Salma Hayek Named to Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” List

Salma Hayek is being feted for her sway

Time magazine has released its list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World,” with the 56-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actress and film producer making the cut.

Salma Hayek

Each year, the media outlet honors 100 individuals that it perceives as holding sway, pairing the list with praiseful blurbs from contemporaries. The logrolling list contains comedians, sports stars, authors and other influential figures.

“Salma is a great observer and feels everything deeply. She’s strong yet sensitive, and she can read people very well. That’s what makes her a great actor, her ability to put herself in someone else’s shoes, from her breakthrough portrayal of Frida  Kahlo to her most recent performance as Maxandra in Magic  Mike’s Last Dance,” says Penelope Cruz in her write-up. “Her huge heart, great intelligence, and charisma are a winning combination, but the thing I’m most proud of is that she’s always entirely herself. As one of the first Latinas working in Hollywood, she’s opened so many doors for people who followed. She is a total revolutionary, and there’s still so much she will do.”

But Hayek isn’t the only Hispanic/Latinx artist to make the list.

Aubrey Plaza, who won a SAG Award this year for being part of the ensemble cast of HBO’s The White Lotus, received her special tribute from Amy Poehler.

“I met Aubrey, a deeply versatile actor and producer, almost 15 years ago on Parks  and Recreation, where she played the droll and mischievous intern April Ludgate. I knew two things immediately: I was working with a determined and profoundly talented woman with big plans, and I had met a dear friend for life,” says Poehler of the 38-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/comedian. “Her work over the past decade has been acutely truthful and always surprising—whether conveying fear-based choices in Emily the Criminal, manic breakdowns in Black Bear, chilly secret keeping in The White Lotus, or whatever big and ballsy swing is up next in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.”

Zoe Saldaña, who became the first performer to appear in the top three highest grossing films globally earlier this year, received a tribute from Mila Kunis.

“Whether she’s kicking butt in Guardians of the Galaxy, saving humanity in Avatar, or making you bawl your eyes out in From Scratch, she’s always on top of her game,” writes Kunis of the . Zoe has also been a trailblazer for women and people of color in Hollywood, breaking down barriers and advocating for greater diversity and representation. She’s not afraid to speak out for what she believes in, and uses her platform to make a positive impact.

Other honorees include international soccer star Lionel Messi; Chilean actor Pedro Pascal; executive director of OnPoint NYC, Sam Rivera; Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Colombian president Gustavo Petro and Mexican activist María Herrera Magdaleno.

The list was first published in 1999. Nominations are secured from Time 100 alumni and the international writing staff. The final list is exclusively chosen by Time editors. There is also a commemorative gala held to celebrate the list winners.

For the full list of nominees, visit Time.com/Time100.

Zoe Saldana Becomes First Performer to Appear in Top Three Highest Grossing Films Globally

Zoe Saldana is officially a box office blockbuster star…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress’ latest film Avatar: The Way of Water has replaced Titanic as the third-highest grossing film in history.

Zoë SaldañaWhile the director of both films, James Cameron, has two films in the top three, Saldana appears in all three films, a feat not achieved by any other performer.

The sci-fi sequel Avatar: The Way of Water has generated $2.2433 billion globally, enough to overtake Titanic ($2.2428 billion) at the worldwide box office. Now, The Way of Water trails only Avatar ($2.92 billion) and Avengers: Endgame ($2.7 billion) on the all-time charts.

Saldana stars as Ney’tiri in the Avatar films and appears as her Guardians of the Galaxy character, Gamora.

Like the original “Avatar,” the follow-up’s success is attributed to its generation-spanning appeal as well as the incentive to watch the film in premium and 3D formats. On Imax screens, the movie has crossed $250 million. That’s more coinage than many films manage to earn in their entire theatrical runs.

In North America, “The Way of Water” is the ninth-highest grossing movie ever with $657 million to date. In order to fly higher on the all-time domestic charts, it’ll have to take down Titanic (at No. 8 with $659 million) and Avengers: Infinity War (at No. 7 with $678 million).

Elsewhere, “Avatar 2” recently passed Titanic to become the third-highest grossing international release ever with $1.585 billion. It’s behind only 2009’s Avatar ($2.1 billion) and Avengers: Endgame ($1.9 billion) in terms of overseas ticket sales. Standout markets include China ($242 million), France ($144 million), Germany ($135 million) and Korea ($106 million). It ranks as highest-grossing film of all-time in more than 20 countries, including France, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Rep, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey, UAE, Cambodia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Colombia and Puerto Rico.

Disney and 20th Century spent roughly $460 million to produce and promote The Way of Water, which is one of the most expensive films ever. The long-delayed sequel opened on the big screen in December and has remained in the top five on box office charts for 10 consecutive weeks. Saldana and Sam Worthington star in the otherworldly saga about family. A third installment is set to debut in December 2024 with plans for fourth and fifth entries in the coming years.

“Avatar” Producer Jon Landau Discusses Oona Chaplin’s “Avatar 3” Character

Oona Chaplin is preparing to kick ash…

Avatar producer Jon Landau has revealed new details about the half-Chilean Spanish actress’ role in Avatar 3.

Oona ChaplinChaplin, who starred in HBO’s Game of Thrones and is the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, has been cast in the role of Varang, the leader of the more evil, fire-themed Na’vi tribe known as the Ash People, which will be at the crux of the third installment.

“There are good humans and there are bad humans. It’s the same thing on the Na’vi side,” Landau recently told Empire, echoing comments previously made by filmmaker James Cameron about the subject up for exploration in Avatar 3. “Oftentimes, people don’t see themselves as bad. What is the root cause of how they evolve into what we perceive as bad? Maybe there are other factors there that we aren’t aware of.”

Landau went on to share that Avatar 4 will feature “a big time jump,” before reiterating that the fifth film will make the leap from the moon Pandora for some time on Earth. The Earth of Avatar is not unlike our own, per the producer — ruled by “over-population and a depletion of our natural resources that make life harder.”

Landau clarifies, though, that the Avatar team doesn’t “want to paint a bleak picture for where our world is going. The films are also about the idea that we can change course.”

Landau’s comments come amid the global release of Cameron’s long-awaited sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, which hit theaters 13 years after his original sci-fi epic. Cameron said prior to The Way of Water’s release that if the film were to fail at the box-office, it would lead the franchise’s future in doubt, in spite of the fact that he’s already wrapped production on Avatar 3 and part of the fourth film.

But to the relief of both Cameron and 20th Century Studios, the sequel has more than delivered, thus far grossing over $2.1B worldwide, to become the fourth highest-grossing movie of all time. The film also recently scored four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

Zoe Saldana’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” Becoming No. 1 Worldwide Film Release of 2022

Zoe Saldana is celebrating a special honor…

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, starring the 44-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress, has now officially crossed the $1 billion mark at the international box office with Tuesday’s grosses included.

Zoë SaldañaWith its $1,482.5M worldwide total through Tuesday, the epic sci-fi sequel from 20th Century Studios/Disney is next on its way to yet another milestone and will top $1.5B global when today’s numbers are factored.

In doing so, it will become the No. 1 worldwide release of 2022, surpassing Top Gun: Maverick’s $1.489B.

The overseas sum through Tuesday is $1.025B, after adding $28.3M in 52 international markets yesterday (a 44% drop from last Tuesday). WoW is the No. 1 offshore release of 2022 and No. 2 of the pandemic era.

It stands as the No. 9 international release of all time, moving up from No. 11 having just passed The Fate of the Furious and Jurassic World after 21 days in movie theaters.

Globally, it is the No. 12 biggest release ever, now overtaking Disney’s own Frozen II.

First Full Trailer Released for Zoe Saldana’s “Avatar” Sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water”

Zoe Saldana is heading the way of water

The first full official trailer for James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, starring the 44-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress, has been released.

Zoë SaldañaDisney will begin the overseas rollout of the sequel to the highest-grossing film ever on December 14 with its U.S. release set for December 16.

The Way of Water is set more than a decade after the events of the first Avatar film. It follows the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri [Saldana] and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive and the tragedies they endure as they fight for their home on Pandora. Brimming with stunning visuals and new creatures, the trailer also features a callback to the original movie with the signature Na’vi line: “I see you.”

Zoe Saldana, Avatar: The Way of Water,The sequel stars Sam Worthington, Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Michelle Yeoh, Edie Falco, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Oona Chaplin, Jermaine Clement and more.

Disney previously previewed a teaser trailer at CinemaCon in April before playing it exclusively in theaters on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessand then put it online in May.

The studio, Cameron and producer Jon Landau have been making the rounds with footage from the film, screening during June’s CineEurope conference in Barcelona and at D23 in September as well as for executives from China Film Group (a release there is still unconfirmed).

Disney also released a remastered 4K HDR version of the original film in September to set the table for the sequel, and included sneak footage tagged onto the end.

Sources indicate The Way of Water will clock in at more than three hours, but no exact final run-time has been decided. The original was two hours and 41 minutes.

In total, four sequels are planned. Said Landau in Vegas, “The journey across all four movies will create a connected saga.”

Said Cameron at the time, the new films are “pushing limits even farther with high frame rate, higher resolution 3D and greater reality in our visual effects. I wanted our return to Pandora to be something really special. Every shot is designed for the biggest screen, highest resolution and most immersive 3D available. I think we pulled it off.”

Zoe Saldana to Receive “Star of the Year” Award at CinemaCon

Zoe Saldana is a shining star

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress will be among the honorees at CinemaCon’s Big Screen Achievement Awards.

Zoë SaldañaSaldana will receive a CinemaCon Star of the Year award as The Adam Project star prepares for the release of a slate of projects that includes a new David O. Russell filmKeyhole Garden, the Avatar franchise and a new Guardians of the Galaxy installment.

The Big Screen Achievement Awards will be held at CinemaCon headquarters at Caesars Palace on April 28 and will be hosted by Entertainment Tonight veteran Kevin Frazier from inside the Colosseum. The awards are designed to shine a spotlight on the big-screen achievements of actors and filmmakers.

Other honorees include Robert De NiroBilly Eichner, Abby Ryder Fortson and Glen Powell.

Additional honors are expected to be announced.

“CinemaCon may be the only time during the course of the year where the exhibition community gets to thank the creative world for providing the very best in the world of movies,” said Neuhauser. “Our roster of honorees this year represents an incredible scope of talent and to have one of the most legendary actors in the history of film being honored, that of course being Robert De Niro — well, it really doesn’t get better than that.”

The news comes just days before the big event that sees Hollywood studios and cinema operators gather in Las Vegas for the annual convention hosted by the National Association of Theatre Owners.

This year, all five major Hollywood studios plus Lionsgate and Neon will be touting their upcoming slates during their time on stage inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

CinemaCon, expected to draw upward of 6,000 guests, runs April 25-28. Partners this year include both the International Cinema Technology Association and National Association of Concessionaires.

Zoe Saldaña to Star in & Executive Produce the CIA Drama “Lioness”

Zoe Saldaña is roaring into her latest role…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress will star in Lioness, a film she will executive produce alongside Nicole Kidman and others.

Zoe SaldañaLioness is based on a real-life CIA program and follows a U.S. Marines recruited to befriend the daughter of a terrorist to bring the organization down from within.

Saldaña stars as Joe, a strong-willed, hard-nosed station chief of the CIA’s Lioness Program, who is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives working to assassinate the world’s most dangerous terrorists.

Production on the film will begin in June.

Saldaña is best known for her work in Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Trek and Avatar.

Laz Alonso to Star in the Psychological Thriller “Detained”

Laz Alonso is currently detained

The 47-year-old Cuban American actor will star opposite Abbie Cornish in the psychological thriller Detained.

Laz Alonso

The project will be helmed by director Felipe Mucci and counts Justin H. Min, John Patrick Amedori, Silas Weir Mitchell, Moon Bloodgood, Josefine Lindegaard and Breeda Wool amongst its supporting cast.

The film follows a woman (Cornish) who wakes up in a police interrogation room with no memory of the night prior. The accusations against her may have life-altering implications. However, in this isolated police station, something is not quite right.

Mucci wrote the script with Jeremy Palmer.

Alonso is an NAACP Image Award winner best known for his series regular role as the superhuman Mother’s Milk in Amazon’s acclaimed comic book series, The Boys.

The actor has also recurred in series including L.A.’s Finest and Southland, finding guest starring roles in Power Book II: GhostThe Bobby Brown StoryPerson of Interest and more.

His film credits include Kathryn Bigelow’s DetroitFast & Furious and Fast & Furious 6Straw DogsJumping the BroomAvatarMiracle at St. AnnaJarhead and Stomp the Yard.

Zoe Saldana’s “The Bluff” Acquired by Netflix

Zoe Saldana’s latest project is headed to Netflix…

Netflix has won a hotly contested auction for The Bluff, a pitch that will be written as a star vehicle for the 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress and Guardians of the Galaxy star.

Zoë Saldaña

Frank E. Flowers is directing the film, while Joe Ballarini will write the script with Flowers. Several streamers were trying to acquire the film, and the upfront commitment for those scribes is seven figures.

The project is about pirates in the Caribbean. The drama is set in the Cayman Islands in the 1800s and Saldana plays Ercell, a Caribbean woman whose secret past is revealed when her island is invaded by vicious buccaneers. The intention is to blend visceral action and historical fiction to create a real action vehicle as the heroine fights against the atrocities committed by the pirates. There are strong roles for a second woman who is part of the vigilante campaign, and the nasty lead pirate.

Saldana and Flowers previously teamed in the 2004 drama Haven.

Saldana has the four Avatar sequels and is filming the untitled David O Russell-directed film alongside a cast that includes Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Anya-Taylor Joy, Rami Malek, John David Washington and Robert De Niro.

Zoe Saldana to Star in David O. Russell’s Untitled New Regency Film

Zoe Saldana has lined up her next film project…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress has joined the ensemble cast of David O. Russell’s untitled New Regency film.

Zoë Saldaña

Saldana will star opposite Rami Malek, Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington in the film.

The production, based on an original idea from Russell, is currently underway. Plot details are being kept under wraps.

Saldana will next be seen reprising her role of Neytiri in the upcoming second installment in the Avatar franchise. She’s also returning as Gamora in Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and recently joined Jennifer Garner and Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project for Netflix and Skydance.