Mario Lopez to Appear During This Year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Posted on November 1, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Mario Lopez has firmed up his Thanksgiving plans…

The 49-year-old Mexican American actor and television personality will appear during this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Lopez, who currently serves as the host of Access Hollywood, will appear alongside his family during the parade.

The parade will also include the traditional line-up of Broadway performances, with Lea Michele and the cast of Funny Girl scheduled to participate, Macy’s has announced.

The Broadway productions listed in the performance line-up this year, in addition to Funny Girl, are Disney’s long-running The Lion King, as well as new Broadway arrivals A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond musical, and Some Like It Hot, the musical adaptation of the 1959 classic film comedy.

Other entertainers included in this year’s parade are Paula Abdul; Carlos PenaVega and his Big Time Rush mates; Cam; Jordan Davis; Blue’s Clues & You! host Josh Dela Cruz; Gloria, Sasha and Emily Estefan; Jimmy Fallon & The Roots; Fitz and the Tantrums; Kirk Franklin; Ziggy Marley; Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles; the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street; Sean Paul; the cast of Peacock’s Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg); the Radio City Rockettes; Joss Stone; Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue; Jordin Sparks; Dionne Warwick; and Betty Who.

The annual New York event airs live on NBC and Peacock Thanksgiving Thursday, November 24 at 9:00 am in all time zones.

Christina Aguilera to Receive Spirit of Hope Award at Billboard Latin Music Awards

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a spirited time for Christina Aguilera.

The 41-year-old half-Ecuadorian American actress and pop star will receive the Spirit of Hope award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

The special award — which was established in 1996 in honor of the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla — will recognize Aguilera for her philanthropic and humanitarian contributions beyond her musical work.

Aguilera will also perform during the awards show, which will take place on Thursday, September 29, at the Watsco Canter in Miami, and will be broadcast live on Telemundo beginning at 7:00 pm ET.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards — where Bad Bunny leads the list of finalists with a staggering 23 nods across 13 categories — will be simulcast on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

In addition to her musical accolades, including more than 75 million records sold worldwide, five No.1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, the artist also known as Xtina has lifted her voice to help end the cycle of domestic abuse, been a longtime supporter and ally to the LGBTQ+ community, raised awareness about HIV/AIDS research, and traveled the globe to help feed children in poverty-stricken areas.

Aguilera joins past Billboard Spirit of Hope recipients including Gloria Estefan, Emmanuel, Willy Chirino, Olga Tañon, Maná, Los Tigres del Norte, Ricky Martin, El General, Soraya, Juan Luis Guerra, Shakira, Ricardo Montaner, Juanes, Daddy Yankee, Marc Anthony, Carlos Vives, Carlos Santana, Luis Fonsi, and Maluma.

Mattel Releases Gloria Estefan Barbie Inspired by the Grammy Winner’s “Get On Your Feet” Video

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is getting all dolled up for her birthday…

Mattel has released a Barbie doll made in the likeness of the Cuban singer, actress and businesswoman to celebrate the music icon’s 65th birthday and her 1989 hit single “Get on Your Feet.”

“I’m honored to be partnering with Barbie to create a doll in my likeness, especially as I ring in my 65th birthday and right ahead Hispanic Heritage Month,” Estefan said in a statement to Billboard. “When designing my Barbie with the team, I wanted to ensure I was staying true to my multicultural roots – and I believe we did just that.”

The collectible Barbie retails for $55 and is available at Amazon, Target and MattelCreations.com.

The release of Estefan’s signature Barbie arrives ahead of Hispanic Month, which is September 15-October 15.

Inspired by the ‘80s wardrobe in the Grammy winner’s “Get on Your Feet” music video, the Gloria Estefan Barbie is dolled up in a black jacket with intricate, gold detailing, black leggings accentuated with a gold waist chain, and thigh-high, leopard-print boots. The doll also holds a microphone spruced up with lace.

In addition to releasing the doll, Barbie will also be partnering with Artístas y Músicos Latino Americanos, a North Philadelphia nonprofit that provides young people with private music lessons, songwriting, audio and production programs.

Additionally, Barbie will be underwriting one of ALMA’s event programs and bolstering their Mentor-Fellow programs, which train children in various careers, including arts production and administration.

Romeo Santos to Release “Formula Vol 3” in September

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Romeo Santos will be sharing his winning Formula in less than a month…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican-American singer, known as the King of Bachata, has announced plans to release his latest album Formula Vol 3. On September 1.

Santos revealed the release date of his new album with a 14-second teaser on social media on Monday, August 15.

The video featured a crown spinning at the guitar’s sound of what could be his next single as his voice says: “You don’t forget Romeo! Y yo, ni te recuerdo .”

The caption of the Instagram post read, “9.1.2022 FV3,” the date for the album’s release.

The new album comes eight years after Santos released Vol. 2 in 2014. Following the LP’s release, it became the best-selling Latin album to move 100,000 copies in the first week, making it the best debut for a Latin album since teen pop group RBD’s Celestial in 2006. Since the last Formula album in 2014, Santos has released Golden (2017) and Utopia (2019).

Throughout his career, Santos — also the leader of bachata supergroup Aventura — has scored a total of 43 entries on the Hot Latin Songs chart, the fourth-most among tropical acts, trailing Marc Anthony’s 60, Gilberto Santa Rosa’s 48 entries, and Victor Manuelle, who’s had a total of 47.

Santos has had a total of seven No. 1s — including his highest charting title at No. 1, “Odio,” feat. Drake, which topped the list for 13 weeks — making him the third-most among tropical acts, right behind Gloria Estefan, who has 15, and Anthony’s eight entries.

Additionally, Santos has scored 20 total top 10s, tying Juan Luis Guerra for the third-most among Tropical acts, behind Anthony and Estefan.

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Santos is confirmed for this year’s Billboard Latin Music Week, set to take place September 26-30 at the Faena Forum in Miami. Other confirmed artists to speak at the conference include Camilo, Ivy Queen, Chayanne, Nicky Jam, Eslabon Armado, Bizarrap, Blessd, Ovy on the Drums, Luis R. Conriquez, among many others. Registration is now open at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.

Gloria Estefan’s “Father of the Bride” Becomes HBO Max’s Biggest Ever Streaming-Only Film Debut

Posted on June 20, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is celebrating a father of a debut…

Father’s Day weekend proved to be the ideal launchpad for Warner Bros’ romantic comedy Father of the Bride, starring the 64-year-old Cuban singer/actress ad Andy Garcia.

The film ended up being the biggest HBO Max movie premiere ever in its four days, specifically for a title that was exclusively made for the streaming service.

Father of the Bride was the No. 1 title across HBO Max around the world in its first four days since it launched on Thursday, June 16. The film also ranked among the top 10 most-watched title launches on HBO Max to date in Mexico, based on its first four days.

The fresh angle in this Latino take on Father of the Bride: The bride’s parents, played by Garcia and Estefan, are on the verge of a divorce.

Mexico ranks as the second-strongest country for Father of the Bride viewing on HBO Max to date, behind only the U.S.

As HBO Max looks to make its mark in Latin America, especially after a June 2021 launch in the region, a title like Father of the Bride fits the bill in appealing to both U.S. and local subscribers in its universal story of marriage and in-laws. Father’s Day weekend was the prime drop date for the Plan B production, and filmmaker Gary Alazraki is beloved in Mexico for his comedies like We Are the Nobles.

Warner Bros. production executives were won over by screenwriter Matt Lopez’s fresh take on the romantic comedy/wedding genre. Warner Bros. development exec Paul Perez championed the scribe’s script and won support for it at a studio feature development retreat. Perez, who now has a production deal on the Burbank lot, mined the IP out of the studio’s portion of the pre-1986 MGM library; the 1950 Vincente Minnelli-directed title previously was licensed to Disney’s Touchstone label, which made the 1991 Steve Martin–Diane Keaton–Martin Short remake that also spawned a sequel.

Samba TV, which counts a sampling of 3M U.S. terrestrial TV households, not mobile, did not have ratings today for Father of the Bride due to the Juneteenth holiday.

Paul Perez Signs Production Deal with Warner Bros.

Posted on June 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Paul Perez has landed a new production deal…

The Cuban American film producer and former Warner Bros. development executive has agreed to a production deal at the Burbank, CA lot.

The announcement comes as the Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan romantic comedy, Father of the Bride, a project Perez spearheaded and produced at the studio, hits HBO Max on Thursday, June 16.

During his time at Warner Bros, Perez was involved with the development of Ready Player One, Dune and Doctor Sleep.

He came to Warner Bros. after a development executive stint at Lionsgate’s Pantelion where he worked on the Eugenio Derbez hit movie, Instructions Not Included, which wound up being Mexico’s highest grossing export of all-time with $100.5M WW, as well as Spare Parts and No Manches Frida.

Perez initially cut his teeth in the industry reading scripts for producer Ben Odell (now Derbez’s production partner at 3Pas Studios) and working in the Miami William Morris offices.

Father of the Bride is a project close to Perez’s heart given his Cuban American Miami heritage. He came to the property while combing through the Warner library in a quest to develop revamped IP. The project’s momentum swelled after Perez discussed it at a Warner Bros. development exec retreat, with the studio’s President of Production Courtenay Valenti ultimately taking to Matt Lopez’s screenplay.

The fresh angle in this Latino take of Father of the Bride: the bride’s parents played by Garcia and Estefan are on the verge of a divorce. Perez married the package with burgeoning Mexican filmmaker Gary Alazraki.

While recent audiences are familiar with the Steve Martin–Diane Keaton–Martin Short 1991 Touchstone remake (a hit back then grossing over $89M and spawning a 1995 sequel), the film was originally an MGM title released in 1950, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor.

Warners had inherited the title in their acquisition of the pre-May 1986 MGM library via their absorption of Turner Films in 1995. Disney had licensed the title during the ’90s and in recent years Father of the Bride’s underlying rights reverted back to Warners.

Perez under his new deal is also shepherding the new Training Day prequel at the studio. That film is set around the time of the L.A. Riots that followed after the infamous Rodney King verdict.

“Warner Bros. is thrilled that Paul Perez will have a first look producing deal with the studio,” says Valenti. “Paul is a valued colleague who spent several years in development and production at WB. During that time he showed extraordinary creativity and strategic thinking looking to reinvent several classic library titles. One of those titles is Father of the Bride. We love Gaz Alazraki’s film of Father of the Bride and are very grateful to Paul for beginning the film process with his idea for how to reimagine this wonderful world.”

Karol G Lands Fifth Music Video on YouTube’s Billion Views Club with “Bichota”

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Make that five music video hits for Karol G…

The 31-year-old Colombian singer’s “Bichota” music video has surpassed one billion views on YouTube, marking her fifth title to enter the Billion Views Club.

The latest clip follows “China,” “Secreto,” “Tusa,” and “Culpables.”

Karol G, who won the 2021 Latin Grammy for best reggaeton performance with this single, reached this new milestone over the weekend.

Released on October 23, 2020, the term “Bichota” (linked to the Puerto Rican slang “bichote,” deriving from the English term “big shot”) refers to “a moment of feeling sexy, flirtatious, daring, strong, empowered, and to a certain extent, [it] translates into personal motivation and self-confidence,” Karol G previously told Billboard. “We are all super ‘Bichotas’ inside. It’s about believing and working so that the rest of the world can see it too.”

The Ovy on the Drums-produced single hit the Top 20 on Billboard Global Charts, earning Karol G her ninth No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart, and her 10th top 10 on Hot Latin Songs.

This led to her becoming the first female artist to debut in the list’s top 10 without another act in eight years since Gloria Estefan’s 2012 “Hotel Nacional.”

News of “Bichota” reaching one billion views comes on the heels of Karol G’s two-weekend Coachella debut on April 17 and 24, where she performed “MAMIII” with Becky G live for the first time, releasing her new single “Provenza,” and announcing her upcoming new trek dubbed the $trip Love Tour 2022. The trek kicks off on September 6 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, and wraps up on October 29 at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena.

Diego Boneta Signs Overall Deal with Prime Video

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Boneta is bringing his amigos to Amazon Prime Video…

The 31-year-old Mexican actor, singer and producer and his production company Three Amigos have signed an overall deal with Prime Video.

As part of the deal, Boneta will produce and star in a full slate of shows in development while also creating movies, series, and reality shows coming to the streaming service beginning in 2023.

All new productions launched as part of this partnership will join Prime Video’s growing slate of Mexican Amazon Originals, along with the thousands of television shows and movies from Hollywood and around the world in the Prime Video catalog.

“We are excited to expand our relationship with Diego Boneta and the entire Three Amigos team,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, in a statement to Deadline. “We can’t wait for our customers to see what’s in store from Diego and Three Amigos as we work to bring compelling new content to Prime Video’s audiences across Mexico and all around the world.”

“As a leading streaming service, Prime Video empowers the incredible creators we work with, and we could not be more excited to begin building new stories with Diego and his team,” said Alonso Aguilar, head of local Amazon Originals, Prime Video Mexico.

Boneta most recently wrapped a successful three-season run on the Telemundo/Netflix bio-series Luis Miguel: The Series, portraying the titular multi-Grammy-winning singer.

He also appeared in Rebelde, 90210, Pretty Little Liars, Underemployed and Scream Queens.

His feature film debut was in 2012’s Rock of Ages from Adam Shankman. Other big-screen credits include The Titan, Terminator: Dark Fate, Love, Weddings, & Other Disasters, and Die in a Gunfight.

Up next, Boneta will star opposite Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Isabela Merced, and Adria Arjona in The Father of the Bride by director Gaz Alazraki. The film premieres on June 16, 2022.

Gloria Estefan to Appear on CBS’ New Musical Game Show “Superfan”

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is about to meet her ultimate fan…

CBS’ new musical game show, Superfan, has set the roster of musicians participating in its upcoming six-episode series, including the 64-year-old Cuban singer/songwriter.

The competition series will see one musical superfan aiming to prove they are a certain artist’s ultimate supporter.

In addition to Estefan, the artists confirmed to participate include Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, LL Cool J, Pitbull and Shania Twain.

Also confirmed to host the musical game show are series executive producer Keltie Knight and CBS Morning’s Nate Burleson.

Production on the unscripted original begins this Friday in Los Angeles. A premiere date has yet to be set.

Superfan is billed as a musical spectacle disguised as a game show. It will feature contestants vying in multiple rounds of play to prove they are the ultimate fan.

In each one-hour episode, a different musical artist will select one deserving superfan to win a once in a lifetime prize.

CBS ordered the series in February. It is produced by Raquel Productions, the CBS-owned division that makes Tough As Nails.

Anton Goss, a production designer who has worked on shows such as Match Game and Drop the Mic will dress the stage; Suzanne Bender, who has worked on America’s Got Talent and Lip Sync Battle, will serve as talent producer and Jacqui Pittman is casting.

Ana Villafañe to Star as Fidel Castro’s Daughter Alina Fernandez in “Alina of Cuba: La Hija Rebelde”

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Villafañe is ready to Rebel yell…

The 32-year-old Cuban American actress and singer will star in the indie feature Alina of Cuba: La Hija Rebelde.

Villafañe will portray Fidel Castro’s daughter and anti-communism activist, Alina Fernandez, in the film from Mankind Entertainment and Maven Pictures.

Alina of Cuba is based on the true-life story of Fernandez, a Cuban American immigrant and human rights advocate whose birth was the result of a passionate love affair between Castro and Natalia “Naty” Revuelta. Revuelta, a Cuban-born socialite, sacrificed her and her physician husband’s personal belongings and finances to help fund the revolution.

Fernandez learned of her connection to Castro at the age of 10: when after years of secret visits to her home, she was finally told by her mother that “El Comandante” was her biological father. Fernandez and her mother stayed in Cuba after the former’s stepfather and her sister fled to the U.S. after his medical clinic was shut down.

Fernandez eventually became one of Castro’s most outspoken critics; she was arrested on more than one occasion for trying to leave and classified as a dissident forbidden to travel outside of Cuba. She defected to Spain in 1993 and later made Miami her permanent home.

The biopic will shoot in Cartagena, Colombia this summer with Goya Award-winner Miguel Bardem set as director.

Alina of Cuba, formerly known as Castro’s Daughter, is written by Academy Award nominee Jose Rivera, and Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz.

Villafañe is best known for her breakout role in the Broadway musical On Your Feet portraying Gloria Estefan.

She later starred as Nina Rosario in the Kennedy Center’s 2018 production of In the Heights, and then made her off-Broadway debut in MCC’s critically acclaimed Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties that same year.

On television, Villafañe most recently portrayed Dr. Valentin Castro in NBC’s New Amsterdam and Diana Barea in Sunnyside for the network, as well as KT in the Paramount+ series Younger.

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