Pantaya to Launch Aarón Díaz’s Crime-Thriller Series “Toda La Sangre”

Aarón Díaz’s blood will be boiling this September…

Pantaya has set September 15 as the premiere date for Toda La Sangre, the crime-thriller starring the 40-year-old Mexican-American actor, singer and model and Ana Brenda Contreras.

Aaron Diaz 2012 CalendarBased on the best-selling novel by Mexican author Bernardo EsquincaToda La Sangre follows Casasola (Díaz), a tabloid reporter who joins forces with police lieutenant Edith Mondragón (Contreras) and Elisa (Yoshira Escárrega), a local anthropologist, who aim to decipher a series of murders that have shocked the country. Together they travel through Mexico City chasing a ritual murderer whose peculiarity is to recreate ancient Aztec sacrifices.

Aaron Diaz

Ana Brenda ContrerasAntonio Trejo Sánchez, Clementina Guadarrama, Cinthia Vázquez, Odiseo Bichir, and Julio Casado also star.

Produced by Fremantle Mexico, the 10-episode series is developed and produced by showrunner and executive producer Zasha Robles from Spiral International, the creator of the Emmy-winning series Falco.

The series is directed by Luis Prieto and Hari Sama; and written by Rodrigo Ordónez, Santiago Rocagliolo, Natalia Mejia, and Alejandro Gerber Bicecci.

Fremantle will also handle international rights outside of the Americas.

Eva Longoria Launches New Luxury Sipping Tequila Line, Casa Del Sol

Eva Longoria is expanding her empire…

The 46-year-old Mexican American actress, director, producer and activist is launching her new luxury sipping tequila, Casa Del Sol.

Eva Longoria

Longoria’s Casa Del Sol continues and celebrates tequila’s Mexican roots in its brand and its cultivation. Tequila, a distilled liquor rich in its flavor and its Mexican heritage, is made from the fermented sap of the Mexican maguey or agave plant. It’s named after Tequila, a small town in Jalisco, Mexico.

Casa Del Sol is inspired by the magic of the golden hour and Mayahuel, the Aztec goddess of agave. The ultra-premium spirits brand is made from 100 percent Blue Weber, offering three types of tequilas: Blanco, Reposado and Añejo.

“When this brand came to my attention, it was really the first time that a tequila came at me with an authentic connection,” Longoria says of Casa Del Sol in an interview with For(bes) the Culture. “They were all about authentic Mexican roots; they were all about talent. Talent behind the actual liquid – the actual juice. I loved the idea that you could bring casual drinkers and  enthusiasts together to enjoy a product that was founded with authentic Mexican roots with strong female influence.”

Casa Del Sol’s strong female influence comes from the collaboration between Longoria and her team, Alejandra Pelayo, Casa Del Sol’s head of production; and Marina Padilla, Casa Del Sol’s Artesana Tequilera. Pelayo and Padilla are the minds behind Casa Del Sol’s honest Mexican history and image. Pelayo is the goddaughter of the late Francisco Alcaraz, who created one the most successful tequila brands in the world, while Padilla is a Mexican artisan and daughter of Paco Padilla, cultural ambassador of Jalisco. In an industry as male-dominated as tequila, their leadership is significant.

According to an estimate from Mexico’s Tequila Council, in 1999, only 12 of the nation’s 152 producers are women. Though an increase from the eight in operation in 1999, because Mexico had only 79 producers at the time, the share of women-run brands has decreased. While women aren’t the sole producers of Casa Del Sol, Longoria says she loves lifting up and highlighting the women who play a “pivotal” role on its team.

“Legacy and authenticity are huge components of Casa Del Sol, and it was important for us to pay homage to the past through every facet of the brand, including our logo, which is visibly inspired by Mayahuel, ‘The Goddess of Tequila,” says Padilla in a press release sent to For(bes) the Culture. “Our long-standing Mexican roots, rich heritage, and distinct aging process have paved a way for the future, helping to create a brand unlike others in the space,” says Pelayo.

On top of there being a shortage of women who produce and own tequila companies, more and more tequila brands are being created and led by people outside of the Mexican community. Longoria says Casa Del Sol having a genuine Mexican background was vital.

“I think it’s important. When you think about champagne, I would like to be in good hands with some French people making that,” says Longoria. “For us, it was really important that, first and foremost: the way it’s made. The craftsmanship in which tequila is made is preserved. It is a thousands of years old process.”

“We partnered with this third-generation distillery— with a female CEO, by the way— who really took extreme care about keeping the craftsmanship of what it is to make tequila instead of exploiting it, honoring it,” she adds.

Hispanic Heritage Month kicked off on September 15 and runs through October 15. For Longoria, loving and honoring her Hispanic heritage is an everyday passion.

“I celebrate being Hispanic every day of my life. I don’t need a month, or week, or a day to remind me of how beautiful our culture is, and how creative and talented and innovative our culture is. Whether it’s in television or film or music or business, we are the fastest-growing demographic in the United States. We’re probably the largest community that has the most historic roots in the United States. I’m a ninth-generation American. I never crossed a border. The border crossed us. So, we are woven into the fabric of what this country is—deeply woven into that fabric. American history is our history. Our history is American history. I pretty much celebrate it all the time. Every corner, there’s me. Waving the la Bandera. Waving the flag.”

Casa Del Sol is available in select retailers and restaurants throughout California, Colorado, and Florida. It will be available for purchase nationally by early 2022.

Guillermo Vizcaino’s Video Game “Aztech Forgotten Gods” Being Developed into Live Action Latinx-Themed Film

It’s game on (film) for Guillermo Vizcaino

Impossible Dream Entertainment and Lienzo Gaming Studio have teamed up on Aztech, a live action Latinx-themed feature film based on the upcoming video game Aztech Forgotten Gods, created by the Latino video producer/writer.

Guillermo Vizcaino

The premise is a revisionist historical telling of Aztec history, sprinkled with an extraterrestrial antagonist. In what sounds like Mexico and Central America’s answer to Wakanda, European powers never arrived on the shores of ancient Mesoamerica.

The story takes place in a future where the Aztec empire was never conquered, and flourished into a hyper-advanced, cutting-edge civilization. The Aztec Empire’s capital, Tenochtitlan, has thrived for centuries as a stone metropolis, technologically elevated yet heavily rooted in the ways of those indigenous to the land.

That is, until supernatural beings suddenly start to converge on the ancient city, duping those who live there by masking themselves as ancient Aztec gods like the Feathered Serpent deity Quetzalcoatl or Mictlantecuhtli the Lord of the Underworld. Their goal is to enslave the inhabitants.

Seeing through their ruse is an unlikely twentysomething heroine named Achtli, whose arm has been replaced with a powerful gauntlet-like ancient stone weapon. She leads the opposition and uncovers the mystery behind these beings.

The game, created by Lienzo’s Vizcaino, will be released on all the major gaming platforms in late summer.

The producers wanted to find an original property steeped in Mexican and Latin American mythology, and found their way to the gaming studio based in Chihuahua, Mexico.

“With Aztech, it’s fun to envision what world building can be achieved through the many multi-dimensional characters, the mythology and vast cultural storylines,” say producers.

Lienzo sparked to “fleshing out a Mexican story with a Mexican team,” said game writer Vizcaino. “There’s such a rich history behind the Aztecs, and merging that with an anime-inspired futuristic story gave us the chance to make something really special.”

del Toro to Executive Produce/Possibly Star in HBO’s Drama Series “Cortes,” Currently in Development

Benicio del Toro is ready to conquer a new role…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican actor/film producer and Oscar-winner will executive produce Cortes, a high-profile drama series in development at HBO.

Benicio del Toro

Cortes will tell the sweeping story of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, who brought down the Aztec empire; Malinche, the Mayan girl who helped him do it; and Montezuma, the Aztec leader he befriended and finally put in chains.

del Toro is also interested in starring as the Spanish conqueror.

The subject matter has the makings of a compelling drama as Cortés’ legacy is a complex one. On one hand, he won Mexico for Spain and extended the Spanish Empire. But from the indigenous’ point of view, he was a mass murderer who spearheaded the destruction of one of the greatest civilizations of that time.

Cortes is being written/executive produced by Mississippi Burning scribe Chris Gerolmo, and directed/executive produced by Martin Scorsese.