Xolo Maridueña to Star in & Executive Produce the Action Drama Series “The Ledger”

Posted on October 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Xolo Maridueña is livin’ on the ledge(r)…

The 20-year-old Mexican, Cuban and Ecuadorian American actor and Cobra Kai star has been cast in and will executive produce the action drama series The Ledger, which hails from veteran showrunner and producer Juan Carlos Coto and Will Packer Media.

Coto, who has worked on 9-1-1 and From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, will write and serve as showrunner. Will Packer will produce and Alvie Hurtado, Director of Development, WPP will oversee the project. Brandon Guzmán will executive produce.

The series will be shopped to streaming networks and premium cable.

Maridueña stars as Miguel Diaz on Netflix’s Cobra Kai, which is heading into its fourth season.

He is also set to star as Blue Beetle for Warner Bros. and DC. Maridueña is represented by UTA, Valor Entertainment and John Meigs

Best known for his work as showrunner on Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Coto currently is executive producer on Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear’s hit Fox drama series 9-1-1. He also served as consulting producer on 9-1-1: Lone Star. Coto previously co-executive produced the CW’s spy thriller Nikita and has written and produced critically acclaimed series including NBC’s Heroes and Fox’s 24.

Maximiliano Hernandez to Star in Fox’s Sci-Fi Mystery Pilot “The Last Police”

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Maximiliano Hernandez is joining the force…

The 48-year-old Honduran American actor will star in the Fox pilot The Last Police, an adaptation of Ben Winters’ sci-fi mystery novel The Last Policeman.

Hernandez will serve as a series regular alongside Dawnn Lewis, Derek Phillips, Courtney Dietz and Troy Kotsur, as well as series leads Blu Hunt and Reno Wilson.

In The Last Police, as an asteroid races toward an apocalyptic collision with Earth, a small-town police detective (Hunt) believes she’s been chosen to save humanity, while her cynical partner (Wilson) can’t decide what he’ll enjoy more: her delusional failure, or the end of the world itself.

Hunt plays Detective MacKenzie Ward. She’s a sharp young police detective who as our story begins has decided to end her life on her own terms rather than wait for the Earth’s annihilation in its impending collision with an asteroid. When her suicide attempt fails, she attributes her survival to being chosen for a special purpose, and going forward she’s a relentless ambassador for optimism and hope in a world with an ever-shorter supply of both.

Wilson portrays Detective David Duran. He’s a drinking, smoking, unshaven wreck with a badge who, following a devastating personal tragedy unrelated to the asteroid, views the rest of his days alive as a penance and openly embraces the prospect of the world’s end. When they’re partnered in the pilot, he’s amused by what he considers Mackenzie’s delusions of grandeur, and her positivity only stokes his cynical fatalism.

Hernandez will portray Detective Alvaro Diaz. A former minor-league ballplayer from Cuba who segued to law enforcement when he first became a father, Diaz was a contented family man before news of the asteroid hit. Since that revelation he’s become a mess, openly weeping at his desk and distracted by savoring every moment he has left with the wife and children he loves more than anything.

Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television will produce.

Hernandez’s television credits include TNT’s The Last Ship, FX’s The Americans, Audience Network’s Mr. Mercedes and Amazon’s Hand of God and features such as Sicario, Avengers: Endgame and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

He will soon be seen recurring in CBS’ SEAL Team.

Dailyn Rodriguez Adapting “Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub” for Television

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Dailyn Rodriguez is preparing for some hot Havana nights…

The Cuban American television writer and producer and Queen of the South showrunner is teaming up with Keshet Studios, to adapt Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub by Rosa Lowinger and Ofelia Fox.

Tropicana Nights, which is in the vein of Moulin Rouge, Cabaret and Casino, tells the story of the notorious Cuban nightclub in the 1950s, when the club provided a fun, vibrant, wildly entertaining safe haven for those looking to escape the political unrest and persecution on the streets of Havana.

It centers on the love story and partnership between the club’s owners Martin and Ofelia Fox, who tirelessly fought to preserve their paradise under the stars against various threats, including rival club owners, the mafia and Cuban revolutionaries.

The El Tropicano night club, which opened in 1939 and is still open today, played host to greats such as Nat King Cole and party goers included Marlon Brando, Ernest Hemingway, Rita Hayworth and J.F.K.

Keshet Studios’ president Peter Traugott tells Deadline that the project came out of a general meeting with Rodriguez, who has also written on series including Fox’s Fantasy Island reboot and ABC’s Ugly Betty.

“It’s a spectacularly beautiful space that still exists today. But when you peel it back a bit, [the Tropicana] was this kind of safe-haven for people who didn’t fit in, people from all over the world –people of different colours, sexualities, genders and whatever was going in beyond the walls was left behind,” he said. “It’s a really crazy love story at the centre with this backdrop and at it centre its exploring lots of issues that are still relevant.

Rodriguez added, “I’ve wanted to write about the Tropicana for years. My mother used to tell me amazing stories about the shows she and my father saw there, so this dynamic, special world is close to my heart.”

Keshet Studios is now taking it out to market.

Martha Higareda to Star in Fox’s Country Music-Themed Musical Drama “Monarch”

Posted on September 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Martha Higareda has gone country…

The 38-year-old Mexican actress, producer and screenwriter has joined the lead cast of Fox’s upcoming musical drama Monarch alongside Emma Milani.

Higareda and Milani will appear alongside Susan Sarandon, Albie Roman, Anna Friel, Trace Adkins and Beth Ditto.

Created by Melissa London Hilfers, Monarch is described as a Texas-sized, multigenerational musical drama about America’s first family of country music, the Romans. The Romans are headed by the insanely talented, but tough as nails Queen of Country Music Dottie Cantrell Roman (Sarandon). Along with her beloved husband, Albie (Adkins), Dottie has created a country music dynasty. But even though the Roman name is synonymous with authenticity, the very foundation of their success is a lie. And when their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy, heir to the crown Nicolette “Nicky” Roman (Friel) will stop at nothing to protect her family’s legacy, while ensuring her own quest for stardom.

Higareda will play Catt Phoenix, the stunning and unpredictable mother of 17- year-old Ana Phoenix, a talented young singer and who is trying to get signed to the Roman Family’s record label. Catt harbors a deep-seated grudge against the Romans, Nicky in particular, and her presence creates quite a stir in Austin.

Milani will portray Ana Phoenix, the sweet, wide-eyed daughter of Catt with a beautiful voice, who is a recent TikTok sensation with her modern, Spanish language interpretation of Roman’s first hit song.

They join recently announced cast members Inigo Pascual, John Sasse and Meagan Holder.

Monarch debuts with a special two-night event beginning on Sunday, January 30.

Higareda can be seen in Hulu’s Into the Dark: Culture Shock. Her recent credits also include Netflix’s Altered Carbon, Queen of the South and Royal Pains.

Milani, who recently appeared on Solve, is a 2020 graduate of the Acting Conservatory at the Orange County School of the Arts. Also a vocalist, Milani has appeared in productions of The White Rose and 12 Angry Jurors.

Camila Cabello Among Celebrities Calling on Corporate America to Urge Congress to Support President Joe Biden’s Climate Plan

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is urging the U.S. Congress to support President Joe Biden’s climate change plan…

While Democratic leadership tries to unite its progressive and moderate wings, a group of 80-plus artists, celebrities and activists, including the 24-year-old Cuban/Mexican singer, are calling on the leaders of Google, Disney, Amazon, Fox, Facebook to join them in urging Congress to support Biden’s Build Back Better plan.

The effort was spearheaded by the National Resources Defense Council Action Fund and Cabello, who convinced the sizable group of A-listers to speak out, specifically about the need to address climate change.

In addition to Cabello, signatories to the group letter included J.J. Abrams, Greg Berlanti, Cate Blanchett, Jack Antonoff, Don Cheadle, Ellen DeGeneres, Selena Gomez, Shakira, Chris Evans, Jimmy Kimmel, Lady Gaga, John Legend, Chuck Lorre, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sean Penn, Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Porter, Robert Redford, Ryan Reynolds, Shakira, Barbra Streisand, Wes Studi, Justin Timberlake, Kerry Washington and many more.

On Monday, a group of 17 Nobel Prize-winning economists also came out in support of Biden’s plan.

Manish Bapna, President and CEO of the NRDC Action Fund said, “These are the tastemakers of our time—and in moments like these they have an opportunity to be the changemakers, too. What started as an idea by Camila Cabello has exploded into a clarion call from entertainers overnight to take action. Congress holds in its hands our best chance at combating our biggest environmental challenge yet. We need all hands on deck to make sure they seize it, and these industry leaders can play a critical role in making sure that they do.”

In today’s initiative, the artists call out the following execs by name: Lincoln Benet at Access Industries (Warner Music Group), Sundar Pichai at Alphabet (Google, YouTube), Andy Jassy at Amazon, Tim Cook at Apple, John Stankey at AT&T (WarnerMedia), Brian Roberts at Comcast, David Zaslav at Discovery (and soon Warner Bros. Discovery), Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, Lachlan Murdoch at Fox, Reed Hastings at Netflix, Kenichiro Yoshida at Sony, Robert Bakish at ViacomCBS, Arnaud de Puyfontaine at Vivendi (Universal Music Group) and Bob Chapek at Walt Disney.

“It’s no secret that climate change is here and is already affecting people’s lives across the globe,” wrote Cabello in her post on Instagram about the effort. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to act boldly to fight the climate crisis, so I am honored to join over 60 fellow artists to call on leaders of the entertainment industry to use their power and demand that Congress pass @potus’s #BuildBackBetter agenda this fall.”

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A post shared by camila (@camila_cabello)

Here’s the full text of the letter and a list of its signatories:

Dear Entertainment Industry Executives:

Climate change has arrived on our doorstep: California is on fire, record-breaking and deadly storms are flooding New York City, hurricanes are devastating the Gulf. This summer alone, nearly one in every three people in the United States experienced an extreme weather event.

Scientists warn that if we fail to act now, every single one of us will feel the impacts, a billion people will be displaced, and low-income people and communities of color will continue to be hit first and worst. Right now, we have a critical window of opportunity to do something about it. And we need all hands on deck to demand that our leaders protect the people we love and the places they live before it’s too late.

Congress has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in a clean, just, and equitable future for all by passing the robust climate action that President Biden called for in his Build Back Better agenda. This legislation will create healthier communities, put millions to work in clean energy jobs, and free us from the fossil fuels that are driving climate change.

As the top leaders of the entertainment industry—one of the nation’s most powerful and influential business sectors—you are needed to lead our community’s call for action and embrace this vision for a better world. The entertainment community has a long, proud tradition of driving societal change. Our industry is already leading the charge toward more sustainable practices within our own businesses and productions. Now is the time to use your influence to shape our future.

Congress needs to hear you demand, unequivocally, that it put forward and pass the most ambitious climate change agenda in U.S. history.

The plan currently before Congress will protect people’s health and clean up our drinking water. It will create a just transition away from dirty fossil fuels and create millions of new jobs. It will protect communities from climate change through investments in clean energy, clean transportation, and infrastructure upgrades. And it will make sure we finally prioritize and invest in the low-income communities and communities of color that are hit hardest by both fossil fuel pollution and climate impacts.

This plan will create a stronger, brighter, and more just America—and we need you to help make this vision a reality.

At this pivotal moment, please lead the call. Demand publicly and loudly that our senators and representatives in Congress pass this critical legislation.

And we pledge to do our part as well. We will use our platforms to remind all Americans: Tell your senators and representatives in Congress that you demand climate action now. Advocate for Congress to take up the president’s climate agenda. And don’t stop there. Tweet. Post. E-mail. Call. Whatever it takes.

Sincerely,

J.J. Abrams
Anitta
Jack Antonoff
Troian Bellisario
Greg Berlanti
Cate Blanchett
Benny Blanco
Dave Burd aka “Lil Dicky”
Camila Cabello
Dove Cameron
Alessia Cara
Don Cheadle
Glenn Close
Coldplay
Jacob Collier
Lily Collins
James Corden
Ellen DeGeneres
Cara Delevingne
Leonardo DiCaprio
Zac Efron
Billie Eilish
Chris Evans
Jimmy Fallon
Finneas
Selena Gomez
Conan Gray
Grimes
Todrick Hall
Hugh Jackman
Jimmy Kimmel
Joey King
Liza Koshy
Lady Gaga
Cyndi Lauper
John Legend
Adam Levine
Kevin Liles
Dua Lipa
Lorde
Chuck Lorre
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Demi Lovato
Ziggy Marley
Shawn Mendes
Idina Menzel
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Sean Penn
Joaquin Phoenix
Billy Porter
Zachary Quinto
Addison Rae
Robert Redford
Ryan Reynolds
Mark Ronson
Kyra Sedgwick
Shakira
Lilly Singh
Troye Sivan
Barbra Streisand
Wes Studi
Ryan Tedder
Justin Timberlake
Kerry Washington
Sigourney Weaver
Shailene Woodley
Calum Worthy

Fox Eyeing Season 2 Order for Roselyn Sanchez’s Drama Series Reboot of “Fantasy Island”

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Roselyn Sanchez may not be leavin’ the Island anytime soon…

Fox is is considering a second season of its summer drama series Fantasy Island, starring the 48-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer.

The series is a reboot of the 1977 original.

Fox Entertainment President Michael Thorn has told Deadline that as its “first real, recent attempt at a cost effective” drama series, the network and producers Sony Pictures Television are “really proud of it”.

Thorn said that the series, which premiered to a 0.4 in 18-49 and 1.97 million viewers, “held its own this summer.” “We’re really high on it and it’s been exciting for us to cross pollinate some of the stars that we have in other series and do other exciting turns on Fantasy Island. We definitely see a potential second season and it’s something that we’re talking about now. We’re very pleased with the show and Liz [Craft] and Sarah [Fain] did a very good job,” he said,

Sanchez stars as Elena Roarke, a descendant of the original series’ enigmatic Mr. Roarke, in the series, which premiered on August 10.

Set at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected. The resort is run by Elena Roarke (Sanchez) who set aside her own ambitions, and even the love of her life, to uphold her family’s legacy. Sophisticated, insightful and always charming, Elena’s calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed as steward of this mysterious island.

Kiara Barnes plays Ruby Okoro, a young woman with an old soul who arrives on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness, and is given a new lease on life there, while heavily recurring John Gabriel Rodriquez plays pilot Javier, who also is the head of island transportation and a jack of all trades.

The reboot keeps the semi-anthological format of the original Fantasy Island with three main characters played by Sanchez, Barnes and Rodriquez, who live/work on the island with new guests arriving in every episode.

From writer-producers Craft and Fain, it’s produced by Sony Pictures Television and its Gemstone Studios label, which co-produce with Fox Entertainment.

The original 1977 series, created by Gene Levitt and executive produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg, starred Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant Tattoo as they grant guests so-called “fantasies” on the island for a price.

Grasie Mercedes to Star on NBC’s “Grand Crew”

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a Grand opportunity for Grasie Mercedes.

The 43-year-old Afro-Latina actress has joined the cast of NBC’s Grand Crew as a series regular.

The comedy, from Phil Augusta Jackson and Dan Goor, follows a group of young L.A. professionals navigating the ups and downs of life and love. When they’re ready to unpack it all, they meet at their favorite local bar for a “wine down.”

Mercedes will portray Fay, a recently divorced transplant to Los Angeles who becomes fast friends with the regulars at Eastside Cru.

Jackson will write and executive produce. Mo Marable will direct and co-executive produce the pilot. Goor will executive produce.

Previously announced cast members include Nicole Byer, Justin Cunningham, Aaron Jennings, Echo Kellum and Carl Tart.

Mercedes most recently served as a staff writer on NBC’s Perfect Harmony. Her acting credits include roles in Fox’s 9-1-1, Freeform’s Good Trouble, TNT’s Southland, HBO’s The Affair and CBS’ Criminal Minds.

Fox Releases First Look Trailer for Yaya DaCosta’s Drama Series “Our Kind of People”

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Yaya DaCosta isn’t Bluffin’…

Fox has released the first teaser trailer for its new drama Our Kind of People, starring the 38-year-old half-Brazilian American actress.

The clip shows DaCosta’s character Angela Vaughn isn’t playing around when it comes to what’s truly hers.

The series hails from writer/executive producer Karin Gist and executive producer Lee Daniels.

Inspired by Lawrence Otis Graham’s book Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class, the series written by Gist takes place in the aspirational world of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, a historical stronghold where the rich and powerful Black elite have come to play for more than 50 years.

Our Kind of People follows strong-willed single mom Angela Vaughn (DaCosta) as she sets out to reclaim her family’s name and make an impact with her revolutionary haircare line that highlights the innate, natural beauty of Black women. But she soon discovers a dark secret about her mother’s past that will turn her world upside-down and shake up this community forever.

“My mama worked for one of them, but I have a secret that will expose them all,” DaCosta’s Angela says about her family. “Little do they know I’m one of them. So whether they like it or not, I belong here.”

Our Kind of People premieres on Tuesday, September 21, and also features Morris Chestnut, Joe Morgan, Alana Bright, Rhyon Nicole Brown, Debbi Morgan, Kyle Bary, Lance Gross, Nadine Ellis and L. Scott Caldwell.

Our Kind of People was the first Fox drama series ordered for the 2021-22 season and the first series to come out of the network’s script-to-series model introduced last summer.

Tasha Smith will direct the series premiere.

Victoria Cartagena to Portray Renee Montoya on the CW’s “Batwoman”

Posted on July 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a case of déjà vu for Victoria Cartagena.

The 36-year-old Latina actress has joined the upcoming third season of Batwoman as a new series regular, portraying DC hero Renee Montoya on the CW drama.

Cartagena’s character, Montoya, is a former GCPD officer who left the force when she could no longer stomach the corruption inside the department. She now runs the “freaks division,” which hasn’t seen a lot of action… until now. Righteous and pragmatic, and LGBTQ+, she’s a woman with a very personal (and mysterious) mission to help clean the streets of Gotham in the right way, by whatever means necessary.

Cartagena previously played Renee Montoya on Fox’s Gotham, though the universes are not connected.

In the June 27 Season 2 finale, Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) has fully taken up the mantle of Batwoman with Kate Kane leaving Gotham in a search for her long-missing cousin Bruce Wayne (aka Batman). It also was revealed that Ryan’s biological mother, who was believed to have died in childbirth, is actually alive.

In addition to Leslie, Rachel Skarsten, Meagan Tandy, Nicole Kang and Camrus Johnson also star; original cast member Dougray Scott recently left the series.

Batwoman is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros Television.

Cartagena’s other recent credits include a series regular role on Fox’s Almost Family, and recurring on M. Night Shyamalan’s Apple TV+ series Servant. She also recurred on the first season of NBC’s Manifest.

I guess #Reneemontoya and I have some unfinished business❤️ So very excited to join this new group of talented artists, writers & crew who are doing their thing over here! They have welcomed me wholeheartedly! Grateful, humbled, hype AF… #batwoman #fullcircle https://t.co/eeNCmptT7v

— Victoria Cartagena (@VickiCartagena) July 20, 2021

Daphne Zuniga to Guest Star on Fox’s “Fantasy Island”

Posted on July 20, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Daphne Zuniga is livin’ a fantasy…

The 58-year-old half-Guatemalan American actress will appear on Fox’s Fantasy Island.

Zuniga will reunite with some of her former Melrose Place cast mates, Laura Leighton and Josie Bissett, in the episode.

They’ll guest star as friends whose island birthday bash exposes the cracks in their friendships.

The all new version of the series, which originally aired from 1977 to 1984, will premiere on August 10 at 9:00 pm.

Production is currently underway in Puerto Rico, with the date of Leighton, Bissett and Zuniga’s episode yet to be announced.

Fantasy Island takes place at a luxury resort where literally any fantasy request by guests is fulfilled, but these requests rarely turn out as expected. Each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with desires and depart transformed by the island’s magical realism.

The series stars Roselyn Sanchez, Kiara Barnes and John Gabriel Rodriguez.

Sanchez’ Elena Roarke keeps the island running as its steward. A descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke, she set aside her own ambitions and the love of her life to uphold her family’s legacy.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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