Carlos Santana Among Artists Taking Part in ‘Artists United for Amazonia’ Global Livestream to Benefit Amazon Emergency Fund

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Santana will be strummin’ for a cause…

The 72-year-old Mexican Grammy-winning guitarist and entrepreneur will be taking part in a global livestream event to benefit the Amazon Emergency Fund, an indigenous-led effort providing rapid response grants in the region to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Santana, considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, will be joined by Jane Fonda, Morgan Freeman, Peter Gabriel and numerous other artists for the Thursday, May 28 event.

They’ll join indigenous leaders, scientists and a coalition of NGOs in presentng Artists United for Amazonia: Protecting the Protectors, a livestream event produced by Artists for Amazonia.

The two-hour event will run from 8:00 pm to 10 pm ETE and will be hosted by part-Spanish actress and Game of Thrones co-star Oona Chaplin, who played Talisa Maegyr on the series. The livestream will be available via Facebook and through the event website.

The program will promote the Amazon Emergency Fund, launched last month by a coalition of indigenous organizations, NGOs, and allies to respond to the urgent needs of indigenous peoples of the Amazon threatened by COVID-19.

Funds raised will be used for: immediate prevention and care; food and medical supplies; emergency communications and evacuation; protection and security for indigenous territories; and food sovereignty and community resilience. The Amazon Emergency Fund aims to raise $5 million over the next 60 days for Forest Guardians to protect themselves against the pandemic in all nine Amazonian countries.

The Artists United for Amazonialivestream will feature living-room musical performances, interviews, and calls to action.

Performers include Herbie Hancock, Rocky Dawuni, Butterscotch Clinton, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Cary Elwes, Alfre Woodard, Wade Davis,Wagner Moura, and Brazilian Grammy winners Ivan Lins and Luciana Souza.

Others participating include Jane Goodall, Tom Bergeron, Ed Begley Jr., Frances Fisher, Matti Caspi, Suyan Caspi, Wendie Malick, Scottie Thompson, Kali Uchis, Rocky Dawuni, Celine Cousteau, Matthew Modine, Q’orianka Kilcher, Chloe Smith from Rising Appalachia, Sonia Guajajara, Angela Kaxuyana, Nina Gualinga, Benki Piyako, Mapu Huni Kuin, Lizardo Cauper, Thomas Lovejoy, Carlos Nobre, Atossa Soltani, Leila Salazar-López, Christina Miller, and Wade Davis.

“This event is part of an extraordinary alliance of organizations and individuals dedicated to preserving the most biodiverse region on Earth,” said Sarah duPont, founder of Amazon Aid Foundation and co-director, River of Gold. “Illicit and unregulated gold mining is one of the most dangerous forms of deforestation in the Amazon Basin and releases toxic mercury into the ecosystem. Since the pandemic, gold mining has exploded across the Amazon and into indigenous territories bringing with it violence and COVID-19. Now, the Amazon is at the tipping point and the protectors of the Amazon are under dire threat. What happens in the Amazon affects us all.”

Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director of Amazon Watch, added: “The Amazon and its peoples are in a state of emergency due to climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a crime against nature and a crime against humanity. It is a time for all to unite and act in defense of the forest and in solidarity with the indigenous and traditional peoples across the Amazon who are protecting this great rainforest and our climate for all of humanity and life on Earth.”

Oona Chaplin to Star in the Horror Feature “Lullaby”

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

There’s nothing soothing about Oona Chaplin’s next project…

The 33-year-old part-Chilean actress has been tapped to star in Lullaby, a horror feature from Alcon Entertainment.

John R. Leonetti, who has directed films in the same genre like Annabelle, Wish Upon, and most recently the Netflix original The Silence, has signed on to direct Lullaby, which will begin production in Toronto next month.

Based on the mythological figure Lilith, the film is rooted in folklore and follows a new mother who discovers a lullaby in an ancient book and soon regards the song as a blessing. But her world transforms into a nightmare when the lullaby (“Lilith-Abi” Hebrew for “Lilith, begone”) brings forth the ancient demon Lilith.

Chaplin, the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, has previously appeared on HBO’s Game of Thrones, BBC’s The Crimson Fieldand Taboo.

She’s set to appear in the forthcoming Avatar sequels.

Rosalia Announces Release of Her New “Game of Thrones” Single, “Me Traiconaste”

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Rosalía is entering the Game…

The 25-year-old Spanish singer has announced the release of “Me Traiconaste,” her song for the new Game of Thrones concept album.

Rosalia’s new single takes a running theme of the show, betrayal, into flamenco territory, with Peruvian artist A. Chal featured on the bilingual collaboration.

The darkly intriguing tone of the track, accompanied by flamenco hand claps, evokes the locations around the Andalusian city Sevilla that will reportedly play a role in Season 8, including the amphitheater in the ruins of the Roman city Italica.

Rosalía announced the release of the song from the For the Throne (Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones) album on social media with a photo of herself in GOT-style garb.

Mariah Carey Teases “Major ‘Game of Thrones Spoilers”

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

All hail Mariah Carey…

As the final season of HBO’s Game of Thrones powers through its final episodes, the 49-year-old half-Venezuelan American chanteuse is staking a claim to the Iron Throne.

Carey took to Twitterover the weekend to share her interest in the show, while also trolling her fans.

Writing that there were “Major Game of Thrones spoilers” ahead, the star simply tweeted a photo of herself, clad in a red bodysuit and some black fishnets sitting on the Iron Throne.

The Lambily immediately piled on Carey’s tweet, adding in references to the show to cement the songstress’ claim to the throne.

“Mariah Carey, of House Songbird, first of her name. Queen of the Billboard Charts, The Breaker of Records,” one fan wrote.

Major Game of Thrones spoilers….
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— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) April 22, 2019

Marquis Rodriguez Joins the Ensemble Cast of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” Prequel Pilot

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Marquis Rodriguez is upping his Game…

The Latino actor has joined the ensemble cast ofHBO’s Game of Thrones prequel pilot.

Rodriguez joins a new list of series regular additions that includes John Simm, Richard McCabe, John Heffernanand Dixie Egerickx.

The drama pilot hails from writer Jane Goldmanand author/GOT co-executive producer George R.R. Martin.

Created by Goldman and Martin and written by Goldman based on a story by her and Martin, the untitled prequel takes place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones. It chronicles the world’s descent from the Golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: From the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend — it’s not the story we think we know.

The five join previously announced series regulars Naomi Watts, Josh Whitehouse, Naomi Ackie, Denise Gough, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sheila Atim, Ivanno Jeremiah,Georgie Henley, Alex Sharp,Toby Regboand Miranda Richardson.

Rodriguez will next be seen in the Netflix miniseries, When They See Us, from director Ava DuVernay. He most recently guest-starred on NBC’s Manifest and appeared in recurring arcs on NBC’s Chicago Fire, andMarvel Studios/Netflix’s Luke Cage and Iron Fist crossover episode. His film credits include Saturday Church, Landlineand 3 Generations.

Pedro Pascal to Star in Disney+’s Live-Action Star Wars Series “The Mandalorian”

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

May the Force be with Pedro Pascal…

The 43-year-old Chilean actor is joining the Jedi universe, portraying the title character in The Mandalorian, the live-action Star Wars series that will be a flagship program for Disney+, the ambitious streaming service launching in 2019.

Pascal is in final negotiations to star in the series, which chronicles the lone-wolf odyssey of a character who hails from the planet Mandalore, which Star Wars fans know as the homeworld of the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett and Jango Fett.

Pascal memorably portrayed the passionate warrior Oberyn Martell, aka the Red Viper, on the fourth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones. He also played DEA agent Javier Peña on three seasons of Narcos, when the Netflix series centered on the cocaine cartels of Colombia. Pascal also played Agent Whiskey in the Foxfeature film Kingsmen: The Golden Circle in 2017.

The Mandalorian is written and executive produced by Jon Favreau, the director of Jungle Book, Iron Man as well as the upcoming reinterpretation of The Lion King. Favreau’s official description of the show: “After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.”

The events depicted in the series are set after the events of Return of the Jedi, which concluded with the fiery funeral of Darth Vader on the forest moon of Endor.

The first episode of the series will be directed by Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Also on board to direct early episodes are Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones) and actress Bryce Dallas Howard, whose previous directorial work has been limited to short films.

Pedro Pascal to Make Broadway Debut in the Upcoming Production of “King Lear”

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal is headed to the Great White Way…

The 43-year-old Chilean actor will star opposite Ruth Wilson, Tony Award-winner Jayne Houdyshell and Glenda Jackson in the upcoming Broadway production of King Lear.

Directed by Sam Gold and featuring an original score by Philip Glass, King Lear begins previews on Thursday, February 28, 2019 and will open Thursday, April 4 at the Golden Theatre. The production will play a strictly limited engagement through Sunday, July 7.

Others in the cast include Sean Carvajal, Dion Johnstone, Russell Harvard and Matthew Maher, with additional casting to be announced.

Jackson gave a critically lauded 2016 portrayal of Lear at London’s The Old Vic, though the Broadway production will be entirely new, with a creative team that includes scenic design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Jane Cox, and sound design by Scott Lehrer.

Pascal will be making his Broadway debut as Edmund, though his Off Broadway credits include Maple and Vine at Playwrights Horizons, Terence McNally’s Some Men at Second Stage and Shakespeare in the Park’s Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing. He played Oberyn Martel in the HBO’s Game of Thrones, and Javier Peña in the Netflix series Narcos. His films include If Beale Street Could Talk and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Pedro Pascal to Star in Barry Jenkins’ New Film “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal is hitting the street…

The 42-year-old Chilean actor has been cast in If Beale Street Could Talk, director Barry Jenkins’ follow-up to his Oscar Best Picture winner Moonlight.

KiKi Layne stars in the film, which is based on the James Baldwin novel along with Stephan James, Colman Domingo, Brian Tyree Henry and Regina King.

Layne plays Tish, a newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to prove her lover’s innocence while carrying their first child to term.

Jenkins adapted the book and is producing via his Pastel label with Annapurna Pictures and Plan B.

Pascal, who starred as Oberyn Martell on HBO’s Game of Thrones, was most recently on the big screen in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

He’ll next appear in Sony Pictures’ The Equalizer 2.

First Trailer Released for Alice Braga’s X-Men Spinoff, “The New Mutants”

Posted on October 15, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

X marks the spot for Alice Braga…

20th Century Fox has released a first-look at the upcoming film, The New Mutants, starring the 34-year-old Brazilian actress.

Alice Braga

“Do you know what mutants are?” asks the trailer, which features a dark hollow hospital setting and creepy figures protruding from the walls.

The Josh Boone-directed X-Men spinoff takes a more horror genre approach than the usual superhero action film.

“This is not a hospital. It’s a haunted house,” a patient exhorts in the trailer, aptly dropped on Friday the 13th.

Written by Boone and Knate Lee, the film will center on an angst-driven adventures of a diverse group of teens that include Native American Danielle Moonstar, Scots girl Wolfsbane, a Kentuckian code-named Cannonball, Russian teen Magik, as well as an alien named Warlock.

In addition to Braga, the star of television series Queen of the South as the character Cecilia Reyes, the film also stars Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga and Blu Hunt.

The film will open in theaters on April 13, 2018.

Cannavale to Appear in “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors” Series

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale is ready to talk shop…

Variety and PBS SoCal have announced the line-up for the fourth installment of their awards season series “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors,” with the 45-year-old half-Cuban American actor making the final cut.

Available to stream on Variety.com, the new “Actors on Actors” season will feature one-on-one discussions between this year’s Emmy contenders.

Along with Cannavale, who stars in HBO’s Vinyl, this year’s conversations, which will be printed in the June 7 issue of Variety, will also include Aziz Ansari (“Master of None”), Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”), Jamie Lee Curtis (“Scream Queens”), Kirsten Dunst (“Fargo”), Jay Duplass (“Transparent”), Billy Eichner (“Difficult People”), Sam Heughan (“Outlander”), Tom Hiddleston (“The Night Manager”), Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”), Lady Gaga (“American Horror Story”), Jennifer Lopez (“Shades of Blue”), Rob Lowe (“Grinder”), Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”), Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley”), Aaron Paul (“The Path”), Sarah Paulson (“American Crime Story”), Krysten Ritter (“Jessica Jones”), Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”), Patrick Stewart (“Blunt Talk”), John Travolta (“American Crime Story”), Courtney B. Vance (“American Crime Story”) and Kerry Washington (“Confirmation”).

“Variety is thrilled to cover the best actors on television in this season’s ‘Actors on Actors’ for PBS stations,” said Variety‘s executive TV editor Debra Birnbaum in a statement. “This season’s lineup includes actors from some of the top new television programs and showcases the wide diversity of roles for actors on broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.”

PBS SoCal will premiere the segment in two episodes, one on June 12 and the other on June 19.

“Through their craft, the actors interviewed on ‘Actors on Actors’ effortlessly spark our imaginations and take us to new places,” said PBS SoCal president and CEO Andy Russell in a statement. “Through this partnership with Variety we are pleased to enhance the experience of fans of great television – providing them greater insight into the people who bring them their favorite dramas, comedies and more.”

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