Salma Hayek’s Ventanarosa Productions Developing HBO Max Series Based on Leslie Lehr’s Book “A Boob’s Life”

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek is putting the boob in boob tube…

The 54-year-old Mexican actress/producer’s Ventanarosa Productions is helping develop Leslie Lehr’s book A Boob’s Life as a series for HBO Max.

The project marks the first project they’ll develop under their new first-look deal with the company.

A Boob’s Life is a half hour comedy about Leslie, a woman turning 40 and in crisis, whose life gets turned upside down when her boobs start talking to her, forcing her to look at herself in a completely different light. The show blows open the reality of life in a female body in a culture that is obsessed with breasts.

The series will be based off Lehr’s book A Boob’s Life: How America’s Obsession Shaped Me—and You, which is being released on March 2 by Pegasus Books. Lehr will also serve as an executive producer.

Hayek will executive produce alongside Jose Tamez and Siobhan Flynn under their Ventanarosa Productions banner.

Cynthia Mort, who created and produced the HBO series Tell Me You Love Me, will write and serve as showrunner and executive producer for the series.

“We are so appreciative that HBO Max was insightful and bold enough to develop this show with us,” said Hayek. “In A Boob’s Life, we use breasts as a metaphor for the constant judgement women are submitted to, creating a collective sensation that no matter what we do we are never enough. In this show, we give the breast a voice that takes us through the life of a woman from a unique perspective that often we don’t dare to see.”

Ventanarosa Productions was founded by Hayek in 1998. The company’s highlights include Frida, which won two Academy Awards, The Maldonado Miracle, Ugly Betty and Kahlil Gibran’s animated film The Prophet. Other credits include the recently announced Santa Evita at Fox Latin America and Netflix’s Monarca, which recently released its second season.

Netflix Orders Salma Hayek-Produced Original Drama Series “Monarca”

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek is on Flix…

Netflix has ordered Monarca, an original drama series from Mexico produced by the 51-year-old Mexican actress/producer’s Ventanarosa Productions, Lemon Studios and Michael McDonald’s Stearns Castle.

Irene Azuela and Juan Manuel Bernal are attached to star, and production is scheduled to begin in the fall for a 2019 global premiere.

Created by Diego Gutierrez, who also serves as showrunner, and written by Lemon Studios’ Fernando Rovzar, Julia Denis, Ana Sofia Clerici and Sandra García Velten, Monarca will follow the world of wealthy Mexican elites riddled by corruption, scandal and violence. Set in the powerful world of Mexican billionaires, Monarca is a high stakes, multi-generational family saga about a tequila-born Mexican business empire, and the battle that ensues when a member of the family decides to fight the dirty system her family helped create.

“I’m extremely excited to partner with Netflix, and to be working with amazing Mexican talent in front of and behind the camera. We are proud to show Mexico as a vibrant, sophisticated and culturally rich nation, fighting to control its own destiny,” said Hayek.

“Mexico is a top priority for us in which to continue to develop series,” said Erik Barmack, VP International Originals, “and we look forward to bringing the best originals to the world through partnerships with key players such as Ventanarosa and Lemon Studios.”

Added Gutierrez: “This is the definition of a passion project for me. Having been born and raised in Mexico, I’m humbled to have the opportunity to tell this story with Netflix and the incredibly talented team of people we’re assembling, both in the U.S. and Mexico.”

Ventanarosa produced Frida, which earned Hayek nominations for an Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA. Its other titles include Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ugly Betty, animated film Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, The Maldonado Miracle, El coronel no tiene quien le escriba and In the Time of the Butterflies.

GKIDS to Release Hayek’s “Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet” in August

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek’s latest personal project is headed to theaters in August…

GKIDS has announced plans to release Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet on August 7 in Los Angeles and New York before expanding it nationwide the following week.

The animated film, adapted from Kahlil Gibran‘s book The Prophet, was spearheaded by Hayek and features a narrative story written and directed by Roger Allers (The Lion King), with “chapters” based on Gibran’s poems designed and directed by animation directors including Tomm Moore, Joan Gratz, Bill Plympton, Nina Paley, Joann Sfar, Paul and Gaetan Brizzi, Michal Socha and Mohammed Harib.

Hayek, Liam Neeson, Quvenzhané Wallis, John Krasinski, Frank Langella and Alfred Molina make up the voice cast.

The Prophet is a book of 26 prose poetry essays written in English by the Lebanese artist, philosopher and writer^. It was originally published in 1923 by Alfred A. Knopf. It is Gibran’s best-known work. The Prophet has been translated into over 40 different languages and has never been out of print.

Hayek’s “The Prophet” to Have Its Middle East Premiere at the Ajyal Film Festival

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek is bringing her latest behind-the-scenes project to the Middle East.

The Doha Film Institute has revealed its lineup for the 2nd annual Ajyal Film Festival. The fest, which takes place December 1-6, will host 90 films from 43 countries including the Middle East premiere of Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet, produced by the 48-year-old Mexican actress and directed by Roger Allers.

The animated film, based on the Lebanese writer’s iconic long-form meditative poem, features the voices of Liam Neeson, John Krasinski and Hayek. DFI co-financed and co-produced the film, which will close the festival. Hayek will attend the premiere.

Festival director and acting DFI chief exec Fatma Al-Remaihi has also placed a firm emphasis on local filmmaking talent with a Made In Qatar section that boasts 20 short films by Qatari filmmakers.

“This year, we were overwhelmed by the number of submissions by professionals and aspiring filmmakers. We are also delighted that we have been able to support their ambitions through our filmmaking challenges and look forward to sharing the results of these initiatives through the Made in Qatar programs,” said Al-Remaihi.

“The thematic diversity and quality of projects in the Made in Qatar section is a testament to the growth and vibrancy within the creative community of our nation.”

Also confirmed to attend is Jordanian director Naji Abu Nowar to present Theeb, which also received financing from DFI. The film, a coming-of-age story of a Bedouin boy who embarks on a perilous journey across the desert as the Ottoman Empire crumbles, has already won the Orrizonti Award for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival this year; as well as best Arab Film and the FIPRESCI Prize for best narrative feature at the recent Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

Hayek Set to Star in the Action-Thriller “Everly”

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

She may have played a mob boss in Oliver Stone’s Savages… But Salma Hayek will be hunted down by her mob-boss ex in her next film.

The 46-year-old Mexican actress will star in the intense action thriller Everly.

Directed by Joe Lynch, the film centers on a down-on-her-luck woman who is forced to fend off waves of assassins sent by her ex, a dangerous mob boss. The film is set entirely in one room.

The movie will be shot in Belgrade, Serbia this summer.

Hayek is producing the animated film The Prophet with Participant Media Films and will be reprising her role in Adam Sandler’s Grown Ups 2 this summer.

Hayek Executive-Producing “The Cisco Kid” Reboot for CBS

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek is looking to bring an iconic Latino character back to television…

CBS has put in development The Cisco Kid – a reimagining of the half-hour Western television series starring Duncan Renaldo in the title role – with the 46-year-old Mexican actress, director and producer and X-Men’s Lauren Shuler Donner executive producing the project.

The Cisco Kid, written by Diego Gutierrez, is being hailed as a modern day retelling of the classic story of a handsome outlaw and his faithful sidekick similar to Lethal Weapon. It follows Cisco as he returns to Los Angeles after serving several tours as a Marine in Afghanistan.

After witnessing the murder of his father, Cisco and his best friend/fellow Marine, Sam, team up to solve the case and subsequently find themselves doing what the authorities can’t — defending the city’s oppressed and disenfranchised.

First introduced in O. Henry’s 1907 short story The Caballero’s Way, the Cisco Kid became a fixture of 20th century pop culture — a rare achievement for a Latino character. The character went on to headline more than a dozen movies, beginning with the 1914 silent film The Caballero’s Way and most recently a 1994 TV movie starring Jimmy Smits as Cisco and Cheech Marin as his sidekick Pancho. The role won an Academy Award for Warner Baxter, who played Cisco in several movies. The Cisco character also spawned radio shows, comic books as well as an oft-covered song by War. On television, The Cisco Kid syndicated series starring Renaldo ran from 1950-56.

In its quest to create Latino-themed projects, CBS – the network behind the drama series Cane and comedy Rob, decided to place its bets on this fourth high-profile reboot at the network this season. CBS also has reboots of Beverly Hills Cop from Shawn Ryan and Eddie Murphy, the Vince Vaughn-produced The Brady Bunch, and Have Gun, Will Travel from David Mamet.

Hayek’s production company Ventanarosa co-produced the ABC dramedy Ugly Betty as part of its goal to develop, produce and acquire mainstream projects that either draw on Latin themes or feature Latin talent, both in front of and behind the camera. In features, the company has produced films like Frida. In addition, she’s developing The Prophet, an animated adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s book, which has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

Hayek to Bring “The Prophet” to the Big Screen

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek isn’t exactly a prophet… But she is a successful film and television producer… And, now she’s set her sights on the nearly 90-year-old defining work of the most widely read poet in history.

The 45-year-old Mexican actress has partnered with the Doha Film Institute and Participant Media to adapt Lebanese artist, philosopher and writer Khalil Gibran’s classic novel The Prophet into an animated film.

Translated into well over 40 languages, the book of 26 poetic essays is divided into chapters dealing with the human themes of love, marriage, children, joy and sorrow, crime and punishment, freedom, friendship, good and evil, prayer, religion and death – amongst others.

“The Prophet has been an incredible source of wisdom and inspiration for millions of people all over the world,” said Hayek. “Being of Lebanese descent, I’m particularly proud to be part of a project that will present this masterpiece to new generations, in a way never seen before.”

Each of the classic tome’s chapters will be directed by a different award-winning filmmaker, with Oscar-nominated Lion King director Roger Allers coordinating the entire process.

Pre-production will begin later this month with Hayek producing, alongside Clark Peterson and Ron Senkowski.

“It’s a passion project for everyone involved, led by Salma’s determination to create a truly collaborative artistic approach to this universally loved novel,” said the Doha Film Institutes executive director Amanda Palmer

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