Adriana Paz to Star as Factory-Worker-Turned-Vigilante in “The Huntress”

Adriana Paz is on the hunt for a new project.

The 44-year-old Mexican actress and dancer, a Cannes Film Festival 2024 Best Actress winner alongside the key female cast of Emilia Pérez, will headline The Huntress” (La Cazadora).

Adriana PazPaz will portray a Ciudad Juárez factory worker turned vigilante who attains the status of a legend.

The Huntress marks the first feature from U.S.-Mexican filmmaker Suzanne Andrews Correa whose film Green won the Short Film Jury Award for U.S. Fiction at the Sundance Film Festival.

The Huntress will be produced by Mexico’s Záfiro Cinema, headed by Gabriela Maire and Edher Campos and U.S. outfit The Population, led by Mynette Louie, marking their second Mexico-U.S. co-production after they joined forces for I Carry You With Me, Záfiro Cinema’s first title and a Sundance Audience Award and NEXT Innovator Award winner.

Though Paz’s Cannes win has thrown her into the international spotlight, she has won three Mexican Academy Ariel Awards: Best Actress for Perpetual Sadness (La Tirisia), and Best Supporting Actress for Hilda and Charity (La Caridad).

Most recently, she starred in Arillo the Hombre Muerto.

“It’s easy to say yes when there’s a powerful, meaningful, and well-written story like The Huntress,” Paz told Variety. “I feel very fortunate to portray such a complex character like ‘Luz,’ a woman full of contrasts, confusion, fears, and desires, with such a deep and painful personal conflict.”

Inspired by true events, “The Huntress” turns on Luz who takes justice in her own hands to kill a serial rapist in order to secure a safer and more just world for her fourteen-year-old daughter and other young women factory co-workers in Ciudad Juárez. She also has to face up to the consequences of her actions.

Teresa Sánchez, who won the Sundance Special Jury Award for Acting for Dos Estaciones, Jennifer Trejo, Guillermo Alonso and rapper and acting newcomer Eme Malafe, round out the cast, which has been ensembled by Roma’s casting director Luis Rosales. 

The Huntress is produced in association with Films+Pro, Chemistry and CTT Exp & Rentals. Paz, Rosales and Fabiola Velázquez serve as executive producers.

La Cazadora’s screenplay received grants from the Sundance Institute and SFFILM and awards from the Princess Grace Foundation, Directors Guild of America and Toulouse’s Cinelatino in France.

The film will wrap principal photography by Christmas and is expected to premiere in 2026. It is intended to be a theatrical feature, Campos added.

In real life events, “Diana, Cazadora de Choferes,” was a blond-haired woman, aged 25-40, who shot and killed two bus-drivers in Ciudad Juárez in 2013. Different women had filed at least 12 complaints against bus drivers for sexual violence against women working on Ciudad Juárez’s factories, without any result. After the murders, bus-drivers declared to the press that they feared for their lives.

Since 1993, hundreds of women factory workers have been tortured and killed. Their killers have not been brought to justice.

The Huntress is the portrait of a woman watching her life unravel after falling victim to an act of savagery,” said Paz. “Luz tries to rebuild herself and struggles to survive in a violent environment that offers neither refuge nor trust. The complexity of human actions is deeply explored in her journey,” she added.

“What we want to portray is how The Huntress thinks and feels over these 24 hours, to see her humanity and moral complexity. The film does not treat her as a heroine nor her murders as personal revenge,” Maire told Variety. “Rather, it is meant to be a galvanizing call for change in the way that society protects its most vulnerable populations.”

In many ways, The Huntress is a Western, with the protagonist attempting to create a civilized place in a lawless land.

The Huntress shot in Ciudad Juárez. It was very crucial for us to authentically capture this unique environment, a border town that evokes the essence of classic Westerns. Juárez lies in the heart of the desert, and on the surface, much of it resembles a lonely ghost town. Yet, we discovered another side, one full of life and hope in its people,” said Campos.

“It is a feminist Western, conscious of a long history of female resistance against the impunity of a system. And it’s a mythological Western with elements of Greek tragedy,” said Andrews Correa. “But ultimately, it subverts all that’s represented by the genre, rejecting rudimentary definitions of good and bad.”

“There’s nothing more appealing to me than a project where there’s no black or white, good or bad, and where the female presence behind the camera is as strong as it is in front of it,” Paz added.

Andrews Correa recently worked as a writer and director on the Paramount+ series Minimum Wage (15 a la Hora). They have received grants from the Sundance Institute and SFFILM, and awards from the Princess Grace Foundation, Directors Guild of America, and Toulouse’s Cinelatino.

Bruno Mars Notches Sixth Week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Global Charts with ROSÉ-Collaboration “APT.”

Bruno Mars’ latest single can’t be evicted…

The 39-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer/songwriter’s hit ROSÉ-collaboration “APT.” continues to rule both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts for the sixth consecutive week.

Bruno Mars, RoseThe song debuted as the stars’ second leader on each survey. 

“APT.” tops the Global 200 for a sixth week with 160.6 million streams (up 21% week-over-week) and 20,000 sold (up 49%) worldwide November 22-28.

The duet debuted with 224.5 million global streams and logged 207.5 million in its second frame, becoming the first title since the chart started to have amassed at least 200 million streams globally in multiple weeks.

“APT.” also now boasts six of the top seven streaming weeks on the Global 200 among songs released in 2024:

  • 5 million, “APT.,” ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, Nov. 2
  • 5 million, “APT.,” Nov. 9
  • 8 million, “Fortnight,” Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone, May 4
  • 2 million, “APT.,” Nov. 16
  • 6 million, “APT.,” Dec. 7
  • 4 million, “APT.,” Nov. 23
  • 7 million, “APT.,” Nov. 30

Lady Gaga and Mars’ “Die With a Smile” holds at No. 2 on the Global 200, following eight weeks at No. 1, the most for any song this year, beginning in September. It drew 115.7 million streams (up 1%) worldwide Nov. 22-28 and has tallied over 100 million streams globally in each of the last 13 weeks, the longest such streak since the chart began.

“Die With a Smile” also holds at No. 2 on Global Excl. U.S. following eight weeks at No. 1 starting in September.

The Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Colman Domingo Wins Outstanding Lead Performance Prize at Gotham Awards for “Sing Sing”

Colman Domingo has extra reason to sing (sing)

The 2024 Gotham Awards were doled out on Monday night at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, with the 55-year-old Emmy-winning Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and activist taking home one of the top prizes.

Colman DomingoDomingo won the award for Outstanding Lead Performance for his critically acclaimed performance as John “Divine G” Whitfield in A24’s Sing Sing.

Directed by Greg Kwedar, who co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced the film with Clint Bentley, Sing Sing is based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison. It centers on a group of incarcerated men involved in the creation of theatrical stage shows through the program

Each category for nominations is decided by a different jury of critics, journalists and other industry professionals, and screening links must be provided to all its jury members. An entirely different group determines the winners. That’s in contrast with the Oscars or the BAFTAs, which are determined by actors, filmmakers and other artists who are in the entertainment industry. 

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Best Feature:  ““A Different Man” (A24)
Outstanding Lead Performance: Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing” (A24)
Outstanding Supporting Performance: Clarence Maclin, “Sing Sing” (A24)
Best Director: RaMell Ross, “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Best International Feature: “All We Imagine as Light” (Sideshow and Janus Films)
Best Documentary Feature: “No Other Land” (Antipode Films)
Best Screenplay: “His Three Daughters” (Netflix) — Azazel Jacobs
Breakthrough Director: Vera Drew, “The People’s Joker” (Altered Innocence)
Breakthrough Performer: Brandon Wilson, “Nickel Boys” (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Tops the First Billboard Holiday 100 Chart of the 2025 Holiday Season

It wouldn’t be the holiday season without Mariah Carey’s return to the summit on the holiday charts.

The Holiday 100 has made its annual jolly jaunt back to Billboard’s charts menu, with the 55-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning songstress’ “All I Want for Christmas Is You” ruling the tally.

The track is No. 1 for the 61st week of the chart’s 69 total weeks since it was launched in 2011.

The survey ranks the top seasonal songs of all eras via the same formula used for the Billboard Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay and sales data.

The only other Holiday 100 No. 1s to date: Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe,” for a week in the 2011-12 holiday season; Pentatonix’s “Little Drummer Boy” (one, 2013-14) and “Mary, Did You Know?” (two, 2014-15); Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (one, 2014-15); and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” – which reigned for three weeks on both the Holiday 100 and Hot 100 last holiday season, granting the legendary singer a gift 65 years in the making, following the song’s 1958 release.

Carey’s carol reigns with 26.8 million streams (up 52% week-over-week), 15.7 million airplay audience impressions (up 68%) and 2,000 sold (up 25%) in the United States Nov. 22-28, according to Luminate.

The song also boasts top honors on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs chart.

“When I wrote [it], I had absolutely no idea the impact the song would eventually have worldwide,” Carey marveled of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in 2021; it was originally released 30 years ago. “I’m so full of gratitude that so many people enjoy it with me every year.”

Rounding out the Holiday 100’s top five are Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (No. 2); Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” which marks its 40th anniversary this year (No. 3); Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” from 1957 (No. 4); and Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” which turns 60 this year (No. 5).

Additionally, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” surges six spots to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Frankie Montas Agrees to Two-Year, $34 Million Deal with New York Mets

Frankie Montas is headed to the Big Apple.

The 31-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher, a right-hander, has agreed to a two-year, $34 million contract with the New York Mets, per ESPN sources.

Frankie MontasWith Montas’ deal, the Mets add a veteran to a thinned-out rotation in the team’s first free agent signing of what’s bound to be a busy winter.

Montas joins Kodai Senga and David Peterson among Mets starters after Sean ManaeaLuis Severino and Jose Quintana reached free agency.

While a reunion with any of the three pitchers who anchored New York’s playoff rotation is not out of the question, the Mets pivoted to Montas, who can opt out of the deal — which is pending a physical — after the first season.

Montas has shown flashes of frontline starter potential, with a splitter, slider and cutter complementing a fastball that sits around 96 mph.

The Cincinnati Reds gave him a one-year, $16 million deal last year despite Montas throwing only 1⅓ innings in 2023 following arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The team eventually traded Montas to the Milwaukee Brewers and he finished the season with a 4.84 ERA over 150⅔ innings, with 148 strikeouts, 66 walks and 24 home runs allowed.

With the free agency of the three pitchers, first baseman Pete Alonso, designated hitter J.D. Martinez, outfielder Harrison Bader and the ending of payments on Justin Verlander‘s and Max Scherzer‘s salaries, the Mets have shaved around $150 million off their payroll from last season.

They remain among the favorites to sign superstar outfielder Juan Soto, who shares an agent, Scott Boras, with Montas. New York has engaged in conversations about a vast array of free agents beyond Soto, though signing him to a record deal would not preclude the Mets from pursuing other big names.

New York is coming off a surprising run to the National League Championship Series. In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Mets, they snuck into the playoffs with a furious late-season run, ousted Milwaukee in the wild-card round, thumped Philadelphia in the division series and pushed the NLCS to six games against the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Starting pitching was a fundamental part of their run. Despite losing Senga, their Opening Day starter, for the majority of the season, the Mets finished with a 3.91 starters’ ERA, getting better-than-expected seasons from Manaea, Severino and Quintana, all of whom were signed to short-term deals similar to Montas’.

Scheana Shay Working on Special EP with The 27s

Scheana Shay is readying to release new music…

The 39-year-old half-Mexican American reality television personality, singer and actress is preparing to release her upcoming EP with The 27s.

 Scheana Shay,Shay, who rose to acclaim on Vanderpump Rules, drew inspiration for her latest musical project from Taylor Swift.

“What I wanted to do with this EP was each song is kind of — and this is my Taylor Swift inspo — is a different era of Scheana,” the singer and TV personality, who attended the Eras Tour, tells Billboard. “So you have the ‘ApplesScandoval era, you have the ‘Boy Crazy’ era, ‘Sweet & Sour’ is like the mean girl, the early Vanderpump Rules era, and the next single I have is called ‘Miss Understood.’ So that is just a combination of 11 years on reality TV feeling like I’ve been a little misunderstood! But it’s a really good song. That one is a little more poppy, and then we have a couple more that are definitely more rock.”

And like Swift, Shay — who has her own NFL ties via hosting some of Smirnoff’s We Do Game Day Matchups, with her next one being December 5 in Detroit — will also be doing at least one other new of her own tunes.

“We’re doing a stripped-down version of ‘Apples.’ It’s just gonna be a more acoustic vibe, slower,” the Scheananigans podcast host shares of the bop that originally arrived in August 2023.

The tune was inspired by co-star Tom Sandoval’s affair with their friend Rachel Leviss (dubbed “Scandoval” for its betrayal of fan-favorite castmate Ariana Madix, Sandoval’s partner of nearly 10 years and one of Leviss’ closest friends), which Shay performed during the VPR season 11 finale. “That’s the only one we’re really redoing. We already did the Screamo Version of ‘Good as Gold,’ but I’m really excited.”

Though pop music and parenting are in the influencer’s wheelhouse, she hopes to step outside the box with her music too. “I would love to collaborate with a legend like Dr. Dre, Eminem, where I’m just on the hook and they’re doing their thing they do. They’re so talented!” she gushed of the hip-hop icons. “Snoop Dogg, maybe Drake, but definitely more on the hip-hop side if I was going to do a collab. I feel like people would expect me to say, like, Britney Spears or something pop or Gwen Stefani. No! Put me in the studio with Dr. Dre and I would be a very happy girl!”

Luis Suarez Signs One-Year Contract Extension with Inter Miami CF

Luis Suarez is staying put…

The 37-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer and Inter Miami forward, nicknamed “El Pistolero,” has signed a one-year contract extension, meaning he’ll continue to play in Major League Soccer next season.

Luis SuarezSuarez, who joined the Herons on a one-year contract in December, tied for second place in the MLS Golden Boot race and earned a nomination to the 2024 MLS newcomer of the year award.

“I’m very happy, very excited to continue for another year and to be able to enjoy being here with this fanbase, which for us is like family. We feel very, very connected with them, and hopefully, next year, we can bring them even more joy,” Suárez said.

The forward recorded 21 goals and 10 assists in 30 MLS matches to help inspire Inter Miami to the 2024 Supporter’s Shield and set the league record for most points in a single season.

“Luis Suarez has been an amazing addition to the league, what he did this year was spectacular,” co-owner Jorge Mas said.

“In 2024, Luis brought to Inter Miami all of the elements that make him one of the greatest strikers of all time. He performed at an elite level for us, and we’re excited to see that continue next season,” added president of football operations Raúl Sanllehí. “Luis was not only our leading scorer this season, but also a leader for the group. His impact cannot be understated.”

Suarez will reunite with former Barcelona teammate Javier Mascherano, who will join the club as head coach on a two-year contract.

The two played together in LaLiga, alongside Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

Suarez’s contract extension stands as the first roster move for Inter Miami during the offseason, with more expected as the deadline to exercise options and submit bona fide offers approaches on November 27.

Sebastian Yatra Makes Broadway Debut in “Chicago”

Sebastian Yatra is taking a special stage…

The 30-year-old Colombian singer and actor made his Broadway debut this week in Chicago.

Sebastian Yatra, Chicago, BroadwayYatra delivers a solid vocal performance and demonstrates an enjoyable stage presence as the charming, corrupt lawyer Billy Flynn in Chicago.

In the musical, he’s not the same singer of Latin pop chart-topping hits; he’ss a conscious cast member committed to the requirements of this type of show.

Yatra began his four-week engagement in the long-running musical on Monday (Nov. 25), where he shares leading roles with Broadway veterans Bianca Marroquín and Kimberly Marable, who play Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, respectively.

Known for No. 1 hits on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart like “Tacones Rojos,” “Un Año” (with Reik) and “Robarte un Beso” (with Carlos Vives), Yatra makes the leap to the theater mecca two years after making his acting debut in the miniseries Once Upon a Time… Happily Never After.

Although he’s younger (and sweeter) than other actors who’ve played Billy Flynn — Jerry Orbach was almost 40 in the original 1975 production, and Richard Gere was 52 in the 2002 film adaptation — on Tuesday (Nov. 26), in only his second performance, Yatra shone, showing new vocal registers and singing classics like “Razzle Dazzle” and “We Both Reached for the Gun” in English.

While dancing is not considered his forte, he followed the choreography without issue and stood out with his bearing and likability.

“Everyone in Chicago is excited and proud of him,” Marroquín, who shares several scenes with Yatra in the performance, told Billboard Español on Tuesday as she left the theater. “He has done an exceptional job. He arrived super disciplined with everything memorized, very committed, very responsible, and on top of that he is a sweetheart. Being backstage with him is divine. He is a very beautiful soul. So I love having that connection because, besides, Roxie and Billy have a lot to do with each other in the show. We have created a beautiful friendship, a bond, a very nice chemistry.”

Set in the 1920s, Chicago is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals. While the original production debuted in 1975, the current production, which opened on Broadway in 1996, holds the record for the longest-running American musical on Broadway. With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Ebb, it includes killer songs like “All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango” and “Mr. Cellophane.”

With Yatra, the role of Billy Flynn now receives some Latin and contemporary flavor. “Latinos have something special even when we are speaking English, there is a lot of love within us, a lot of passion,” Yatra told Billboard Español in September, upon the announcement of his Broadway debut. “I think I can offer a perspective from someone who is living in 2024 at almost 30, how he sees that world, also knowing that I could have perfectly been a lawyer and could be that person standing there. Thank God Billy and I don’t share the same values, because that would be messed up!” he added with a laugh.

Over the years, Chicago has invited various Latin stars to join the musical for brief runs. Yatra joins a list that includes Colombian actress Sofia Vergara, who in 2009 played Matron “Mama” Morton, and Mexican singer and actor Jaime Camil, who in 2016 portrayed Billy Flynn. 

Chicago is presented at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.) For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Broadway musical’s site.

Selena Gomez to Produce “Baggage Claim” Project

Selena Gomez is headed to baggage claim

The 32-year-old Mexican American singer, actress and entrepreneur’s Wondermind and Fifth Season have acquired the rights to Julianna Baggott’s high-concept short story Baggage Claim.

Selena GomezThey’ve set Yvonne Hana Yi to write the project, which marks the first scripted content to be produced by Wondermind, co-founded by Mandy Teefey and Gomez.

Creative development will be led by Wondermind’s Teefey, Gomez, and Jonathon Glucksman.

While the vehicle would seem a glove fit for Gomez after the acclaim she is drawing for Emilia Pérez, at this point she is limited to producing. Baggage Claim follows Bethany, a bored thirtysomething whose life is going nowhere. She’s stuck working in baggage claim, the musty basement where other people’s unhappy memories are stored after a costly procedure that promises them peace of mind. These memories are stored as smells in vials and can be reclaimed for up to thirty days. Bethany is a huffer, addicted to smelling other people’s baggage. It works out fine, until she falls in love with the memories of someone.

Wondermind’s CEO & co-founder Teefey said: “We intentionally took our time to find the exact creative project we wanted to bring on as our first piece of scripted content. When this came across our desks, we knew it was something special. It felt perfectly aligned with our mission to tell deep stories that bring rich mental health narratives to the forefront. We’re committed to bringing compelling stories like this to life and are thrilled that Julianna felt connected to our approach to the storyline as well.”

 

Former Mexican First Lady Angélica Rivera Returning to Acting in Vix’s New Series “Con Esa Misma Mirada”

Angélica Rivera has the same look about her…

The 55-year-old Mexican singer, model and telenovela actress, who was the First Lady of Mexico from 2012 to 2018, is returning to acting with a starring role in Vix‘s new series Con Esa Misma Mirada.

Angélica Rivera, After 17 years since her last acting role, Rivera returns to TelevisaUnivision to star in a new adaptation of the Colombian soap Señora Isabel.

“With all my heart,” Rivera posted on Instagram along with a new series teaser.

Con Esa Misma Mirada is based on Bernardo Romero Pereiro’s story about a woman in her fifties who her husband abandons after having an affair with a younger woman. As she copes with the loss of her marriage, she meets a younger man who gives her hope of feeling loved again.

The story became a phenomenon in México when TV Azteca and Argos adapted it in 1997 with the title Mirada de Mujer.

It has since been adapted numerous times. Telemundo made its remake in 2007 as Victoria, starring Victoria Ruffo, and TelevisaUnivision adapted it in 2021 as Si Nos Dejan .

The most recent adaptation was by Colombia’s RCN in 2023 with the telenovela Ana de Nadie.

Rivera is a well-known actress in México having starred in titles like Dulce DesafíoSimplemente María, Mi Pequeña Soledad and La Pícara Soñadora.

In 1991, she starred in Alcanzar Una Estrella II, in which she co-starred with Ricky Martin

Her biggest hit came in 1995 when she starred in La Dueña as Regina Villareal. The telenovela was a massive hit in México, and she named one of her daughters after her fictional character.

Rivera’s last acting role was in 2007’s Destilando Amor, where she played Gaviota. The character was so popular that Mexican media refers to Rivera as Gaviota.

In 2010, she married State of México Governor Enrique Peña Nieto, and that same year, she retired from acting. Nieto became president of México in 2012, and Rivera took on the responsibilities of First Lady of México. Rivera and Nieto divorced in 2019, shortly after his presidential term ended.

Rivera had been courted to return to television, but she didn’t accept until this project with Vix.