J Balvin Releases Music Video for “Fast X” Film Soundtrack, “Toretto”

J Balvin is feelin’ the need for speed…

The 38-year-old Colombian superstar is going full speed in the music video for “Toretto,” which is part of the Fast X soundtrack.

J BalvinThe three-minute clip starts off with Balvin receiving a set of keys from a man who doesn’t appear on screen, but his deep and hoarse voice gives him away.

“Let me show you how I ride,” the hitmaker tells Vin Diesel. “Buckle up,” the action star responds. “Watch me,” Balvin says before taking off for a ride.

At the end of his drive, the artist boasts to Diesel, “Told you I’m good!” Responds the impressed actor, “Not bad!”

According to a press release, in “Toretto,” Diesel makes his first music video appearance in the 22-year-spanning Fast & Furious films. The video pays homage to the franchise’s history and affinity for cars, speed and family bonds. Balvin’s fast-paced track is part of the soundtrack for Fast X, the tenth film of the series, which is set to arrive in theaters Friday, May 19.

The Fast X soundtrack includes songs by other artists such as Maria Becerra, Myke Towers, Ludmilla, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Jimin of BTS, Kodak Black, NLE Choppa.

The soundtrack will also be available May 19 via Artist Partner Group.

Most recently, Balvin — who in total has 35 top 10 hits on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart — officially joined Roc Nation as a management client, where he will be overseen directly by Jay Brown and Chris Knight.

Over the summer, he’ll kick off a series of European tour dates, mostly festivals, beginning with a June 24 performance at the Solydays festival in Paris.

Jordana Brewster to Star in the Comedy “Charlie In The Pandemic”

Jordana Brewster is bringing the funny to the Hamptons…

The 41-year-old half-Brazilian Panama-born actress will star in the comedy Charlie In The Pandemic.

Jordana BrewsterBrewster will star alongside Reid ScottAdam Pally and Dylan Penn as leads on the project.

Xavier Manrique and his Blind Bulldog Films has teamed up with Jason Dubin, Perry Street Films and Nicholas Schutt to produce the feature. David Frankel is executive-producing. Manrique is set to direct a script penned by Schutt.

In the movie, the COVID-19 bubble is popped when a New York City family hiding out in the Hamptons is surprised by a Bloody Mary-swilling, pot-smoking ‘Charlie’ from their past who brings a lifetime of hurt that might heal them all.

The film is now in pre-production and is set to shoot in New York City and the Hamptons later this month.

Brewster is best known for her work on the Fast & Furious films, including the most recent F9 film. Her other credits include Dallas, Lethal Weapon and American Crime Story.

Laz Alonso to Star in the Psychological Thriller “Detained”

Laz Alonso is currently detained

The 47-year-old Cuban American actor will star opposite Abbie Cornish in the psychological thriller Detained.

Laz Alonso

The project will be helmed by director Felipe Mucci and counts Justin H. Min, John Patrick Amedori, Silas Weir Mitchell, Moon Bloodgood, Josefine Lindegaard and Breeda Wool amongst its supporting cast.

The film follows a woman (Cornish) who wakes up in a police interrogation room with no memory of the night prior. The accusations against her may have life-altering implications. However, in this isolated police station, something is not quite right.

Mucci wrote the script with Jeremy Palmer.

Alonso is an NAACP Image Award winner best known for his series regular role as the superhuman Mother’s Milk in Amazon’s acclaimed comic book series, The Boys.

The actor has also recurred in series including L.A.’s Finest and Southland, finding guest starring roles in Power Book II: GhostThe Bobby Brown StoryPerson of Interest and more.

His film credits include Kathryn Bigelow’s DetroitFast & Furious and Fast & Furious 6Straw DogsJumping the BroomAvatarMiracle at St. AnnaJarhead and Stomp the Yard.

Universal to Release Michelle Rodriguez’s “Fast and Furious 10” Next Easter

Michelle Rodriguez can expect a furious Easter…

Universal has set a release date of April 7, 2023, for Fast and Furious 10, starring the 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress.

Michelle Rodriguez

That returns the Fast & Furious franchise to its Easter weekend stomping ground where F7the highest grossing title in the series was launched in 2015 to $147.1M domestic, and ended at $353M domestic, $1.5 billion global.

Universal followed with Fate of the Furious in 2017, which notched the third biggest global debut of all-time at $541.9M (before ending at $1.2 billion worldwide).

Vin Diesel is expected to announce the title at some point in the future on social media.

Universal’s F9released on a theatrical window, is the highest grossing movie during the pandemic around the world with $681.5M. The film was the first Hollywood title during the Covid-19 era to surpass $500M overseas this past weekend. F9 repped series filmmaker Justin Lin’s return to the IP after an eight year absence in the director’s chair.

No other casting confirmations or plot lines are known about the tenth film in the franchise, but there’s a lot of speculation that Diesel, Jordan Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Michelle Rodriguez and Jason Statham are returning.

Cardi B to Reprise “F9” Role in Final Fast & Furious Film

Cardi B is livin’ the Fast life…

The 28-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar will be reprising the role of her F9 character, Leysa, in the tenth film of the franchise, according to Fast & Furious franchise star and producer Vin Diesel.

Cardi B

“We are very much excited to evolve her character and to expand it to the finale,” said the action star to Entertainment Tonight. “She made it just in time. She came in Fast 9 just in time.”

Director Justin Lin also spoke to ET about how seamlessly the rapper fit in on the set of the upcoming film, F9: The Fast Saga, which opens on Friday (June 25).

“She showed up, and within a minute, she’s part of the family, right?” he told the outlet. “And I love how when I got together with her, her and Vin were talking about the character because she’s actually really embedded into the overall universe. She’s been around for a long time and this is just the first time we are seeing her, so I’m really excited to explore that character of her.”

The rapper herself also dished on the role and how it came to be in a video shared by the film franchise on June 15.

“Vin Diesel reached out and he was talking about a role, and I’m like, ‘It’s freakin’ Fast & Furious. Get me there! Put me on a plane!'” she exclaimed. “I like the fact that it’s like I’m representing such a powerful, strong woman. She’s just that b—-!”

She also had high praise for the man who made her part of the Fast & Furious family. “Being around Vin, he’s just so nice, so dope,” she shared of the actor. “He makes me feel so comfortable.”

In addition to her debut in the film franchise this weekend, Cardi B is up for trophies in three categories at the 2021 BET Awards on Sunday (June 27). She’s vying for best collaboration (“WAP” featuring Megan Thee Stallion), best female hip-hop artist, and video of the year, in which her visuals for “Up” and “WAP” both received nods.

Michelle Rodriguez to Star in Film Adaptation of Hasbro’s “Dungeons & Dragons” Game

Michelle Rodriguez is ready to battle monsters, solve puzzles and reap rewards…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican & Dominican American actress will star alongside Chris Pine and Justice Smith in the film adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons, Hasbro’s popular game franchise from Wizards of the Coast.

Michelle Rodriguez

Hasbro/eOne and Paramount are jointly producing and financing the film, with eOne distributing in the UK and Canada and Paramount in the rest of world.

Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley will direct and write the script based on a draft by Michael Gilio.

Plot details behind this latest take on the IP are being kept under wraps. Dungeons & Dragons is a leading fantasy entertainment franchise, fueled by the imagination of storytellers around the world. More than 40 million fans have interacted with or played D&D since it was first published 46 years ago, including via video games and livestream entertainment on Twitch and YouTube.

Rodriguez is best known for her role of Letty in the long running Fast & Furious franchise. She reprises the role in the next installment F9, which bows later this year.

Cardi B to Star in the Comedy “Assisted Living”

Cardi B is taking the lead…

The 28-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar has landed her first leading big-screen role in the Paramount comedy Assisted Living.

Cardi B

The story, penned by Kay Oyegun, follows Amber (Cardi B), a small time crook, who finds herself in over her head when a heist goes wrong. On the run from both the cops and her former crew, she struggles to find anyone to take her in. Running out of options, Amber disguises herself as an elderly woman and hides out in the one place no one will look — her estranged grandmother’s nursing home.

Temple Hill and Stephen Love are producing.

The “WAP” rapper played a minor role in Hustlersstarring Jennifer Lopez. And, she’ll appear in the next installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, F9 (Fast & Furious 9).

On television, she served as one of the judges of Netflix’s Rhythm & Flow hip-hop competition series.

In music, Cardi B won a Grammy award for Best Rap Album for 2018’s Invasion of Privacy.

Cardi B Launches New Reality Series “Cardi Tries ___” for Facebook Watch

Cardi B isn’t afraid to try new things…

The 28-year-old half-Dominican American Grammy-winning rap superstar is inviting the world to experience new things alongside her with the new series Cardi Tries ___, which launched late last week.

Cardi B, ELLE, September Issue

From Facebook’s Messenger and Jesse Collins EntertainmentCardi Tries ___ is part of Messenger’s new “Watch Together” feature, which allows audiences to enjoy Facebook Watch videos with friends and family in real-time. The new series has the “WAP” rapper trying new things outside of her repertoire including becoming an expert stunt car racer, ballerina, firefighter, teacher — just to name a few.

Throughout the series, she’ll be joined by actors, athletes and other professionals like Michelle Rodriguez of Fast & Furious fame, Debbie Allen of Grey’s Anatomy, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers and country music singer and songwriter, Mickey Guyton, among others.

New episodes will drop Thursdays through February 4. Cardi B fans will be able to enjoy the show in real-time over video calls with friends on Instagram, Messenger and Messenger Rooms via Watch Together.

Executive producers are Cardi B, Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Patientce Foster.

Universal Announces Plans to End Michelle Rodriguez’s Fast & Furious Franchise with Two Final Films

It’s the beginning of the end for Michelle Rodriguez.

Universal Pictures is planning to wrap up its Fast & Furious core film franchise, starring the 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress, with two final movies that will bring to a close a franchise.

Michelle Rodriguez The Limit

The Fast & Furious films have revved their way to become the highest-grossing movie series in the studio’s history. Justin Lin, who’s in post-production on F9, is in talks to direct the final two installments and bring a saga that began nearly 20 years ago to a close.

It’s early days on when this will begin production but it seems likely they will tell a big story over two films that will focus on franchise patriarch Vin Diesel and bring back Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang.

F9 — which is the fifth film in the franchise directed by Lin and which premieres next Memorial Day — continues the storyline of the core cast and Charlize Theron, and adds John Cena, Helen Mirren, Grammy-winner Cardi B and reggaeton star Ozuna. They are just beginning to put the final two vehicles together. There’s speculation that Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham — core cast members who peeled off for the F&F spinoff Hobbs & Shaw after Johnson and Diesel had a falling out — will be back for the finale.

There’s also an opportunity to pull off the motorhead’s answer to Marvel’s Avengers, a configuration that might include Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot, also part of the ensemble earlier in her career.

It might not have seemed probable back when The Fast & Furious launched the franchise in 2001 with Diesel and Paul Walker as lead-footed protagonists, but the entire series has eclipsed Jurassic Park to become Universal’s biggest. The eight movies and the spinoff have grossed around $5.7 billion; Jurassic is also over $5 billion and has its next installment, Jurassic World: Dominion, shooting in London.

The Fast franchise survived the tragic death of cornerstone star Walker, but it’s always good to end the race before the vehicle runs out of gas. There are still plans for other movie spinoffs and TV shows, so there will be no call for the studio to be calling Kars for Kids to cart away a junker.

It is likely that the final two installments will be produced by Diesel through his One Race Films banner, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Lin, Neal Moritz, Joe Roth, Clayton Townsend and Samantha Vincent. They are the producers of F9.

Lin berthed his Perfect Storm Entertainment banner at Universal in a multi-year overall film and TV deal in late summer, and these two films will likely keep him busy for a long time.

Universal Moves Release Date of Michelle Rodriguez’s “F9” to Memorial Day 2021

Michelle Rodriguez is getting some push back…

Universal Pictures has announced plans to move F9, starring the 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress, to May 28, 2021, which is Memorial Day weekend.

Michelle Rodriguez F9

The move comes after MGM moved its James Bond pic No Time to Die, starring Ana de Armas, to April 2, 2021 — which had been the release date for this latest installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise.

In March, F9 drove out of its original May 22, 2020 global day-and-date release amid the coronavirus lockdown. The studio had previously reserved that April 2021 date for Fast & Furious 10.

Justin Lin returns to direct F9 a cast that includes Rodriguez, who portrays Letty Ortiz, Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Cardi B and Ozuna.

The entire franchise, including spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, through nine movies counts $5.9 billion at the worldwide box office.