Bad Bunny to Star in Darren Aronofsky’s Crime Thriller “Caught Stealing”

Posted on August 27, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny has caught his next act…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning rapper, singer, and record producer will star in Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller Caught Stealing.

Hailing from Sony Pictures, the film also stars Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber and Will Brill.

Aronofsky will direct the film, which is based on the book by Charlie Huston. The script will be written by Huston, with Protozoa producing.

The film follows Hank Thompson (Butler), a burned-out former baseball player, as he’s unwittingly plunged into a wild fight for survival in the downtown criminal underworld of ‘90s New York City.

It’s unknown who Bad Bunny will play.

Bad Bunny recently wrapped his 46-date Most Wanted Tour, which grossed about $208M and sold more than 700,000 tickets, breaking records in 16 venues.

His latest album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and became the year’s most-streamed album on Spotify in both a single day and week.

He hosted and was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in October and co-hosted the annual Met Gala in May.

Caught Stealing marks a reunion for the studio and Bad Bunny as Sony was the one to give his big acting break by casting him opposite Brad Pitt in Bullet Train.

He made his on-screen debut in 2021 on the hit Netflix series Narcos: Mexico and most recently was seen in the Amazon film Cassandro, opposite Gael Garcia Bernal, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

He also will executive produce the upcoming Netflix adaptation of They Both Die at the End, a book by Puerto Rican author Adam Silvera.

Pope Francis to be Honored at Upcoming Cinema for Peace Gala

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Pope Francis is being receiving a special piece for bringing the peace…

The 87-year-old Argentine head of the Catholic Church, bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State will be honored at the upcoming Cinema for Peace gala in Berlin on February 19.

Pope Francis will be honored together with the film Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom by Evgeny Afineevsky, for his contributions to the freedom of Ukraine and humanitarian efforts to protect civilians and children.

Pope Francis, the first and only pontiff from the Americas, will be honored alongside Hillary Rodham Clinton and former UN chief Ban Ki-Moon.

The long-running gala run by the Cinema for Peace Foundation will be accompanied by the inaugural World Forum on the Future Of Democracy, Tech and Humankind.

The latter event will run from February 18 to 19 at the Allianz Forum next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with the aim of promoting the renewal of democracy and freedom at a time when both are under threat.

The Cinema for Peace Foundation was created in 2008 as an international non-profit organization with the goal to foster change through film. Over the years it has worked with a host of stars including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney.

Pope Francis will be honored virtually by video-link, while Clinton and Ban will attend the February 19 gala in person.

They will be presented with their Cinema for Peace prizes by Sharon Stone, Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk, and Irish singer-song writer and political activist Bob Geldof.

Javier Bardem to Star in Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Bardem has landed a monster(s) role…

The 54-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor will star in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the second season of the acclaimed Netflix crime anthology Monster from creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

Bardem will star alongside Chloë Sevigny, Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch in the series.

Bardem abd Sevigny will respectively play Jose and Kitty Menendez, the Beverly Hills couple murdered by sons Lyle (Chavez) and Erik (Koch).

The new season comes on the heels of Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which starred Evan Peters as the notorious serial killer and quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular English-language series ever when it debuted in September 2022.

It was in 1989 that Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered parents Jose and Kitty in their L.A.-area home. Although not initially looked at as prime suspects, they came under investigation in the months following and eventually confessed to parricide, at the same time claiming that their actions stemmed from years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their father. Their first of two trials, broadcast on Court TV, had the nation in its grip, much like the 1994 trial of O.J. Simpson, and is believed to have played a part in the modern-day fascination with true crime.

The prosecution argued that the pair were in fact seeking to inherit their father’s multimillion-dollar estate, and the Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole, though the case continues to unfold to this day. Last summer, Erik and Lyle filed documents in hopes of a new hearing, following former Menudo bandmember Roy Rosselló’s claim that he was molested by José Menendez at the age of 14.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is one of two forthcoming seasons of the Monster anthology announced as of November 2022. The story at the center of the third chapter has not yet been revealed. In addition to the scripted series on the Menendez brothers, Netflix has a feature doc on the duo in the works, brought to life with exclusive access to the subjects.

Most recently portraying King Triton in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Bardem will next be seen in Dune: Part Two, out March 1 following a strike-imposed delay, and Apple’s Formula 1 racing movie with Brad Pitt.

Bad Bunny Makes Forbes List of ‘World’s 10 Highest-Paid Entertainers’

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is makin’ money moves…

Forbes has revealed its list of the World’s 10 Highest-Paid Entertainers, who, combined, made more than $1.3 billion last year, with the 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar making the list.

Bad Bunny came in at No. 10 with $88 million, and he can attribute much of his financial success to his massive El Último Tour Del Mundo and The World’s Hottest Tour, plus endorsements from Corona, Cheetos and Adidas.

Topping the list are Genesis and Sting, who made $230 million and $210 million, respectively, thanks to selling their music.

Among the other major artists on the list was Taylor Swift, James Cameron and Brad Pitt.

See the full list of the world’s highest-paid entertainers here.

Paramount Releases New Trailer for “Babylon,” Starring Diego Calva

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Calva is searching for something bigger…

Paramount has released a new trailer for Babylon, the Hollywood-set period extravaganza starring the 30-year-old Mexican actor.

From filmmaker Damien Chazelle, the film will open in wide release on December 23rd.

Led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Calva, the film is billed as an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles, as the industry makes the transition from silent films to talkies. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

Robbie plays an ambitious up-and-comer who wants “everyone to party forever.” Pitt is wild mega-star Jack Conrad who proclaims, “You know what we have to do? We have to redefine the form, map those dreams and print them into history. Look up and say: Eureka! I am not alone” — this right before to falling ass-backwards off of a balcony.

Chazelle directs from his own script.

Cast also includes Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Jean Smart, P.J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Tobey Maguire, Max Minghella, Rory Scovel, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving and Olivia Wilde.

Diego Calva’s Ensemble Film “Babylon” to Open in Wide Release Christmas Weekend

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Calva will be spending the Christmas holiday in Babylon…

The 30-year-old Mexican actor’s latest ensemble project Babylon, starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, will open in wide release in U.S. theaters on December 23.

The film was originally scheduled to open in limited release during the Christmas holiday, with its wide release on January 6.

Babylon will open in the wake of 20th Century Studios/Disney’s Avatar: The Way of Water on December 16 and will share the marquee nationwide with movies like Sony’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Universal/Dreamworks Animation’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and the expansion of United Artists Releasing’s drama Women Talking.

Set in the 1920s, during Hollywood‘s transition from silent films to sound films, the film follows Manny Torres (Calva) as he pursues a career within the industry, starting as a film assistant.

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, the film was shot in Santa Clarita, CA, where many silent and early sound movies were made, like Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times.

In addition to Calva, Robbie and Pitt, the ensemble cast also includes Tobey Maguire, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Max Minghella and Jean Smart.

Jonas Cuaron to Direct Bad Bunny in Sony Pictures’ “El Muerto”

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jonas Cuaron has landed a project to die for…

The 41-year-old Mexican film director, screenwriter, producer, editor and cinematographer will direct Sony Pictures’ El Muerto, starring Bad Bunny.

Cuarón, the son of Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón, is known for the 2015 thriller film Desierto.

El Muerto is in early development, and Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer is writing the script.

El Muerto is a character within Spider-Man’s universe, and the film would mark the first time a Latino character leads a Marvel live-action film. He is an antihero and the son of a luchador next in line to inherit the ancestral power of “El Muerto.”

“It’s amazing, it’s incredible,” Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito A Martínez Ocasio, said earlier this year at Cinemacon about his involvement in El Muerto. “I love wrestling. I grew up watching wrestling, and I’m a wrestler. I’m a former champion, so this is why I love this character. I think it’s the perfect role to me, and it will be epic.”

Although Bad Bunny is best known for his Grammy-winning music, he has been getting more involved in the acting world.

He had an arc in the Netflix series Narcos: México, playing Arturo “Kitty” Páez. Earlier this year he made his big-screen debut in Bullet Train, where he was directed by David Leitch and shared screen credits with Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Andrew Koji, Michael Shannon and Sandra Bullock, among others.

Sony Pictures is expected to release El Muerto in theaters on January 12, 2024.

Sony Pictures Releases Trailer for “Bullet Train,” Featuring Bad Bunny in His Big Screen Acting Debut

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is headed to the big screen with a bullet (train)…

Sony Pictures has released the official trailer for Bullet Train, an action film starring the 27-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning rapper, singer and songwriter in his big screen debut. He previously appeared on television in Netflix‘s Narcos: Mexico.

Bad Bunny stars opposite Hollywood heavyweights Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Michael Shannon and more in the film.

In the film, the “Yo Perreo Sola” will play a hitman, part of an ensemble cast of assassins, all with connected, though conflicting objectives. And all of them riding a non-stop bullet train in Japan.

Expect the action to come hard and fast in this slick flick, directed by David Leitch.

Bullet Train is set for release in theaters from July 15, 2022.

Bad Bunny is certainly having his moment in the limelight right now…

Last week, he came out on top at the Premio Lo Nuestro awards show with six honors, and he’s just crashed a record with his YHLQMDLG album, which logged a 59th week atop Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, passing a market that stood for over 27 years.

YHLQMDLG made history in several ways back in March 2020, when it landed at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, for the highest charting all-Spanish-language album of all time.

Javier Bardem to Receive Maltin Modern Master Award at This Year’s Santa Barbara Film Festival

Posted on January 24, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Bardem is officially a master…

The 52-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor will be honored with the prestigious Maltin Modern Master Award at the 37th annual edition of the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Bardem will be feted alongside his Being the Ricardos co-star Nicole Kidman on Thursday, March 10 when they’ll engage with veteran film historian and critic Leonard Maltin for an in-person conversation about their careers leading up to this year’s performances as Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s acclaimed film from Amazon Studios.

Bardem and Kidman recently received individual SAG Award nominations in the lead actor and actress categories.

Bardem and Kidman, who have never before worked together, previously won Oscars for No Country for Old Men (2007) and The Hours (2002), respectively. Each has a long career of acclaimed performances.

“Nicole Kidman continues to challenge and reinvent herself year after year. Javier Bardem’s talent is a gift to the world. Only in Hollywood could these actors find themselves playing America’s all time favorite TV couple. It’s cause for celebration,” Maltin said.

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Modern Master Award was established in 1995 and is the highest accolade presented by SBIFF. Created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry, it was re-named the Maltin Modern Master Award in 2015 in honor of longtime SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin.

Past recipients include Bill Murray, Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Bruce Dern, Ben Affleck, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Cate Blanchett, Will Smith, George Clooney and Peter Jackson.

This is the first time a pair of actors will be honored together.

Other Santa Barbara tributes previously announced include Benedict Cumberbatch with the Vanguard Award, King Richard stars Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis for Outstanding Performers of the Year, Kristen Stewart for the American Riviera Award, and collectively named for Virtuoso Awards are West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose, CODA actors Emilia Jones and Troy Kotsur, Red Rocket’s Simon Rex, Licorice Pizza’s Alana Haim, and Saniyya Sidney from King Richard.

The 37th Santa Barbara Film Festival is set to take place in-person March 2-12. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and celebrity tributes will be held throughout the city including at the historic Arlington Theatre.

Bad Bunny Graces Cover of W Magazine’s Music Issue

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Bad Bunny for the W… W magazine cover, that is…

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican rapper, singer and songwriter graces the cover of W Magazine’s Music Issue.

“@badbunnypr is no stranger to playing different characters, in fact it’s one of the (many) things that keeps the world watching him,” writes the magazine in its Instagram post about their cover subject. “Last year, the rapper made waves for performing drag in his music video for ‘Yo Perreo Sola,’ in which he dressed in head-to-toe red latex, complete with dripping jewelry and stiletto boots. But underneath it all, the artist, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio remains a country boy from Puerto Rico’s northern coast, a laid-back beach kid who will roll into an industry party in board shorts and flip-flops.”

The Grammy winner, who worked overtime during the coronavirus pandemic to release three new albums and become 2020’s most streamed artist on Spotify, spoke with Abby Aguirre about optimism, his creative process and his upcoming acting roles, including his role in the highly anticipated film, Bullet Train alongside Brad Pitt.