Series “Saint George”

Olga Merediz is reuniting with her one-time co-star George Lopez

The 57-year-old Cuba-born Broadway, television and film actress, who appeared on ABC’s The George Lopez Show, has been cast in a series regular role on Lopez’s FX series Saint George, the 10-90 family sitcom from Lionsgate Television.

Olga Merediz

Merediz will play Lopez’s mother Alma, a feisty, combative and domineering woman with an acerbic wit.

Merediz, who originated the role of Abuela Claudia in the Broadway musical In the Heights and earned a Tony nomination for her inspired performance, recently appeared opposite Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling in the feature Place Beyond The Pines.

Merediz’s other film credits include Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Evita, Marvin’s Room and Music of the Heart, while her television credits include Netflix‘s big hit Orange is the New Black, Royal Pains, Blue Bloods, Pan Am and Law & Order SVU.

Longoria Expands Her Behind-the-Scenes Television Series Roster

Eva Longoria’s portfolio of behind-the-scenes television projects is expanding…

The 38-year-old Mexican American actress and former Desperate Housewives star’s production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment has set up two more projects – a comedy at NBC and drama at Lifetime.

Eva Longoria

The NBC project stars rising comedian Erik Rivera and is based on his life and standup comedy routine.

Peter Murrieta, a comedy veteran, will write the script and executive produce the project with Scott Ellis, who is set to direct, and UnbeliEVAble’s Longoria and Ben Spector. The project stems from a deal UnbeliEVAble made with Rivera earlier this year to develop a vehicle based on his comedy.

The setup is reminiscent of ABC’s The George Lopez Show, which also started with a well-known actress, Sandra Bullock, championing a Latino comedian on the rise, Lopez, and partnering him with an established sitcom showrunner, Bruce Helford, for a comedy project starring Lopez and based on his standup. .

The Lifetime drama, titled Blackout, is a small town soap written by Elle Triedman (Revenge). It centers on a woman whose failed career leads her to return home after 10 years to the small blue collar town run by her estranged siblings. She tries to make amends with her family and her past but the murder of a teenage girl forces her to face her own demons.

 

Blackout expands Longoria’s relationship with Lifetime where she serves as an executive producer on the soapy drama Devious Maids.

Ramirez Returning to His Napoleon Dynamite Roots

He stole the show as the sidekick in the cult classic Napoleon Dynamite… And, now Efren Ramirez is bringing his lovable Pedro Sanchez character back to life…

The 38-year-old Salvadoran and Spanish-American actor will be providing the voice for Pedro, as well as other characters, on Fox’s upcoming Napoleon Dynamite cartoon series.

Efren Ramirez

“It’s awesome, working with the whole gang again,” Ramirez told Access Hollywood. “The minute I got the call, I knew this was going to be good. This is a movie that has appealed to a large audience of all ages.”

Since Ramirez first donned his Pedro garb in Napoleon Dynamite some eight years ago, he’s kept busy with a series of acting roles. He’s appeared in films like Employee of the Month and Nacho Libre, as well as television shows like The George Lopez Show and Eastbound & Down.

In addition to his voice work on the Napoleon animated series, Ramirez will also appear in Will Ferrell’s the upcoming comedy Casa De Mi Padre.