Michael Cuesta to Direct ABC’s Latinx-Themed Drama Pilot “Promised Land”

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Michael Cuesta has landed a promising project…

The 57-year-old Latino film and television director has been tapped to direct and executive produce ABC’s drama pilot Promised Land..

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

The cast includes John Ortiz as Joe Sandoval, patriarch of the Sandoval family, Cecilia Suárez as Lettie Sandoval, matriarch of the Sandoval family, Augusto Aguilera as Mateo Sandoval, the hardworking, highly capable general manager of the Heritage Vineyard and stepson to patriarch Joe Sandoval, 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.

Lopez executive produces with Cuesta and Adam Kolbrenner of Lit Entertainment Group. ABC Signature is the studio.

Cuesta also is one of the directors, working with Barry Levinson, on Dopesick, Hulu’s upcoming eight-episode limited series written by Danny Strong, based on Beth Macy’s bestselling book, from The Handmaid’s Tale executive producer Warren Littlefield and Touchstone Television.

He most recently served as executive producer and director, including on the pilot episode, of Homeland, which recently wrapped its eighth and final season on Showtime.

In addition to Homeland, Cuesta directed the pilots for Dexter, Blue Bloods and City on a Hill. His episodic directing credits include Elementary, True Blood and Billions, among others.

Oscar Isaac Attached to Star in Sony Pictures’ Film Adaptation of Konami’s “Metal Gear Solid” Video Game

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac has landed a solid role…

Sony Pictures’ long-awaited Metal Gear Solid adaptation looks to have gained some major momentum as the 41-year-old Guatemalan & Cuban actor has been attached to play Solid Snake in the film.

The film is currently in development at Sony with Jordan Vogt-Roberts on board to direct.

The film is based on the Metal Gear Solid video game created by Hideo Kojima and published by Konami. The script is written by Derek Connolly. Avi Arad is producing. Peter Kang is the executive overseeing for the studio.

The game was first launched on PlayStation in 1998 and follows Snake, a soldier who infiltrates a nuclear weapons facility to neutralize the terrorist threat from Foxhound, a renegade special forces unit. The game has received acclaimed on many fronts, but its storytelling that has a cinematic feel always made it seem like a movie adaptation was inevitable.

Given Isaac’s extremely busy schedule, a production start date is still unknown, but his involvement makes the property a high priority for the studio going forward. As for Isaac, Metal Gear Solid could give him another major franchise, having already starred in the most recent Star Wars franchise.

Even as the industry slowly gets back into production due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Isaac has been busy setting his future slate in recent months. He is set to star in HBO’s Scenes From a Marriage opposite Jessica Chastain, followed by playing the title role in Marvel’s Moon Knight for Disney+.

Isaac will next be seen in the much-anticipated reboot of Dune and Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter. He’s also set to star in and produce the adaptation of Brian K. Vaughn’s Ex Machina comic retitled The Great Machine and star in Barry Levinson’s Francis and The Godfather, alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.

Rosario Dawson to Star in Hulu’s Limited Series “Dopesick”

Posted on October 21, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a dope time for Rosario Dawson…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist has been cast as a series regular on Dopesick, Hulu’s eight-episode limited series based on Beth Macy’s best-selling book.

Written by Danny Strong and directed by Barry Levinson, Dopesick is described as an ambitious, harrowing and compelling look into the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction. It takes viewers from a distressed Virginia mining community to the hallways of the DEA and the opulence of “one percenter” Big Pharma Manhattan. The unsparing yet deeply human portraits of the various affected families and their intersecting stories hold up a mirror to where America is right now, while shining a hopeful light on the heroes battling the worst drug epidemic in American history.

Dawson will play Bridget Meyer, a tough DEA agent who fights to curtail the use of OxyContin.

She joins previously announced Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever, Will Poulter, John Hoogenakker, Philippa Soo and Jake McDorman.

The project hails from The Handmaid’s Tale executive producer Warren Littlefield and Touchstone Television.

Dawson most recently fronted the drama series Briarpatch, which aired for one season on USA Network. She also stars in the HBO Max/DC Comics pilot DMZ, which is being directed and EP’ed by Ava DuVernay and showrunner/writer Roberto Patino.

And she’ll soon appear on season two of Disney+’s The Mandalorian.

John Leguizamo to Star in the Novel-Based Film “Harry Haft”

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamohas landed a new role…

The 54-year-old Colombian actor has been cast in Harry Haft, the Barry Levinson-directed film based on the novel Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano by Alan Scott Haft.

Leguizamo joins a cast that includes Danny DeVito, Vicky Krieps, Peter Sarsgaard, Saro Emirzeand Dar Zuzovsky.

The group joins previously announced titular star Ben Foster as production is currently underway with plans to shoot on location in Hungary and New York.

Justine Juel Gillmer penned the screenplay. It’s based on the true story of a man (Foster) who is driven by his love of a woman to survive the unimaginable horrors of the German concentration camps. An SS Officer (Billy Magnussen) forces Harry to fight to the death against fellow prisoners in gruesome gladiatorial boxing matches. Harry finally escapes and makes it to New York. Haunted by his memories and guilt over his survival, he fights boxing legends, like Rocky Marciano, in the hopes that his name will get noticed and he will find his first love again.

Leguizamo next co-stars in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries about the 1989 Central Parkjogger case, which was just re-titled When They See Us.

Lopez’s Police Drama “Shades of Blue” to Premiere in January on NBC

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez will be feeling blue in January…

NBC has announced the premiere date for Shades of Blue, starring the 46-year-old Puerto Rican singer, actress and American Idol judge.

The straight-to-series police drama, which also stars Ray Liotta, will debut on Thursday, January 14 at 9:00 pm with a two-hour premiere episode directed by Barry Levinson.

The show will then move to its regular 10:00 pm timeslot behind The Blacklist the following Thursday, January 21.

There, Shades Of Blue will succeed new fall drama The Player.

“From a marketing perspective, the January 14 date takes advantage of both solid Sunday Night Football games and strong holiday programming through the first week of January,” is how NBC’s head of scheduling Jeff Bader explains the rationale behind the premiere date choice. “Also, in one of the most-watched weekends of the year (January 9-10), we have the NFL Wild Card game and Golden Globes, both of which make for great promotional opportunities.”

Shades Of Blue centers on Harlee Santos (Lopez), a charismatic single mother and resourceful detective at the heart of a tight-knit crew of Brooklyn detectives, led by enigmatic Lt. Matt Wozniak (Liotta) who often leads the team to step outside the limitations of the law in order to effectively protect their precinct and their own. As a big illegal job looms on the horizon, the FBI catches Harlee in the act and pits her against her own unit. As a newly turned informant, Harlee struggles to safeguard her on-the-job family and avoid arrest in order to stay with her daughter.

The series co-stars Warren Kole, Drea de Matteo, Dayo Okeniyi, Vincent Laresca, Hampton Fluker and Sarah Jeffery.

It is executive produced by Jack Orman, Adi Hasak, Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Ryan Seacrest and Nina Wass.

Jaramillo to Star Opposite Jennifer Lopez in NBC’s Drama “Shades of Blue”

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Antonio Jaramillo is feeling blue…

The Mexican actor, who last appeared as Hector on Lifetime’s Devious Maids, has been cast in a recurring role opposite Jennifer Lopez on NBC’s new drama series Shades of Blue.

Directed by Barry Levinson, the police series follows a tight-knit crew of officers who are effective at keeping the streets safe, but also corrupt when it comes to lining their pockets and protecting their own.

When one of the officers is forced to become a federal informant, Lopez’s character must decide between her own family’s welfare and that of her police family.

Jaramillo will play Miguel Zepeda, an ex-boyfriend of Harlee Santos (Lopez).

Best known for his role in Oliver Stone’s drug-themed film Savages, His previous television credits include appearances on Dallas, CSI: Cyber, Gang Related, The Mentalist and Burn Notice.

Laresca Cast in NBC’s Jennifer Lopez Drama Series “Shades of Blue”

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Vincent Laresca is feeling blue…

The 41-year-old half- Panamanian American actor has landed a co-starring role opposite Jennifer Lopez in NBC’s straight-to-series drama Shades of Blue.

Written by Adi Hasak and directed by Barry Levinson, Shades Of Blue follows a tight-knit crew of police officers who are effective at keeping the streets safe but also corrupt when it comes to lining their pockets and protecting their own. When one of the officers (Lopez) is forced to become a federal informant, she must decide between her own family’s welfare and that of her police family.

Laresca plays Tony Espada, alternately the bulldog and the moral compass for his team.

Meanwhile, Ray Liotta plays Lieutenant Bill Wozniak, the enigmatic and resourceful patriarch of the tight knit unit of corrupt cops, who steps outside the limitations of the law to protect his precinct. His all-consuming hunt for the informant drives him to dire extremes. The Sopranos alumna Drea de Matteo plays Shirley Nazario, a tough, outspoken female cop who holds her own with the men in her crew, and yet her brashness covers her insecurities.

Laresca’s previous television credits include appearances on 24, CSI: Miami and Weeds.

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