Rodrigo Prieto to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at GuadaLAjara Film Festival

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Rodrigo Prieto is earning a special award…

The 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated cinematographer will be honored with the 2023 Árbol de la Vida, a lifetime achievement award, at the 13th edition of the GuadaLAjara Film Festival on November 1.

Taking place at the Theater at the Ace Hotel in Downtown L.A., Prieto will be honored at the opening night gala celebration. Past honorees have included Oscar-winner Patricia Arquette, in addition to stars such as Xolo Maridueña, Rosario Dawson and Danny Trejo.

Prieto has garnered worldwide acclaim for his work on various feature films, collaborating with some of cinema’s most vital masters. He has picked up his three Oscar nods for Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain (2005) and two with Martin Scorsese — Silence (2016) and The Irishman (2019).

He’s teamed up with the iconic filmmaker again for Killers of the Flower Moon, the story of a group of men that murdered Osage tribe members in the 1920s. The Apple Original Films and Paramount Pictures co-distributed feature stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone.

Prieto also lensed Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar Mattel meta-comedy Barbie from Warner Bros — now the highest grossing release of 2023.

Curated with Latinx and BIPOC communities in mind, GLAFF’s programming is a mix of films that aim to attract cinephiles and art and culture enthusiasts. The 2023 program and official selection includes a special Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) centerpiece gala screening of the 1960s Mexican classic Macario from director Roberto Gavaldón. More films will be announced in the coming weeks.

“GLAFF continues its mission to be a bridge between Latin America and U.S.-based Latinx/BIPOC creators,” says Ximena Urrutia, festival director. “Being part of a festival run by Latina women, we strive to add to the efforts of ensuring domestically and internationally Latinx representation.”

The GuadaLAjara Film Festival is supported by the University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, the University of Guadalajara Foundation USA, the Grodman Legacy Family Foundation and the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG).

“Barbie,” Starring America Ferrera, Becomes Highest-Grossing Movie of the Year in North America

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera is a box office champ…

Barbie, starring the 39-year-old Honduran American Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress, is officially the highest-grossing movie of the year in North America.Greta Gerwig’s fantasy-comedy, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has generated $575.4 million at the domestic box office, overtaking the previous champion, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has collected $574 million domestically.

Barbie has grossed $1.3 billion globally and will soon surpass The Super Mario Bros. Movie (with $1.35 billion globally) as the biggest worldwide release of 2023 as well.

Only two Hollywood blockbusters this year have crossed the $1 billion mark and, notably, neither were superhero adventures or sequels in popular franchises.

Barbie started its record-breaking theatrical run in July with the best debut of the year ($162 million) and remained the No. 1 movie for four consecutive weekends. It also landed the biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a woman and became the highest-grossing movie directed solely by a woman.

At this point, Barbie is the 14th-biggest domestic release and 20th-biggest global release of all time.

Barbie also recently surpassed Christopher Nolan’s superhero epic The Dark Knight ($536 million) as the highest-grossing domestic release in Warner Bros. history. It could eventually eclipse 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ($1.34 billion) as the studio’s highest-grossing worldwide release in 100 years.

Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated director of Lady Bird and Little Women, co-wrote the screenplay with her partner Noah Baumbach. The cotton candy-colored blockbuster follows the popular doll as she leaves behind the seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land to discover the highs and lows of life in the real world. The cast also includes Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu and Michael Cera.

“Barbie,” Starring America Ferrera & Margot Robbie, Crosses the $1B Mark at Global Box Office

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera has a billion reasons to be tickled pink!

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and the 39-year-old Honduran American actress has officially crossed $1B global mark in just its third weekend.

Through Sunday, the international box office estimate is an astounding $572.M for $1.031B worldwide.

Showing strength in its third weekend of release, Barbie generated $74M from 20,335 screens in 69 market. Barbie dropped just 41% down from the last frame.

Exceptional holds were seen in numerous markets including Austria (-4%), Taiwan (-8%), Denmark (-9%), Belgium (-14%), Germany (-17%), Holland (-22%), France (-23%), Norway (-23%), Sweden (-23%), Finland (-24%), Hong Kong (-31%), Australia (-34%), Singapore (-35%), and the UK (-38%).

Barbie has also held the No.1 rank in 35 markets and is now the second biggest studio film of 2023 both internationally and globally. Only The Super Mario Bros Movie has crossed $1B this year.

Barbie also boasts the No. I slot for a U.S. movie in 19 markets including Italy, UK, Brazil and Australia.

It’s now the biggest Warner Bros. title ever in 12 markets including Brazil, Australia and Poland.

On her path to move past the $1B mark, Barbie has already surpassed the lifetime grosses of Fast X, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, and a host more films.

Across Europe, holds are strong with a 30% dip while Latin America now boasts the biggest WB title ever.

“Barbie,” Starring America Ferrera, Remains No. 1 at U.S. Box Office

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera must be thrilled pink…

Barbie, starring the 39-year-old Honduran American actress as one half of the film’s emotional heart, remains the No. 1 film in the United States in its second weekend in theaters.

Estimates have Barbie earning $91M-$93M range at 4,337 theaters —the best second weekend Warner Bros. has ever seen in their history. Barbie beats Dark Knight‘s weekend 2 of $75.1M.

At the high end, Barbie’s total would land at $351.4M as of Sunday. The film made $34M son Saturday, per industry estimates, +17% from Friday’s $29M.

Barbie crossed the $300M mark in nine days, making it the fastest female-driven film to do so stateside, beating Beauty and the Beast‘s ten days to that benchmark.

Ice Spice Part of UK Music Chart History with “Barbie: The Album” Single, “Barbie World”

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ice Spice is helping pinkify the United Kingdom’s music charts.

Barbie: The Album, the soundtrack to the blockbuster hit film Barbie, has broken records on the UK music charts with an assist from the 23-year-old half-Dominican American rapper.

Only one week following the film’s release in the UK, three tracks have all arrived in the top five of the official singles chart, including Ice Spice’s collaboration with Nicki Minaj, “Barbie World.”

It’s the first time three tracks from a film soundtrack have entered the Top 5 in the same chart, according to those supervising the chart.

The BBC reports that the film has further made history, with a total of six tracks from the soundtrack in the top 40. The BBC lists:

What Was I Made For, Billie Eilish – number three
Dance The Night Away, Dua Lipa – number four
Barbie World, Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice – number five
Speed Drive, Charlie XCX – number 19
I’m Just Ken, Ryan Gosling – number 25
Pink, Lizzo – number 39

The list includes Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, who has snuck into the chart at number 25 with his ballad I’m Just Ken.

The film’s music supervisor George Drakoulias told the BBC that he was able to recruit every artist on his wish list: “Nobody said no. Everybody was really excited.

By Hyatt Place“It was a perfect symbiotic relationship of the music driving the movie and the movie driving the music.

“Once you saw the movie and how well the music works, as soon as they left the theatre people went out and got the album.”

Oscar winning producer Mark Ronson curated the soundtrack, as well as wrote the score and the film’s closing song, Dance the Night Away.

Aqua’s 1997 hit Barbie Girl, which is sampled in Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s film song, has also returned to the music chart.

“Barbie” Gives America Ferrera the Biggest Box Office Opening Weekend of Her Career

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Forget pink! America Ferrera is seeing the green…

Greta Gerwig’s fantasy-comedy Barbie, which stars the 39-year-old Honduran American actress, earned $162 million in its first weekend at the box office. The record-breaking total gives Ferrera the biggest opening weekend of her career.

The Warner Bros. film, starring Margot Robbie as the plastic, fantastic doll, declined only 9% from Saturday to bring in $43.7 million on Sunday.

Barbie’s ticket sales rank as the biggest opening weekend of the year, besting The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($146 million). Barbie also marks the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman, overtaking Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s 2019 blockbuster Captain Marvel ($153 million).

“This historic result reflects the intense heat, interest and enthusiasm for Barbie,” Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein wrote in a note to press. “This doll will indeed have long long legs.”

Barbie also exceeded expectations at the international box office with $194.3 million (above Sunday’s estimate of $182 million), bringing its global tally to a stunning $356.3 million. Those ticket sales are especially notable because Barbie didn’t have much of a footprint on Imax or premium large format screens, which are more expensive than the average 2D movie ticket.

In Barbie, Ferrera portrays Gloria, a Mattel employee who helps Barbie in the real world.

Ice Spice Releasing Deluxe Version of Debut EP “Like..?” This Week

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ice Spice is getting more Like(s)…

The 23-year-old half-Dominican American singer/rapper has revealed plans to release the deluxe version of her debut EP Like..? on Friday, July 21, via 10K Projects/Capitol Records.

Per Apple Music, which just announced Ice Spice as its new Up Next artist, the expanded edition contains four more tracks.

Like..? was originally released on January 20, 2023, and included singles “Munch (Feelin’ U),” “Bikini Bottom,” “In Ha Mood” and “Princess Diana,” which later got a remix with Nicki Minaj that debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Lil Tjay-assisted “Gangsta Boo” cut, which samples Diddy‘s “I Need a Girl (Part Two)” featuring Ginuwine, Loon and Mario Winans became Ice Spices’s career-first Hot 100 entry.

She teased a new single, which she confirmed was titled “Deli” on Capital XTRA Breakfast With Robert & Shayna Marie, on her TikTok earlier this month.

“She a baddie, she showin’ her panty/ She shake it like jelly/ Hundred bands in Chanel-y/ But I’m still shakin’ ass in a deli,” she raps in the new snippet.

Outside of Like..?, Ice Spices’s major hits include “Boys a liar Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress, the “Karma” remix with Taylor Swift and the Aqua-sampling “Barbie World” with Minaj from the Barbie movie soundtrack — all of which have landed in the top 10 of the Hot 100.

In her recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Ice Spice marveled at her idol-turned-collaborator-turned-mentor Minaj. “I feel like I am absorbing advice from [Minaj] and learning from her and stuff,” she said. “And she’ll tell me, ‘Learn from my mistake, do this or don’t do that,’ or whatever. And I just really pay attention to what she’s saying. Because if there’s anyone I’m going to listen to, it’s the queen.”

https://twitter.com/icespicee_/status/1681726187142258688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1681726187142258688%7Ctwgr%5E2d1a2dc7e73f91e8f92b77374d0d045b4de7876a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.billboard.com%2Fmusic%2Frb-hip-hop%2Fice-spice-like-ep-deluxe-edition-release-date-1235374809%2F

Ice Spice Teams Up with Nicki Minaj on “Barbie World,” Featuring a Sample of AQUA’s “Barbie Girl” Track

Posted on June 25, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ice Spice is getting all dolled up…

The 23-year-old half-Dominican American rapper, born Isis Naija Gaston, has joined voices with Nicki Minaj for “Barbie World,” a new track that sees the two rapping over AQUA’s iconic “Barbie Girl” track.

Released earlier this week, it’s the latest single from the Mark Ronson-produced Barbie soundtrack and marks the reunion of Minaj, Ice Spice, and RiotUSA.

The trio first linked up on the remix of Ice Spice’s “Princess Diana,” which debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Combining elements of drill and Jersey club, the new track is a sleek fusion of hip-hop’s most popular sounds and the individual styles of Minaj and Ice Spice.

The track also features a prominent sample of AQUA’s “Barbie Girl,” a welcome treat for fans after initial reports seemed to indicate that the song would not appear in the Greta Gerwig-helmed film.

“Barbie Girl” peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 back in 1997, AQUA’s sole top ten hit.

Minaj first announced the song on June 10 with a Tweet reading, “It’s Barbie, b—h, if you still in doubt.” The iconic doll has long been a part of Minaj’s artistry and image; she even posed as one on the cover for her 2010 Billboard 200-topping debut album Pink Friday.

In a recent episode of her Queen Radio Amp show, Minaj opened up about why she decided to accept Ice Spice’s invitation and join her on “Barbie World.”

“This is the first time that someone had put this sample in a way that didn’t make me uncomfortable or gimmicky,” the “Super Freaky Girl” rapper said. “I figured out that it needed to be a beat that would still give Barbie & Nicki.”

Barbie: The Album will be available on all streaming and digital download platforms on July 21.

The soundtrack is set to feature contributions from Khalid, Gayle, Kali, Fifty Fifty, Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, PinkPantheress, Lizzo and more.

Nicki Minaj Shares Snippet of Ice Spice-Collab “Barbie World” for Upcoming “Barbie” Film

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ice Spice’s (Barbie) World is her oyster…

In a little over a week, the 23-year-old half-Dominican American’s collaboration with Nicki Minaj, “Barbie World,” will be released. And now you have a chance to hear a snippet thanks to Minaj, who shared a snippet of the forthcoming track.

“Barbie World” simultaneously serves as the latest single from Barbie: The Album, the accompanying soundtrack to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (in theaters July 21), and the second collaboration between Nicki and Ice Spice.

In a snippet posted to TikTok on Sunday (June 11), the two New York rap queens trade verses over an AQUA-sampling drill-infused beat produced by Ice Spice’s go-to collaborator RiotUSA.

The pair switch off line by line as they rap about being the prettiest Barbies in all the land. “All of the Barbies is bad/ It girls, and we ain’t playing tag,” Nicki spits.

“Barbie World,” which will be released on all platforms on Friday, June 23, looks to follow in the footsteps of Nicki and Ice’s last collaboration, the Billboard Hot 100 No. 4-peaking “Princess Diana.”

The Barbie soundtrack also features previously released singles such as Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” Karol G and Aldo Ranks’ “Watati” and PinkPantheress’ “Angel.”

Barbie: The Album, which touts Hot 100 chart-topper Mark Ronson as its executive producer, will also feature contributions from Lizzo, Khalid, Fifty Fifty, Kali, Gayle, Ava Max, Haim, Tame Impala, The Kid Laroi and Ryan Gosling, who stars as Ken in the highly anticipated film.

Ice Spice currently has the most top five Hot 100 hits out of any act this year; she’s reached the region with “Princess Diana,” PinkPantheress duet “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” and the remix version of Taylor Swift’s “Karma.” Like, her debut EP, peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200.

https://www.tiktok.com/@nickiminaj/video/7243543096661740842

Karol G Releases New “Barbie” Movie Track “Watati,” Featuring Aldo Ranks

Posted on June 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Karol G is getting dolled up…

The 32-year-old Colombian superstar has released “Watati,” the second single from the motion picture soundtrack for Barbie, starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken.

The single, which features an assist from Aldo Ranks, is a hard-hitting reggaeton track with EDM tones produced by Ovy on the Drums.

The uptempo track finds Karol G and the Panamanian veteran singing about having a good time at the club.

“Watati” follows the soundtrack’s lead single “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa.

Other artists featured on the album include Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, Ice Spice, Tame Impala, and many more.

The full original soundtrack will be released on Friday, July 21st — the same day the film hits theaters.

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