Yul Vazquez to Star in MGM+’s Crime Thriller “Hotel Cocaine”

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Yul Vazquez is checking into his next project…

The 58-year-old Cuban-American actor and musician is set as a lead opposite Danny Pino and Michael Chiklis in Hotel Cocaine, MGM+’s upcoming crime thriller from creator Chris Brancato.

Hotel Cocaine is the story of Roman Compte (Pino), a Cuban expatriate who fought against Fidel Castro in the Bay of Pigs invasion and re-made his life in Miami. He is general manager of the Mutiny Hotel, the glamorous epicenter of the Miami cocaine scene of late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The Mutiny Hotel was Casablanca on cocaine, a glitzy nightclub, restaurant and hotel frequented by Florida businessmen and politicians, international narcos, CIA and FBI agents, models, sports stars and musicians.

Vazquez will play Nestor Cabal, Roman Compte’s (Pino) brother and one of the biggest suppliers of cocaine to a coke-hungry Miami population. He’s dangerous, funny, wily, and seeking reunion with his long-lost brother.

Chiklis plays Agent Zulio who will stop at nothing to shut down the drug trade, even if it means using innocent civilians to accomplish his ends.

Brancato serves as executive producer and showrunner. Guillermo Navarro will direct the pilot episode and executive produce the series, with Michael Panes and Alfredo Barrios Jr. also serving as executive producers.

The eight-episode series from MGM+ Studios, in partnership with MGM Television, will begin production in May in the Dominican Republic, and is slated to premiere in early 2024.

Vazquez will next be seen in the HBO Max limited series White House Plumbers, opposite Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. He was most recently seen on season 3 of the MGM+ series Godfather of Harlem opposite Forest Whitaker and in the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series, Severance, directed by Ben Stiller.

His other credits include Jason Bateman’s HBO series The Outsider, ABC’s Promised Land, Netflix’s Russian Doll, TNT miniseries I Am The Night and HBO’s Succession, among others.

His film work includes Books of Blood, Last Flag Flying, Gringo, Traffic and The Infiltrator.

Cecilia Aldarondo Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Cecilia Aldarondo has new representation…

The Puerto Rican director-producer has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA).

Aldarondo’s third feature, You Were My First Boyfriend, premiered in Documentary Feature Competition at the SXSW Film Festival on Friday.

The hybrid documentary written and directed by Aldarondo and Sarah Enid Hagey is billed in SXSW’s official program as an examination of “the power of adolescent fantasy, the subtle violence of cultural assimilation, and the fun house mirror of time’s passage.”

Aldarondo also produced the film heading to HBO later this year, which sees her revisit her 1990s adolescence, a generation after she thought she’d left it all behind.

Aldarondo previously directed and produced the feature docs Memories of a Penitent Heart and Landfall, both of which were co-produced by the award-winning PBS series, POV.

The former title world premiering at Tribeca picks up 25 years after Miguel’s death from AIDS, as his niece cracks open a Pandora’s box of unresolved family drama, by tracking down his estranged lover. The latter, also screening at Tribeca, which examined the fraught relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, won DOC NYC’s Viewfinders Grand Jury Prize, also landing Aldarondo noms at the Cinema Eye Honors Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards.

A former Women at Sundance Fellow who was named to DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 list Aldarondo has also previously received a Guggenheim Fellowship and an IDA Emerging Filmmaker Award, among other accolades. While continuing to build on her career behind the camera, she teaches filmmaking at Williams College in Williamstown, MA

Oscar Isaac In Talks to Star In & Executive Produce Crime Thriller “Helltown”

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac may be hell bound

The 44-year-old Cuban-Guatemalan actor is in talks to star in and executive produce Helltown, a project based on the book of the same name by Casey Sherman.

Filmmaker Ed Berger is set to direct and executive produce the eight-episode crime thriller in development at Amazon Studios from Mohamad El Masri, Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey’s Team Downey.

Written by El Masri, who serves as executive producer and showrunner, Helltown centers on Kurt Vonnegut (Isaac) before he was a renowned author and cultural lightning rod. In 1969 Kurt was a struggling novelist and car salesman living life with his wife and five children on Cape Cod. When two women disappear and are later discovered murdered underneath the sand dunes on the outskirts of Provincetown, Kurt becomes obsessed and embroiled in the chilling hunt for a serial killer and forms a dangerous bond with the prime suspect.

Isaac would executive produce with Gena Konstantinakos through his Mad Gene banner.

Isaac, who recently headlined Marvel’s Disney+ series Moon Knight, can be seen alongside Rachel Brosnahan in the revival of Lorraine Hanberry’s The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, directed by Anne Kauffman at the BAM Harvey Theater.

Last year, he was nominated for a SAG and Emmy award for HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage.

Isaac launched Mad Gene in 2019 with his wife, writer and director Elvira Lind. The company’s first project, short film The Letter Room, was nominated for a 2021 Academy Award.

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

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

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.

The 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.

Pedro Pascal to Make Hosting Debut on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” in February

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal is ready for his late night close-up…

The 47-year-old Chilean actor will be making his hosting debut set on NBC’s Saturday Night Live in the near future.

Fresh from the success of HBO’s The Last of Us and ahead of the third season of Disney+’s The Mandalorian, Pascal will host the NBC show on February 4.

He’ll be joined by Coldplay as the musical guest. Chris Martin’s British indie pop band is making its seventh appearance on the show after announcing a run of West Coast dates in September for the Music of the Spheres world tour.

It marks a consecutive three-episode run of shows for SNL, which had Aubrey Plaza hosting last week and Michael B. Jordan set to host January 28.

SNL is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.

Fernando Meirelles to Direct an Episode of Drama Series “The Sympathizer”

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Fernando Meirelles is sympathizing…

The 67-year-old Brazilian film director, producer and screenwriter and Marc Munden will direct episodes of The Sympathizer, a drama series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Produced by and co-starring Robert Downey Jr., the HBO/A24 series is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.

Described as a “blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping spy novel and a powerful story of love and friendship,” the novel is hailed as a new classic of war fiction and has been compared to the works of Kafka, Orwell, and le Carré.

Munden will direct episodes 5,6, and 7 and Meirelles will direct episode 4.

The main cast also includes Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh, Ky Duyen, Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le and Alan Trong.

The series is currently in production, with filming in Los Angeles and Thailand.

The series is a co-production between HBO, A24 and Rhombus Media in association with Cinetic Media and Moho Film.

Meirelles received a Best Director Academy Award nomination for his renowned film City of God. He most recently directed The Two Popes, which earned Academy Award, Golden Globes and British Film Academy nominations.

Gloria Calderón Kellett Appointed to Television Academy’s Executive Committee

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Calderón Kellett is reporting for committee duty…

The 47-year-old Cuban American award-winning television writer/creator has been appointed to the Television Academy’s Executive Committee for 2023 by chairman and CEO Frank Scherma.

Calderon Kellet is among six new committee members that includes Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO/HBO Max Content; George Cheeks, President and CEO, CBS, and Chief Content Officer, News and Sports, Paramount+; Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairman, Universal Studio Group; Lisa Nishimura, Vice President, Independent and Documentary Films at Netflix; and Zack Van Amburg, Chief Content Officer and Head of Worldwide Video for Apple TV+.

They will advise on the organization’s diverse initiatives and help lead the Academy throughout the upcoming year.

“I’m thrilled to welcome these accomplished executives back to serve on our Executive Committee,” said Scherma in a statement. “They will continue to bring their extensive experience and insight to our dynamic organization.”

Additionally, the Academy’s Board of Governors has elected the following Peer Group Governors as their representatives on the executive committee for the 2023 term: Eddie Bonin (special visual effects), Debra Curtis (television executives), Jill Dickerson (reality programming) and Troy Underwood (children’s programming). Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy Foundation, will also serve on the committee.

Calderón Kellett’s recent credits include the One Day at a Time reboot and Amazon Studios’ With Love.

Claudio Miranda Earns ASC Awards Nod from American Society of Cinematographers

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Claudio Miranda is being recognized by his peers…

The American Society of Cinematographers has announced the nominations for its 37th annual ASC Awards, with 57-year-old Chilean Oscar-winning cinematographer earning a nod.

Miranda earned the nomination in the Theatrical Feature Film category for his acclaimed work on Top Gun: Maverick.

Latino cinematographer Alejandro Martinez earned a nod in the Episode of a One-Hour Non-Commercial Television Series category for his work on the House of the Dragon episode “The Green Council” for HBO/HBO Max.

Costa Rican cinematographer Christian “Tico” Herrera is nominated in the Episode of a One-Hour Commercial Television Series category for the Snowfall episode “Departures.” He’ll compete against 52-year-old Mexican cinematographer and director Jaime Reynoso for his work on the Snowpiercer episode “Departures.”

The ASC Awards honor the year’s best in feature film, documentary and television cinematography.

Here are the nominees for the 2023 ASC Awards:

THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM NOMINEES
Roger Deakins, Empire of Light (Searchlight Pictures)
Greig Fraser, The Batman (Warner Bros.)
Darius Khondji, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Netflix)
Claudio Miranda, Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)
Mandy Walker, Elvis (Warner Bros.)

SPOTLIGHT AWARD
Sturla Brandth Grøvlen, War Sailor (DCM Film)
Kate McCullough, The Quiet Girl (Super)
Andrew Wheeler, God’s Country (IFC Films)

EPISODE OF A ONE-HOUR NON-COMMERCIAL TELEVISION SERIES
John Conroy, Westworld – “Années Folles” (HBO/HBO Max)
Catherine Goldschmidt, House of the Dragon – “The Lord of the Tides” (HBO/HBO Max)
Alejandro Martinez, House of the Dragon – “The Green Council” (HBO/HBO Max)
M. David Mullen, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?” (Prime Video)
Alex Nepomniaschy, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – “Everything is Bellmore” (Prime Video)
Nikolaus Summerer, 1899 – “The Calling” (Netflix)

PILOT, LIMITED SERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE, TELEVISION
Todd Banhazl, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty – “The Swan” (HBO/HBO Max)
Jeremy Benning, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities – “The Outside” (Netflix)
Anastas Michos, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities – “The Autopsy” (Netflix)
C. Kim Miles, Lost Ollie – “Bali Hai” (Netflix)
Sean Porter, The Old Man – “I” (FX)

EPISODE OF A HALF-HOUR SERIES
Adam Bricker, Hacks – “The Click” (HBO/HBO Max)
Carl Herse, Barry – “Starting Now” (HB0/HBO Max)
Stephen Murphy, Atlanta – “New Jazz” (FX)
Ula Pontikos, Russian Doll– “Matryoshka” (Netflix)
Christian Sprenger, Atlanta – “Andrew Wyeth. Alfred’s World.” (FX)

EPISODE OF A ONE-HOUR COMMERCIAL TELEVISION SERIES
Marshall Adams, Better Call Saul – “Saul Gone” (AMC)
Jesse M. Feldman, Interview With the Vampire – “Is My Very Nature That of the Devil” (AMC)
Christian “Tico” Herrera, Snowfall – “Departures” (FX)
Jules O’Loughlin, The Old Man – “IV” (FX)
Jaime Reynoso, Snowpiercer – “Bound by One Track” (TNT)

DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Ben Bernhard and Riju Das, All That Breathes (HBO/HBO Max)
Adam Bricker, Chef’s Table: Pizza – “Franco Pepe” (Netflix)
Wolfgang Held, This Stolen Country of Mine

Ana de Armas Among First Presenters Announced for Upcoming Golden Globe Awards

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ana de Armas is pretty for her golden hour…

The first string of presenters for the 80th Golden Globe Awards have been announced, with the 34-year-old Cuban and Spanish actress among those set to take the stage.

de Armas, who previously earned a Golden Globe nod for her breakout role in Knives Out, is up for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama this year for her performance as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez will also present at this year’s awards show.

The 31-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress made history when she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, becoming the first transgender actor to win a Golden Globe in the history of the awards.

Colman Domingo has also made the presenters list…

The 52-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and social justice activist is an Emmy Award winner for his performance on HBO’s Euphoria.

Others set to present Ana Gasteyer, Billy Porter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Natasha Lyonne, Nicole Byer, Niecy Nash-Betts, Quentin Tarantino and Tracy Morgan.

As the Hollywood Foreign Press Association looks to get back on its feet after weathering diversity controversies, it has been buzzed that personal reps wouldn’t allow their clients to get back on stage. However, as the HFPA has expanded its ranks with journalists of color, it appears that the industry is pivoting in its attitude toward the organization.

Jerrod Carmichael will host the ceremony airing live coast-to-coast on January 10 from 5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

Produced by dick clark productions and Jesse Collins Entertainment in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globe Awards are viewed in more than 210 territories worldwide. Helen Hoehne is president of the HFPA. Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon will serve as executive producers.

Adam Rodriguez to Star in “Winter Spring Summer or Fall”

Posted on December 24, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Adam Rodriguez is celebrating the four seasons…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor will star opposite Jenna Ortega in Winter Spring Summer or Fall for MPCA.

Percy Hynes White is also on board for the film, which Ortega will also executive produce.

The romantic drama is being helmed by writer Tiffany Paulsen, marking her feature debut.

The script was written by Dan Schoffer with revisions by Paulsen.

The film is being described as Before Sunrise meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the story follows two teens (Ortega and Hynes White) on the cusp of adulthood who meet and fall in love over four significant days of the year. Rodriguez will play Ortega’s father in the film.

Rodriguez currently stars in Criminal Minds: Evolution for Paramount+ reprising the brainy and charismatic brawny fan favorite Luke Alvez.

In addition to starring in iconic shows like the international hit series CSI: Miami and Criminal Minds, Rodriguez  was also an executive producer on multiple projects including HBO’s The Real Magic Mike, a spinoff of Steven Soderberg’s original hit film which he starred opposite Channing Tatum and is also in the upcoming Magic Mike’s Last Dance.

The Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA) has a long history of producing successful romantic comedies, most recently the No. 1 Netflix holiday rom-com Falling for Christmas and The Princess Switch trilogy, starring Vanessa Hudgens.

Previously, Rodriguez starred in and executive produced A Christmas Proposal with MPCA for CBS and Paramout+, one of the first Christmas movies on CBS which encompassed an all Latine cast.

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