Lisette Olivera Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lisette Olivera has new representation…

The up-and-coming Latina actress has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for representation in all areas.

Olivera will next be seen starring in the Disney Branded Television series National Treasure: Edge of History, an expansion of the popular National Treasure film franchise, told from the point of view of her character, Jess.

The action-adventure show’s young heroine is a brilliant and resourceful DREAMer who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about her family’s mysterious past and save a lost Pan-American treasure.

National Treasure: Edge of History debuts on Disney+ on December 14.

Olivera is joined in the show by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Justin Bartha, Harvey Keitel, Lyndon Smith, Zuri Reed, Jake Austin Walker, Antonio Cipriano and Jordan Rodrigues.

Its exec producers include Jerry Bruckheimer, Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed, Rick Muirragui (who also serves as a writer), Jon Turteltaub and Mira Nair (who also directs).

Olivera was previously seen starring opposite Sierra McCormick in Sean King O’Grady’s psychological horror We Need to Do Something, which made its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and was released in theaters by IFC Films.

Netflix Releases First Look at Jenna Ortega as “Wednesday” in Upcoming Addams Family Television Series

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega is embracing her Family…

Netflix has revealed the first look at “Wednesday,” the upcoming Addams Family television series starring the famous clan’s daughter, with the 19-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress and Scream 5 star in the title role.

First created by Charles Addams for a series of New Yorker cartoons, the Addams Family is a bizarre aristocratic clan with an obsession of the macabre and a complete lack of concern regarding how others perceive them.

Following their creation, the characters grew in popularity after a 1964 sitcom fleshed out their personalities, and have since starred in two live-action theatrical films, two animated series, a Broadway musical and two animated films.

The only daughter of parents Gomez and Morticia, Wednesday was depicted in the original sitcom as the most sweet-natured of the family.

However, the 1991 Barry Sonnenfeld-directed film adaptation changed her personality to be much more deadpan and sadistic, with Christina Ricci’s portrayal in the film making her one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

“Wednesday” spins-off the character as she attends a boarding school Nevermore Academy, where she develops psychic powers and investigates a supernatural killing spree connected to her own family’s history.

In addition to Ortega as Wednesday, the rest of the Addams Family will make appearances in the show. Catherine Zeta-Jones is part of the main cast as matriarch Morticia, while Victor Dorobantu plays the disembodied hand servant of the family, Thing. Isaac Ordonez plays Wednesday’s brother Pugsley in a recurring role, while George Burcea plays the family manservant Lurch. Luis Guzmán will guest star in the series as Wednesday’s father Gomez.

The main cast of the show includes Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Percy Hynes White, Gwendoline Christie, Thora Birch, Hunter Doohan, Joy Sunday, Emma Myers, Georgie Farmer, Naomi Ogawa and Moosa Mostafa. In a nod to the ’90s films, Ricci will also appear in an unconfirmed role.

Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the Superman series Smallville, serve as showrunners and executive producers for the series.

Tim Burton will also executive produce and direct the majority of episodes, with Gandja Monteiro and James Marshall serving as additional directors.

The series is produced by MGM Television for Netflix.

Juliana Aidén Martinez to Star Opposite Sofia Vergara in Netflix’s Limited Series “Griselda”

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Juliana Aidén Martinez is joining the cartel…

The Colombian actress has joined the cast of Netflix’s Griselda, its upcoming limited series about real-life drug queenpin Griselda Blanco starring Sofia Vergara.

Aidén Martinez is among 12 newly added cast members, including Alberto Guerra, Diego Trujillo, Paulina Davila, Gabriel Sloyer, Maximiliano Hernández and Julieth Restrepo.

Netflix also released a first look photo of Vergara as the lead character.

The six-episode series chronicles the life of Colombian-born Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. A devoted mother, Blanco’s lethal blend of charm and unsuspecting savagery helped her expertly navigate between family and business leading her to become widely known as the “Black Widow.”

Here’s a full list of the cast and the characters they’ll play:

Alberto Guerra (Narcos: Mexico) as “Dario”
Vanessa Ferlito as “Isabel”
Alberto Ammann (Narcos) as “Alberto Bravo”
Christian Tappan (The Great Heist) as “Arturo”
Diego Trujillo (Metastasis) as “German Panesso”
Paulina Davila (Luis Miguel) as “Carmen”
Gabriel Sloyer (Narcos) as “Diaz”
Juliana Aidén Martinez as “June”
Martin Rodriguez (Detrás de la verdad) as “Rivi”
José Zúñiga (American Crime Story, Versace) as “Amilcar”
Maximiliano Hernández (The Avengers, The Americans) as “Papo Mejia”
Julieth Restrepo as “Marta Ochoa”

Blanco burst onto the pop culture scene after her exploits were highlighted in the 2006 documentary Cocaine Cowboys and its sequel two years later from Billy Corben.

She was portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Lifetime biopic Cocaine Godmother in 2018.

The series was developed by executive producers Vergara and Luis Balaguer for Latin World Entertainment. Griselda is the latest project for Eric Newman under his overall deal with Netflix.

Ingrid Escajeda will serve as co-showrunner, as well as write, and executive produce alongside Doug Miro (Narcos). Newman will also EP alongside his Narcos creative team, Andrés Baiz, and Carlo Bernard—though Griselda is unrelated to Netflix’s drug thriller franchise.

Baiz will direct all six episodes.

Florencia Lozano to Appear in Netflix’s Drama Series “Breathe”

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Florencia Lozano is breathe-ing easy…

The 51-year-old Latina actress, best known for portraying Téa Delgado on ABC’s daytime series One Life to Live, has landed a recurring role in Breathe, Netflix’s one-hour drama series from Blindspot creator Martin Gero and writer-executive producer Brendan Gall, and Warner Bros. Television.

Lozano will recur alongside 40-year-old Colombian actor Juan Pablo Espinosa on the series, which stars Melissa Barrera.

In Breathe, written by Gero and Gall, when a small plane crashes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness, a lone woman (Barrera) must battle the elements and odds to survive. Barrera’s Liv is a razor-sharp Manhattan attorney who finds herself profoundly out of her comfort zone when her plane crashes and she must battle for survival.

Lozano and Espinosa will play Liv’s mother and father, respectively.

Lozano co-wrote and stars in Life After You, which was awarded Best Feature and Best Actress at the Nice International Film Festival. She will next be seen in the feature Here After. Her previous television credits include the starring role of Claudia Messina on Netflix’s Narcos, as well as Madam Secretary, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: SVU, among others.

Espinosa most recently starred in Focus Features’ comedy Half Brothers. His other recent credits include Apple TV’s Acapulco, Cocaine Godmother opposite Catherine Zeta Jones, and a recurring role as Luis Carlos Galán on Netflix’s Narcos. In Latin America, he’s known for his work on El Secretario, A Corazon Abierto and La Fan with NBC/Telemundo, among others.

Rosie Perez to Serve as a Presenter at This Weekend’s Golden Globes Ceremony

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’ll be a golden weekend for Rosie Perez…

The 56-year-old Puerto Rican actress, choreographer and community activist, who most recently starred in HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant, is among the celebrities added as presenters for the 78th Golden Globes, set for Sunday, February 28.

In addition to Perez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Christopher Meloni, and Christian Slater are the latest group to be added.

All four will be appearing live from New York’s Rainbow Room for the NBC telecast of the ceremony, which will take place both in New York with co-host Tina Fey and at the Beverly Hilton with co-host Amy Poehler.

The ceremony will air from 8:00 -11:00 pm ET/5-8 p.m. PT on NBC and be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

The quartet join previously announced presenters, including Margot Robbie, Tiffany Haddish, Anthony Anderson, Kate Hudson, Kenan Thompson, Kevin Bacon, Sterling K. Brown, Michael Douglas, Kyra Sedgwick, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Facebook Watch to Release Victoria Justice’s “Queen America” in November

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Victoria Justice is ready for a royal November…

The 25-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/singer’s new Facebook Watch series with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen America, will premiere Wednesday, November 21.

The 10-episode scripted series stars Zeta-Jones as Vicki Ellis, a renowned and ruthless pageant coach in Oklahoma. Her reputation is at stake when she is paired to make an unpolished young woman named Samantha (Belle Shouse) to make her the winning pageant queen.

In addition to Zeta-Jones, Shouse and Justice, who starred as Tori Vega on Nickelodeon’s Victorious, additional cast members include Judith Light, Jennifer Westfeldt, Teagle Bougere, Rana Roy, Isabella Amara, Molly Priceand Megan West.

Queen America was created, written and executive produced by Meaghan Oppenheimer and hails from wiip, the new independent studio launched and led by Paul Lee and Bruna Papandrea‘ Made Up Stories, which will serve as co-studio partner.

Click here to see the trailer.

Guerrero to Star Opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones in “The Godmother”

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Diane Guerrero has a new godmother…

The 29-year-old Colombian American actress has landed a role in director Gerard Johnson’s new film The Godmother.

Guerrero joins Catherine Zeta-Jones, Oliver Martinez and John Leguizamo in the film based on the life of drug lord Griselda Blanco (Zeta-Jones).

Set in the 1970s and ’80s, The Godmother tells the story of Blanco, deemed the “Godmother of Cocaine,” who went from an impoverished life to establishing a cocaine business with her husband in New York and becoming one of the most feared figures during the “cocaine cowboys” wars.

Guerrero, best known for her role in Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black, will play Eva, who worked as a mule for Blanco.

Production begins November 4 in Puerto Rico.

Guerrero, who appears on CW’s Jane the Virgin, will next appear in the features Beyond Control and Happy Yummy Chicken.

Lopez to Serve as a Presenter at the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez has a golden responsibility this weekend…

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer and American Idol judge is among the second batch of presenters announced today by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Lopez, who received a Golden Globe nomination in 1998 for her breakout role in Selena, joins a list of presenters that includes Jennifer Aniston, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston, Jamie Dornan, Colin Firth, Jane Fonda, Harrison Ford, Bill Hader, Katherine Heigl, Dakota Johnson, Adam Levine, Matthew McConaughey, Seth Meyers, Lupita Nyong’o, Jeremy Renner, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Vince Vaughn, and Kerry Washington.

They will join previously announced presenters; Amy Adams, Adrien Brody, Robert Downey Jr., Anna Farris, Ricky Gervais, Kevin Hart, Salma Hayek, Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Pratt, Channing Tatum, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The ceremony, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for the third year in a row, will air on Sunday, January 11 live coast-to-coast on NBC with the pre-show from 4-5 PM (PST)/7-8 PM (EST), and main telecast from 5-8 PM (PST)/8-11 PM (EST) from the Beverly Hilton.

Moreno Joins Cast of the Drug Biopic About Griselda Blanco, “The Godmother”

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Catalina Sandino Moreno is heading back into the drug world…

The 33-year-old Colombian actress, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in the drug-themed drama Maria Full Of Grace, has joined the cast of the drug biopic The Godmother.

Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, the film is the true-tale biopic about Colombian cocaine queenpin Griselda Blanco. The film stirred media interest after it was announced that Zeta-Jones was cast in the lead role.

Moreno earned an Academy Award nod for playing a drug mule in Maria Full Of Grace and recently hit the small screen in Red Band Society. She’ll next appear in a recurring role on TNT’s Falling Skies.

In addition to Moreno, the film will also star Oscar Jaeneda, who recently appeared in the film Cantinflas, as well as Jon Bernthal (Fury) and Mehdi Dehbi (A Most Wanted Man).

The Godmother is set to begin filming next spring. Eva Sørhaug is directing from a screenplay by Frank Baldwin.

Boneta Featured in First “Rock of Ages” Clip

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s no wonder Diego Boneta received CinemaCon’s Rising Star of 2012 Award, especially after the release of the first clip of his highly anticipated musical Rock of Ages…

Aimed at building buzz for the U.S. release of the film, Warner Bros. Pictures released the snippet, which shows the 21-year-old Mexican singer/actor and his co-star Julianne Hough shopping for vinyl at a record store before breaking into a head-banging rendition of Foreigner‘s “Jukebox Hero.”

Rock of Ages, an adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, centers on small town girl Sherrie (Hough) and city boy Drew (Boneta) ,who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock ‘n’ roll romance is told through the classic hits of Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake and more.

Along with Hough and Boneta, Rock of Ages stars Tom Cruise as rock star Stacee Jaxx, Sherrie and Drew’s idol. Other members of the ensemble include Malin Akerman, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Mary J. Blige, Paul Giamatti and Bryan Cranston.

Directed by Adam Shankman, Rock of Ages will open in theaters nationwide on June 15.

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