Matt Lopez Signs Multi-Year Overall Deal with ABC Signature

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Matt Lopez has an exciting new deal…

The Latino screenwriter, the creator/executive producer of ABC’s Promised Land, has signed a multi-year overall deal with ABC Signature, the studio behind the upcoming multigenerational Latinx family drama.

ABC Signature is part of Disney Television Studios.

Lopez’s Promised Land is an epic, generation-spanning drama about the Sandovals, a Latinx family vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley, premiering on January 24, 2022, on ABC.

The series’ all-Latinx cast (including John Ortiz and Christina Ochoa) and majority Latinx crew are filled with people whose stories resemble the Sandoval family.

“‘La familia’ is how the cast and crew of Promised Land refer to each other, and it’s how I think of Jonnie Davis, Tracy Underwood, and their amazing team — as my creative family, said Lopez in a statement to Deadline. “The courage and integrity they have shown in supporting this show make it clear that ABC Signature is committed to telling compelling stories in fresh and exciting ways, and it’s where I want to continue to work and create for years to come.”

Added Davis, President of ABC Signature, “Matt Lopez is homegrown Disney talent, who has worked on the feature side for years. His upcoming Promised Land is a love letter to his family, especially his Cuban grandfather. When he shared this personal story with us and our friends at ABC, we all knew this had to be a television series, and we believe it will be the first of many from this unique and talented writer.”

Lopez’s other recent projects include the upcoming feature film Father of the Bride, a reboot of the classic film franchise, for Warner Bros. and Plan B starring Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan; the family comedy Alexander, for Disney + with 21 Laps and Henson Co; and Wraith, a horror-thriller for Netflix. Matt created and executive produced the television series Gone.

His additional writing credits for the big screen include The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Race to Witch Mountain, and Bedtime Stories.

Lopez segued into writing and producing through the Disney Writers Program after a career as an attorney and business affairs executive for DreamWorks.

Adria Arjona to Star in & Executive Produce the Drama “Los Frikis”

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Adria Arjona is getting Friki…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican actress will star and executive produce the drama Los Frikis.

Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz will be writing and directing the film.

The film is based on the true story of punk-rock teenagers in Havana who deliberately inject themselves with HIV to escape the oppression of “Special Period” Cuba.

Arjona has a busy year ahead, which includes a leading role in the Star Wars series Andor starring Diego Luna.

She can be seen next in Sony’s Morbius opposite Jared Leto and Matt Smith.

She is also set to play the bride in Warner Bros.’ new Father of the Bride film starring Andy Garcia.

Isabela Merced to Portray Juliet in “Rosaline,” 20th Century Fox’s Revisionist Take on “Romeo & Juliet”

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Wherefore art thou Isabela Merced?

The 19-year-old Peruvian American actress has been cast to play Juliet in 20th Century Fox’s Rosaline, a comedic and revisionist take on Romeo & Juliet with Kaitlyn Dever attached to star.

Karen Maine will direct, with 21 Laps, Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen producing.

The script is based on the novel When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle and is a modern twist on the classic William Shakespeare tale. We see “the most famous love story ever told” through the eyes of Juliet’s cousin Rosaline (Dever), a sharp but idealistic young woman—who happens to be Romeo’s recent ex. What begins as an attempt to foil the famous romance and win back her guy becomes a journey of self-discovery as she ultimately works to help get the star-crossed lovers back together.

Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber penned the script.

Merced is best known for her roles in Sicario: Day of the Soldado and as Dora the Explorer in Paramount’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold movie.

She was most recently seen in Netflix’s Let It Snow and also voiced the lead character in DreamWorks Animation and Universal’s Spirit Untamed.

She is currently filming Warner Bros.’ new Father of the Bride film starring Andy Garcia.

Macarena Achaga to Star Opposite Andy Garcia in “Father of the Bride” Reboot

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Macarena Achaga is hearing wedding bells…

The 29-year-old Argentine-Mexican model, actress and singer is set to join Andy Garcia in the Father of the Bride reboot, which Gaz Alazraki will direct.

The film will revolve around a Cuban-American family, based on a script from Matt Lopez.

The film will tell the story of a father coming to grips with his daughter’s upcoming wedding through the prism of multiple relationships within a big, sprawling Cuban-American family. It will be more of a rom-com than previous versions of film. While this will mark the third iteration of the story, sources say this will be more in the vein of the original Spencer Tracy film and not the Steve Martin franchise from the 1990s.

Achaga will be playing the stepmother to the groom. Gloria Estefan is set to play Garcia’s wife, with Adria Arjona tapped to play the bride-to-be. Diego Boneta is on board to play the groom.

Dede Garner and Jeremy Kleiner will produce for Plan B Entertainment. Garcia and Paul Perez will executive produce.

Achaga stars in Netflix’s international hit series, Luis Miguel, playing Luis’ daughter, Michelle. She also can be seen starring in popular Mexican series such as Amar a Muerte, Juliantina and El Candidto.

Isabela Merced to Star in Warner Bros.’ Remake of “Father of the Bride”

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Isabela Merced is joining the wedding party…

The 19-year-old Peruvian American actress/singer, who starred in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, will star opposite Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan in Warner Bros.‘ remake of Father of the Bride.

Gaz Alazraki, who helmed Club de Cuervos, is directing the feature, which goes before cameras in May.

Like previous iterations of Bride, which includes a Spencer Tracy-fronted 1950 movie and the Steve Martin-starring 1991 feature, the latest remake will center on the father of a soon-to-be bride coming to terms with his daughter’s nuptials.

The latest take, however, will be told through the relationships in a big, sprawling Cuban American family.

Merced will play the sister of the bride, who is being played by Adria Arjona. Garcia is the father.

Matt Lopez wrote the script for the update.

In addition to starring in Dora, in which she toplined as the globe-trotting adventuress, Merced co-starred with Mark Wahlberg in Instant Family, was part of the ensemble for Netflix’s Let It Snow, and appeared with Benicio Del Toro in Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

She next voice-stars in DreamWorks Animation’s Spirit Untamed and will be protected by Jason Momoa in action-thriller Sweet Girl. Both are due to be released this summer.

Merced is signed to Republic Records.

Gloria Estefan to Star in “Father of the Bride” Reboot

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is circling the mother of a role…

The 63-year-old Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman is in talks to star opposite Andy Garcia in Warner Bros. and Plan B’s Cuban-American reboot of the Father of the Bride films.

Directed by Gaz Alazraki, the film is being penned by Matt Lopez. Estefan would play Garcia’s wife, with Adria Arjona tapped to play the bride-to-be.

WB execs thought it was a long shot that Estefan would be interested, but between Lopez’s script and Garcia’s and Alazraki’s involvement, the opportunity for Estefan was simply too hard to pass up.

“A resounding YES was my answer to the invitation to join my good friend, the incredibly talented Andy Garcia, for this new and wonderfully warm and funny incarnation of the classic, Father of the Bride! I’ve been a fan of director Gaz Alazraki since I saw his record-breaking comedy Nosotros Los Nobles and can’t wait to experience how he brings this amazing script by Matt Lopez to life,” Estefan said.

Estefan’s music has people running to the dance floor for decades going all the way back to when she was the lead singer of Miami Sound Machine and “Conga” hit the airwaves in 1985. Since then her musical library could rival any singer in the world, and Hollywood has been no stranger to using her music in dozens of movies. Estefan has rarely made the jump to the big screen herself, with this only being the third time she has acted in a movie. She made her acting debut opposite Meryl Streep in 1999’s Music of the Heart, also providing the Oscar-nominated song of the same title. Most recently she appeared in Kenny Ortega’s A Change of Heart.

Adria Arjona to Star in Warner Bros. & Plan B’s Reboot of “Father of the Bride”

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Adria Arjona is heading down the aisle…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican actress will star as Andy Garcia’s daughter and the bride-to-be in Warner Bros. and Plan B’s reboot of Father of the Bride.

Gaz Alazraki has been set to helm the studio’s new reboot, which will revolve around a Cuban-American family, with Matt Lopez penning the script.

While this will mark the third iteration of the story, sources say this will be more in the vein of the original Spencer Tracy film and not the Steve Martin franchise from the 1990s.

Dede Garner and Jeremy Kleiner will produce for Plan B Entertainment. Garcia will executive-produce.

Arjona’s breakout role came on Legendary’s Pacific Rim: Uprising, where she co-starred opposite John Boyega and Scott Eastwood. She would follow that up with key roles in Life of the Party, Triple Frontier and most recently in the Michael Bay action pic 6 Underground.

She can be seen next in Sony’s extended Marvel Universe film Morbius, which also stars Jared Leto and Matt Smith.

Arjona was recently tapped for the female lead in the anticipated Rogue One spinoff series Andor, which also stars Diego Luna and Stellan Skarsgard.

Andy Garcia to Star in the Latinx-Themed “Father of the Bride” Reboot

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Andy Garcia has landed the father of all roles…

The 64-year-old Cuban actor will star in Warner Bros. and Plan B’s reboot of Father of the Bride.

Gaz Alazraki has been set to helm the studio’s new reboot, which will revolve around a Latinx family, with Matt Lopez penning the script.

The film will tell the story of a father coming to grips with his daughter’s upcoming wedding through the prism of multiple relationships within a big, sprawling Cuban-American family. It will be more of a rom-com than previous versions of film. While this will mark the third iteration of the story, sources say this will be more in the vein of the original Spencer Tracy pic and not the Steve Martin franchise from the 1990s.

“I’m very excited to join The Father of the Bride, a beloved film that has brought so much joy to so many over the years and to represent my Cuban culture and heritage in this story,” Garcia said. “I commend Warner Bros. for their foresight and celebrate this opportunity they have created. I am looking forward to my collaboration with our talented director Gaz Alazraki and producers Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner from Plan B. “

Dede Garner and Jeremy Kleiner will produce for Plan B Entertainment. Garcia will exec produce.

The veteran actor best known for roles in the Ocean Eleven franchise and The Godfather Part III, Garcia can be seen next opposite Katey Sagal in the highly anticipated ABC drama Rebel.

ABC Orders Pilot for Matt Lopez’s Latinx Family Drama “Promised Land”

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Matt Lopez’s promise continues…

The Latino screenwriter’s hourlong Latinx family drama Promised Land has secured a pilot order at ABC.

Previously known as American Heritage, the project is an epic, generation-spanning drama about two Latinx families vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley.

ABC bought the project pre-emptively with a put-pilot commitment last year.

Lopez, who has written feature films including Bedtime Stories, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Race to Witch Mountain, writes and executive produces.

ABC Signature is the studio.

Lopez created the NBCUniversal International drama series Gone, starring Chris Noth, which aired on WGN America in the U.S. He also is adapting Helen Cresswell’s young-adult novel Moondial into an ambitious time-travel drama for Fulwell 73. On the feature side, he’s writing a new Father of the Bride film for Warner Bros. revolving around a Latinx family, a first for the franchise.

Gaz Alazraki to Direct Warner Bros. New Latinx “Father of the Bride” Film

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gaz Alazraki is taking on the father of a project…

The 38-year-old Mexican filmmaker, the writer and director of Mexico’s record breaking comedy Nosotros los Nobles, will helm Warner Bros. new take on the classic story Father of the Bride.

This latest take on the film will center around a Latinx family, with Matt Lopez penning the script.

The film will tell the story of a father coming to grips with his daughter’s upcoming wedding through the prism of multiple relationships within a big, sprawling Cuban-American family.

It will be more of a rom-com than previous versions of film. While this will mark the third iteration of the story, sources say this will be more in the vein of the original Spencer Tracy film and not the Steve Martin franchise from the 1990s.

Dede Garner and Jeremy Kleiner will produce for Plan B Entertainment.

Alazraki has quickly become a rising star in the directing ranks and one of the most prominent filmmakers coming out of Mexico. He wrote and directed Nosotros Los Nobles, which was distributed by Warners International.

He created, wrote and directed Club de Cuervos, Netflix’s first international original series, which has become one of the biggest international series in the streamer’s history.

Alazraki is currently directing the pilot for Apple’s Acapulco.

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