Danny Ramirez to Star in Season 2 of HBO’s “The Last of Us”

You haven’t seen the last of Danny Ramirez.

The 31-year-old Colombian & Mexican American actor has joined the cast for the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us.

Danny RamirezRamirez is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle and Spencer Lord.

Based on Naughty Dog’s video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed.

Joel, played by SAG Award-winnerPedro Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Ramirez will play Manny, a loyal soldier whose sunny outlook belies the pain of old wounds and a fear that he will fail his friends when they need him most.

Barer portrays Mel, a young doctor whose commitment to saving lives is challenged by the realities of war and tribalism.

Gabrielle is Nora, a military medic struggling to come to terms with the sins of her past.

Lord plays Owen, a gentle soul trapped in a warrior’s body, condemned to fight an enemy he refuses to hate.

In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, Season 1 also starred Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker.

The Last Of Us Season 2 is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television.

Ramirez’s previous credits include Top Gun: Maverick, The Gifted, On My Block and Black Mirror. He’ll portray Joaquin Torres in Captain America: Brave New World.

Netflix Renews Monica Barbaro’s “Fubar” for Second Season

Monica Barbaro’s spy career continues… 

Netflix’s Fubar, starring the 32-year-old part-Mexican American actress and Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been renewed for a second season.

Monica BarbaroFubar debuted its eight-episode first season on May 25, and follows a C.I.A. operative Luke Brunner (Schwarzenegger) who discovers a family secret that pulls him back into the field and delays his retirement plans.

Barbaro portrays his daughter, Emma.

Following the May premiere, Fubar opened with 88.94 million hours viewed in its first four days of availability.

Alongside Schwarzenegge and Barbaro as the father-daughter duo, the series also stars Fortune Feimster as Roo, Jay Baruchel as Carter, Aparna Brielle as Tina, Andy Buckley as Donnie, Barbara Eve Harris as Dot, Gabriel Luna as Boro, Milan Carter as Barry, Fabiana Udenio as Tally and Travis Van Winkle as Aldon.

Schwarzenegger also serves as an executive producer alongside creator and showrunner Nick Santora.

In a recent interview with Variety, Barbaro revealed that her off-screen dynamic with Schwarzenegger resembled their characters’ father-daughter history: “It was kind of perfect that we had this father-daughter dynamic, because we would just give each other shit all day. I think that helped us a lot to find that sort of familial chemistry. He was also kind enough to let me ask him anything about his experience and all of that”

HBO Renews Pedro Pascal’s “The Last of Us” for Second Season

You haven’t seen the last of Pedro Pascal

HBO has renewed its high-profile drama The Last of Us, starring the 47-year-old Chilean actor, for a second season.

Pedro PascalThe announcement comes just after two episodes of the video game-based series from Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.

Earlier this month, The Last of Us scored the second-largest premiere after House of the Dragon since Boardwalk Empire’s launch in 2010.

Episode 1 has surpassed 22 million viewers domestically, up nearly five times from its premiere-night audience on January 15. Episode 2 drew 5.7 million viewers across HBO Max and linear telecasts in the U.S. Sunday night. That’s about a million more than the audience that tuned in for the premiere episode and it marks the largest Week 2 audience growth for any HBO Original drama series. The series also is strong on social media, trending No. 1 both in the U.S. and worldwide on Twitter during its series debut.

“Craig and Neil, alongside EP Carolyn Strauss, and the rest of our phenomenal cast and crew, have defined a genre with their masterful debut season of The Last of Us,” said Francesca Orsi, EVP of HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films. “After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can’t wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with Season 2.”

Based on Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed.

Joel, played by Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

“I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations,” said executive producer Druckmann. “Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”

In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, Season 1 also stars Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker.

“I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey,” said executive producer Mazin. “The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in.”

The Last of Us is written and executive produced by Mazin and Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television.

Rosario Dawson Lends Voice to Season 3 Episode of Netflix’s “Love, Death & Robots”

Rosario Dawson is swarming up to animation…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist is among the stellar voice cast for the third season of Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots, which will premiere this Friday, May 20.

Rosario DawsonCreated by Tim Miller, Love, Death & Robots showcases five- to 15-minute episodes created by different animation teams from around the world.

The series features a wide breadth of genres — science fiction, fantasy, horror and comedy — that house the stories told through animation styles from traditional 2D to photo-real 3D CGI.

New episodes in Volume 3 range from uncovering an ancient evil to a comedic apocalypse.

Dawson lends her voice to the episode entitled “Swarm.” It tells the story of fear, sex and philosophy on the farthest frontier, as two post-human scientists study an apparently mindless insectoid-race.

 

But Dawson isn’t the only Latinx artist among this season’s voice cast.

 

Gabriel Luna lends his voice to the episode entitled “Kill Team Kill,” while Christian Serratos lends her voice to “In Vaulted Halls Entombed.”

Here’s the complete episode list, including voice cast:

“Three Robots: Exit Strategies”
The first direct sequel in Love, Death + Robots history – from the mind of acclaimed sci-fi novelist John Scalzi. The titular trio of droll droids return to take a whirlwind tour studying post-apocalyptic human survival strategies before mankind was finally snuffed out.
Director: Patrick Osborne
Writer: John Scalzi
Studio: Blow Studio
Voice Cast: Josh Brener, Gary Anthony Williams, Katie Lowes, Chris Parnell

“Bad Travelling”
A jable shark-hunting sailing vessel is attacked by a giant crustacean whose size and intelligence is matched only by its appetite. Mutiny, betrayal and ventriloquism with a corpse… welcome aboard the animation directing debut of David Fincher.
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker, based on the short story by Neal Asher
Studio: Blur Studio
Voice Cast: Troy Baker, Kevin Jackson, Fred Tatasciore, Anthony Mark Barrow, Chantelle Barry, Parry Shen, Time Winters, James Preston Rogers, Jason Flemyng, Elodie Yung, Max Fowler

“The Very Pulse Of The Machine”
When an exploratory expedition on the surface of the moon Io ends in disaster, an astronaut must trek to safety dragging the body of her co-pilot while using potentially mind-warping drugs to deal with the pain of her own injuries in this trippy tribute to comic book legend Moebius.
Director: Emily Dean
Writer: Philip Gelatt, from a short story by Michael Swanwick
Studio: Polygon Pictures
Voice Cast: Mackenzie Davis, Holly Jade, David Shatraw

“Night of the Mini Dead”
The apocalypse is conceived – literally – in a graveyard in this biting zombie satire, which starts with some cheeky cemetery sex and accelerates into a walking dead invasion of everywhere – from downtown LA to the Vatican. It’s the end of the world as we gnaw it.
Director(s): Robert Bisi, Andy Lyon
Writer: Robert Bisi & Andy Lyon, from a short story by Jeff Fowler & Tim Miller
Studio: BUCK

“Kill Team Kill”
Young, dumb and full of… blood, lots and lots of blood, a ’roid-raging, adrenaline-fuelled force of US soldiers faces a foe unlike any they have faced before, the result of a CIA experiment that gets really fucking Grizzly. From the director of Kung Fu Panda 2.
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Writer: Philip Gelatt, from a short story by Justin Coates
Studio: Titmouse, Inc.
Voice Cast: Joel McHale, Seth Green, Gabriel Luna, Steve Blum, Andrew Kishino

“Swarm”
A story of fear, sex and philosophy on the farthest frontier, as two post-human scientists study an apparently mindless insectoid-race. Tim Miller writes and directs the first ever screen adaptation of the work from renowned Cyberpunk author Bruce Sterling.
Director: Tim Miller
Writer: Tim Miller, based on the short story by Bruce Sterling
Studio: Blur Studio
Voice Cast: Rosario Dawson, Jason Winston George, Fred Tatasciore

“Mason’s Rats”
You know you have a pest control problem when they start to shoot back. The ratpocalypse comes to Scotland, as a grumpy farmer takes drastic steps to deal with an invasion of hyper-evolved rodents. Exterminator: Judgment Day.
Director: Carlos Stevens
Writer: Joe Abercrombie, based on the short story by Neal Asher
Studio: Axis Studios
Voice Cast: Craig Ferguson, Dan Stevens

“In Vaulted Halls Entombed”
Deep in the mountains of Afghanistan, a squad of Special Forces soldiers has the dangerous job of recovering a hostage held by terrorists. But the real evil they must confront is an elder god of ancient and terrifying power.
Director: Jerome Chen
Writer: Philip Gelatt, based on a short story by Alan Baxter
Studio: Sony Pictures Imageworks
Voice Cast: Joe Manganiello, Christian Serratos, Jai Courtney, Noshir Dalal, Stanton Lee, Jeff Schine, Debra Wilson, Fred Tatasciore

“Jibaro”
Fantasy and greed combine in this re-imagining of the traditional folktale of a siren whose song lures men to their doom. But her sorcery fails to work on the deaf knight, Jibaro, and the Golden Woman becomes fascinated by him. Thus begins a deadly dance of two predators.
Director: Alberto Mielgo
Writer: Alberto Mielgo
Studio: Pinkman.tv
Voice Cast: Girvan ‘Swirv’ Bramble

PREVIOUS, May 18:
 Good news for Love, Death & Robots fans. Netflix has dropped a surprise Season 3 episode ahead of the Emmy-winning animated anthology series’ May 20 premiere. You can watch the full episode, titled “Three Robots: Exit Strategies” at the bottom of the story.

In the episode, based on the short story by sci-fi novelist John Scalzi, the titular trio of droll droids return to take a whirlwind tour studying post-apocalyptic human survival strategies before mankind was finally snuffed out.

Miller executive produces with David Fincher (Mindhunter).

Love, Death & Robots has won 11 Primetime Emmy awards, including Outstanding Animated Short Form Program and Individual Achievement in Animation, among others.

Gabriel Luna to Star Opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Netflix & Skydance Television’s Spy Adventure Series

Gabriel Luna is teaming up with the former Governator.

The 39-year-old Mexican American actor has joined the cast of Netflix and Skydance Television’s untitled Arnold Schwarzenegger spy adventure series as a series regular.

Gabriel LunaLuna joins a roster that includes previously announced female lead Monica Barbaro and new cast additions Travis Van Winkle, Fortune Feimster, Jay Baruchel, Milan Carter, Fabiana UdenioBarbara Eve HarrisAparna Brielle and Andy Buckley.

Additionally, the series, from creator, executive producer and showrunner Nick Santora has cast five recurring players, Devon BostickDavid ChinchillaStephanie Sy, Scott Thompson and child actor Rachel Lynch.

In the untitled series (informally referred to as Fubar), when a father and daughter learn that they’ve each secretly been working as CIA Operatives for years, they realize their entire relationship has been a lie and they truly don’t know one another at all. Forced to team up as partners, the series tackles universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, action and humor.

Luna will play Boro, an incredibly charismatic, Oxford-educated businessman, who’s chosen to apply those skills to a career in the illegal arms trade.

Udenio will play Tally, Luke’s ex-wife and Emma’s mother, who does not know that the two are in the CIA, but has always been suspicious of Luke’s frequent “business trips” which created distance in their relationship. Tally now has a new man in her life, but the chemistry between her and Luke is still palpable.

Luna will be reuniting with Schwarzenegger on the project after starring together in Terminator: Dark Fate.

Natalia Reyes to Join Her “Terminator: Dark Fate” Cast Mates at San Diego Comic-Con

Natalia Reyes is headed to Comic-Con…

The 32-year-old Colombian actress and her Terminator: Dark Fate co-stars Arnold SchwarzeneggerLinda HamiltonMackenzie DavisGabriel Luna and Diego Boneta, as well as director Tim Miller, are also expected to hit the stage in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC).

Reyes and the gang will make the trek for Paramountand Skydance’s Terminator: Dark Fate panel, which will be held July 18.

With a start time of 11:00 a.m. PT, the Dark Fate presentation will kick off the Hall H proceedings.

With Hamilton joining Schwarzenegger onstage, the panel will see the two original Terminator actors usher in a new and rising generation of Hollywood talent.

The presentation is expected to reveal new footage from the sci-fi action movie that opens on November 1.

Luna to Star on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Gabriel Luna is riding high…

The 33-year-old Latino actor will star as Ghost Rider on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Gabriel Luna

Luna, whose credits include Wicked City and Matador, will portray Ghost Rider in the upcoming fourth season.

The character has a long history with Marvel comics. He was a motorcycle stuntman who after a deal with Mephisto had the power to control hellfire.

The character was played by Nicolas Cage in the feature Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

 

Luna to Star in Discovery Channel’s “Harley and the Davidsons”

Gabriel Luna is revvin’ his engines…

The 33-year-old Latino American actor has been cast in the Discovery Channel’s Harley and the Davidsons, a six-hour miniseries about the birth of the iconic motorcycle brand.

Gabriel Luna

It follows William Harley and Arthur Davidson, who launched the iconic motorcycle manufacturer in Milwaukee in 1903.

Luna, who starred in El Rey Network’s spy thriller The Matador, will portray Eddie Hasha, the bike racer nicknamed “the Texas Cyclone.”

He joins a cast that includes Michiel Huisman, Robert Aramayo, Bug Hall, Stephen Rider and Jessica Camacho.

The miniseries will be broadcast in two-hour blocks over three consecutive nights starting Monday, September 5.

Production on the miniseries starts this month.

Luna’s previous credits include television appearances on Wicked City, True Detective and NCIS: Los Angeles, as well as the films Gravy and Freeheld.

Luna to Star in ABC’s Drama Pilot “L.A. Crime”

Gabriel Luna is going on a crime spree…

The 31-year-old Latino American actor, the star of El Rey Network’s short-lived original series Matador, has been cast as the co-lead opposite Adam Rothenberg in ABC’s drama pilot L.A. Crime, from ABC Studios and Mandeville.

Gabriel Luna

The character-driven “true crime” procedural, written by Steven Baigelman and directed by Tom Shankland, explores sex, politics and popular culture across various noteworthy eras in Los Angeles history.

In the first installment, L.A. Crime: The Sunset Strip, L.A. cops Jack Roth (Rothenberg) and Paco Contreras (Luna) will be searching for a Bonnie & Clyde-esque serial-killing team amid the coke-infused rock ‘n’ roll, revelry of the 1980s Sunset Strip. Paco is Jack’s newly transferred partner who struggles to fit in with the unit, since he was responsible for the demise of Jack’s old partner.

Erika Christensen, Taissa Farmiga, Darrell Brit-Gibson and Karolina Wydra co-star.

Following his breakthrough run as the lead on El Rey’s Matador, Luna also recently landed a recurring gig on the second season of HBO’s True Detective. His feature film Freeheld has been picked up by Lionsgate.

El Rey Network Orders Second Season of Luna’s Spy Thriller “The Matador”

It’s nothin’ but net for Gabriel Luna

El Rey Network has ordered a 13-episode second season of the soccer-themed spy thriller Matador, starring the 31-year-old Latino actor.

Gabriel Luna in The Matador

From writer-producer Roberto Orci, the series centers on Antonio “Matador” Bravo, a soccer star who in reality uses his sports career as a cover for his work as a skilled covert operative executing missions for a little-known branch of the CIA.

Alfred Molina, Nicky Whelan, Neil Hopkins, Tanc Sade, Yvette Monreal, Elizabeth Peña, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Sammi Rotibi, Jonny Cruz, Isabella Gomez and Peter Gadiot co-star.

“It just fit in with what we wanted to do … this is why I created [El Rey],” said filmmaker and the network’s founder Robert Rodriguez, who trumpeted the network’s commitment to diversity by saying that at least 50% of the network’s talent both in front of and behind the camera is diverse. “We are so happy with the season already, we are on episode 11. It fits right in with our network. It’s kickass, the characters are really engaging, it’s your dream kind of show to do.”

The announcement comes in advance of the The Matador’s premiere on July 15.

A sneak peek of the pilot episode becomes available this week on iTunes, Vudu, Xbox 360 and other platforms.