Adriyan Rae to Appear on Mara Brock Akil’s Netflix Series “Forever”

Adriyan Rae has found her Forever home… 

The part-Venezuelan actress has landed a recurring role on Netflix’s Forever.

Adriyan RaeCreated by Mara Brock Akil, Forever is a reimagining of the 1975 novel by Judy Blume and follows the epic love story of two Black teens exploring their identities through the awkward — and moving — journey of being each other’s firsts in 2018 Los Angeles.

Like its inspiration, the show will examine “the idea of your first love being with you forever,” said Brock Akil, who created acclaimed stories of Black love and growth like sitcom Girlfriends and drama Being Mary Jane. She was also a writer on the YA comedy Moesha.

Oscar winner Regina King will serve as executive producer and will direct the first episode.

Rae will portray Brittany, one of Keisha’s older cousins, and is described as a social climber who looks out for Keisha and her well-being like an older sister—even if she usually does it with a sarcastic sense of humor and blunt direct attitude. Brittany is a loyal support system for Keisha and her mom Shelly, and always brings a sense of fun to wherever she goes —including affectionately calling Keisha ‘Urkel’ due to her book smart nature.

Lovie Simone will star as Keisha Clarke and Michael Cooper Jr. will portray Justin Edwards. Karen Pittman, and Wood Harris round out the cast so far.

Within the television sphere, Rae currently stars as ‘Brittany Pitts’ in Paramount+’s reboot of The Game. Additionally, she recently led the cast of SYFY’s series Vagrant Queen, starred in NBC’s Chicago Fire and Hulu’s horror-thriller series Light As A Feather, and has guest starred on various shows including FX’s Atlanta, BET’s American Soul, and FOX’s musical drama Star, from the producers of Empire.

In film, she has had roles in Sony’s Superfly with Jennifer Morrison, Trevor Jackson and Michael Kenneth Williams, and Netflix’s Burning Sands alongside Alfre Woodard and Trevante Rhodes.

ABC Renews Ryan Guzman’s “9-1-1” Series for Eighth Season

Ryan Guzman has more emergency responses in his future…

ABC has renewed 9-1-1, starring the 36-year-old half-Mexican American actor, for an eighth season.

Ryan GuzmanGuzman, who joined the cast in Season 2, portrays Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz in the procedural drama .

The season seven premiere of 9-1-1 in March delivered a cumulative audience of 11.76 million total viewers within the first seven days, and marked the series’ highest-rated multi-platform telecast in nearly two years in Adults 18-49. It paid homage to the disaster thriller The Poseidon Adventure.

The drama stands as ABC’s most-watched current series across all platforms this season.

Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear9-1-1 is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, in association with Ryan Murphy Television and Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision.

9-1-1 moved to ABC after six seasons on Fox ,where it was consistently one of the highest-rated shows. It now fits nicely into ABC’s Thursday lineup with Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, both of which do well for for the Disney-owned broadcaster. This week’s new episode will mark the series’ 100th episode.

4-2

Kate del Castillo to Star in the Action Film “Trap House”

Kate del Castillo has trapped her next project.

The 51-year-old Mexican actress will star opposite Dave Bautista in the action film Trap House.

Kate del Castillodel Castillo is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Jack Champion, Sophia Lillis, Tony Dalton, Whitney Peak and Bobby Cannavale.

Inde Navarrette, Zaire Adams and Blu del Barrio have also joined the cast.

Principal photography is set to begin today.

Michael Dowse will direct a script written by Fast & Furious creator Gary Scott Thompson and Tom O’Connor. The action film follows an undercover DEA agent and his partner who embark on a game of cat and mouse with an audacious group of thieves: their own rebellious teenagers, who have begun robbing from a dangerous cartel, using their parents’ tactics and top-secret intel to pull off their heists.

Trap House is produced by Marc Goldberg and Sarah Gabriel of Signature Films, Michael Pruss and Rebecca Feuer of Scott Free Productions with Ridley Scott executive producing alongside Bautista and Jonathan Meisner of Bautista’s Dogbone Entertainment and Todd Lundbohm of 828 Productions.

The feature is financed and executive produced by Christian Mercuri’s Capstone Studios, Signature Entertainment, Creativity Media and Koala, and Ashland Hill Media Finance.

Dogbone and Signature developed Trap House after working together on 2018’s actioner Final Score, which starred Bautista alongside Pierce Brosnan.

del Castillo currently stars in Fox’s The Cleaning Lady.

Cannavale’s film credits include Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Old Dads.

Ana Ortiz to Star in Season 2 of Disney+’s Anthology Series “Goosebumps”

Ana Ortiz is (goose)bumping up her television plans…

The 53-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress will star opposite David Schwimmer in the Disney+ anthology series Goosebumps for Season 2 as a series regular.

Ana OrtizFrom Disney Branded Television and produced by Sony Pictures Television, the series is based upon R.L Stine’s bestselling Scholastic series. Each season features a new story, setting and cast. Season 2 will follow teenage siblings who discover a threat stirring, triggering a chain of events that unravel a profound mystery. As they delve into the unknown, the duo find themselves entangled in the chilling tale of four teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994.

Ortiz will play Jen, a dedicated police detective who remains rooted in her Brooklyn neighborhood after experiencing a tragic event that involved her friends in adolescence.

Nicholas Stoller and Rob Letterman developed the series and serve as executive producers, alongside showrunner Hilary Winston, Neal H. Moritz, Scholastic Entertainment’s Iole Lucchese, Pavun Shetty, Conor Welch, Scholastic Entertainment’s Caitlin Friedman and Erin O’Malley.

Ortiz broke out as Hilda Suarez on ABC’s hit comedy Ugly Betty, earning both American Latino Media Arts and Imagen Awards prizes for “Best Supporting Actress” for her portrayal as Betty’s (America Ferrera) sassy older sister.

Additional television credits include roles in Marc Cherry’s Devious MaidsThe Mindy Project from Fox/Hulu, ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, FX’s Over There and ABC’s Boston Legal, to name a few.

Most recently, Ortiz was a series regular on the Hulu series Love, Victor.

Pablo Castelblanco to Star in Reba McEntire’s Untitled NBC Comedy Pilot

Pablo Castelblanco is on the Reba-ound…

The Colombian actor has been cast in Reba McEntire’s untitled NBC comedy pilot.

Pablo CastelblancoCastelblanco is among a roster of new cast additions that Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.

The pilot follows Bobbie (McEntire) who inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had.

Belissa Escobedo will star as Bobbie’s half-sister and Melissa Peterman will play a bartender at the tavern who wishes she was Bobbie’s sister.

Castelblanco will play Steve, the accountant for the tavern who does his work at the bar. He has OCD and doesn’t like change.

Castelblanco most recently starred as Gabriel Tovar, a series regular role, on ABC’s Hillary Swank-led drama Alaska Daily.

His additional credits include HBO’s Room 104, Netflix’s Dear White People and Scream Queens for Fox.

On the big screen, he was the lead of the independent feature Ganymede.

Aarón Sánchez Returning for Second Season of Warner Bros. Discovery’s LA Restaurant Series “El Toque de Aarón”

Aarón Sánchez still has the touch

The 48-year-old Mexican-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, cookbook author and philanthropist will return to Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) U.S. Hispanic for more of his Los Angeles restaurant series El Toque de Aarón.

Aarón Sánchez, "El Toque de Aarón"The second season will premiere next month on Discovery Familia and sister network Hogar de HGTV.

In El Toque de Aarón, the celebrity chef – who has been judging Fox’s MasterChef since 2017 takes a Latino-owned LA restaurant each week and attempts to provide the owners with mentorship and a pathway to refresh their businesses.

Sánchez is joined by designer Cris Mercado and project manager Ángel Riveros, as the trio look to get restaurants full of untapped potential back up and running.

El Toque de Aarón is produced in partnership with GroupM and Mecenas-owned outfit Cocina. The show is WBD U.S. Hispanic’s fourth content partnership in the past 24 months with Cocina and its third with Sánchez, who co-founded Cocina as a vehicle to connect with U.S. Hispanic fans. Other titles include El Sabor de AarónQatar Latinand Rumbo Al Mundial.

“Cocina is committed to producing content that resonates deeply with our audience, and El Toque de Aarón stands as a prime example of our vision,” said Emiliano Saccone, CEO of Mecenas. “This series not only entertains but also represents real, positive transformation within the Latino restaurant community.”

Rita Moreno to Star in the Indie Horror Thriller “Theirs”

Rita Moreno is preparing to scare up a new audience…

The 92-year-old Puerto Rican award-winning actress, dancer and singer has been cast in Theirs, an indie horror thriller going into production in Tulsa, Oklahoma this summer.

Rita Moreno,But she isn’t the only Latina artist joining the project.

Roselyn Sanchez, who most recently starred in the Fantasy Island reboot,

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, producer and writer and Moreno will star alongside Harvey Keitel and Udo Kier in the project.

Written by Juan Pablo Reinoso and to be directed by Sonja O’Hara, the film centers on a mother who, after a lifetime of grappling with abusive men and a bitter divorce, finds hope for herself and her teenage daughter in a new home, only to quickly find their newfound freedom tested by malicious secrets within its walls.

Keli Price will produce for his Price Productions, alongside Reinoso for LookBook, and David Bond for Dark Elegy Films. Tom Biolchini will serve as the film’s executive producer.

Recent credits for EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony Award) winner Moreno include dark comedy The Prank, out March 15, as well as Fast X, Netflix’s Family Switch80 for Brady and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, to name a few.

Most recently starring on the Fox series Fantasy Island, Sanchez has also been seen in prominent roles on shows like Grand HotelDevious Maids and Without a Trace.

Ana Garcia to Host New Syndicated Crime Series “True Crime News” for Fox-Owned Stations

Ana Garcia has landed a new crime-themed project…

The Latina reporter, the host of the True Crime Daily podcast, is fronting a new syndicated crime series.

Ana GarciaGarcia will host True Crime News for the Fox-owned stations. The series, which will air 52 weeks a year, is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Telepictures.

The series will cover breaking crime news and updates on crime stories. It will premiere this fall.

“Audiences continue to be fascinated by true crime stories, mysteries, and investigations, and the talented team at Telepictures has developed a distinctive series that is sure to captivate,” said Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Television Group. “We’re thrilled to have Emmy winner and expert crime reporter Ana Garcia as host, and we can’t wait for viewers to see True Crime News this fall.”

Frank Cicha, EVP of Programming for Fox Television Stations, added: “This project works on two fronts. First, it speaks to our audience, and secondly, it creatively delivers a first run program despite syndication’s harsh economic realities.”

Rosie Perez to Star in Apple TV+’s Limited Series “Before”

Rosie Perez is embracing the before

The 59-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actress, choreographer, dancer and activist will star in the Apple TV+ limited series Before alongside executive producer Billy Crystal and Judith Light.

Rosie PerezPerez will portray Denise, a caring and strong-willed foster mother to Noah, one of Eli’s [Crystal] patients.

Written by Sarah Thorp, Before is a 10-episode atmospheric, character-driven psychological thriller about Eli, a child psychiatrist who, after recently losing his wife, Lynn (Light), encounters a troubled young boy who seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past.

Seductively enigmatic, Lynn is the love of Eli’s life, but her recent death may not be quite what it seems. As Eli digs deeper into the hidden life of the wife he thought he knew, he soon finds Lynn haunting him from beyond the grave.

Hailing from Paramount Television StudiosBefore will be showrun by Thorp. Emmy Award-winner Adam Bernstein will direct the pilot.

Most recently, Perez recurred in the Showtime drama series Your Honor opposite Bryan Cranston, Netflix’s Human Resources and as a series regular in Max’s The Flight Attendant.

Perez has dazzled audiences on the stage and screen for more than three decades while paving the way for Latinos and women in Hollywood.

She’s best known for her roles in various projects including her breakout in Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing and later White Men Can’t JumpIt Could Happen To You and Birds of Prey.

But it all began with her role as choreographer and Fly Girl on the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Colour, which earned her three Emmy nominations.

In 2021, she was nominated again for her work in The Flight Attendant. Additionally, she was nominated for an Academy Award in 1993 for her role in the Peter Weir-directed film Fearless.

Dany Garcia & Dwayne Johnson Reveal United Football League Plans

Dany Garcia is springing forward with a football merger…

The 55-year-old Cuban American businesswoman, professional bodybuilder and producer and her ex-husband Dwayne Johnson have revealed plans for the United Football League, the new spring pro football league born from the merger of the XFL and USFL.

Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, United Football League, UFLDuring an appearance this morning on Fox’s NFL on Fox, Garcia and Johnson announced that the UFL’s debut season will begin March 30, 2024 with a game between the Arlington Renegades and Birmingham Stallions, the previous champions from each league.

More details are expected soon regarding teams and markets.

Last year was Johnson and Garcia’s only season as co-owners with RedBird Capital Partners of the resurrected XFL, which was competing with the USFL for NFL-offseason eyeballs.

The USFL itself was in its second season of its own revival, operating with a joint broadcast deal with both NBC and Fox, with the latter also holding a minority stake in the league.

A release today noted five UFL partners: former XFL owners Johnson, Garcia and RedBird’s Gerry CardinaleFox Sports (led by CEO Erik Shanks) and ESPN (led by chairman Jimmy Pitaro). ESPN was the XFL’s broadcast partner last season.

Russ Brandon, former president and CEO of the XFL, will be president and CEO of the UFL. Daryl Johnston, former USFL President of Football Operations, will lead football ops.

A promo logo suggests games will be played on ABC, ESPN, Fox and FS1.

The XFL and USFL originally announced their intent to merge in September after low-key seasons for each.

The USFL Championship game in July drew about 1.16 million viewers on NBC, while the XFL title game a few weeks later pulled in 1.43 million viewers on ABC.