Jennifer Lopez to Receive Spotlight Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival

Jennifer Lopezis under the spotlight

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican superstar is set to receive the Spotlight Award at the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival for her performance in Hustlers. The award will be presented at the fest’s annual gala on Thursday, January 2.

Jennifer Lopez

The festival, held at the Palm Springs Convention Center, runs Jan. 2-13.

“Jennifer Lopez is a star in every sense of the word, and you will experience this in her latest film Hustlers. Starting with her show-stopping entrance Jennifer brings to life the character of Ramona, an exotic dancer, who leads a group of dancer friends to steal money from their clients,” said festival chairman Harold Matzner. “For this full-force yet grounded performance, deserving of awards consideration, we are thrilled to present Jennifer Lopez with this year’s Spotlight Award.”

Past recipients of the Spotlight Award, Actress include Amy AdamsJessica ChastainHelen HuntAllison JanneyRooney Mara and Julia Roberts

All recipients received Academy Award nominations in the year they were honored, with Janney receiving an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Lopez joins this year’s previously announced honorees Joaquin PhoenixMartin ScorseseCharlize Theron and Renée Zellweger.

From STX FilmsHustlershas earned more than $150 million worldwide at the box office to date. The film follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.

Javier Bardem to Present at This Year’s Oscars

Javier Bardemhas a date with Oscar…

The 49-year-old Spanish actor has been added to the list of presenters for the 91st Oscars show later this month.

Javier Bardem

Bardem, won the Academy Awardfor Best Supporting Actorfor his role as the psychopathic assassin Anton Chigurh in the 2007 Coen Brothersfilm No Country for Old Men, joins a roster of new additions that includes Angela BassettChadwick BosemanEmilia ClarkeLaura DernSamuel L. JacksonStephan JamesKeegan-Michael KeyKiKi LayneJames McAvoyMelissa McCarthyJason Momoa and Sarah Paulson.

They join previously announced AwkwafinaDaniel Craig,Chris EvansTina FeyAllison Janney,Brie LarsonJennifer LopezFrances McDormandGary OldmanAmy PoehlerSam RockwellMaya Rudolph,Amandla StenbergCharlize TheronTessa Thompson and Constance Wuat the show, set for February 24 live on ABC.

The presenters have added interest in a year in which the Oscars is going host-less, with Academy president John Bailey saying as late a week ago the show remained “in flux.”

“The array of talent anchoring the show this year has brought some of the most indelible moments in recent cinematic memory to audiences around the world,” said producer Donna Gigliotti and co-producer and director Glenn Weisson Monday in the announcement. “They join together to reconnect us with the nominees, their tremendous movies, and outstanding performances.”

Jennifer Lopez to Present at This Year’s Oscars

Jennifer Lopezhas a date with Oscar

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the first round of presenters who will hand out prizes at this year’s 91st Academy Awards, with the 49-year-old Puerto Rican superstar making the list. 

Jennifer Lopez

While the show remains host-less, viewers can still expect an A-list group of celebrity attendees.

In addition to J.Lo, the list of diverse talent set to present Oscars include AwkwafinaDaniel CraigChris EvansTina Fey, Whoopi GoldbergBrie LarsonAmy PoehlerMaya Rudolph, Charlize TheronTessa Thompson and Constance Wu.

In addition to this star-studded list, Oscar producer Donna Gigliotti and co-producer and director Glenn Weissannounced that the Los Angeles Philharmonicand conductorGustavo Dudamelwill perform during the annual “In Memoriam” segment of the show.

“The Oscar nominees have generated tremendous worldwide attention through their captivating stories, achievements and performances,” said Gigliotti and Weiss. “We want to give the public an opportunity to once again experience the moments that have moved us all. It is a celebration of our universal love of movies.”

The announced names are only some of talent set to hand out the golden statues; the Academy will unveil more presenters in the weeks to come. 

“This is an important moment in Oscar history,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “This year’s show maintains Oscar traditions, and is also evolving to reflect our global audience.”

The 2019 Oscars will air live Sunday, February 24, on ABCat 8:00 pm ET. 

New Trailer Released for Rodriguez’s “The Fate of the Furious”

Michelle Rodriguez is kicking it into high gear…

Universal Pictures has released a new trailer for The Fate of the Furious, starring the38-year-old Dominican-American actress.

Michelle Rodriguez

Once again, the car criminals-turned-superheroes are back in this upcoming eighth installment, this time going up again a mysterious tech terrorist, who forces an alliance with Vin Diesel’s family leader Dominic Toretto.

F. Gary Gray is at the helm of the sequel, which will bow in theaters April 14.

After Dom is seduced into a world of crime and betray those closest to him, the gang is forced to go against their former leader and end up working with one of their greatest enemies to take him down.

There’s explosions, melodrama, intense fight scenes, witty comebacks, and of course, a lot of cars going really fast –all the elements that have made the Fast & Furious a billion-dollar franchise.

The film sees the return of Diesel, Rodriguez, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky and Kurt Russell along with newcomers Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren and Scott Eastwood.

Bardem to Serve as a Presenter at This Year’s Academy Awards

Javier Bardem has a date with Oscar

The 47-year-old Spanish actor, who won an Academy Award for his role in No Country for Old Men, will serve as a presenter at the 89th Academy Awards on February 26.

Javier Bardem

In addition to Bardem, the latest list of presenters includes

Amy Adams, Riz Ahmed, John Cho, Dwayne Johnson, Felicity Jones, Leslie Mann, Janelle Monáe, David Oyelowo, Emma Stone and Charlize Theron, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Previously announced presenters include Halle Berry, Jamie Dornan, Chris Evans, Gael García Bernal, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Dakota Johnson, Shirley MacLaine, Kate McKinnon and Hailee Steinfeld. 

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. ABC will broadcast the ceremony live.

Rodriguez’s “Fast 8” Filming in Cuba

It’s fast times for Michelle Rodriguez in the Pearl of the Antilles.

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican-American actress and her fellow Fast & Furious co-stars are filming in Cuba.

Fast 8's Michelle Rodriguez & Vin Diesel

Fast 8 has the distinction of being only the second film and the first big budget movie given the green light to shoot on the island since the start of improved relations between the island nation and the United States.

The next installment of Universal Pictures’ successful franchise is currently filming in Havana, and to commemorate the milestone, the production released a new set video paying tribute to the city and its people.

The first in what star Vin Diesel has described as a trilogy that will bring the series to close, Fast 8 is keeping the series tradition of sending the franchise’s globetrotting street racing enthusiasts to various exotic locals, including Iceland in addition to Cuba.

Written by Chris Morgan and directed by F. Gary Gray, Fast 8 sees core cast members Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges returning along with 2Fast 2Furious co-star Eva Mendes, Tokyo Drift‘s Lucas Black, and Furious 7‘s Kurt Russell and Jason Statham. They’re joined this time out by Charlize Theron, Kristofer Hivju and Scott Eastwood in yet-revealed roles.

Fast 8 is set to hit theaters on April 14, 2017.

Baccarin Earns First-Ever MTV Movie Awards Nominations

Morena Baccarin has a (Dead)pool of reasons to celebrate…

The 36-year-old Brazilian-American actress has earned her first ever MTV Movie Awards nominations for playing Ryan Reynolds’ love interest in Deadpool.

Morena Baccarin in Deadpool

The former Homeland star is nominated for Best Female Performance, where she’ll face stiff competition from Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect 2), Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road), Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Jennifer Lawrence (Joy).

Baccarin and Reynolds are also nominated in the Best Kiss category.

The awards show will be hosted by Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart on Sunday, April 10.

Here are this year’s MTV Movie Awards nominees:

MOVIE OF THE YEAR

  • Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Creed
  • Deadpool
  • Jurassic World
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Straight Outta Compton

TRUE STORY

  • Concussion
  • Joy
  • Steve Jobs
  • Straight Outta Compton
  • The Big Short
  • The Revenant

DOCUMENTARY

  • Amy
  • Cartel Land
  • He Named Me Malala
  • The Hunting Ground
  • The Wolfpack
  • What Happened, Miss Simone?

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE

  • Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina
  • Anna Kendrick – Pitch Perfect 2
  • Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Jennifer Lawrence – Joy
  • Morena Baccarin – Deadpool

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE

  • Chris Pratt – Jurassic World
  • Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
  • Matt Damon – The Martian
  • Michael B. Jordan – Creed
  • Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool
  • Will Smith – Concussion

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

  • Amy Schumer – Trainwreck
  • Brie Larson – Room
  • Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Dakota Johnson – Fifty Shades of Grey
  • John Boyega – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • O’Shea Jackson Jr. – Straight Outta Compton

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE

  • Amy Schumer – Trainwreck
  • Kevin Hart – Ride Along 2
  • Melissa McCarthy – Spy
  • Rebel Wilson – Pitch Perfect 2
  • Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool
  • Will Ferrell – Get Hard

BEST ACTION PERFORMANCE

  • Chris Pratt – Jurassic World
  • Dwayne Johnson – San Andreas
  • Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
  • John Boyega – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool
  • Vin Diesel – Furious 7

BEST HERO

  • Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Chris Evans – Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Dwayne Johnson – San Andreas
  • Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
  • Paul Rudd – Ant-Man

BEST VILLAIN

  • Adam Driver – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Ed Skrein – Deadpool
  • Hugh Keays-Byrne – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • James Spader – Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Samuel L. Jackson – Kingsman: The Secret Service
  • Tom Hardy – The Revenant

BEST VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE

  • Amy Poehler – Inside Out
  • Andy Serkis – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Jack Black – Kung Fu Panda 3
  • James Spader – Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Lupita Nyong’o – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Seth MacFarlane – Ted 2

ENSEMBLE CAST

  • Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Furious 7
  • Pitch Perfect 2
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
  • Trainwreck

BEST KISS

  • Amy Schumer & Bill Hader – Trainwreck
  • Dakota Johnson & Jamie Dornan – Fifty Shades of Grey
  • Leslie Mann & Chris Hemsworth – Vacation
  • Margot Robbie & Will Smith – Focus
  • Morena Baccarin & Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool
  • Rebel Wilson & Adam DeVine – Pitch Perfect 2

BEST FIGHT

  • Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) vs. Ajax (Ed Skrein) – Deadpool
  • Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) vs. The Bear – The Revenant
  • Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) vs. Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) vs. Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Rey (Daisy Ridley) vs. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) vs. Lia (Nargis Fakhri) – Spy

Cruz Named Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive

Penelope Cruz has beat out a world of competition to earn a special honor.

The 40-year-old Spanish actress and Oscar winner has been given the title of Esquire‘s Sexiest Woman Alive.

Penelope Cruz - Esquire

Cruz, who stars in the upcoming Spanish-language film Ma Ma and Grimsby with Sacha Baron Cohen is the 10th honoree and the first Latina ever to earn the annual title.

“I’ve played a lot of tricks on myself,” she says in the magazine’s cover story. “I’ve made it hard for me sometimes, especially in my teens and 20s. I had an attraction to drama. Most of us have that, especially if you are an artist — you feel like you are tempted to explore the darkness. I could not be less interested now. For me, the most attractive, charming, cool, fun, interesting thing — how could I call it? A plan.”

Penelope Cruz - Esquire

Previous recipients of the magazine’s Sexiest Woman Alive title include Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis, Rihanna, Minka Kelly, Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Jessica Biel and Angelina Jolie.

Smalls Graces the Cover of Vogue’s September Issue

There’s not denying Joan Smalls is one of the modeling world’s “It Girls.” And, now she’s got the ultimate cover to prove it.

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican model, currently ranked the No. 1 model in the world according to models.com, graces the cover of Vogue’s September issue.

Joan Smalls Vogue September 2014 Cover

In what’s being described as a return to models on the portadas of fashion magazines, Smalls, whose full name is Joan Smalls Rodriguez, appears alongside Cara Delevingne and Karlie Kloss on the cover, with a cover line that reads “The Instagirls.”

Smalls, Delevingne and Kloss show off their no-nonsense beauty, complete with clean faces and sporty, pulled-back hair and sparkly gowns.

Vogue’s September issue arrives at a massive 856 pages, down from last year’s 902-page Jennifer Lawrence whopper, but handily beats 2009’s recession-thinned, 584-page Charlize Theron cover, and even the 2007 Sienna Miller cover that at the time was heralded as the “biggest issue ever!” at 840 pages.

So is this a return to models on the covers of fashion magazines? Quite possibly, after famous agencies like dallas modeling agency is producing efficient models every year. After all, Christy Turlington appeared on Vogue UK‘s July 2014 issue, Miranda Kerr graced Lucky‘s June/July 2014 cover, Kate Upton landed V Magazine‘s February 2014 cover and Smalls posed for Elle‘s January 2014 cover, to name a few. Delevingne even covers Vogue UK‘s September issue this year.

Bardem to Star Opposite Charlize Theron in the Sean Penn-Directed Film “The Last Face”

Javier Bardem is putting his best face forward…

The 45-year-old Spanish actor has reportedly signed on to star opposite Charlize Theron in The Last Face, according to Deadline.com.

Javier Bardem

Directed by Sean Penn, the love story will be shot in Africa. It centers a doctor (Theron) doing humanitarian relief work in Africa amidst violent political conflicts in the region. She meets another doctor (Bardem) who is doing the same work, and the story revolves around tough moral decisions that must be made during time of civil unrest.

The film will also star Blue Is The Warmest Color’s Adèle Exarchopoulos, who is expected to play a journalist.

Bardem, Penn and Theron are all Academy Award winners.

The project was originally written by Erin Dignam, who had a small part in Penn’s 1995 film The Crossing Guard.

Bardem recently finished work on the spy thriller The Gunman for Penn.