The 45-year-old Puerto Rican & Mexican American actress has joined the cast of Paramount+’s Criminal Minds: Evolution for the show’s third season.
In a multiple-episode arc, Garcia will portray Dr. Julia Ochoa, one of the country’s leading neuropsychiatrists who is assigned to help a high-profile patient recover from his injury-induced brain trauma. She clashes with Alvarez (Adam Rodriguez) who, by contrast, believes in a more aggressive approach than her gentle approach.
Criminal Minds: Evolution is an expansion of the original CBS series, which ran from 2005-2020. In the current season, the FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers comes up against an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time.
The series stars Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Zach Gilford, Ryan-James Hatanaka with Rodriguez and Paget Brewster.
ABC Signature and CBS Studios produce the series. Erica Messer serves as showrunner and executive producer.
Currently, Garcia stars opposite Adam Scott in Netflix’s upcoming animated series Strip Law and headlines The Cases of Mystery Lane franchise for Hallmark/Peacock. Garcia starred on Netflix’s Lucifer for five seasons and headlined Netflix’s film Christmas With You opposite Freddie Prinze Jr.
Additional credits include Hulu’s Woke, Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K,ABC’s The George Lopez Show, which earned her an Impact and ALMA Award, José Padilha’s RoboCop, The Addams Family with Charlize Theron and Oscar Isaac and James L. Brooks’ Spanglish.
The 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution, starring the 49-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor, released its key art and trailer in advance of its debut next month.
Produced by ABC Signature and CBS Studios, Criminal Minds: Evolution premieres on Thursday, June 6, exclusively on Paramount+.
The first two episodes will be available to stream at launch, with subsequent new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays.
In the wake of last season’s finale, the upcoming all-new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution picks up as the FBI’s elite team of profilers investigates the deadly mystery of Gold Star.
As the conspiracy unfolds, the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is met with an unexpected complication when serial killer Elias Voit negotiates a deal that transfers him to federal custody in the BAU’s own backyard. The team faces its biggest threat yet and cannot emerge unscathed from the mind-bending consequences.
Criminal Minds: Evolution stars Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Zach Gilford, Ryan-James Hatanaka with Rodriguez and Paget Brewster.
Guest stars this season include Clark Gregg, Felicity Huffman, Paul F. Tompkins, Tuc Watkins and Brian White.
Following more than a year of on- and off- deal-making, Paramount+ has confirmed it has ordered to series a Criminal Mindsrevival starring the 47-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor and some of his former cast mates.
In addition to Rodriguez, who portrayed Luke Alvez on the original series, the six fan favorites returning for the reboot includes Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster.
Also back is the series’ longtime executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer, who closed her deal to return earlier a couple of months ago.
The actors’ contracts had been contingent on Messer signing a pact with ABC Signature where she is under an overall deal.
By February, Criminal Minds studios ABC Signature and CBS Studios had reached a license agreement with Paramount+ for a 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds. The last several months were spent getting Messer and the cast officially on board, triggering a formal green light, with production slated to begin Aug. 21 in Los Angeles. Mantegna teased the shoot on Twitterwith a picture of him on a soundstage “doing a little inspection today for an upcoming project” and #criminalminds.
In the revival series, FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. Now, as the world opens back up, the network goes operational, and the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time.
Mantegna, Vangsness, Rodriguez, Cook, Tyler and Brewster represent the majority of Criminal Minds’ cast in its 15th and final season. As Deadline reported in February, missing from the list are original cast member Matthew Gray Gubler, who had indicated that he was ready to move on after playing Spencer Reid for 15 years, and Daniel Henney, who stars in The Wheel of Time. The Prime Video series, which films in Prague, and any potential Henney guest appearance on Criminal Minds would be subject to his commitment to Wheel of Time and scheduling.
The actors’ agreements for Criminal Minds are multi-year and are not fully exclusive, according to Deadline, with the cast members able to do major recurring roles on ongoing series and series regular parts on limited series if production does not interfere.
The Criminal Minds revival, whose formal green light was first reported by TVLine, was announced with much fanfare at the streamer’s coming-out presentation last February. By July 31, Brewster told fans on Twitter that “we think it’s dead.” Fast forward six months to Feb. 1 when Nicole Clemens, President, Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, told reporters that Criminal Minds is “alive and well.”
“For 15 seasons, Criminal Minds was at the forefront of cutting-edge scripted drama as it explored the psychology behind crime – thrillingly,” Clemens said in a statement Thursday. “The series never stopped evolving during its run, and we are beyond excited to bring it back into a new era with new stories for a new generation of viewers at Paramount+. Erica, the whole cast and creative team are building a season full of new twists that we are sure will electrify audiences.”
The original series, created by Jeff Davis, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit, using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find perpetrators. The group is led by Senior Agent David Rossi (Mantegna) and includes Agents JJ Jareau (Cook), Tara Lewis (Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Rodriguez) as well as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Vangsness) and Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Brewster).
The classic broadcast procedural is being serialized for binge-driven streaming consumption, with the team coming back together to investigate a single case over 10 episodes in the new season for Paramount+.
Messer serves as showrunner, executive producer and writer. Breen Frazier and Chris Barbour will serve as writers and executive producers, Glenn Kershaw will direct and executive produce, and Mark Gordon will also serve as executive producer.
Criminal Minds is among Paramount Global’s most prized titles in the streaming era.
It had been a top performer on Netflix since before the streamer started releasing viewership information. While Paramount+ has all 15 seasons, Netflix carries the first 12. They accounted for 33.9 billion minutes of viewing on the global platform, making it the most watched title on Netflix in 2021. Criminal Minds also was the third-most-streamed series in 2020 on Netflix behind The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, with 590M hours viewed.
Adam Rodriguez may be returning to his Criminal roots…
The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor is among the original cast members reportedly in final talks to star in the Criminal Minds revival for Paramount+.
In addition to Rodriguez, other fan favorite cast members who’ve reportedly agreed to come back includeJoe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster, subject to closing their deals and availability.
Contract talks with Rodriguez and the other original cast members have been put on hold, according to Deadline, as Criminal Minds lead studio, ABC Signature, is focusing on making a deal with the series’ longtime executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer.
Negotiations with Messer, who has an overall pact with the studio, are still ongoing, with the two sides getting closer to a deal.
A license agreement for a 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds has been reached between Paramount+ and the studios behind the crime drama, ABC Signature and CBS Studios.
Rodriguez and the other five originals represent the majority of Criminal Minds’ cast in its 15th and final season.
The original series, created by Jeff Davis, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit, using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find perpetrators. The group is led by Senior Agent David Rossi (Mantegna) and includes Agents JJ Jareau (Cook), Tara Lewis (Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Rodriguez) as well as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Vangsness) and Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Brewster).
The classic broadcast procedural is being serialized for binge-driven streaming consumption, with the team coming back together to investigate a single case over 10 episodes in the new season for Paramount+.
Criminal Minds is among ViacomCBS’ most prized titles in the streaming era. It had been a top performer on Netflix since before the streamer started releasing viewership information. While Paramount+ has all 15 seasons, Netflix carries the first 12. They accounted for 33.9 billion minutes of viewing on the global platform, making it the most watched title on Netflix in 2021. Criminal Minds also was the third-most-streamed series in 2020 on Netflix behind The Officeand Grey’s Anatomy, with 590M hours viewed.
The 46-year-old Afro-Cuban American actor and his The Boys cast mates will take part in Amazon Prime Video’s first-ever Amazon Virtual-Con, which will include virtual experiences and activations that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home. The Amazon Virtual-Con is part of Comic-Con@Home.
The virtual event will kick off on the San Diego Comic Con’s official YouTube channel and on the Amazon Virtual-Con portal starting at 12:00 pm PST on Thursday, July 23.
Alonso’s The Boys panel, moderated by Aisha Tyler, will take place onThursday, July 23at 3:00 pm PST, with participation by executive producer Eric Kripke, along with series stars Alonso, Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capon, Karen Fukuhara and Aya Cash.
The virtual panel will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming second season of The Boys. Executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg will also make a special appearance.
Based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boysis a fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes – who are as popular as celebrities – abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. The even more intense, more insane Season Two finds The Boys on the run from the law, hunted by the Supes, and desperately trying to regroup and fight back against Vought.
Other Amazon series joining this year’s virtual edition Comic-Con include Upload, Truth Seekers and Utopia. Like every Comic-Con, the panels will include cast, creators and crew of the series and will feature fan Q&As, behind-the-scene-stories, breaking news from the aforementioned series.
Virtual-Con will be available free of charge to all fans in front of the Prime Video paywall from July 23-26.
Here are the full details for the panels and Amazon Virtual-Con:
Truth Seekers Thursday, July 23 at 12:00 p.m. PST A new original supernatural horror-comedy by Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz), James Serafinowicz (Sick Note) and Nat Saunders (Sick Note). Join as they discuss the making of the hilarious eight-episode series about a team of part-time paranormal investigators, who team up to uncover and film ghost sightings across the UK, sharing their adventures on an online channel for all to see. Discussion and Q&A moderated by Empire Magazine’s Chris Hewitt.
Utopia Thursday, July 23 at 1:00 p.m. PST A twisted, eight-episode thriller about a group of young comic fans who discover the conspiracy in a graphic novel is real, and embark on a high-stakes adventure to save humanity from the end of the world. Join writer and executive producer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) and series stars John Cusack (High Fidelity), Rainn Wilson (The Office), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Ashleigh LaThrop (Fifty Shades Freed), Dan Byrd (Cougar Town), Desmin Borges (You’re The Worst), Javon “Wanna” Walton (Euphoria), and Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day) for a Q&A moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Christian Holub.
Upload Thursday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m. PST Join creator, executive producer and director Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation) and stars Robbie Amell (Code 8), Andy Allo (Pitch Perfect 3), Kevin Bigley (Undone), Allegra Edwards (New Girl), and Zainab Johnson (American Koko) as they discuss how they brought this futuristic comedy to life, share behind-the-scenes details from Season One, and tease what fans can expect in Season Two. The panel will be moderated by Engadget’s Cherlynn Low. Upload Season One is a ten-episode, half-hour, sci-fi comedy that takes place in the near future, where people can be “Uploaded” into a virtual afterlife of their choice.
The Boys Thursday, July 23 at 3:00 p.m. PST Join executive producer Eric Kripke, along with series stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capon, Karen Fukuhara and Aya Cash, with moderator Aisha Tyler, for a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming second season of The Boys. Executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg will also make a special appearance. Based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boysis a fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes – who are as popular as celebrities – abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. The even more intense, more insane Season Two finds The Boys on the run from the law, hunted by the Supes, and desperately trying to regroup and fight back against Vought.
AMAZON VIRTUAL-CON PROGRAMMING
ComiXology’s Comic-Con@Home Panel, Plus Live Artist Drawing Sessions, Creator Interview Series, and Comic Book Movie Trivia NightSaturday, July 25 at 3:00pm PST (Comic-Con@Home panel) Are you currently reading digital comics? Are you familiar with comiXology’s exclusive digital content program – comiXology Originals? Join comiXology’s Head of Content, Chip Mosher and a cast of beloved comic creators and rising-stars including, writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Jason Loo (Afterlift), artist Claudia Aguirre (Lost on Planet Earth), writer Curt Pires (YOUTH), along with some surprise guests, to get the scoop on the latest comiXology Originals series direct from the creators making them! They’ll intrigue you with behind-the-scenes stories about the process of bringing comics from concept to the page and what it’s like pushing the envelope with digital comics, and beyond.
For the superfan seeking even more comic book content, comiXology’s own Kiwi will host live drawing sessions on comiXology’s Twitch channel with some of the industry’s most renowned illustrators, including GLAAD Media Award-winning illustrator Tula Lotay and three-time New York Times best-selling British artist Jock. In addition to drawing sessions, Kiwi will also host an interview series with creators from comiXology’s Originals line of exclusive digital content, including Curt Pires & Dee Cunniffe (YOUTH) and the creators behind two yet to be announced original graphic novels. And if all that isn’t enough, comiXology and Eisner Award winner Chip Zdarsky will host Comic Book Movie Trivia Night on Friday, July 24 at 5:00p.m. PST on their Twitch channel.
For the schedule of live drawing sessions and creator interviews, please continue to check amazon.com/virtualcon for updates.
Adam Rodriguez will still be Minds-ing his business…
CBS has renewed its veteran drama Criminal Minds, starring the 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor, for a 14th season.
After a long run at 9:00 pm, Criminal Minds moved to 10:00 pm this season. It has improved the time period and is doing well in delayed viewing.
The crime drama ended its 13th season on a cliffhanger, reportedly with the blessing of CBS. A cancellation would’ve robbed the show’s loyal fans of a proper ending and would’ve deprived the series of hitting the 300th episode milestone, ending its run with 299.
Now Criminal Minds‘ Season 14 premiere will also mark the show’s 300th episode, giving it an extra promotional push.
Criminal Minds revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country’s most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. Joe Mantegna stars as David Rossi, along with Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid, A.J. Cook as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis, Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, Rodriguez as Luke Alvez and Daniel Henney as Matt Simmons.
ABC Studios produces in association with CBS Television Studios.
There’s more crime activity in Adam Rodriguez’s future…
CBS has picked up veteran crime dramaCriminal Minds, starring the 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor, for a 13th season.
Criminal Minds, from ABC Studios and CBS Studios, averages respectable 10.8 million viewers (Live+Same Day). Its Live+7 adults 18-49 tally (2.4) is the third-highest for a CBS non-sports program.
After a major cast overhaul in the past year, with the departure of Shemar Moore, the shocking exit of Thomas Gibson, the return of Paget Bewster, the promotion of Aisha Tyler and the addition of Rodriguez, as Luke Alvez, and Damon Gupton, there are no major changes planned for next season, with the cast expected to return. That includes veterans Joe Mantegna, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook and Kirsten Vangsness.
Rodriguez previously starred on CBS’ long-running series CSI: Miami.
Dolores Huerta has been given her marching orders…
The 86-year-old Latina labor leader and civil rights activist is set to speak at the Chelsea Handler-organized Women’s March on Main, an event taking place Saturday in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival.
The march will coincide with post-inauguration marches being held nationwide including the March on Washington.
In addition to Huerta, the co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW), the list of speakers for the Park City event includes Aisha Tyler, Connie Britton, Mary McCormack, Benjamin Bratt, Laurie David, Jessica Williams, Maria Bello and local officials including Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski. Handler is an organizing committee member.
The event, which is not affiliated with the festival, will start at 9:00 am local time at 220 Main St.
Handler announced plans for the march earlier this month. The march is set for two hours, usually before Park City really begins stirring during the festival. But just in case, the city has set up a text-messaging system for updates on transit, traffic and road closures.
The 32-year-old Honduran American actress appears in a special Elizabeth Banks-produced a cappella music video in support of the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States.
In a nod to the Pitch Perfect films she produces, Banks, along with Bruce Cohen and Mike Thompkins, recruited a long list of Hollywood actors and singers, including the former Ugly Betty star, for an a cappella version of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song.”
In addition to Ferrera, other Hollywood elit appearing in the video include Eva Longoria, Kristin Chenoweth, Rob Reiner, Mandy Moore, Alan Cumming, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Idina Menzel, Renee Fleming, Aisha Tyler, Jane Fonda, Sheryl Crow and, at the very end, Sia with a loud and proud, “Go Hillary.”
Armisen, who earneda best supporting actor in a comedy nod for Portlandia, the IFC series filmed and set in Portland, joins a list of presenters that includes Jane Lynch, Morgan Freeman, Tony Goldwyn, Heidi Klum and much of the nominated cast of Orange Is the New Black.
Other presenters include Patrick Adams (Suits), Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Tony Goldwyn (Scandal), Judy Greer (Archer), Jonathan Groff (The Normal Heart), Tim Gunn (Project Runway), Tony Hale (Veep),Allison Janney (Mom; Masters of Sex), KeeganMichael Key (Key and Peele), Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is the New Black),Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Joel McHale (The Soup; Community), Aisha Tyler (Archer), Matt Walsh (Veep), Matt Weiner (Mad Men) and Bellamy Young (Scandal).
This year’s awards show will take place a week and a day before the Primetime Emmy Awards. An edited version of the show will be broadcast on the FXM cable network.
The entire show will be streamed on Emmys.com from noon to 3 p.m. on Monday Aug. 25, just before the Primetime Emmy Awards.
In a multiple-episode arc, Garcia will portray Dr. Julia Ochoa, one of the country’s leading neuropsychiatrists who is assigned to help a high-profile patient recover from his injury-induced brain trauma. She clashes with Alvarez (Adam Rodriguez) who, by contrast, believes in a more aggressive approach than her gentle approach.
