HBO Renews Pedro Pascal’s “The Last of Us” for Third Season

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

It appears you haven’t seen the Last of Pedro Pascal.

HBO has picked up The Last of Us, starring the 50-year-old Chilean actor, for a third season.

The announcement comes ahead of the anticipated Season 2 debut on Sunday. The decision has not been made whether Season 3 will be the series’ last, per Deadline.

Creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin previously said they were contemplating up to four total seasons to tell the story laid out across two video games.

The upcoming Season 2 is seven episodes long, and the duo sought early on to quell any worry from fans that they’d try to wrap up the behemoth that is The Last of Us Part II game in such little time.

“It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of The Last of Us is,” Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, said in a statement. “Craig, Neil, Carolyn and the entire executive producer team, cast and crew have delivered a masterful follow-up and we’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season.”

The early renewal is a show of faith for the acclaimed series, though not entirely unexpected, given that the first season performed so well for the network. By the time the Season 1 finale aired, HBO said the season’s average audience had surpassed 30 million viewers, with the premiere well on its way to 40M. That’s after the premiere episode brought in a same-day audience of 4.7M, which at the time was the largest debut after House of the Dragon since Boardwalk Empire launched in 2010.

“To see The Last of Us brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic and overwhelming support,” Druckmann said in a statement today. “Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of The Last of Us!”

Mazin added: “We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with Season 3.”

Based on Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed.

Joel, played by Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Season 2 picks up five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, returning cast includes Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley.

Joining Season 2 are Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, Danny Ramirez and Jeffrey Wright. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

The Last of Us is written and executive produced by Mazin and Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television.

PlayStation Productions, Word Games, Mighty Mint and Naughty Dog produce.

Peacock to Begin Streaming Pedro Pascal’s “The Wild Robot” This Month

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal is preparing for his Wild-est stream…

After earning nearly $270 million at the worldwide box office in September, The Wild Robot, starring the 49-year-old Chilean actor, will finally be available to stream from home.

The animated film will arrive on Peacock on January 24, and is also currently available to rent/purchase on Prime Video, Apple TV and other video-on-demand platforms.

Directed by Chris Sanders, “The Wild Robot” follows ROZZUM Unit 7134 A.K.A. Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o), an intelligent robot that gets shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. To survive, the robot bonds with the island’s creatures.

The animated film has a voice cast also featuring Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames and others.

The Wild Robot is based on the very popular science fiction book series from writer and illustrator Peter Brown. The first book was released in 2016, while its follow ups The Wild Robot Escapes and The Wild Robot Protects were released in 2018 and 2023, respectively.

The Wild Robot was also released on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD earlier this month, with prices starting at $19.95 on Amazon.

Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge has called The Wild Robot a “keeper” in his review, writing that the film’s “expressionistic environments can take one’s breath away. Sunsets, sea views and changing seasons suggest scenic calendar art come to life.”

Colman Domingo to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Golden Globes

Posted on January 2, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Win or lose, Colman Domingo will be taking the stage at this year’s Golden Globes.

The 55-year-old Emmy-winning Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and activist is among the presenters for the 82nd Annual Golden Globes awards show.

Domingo, who is nominated in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama category for his performance in Sing Sing, appears on a presenters roster that includes Andrew Garfield, Anthony Mackie, Anthony Ramos, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ariana DeBose, Aubrey Plaza, Auliʻi Cravalho, Awkwafina, Brandi Carlile, Catherine O’Hara, Colin Farrell, Demi Moore, Dwayne Johnson, Édgar Ramírez, Elton John, Gal Gadot, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, Jennifer Coolidge, Kaley Cuoco, Kate Hudson, Kathy Bates, Ke Huy Quan, Kerry Washington, Margaret Qualley, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Keaton, Michelle Yeoh, Miles Teller, Mindy Kaling, Morris Chestnut, Nate Bargatze, Nicolas Cage, Rachel Brosnahan, Rob McElhenney, Salma Hayek Pinault, Sarah Paulson, Seth Rogen, Sharon Stone, Vin Diesel, Viola Davis and Zoë Kravitz.

The Golden Globes will be broadcast live this Sunday, January 5 at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Comedian Nikki Glaser will host.

DreamWorks Animation Developing Sequel to Pedro Pascal-Starrer “The Wild Robot”

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal may be returning to the wild soon…

After crossing $100M globally last weekend, The Wild Robot filmmaker Chris Sanders has confirmed that a sequel to the film, which features the 49-year-old Chilean actor in the voice cast, is currently in development at DreamWorks Animation.

“100% yes there are absolutely plans for a second one,” Sanders has confirmed.

Three-time Oscar nominee Sanders—the writer-director of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch — directed the animated feature from a screenplay he also penned. The film is produced by Jeff Hermann/

In the film, which is an adaptation of Peter Brown’s award-winning bestseller of the same name, Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o plays a robot called ROZZUM unit 7134 — “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

The Wild Robot is the first in the trilogy of books written by Brown. The Wild Robot Escapes is the second book in the franchise.

Discussing the inspiration behind her vocal performance in the film, Nyong’o joked that she took notes from “AI voices like Alexa and Siri.”

“Alexa, Siri and you know those voices on TikTok and Instagram that are so positive and nothing’s ever wrong. That sort of can-do attitude,” she said. “That was the starting point for Roz and her journey to self-actualization and evolution of self-expression.”

Universal/DreamWorks Animation launched the film earlier this month. The Wild Robot also features the voices of Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Stephanie Hsu and Bill Nighy.

Jenna Ortega’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” to World Premiere at Venice Film Festival

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega’s latest project is launching in Italy…

The 81st Venice Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Tim Burton‘s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, starring the 21-year-old Mexican American actress.

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe star alongside Ortega in the highly anticipated sequel to Beetlejuice.

The Warner Bros film will be screened out of competition on Wednesday, August 28 at the Sala Grande, the festival said Tuesday.

This will mark a return to the sort of glitzy red carpet with which Venice has become synonymous, after last year’s Lido event had less star-wattage than usual as it took place amid the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Warner Bros starts the international rollout on Beetlejuice 2 on September 4 with domestic joining September 6.

Said Venice chief Alberto Barbera today, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the long-awaited return of one of the most iconic characters of Tim Burton’s cinema, but also the happy confirmation of the extraordinary visionary talent and the masterly realization of one of the most fascinating auteurs of his time. The Venice Biennale is honored and proud to host the world premiere of a work that features a surprising swing of creative imagination and driving hallucinatory rhythm.”

Added Burton, “I’m very excited by this. It means a lot to me to have the world premiere of this film at the Venice Film Festival.”

In the sequel to Beetlejuice, Burton’s classic 1988 supernatural comedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River following an unexpected tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice (Keaton), Lydia’s (Ryder) life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Ortega), discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

This year’s Venice runs from August 28-September 7 with French star Isabelle Huppert acting as jury president.

America Ferrera to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Oscars

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Win or lose, America Ferrera will be taking the Oscars stage…

The 39-year-old Honduran American actress, who earned her first-ever Academy Awards nod this year for her performance in Barbie, will serve as a presenter at Sunday’s Oscars.

She’s part of a roster of new presenters that includes Emily Blunt, Cynthia Erivo, Sally Field, Ryan Gosling, Ariana Grande, Ben Kingsley, Melissa McCarthy, Issa Rae, Tim Robbins, Steven Spielberg, Mary Steenburgen, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlize Theron, Christoph Waltz and Forest Whitaker.

They join previous announced presenters Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer and Ramy Youssef, Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya.

The Oscars will be broadcast live on March 10 ceremony from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Jimmy Kimmel is returning to host the ceremony for a fourth time.

ABC, which has aired the Oscars since 1976, is televising the show live starting at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT — an hour earlier that usual. The network, which has begun to use the Oscars as a lead-out to showcase its top programming, will follow its coverage of the live ceremony with an original episode of Abbott Elementary.

ABC’s time tweak also means that its annual pre-show will now run for 30 minutes — instead of the usual 90 — beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. As per usual, the main Oscar telecast will be rebroadcast in the Pacific Time zone in primetime after the live presentation.

Raj Kapoor will serve as showrunner and executive producer of the 96th Oscars, with Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing.

Bad Bunny to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Academy Awards

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny has a date with Oscar…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar has been added to the list of presenters for this year’s Academy Awards show.

But the “Monaco” singer is not the only Puerto Rican artist set to take the stage.

West Side Story star Rita Moreno, an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony Award) winner, will also serve as a presenter.

Bad Bunny and Moreno are among the list of recently added presenters for the March 10th Oscars telecast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer and Ramy Youssef.

Moreno won an Oscar in 1962 for West Side Story. In 1977, she became the first Latina (and just the third person overall) to complete the EGOT.

In 2022, Bad Bunny made history when Un Verano Sin Ti became the first Spanish-language album to top Billboard’s year-end chart and to receive a Grammy nod for album of the year. His acting credits include Bullet Train, Narcos: Mexico and Cassandro,

Earlier this week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced that another popular Latin star, Becky G, would perform the nominated “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot on the telecast.

Previously announced Oscars presenters are Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya.

The 96th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast to outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 10, at the new, earlier time of 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT.

Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the show for the fourth time. It will be held at its usual home, the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner for the 2024 Oscars. Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan are also executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing. Rickey Minor is music director.

Jenna Ortega In Talks to Star in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” Sequel

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega could be juicing for her next role…

20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American Golden Globe-nominated actress and Wednesday star may be reuniting with Tim Burton on his next project as Hollywood insiders report Ortega is in early talks to reunite with the Wednesday creator on Beetlejuice 2 at Warner Bros.

Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are reportedly expected to reprise their roles with Burton directing.

Production is expected to start in late May or early June in London, but the film’s budget hasn’t been set, resulting in some back and forth.

If a deal is made, sources say Ortega would play the daughter of Lydia, the character played by Ryder in the Burton-helmed original.

Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara also starred in the original film, which grossed $80 million on a $15 million budget. It also scored a Best Makeup Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards.

Ortega has been on a roll as of late, led by her record-breaking Addams Family series Wednesday. The show has smashed Netflix viewing records and has been renewed for a second season. She’s hosting Saturday Night Live on March 11 and is appearing on in Scream VI.

Andy Garcia to Star in Netflix’s “The Pain Hustlers”

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Andy Garcia is hustlin’…

The 66-year-old Cuban actor has joined the cast of David Yates’ Netflix film The Pain Hustlers.

Garcia will star opposite Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James and Chloe Coleman.

The film billed as tonally similar to The Big Short, American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street follows Liza Drake (Blunt), a high-school dropout dreaming of a better life for her and her young daughter. Liza lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical startup in a yellowing strip mall in Central Florida. Her charm, guts and drive then catapult the company and her into the high life, where she soon finds herself at the center of a criminal conspiracy with deadly consequences.

Netflix acquired global rights to the film written by Wells Tower for $50M out of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Garcia is an Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee whose recent film credits include Warner Bros. and HBO Max’s Father of the Bride; Guy Ritchie’s actioner Wrath of Man; the comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, with Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo and Jamie Dornan; the romantic drama Words on Bathroom Walls, with Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell; Clint Eastwood’s crime drama, The Mule; Sacha Gervasi’s Emmy-nominated TV movie My Dinner with Hervé for HBO; Ol Parker’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again; and the comedy Book Club, with Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen.

The actor’s credits on the television side include Rebel, Flipped and Ballers.

He’ll next be seen in the romantic drama What About Love with Sharon Stone, Lionsgate’s The Expendables 4 and Focus Features’ Book Club 2: The Next Chapter, among other projects.

Rosie Perez to Take Part in “Stars in the House” Telethon to Benefit Victims of the War in Ukraine

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rosie Perez is helping raise money for the people of the Ukraine…

The 57-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-nominated actress is among an all-star roster of film, television and theater performers who’ve signed up for a 10-hour telethon to raise money for the victims of the war in Ukraine.

Entitled “Stars in the House,”the special will air on Saturday, March 26 from noon-10:00 pm Eastern.

In addition to Perez, the other celebrities scheduled to appear on the telethon include Steve Martin, Annette Bening, Billy Porter, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth, David Hyde Pierce, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin, as well as Tituss Burgess, Kelli O’Hara, Donna Murphy, Annaleigh Ashford, Jessie Mueller, Josh Groban, Judith Light, John Stamos, Lindsay Mendez, Laura Benanti, Norman Lear, Betty Buckley, Mandy Patinkin, Rachel Bloom, Patrick Wilson, Shoshana Bean, James Monroe Iglehart, Brittney Johnson, Santino Fontana, Judy Kuhn and Norbert Leo Butz.

The event also hopes to feature Ukrainians, including Oleg Karpenko, a Ukrainian theater and film actor who co-starred with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Servant of the People.

The special can be viewed and listened to on the series’ site, the Stars in the House YouTube channel, as well as SiriusXM Stars109.

Donations made during the event will benefit the International Rescue Committee and its humanitarian efforts for those affected by the war in Ukraine.

Stars in the House is a live-streamed concert series created by SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky and producer James Wesley that has raised over $1 million for the Actors Fund’s COVID-19 relief program and other nonprofits.

It’s just one way the theater community has tried to help Ukrainians: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS awarded $300,000 in emergency grants to ameliorate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and a portion of ticket sales for “The Minutes” will go to Save the Children’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.

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