Jennifer Lopez’s “Shotgun Wedding,” Co-Starring Armie Hammer, Heading to Amazon Prime Video

Posted on December 15, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez’s latest project has landed an Amazonian deal…

Following weeks of negotiations, the 51-year-old Puerto Rican superstar’s big-budget action-comedy Shotgun Wedding, co-starring Armie Hammer, is heading to Amazon Prime Video for a host of major international territories, as well as to some key indie buyers.

Lionsgate will retain the film’s domestic rights.

Lionsgate’s sales division is in final talks to pre-sell the in-demand film to Amazon for UK/Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Benelux and Latin America.

Deals are also being finalized with some foreign buyers, including Leonine in Germany and Nordisk in Scandinavia. Negotiations are also ongoing in most Asian markets.

In Shotgun Wedding, Lopez and Hammer will play a couple who gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding just as they begin to get cold feet about their relationship. If that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage.

Jason Moore will direct from a screenplay by Mark Hammer and Liz Meriwether.

Production is expected to begin early next year.

Lopez is producing the film through her Nuyorican Productions’ company, alongside Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina.

Jennifer Lopez to Star Opposite Armie Hammer in the Lionsgate Action-Comedy “Shotgun Wedding”

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

It’s wedding bells and shotgun shells for Jennifer Lopez…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will star opposite Armie Hammer in Lionsgate’s action-comedy Shotgun Wedding.

Pitch Perfect’s Jason Moore will direct from a screenplay by Mark Hammer and Liz Meriwether.

“Jennifer and Armie’s irresistible magnetism, separately and together, make them the perfect pairing for this action comedy,” said Erin Westerman, president of production for Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group. “They are both incredibly funny actors that can also deliver on the action, but what sets this movie apart is the way their infectious chemistry commands the screen. You can’t take your eyes off them.”

The film follows Darcy (Lopez) and Tom (Hammer), who gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding just as the couple begin to get cold feet. And if that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage.

Lopez will produce the film alongside her Nuyorican Productions’ colleagues Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina.

Production is expected to begin early next year. The film will be presented at the upcoming AFM.

Lopez can be seen next in highly-anticipated Universal rom-com Marry Me opposite Maluma and Owen Wilson.

She recently received rave reviews for her work in the STX film Hustlers.

Jennifer Lopez to Take Part in Quibi’s Forthcoming Series “Thanks a Million”

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez is paying it forward…

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican superstar is set to take part in Quibi’s forthcoming series, Thanks a Million, which will feature people literally paying it forward to those who’ve changed their lives.

J.Lo joins a roster of participating celebrities that includes Kristen Bell, Tracy Morgan, Karlie Kloss, Aaron Rodgers and Alex Rodriguez.

Each of the celebrities will lead an individual episode of the series. More participants will be revealed at a later date.

Earlier in March at SXSW, Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg announced the new series as part of their lineup. Each episode of Thanks a Million will feature grateful public figures kick-starting a chain of kindness by gifting $100,000 to an unsuspecting individual who has had a positive impact on their lives. The recipient must then pay it forward by gifting half of that sum to someone else who has done the same, and the chain continues. Across ten episodes, $1,000,000 will be put in the hands of everyday people.

Thanks a Million will be produced by Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions and Industrial Media’s B-17 Entertainment in association with Universal Alternative Television Studio. Lopez, Elaine-Goldsmith Thomas, Alex Brown, Rhett Bachner, Brien Meagher,Dena Waxmanand Benny Medinaserve as Executive Producers.

Quibi is slated to launch April 6, 2020.

NBC Renews Lopez’s “Shades of Blue” for Third Season

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more Blue in Jennifer Lopez’s future…

NBC has renewed Shades of Blue, starring the 47-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer and Ray Liotta, for a third season.

The announcement comes only two weeks into the police corruption drama’s sophomore run.

Shades of Blue has done okay relocating from Thursday to Sunday, wining its new Sunday 10:00 pm slot. It averages a modest 5.0 million viewers and 1.0 among adults 18-49 in Live+same day, though, in today’s day and age, these are considered solid linear numbers for a serialized 10:00 pm broadcast drama series.

Shades of Blue is boosted by a strong delayed viewing. It adds substantial viewership from time-shifting and video on demand, with the show’s March 5 season premiere growing by 66% in L+3 to a 1.6 rating in adults 18-49, and in total viewers by 2.5 million persons to a total of 7.8 million, accounting for the biggest L+3 lifts of the night on the Big 4 networks.

“We’re so hugely appreciative of everything Jennifer and Ray do, and know it is due to their dedication, as well as the hard work of our incredible cast and producers, that ‘Shades of Blue’ has so clearly and compellingly earned a third-season renewal,” said NBC’s president of entertainment Salke said. “This show continues to mine powerful stories that always leave us hungry for more.”

Harlee Santos (Lopez) is a charismatic single mother and resourceful detective at the heart of a tight-knit crew of Brooklyn detectives, led by enigmatic Lt. Matt Wozniak (Liotta) who often leads the team to step outside the limitations of the law in order to effectively protect their precinct and their own.

The cast of the series, created by Adi Hasak, includes Drea de Matteo, Dayo Okeniyi, Vincent Laresca, Hampton Fluker, Sarah Jeffery and Gino Anthony Pesi.

Showrunner Jack Orman and Lopez serve as executive producers along with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Ryan Seacrest and Nina Wass.

Shades of Blue is a production of Universal Television, Nuyorican Productions, EGTV, Ryan Seacrest Productions and Jack Orman Productions.

Lopez to Star in NBC’s Live Television Adaptation of the Hit Broadway Musical “Bye Bye Birdie”

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Everything’s coming up Rosie for Jennifer Lopez…

NBC has slated Bye Bye Birdie as its next live musical, with the 46-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer set as the star.

Lopez will executive produce with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and her company Nuyorican Productions will produce with Universal Television.

Harvey Fierstein will write the television adaptation, with the special set to air in 2017.

The original Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie won the Tony Award in 1961 for best musical. It starred Dick Van Dyke, who also won a Tony for best actor in a musical, as Albert Peterson, the manager of rock star Conrad Birdie, and Chita Rivera as Rosie Alvarez, Albert’s girlfriend and secretary. When Birdie is drafted into the Army, Albert and Rosie concoct a plan to have Birdie give “one last kiss” to a small-town high school girl live on The Ed Sullivan Show before heading off for induction.

The show was adapted into a 1963 feature film starring Van Dyke and Janet Leigh. A short-lived 2010 Broadway revival starred John Stamos and Gina Gershon.

Lopez, who stars in NBC’s Shades of Blue, will play the part of Rosie in the NBC version. No other casting has yet been announced.

Under Greenblatt, NBC has made a tradition of airing live musicals in December, where the network believes the holiday time is a fertile ground for family-friendly co-viewing. The first, Sound of Music Live! starring Carrie Underwood, aired in 2013 and was watched by 18.6 million viewers. That effort was followed by Peter Pan Live! starring Allison Williams and Christopher Walken, and The Wiz Live! starring Queen Latifah and Shanice Williams.

Zadan and Meron have served as exec producers on all four NBC live musicals, and Fierstein previously wrote the television adaptation for The Wiz Live! and wrote the adaptation for NBC’s upcoming Hairspray Live!, which will air on December 7.

HBO Developing Film About Drug Lord Griselda Blanco Starring Lopez

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a case of black & Blanco moment for Jennifer Lopez…

HBO is developing a film about notorious drug lord Griselda Blanco to be played by the 47-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer.

The film, from Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions and LBI Entertainment, focuses on the rise and fall of Blanco (Lopez), the drug lord known as “The Cocaine Godmother” who revolutionized the U.S. drug trade during the 1970s and 1980s and became the most powerful female cartel member of all time.

Lopez will executive produce with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas via Nuyorican Productions. Benny Medina also will executive produce with Julie Yorn and Rick Yorn for LBI Entertainment.

“I’ve been fascinated by the life of this corrupt and complicated woman for many years,” said Lopez. “The idea of teaming with HBO felt like the perfect fit for finally bringing Griselda’s story to life.”

Lopez stars in NBC’s drama Shades of Blue, recently renewed for a second season, which she executive produces with Goldsmith-Thomas and Medina.

Nuyorican Productions’ other credits include the Freeform series The Fosters and the Universal movie The Boy Next Door.

Lopez’s Police Drama “Shades of Blue” to Premiere in January on NBC

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez will be feeling blue in January…

NBC has announced the premiere date for Shades of Blue, starring the 46-year-old Puerto Rican singer, actress and American Idol judge.

The straight-to-series police drama, which also stars Ray Liotta, will debut on Thursday, January 14 at 9:00 pm with a two-hour premiere episode directed by Barry Levinson.

The show will then move to its regular 10:00 pm timeslot behind The Blacklist the following Thursday, January 21.

There, Shades Of Blue will succeed new fall drama The Player.

“From a marketing perspective, the January 14 date takes advantage of both solid Sunday Night Football games and strong holiday programming through the first week of January,” is how NBC’s head of scheduling Jeff Bader explains the rationale behind the premiere date choice. “Also, in one of the most-watched weekends of the year (January 9-10), we have the NFL Wild Card game and Golden Globes, both of which make for great promotional opportunities.”

Shades Of Blue centers on Harlee Santos (Lopez), a charismatic single mother and resourceful detective at the heart of a tight-knit crew of Brooklyn detectives, led by enigmatic Lt. Matt Wozniak (Liotta) who often leads the team to step outside the limitations of the law in order to effectively protect their precinct and their own. As a big illegal job looms on the horizon, the FBI catches Harlee in the act and pits her against her own unit. As a newly turned informant, Harlee struggles to safeguard her on-the-job family and avoid arrest in order to stay with her daughter.

The series co-stars Warren Kole, Drea de Matteo, Dayo Okeniyi, Vincent Laresca, Hampton Fluker and Sarah Jeffery.

It is executive produced by Jack Orman, Adi Hasak, Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Ryan Seacrest and Nina Wass.

Lopez’s Nuyorican Prods. Signs First Look Deal with Universal

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez could start bringing more scripted and reality projects to life real soon…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress’ production company, Nuyorican Prods., has entered into a first look production deal with Universal Television to develop new scripted and reality projects.

As part of the deal, Priscilla Porianda, who joined Nuyorican Prods. last year, has been named Head of Development.

“I am thrilled to have Nuyorican partner with NBC Universal and I am happy to announce Priscilla Porianda as our Head of Development,” Lopez said. “She will work closely with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina and I in expanding our brand into scripted and unscripted television. Our goal at Nuyorican has always been to create edgy, timely and relevant programming.”

The company has breakout new ABC Family drama The Fosters, about a lesbian couple raising children, which was recently renewed for a second season.

Porianda serves as a co-producer on The Fosters as well as Nuyorican’s upcoming feature with Universal/Blumhouse Boy Next Door, which stars Lopez and Ryan Guzman.

“We are so lucky to have someone as smart and creative as Priscilla to work with us as our partner and friend,” Goldsmith-Thomas said. Porianda will split her time between New York and Los Angeles to “try to access the great talent pools on both coasts.”

Prior to joining Nuyorican, Porianda worked at Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci’s K/O Paper Products. Simon Fields, who previously served as Nuyorican president, is no longer with the company.

In addition to The Fosters, Nuyorican has reality series South Beach Tow, entering a third season on TruTV.

Santos Lands Recurring Role on ABC Family’s “The Fosters”

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Bianca Santos is joining the (ABC) Family…

The Latina newcomer has joined the cast of ABC Family‘s The Fosters as a recurring player.

From executive producer Jennifer Lopez, the family drama follows two moms and their multi-ethnic family.

The Fosters is a big break for Santos, who will recur in the key role of Lexi, the best friend to fraternal twin Mariana Foster (Cierra Ramirez).

Production began on Friday in Burbank, with pilot director Tim Busfield helming.

Teri Polo, Sherri Saum, Jake T. Austin, Hayden Byerly, David Lambert, Maia Mitchell and Danny Nucci star in The Fosters.

Benny Medina, Joanna Johnson, Blaine Goldsmith Thomas, Elaine Goldsmith Thomas and Greg Gugliotta serve as executive producers along with Lopez on the Nuyorican Productions/Prodco series.

The Fosters will debut at 9:00 pm on June 3 on ABC Family.

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