Tag Archives: Amazon

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

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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.

Brie & Nikki BellaAmazon 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.  

Gina Rodriguez Signs Overall Deal with 20th Television

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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.

Aimee Carrero to Star in the Buddy Action-Comedy “Code 3”

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Aimee Carrero has broken the code…

The 34-year-old Dominican actress will star in the buddy action-comedy Code 3 opposite Rainn Wilson and Lil Rel Howery.

Aimee CarreroProduction is set to begin in February.

She’ll portray Jessica, a newbie paramedic who is eager to learn is well-trained, and is superb under pressure. In the 24-hour shift where she’s training to replace Randy (Wilson), she’s in for an incredible day of surprises and realizations.

The film, by director Christopher Leone, follows a day in the life of two overworked, underpaid, and nearly burnt-out paramedics. One EMT is so burnt-out by the job that he’s forcing himself to resign, though he first must embark on one last 24-hour shift to train his replacement. Everything that could happen on the job, from the mundane to the extreme, then happens on this final, exhilarating day.

The script for Code 3 hails from Leone and former paramedic Patrick Pianezza. Angela Cardon will oversee the project for Wayfarer Studios and will serve as its sole financier.

Producers are Justin Baldoni and Andrew Calof for Wayfarer, Lawrence Mattis of Circle of Confusion, Matt Smith of Electro Corduroy Entertainment, and Paul “Pizza” Pianezza of Realdream.

Carrero’s breakout role was in Season 2 of FX’s The Americans playing the character of Lucia.

She can currently be seen in the Fox Searchlight film The Menu starring Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy, streaming now via HBO Max.

Additionally, she co-starred in the Apple TV+ holiday film Spirited opposite Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell.

Up next, she’ll appear as a series regular in Amazon’s The Consultant opposite Christoph Waltz in the role of Patti.

 

Emilio Estefan Makes Acting Debut in “Bezos: The Beginning”

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Emilio Estefan is expanding his impressive resume…

The 69-year-old Grammy-winning music producer and musician has made his acting debut in the recently-released Bezos: The Beginning, where he plays Jeff Bezos’ father, Mike Bezos.

Emilio EstefanBased on the book Zero to Hero, the film is a true-life story that chronicles Bezos’ journey to create Amazon and become one the richest men in the world.

“Very happy to be a part of this movie and represent Mike Bezos, the father of Jeff Bezos,” Estefan wrote on social media. “Mike represents the unconditional love that a father has for his son and his family, the unique love that parents feel for their children. When they introduced me to the project, I loved it! I think they called me because of my accent but the reality is that I identified immediately with Mike.”

Bezos: The Beginning is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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

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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.

Sebastian Chacon,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”

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

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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.

Jenna Ortega, Wednesday

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.

Sarah Shahi to Executive Produce & Star in the Christmas Film “The Hollys”

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It’s a Hollys, jolly Christmas for Sarah Shahi. 

The 42-year-old part-Spanish American actress and breakout star of Black Adam will executive produce and star in the Christmas film The Hollys with Burr Steers attached to direct.

Sarah ShahiThe film, co-written by Floriana Lima, Yolanda Pecoraro, and Ilaria Urbinati, will be produced by Denise Di Novi and Margaret French Isaac of Di Novi Pictures.

The story centers on Emma Holly (Shahi), a workaholic single mom whose life starts to unravel when she loses her job in the city as a successful food editor right before the holidays. Along with her young daughter, Emma is forced to move back into her childhood home in Connecticut with her old-fashioned housewife mom, whose husband just left her on Thanksgiving. In this multigenerational love letter to moms, the three Holly women will have to get through Christmas under one roof, learn to reconcile their differences and mend their fractured relationship in order to cook up a new future for themselves.

“DiNovi Films has a reputation for making insightful, timeless films that champion relevant and bold female narratives to become generation-spanning cinematic gems,” said Shahi. “Under the ingenious direction of Burr Steers, along with the eye of Denise Di Novi, Margaret French Isaac and the rest of the DiNovi team, it’s the perfect home to turn our Christmas tale into an instant classic to revisit year after year.”

Shahi stars alongside Dwayne Johnson in New Line/DC’s Black Adam, which was the No. 1 movie globally its first three weeks of release and has grossed $390M to date. She also stars in the lead role of Netflix’s hit series Sex/Life, which amassed more than 67 million viewers in its first season.

The series will return for Season 2 in 2023.

Shahi also has wrapped production on the Amazon film Red, White & Royal Blue, based on Casey McQuiston’s bestselling novel, and is working on a book.

“We are admirers of Sarah’s brilliant and honest performances, we are thrilled to partner with her and Burr on this evergreen holiday movie,” Di Novi and French Isaac said in a statement. “Combining the heartfelt wit and nuance from our writers with Burr’s comedic and visual excellence, we are excited to deliver a film starring Sarah that showcases working parents, family, togetherness, and all sides of the passion and love brought forth during the holiday season.

Diego Luna Earns Critics Choice Awards Nomination for “Andor”

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Diego Luna has made his mark with critics…

The television nominations have been revealed for the 2023 Critics Choice Awards, with the 42-year-old Mexican actor, director and producer earning a nod.

Diego LunaLuna is nominated in the Best Actor in a Drama Series category for his performance in Disney+’s Andor. It’s his first Critics Choice Awards nomination.

Ismael Cruz Córdova is also a first time nominee…

The 35-year-old Afro Puerto Rican television, stage and film actor is up for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Spanish series iGarcia!, starring Francisco Ortiz, Micky Molina and Veki G. Velilla, is nominated in the Best Foreign Language Series category.

The winners will be unveiled at the Critics Choice Awards gala, which will broadcast live on The CW from the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 7:00 pm ET/delayed PT.

Nominations for the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards film categories will be announced December 14.

Here’s the full list of TV nominees:

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Andor (Disney+)
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
Better Call Saul (AMC)
The Crown (Netflix)
Euphoria (HBO)
The Good Fight (Paramount+)
House of the Dragon (HBO)
Severance (Apple TV+)
Yellowstone (Paramount Network)

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jeff Bridges – The Old Man (FX)
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)
Diego Luna – Andor (Disney+)
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul (AMC)
Adam Scott – Severance (Apple TV+)
Antony Starr – The Boys (Prime Video)

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
Laura Linney – Ozark (Netflix)
Mandy Moore – This Is Us (NBC)
Kelly Reilly – Yellowstone (Paramount Network)
Zendaya – Euphoria (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Andre Braugher – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Ismael Cruz Córdova – The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime Video)
Michael Emerson – Evil (Paramount+)
Giancarlo Esposito – Better Call Saul (AMC)
John Lithgow – The Old Man (FX)
Matt Smith – House of the Dragon (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Milly Alcock – House of the Dragon (HBO)
Carol Burnett – Better Call Saul (AMC)
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus (HBO)
Julia Garner – Ozark (Netflix)
Audra McDonald – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Rhea Seehorn – Better Call Saul (AMC)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Barry (HBO)
The Bear (FX)
Better Things (FX)
Ghosts (CBS)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Reboot (Hulu)
Reservation Dogs (FX)

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Matt Berry – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Bill Hader – Barry (HBO)
Keegan-Michael Key – Reboot (Hulu)
Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear (FX)
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai – Reservation Dogs (FX)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate – Dead to Me (Netflix)
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Kaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
Renée Elise Goldsberry – Girls5eva (Peacock)
Devery Jacobs – Reservation Dogs (FX)
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Brandon Scott Jones – Ghosts (CBS)
Leslie Jordan – Call Me Kat (Fox)
James Marsden – Dead to Me (Netflix)
Chris Perfetti – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Henry Winkler – Barry (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Paulina Alexis – Reservation Dogs (FX)
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear (FX)
Marcia Gay Harden – Uncoupled (Netflix)
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Annie Potts – Young Sheldon (CBS)
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

BEST LIMITED SERIES
The Dropout (Hulu)
Gaslit (Starz)
The Girl from Plainville (Hulu)
The Offer (Paramount+)
Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
Station Eleven (HBO Max)
This Is Going to Hurt (AMC+)
Under the Banner of Heaven (FX)

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Fresh (Hulu)
Prey (Hulu)
Ray Donovan: The Movie (Showtime)
The Survivor (HBO)
Three Months (Paramount+)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (The Roku Channel)

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Ben Foster – The Survivor (HBO)
Andrew Garfield – Under the Banner of Heaven (FX)
Samuel L. Jackson – The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Apple TV+)
Daniel Radcliffe – Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (The Roku Channel)
Sebastian Stan – Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
Ben Whishaw – This is Going to Hurt (AMC+)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Julia Garner – Inventing Anna (Netflix)
Lily James – Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
Amber Midthunder – Prey (Hulu)
Julia Roberts – Gaslit (Starz)
Michelle Pfeiffer – The First Lady (Showtime)
Amanda Seyfried – The Dropout (Hulu)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Murray Bartlett – Welcome to Chippendales (Hulu)
Domhnall Gleeson – The Patient (FX)
Matthew Goode – The Offer (Paramount+)
Paul Walter Hauser – Black Bird (Apple TV+)
Ray Liotta – Black Bird (Apple TV+)
Shea Whigham – Gaslit (Starz)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Claire Danes – Fleishman Is in Trouble (FX)
Dominique Fishback – The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Apple TV+)
Betty Gilpin – Gaslit (Starz)
Melanie Lynskey – Candy (Hulu)
Niecy Nash-Betts – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)
Juno Temple – The Offer (Paramount+)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES
1899 (Netflix)
Borgen (Netflix)
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix)
Garcia! (HBO Max)
The Kingdom Exodus (MUBI)
Kleo (Netflix)
My Brilliant Friend (HBO)
Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Tehran (Apple TV+)

BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Bluey (Disney+)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal (Adult Swim)
Harley Quinn (HBO Max)
Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
Undone (Prime Video)

BEST TALK SHOW
The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo)

BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
Fortune Feimster: Good Fortune (Netflix)
Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel (HBO)
Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual (Netflix)
Nikki Glaser: Good Clean Filth (HBO)
Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special (Netflix)
Would It Kill You to Laugh? Starring Kate Berlant &  John Early (Peacock)

Steve Treviño Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

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Steve Treviño has new representation…

The 44-year-old Mexican American rising stand-up comedian, writer and producer has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for representation.

Steve TreviñoDubbed “America’s Favorite Husband” for his relatable style, Treviño’s videos have been viewed more than 223 million times. He has sold out shows coast-to-coast, has amassed more than two million social media followers, and has headlined specials for Amazon, Netflix and Showtime, among others.

Treviño’s specials include Grandpa Joe’s Son, his first for Showtime, which was ranked among the Nielsen Top 20.  He also funded, produced, and shot his 2014 Netflix hit Relatable. To promote the special, he uploaded a clip titled “When Your Wife Comes Home From Shopping,” which generated 56 million views on Facebook.

He also expanded his social media presence through fans imitating bits of his comedy specials on TikTok.  In less than two years, the grassroots effort helped him build a worldwide fan base on the platform, garnering 4.8 million likes and more than 50 million views.

In 2020, he and his wife, Renae, unveiled a weekly podcast entitled Steve Treviño and Captain Evil that has earned more than 1.5 million views/streams and is now in its third season.

He also filmed his fourth self-produced comedy special, My Life In Quarantine, which was picked up by Amazon Prime.

His self-produced fifth special filmed in Waco, Texas, entitled I Speak Wife, independently released on October 21 for free, exclusively to his global audience on YouTube.

Treviño regularly raises money for Helicopters for Heroes, an organization benefiting veterans, for whom he has helped raise over $1.5 million in the past two years.

The John Wick Prequel Series “The Continental,” Starring Mishel Prada, to Stream on Prime Video Globally

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Mishel Prada’s continental moment is headed to Amazon…

The John Wick prequel series The Continental, starring the 32-year-old part Puerto Rican, Dominican and Mexican actress, will be housed internationally on Prime Video in all territories Amazon’s streaming service is available except Israel and the Middle East. It is slated for debut in 2023.

Mishel PradaIn the U.S., The Continental, produced by Lionsgate Television, will launch on Peacock after it moved from Starz to the NBCU streamer earlier this year.

The three-part action event series is more of a natural fit for Peacock, which also acquired the rights to the John Wick movies.

The Continental explores the origin story and inner workings of the exclusive Continental Hotel, a centerpiece of the John Wick Universe which serves as a refuge for assassins. It told from the perspective of the hotel manager, portrayed by Ian McShane in the film franchise – a young Winston Scott, played by Colin Woodell. Throughout the series, viewers will follow Winston through the underworld of ‘70’s New York, where he will battle demons from his past as he attempts to seize control of the iconic hotel – a hotel that serves as a meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals.

Woodell stars alongside Ayomide Adegun, who will portray a young Charon, Peter Greene, who plays Uncle Charlie, Mel Gibson as Cormac, Ben Robson as Frankie, Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles, Jessica Allain as Lou, Prada as KD and Nhung Kate as Yen.

Keanu Reeves, who stars in the movies, is not expected to star in the series.

“The John Wick films have created one of the most immersive, detailed and enjoyable universes we’ve seen on screen in the last decade,” said Chris Mansolillo, Director, Content Acquisition, Prime Video. “We are extremely proud to play a part in continuing to build that universe, offering viewers an insight into the origins of the infamous Continental Hotel and its incredible characters.”

Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward serve as writers, showrunners, and executive producers on The Continental. Shawn Simmons serves as a writer and executive producer.

Hughes directs the first and third nights and Charlotte Brandstrom directs the second night.