ABC Renews Ramón Rodríguez’s Drama Series “Will Trent” for Second Season

Ramón Rodríguez’s latest project will (trent) see another season…

ABC has renewed its drama series Will Trent, starring the 43-year-old Puerto Rican actor, for a second season.

Ramón RodríguezThis marks the first ABC freshman show to get a renewal decision this season and comes ahead of the show’s Season 1 finale on May 2.

The early pickup doesn’t come as a surprise.

Will Trent has been leading the ABC freshman pack and was considered a shoo-in for renewal.

The series, from 20th Television, is ABC’s No. 1 new drama this season in total viewers (9.9 million) and adults 18-49 (1.65 rating) after 35 days of viewing across linear and digital platforms. It’s the strongest series in the Tuesday 10 pm hour in total viewers — a longtime weak spot for ABC — since Big Sky during the 2020-2021 season.

The series is improving its time slot over comparable weeks last season by 143% in total viewers and by 25% among adults 18-49 this season. It also gains a massive 6.8 million total viewers over its initial Live+Same Day average after 35 days of multi-platform viewing, according to Nielsen and the network.

Based on Karin Slaughter’s bestselling Will Trent series, the series stars Rodríguez as Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI), who was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. But now, determined to use his unique point of view to make sure no one is abandoned like he was, Will Trent has the highest clearance rate in the GBI.

“We’re so thankful to our ABC and Hulu fans for joining us on this wild ride and watching Will Trent, said Rodríguez. “When we set out to bring the series to television screens, we wanted to do justice to the gritty, thrilling world that Karin Slaughter created with her bestselling book series. Liz Heldens, Dan Thomsen and the creative team have developed complex and nuanced characters that people are relating to on a human level — and it hasn’t hurt having our little star, Betty, on the call sheet. We’re so excited for the opportunity to dive deeper into these stories with season two.”

Will Trent also stars Erika Christensen as Angie Polaski, Iantha Richardson as Faith Mitchell, Jake McLaughlin as Michael Ormewood and Sonja Sohn as Amanda Wagner.

The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.

Kassandra Lee Diaz to Star in Hulu’s Comedy Pilot “1266”

Kassandra Lee Diaz is phoning it in…

The Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress will star in the Hulu comedy pilot 1266.

Kassandra Lee DiazDiaz will star as a lead opposite Gabourey Sidibe, Karim Diané and Kristin Dodson in the pilot from 20th Television.

1266 follows Gabby Brixton (Sidibe), who’s living with her mom and making half-hearted attempts to become a singer/model and overnight millionaire. When she’s fired from her job, she stumbles upon the gig of a lifetime ― phone sex. What initially seems like a quick way to make money turns into a life-changing experience when she meets the women who become her chosen family and learns how powerful, profitable and prolific her voice can be.

Diaz will play Fi, an Afro-Latina queer 20-something, who doesn’t suffer fools and loves lavishing designer threads on her girlfriends. Cynical, mysterious and introverted, she’s a quiet yet fiery woman who keeps her cards close to the chest.

Additionally, Anna Maria Horsford, Tisha Campbell and Judy Reyes (Claws) will recur if the pilot is picked up to series.

The series is inspired by the true-life story of Sidibe, who is executive producing with Thembi Banks, Steven Canals and Julie Bean. Banks and Bean will be co-showrunners. Banks is writing the teleplay and directing the pilot.

FX Releases Trailer for Fifth & Final Season of JD Pardo’s “Mayans M.C.”

JD Pardo is revving up for a final ride…

FX has released the trailer for Mayans M.C., starring the 42-year-old Argentine & Salvadoran American actor.

JD PardoThe hot series will premiere its fifth and final season on Wednesday, May 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the network, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.

The premiere will include the first two episodes of the 10-episode final season, with one new episode each following week. The series will be available on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories.

Mayans M.C. follows the life of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (Pardo), president of the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Once a golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp, EZ has now risen to lead his brother Angel (Clayton Cardenas) and the Santo Padre M.C. in a bloody war against their rival Sons of Anarchy. Defending the California territory and patch begins to claim lives within the club and causes strain between EZ and Angel — as one brother devotes himself to the club and the other to family. Felipe (Edward James Olmos) attempts to heal these fractured bonds for the future of the Reyes family.

JR Bourne, Danny Pino, Carla Baratta, Michael Irby, Emilio Rivera, Sarah Bolger, Frankie Loyal, Joseph Lucero, Vincent Vargas, Gino Vento, Emily Tosta and Vanessa Giselle also star.

Mayans M.C. was co-created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James. The series is executive produced by James and Sutter. The series is produced by 20th Television and FX Productions.

Gina Rodriguez Signs Overall Deal with 20th Television

Gina Rodriguez has a new deal…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican Golden Globe-winning actress, the star and executive producer of Not Dead Yet, has signed an overall deal with 20th Television, the studio behind Rodriguez’s new ABC comedy series.

Gina RodriguezUnder the pact, Rodriguez will develop, direct and executive produce new series across all platforms through her production company I Can & I Will, run by executive Molly Breeskin.

Rodriguez and Breeskin will continue to follow the company’s mission statement to create art that tells stories from the unheard and unseen, to discover and expose new talent, and to increase empathy and understanding for all communities.

“Gina is a true multi-hyphenate, an extremely talented performer who’s as adept at directing and producing as she is in front of the camera,” said 20th Television president Karey Burke. “She has an incredible eye for IP, an optimistic and uplifting point of view, and a unique ability to spotlight underrepresented voices and stories in a broad and ambitious way.”

Best known for her award-winning title role in Jane the Virgin, Rodriguez will next be seen in Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids reboot and Players, both for Netflix.

She recently appeared in Netflix’s Lost Ollie and Amazon’s I Want You Back and is heard in the title role of Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego animated series as well as in the streamer’s Big Mouth.

I Can & I Will produced two seasons of Disney+’s Diary Of a Future President, for which Rodriguez directed the pilot and co-starred as the future president. With her family, she established the We Will Foundation to champion underprivileged youth through arts, education, scholarship funding and financial literacy.

“At I Can & I Will, we are constantly working to expand the narrative of underrepresented communities and I am over the moon to join forces with the incredible leaders at 20th in that mission,” said Rodriguez.

Raul Esparza to Star in FX’s Pilot “The Answers”

Raul Esparza has all the answers

The 52-year-old Cuban-American stage, screen and voice actor and singer will star in FX’s hour-long pilot The Answers, the network’s adaptation of Catherine Lacey’s novel.

Raul EsparzaIn addition to Esparza, the series regular cast will include Lucy Hale, Krys Marshall, Melanie Field, Pallavi Sharda and Kine Kunutu in the project from Sorry for Your Loss creator Kit SteinkellnerDopesick creator Danny StrongRequiem for a Dream director Darren Aronofsky and 20th Television.

They join previously announced male lead David Corenswet.

The story, which has drawn comparisons to The Handmaid’s Tale, is set in the near future, where a heartbroken young woman, Mary (Hale), joins an enigmatic experiment that promises to hack love, but after moving into an idyllic, secluded location with her fellow female participants, she and the other women start questioning what’s really happening in the experiment, and why they’ve all been tasked with dating the same mysterious man, Christopher Skye (Corenswet).

Esparza plays Dr. Crowe; Marshall portrays Ellis; Field is Dani; Sharda plays Ash and Kunutu is Nic.

Steinkellner wrote the pilot and executive-produces. Strong and Aronofsky executive produce with Mandy Safavi with Danny Strong Productions and Ari Handel and Elizabeth Gesas with Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures.

Gillian Robespierre will direct and executive produce the pilot. 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, is the studio.

Sierra Teller Ornelas Developing Comedy Series “Amigos” for NBC with Marcos Luevanos

Sierra Teller Ornelas is in the friend(s) zone…

The part-Mexican American showrunner, screenwriter and filmmaker and Marcos Luevanos are developing the half-hour comedy Amigos for NBC.

Sierra Teller OrnelasTeller Ornelas and Luevanos will draw inspiration from their own lifelong friendship for the Universal Television-produced project.

Amigos is about a group of six Latine friends living in Los Angeles who lean and rag on each other as they find love, grow up and figure out what success means in 2022.

Ornelas and Luevanos will write and executive produce alongside Morgan Sackett.

Most recently, Ornelas was showrunner of the Peacock comedy series Rutherford Falls, which she co-created with Mike Schur and Ed Helms.

Previously, she was a co-executive producer on Loot for Apple TV+ and NBC’s Superstore where she worked for three seasons. She has previously written for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Splitting Up Together, and Happy Endings.

Luevanos is currently a co-executive producer on the new NBC multicam Lopez vs. Lopez starring George Lopez and his daughter Mayan Lopez.

Previously, Luevanos spent three seasons on the Hulu/Disney+ series Love, Victor produced by Aptaker & Berger and worked on Gloria Calderon Kellett’s With LoveRutherford FallsCharmed, and Life In Pieces.

He also currently has a project in the works at 20th Television with Steven Canals executive producing.

Lucía Méndez Cast as Series Regular in Hulu’s Limited Series “La Máquina”

Lucía Méndez is a machine

The 67-year-old Mexican telenovela and film actress, top model and singer has been cast as a series regular opposite Jorge Perugorría in La Máquina, the Hulu limited series that follows an aging boxer (Gael García Bernal) whose crafty manager (Diego Luna) secures him one last shot at a title.

Lucía MéndezKarina Gidi, Raul Briones and Luis Gnecco have also joined the project in heavily recurring roles.

La Máquina is produced by Searchlight Television, 20th Television and Bernal and Luna’s La Corriente del Golfo.

It will stream on Disney’s DTC platforms as a Hulu Original in the U.S.

Marco Ramirez serves as executive producer and showrunner, with Bernal, Luna, Gerardo Gatica, Leandro Halperín, Adam Fishbach and Kyzza Terrazas onboard as executive producers. Gabriel Ripstein will direct.

Méndez will play Josefina, a woman from humble means but has pushed her way into upper class society. She smothers her son, Andy (Luna), constantly commenting on everything from his appearance to his business decisions.

Perugorría will play Sixto, an old school figure from the world of Cuban boxing, Sixto is Esteban’s (Bernal) long-time trainer, serving as a father figure and mentor to both Andy and Esteban.

Gidi will recur as Carlota who was born into a wealthy Mexican family and is married to Andy. Briones will recur as Juan Carlos, a grizzled police officer who navigates both sides of the law. Gnecco will recur as Facundo, an old-school journalist in a new-school world.

Méndez is a versatile performer with success in television, film and as a musical artist. She has released 32 albums since her start in 1975. Lucía’s Siempre Estoy Pensando En Ti (1976), sold a million copies. Her soap opera roles include Viviana (1978), Colorina (1980), and Vanessa (1982).

An accomplished actor, director and artist, Perugorría co-directed his first feature Afinidades in 2009 then wrote and directed his second film, Amor Crónico, in 2010. In 2011 he wrote, directed and starred in his third feature film, Se Vendewhich won the Audience Coral Award at the 34th Havana Latin American Film Festival. In 2014 he directed his fourth fiction feature Fátima o el Parque de la Fraternidad.

Gidi starred as Esperanza Barrientos in Un extrańo enemigo seasons one and two for Amazon Prime Video, and can be seen in HBO Max’s upcoming drama, Sierra Madre.

Briones’ work in the recent documentary Una Película de Policías earned him a nomination in the upcoming Ariel Awards for Best Actor.

Gnecco has appeared most recently in Aquí en la Tierra, Los EspookysEl Presidente and La Jauría.

Aubrey Plaza to Star in Marvel’s “WandaVision” Spinoff Series “Agatha: Coven of Chaos”

Aubrey Plaza is joining the coven…

The 38-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress and comedian, who is currently starring on Season 2 of HBO’s The White Lotushas been cast opposite Kathryn Hahn and Joe Locke in Agatha: Coven of ChaosMarvel’s upcoming WandaVision spinoff series for Disney+.

Aubrey PlazaDetails about Plaza’s role are being kept under wraps, but she’s believed to be playing a villain opposite Hahn and Locke, according to Deadline.

Hahn is reprising her role as WandaVision bad gal Agatha in the series. Emma Caulfield Ford is also set to reprise the role of Dottie from WandaVision.

Hahn’s Agatha Harkness appeared in Disney+’s WandaVision, from series creator Jac Schaeffer.

WandaVision centered on Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), two superpowered beings living their ideal suburban lives in the town of Westview, NJ, who begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems. Agatha, who won viewers over with her “Agatha All Along” number, is a witch from Salem and fan-favorite breakout character.

Schaeffer, who is under a joint overall deal with Marvel and 20th Television, serves as writer and executive producer on the spinoff.

Agatha: Coven of Chaos is expected to drop on Disney+ next year.

Andrés Delgado to Star in Hulu’s Limited Series “La Máquina”

Andrés Delgado is an acting machine

The Latino actor has landed a recurring guest star role in Hulu’s limited series La Máquina.

Andrés DelgadoDelgado — whose credits include Gabriel Ripstein’s Prime Video series An Unknown Enemy directed by Gabriel Ripstein, HBO Max’s Sierra Madre and Netflix’s Pedal to the Metal — has been cast as Saul, an obedient right-hand man to Diego Luna’s Andy in the Searchlight TV and 20th Television boxing drama.

The character’s described as too sweet for the cut-throat world of professional sports but with sincere affection for Andy and Esteban (Gael García Bernal).

La Máquina follows aging boxer Esteban, whose crafty manager Andy secures him one last shot at a title only to find they have to first deal with a mysterious underworld force to make fight night.

Delgado’s other roles include appearing in Angelina Jolie’s Without Blood opposite Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir and No Man’s Land, in which he’s starring opposite Andie MacDowell, Frank Grillo and Jorge A Jiménez.

J. Anthony Pena Upped to Series Regular on ABC’s “Big Sky”

There are more big (sky) moments in J. Anthony Pena’s future…

The Latino actor has been promoted to series regular for the upcoming third season of ABC’s Big Sky.

J. Anthony Pena Pena, who portrays Deputy Mo Poppernak, heavily recurred as the character in Season 2.

Additionally, Luke MitchellSeth GabelHenry Ian Cusick, Anirudh Pisharody and Madalyn Horcher have joined the cast in recurring roles.

Pena’s Poppernak is Jenny Hoyt’s (Katheryn Winnick) chatty, upbeat partner at the Sheriff’s Department and an indispensable right-hand man. He appeared in 16 episodes last season.

In Big Sky Season 3, private detective Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury), under sheriff Jenny Hoyt, and newly appointed sheriff Beau Arlen (Jensen Ackles) maintain order in Helena, Montana. But when a local backcountry trip led by charismatic outfitter Sunny Barnes (fka Sunny Brick) (Reba McEntire) goes awry, the trio face their most formidable mystery yet.

Big Sky is produced by Disney Television Studios20th Television for ABC. David E. Kelley serves as the series creator.

Season 3 premieres on September 21 on ABC.

Pena previously recurred on FX’s Mayans M.C. and Crackle’s The Oath. Recently, he guest starred on CBS’ S.W.A.T., and Apple TV+’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey with Samuel L. Jackson.