Paramount+ Confirms “Criminal Minds” Revival, Starring Adam Rodriguez

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Adam Rodriguez is heading back to his roots…

Following more than a year of on- and off- deal-making, Paramount+ has confirmed it has ordered to series a Criminal Minds revival starring the 47-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor and some of his former cast mates.

In addition to Rodriguez, who portrayed Luke Alvez on the original series, the six fan favorites returning for the reboot includes Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster.

Also back is the series’ longtime executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer, who closed her deal to return earlier a couple of months ago.

The actors’ contracts had been contingent on Messer signing a pact with ABC Signature where she is under an overall deal.

By February, Criminal Minds studios ABC Signature and CBS Studios had reached a license agreement with Paramount+ for a 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds. The last several months were spent getting Messer and the cast officially on board, triggering a formal green light, with production slated to begin Aug. 21 in Los Angeles. Mantegna teased the shoot on Twitter with a picture of him on a soundstage “doing a little inspection today for an upcoming project” and #criminalminds.

In the revival series, FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. Now, as the world opens back up, the network goes operational, and the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time.

Mantegna, Vangsness, Rodriguez, Cook, Tyler and Brewster represent the majority of Criminal Minds’ cast in its 15th and final season. As Deadline reported in February, missing from the list are original cast member Matthew Gray Gubler, who had indicated that he was ready to move on after playing Spencer Reid for 15 years, and Daniel Henney, who stars in The Wheel of Time. The Prime Video series, which films in Prague, and any potential Henney guest appearance on Criminal Minds would be subject to his commitment to Wheel of Time and scheduling.

The actors’ agreements for Criminal Minds are multi-year and are not fully exclusive, according to Deadline, with the cast members able to do major recurring roles on ongoing series and series regular parts on limited series if production does not interfere.

The Criminal Minds revival, whose formal green light was first reported by TVLine, was announced with much fanfare at the streamer’s coming-out presentation last February. By July 31, Brewster told fans on Twitter that “we think it’s dead.” Fast forward six months to Feb. 1 when Nicole Clemens, President, Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, told reporters that Criminal Minds is “alive and well.”

“For 15 seasons, Criminal Minds was at the forefront of cutting-edge scripted drama as it explored the psychology behind crime – thrillingly,” Clemens said in a statement Thursday. “The series never stopped evolving during its run, and we are beyond excited to bring it back into a new era with new stories for a new generation of viewers at Paramount+. Erica, the whole cast and creative team are building a season full of new twists that we are sure will electrify audiences.”

The original series, created by Jeff Davis, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit, using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find perpetrators. The group is led by Senior Agent David Rossi (Mantegna) and includes Agents JJ Jareau (Cook), Tara Lewis (Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Rodriguez) as well as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Vangsness) and Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Brewster).

The classic broadcast procedural is being serialized for binge-driven streaming consumption, with the team coming back together to investigate a single case over 10 episodes in the new season for Paramount+.

Messer serves as showrunner, executive producer and writer. Breen Frazier and Chris Barbour will serve as writers and executive producers, Glenn Kershaw will direct and executive produce, and Mark Gordon will also serve as executive producer.

Criminal Minds is among Paramount Global’s most prized titles in the streaming era.

It had been a top performer on Netflix since before the streamer started releasing viewership information. While Paramount+ has all 15 seasons, Netflix carries the first 12. They accounted for 33.9 billion minutes of viewing on the global platform, making it the most watched title on Netflix in 2021. Criminal Minds also was the third-most-streamed series in 2020 on Netflix behind The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, with 590M hours viewed.

Apple TV+ Renews Sports Drama “Swagger,” Starring Tristan Mack Wilds, for Second Season

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Tristan Mack Wilds still has swagger…

Apple TV+ has picked up its sports drama, Swagger, starring the 32-year-old Afro-Dominican American actor, for a second season.

The series, inspired by NBA star Kevin Durant’s experiences as a kid, premiered in October.

The news was unveiled on the Instagram account of Durant’s investment firm Thirty-Five Ventures.

Swagger explores the world of elite youth basketball clubs, the players, their families and coaches.

It stars O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, Wilds, Tessa Ferrer, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Jason Rivera, who are all set to return for the second season.

The series is produced by Boardroom, Imagine Television Studios, CBS Studios and Undisputed Cinema, and executive produced by Bythewood, Durant, Brian Grazer, and Rich Kleiman. Francie Calfo, Tony Hernandez, Kristen Zolner and Joy Kecken also serve as executive producers.

“I’m excited to share more of the beautifully complicated lives of these incredible characters,” said creator, showrunner, director and executive producer Reggie Rock Bythewood. “In season two, they will search and discover what it means to be a champion on and off the court, and the basketball playing will continue to be groundbreaking. We are grateful to Apple TV+ for the platform.”

Gabriela Quezada Upped to Series Regular on The CW’s “Walker Independence”

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more independence in Gabriela Quezada’s future…

The Latina actress, originally hired for a recurring role on The CW’s new fall Walker prequel Walker Independence, has been upped to series regular ahead of the premiere, which is yet to be announced.

Starring Matt Barr and Katherine McNamara, Walker Independence, written by Seamus Fahey based on a story by him and Anna Fricke, and directed by Larry Teng, is set in the late 1800s.

It follows an affluent Bostonian named Abby Walker (McNamara), whose husband is murdered in front of her while on their trek out West. Consumed by a need for vengeance, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins (Barr), described as a “lovable rogue in search of a purpose” in the logline. The pair soon find themselves in Independence, Texas, where they encounter a diverse and eclectic cohort of citizens hiding from their demons and chasing their dreams, all while becoming agents of change themselves in the small town.

Quezada plays Lucia Reyes. Being the daughter of a rancher and the girlfriend of an outlaw isn’t always the easiest, but Lucia carves out her own path in the town of Independence. Using her gift of song, Lucia summons the courage to find her voice singing to the adoring fans of Hagan’s dance hall, hoping it will lead to a brighter future. After a family tragedy keeps her in town to help save the family ranch, Lucia finds a deeper strength to defend the ranch and find those responsible for doing harm to those close to her.

In addition to Barr and McNamara, Findlay joins previously announced series regulars Philemon Chambers, Lawrence Kao, Greg Hovanessian and Justin Johnson Cortez.

CBS Studios is the studio behind both Walker and Walker Independence.

Quezada’s previous television credits include guest-starring roles on 9-1-1, Schooled and The Goldbergs.

Adam Rodriguez Among Six Original “Criminal Minds” Cast Members In Talks For Show’s Paramount+ Revival

Posted on February 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Adam Rodriguez may be returning to his Criminal roots…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor is among the original cast members reportedly in final talks to star in the Criminal Minds revival for Paramount+.

In addition to Rodriguez, other fan favorite cast members who’ve reportedly agreed to come back include Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster, subject to closing their deals and availability.

Contract talks with Rodriguez and the other original cast members have been put on hold, according to Deadline, as Criminal Minds lead studio, ABC Signature, is focusing on making a deal with the series’ longtime executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer.

Negotiations with Messer, who has an overall pact with the studio, are still ongoing, with the two sides getting closer to a deal.

A license agreement for a 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds has been reached between Paramount+ and the studios behind the crime drama, ABC Signature and CBS Studios.

Rodriguez and the other five originals represent the majority of Criminal Minds’ cast in its 15th and final season.

The original series, created by Jeff Davis, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit, using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find perpetrators. The group is led by Senior Agent David Rossi (Mantegna) and includes Agents JJ Jareau (Cook), Tara Lewis (Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Rodriguez) as well as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Vangsness) and Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Brewster).

Criminal Minds is among ViacomCBS’ most prized titles in the streaming era. It had been a top performer on Netflix since before the streamer started releasing viewership information. While Paramount+ has all 15 seasons, Netflix carries the first 12. They accounted for 33.9 billion minutes of viewing on the global platform, making it the most watched title on Netflix in 2021. Criminal Minds also was the third-most-streamed series in 2020 on Netflix behind The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, with 590M hours viewed.

The CW Orders Six Additional Scripts of Robert Rodriguez’s Zorro Reboot Project with a Female Lead

Posted on February 4, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Rodriguez’s Zorro television project with a female lead is one step closer to becoming reality.

The CW has ordered an additional six scripts for the long-gestating Zorro reboot from the 53-year-old Mexican American filmmaker/writer, bringing the script total to 7.

In addition to Rodriguez, the CW’s gender-swapped reimagining of the classic masked vigilante character also hails from writer-director Rebecca Rodriguez, Sean Tretta (Mayans M.C.), Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens’ Propagate and CBS Studios.

The CW has not specified what the next step would be for Zorro if the network brass are happy with the new scripts, but a straight-to-series order is likely.

This is a variation of the straight-to-series model, which the network has employed with a different degree of success over the past two years.

The CW’s Zorro is a new incarnation of the project, which was in development at NBC during the 2020-21 cycle, with Tretta as a new addition to the brother-and-sister writing team of Robert and Rebecca Rodriguez.

Co-penned by the trio and to be directed by Rebecca Rodriguez, in Zorro, a young Latinx woman seeking vengeance for her father’s murder joins a secret society and adopts the outlaw persona of Zorro. The story by Robert and Rebecca Rodriguez was already in place when Tretta, who has an overall deal at CBS Studios, came on board earlier this cycle to write the script.

Tretta, who also will serve as showrunner, and Robert and Rebecca Rodriguez will executive produce with Silverman, Owens and Rodney Ferrell for Propagate.

Propagate originally set out to develop a Zorro TV series with a female lead in 2019 as one of the company’s first projects under its first-look deal with CBS Studios. The idea’s first incarnation, written by Alfredo Barrios Jr., was set up at NBC, as was the 2020-21 version with Robert and Rebecca Rodriguez, which also had Sofia Vergara attached as an executive producer. She is no longer involved in the project.

Robert Rodriguez was attached to direct The Mask of Zorro and cast Antonio Banderas as the title role before leaving the feature project.

In TV, he currently serves as an executive producer-director on Disney+’s The Book of Boba Fett. He previously developed and executive produced the series adaptation of his movie From Dusk Till Dawn for his television network El Rey and also executive produced the Spy Kids animated series offshoot for Netflix. He recently directed an episode of Disney+’s The Mandalorian.

Rebecca Rodriguez’s recent directing credits include episodes of HBO Max’s Doom Patrol, NBC’s Debris, TNT’s Snowpiercer and Showtime’s The Chi.

Amanda Perez to Appear on CBS’ Bowling Comedy “How We Roll”

Posted on December 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Amanda Perez is on a roll…

The Latina actress has landed a key recurring role on How We Roll, CBS’ multi-camera bowling comedy from Crashing’s Pete Holmes.

Perez joins a list of cast newcomers that includes Tahj Mowry, Rondi Reed, Judy Kain and Matt McCarthy in the project.

Based on the life of professional bowler Tom Smallwood, the series stars Holmes as Tom, a stoic Midwest husband and dad who gets laid off from a car assembly line and makes the extraordinary decision to provide for his family by following his dream of becoming a professional bowler.

It’s set to premiere Thursday, March 31.

As a skilled player, Tom knows that in bowling you get two chances; no matter what you do with the first ball, you get another one to make it right — the ultimate second chance. Keeping that in mind, he begins his new career with the loving OK from his wife, Jen (Katie Lowes), and the unfaltering support of Archie (Chi McBride), his mentor and the proud owner of Archie’s Lanes: Home of the Curly Fry. It remains to be seen if Tom will strike it big on the pro bowlers circuit, but right now, the pins are set, he’s taking his second shot, and it’s 300 or bust.

Perez will portray Tia, a hair stylist at the beauty salon with Jen. She’s party girl who’s always up for a good time. But as wild as she gets, Tia is still a dear friend to Jen, and there to listen and offer love and support.

How We Roll hails from writer Mark Gross and producers David Hollander and Brian D’Arcy James. The series is produced by CBS Studios with Gross, Hollander and D’Arcy James as executive producers. Mark Cendrowski directed the pilot.

Perez recently recurred on Netflix’s On The Verge and Fox’s Call Me Kat. Her guest star credits include Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, ABC’s Mom and Modern Family, and Netflix’s The Kominsky Method. She also appeared in features CHiPs, Summoned and Don Jon, and will soon be appearing in Marvel’s Morbius opposite J.K Simmons in 2022.

Wilmer Valderrama Teams Up with Rafael Agustín & Marvin Lemus to Develop Drama/Satire Series “Hipster Death Rattle”

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Wilmer Valderrama is rattle to roll…

The 41-year-old Colombian/Venezuelan American actor and NCIS co-star is teaming up with Rafael Agustín and Marvin Lemus to develop Hipster Death Rattle, a drama/satire with comedic elements for The CW.

The one-hour series from CBS Studios—based on the novel of the same name by Richie Narvaez—is set in a historically Latino neighborhood that’s falling victim to aggressive gentrification.

According to the show’s logline, “Someone is killing the ‘woke’ yet pretentious new hipsters. But who? And worse – do the locals even care? The victims were just hiking up rent anyway!’”Both Agustín and Lemus will executive produce alongside Valderrama and Kaitlin Saltzman for WV Entertainment, and Corinne Brinkerhoff and Tiffany Grant for Green Ribbon. Agustín will also write, and Lemus is set to direct.

Agustín serves as CEO of the Latino Film Institute, overseeing the Youth Cinema Project, their project-based learning educational film program, and the annual Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.

He was a writer on the CW’s Jane the Virgin and a Sundance fellow for his TV family comedy, Illegal, based on his life as a formerly undocumented American.

Agustín is currently writing his comedic undocumented memoir, Illegally Yours, for Grand Central Publishing.

Lemus is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer. He co-created and directed Netflix’s Gentefied, which released its second season in November. He also served as co-showrunner on Season 2.

Ilana Peña Teaming Up with Crystal Ferreiro to Develop the Dramedy “Hermanas” for The CW

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s sister time for Ilana Peña…

The Latina writer, who created Diary of a Future President, is teaming up once again with the Disney+ series’ writer Crystal Ferreiro on the project Hermanas, a drama with some humor in development at the CW.

The project hails from Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Studios, where Peña and JBTV are under deals.

Written by Ferreiro with Peña supervising, Hermanas follows three sisters—individually described as a “hot mess,” a “rigid overachiever” and a “homemaker who never left”—who reunite in their small town in Naples, FL after their brother, the crown jewel of the family, gets into a debilitating accident. As the women put their resentments aside to help him, the Primés realize that the sanitized version you present to family evaporates when you’re in close quarters, and what’s exposed is your most messy, authentic and vulnerable self.

Ferreiro executive produces alongside Peña, who executive produces under her Tilde Productions banner and will serve as showrunner. Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed executive produce for Jerry Bruckheimer Television.

Peña is creator, showrunner, EP and director of Diary of a Future President, which recently saw the release of its second season. Ferreiro was a writer on the CBS Studios-produced series.

Robert Beltran to Reprise “Star Trek: Voyager” Role on Paramount+’s New Series “Star Trek: Prodigy”

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Beltran is heading back to space…

The 67-year-old Mexican-American actor has joined the voice cast of the new animated series Star Trek: Prodigy, which premieres on October 28 on Paramount+.

Beltran will reprise his Star Trek: Voyager role as Captain Chakotay on the new series, which will also includes Daveed Diggs, Jameela Jamil and Jason Alexander as part of the voice cast.

The series, produced by Nickelodeon and CBS Studios’ Eye Animation Productions, showcased a first-look clip from the series at New York Comic Con. It features a hologram of iconic Captain Kathryn Janeway (voiced by Kate Mulgrew).

The series will debut with a one-hour episode titled Lost & Found. In it, a group of lawless teens, exiled on a mining colony outside Federation space, discover a derelict Starfleet ship. Dal must gather an unlikely crew for their newfound ship if they are going to escape Tars Lamora, but the Diviner and his daughter Gwyn have other plans.

Developed by Emmy Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman, the CG-animated series is the first Star Trek series aimed at younger audiences, and will follow a motley crew of young aliens who must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy in search of a better future. These six young outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered – a first in the history of the “Star Trek” franchise – but over the course of their adventures together, they will each be introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents.

CBS Releases First Look at Mel Rodriguez’s “CSI” Sequel, “CSI: Vegas”

Posted on July 24, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Mel Rodriguez is seeking the truth…

CBS had released the first-look teaser for CSI: Vegas, the sequel to the the mothership CSI series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, starring the 48-year-old Latino actor.

The sequel features returning CSI stars William Petersen, Jorja Fox and Wallace Langham, who are joined by new series regulars Paula Newsome, Matt Lauria, Rodriguez and Mandeep Dhillon.

CSI: Vegas opens a new chapter in Las Vegas, the city where it all began. Facing an existential threat that could bring down the Crime Lab, a brilliant team of forensic investigators must welcome back old friends and deploy new techniques to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.

CSI: Vegas hails from writer Jason Tracey, CBS Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Television.

https://twitter.com/CBSTVStudios/status/1418024052732547074

The sequel premieres on Wednesday, October 6 at 10/9c on CBS.

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