Sonia Braga to Star Opposite Jennifer Lopez in Lionsgate’s “Shotgun Wedding”

Sonia Braga is reporting for Mom duty…

The 70-year-old Brazilian actress has been cast in Lionsgate’s Jennifer Lopez-led film Shotgun Wedding.

Sonia Braga

Braga will portray J.Lo’s mom in the film, which also stars Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Coolidge.

“We couldn’t be happier for our bride and groom of this Shotgun Wedding,” said Erin Westerman, president of production for the Lionsgate Motion Pictures Group. “We know Josh and Jennifer will make a compelling and sexy on-screen couple and they will be fun sparring partners as their dream destination wedding erupts into a memorable nightmare. We are also thrilled to bring Jennifer and Sonia on to our cast as Mothers of the Bride and Groom. Their acting and comedic talents will add another fun layer to this already-rich action-comedy.”

Logline: Darcy (Lopez) and Tom (Duhamel) gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding just as the couple begin to get cold feet. And if that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage. “Til Death Do Us Part” takes on a whole new meaning in this hilarious, adrenaline-fueled adventure as Darcy and Tom must save their loved ones — if they don’t kill each other first.

Braga, known for her Golden Globe nominated role in The Kiss of the Spider Woman, most recently starred in the Independent Spirit Award nominated Brazilian film Bacurau, from director Kleber Mendonça Filho.

Her feature credits include Wonder, The Milagro Beanfield War, as well as the miniseries Streets of Laredo, Luke Cage and The Burning Season.

Camila Cabello Teams Up with Shawn Mendes for Sweet “The Christmas Song” Cover

Camila Cabello is hoping to get you into the holiday spirit…

The 23-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer and her singer-boyfriend Shawn Mendes have joined voices for a surprise holiday duet, a sweet version of the classic “The Christmas Song.” And they followed up the holiday treat with a special clip that features vintage-style footage of the couple showing off sweet PDA, looking at Christmas lights, and playing with their dog Tarzan.

Camila Cabello

“This has been such a crazy year with so many challenges. This holiday season, it is more important than ever to spread love and kindness to everyone! Shawn and I wanted to send all our love to you amazing humans so we put together something special for you, our rendition of #TheChristmasSong,” Cabello wrote on Instagram.

The singer added that streams will “support those in need right now,” and said that she and Mendes are donating $100,000 to Feeding America.

“We love you all so much and hope you get to enjoy this song over a very safe and merry holiday!” said Cabello. “It would make our holidays if you went on their website and donated to one of their sectors and help out your community! They have sectors all over the nation. Let’s make our little corner of the world more beautiful today.”

“The Christmas Song” is featured on the holiday deluxe edition of Mendes’ new album, Wonder.

Lionsgate to Develop R.J. Palacio’s Graphic Novel “White Bird: A Wonder Story” Into a Feature Film

R.J. Palacio will see her latest project on the big screen.

Lionsgate is set to develop the 56-year-old Colombian American writer and New York Times best selling author’s graphic novel White Bird: A Wonder Story into a feature.

RJ Palacio,

White Bird, which hit bookstores this week via Alfred A. Knopf,inhabits the same universe as Palicio’s acclaimed work Wonder, which centered on young Auggie Pullman, a boy born with facial differences, and his transition to a mainstream elementary school.

The Wonderfeature was a critical and commercial success, starring Julia RobertsOwen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay.

Wonderproducers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films, as well as Palacio, will once again produce the adaptation.

White Birdfollows a young Jewish girl hidden away by a boy and his family in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Recounted by Grandmere to her grandson, Julian, a character already known to those familiar with Wonder, Grandmere’s story about her childhood—her fairy-tale life before the war, how everything abruptly changed when the Nazi’s occupied France, and how the boy she and her classmates once shunned becomes her savior and best friend — is transformational for Julian. It is his evolution, as well as Grandmere’s extraordinary story, that helps White Bird movingly demonstrate the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives.

James Myers will oversee the project on behalf of Lionsgate.

Wonder, which was released in 2017, grossed over $305 million worldwide, while the novel, released in 2012, spent seven years on the New York Times bestseller list. Recently, Lionsgate, Broadway producer Jill Furman, and Palacio announced that the title is being developed into a stage musical.

Palacio’s books have sold more than 15 million copies with editions published in 53 languages.

Braga to Co-Star in ABC’s Drama Pilot “Las Reinas”

Sonia Braga is taking the thrown…

The 66-year-old Brazilian actress has been cast in ABC’s drama pilot Las Reinas in a co-starring role.

Sonia Braga

Penned by feature writer Dean Georgaris, Las Reinas centers on Detective Sonya De La Reina, who is forced to confront her past when a case compels her to reconnect with her estranged family – the most powerful criminal outfit in Miami. Thrust back into the world she thought she had left behind, Sonya must walk the murky line between the law and her family, and question her true destiny as a De La Reina.

Braga will portray Sonya’s grandmother Gabriella De La Reina, the head of one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the world. After her husband was killed, Gabriella took over their small criminal enterprise and turned it into a multi-national, multi-million dollar behemoth of illegal and legal interests. She has it all – except the one thing she wants more than anything: to bring her estranged granddaughter Sonya back into the fold.

Liz Friedlander has been tapped to direct the pilot after co-creating, executive producing and directing the pilot for another Mark Gordon Co./ABC Studios project, the freshman ABC drama series Conviction.

Braga recently co-starred in the feature Aquarius and will next be seen in Wonder and Going Places.

Palacio to Release “Wonder” Companion Book “365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts”

R.J. Palacio is bringing a little more wonder to the world…

The Latina writer, whose real name is Raquel Jaramillo, will release a companion book to her hit kids’ novel Wonder, which centers on a fifth grader with a facial deformity.

R.J. Palacio

Random House will publish Palacio’s companion title, entitled 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Preceptson August 26.

The book is filled with precepts or principles to live by for each day of the year.

R.J. Palacio's Wonder

In Wonder, which is aimed at readers 8 to 12, the character Mr. Browne is a memorable teacher who loves precepts.

Palacio asked readers for ideas for a new book via Twitter and Tumblr, She ended up getting more than 1,200 responses in two weeks. She used about 100 of the readers’ suggestions the new book, which uses quotations from Anne FrankMartin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. It also includes letters and e-mails from the fictional characters in Wonder.

Palacio is also writing an e-book, The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story, about the bully in Wonder, to be released May 13.

In a statement, Palacio says of Julian: “I had always thought he was an interesting character worthy of further exploration, but I didn’t give him a voice in Wonder because he had nothing to add to [main character] Auggie’s narrative.”

The Film Adaptation of Palacio’s “Wonder” to be Helmed by Jack Thorne

R.J. Palacio’s best-selling debut novel will be brought to life on the big screen…

Lionsgatehas hired Jack Thorne to adapt the Colombian-American author’s Wonder.

R.J. Palacio

Palacio’s novel tells the heartwarming, inspiring and hilarious adventures of 10-year-old Auggie Pullman, born with a facial deformity, as he enters a mainstream school for the first time and teaches everyone around him that we are more than meets the eye.

Wonder by RJ Palacio

The novel has been on the New York Times best seller list since its publication in February 2012.

Thorne is a BAFTA-winning screenwriter and playwright, whose credits include The Scouting Book For Boys, A Long Way Down, Blood Red Road and the UK television show Skins.