Daniela Avanzini & Katseye Group Mates Named to Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood Impact Report

Daniela Avanzini has the power…

The 22-year-old Cuban-Venezuelan-American singer and her Katseye group mates have been named emerging talents as part of Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood Impact Report.

Daniela Avanzini, KatseyeRepresenting not just the present, but the future of entertainment, the actors, musicians, athletes and content creators are all between the ages of 18-28 and have had breakout years thanks to a special mixture of skill and luck.

Despite the departure of member Manon Bannerman in February, Katseye has soldiered on as one of the premier girl groups in contemporary pop music.

The quintet celebrated a pair of Grammy nominations with a performance during the ceremony, leading into a standout slot at Coachella in April.

“Growing up, we watched so many iconic festival and award show performances that inspired us artistically, so the fact that we got to perform at those venues ourselves was such a pinch-me moment,” says the group, whose doc Katseye: Wild Hearts is hitting theaters August 12.

The group’s Wild EP will be released ahead of a global tour this fall.

Inde Navarrette is getting some love as well…

The 25-year-old half-Mexican American actress isn’t exactly new to Hollywood, but her breakout turn as Nikki in Obsession has proved that landing the right role at the right moment is all it takes to launch an actor into stardom.

“I truly believe in the power of timing,” she says. “Obsession came out at a time when people were starting to believe my generation had lost its love for cinema. Now there’s undeniable proof that younger generations will, in fact, go to the movies.”

Navarrette is circling several leading roles in franchises, and whatever comes next, she’s “excited for the challenge of trying my hand at becoming a chameleon.”

Michols Peña is also featured on the list of young stars to watch.

After starring in the GLAAD Award-winning Bravo series Southern Hospitality, the Afro-Latino reality star is ready to continue telling his story and being out and proud.

“Sharing my story on reality TV wasn’t easy, and there were definitely moments of uncertainty, but seeing how it resonated with so many people made it all worthwhile,” he says. “That [GLAAD] recognition meant so much because it represented something bigger than me and it showed the impact that authentic representation can have.”

Outside of reality TV, Peña is a successful model, describing it as a “creative outlet to continue” expressing and challenging himself.

The last Latino on the list is Lamine Yamal.

At just 19, the Spanish soccer phenom has already achieved what most soccer players spend entire careers chasing. The Barcelona winger became the youngest player to appear and score for Spain before helping his country win the 2024 European Championship at 17.

He’s since emerged as one of his club’s most prolific stars, finishing the 2025-26 LaLiga season with 15 goals and 11 assists and helping lead Spain to a 2026 World Cup victory over defending champions Argentina.

Major deals with Adidas, Beats by Dre, Visa, Konami and American Eagle have cemented his status as one of the world’s most marketable young athletes.

Karol G to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Karol G’s star will be shining bright in Hollywood.

The 35-year-old Colombian superstar is among the music stars set to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the coming year.

Karol GKarol G, along with 31 other names from the worlds of recordings, motion pictures, television, live theater/live performance, radio and sports entertainment, were announced at a press conference that was livestreamed from Funko Hollywood in Hollywood on Thursday, July 23.

Singer/percussionist Sheila E. and actress/model Ming-Na Wen, who both have stars on the Walk of Fame, announced the new honorees in tandem with Ron Frierson, president/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Eight of the Walk of Fame honorees are Grammy winners, including Karol G and Cheech & Chong.

Several recording stars are being honored in other fields of endeavor, including Cheech & Chong (for motion pictures.

Pedro Pascal is being honored in the television category.

The Walk of Fame Selection Committee, made up of past Walk of Famers, selected these new honorees from what was described as hundreds of nominations. The selections were ratified by the Hollywood Chamber’s board of directors on July 22.

“The Walk of Fame Selection Committee is proud to welcome the Class of 2027 to one of the most enduring symbols of achievement in entertainment,” Peter Roth, former CEO of Warner Bros. Television and chairman of the Walk of Fame selection committee, said in a statement. “These extraordinary individuals have each made a lasting impact on audiences around the world through their talent, creativity, and dedication to their craft. We are honored to recognize their remarkable contributions and look forward to celebrating them as they take their place in Hollywood history.”

Dates have not been scheduled for these star ceremonies. Recipients have two years to schedule star ceremonies from the date of selection before they expire.

Upcoming star ceremonies are usually announced 10 days prior to the dedication on the Walk of Fame’s official website.

Here’s the complete list of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2026:

Recordings
Karol G
David Guetta
Waylon Jennings
Ramones
Grandmaster Flash
Marc Shaiman
Sia
Smashing Pumpkins
Linkin Park
Lil Wayne

Motion Pictures
Cheech & Chong
Idris Elba
Sam Elliott
Elle Fanning & Dakota Fanning
Kate Hudson
Delroy Lindo
Sam Rockwell
Ted Sarandos

Television
David Alan Grier
Lisa Kudrow
Bill Lawrence
Pedro Pascal
Adam Scott
Jeff Probst
Keke Palmer
Raven-Symoné

Live Theatre/Live Performance
Jo Koy
Nicole Scherzinger
Roberto Bolle

Radio
Charlamagne tha God

Ana de Armas Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Ana de Armas has new representation…

The 37-year-old Spanish-Cuban actress has switched agencies, moving to William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation.

Ana de Armas

de Armas became one of the film industry’s most sought-after actresses after her breakout with 2019’s Knives Out, which earned her a first Golden Globe nomination for her starring role opposite Daniel Craig.

Subsequently, de Armas landed her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her turn as Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik’s Netflix film Blonde, also scoring a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, and a Golden Globes nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.

Additionally, she won the Hollywood Rising Star Award at the Deauville American Film Festival for the role.

Most recently, de Armas has been seen leading the John Wick spin-off Ballerina from Lionsgate.

Other recent credits include Ron Howard’s Eden, Blade Runner 2049, Bond film No Time to Die and Ghosted.

de Armas continues to be represented by Bailey Brand for endorsements, as well as by Grubman, Shire, Meiselas & Sacks and Wolf Kasteler.

Ray Mendoza Signs with Underground for Representation

Ray Mendoza has new representation.

The Latino former Navy SEAL turned award-winning filmmaker has signed with Underground for representation in all areas.

Ray Mendoza

Mendoza most recently teamed with Alex Garland to write and direct Warfare, an unflinching action drama inspired by his own combat experiences during his deployment to Iraq.

Released in April, the film has been praised for its visceral realism and emotional authenticity, marking Mendoza as a defining new voice in the military and action filmmaking space.

On the episodic side, Mendoza has worked on The Terminal List: Dark Wolf for Prime Video.

Born and raised in the U.S., Mendoza’s path to filmmaking was unconventional. Before making his way in Hollywood, he deployed multiple times in service of the United States as a Navy SEAL. His military background has shaped not only his filmmaking aesthetic but also his commitment to telling human-forward stories rooted in truth, adversity, and honor. He started out in show business by consulting for film and television productions before stepping behind the camera himself.

Underground is a Beverly Hills–based management and production company representing a roster of award-winning actors, writers, and directors.

On the production side, they are best known for series such as Snowfall, which ran on FX for six seasons, and the Snowfall spinoff, for which they recently shot the pilot. They are currently in production on Strip Law at Netflix.

Guillermo del Toro Selected as Guest Artistic Director for American Film Institute’s AFI Fest in October

Guillermo del Toro is leading the creative charge at this year’s AFI Fest.

The American Film Institute has announced that the 60-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning director, producer, screenwriter, author and former special effects makeup artist has been selected as the guest artistic director for AFI Fest, the organization’s annual fest that will run this year from October 22–26 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood.

Guillermo del ToroThe news comes as del Toro preps his latest film, Frankenstein, which is having its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

Netflix will release the film in select theaters October 17 before dropping it on the streamer November 7.

“Guillermo del Toro is one of the great champions of the art form — a visionary filmmaker, a passionate cinephile, and a tireless advocate for bold, original storytelling,” AFI president and CEO Bob Gazzale said today in a press release announcing the appointment. “As Guest Artistic Director of AFI Fest, he brings a singular perspective that will inspire audiences of all generations.”

Del Toro joins a roster of guest ADs that already includes Pedro Almodóvar, Bernardo Bertolucci, Ava DuVernay, Greta Gerwig, David Lynch and Agnès Varda.

This year’s AFI Fest will kick off October 22 with 20th Century Studios’ Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, the snapshot biopic of the rock icon starring Jeremy Allen White.

It will be coming hot off its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 28, and just before its theatrical release on October 24.

Aubrey Plaza to Star as Notorious ‘Hollywood Madam’ in “The Heidi Fleiss Story”

Aubrey Plaza is taking on a notorious role…

The 41-year-old half-Puerto Rican Emmy-nominated actress will star in and produce The Heidi Fleiss Story, a biopic of “Hollywood madam” Heidi Fleiss from production company Pinky Promise.

Aubrey PlazaThe dark comedy marks the directorial debut of Leah Rachel, the creator of Netflix series Chambers. 

Rachel Sennott, the actress known for roles in titles like Shiva Baby and Bottoms, who has her own upcoming HBO series, penned the script with Rachel and Travis Jackson.

Jessamine Burgum and Kara Durrett will produce for Pinky Promise, alongside Plaza for Evil Hag, with production to take place in Los Angeles this year.

Fleiss became known in the 1990s for running a high-profile prostitution ring that catered to the rich and powerful of Los Angeles, including some in Hollywood. Her empire came crashing down in 1993, when she was arrested and charged with multiple counts, including pandering, and sentenced to prison.

The film tracks Fleiss in the tense days leading up to her trial, as she navigates Los Angeles, using her web of connections to try to manipulate and blackmail her way out of the charges, with the assistance of an ambitious young writer named Jaclyn.

Most recently appearing in d Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, following lauded turns in Sundance’s My Old Ass and The White Lotus Season 2, Plaza will next be seen starring in Ethan Coen and Tricia Cook’s dark comedy, Honey Don’t!, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and opens in theaters via Focus Features on August 22nd.

She’ll also be seen in Legendary’s Animal Friends, out via Warner Brothers on May 1, 2026, and stars opposite Susan Sarandon in the upcoming indie The Accompanist, marking the directorial debut of Zack Woods.

Diego Luna to Serve as Guest Host for ABC’s Late Night Show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Next Week

Diego Luna is ready for his late night close-up…

The 45-year-old Mexican actor, director, and producer is among the A-listers Jimmy Kimmel has lined up to fill in for him during his summer break.

Diego LunaIn addition to Luna, best known for his portrayal of Cassian Andor in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the Disney+ series Andor, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will also welcome Anthony Anderson, Nicole Byer, Alan Cumming, Chris Distefano, Fortune Feimster, Jelly Roll and Kumail Nanjiani.

Anderson, Byer and Nanjiani have previously guest hosted the show, but it marks new territory for Cumming, Distefano, Feimster, Luna and pop star Jelly Roll.

Luna will kick off proceedings on Monday June 23 with guests including Patton Oswalt, David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Emma Stone, Adria Arjona, Alan Tudyk, Ariela Barer, Heidi Klum and Dolores Huerta, as well as musical performances by NEZZA, Hermanos Gutiérrez, and Good Charlotte.

The show, which films at the El Capitan Entertainment Centre on Hollywood Boulevard, is produced by 12:05 AM Productions, in association with Kimmelot and 20th Television. Kimmel, Erin Irwin, Molly McNearney, Jennifer Sharron and David Craig serve as executive producers with Douglas DeLuca and Danny Ricker as co-executive producers.

It marks the fifth year that Kimmel, who baked his summer break into his ABC contract, has taken the summer off, starting in 2020 with no shows during the summer of 2023 as a result of the dual labor strikes in Hollywood.

Over that period the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Lawrence, Martin Short, Dana Carvey, Chelsea Handler, Al Franken, Nikki Glaser, Jeff Goldblum, RuPaul, Kerry Washington, Lamorne Morris, Sean Hayes and Hugh Jackman have all led the Hollywood-set show.

Daniel Zovatto to Star in “Famous”

Daniel Zovatto is officially famous…

The 33-year-old Costa Rican actor has joined the cast of the Black Bear, Esmail Corp, Caviar production Famous, which A24 is releasing stateside theatrically.

Daniel ZovattoZovatto is among a list of new cast additions that includes Bill Pullman.

They join Zac Efron, Phoebe Dynevor, Nicholas Braun, Stephanie Koenig, Debby Ryan, Mekki Lepper and Cory Michael Smith.

Cameras are rolling in LA on the Jody Hill-directed film.

Famous explores the dark side of celebrity and the lengths people will go to attain it. Efron plays dual roles: Overzealous fan, Lance Dunkquist and Hollywood heartthrob, James Jansen. Lance has the spitting image of James, and will do whatever it takes to be famous.

The film is based on the novel by New York Times bestselling author Blake Crouch. Chad Hodge adapted for the screen, the scribe also adapted Crouch’s trilogy into a series.

Zovatto is coming off a haunting turn as The Dating Game serial killer Rodney Alcala in Netflix’s Woman of the Hour, Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut.

He also held a recurring role as The Prophet in the post apocalyptic series Station Eleven on HBO Max, and has featured in such cult favorite horror films as It Follows and Don’t Breathe.

Up next for Zovatto is tropical thriller Headhunters opposite Kevin Costner.

Colman Domingo to Make Film Directorial Debut with Miramax’s “Scandalous”

Colman Domingo is preparing to make his scandalous film directorial debut.

The 54-year-old Emmy-winning Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and activist will make his film directorial debut in Scandalous, a fast-tracked Miramax drama about the clandestine love affair between film star Kim Novak and singer/dancer and film star Sammy Davis Jr. in 1957.

Colman DomingoSydney Sweeney will play Novak, and David Jonsson will play Davis.

The plan is to shoot the film — imagine a film about classic Hollywood being shot in Los Angeles — when Domingo and Sweeney complete Season 3 of the HBO series Euphoria.

Much the way she did with the sleeper hit Anyone But You, Sweeney was active in putting this one together and she’ll be a producer along with Tani Cohen and Bobby Rock, with Jon Levin executive producing.

Matthew Fantaci wrote the script.

Before he became Miramax CEO, Jon Glickman originated the project at Panoramic, and remained high on it.

Novak, star of Vertigo, and Rat Pack member Davis were at the peak of star power when they met while guests on The Steve Allen Show. They fell hard for each other, but as rumors spread, the rampant racism in America threatened to derail their careers. Novak experienced the ire of Harry Cohn, the Columbia Pictures chief who had the actress under contract. Their covert affair became big news when a Chicago gossip columnist in early 1958 wrote a detailed account of their relationship, including their plans to marry. This despite their denials. Davis nine days later married a Black chorus girl named Loray White.

Domingo is coming off acclaimed turns in Rustin and Sing Sing, and he’s also working on a film about Nat King Cole that he would star in and direct.

He has directed television in the past and he’s currently in production on Netflix and Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons and he has the Netflix limited series The Madness. He also plays Joe Jackson in the Michael Jackson biopic Michael.

Lights Out: Nat King Cole, which Domingo wrote with director Patricia McGregor, will premiere at New York Theater Workshop in the spring, after it premiered at the Geffen Theater in 2019.

Zoe Saldana to Receive Critics Choice Association‘s Groundbreaker Award

Zoe Saldana is a special Critics Choice honoree… 

The 46-year-old 44-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress is among the honorees from the Critics Choice Association‘s 4th Annual Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television taking place on October 22, 2024 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

Zoë SaldañaSaldaña will receive the Groundbreaker Award for her starring role in Netflix’s Emilia Pérez, which won the Best Actress prize for the ensemble cast at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. 

The Director Award – Film will be awarded to Pablo Larraín for his directorial work on Netflix’s Maria.

The film competed in the Venice Film Festival and was one of the official selections for both the Telluride Film Festival and the New York Film Festival this year.

The Vanguard Award will be given to filmmaker Fede Alvarez for his writing and directorial work in creating 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus.

The film notably earned $45.1 million in its domestic opening weekend at the box office and became the highest grossing horror film in IMAX history.

Emmy-nominated director, writer and producer Issa López will receive The Director Award – Series for her directorial work on the HBO Original Series True Detective: Night Country.

The series received 19 Emmy nominations, the most for any limited or anthology series this year and won star Jodie Foster the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for a Limited Series, Anthology, or Television Movie.

The Showrunner Award will recognize Emmy-nominated television writer and producer Francesca Sloane for her work on Prime Video’s series Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The series was nominated 16 times at this year’s Emmys and was awarded two wins.

Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress Adriana Barraza will be honored with the Actress Award – Film for her role in Roadside Attractions’ film My Penguin Friend.

Barraza previously earned an Academy Award nomination in 2007 for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film Babel and just received a 2024 International Emmy nomination for Best Actress for her work in the award-winning Netflix film El último vagón.

Actress and writer Fernanda Torres will receive the Actress Award – International Film for her role in Sony Pictures Classics’ film I’m Still Here, which notably garnered the Best Screenplay award at this year’s Venice Film Festival and has been selected as Brazil’s 2024 submission for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.

Emayatzy Corinealdi will accept the Actress Award – Series for her performance on Hulu/Onyx Collective’s Reasonable Doubt.

Corinealdi also recently appeared in the HBO series Ballers and in the Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead. STARZ will bestow Emayatzy Corinealdi’s award with a special STARZ #TakeTheLead designation as part of its ongoing commitment to amplifying narratives by, about, and for women and underrepresented audiences.

Ramón Rodríguez will be awarded with the Breakthrough Actor Award – Series for his starring role in the ABC series Will Trent.

Rodríguez was also nominated in the Best Actor in a Drama Series category for season one at last year’s Critics Choice Awards.

The Comedy Series Award will be bestowed upon the acclaimed Apple TV+ series Acapulco, starring Emmy-winner Eugenio Derbez, Enrique Arrizon, Fernando Carsa, and Camila Perez.

The International Series Award will recognize the Apple TV+ Spanish-language drama series Familia de Medianoche, which features an entirely Latino cast and crew led by performers Renata Vaca, Joaquín Cosío, and Diego Calva.

The Celebration honors standout performances and work, both onscreen and offscreen from the Latino entertainment community.