Jharrel Jerome to Star as Anthony Robles in “Unstoppable”

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jharrel Jerome is unstoppable…

The 25-year-old Afro-Dominican American actor, an Emmy winner and EP/star of the upcoming Prime Video series I’m a Virgo that just premiered at SXSW, has signed on to star in Unstoppable, the film starring Jennifer Lopez and directed by Billy Goldenberg.

The film follows the true story of Anthony Robles, a three-time All-American wrestler born with one leg who won a national championship at Arizona State.

Robles will reportedly be heavily involved in the project, which Amazon Studios is in talks to acquire.

The second big project from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity and Amazon is coming together rather quickly before the April 5 opening of their first movie, Air, which is getting a theatrical release and debuted at SXSW on Saturday. Artists Equity is co-founded by RedBird Capital.

Robles was born without a right leg. At the age of 14, he tried wrestling for the first time, at a mere 90 pounds. His first year he went 5-8, but remained determined that he could be a champion in the sport one day. Robles is also an inspirational speaker.

In 2019 he broke the Guinness world record for most pull-ups in a minute with 62 reps.

Jerome won an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series for the Ava DuVernay Netflix series When They See Us. His other credits include the film Concrete Cowboy and the Stephen King series Mr. Mercedes. He’ll soon be seen co-starring in HBO Max’s Steven Soderbergh series Full Circle.

Jerome is an EP on the Boots Riley Amazon series I’m a Virgo. The darkly comedic, fantastical coming-of-age joyride center son Cootie (Jerome), a 13-foot-tall young Black man in Oakland, CA. Having grown up hidden away, passing time on a diet of comic books and TV shows, he escapes to experience the beauty and contradictions of the real world. He forms friendships, finds love, navigates awkward situations, and encounters his idol, a real-life superhero named The Hero, played by Walton Goggins. I’m A Virgo is a mythical odyssey that questions the purpose of the mythical odyssey.

Prime Video Renews Roberta Collindrez’s “A League of Their Own” for Second & Final Season

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Roberta Collindrez will have more time in the batting cage…

Prime Video has renewed A League of Their Own, starring the 36-year-old Mexican actor and writer, for a second and final season.

Following months of talks with Sony TV, the series will end with a four-episode Season 2, sources have confirmed.

The hourlong series, created by Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson, is an adaptation of Penny Marshall’s 1992 film.

It follows the formation of the WWII-era women’s professional baseball team, weaving in the experiences of both diverse and queer women at the center — earning the show a cult following.

Jacobson also stars alongside Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Collindrez, Kelly McCormack, Priscilla Delgado, Molly Ephraim, Kate Berlant, Melanie Field, Nick Offerman, Rosie O’Donnell, Patrick J. Adams, Patrice Covington, Sadiah Ekulona, Lea Robinson, Andia Winslow, Rae Gray and Lil Frex.

Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television produce in association with Field Trip Productions. The series is co-created and executive produced by Graham and Jacobson.

The first season was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award, NAACP Image Award and Independent Spirit Award for Ikumelo for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series.

Giovanni M. Porta Signs with Range Media Partners

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Giovanni M. Porta is expanding his range…

The Latino screenwriter and producer has signed with Range Media Partners.

Porta’s first produced project, At Midnight, premiered on Paramount+ in February.

The Mexican rom-com directed by Jonah Feingold tells the story of two people who do their best not to fall in love. The film centers on hotel manager Alejandro (Diego Boneta), who lives a predictable life according to plan, and Sophie (Monica Barbaro), a beautiful rising movie star with an unreliable celebrity boyfriend. During a visit to Mexico’s beach to shoot scenes for her new movie, Super Society, Sophie meets and becomes enamored with Alejandro. Neither of them will be able to avoid falling in love and going against all odds.

Porta wrote the script with Feingold and Maria Hinojosa and also served as co-executive producer.

He currently has further projects in development with Paramount+, as well as such notable producers as Platinum Dunes, Mandalay Pictures, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Karen Rosenfelt.

Porta previously penned the biopic Hedy, on the Old Hollywood starlet Hedy Lamarr, which Amazon Studios awarded Best Screenplay, as part of the Athena’s List screenwriting competition in 2019.

The Pepperdine University grad was born and raised in both Miami, Florida and Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Range Media Partners is a management and production company, founded in September of 2020, with clientele spanning film, television, music, literary, tech and activism.

Brie & Nikki Bella to Host Amazon’s Social Dating Competition Series “Twin Love”

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Brie and Nikki Bella are twinning in love.

Amazon has ordered a new competition series Twin Love, hosted by the 39-year-old half-Mexican American WWE stars and twin sisters.

Amazon has greenlit the series from ITV Entertainment. It will air on Prime Video and in the U.S. and UK and premiere simultaneously on free streamer Freevee.

Twin Love is a social dating experiment that explores the love lives of identical twins. Ten sets of twins will be split up and placed into two houses of identical casts, where they’ll begin a unique and compelling search for love.

The series will discover if their inherent similarities extend to their romantic desires. When separated from their twin brothers and sisters—some for the first time ever—will they pursue the same identical partners? Or will their choices be dramatically different?

The series, which will launch this summer, is based on a Dutch format created by ITV Studios Netherlands; the latest format to come out of the country responsible for Big Brother, The Voice and The Traitors.

“Twin Love is a social dating experience like no other, blending the specificity of being a twin—someone born, quite literally, with a biological soulmate—with the universality of being single and searching for lasting romantic love,” said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD Original Content and Unscripted Programming, Amazon Studios.

Brie and Nikki, the former wrestling duo, have starred in a number of reality series including E!’s hit Total Divas and Total Bellas.

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes to Star in Prime Video’s Holiday Comedy “Candy Cane Lane”

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes is getting into the Christmas holiday season way early…

The 40-year-old half-Mexican American actress and comedian has joined the cast of Prime Video’s holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane.

Johnson-Reyes is among a list of new cast additions that includes Ken Marino and D.C. Young Fly.

They join previously announced cast members Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Robin Thede, Chris Redd and Danielle Pinnock.

Reginald Hudlin directs off a script by Kelly Younger, inspired by his own childhood holiday experiences.

Story details are being kept under wraps.

The movie is shooting in Los Angeles and a part of the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program. The film will stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide and marks the first film falling under Murphy’s three-picture and first-look film deal with Amazon Studios.

Johnson-Reyes has six comedy specials streaming on various platforms. Additionally, she has guest starred on shows like Life & Beth, Superstore, The Shield, Ugly Betty and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Her film credits include Enough Said, Our Family Wedding, and Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

Amazon Releases Trailer for Sebastian Chacon’s New Series “Daisy Jones & The Six”

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Sebastian Chacon is jonesing…

Amazon has released the trailer for its upcoming Prime Video series Daisy Jones & The Six, starring the 29-year-old Latino actor.

Based on the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, the series brings the band to life led by Riley Keough as the titular character.

In 1977, Daisy Jones & The Six were on top of the world. Fronted by two charismatic lead singers — Daisy Jones (Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) — the band had risen from obscurity to fame. And then, after a sold-out show at Chicago’s Soldier Field, they called it quits. Now, decades later, the band members finally agree to reveal the truth. This is the story of how an iconic band imploded at the height of its powers.

The trailer features clips of the band performing and writing music together, also hinting at the rocky relationship between Daisy and Billy.

The trailer also includes the band performing their hit single from the book, “Regret Me.”

The song is part of the fictional album Aurora, which has also been brought to life and will be released when the series debuts on March 3. Prime Video has shared that track list.

Grammy-winning songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Blake Mills led the production on Aurora with co-writing credits from Marcus Mumford, Phoebe Bridgers and Jackson Browne.

Tony Berg also provided additional production, and the album features instrumentalists from Rilo Kiley, the Who, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, David Bowie, Elton John, Jeff Beck and the Wallflowers.

In addition to Keough, claflin and Chacon, who portrays Warren Rojas, Daisy Jones & The Six also stars Camila Morrone as Camila Dunne, Will Harrison as Graham Dunne, Suki Waterhouse as Karen Sirko, Josh Whitehouse as Eddie Roundtree, Nabiyah Be as Simone Jackson, and Tom Wright as Teddy Price, with a special guest appearance by Timothy Olyphant as Rod Reyes.

From Amazon Studios and Hello Sunshine, Daisy Jones & The Six is executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter for Hello Sunshine and Brad Mendelsohn for Circle of Confusion.

James Ponsoldt directed the first five episodes and serves as an executive producer. Nzingha Stewart directed four of the remaining episodes, and Graham directed one.

Here’s the full tracklist for Aurora:
“Aurora”
“Let Me Down Easy”
“Kill You to Try”
“Two Against Three”
“Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)”
“Regret Me”
“You Were Gone”
“More Fun to Miss”
“Please”
“The River”
“No Words”

Gloria Calderón Kellett Appointed to Television Academy’s Executive Committee

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Calderón Kellett is reporting for committee duty…

The 47-year-old Cuban American award-winning television writer/creator has been appointed to the Television Academy’s Executive Committee for 2023 by chairman and CEO Frank Scherma.

Calderon Kellet is among six new committee members that includes Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO/HBO Max Content; George Cheeks, President and CEO, CBS, and Chief Content Officer, News and Sports, Paramount+; Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairman, Universal Studio Group; Lisa Nishimura, Vice President, Independent and Documentary Films at Netflix; and Zack Van Amburg, Chief Content Officer and Head of Worldwide Video for Apple TV+.

They will advise on the organization’s diverse initiatives and help lead the Academy throughout the upcoming year.

“I’m thrilled to welcome these accomplished executives back to serve on our Executive Committee,” said Scherma in a statement. “They will continue to bring their extensive experience and insight to our dynamic organization.”

Additionally, the Academy’s Board of Governors has elected the following Peer Group Governors as their representatives on the executive committee for the 2023 term: Eddie Bonin (special visual effects), Debra Curtis (television executives), Jill Dickerson (reality programming) and Troy Underwood (children’s programming). Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy Foundation, will also serve on the committee.

Calderón Kellett’s recent credits include the One Day at a Time reboot and Amazon Studios’ With Love.

Netflix Renews Jenna Ortega’s Hit Series “Wednesday” for Second Season

Posted on January 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega’s Wednesdays are officially booked for another season…

Netflix has ordered a second season of its hit series Wednesday, starring the 20-year-old Mexican and Puerto Rican actress.

From MGM Television, Wednesday crossed the 1B hours viewed mark – only the third show to do that on Netflix – in less than a month and overtook Dahmer to become the second most-watched U.S. show behind season four of Stranger Things.

Wednesday offers a new take on The Addams Family — the classic cartoon strip that was created by Charles Addams which ultimately became a ’60s sitcom and a ’90s feature film.

Wednesday ranks No. 2 on the most popular (English) TV list with 1.237 billion hours viewed within its first 28 days.

What’s most unique about the series is how one of Netflix’s biggest rivals, Amazon, is responsible for the series after it closed a $8.5B deal to buy MGM.

MGM Television has since been restructured into Amazon Studios under Jen Salke.

Wednesday debuted in November. The coming-of-age comedy is from Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar and directed/executive-produced by Tim Burton.

Sasha Cócola to Star in Prime Video’s Spanish Supernatural Horror Series “Romancero”

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Sasha Cócola is embracing the supernatural…

The Spanish actor is set to star in Prime Video’s latest Spanish original, the supernatural horror series Romancero.

Written by author and screenwriter Fernando Navarro and directed by Tomás Peña, the series hails from The Mediapro Studio-owned producer 100 Balas.

In addition to Cócola, known for Food & Shelter and Paco’s Men, the film will also star Serbian-born actress Elena Matic, making her debut in a dramatic series in Spain, Ricardo Gómez, Guillermo Toledo, Belén Cuesta and Julieta Cardinali. It includes a special guest role for Alba Flores.

Romancero follows Cornelia and Jordan, as they flee “the force of law, powerful supernatural creatures and themselves,” framed within “within the backdrop of a desert-like and cruel Andalusia, as real as it is mythical, during a nightmarish night plagued with demons, witches and those who drink blood.”

Navarro and Peña said they have drawn inspiration from comics, Gothic literature, tales of witches, ghosts and creatures, the poetry of Federico García Lorca and esotericism to inform the show.

The series will run to six half-hour episodes with the action taking place throughout one single night. Filming is underway on location at several settings in Almería, while interiors will be shot in Madrid. The Mediapro Studio CEO Laura Fdz. Espeso producing, with Javier Méndez, Fernando Navarro, Alejandro Florez and Maya Maidagan the executive producers.

“Romancero is one of the most ambitious 100 Balas productions, a fantastic genre tale, which will entail a very significant level of post-production and special effects, as well as some incredible locations in Almería”, said Alejandro Florez, General Manager of 100 Balas.

“Romancero is an excellent example of how we create our international originals; featuring the very best emerging talent both in front of and behind the camera, with a clearly local story narrated by a creative team at its best,” said James Farrell, Head of International Originals, Amazon Studios.

Daniella Pineda to Star in Amazon Freevee’s Half-Hour Period Comedy Pilot “Western”

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Daniella Pineda is heading west(ern)…

The 35-year-old Mexican American actress will star in Amazon Freevee’s Western, a half-hour period comedy pilot from Sony Pictures Television, Amazon Studios and Lord Miller.

Pineda will star opposite Guy Burnet, Luca Diaz and Anna Konkle in the project.

Written by Michelle Morgan, Western is set in the 1800s. It follows Polly (Konkle), a young high-society woman from Philadelphia who travels out west on a desperate quest for a husband only to discover that she has been catfished by a teenage boy (Diaz). Now stranded in 1866 Montana, Polly, along with the town’s other inhabitants, must find their place in this ever-changing new world, confronting and defying all expectations society has of them along the way.

Pineda is Bess. The sexy, tough as nails, quick as a whip proprietress of Sumner’s most popular saloon; a woman who isn’t intimidated by the male dominated wild west landscape but with a heart of gold hidden not too far below the surface.

Diaz portrays Henry Johnson. A 14 going on 45, a wiley, wild-haired pre-teen with a penchant for writing letters to unsuspecting women and an unexpected amount of depth coursing through his pubescent veins.

Tony Yacenda serves as executive producer and directs.

Pineda most recently starred in Jurassic World: Dominion reprising her role as Zia Rodriguez from Fallen Kingdom.

She’ll next be seen in the comedy feature In Town, which she also executive produced, and starring opposite Gerard Butler and Mike Colter in The Plane, for Lionsgate and Di Bonaventura Pictures.

On television, she recently starred in the Netflix series Cowboy Bebop.

Diaz, who has been acting since the age of 6, can be heard in the voice cast of the upcoming Black Adam film and in Transformers: Earth Spark for Nickelodeon.

He also has appeared in commercials for Sam’s Club, Audi and Subaru.

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