Imagen Foundation to Honor Luisa Leschin with Writing Honor at This Year’s Imagen Awards

Posted on August 4, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Luisa Leschin has the writestuff…

The 66-year-old El Salvadoran & Guatemalan television producer, actress, and voice-over artistwill be honored with the Norman Lear Writer’s Award at the 34th Annual Imagen Awards, which will be held August 10 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Leschin is an industry veteran who has produced shows like George Lopez, Everybody Hates Chrisand East Los High. She currently is the co-executive producer of the Netflixoriginal series Mr. Iglesias starring Gabriel Iglesiasand Sherri Shepherd.

“Norman Lear is a towering legend in the entertainment industry having create some of Hollywood’s most ground-breaking sitcoms,” said Leschin. “He has inspired every writer to think beyond the norm and is someone I have always looked up to. I’m beyond honored.”

Leschin has had her hand in nearly every aspect of the entertainment industry. She began her career as a ballet dancer then turned to acting, having appeared in many iconic TV series including Beverly Hills 90210, Love Boat, ER,Quincy, Falcon Crest, Hill St. Blues and others. On the feature side, she has appeared in Saturday Night Fever and True Confessions.

The Norman Lear Writer’s Award honors those that have exhibited efforts towards increasing diversity within all aspects of the entertainment industry. Past recipients include Gloria Calderon Kellett, Peter Murrieta, John Leguizamo, Fred Armisenand Roberto Orci.

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’s Netflix Series “Mr. Iglesias” to Premiere in June

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesiasis ready to lead the class…

Netflix has announced plans to globally premiere the 42-year-old Mexican American comedian/actor’s multi-camera comedy Mr. Iglesias on Friday, June 21.

Iglesias plays Gabe, a good-natured public high school teacher who works at his alma mater. Gabe takes on teaching gifted but misfit kids to not only save them from being “counseled out” by a bully bureaucrat assistant principal (Oscar Nuñez) but also to help them unlock their full potential.

Sherri Shepherd, Jacob Vargas, Maggie Geha, Richard Gant, Cree Cicchino and Fabrizio Guido co-star.

“A lot of my fans ask me what I would be if I wasn’t a stand-up comic,” Iglesias said. “I tell them a history teacher because I love history. So it’s great that in this sitcom, I have the opportunity to live out my alternate reality had I not become Fluffy.”

The series is part of a three-project deal Iglesias signed with Netflix a year ago, which also includes a pair of stand-up specials from the veteran comic.

Mr. Iglesias is created by Kevin Hench and executive produced by Iglesias, Hench, Ron DeBlasio and Joe Meloche.

The first season will be 10 episodes.

Anitta Performs English & Spanish Songs on the UglyDolls Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

It’s an Ugly (Doll) time for Anitta…

The track list for the UglyDolls Original Motion Picture Soundtrack has been revealed, with the 25-year-old Brazilian singer pulling double (language) duty on the album.

Anitta performs the track “Ugly” in English, as well as the Spanish-language version of the song, “Fea.”

In addition to Anitta, the album features a track from Kirstin Maldonad oand her Pentatonix(PTX) group mates.

The 26-year-old half-Mexican and part-Spanish American singer and her Grammy-winning a cappella group mates perform the track “You Make My Dreams.”

In addition to Anitta and Pentatonix, the soundtrack for the upcoming animated UglyDolls movie features new music from Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monae and Bebe Rexha.

The soundtrack is now available for pre-order, and will officially drop on April 26.

The movie features an all-star cast of voice-overs from Jonas, Wanda Sykes, Gabriel Iglesias, Pitbull, Blake Shelton, Monáe, Rexha, Charli XCX, Lizzo and much more. It follows the story of imperfect toys who travel to the town of Perfection in the hopes of becoming good enough for children to take them, with Clarkson voicing the pink main character, Moxy. UglyDolls hits theaters on May 3.

Here’s the full track list:

UglyDolls Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Tracklisting

1) Kelly Clarkson — “Broken & Beautiful (from the movie UGLYDOLLS)”
2) Kelly Clarkson — “Couldn’t Be Better (Pop Version)”
3) Kelly Clarkson — “Today’s the Day”
4) Kelly Clarkson and the UglyDolls Cast — “Couldn’t Be Better (Movie Version)”
5) UglyDolls Cast — “Today’s the (Perfect) Day”
6) Nick Jonas — “The Ugly Truth”
7) Pentatonix — “You Make My Dreams”
8) Nick Jonas — “The Uglier Truth”
9) Janelle Monáe (feat. Kelly Clarkson) — “All Dolled Up”
10) Janelle Monáe & Kelly Clarkson — “Unbreakable”
11) UglyDolls Cast — “The Big Finale”
12) Bebe Rexha — “Girl in the Mirror”
13) Anitta — “Ugly”
14) Why Don’t We — “Don’t Change”
15) Blake Shelton — “Wallflowers & Weeds”
16) Anitta — “Ugly (Fea)”

STX Entertainment Moves Up the Release of Pitbull’s “UglyDolls” to May 3

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Things are about to get Ugly for Pitbull a bit earlier than expected…

STX Entertainment has moved up the release of the 37-year-old Cuban American rapper’s family animated feature UglyDolls.

Instead of releasing the film on May 10, STX Entertainment will now release the film on May 3.

Kelly Asbury directs the animated pic based off David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim’s plush toy line.

In addition to Pitbull, the voice cast includes Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas,Blake Shelton, Janelle Monáe, Wanda Sykes, Emma Roberts, Gabriel Iglesias, Bebe Rexha, Charli XCX, Lizzo and Wang Leehom.

The film is a bid by STX to launch a potential franchise in the wake of its hit female comedy Bad Moms.

Jacob Vargas to Star on Netflix’s “Mr. Iglesias”

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Jacob Vargas is making the grades…

The 47-year-old Mexican-American actor has been cast as a series regular opposite Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias in Mr. Iglesias, Netflix’s upcoming comedy series from the comedian and Cristela co-creator/executive producer Kevin Hench.

In the comedy, Iglesias plays Gabe, a good-natured public high school teacher who works at his alma mater. He takes on teaching gifted but misfit kids to not only save them from being “counseled out” by a bully bureaucrat Assistant Principal, but also to help them unlock their full potential.

Vargas will play Tony Medina, Gabe’s longtime best friend and fellow teacher at the high school.

Iglesias executive produces with Hench.

Vargas is known for his role as Allesandro Montez on Sons of Anarchy. He stars in the feature The Public with Emilio Estevez, which will screen at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival. His recent television credits include Luke Cage and HBO’s Mosaic.

Anthony Gonzalez’s Disney-Pixar Film “Coco” Wins Thanksgiving Holiday Box Office

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

He’s nowhere near voting age, but Anthony Gonzalez is beating superheroes at the box office…

The 13-year-old Latino actor voices the character of Miguel, a young Mexican boy with musical dreams who has a wondrous adventure in the Land of the Dead in Disney–Pixar’s animated film Coco, which won the Thanksgiving holiday box office.

Gonzalez’s Coco earned $71.2 million at 3,987 North American sites during the Wednesday-Sunday period, while Warner Bros.–DC Entertainment’s Justice League pulled in $60 million at 4,051 locations during the same timeframe in its second weekend in theaters.

Coco posted for the fourth-best Thanksgiving holiday opening ever, trailing three other Disney titles — Frozen with $93 million in 2013, Moana with $82 million in 2017 and Toy Story 3 with $80 million in 2010.

Audiences surveyed by comScore’s PostTrak gave Coco strong ratings with 66% calling it “excellent,” and another 23% rating it “very good.” Surveys also showed 77% of viewers saying they would “definitely recommend” the movie to friends and 20% saying they would watch it again in a theater.

Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich and co-directed by Adrian Molina, is based on the traditions surrounding the Day of the Dead holiday in Mexico and centers on a 12-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a musician and explores his family history in the Land of the Dead. The studio hasn’t released a price for the movie. Disney-Pixar titles are usually budgeted in the $175 million to $200 million range.

In addition to Gonzalez, in his breakout role, Coco’s ensemble voice cast includes Benjamin Bratt, Gael Garcia Bernal, Renee Victor, Edward James Olmos, Ana Ofelia Murguia, Jaime Camil, Sofia Espinosa, Gabriel Iglesias, Cheech Marin and Lombardo Boyar.

The holiday weekend is one of the busiest moviegoing periods of the year. According to comScore, this year’s five-day Thanksgiving weekend saw total grosses his $268 million — $7.5 million better than last year’s when Moana opened with $82 million, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them taking in $65 million in its second weekend.

The strong holiday performance left the 2017 overall domestic total at $9.71 billion, or 4% behind the same point last year, according to comScore. The industry fell behind last year’s record-setting total due to downbeat performances in August and October — so much so that the much-anticipated Dec. 15 opening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi will probably not be enough to pulled this year even.

First Trailer Released for Gina Rodriguez’s Animated Holiday Film “The Star”

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez’s star is rising this holiday season…

The first trailer has been released for the 32-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star’s The Star, an animated holiday film in which the animals run the village.

Steven Yuen stars as Bo, a donkey who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind. When finally he summons the courage to break free, his adventure leads him to make friends with a flockless sheep (Aidy Bryant) and ambitious dove (Keegan-Michael Key). Little do they know, but they and a group of eccentric camels and stable animals are about to become unlikely heroes in the Greatest Story Ever Told.

Directed by Timothy Reckart from Carlos Kotkin’s script, the toon features a diverse, big-name voice cast that also includes Zachary Levi as Joseph and, Rodriguez as Mary.

Christopher Plummer plays the villainous King Herod. The animal characters include Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Anthony Anderson, Ving Rhames, Gabriel Iglesias.

Meanwhile Tyler Perry, Tracy Morgan and Oprah Winfrey voice the trio of wise-cracking camels.

The film from Sony Pictures Animation and Affirm Films in association with Walden Media features a new title song by Mariah Carey, and the trailer sports a contemporary take on Stevie Wonder’s yuletide classic “That’s What Christmas Means to Me.”

Columbia Pictures will release The Star on November 10.

ABC Developing a New Half-Hour Comedy for Gabriel Iglesias

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

ABC isn’t giving up on a Gabriel Iglesias series…

The network is taking a second chance at developing a sitcom starring vehicle for the 40-year-old comedian.

ABC has a new half-hour project in development, starring Iglesias, from Ryan Seacrest Productions and CBS Television Studios.

This is not a spec sale; the pitch was bought by ABC late last year and the script will be is in consideration for this pilot cycle. Last year, Iglesias starred in the ABC multi-camera comedy pilot The Fluffy Shop.

Written by Taylor Hamra (Nashville), the untitled project focuses on a commitment-phobe bachelor who reconnects with his friend who has just broken up with the woman he has been with since pre-school. Iglesias stars and executive produces.

Iglesias stars in and executive produces Fluffy’s Food Adventures (previously titled Fluffy Breaks Even) at Fuse.

Rodriguez Joins Voice Cast of Sony Pictures Animation’s “The Star”

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez is wishing on a Star…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican actress has joined the A-list voice cast of Sony Pictures Animation’s The Star.

The story follows a small but brave donkey named Bo (Steven Yeun) who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. As the logline states: “One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told – the first Christmas.”

In addition to Yeun and Rodriguez, the Golden Globe-winning star of the CW’s Jane the Virgin who will voice Mary in the film, the star-studded voice cast includes Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Tracy Moran, Kris Kristofferson, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelly Clarkson, Gabriel Iglesias, Ving Rhames and Christopher Plummer who will voice King Herod.

Directed by Oscar-nominated writer-director Timothy Reckart, the family-friendly film will be released wide on November 10.

The screenplay was written by Carlos Kotkin from a story by Kotkin and Simon Moore.

Fuse Renews Iglesias’ “Fluffy Breaks Even” with New Title and Format

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Gabriel Iglesias isn’t blowing his Fuse… deal…

Fuse has greenlighted a third season of the 40-year-old Mexican American comedian and actor’s series with a new title and format, while adding companion digital components.

The cable net, which targets a Latino and multicultural 18-34 audience, said that Fluffy Breaks Even will be renamed Fluffy’s Food Adventures for the third season and will return in the summer.

Ahead of the rejiggered series’ premiere, Fuse is adding three shortform series for its digital and social platforms, the first being the working-titled Fluffy Off the Menu. The others will be unveiled later.

“Fluffy cannot be contained on just one screen,” Iglesias said. “I can’t wait to unveil what Fuse and I are cooking up for the next season on TV and the new digital series.”

Season 2 of Fluffy Breaks Even reached 4.5 million total viewers, according to Nielsen, and featured celebrity guests including NFL coach Ron Rivera, Cristela alum Carlos Ponce and NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez.

Season 3 will see Iglesias, aka Fluffy, and his eccentric stand-up tour mates Martin Moreno, Rick Gutierrez, Alfred Robles and G Reilly as they visit Harlem, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and Nashville for a taste of the locals’ favorite spots.

Meanwhile, Fluffy Off the Menu will see chefs teaching Iglesias how to cook an item off of his or her menu, including bacon-wrapped bacon at BluJean in Harlem and crickets at Guelaguetza in Los Angeles. The additional two digital originals will incorporate fan engagement with Iglesias’ unique and humorous spin. All three will be exclusive to Fuse’s digital platforms, with different versions being created for the network’s social channels.

“We have big plans for Gabriel to expand his reach across platforms as we continue to grow our online and mobile presence,” said Michael Dugan, VP Original Content at Fuse Media. “Our audience couldn’t get enough of Fluffy for the first two seasons of his series, and in 2017, there will be more opportunities than ever for fans to connect with one of the most talented comedians around.”

Fluffy’s Food Adventures and Fluffy Off the Menu are exec produced by Iglesias and co-produced with B-17 Entertainment and Arsonhouse Entertainment.

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