HBO Max Releases First Trailer for “Gordita Chronicles,” Starring Olivia Goncalves

Olivia Goncalves is heading back to the 80s…

HBO Max has released the first trailer for its coming-of-age series Gordita Chronicles, starring the Latina Hollywood newcomer.

Olivia Goncalves

The series, which is about family, opportunity, love, resilience and boldly defying the status quo in pursuit of the “American Dream,” will premiere on Thursday, June 23 on HBO Max.

Here’s the logline for the series from Sony Pictures Television and executive producers Eva Longoria and Zoe Saldana: The year is 1985 and Cucu “Gordita” Castelli (Goncalves) has just said goodbye to all of her friends and family in Santo Domingo. She has moved to Miami with her marketing-executive father Víctor (Juan Javier Cardenas), bold and vivacious mother Adela (Diana Maria Riva) and status-obsessed older sister Emilia (Savannah Nicole Ruiz). While life in America is far from what they imagined — “The song said ‘America the Beautiful,” Cucu says, “I think they oversold it” — the Castellis are determined to take charge of their strange new world. The coming-of-age series is about family, opportunity, love, resilience, and boldly defying the status quo in pursuit of the “American Dream.”

After immigrating from their home in the Dominican Republic, 12-year-old Cucu Castelli (Goncalves) and her eccentric family must discover and define their version of the “American Dream” in 1980s Miami. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

Noah Rico, Cosette Hauer and Dascha Polanco also star in the series, whose first episode was directed by Longoria. Patrick Fabian and Loni Love are guest stars.

Showrunner Brigitte Munoz-Liebowitz executive produces alongside writer Claudia Forestieri, Longoria, Saldana, Josh Berman, Jennifer Robinson, Chris King, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana.

Netflix Releases Trailer for Season Two of J.J. Soria’s “Gentefied”

J.J. Soria has the fighting spirit…

The first trailer has been released for the second season of Netflix’s Gentefied, starring the 35-year-old Mexican American actor.

JJ Soria

In the new clip, the Morales cousins (Soria, Karrie Martin Lachney and Carlos Santos) are dealing with drama galore as they fight to keep their grandfather Pops (Joaquín Cosío) from being deported back to Mexico.

The series, from creators Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez, follows East Los Angeles Latinos on their respective and collective search for the American Dream.

Season 2—premiering on November 10— picks up after the emotional debut season’s finale that saw Erik Morales (Soria) and his girlfriend Lidia (Annie Gonzalez) welcome their daughter, Delfina. Amid all the happiness, Erik realizes his grandfather Pops (Cosio) is missing from the hospital celebration because he’s been arrested on an outstanding warrant and his beloved pick-up truck is being impounded.

Pops is now free and staging a fight to stay in the United States armed with the help of his social media fans and his attorney Melinna Barragan (Melinna Bobadilla). But will that be enough?

As the trailer reveals, he is also reunited with his companion Lupe (Alma Martinez) who is still waiting for his dead wife’s approval so they can take their relationship to the next level.

Speaking of love, there’s a budding relationship ahead for Chris Morales (Santos), the chef of the family whose talents could take him well beyond the neighborhood. Sparks fly when he meets Sarai (Ivana Rojas), a strong Latina with big dreams who is running her own food truck.

His cousin Ana Morales (Martin) continues to mend a broken heart after her split from Yessika (Julissa Calderon) whose icy demeanor pushes Ana into the arms of someone new.

 

Gentefied is executive produced by Lemus, Chávez, Charles D. King, Marta Fernandez of MACRO, America Ferrera of Take Fountain, Aaliyah Williams, Kim Roth, and Teri Weinberg of Yellow Brick Road.

Amazon Studios Orders Pilot for George Lopez’s Drama Series “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan”

George Lopez’s Time has come…

Amazon Studios has ordered a pilot for the drama series Once Upon a Time in Aztlan from STXtelevision, starring and executive produced by the 60-year-old Mexican American actor/comedian via his Travieso Productions banner.

George Lopez

Written by Javier Rodriguez, the one-hour drama revolves around a Chicano family in the deep suburbs of Los Angeles as they come to terms with the falsehoods of the American Dream, and their ability to defy expectations.

Rodriguez executive produces with photographer/director Estevan Oriol, LA-based artist Mister Cartoon, and Michael Connolly who put the Latinx package together under his STXtelevision-based Mad Hatter Entertainment banner. Matthew Carnahan joined the package in the writers room and serves as EP.

Ricardo de Montreuil is directing the pilot and will executive produce along with Oriol and Cartoon’s longtime collaborators Mark Suroff and Marco Valadez, who produced the hit documentary LA Originals, which Oriol directed. Oriol’s work has been showcased in The Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives, The Petersen Automotive Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art, and in Los Angeles’ and New York’s Art in the Streets exhibit, among others.

Netflix to Premiere Season 2 of JJ Soria’s “Gentefied” in November

JJ Soria is returning to East L.A. in November…

Netflix’s half-hour Latinx dramedy Gentefied, starring the 40-year-old Mexican American actor, is returning for Season 2 on November 10.

Gentefied

From creators Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez, the series follows East Los Angeles Latinos on their respective and collective search for the American Dream.

Season 2 picks up after the emotional debut season’s finale that saw Erik Morales (Soria) and his girlfriend Lidia (Annie Gonzalez) welcome a daughter, Delfina. As Erik realizes his grandfather Pops (Joaquin Cosio) is missing from the hospital celebration, it is revealed that he has been arrested for an outstanding warrant and his beloved pick-up truck is being impounded.

The streamer teases the return will tackle Erik and his cousin Chris’s (Carlos Santos) struggle to keep Pops in the country while dealing with new love, new babies, estranged fathers, and tracking down Bad Bunny at a Halloween party. They’ll fight to thrive, but along the way will question where they truly belong in a world made up of borders, family separation, and the potential loss of their beloved taco shop, Mama Fina’s.

Gentefied is a Netflix production also starring Karrie Martin Lachney, Julissa Calderon; and newly added season 2 cast Melinna Bobadilla, Manuel Uriza, Ivana Rojas, and Clarissa Thibeaux.

The series is executive produced by Lemus, Chávez, Charles D. King, Marta Fernandez of MACRO, America Ferrera of Take Fountain, Aaliyah Williams, Kim Roth, and Teri Weinberg of Yellow Brick Road.

Karlee Leilani Perez Developing Cop Series “Miami River Cops” with Mark Canton

Karlee Leilani Perez is policing her future….

The 35-year-old part-Spanish and part-Cuban American actress, model and professional wrestler, best known for her work in WWE under the ring name Maxine, is partnering with executive producer Mark Canton to develop a new cop series.

Karlee Leilani Perez

The show, Miami River Cops (working title), is based on the life of former police officer Victor Zapata.

It will follow Zapata as a young Latin street cop, examining his encounters with drug dealers, racist commanders and his own corrupt motivations. Ultimately, it will watch as he and his closest friends are transformed from cops to criminals while chasing the American Dream in 1980s Miami.

The series is being scripted by James DiLapo and Sebastian Gutierrez. Canton and Perez will executive produce.

Miami River Cops is the first project to emerge from a 50-50 partnership deal Perez recently entered into with Canton’s Atmosphere Entertainment.

Perez is reportedly slated to produce a number of other projects under the deal.

“I could not be more excited to join this wonderfully talented team in creating this series that will powerfully connect the 80’s with modern times,” said Mark Canton. “It will be filled with twists and turns as the audience, through the eyes of the protagonist and his cop cohorts, experience the impact of losing touch with their sworn duty to protect and serve and instead turn to the dark side.”

Added Perez: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share this story with the world. I appreciate Mark’s continued effort to empower women such as myself. Mark and Dorothy Canton are brilliant creatives and I look forward to collaborating with them.”

FX Renews JD Pardo’s “Mayans M.C.” for Fourth Season

JD Pardo is still ridin’ high…

FX’s Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans M.C., starring the 40-year-old Salvadoran and Argentinian-American actor, has been renewed for a fourth season, coming ahead of the third-season finale of the gritty biker drama on May 11.

JD Pardo

Co-creator Elgin James took over as showrunner for the third season following the firing of his co-creator Kurt Sutter.

The fourth season will air in 2022.

Mayans M.C. follows the life of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes, played by Pardo, a newly patched member of the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp, EZ and his brother Angel (Clayton Cardenas) are closer than ever after uncovering the truth behind their mother’s murder while their father Felipe (Edward James Olmos) struggles to reconcile the choices he and his sons have made.

After U.S. Assistant District Attorney Lincoln Potter (Ray McKinnon) threatens to deport Felipe, EZ and Angel chose to leverage incriminating information to protect him rather than to free rebel leader Adelita (Carla Baratta) from federal custody, leaving her to give birth to Angel’s son while in handcuffs. Meanwhile, Miguel Galindo (Danny Pino), is left reeling over the loss of his mother to apparent suicide, while others quietly suspect foul play.

Additionally, the Mayans seek vengeance on their rivals, the Tijuana M.C. Vatos Malditos, after a surprise attack on their club. When the smoke clears, they discover the body of a Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original – there will be hell to pay.

Michael Irby, Raoul Max Trujillo, Richard Cabral, Emilio Rivera, Sarah Bolger and Sulem Calderon also star.

Mayans M.C. is executive produced by James, Michael Dinner and Sutter. The 10-episode third season is produced by 20th Television and FX Productions.

“Elgin James, his creative collaborators, this incredible cast and crew delivered on another epic season of Mayans M.C.,” said Nick Grad, President, Original Programming, FX Entertainment. “Through three seasons, Mayans has told stories that resonate well beyond the border where the club thrives and survives, inviting fans inside their world and giving them a seat at the table.”

Cecilia Suárez to Star in ABC Drama Pilot “Promised Land”

Cecilia Suárez has landed a new starring role…

The 49-year-old Mexican actress and activist has been set as a lead opposite Augusto Aguilera in John Ortiz’s ABC drama pilot Promised Land.

Cecilia Suarez,

Written by Matt LopezPromised Land is an epic, generation-spanning drama about two Latinx families vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley.

Suárez plays Lettie Sandoval, the matriarch of the Sandoval family, a wealthy vineyard-owning family in the Sonoma Valley. Lettie will do anything to keep her family, with all its fraying allegiances, intact. She is proud of the fortune the Sandovals have built, but the arrival of a figure from Lettie’s past soon causes her to question whether the cost of achieving the American Dream is too high.

Aguilera will play Mateo Sandoval,t he hardworking, highly capable general manager of the Heritage Vineyard, but as the stepson to patriarch Joe Sandoval (Ortiz), he has never felt fully accepted by the wealthy, vineyard-owning Sandoval family. Mateo finds himself at a crossroads when a young immigrant who reminds him of his roots arrives to work in the Sandoval household.

Previously cast in the pilot are Mariel Molino as Camila Sandoval, the youngest daughter of the Sandoval family, Christina Ochoa as Veronica Sandoval, the eldest daughter of the Sandovals, as well as Andres Velez as Carlos Rincón, a young immigrant who comes to the Heritage Vineyard in search of a better life.

Suárez just wrapped the title role in Latido Films’ feature Alegria, directed by Violeta Salama. She can be seen in the new Netflix Spanish mini-series Someone Has To Die, written and directed by her long-time collaborator Manolo Caro.

She also starred in the Amazon limited series 3 Caminos. For the last three seasons, she starred in Manolo Caro’s popular Netflix series: The House of Flowers (La Casa de las Flores). She also is the first Spanish speaking actress to be nominated for an International Emmy Award for her role in the Capadoccia series for HBO.

Aguilera recently recurred as Liver opposite Ray Romano and Cristin Milioti in HBO Max’s Made For Love, a half-hour series adaptation based on Alissa Nutting’s tragicomic novel. Aguilera was also seen as one of the leads in Nic Refn’s Amazon series Too Old To Die Young, opposite Miles Teller.

He was previously seen in 20th Century Fox’s The Predator, directed by Shane Black and the Hulu pilot Citizen directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon as well as the Audience Network series Ice directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Eva Longoria to Direct & Executive Produce HBO Max’s “The Gordita Chronicles” Pilot

Eva Longoria has lined up her next directorial project…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actress/producer will direct and executive produce The Gordita Chronicles pilot at HBO Max.

Eva Longoria

The single-camera family comedy hails from Josh Berman’s Osprey ProductionsZoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures, and Sony Pictures Television, where Berman’s Osprey Prods is under a deal.

Written by Claudia Forestier, The Gordita Chronicles centers on a willful, chubby, 12-year-old Dominican who struggles to fit into hedonistic 1980s Miami as her family pursues the American Dream.

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Zoe Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures.

Sony Pictures Television is the studio.

Longoria will be making her film directorial debut with Searchlight’s Flamin’ Hot, an inspiring biopic about the janitor turned executive who created the flaming hot Cheetos snack. She’ll also direct the workplace comedy 24/7 and star alongside Kerry Washington for Universal and direct the action comedy Spa Day for Sony.

The former Desperate Housewives star made her television directing debut on Devious Maids in 2014. Her television producing/directing credits also include ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Versus, and episodes of Black-ish, The Mick and Telenovela.

Longoria made her pilot directing debut with the CW’s Glorious.

 

Christy Turlington to Form Part of Apple TV+’s New Documentary Series “The Supermodels”

Christy Turlington will be sashaying her way onto Apple TV+

The 51-year-old half-Salvadoran American will be appearing in the streamer’s latest documentary series The Supermodels.

Christy Turlington

Hailing from Imagine Documentaries and directed by Barbara Kopple, the series will feature access to and interviews with Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista, who will all executive produce alongside Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes and Kopple.

Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista

The Supermodels will revisit the quartet’s modelling careers and how they disrupted the 90s’ fashion scene.

The series comes out of Imagine Documentaries first-look agreement with Apple.

Director Kopple has previously won two Academy Awards in 1976 for Kentucky miners’ strike film Harlan County, USA and in 1991 for American Dream about the Hormel strike in Austin, Minnesota.

Campbell said it was a “dream come true to bring it to life”. “We hope our journey seen in the  docuseries will encourage, motivate and inspire young people around the world. We look forward to this great adventure ahead with director Barbara Kopple,” she wrote on Instagram.

Crawford added that the series plans to “explore the dynamic personalities” and “shifts in media and culture that helped shape and define this iconic era”. “I’m excited to reunite with my friends to both celebrate and examine the way supermodels transcended the traditional perceptions and limits of modeling in the fashion industry through time,” she added on the social media app.

Jaime Zevallos to Star in the Dramatic Thriller “When Sweet Dreams Die”

Jaime Zevallos is having sweet dreams

The Peruvian actor and writer has been cast alongside Zachary Laoutides and Alexander James Rodriguez in Where Sweet Dreams Die, the Ave Fenix Pictures Studios dramatic thriller being directed by Mirza Esho.

Jaime Zevallos

The filn follows an Italian American man on the verge of losing his restaurant and wife to cancer. He becomes obsessed with a Middle Eastern immigrant looking to take over the restaurant on the path to achieve the American Dream.

Marius Iliescu and Emmanuel Isaac co-star in the movie, the latest from the Monica Esmeralda Leon-founded Ave Fenix.

Production is now set to get underway in November in Chicago and New York with COVID-19 protocols in place.

Zevallos was recently cast in the home invasion thriller An Intrusion, and he was booked for the LGBTQ-drama A Boy Like That.