Mark Consuelos Developing “Pine Valley,” the Primetime Version of ABC’s Beloved Soap Opera “All My Children”

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Mark Consuelos is returning to his soap opera roots…

ABC is in early development on Pine Valley, a primetime version of the network’s beloved daytime drama All My Children, with the 49-year-old half-Mexican actor and his wife Kelly Ripa executive producing alongside Andrew Stearn and filmmaker Robert Nixon, son of the late AMC creator Agnes Nixon.

In the All My Children followup, written/executive produced by Leo Richardson, a young journalist with a secret agenda comes to expose the dark and murderous history of a town named Pine Valley only to become entangled in a feud between the Kane and Santos families. The series explores all the secrets that come with the Kane and Santos family names.

Kane was one of AMC’s founding families, with Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) becoming one of television’s most popular characters. Ripa and Consuelos, who played Hayley & Mateo Santos on the original series, executive produce via their Milojo Productions alongside the company’s Albert Bianchini. Stearn executive produces through his Andrew Stearn Productions. The company is based at ABC Signature, which is the studio on the project.

Pine Valley will feature a new generation of characters and some old favorites. There are currently no deals in place with original cast members, but the plan is to invite a number of them to make an appearance, with Ripa and Consuelos also possible making a cameo.

Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children aired for 41 years on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011, originally in a half-hour format before expanding to hourlong episodes in 1977. The series was set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictional suburb of Philadelphia, which is modeled on the actual Philadelphia suburb of Rosemont.

Pine Valley plans to continue the original series’ legacy of tackling difficult issues and being inclusive. AMC was the first series to comprehensively address the Vietnam War and to have a character undergo a legal abortion. The soap also featured a transgender storyline a decade and a half ago.

As it will be in primetime, Pine Valley will have a heightened tone and will wink to the daytime soap genre similar to how the CW’s Jane the Virgin paid homage to telenovelas.

ABC Developing Comedy “Guerrillas,” Starring Jaime Camil

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jaime Camil is soldiering forward…

ABC is developing Guerrillas, a single-camera comedy starring the 47-year-old Mexican actor/singer and former Jane the Virgin scene-stealer and comedian Al Madrigal.

The project comes from Jennie Snyder Urman’s Sutton Street Productions and CBS Studios.

In Guerrillas, co-written by Madrigal and Matt Kellard, when Miles Flores (Madrigal), a lonely efficiency expert for an oil company, gets kidnapped in South America, he ends up working for a disorganized group of guerrilla soldiers to earn back his freedom. Camil plays the “Commandante” of the soldiers who kidnapped Miles.

Madrigal and Kelland executive produce alongside Urman and Joanna Klein via Sutton Street. Camil co-executive produces.

Guerrillas reunites Urman, Camil and Madrigal who recently worked together on the CBS comedy series Broke. Camil starred in and executive produced the sitcom, on which Madrigal recurred in addition to being a writer/co-executive producer. Urman, along with Klein, executive produced via Sutton Street.

This marks the third collaboration between Jane the Virgin creator Urman and Camil, following the CW dramedy and Broke. Meanwhile, Madrigal co-starred in the hit movie Night School, co-written by Kellard.

Andrea Navedo to Executive Produce & Possibly Star in CBS’ Development Drama Project “The System”o

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

It appears Andrea Navedo is part of the system…

CBS has put in development the drama The System, which could potentially star the Puerto Rican actress and former Jane the Virgin star.

The project, which will be executive produced by Navedo her Jane the Virgin developer/showrunner via her Sutton St. Productions and Arika Mittman, hails from Puerto Rican writer Elaine Del Valle.

Written by Del Valle, The System centers on a compassionate yet jaded social worker — a role that Navedo could potentially play — as she navigates the same broken New York City system she grew up in as she advocates to resolve issues for every family she encounters while struggling to fix her own.

The project will be produced by CBS Studios.

Navedo starred as Xiomara “Xo” Villanueva in Snyder Urman’s Jane the Virgin.

Her other credits include television appearances on Mrs. America, The Good Fight and How to Make It in America.

Del Valle is a writer/director/actress who first garnered attention with her autobiographical, one-woman stage play Brownsville Bred, which depicts her true Latina coming-of-age in Brownsville Brooklyn, NY.

Del Valle is a recent recipient of the Warner Media 150 grant and a Sundance Lab alumna whose short films can be seen on HBO.

HBO Max Gives Series Order to Rosario Dawson’s Futuristic Drama “DMZ”

Posted on November 21, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Rosario Dawson is heading to the demilitarized zone…

HBO Max has given a series order to Ava DuVernay and Roberto Patino’s DMZ, starring the 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist.

HBO Max ordered four episodes of the limited series, a futuristic drama set amid a second American civil war and based on the DC Comics series.

Production on the series is scheduled to start in 2021.

DMZ stars Dawson and Benjamin Bratt in the lead roles, alongside Hoon Lee, Freddy Miyares and Jordan Preston Carter.

DMZ is set in the near future, when America is embroiled in a bitter civil war, leaving Manhattan a demilitarized zone (DMZ), destroyed and isolated from the rest of the world. It chronicles the harrowing journey of fearless and fierce medic Alma Ortega (Dawson) to find the son she lost in the evacuation of New York City at the onset of the conflict. Throwing gasoline on the flames of that conflict is Parco Delgado (Bratt), the popular, and deadly, leader of one of the most powerful gangs in the DMZ. He wants to rule this new world and will stop at nothing to secure that outcome.

The drama will examine the stark political and cultural divide in American society, where Alma must contend with the gangs, militias, demagogues and warlords that control this lawless no man’s land. In doing so, she becomes the unlikely source of what everyone there has lost…hope.

Patino, who will write all episodes and showrun the series, wrote the pilot episode, which was directed by DuVernay. Patino and DuVernay serve as executive producers on the series.

DMZ is produced by DuVernay’s ARRAY Filmworks in association with Warner Bros. Television.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this epic to the screen with my boundary-pushing partners at WBTV and HBO Max, a sublime cast led by Rosario and Benjamin, and my partner and friend, the inimitable and ever-inspiring Ava DuVernay,” said Patino. “DMZ offers up an explosive playground which, more than anything else, exalts the resilience of community and the human spirit. I can’t wait to welcome the die-hard fans of the comic books and new viewers alike to this intoxicating, haunting and inspiring world.”

Dawson’s television credits include The Mandalorian, Briarpatch and Jane the Virgin. She’ll soon appear in the upcoming miniseries Dopesick.

Jaime Camil to Star in Still Untitled Apple TV+ Musical Comedy

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jaime Camil has found the Apple (project) of his eye…

Apple TV+ has set a star-studded ensemble cast for its upcoming musical comedy that includes the 47-year-old Mexican actor, singer and television personality.

In addition to Camil, the project – which will be led by Saturday Night Live‘s Cecily Strong and executive produced by Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video – will also star Keegan-Michael Key, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski and Ann Harada.

Written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the as-yet untitled comedy series follows a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover the magical town of Schmigadoon, in which everyone acts as if they’re in a studio musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.”

Key will play Josh, Melissa’s (Strong) long term, pragmatic partner, and the last person who wants to be stuck in this magical town. Cumming is Mayor Menlove, the welcoming mayor of the town with a secret (and a song) in his heart. Armisen plays Reverend Layton, the mild-mannered religious leader of the town. Chenoweth is Mildred Layton, Reverend Layton’s morally superior wife who is in everybody’s business. Tveit plays Danny Bailey, the town bad boy who is trouble with a capital T, especially once he sets his sights on Melissa. Cameron is Betsy, the farmers daughter who instantly falls for Josh. DeBose portrays Emma Tate, a more modern woman and the town’s teacher, she struggles to fit into the town’s strict mold. Camil plays Doc Lopez, the handsome town doctor with an icy heart. Krakowski plays The Countess, a stunning and sophisticated woman determined to marry Doc Lopez. Harada is Florence Menlove, the oblivious and dutiful wife of Mayor Menlove.

Paul will serve as showrunner, and will write all of the original music. Barry Sonnenfeld will direct.

The series hails from Broadway Video and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Camil earned two Teen Choice Awards for his scene-stealing role on Jane the Virgin.

Gina Rodriguez’s “Kajillionaire” to Now Open in Limited Theaters on September 25

Posted on August 30, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez’s kajillion will have to wait…

Focus Features‘ Sundance Film Festival acquisition of Annapurna/Plan B’s Kajillionaire, starring the 36-year-old Golden Globe-winning actress and former Jane the Virgin star, will now open in select theaters on September 25, a week later than originally anticipated.

The Miranda July directed film will hit PVOD around October 16. Despite that, the film’s marketing will be driven toward its theatrical release, and the movie will continue to be available to cinemas while it’s on PVOD.

Written and directed by July, Kajillionaire follows con artists Theresa and Robert, who spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), to swindle, scam and steal at every opportunity. During a desperate, hastily conceived heist, they charm a kind stranger, Melanie (Rodriguez), into joining their next scheme, completely shaking up Old Dolio’s routine. Her unlikely connection with Melanie begins to challenge Old Dolio’s odd and stoic reality — and she finds herself suddenly caught between the only family she has ever known and the prospect of total freedom.

The film also stars two-time Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins and three-time nominee Debra Winger.

During the pandemic when the big circuits were closed, Focus Features played two titles on theatrical PVOD: Jon Stewart’s political comedy Irresistible and the Nisha Ganatra directed music drama The High Note.

Jenna Ortega to Star in “Scream 5”

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega could just scream…

The 17-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress has been cast in Spyglass Media Group and Paramount Pictures’ upcoming Scream 5.

Ortega, who recently starred in season two of Netflix’s You, joins franchise cast members David Arquette and Courteney Cox, who’ll reprise their respective roles as Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers, as well as newcomer Melissa Barrera.

The production will shoot in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Scream is being directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.

Scream creator Kevin Williamson and Chad Villella are executive producing.

Throughout four installments, the Scream franchise counts over $600M at the global box office. The films were directed by late horrormeister Wes Craven with Williamson penning the original film as well as Scream 2 and Scream 4.

Ortega previously starred on the CW’s Jane the Virginas Young Jane.

She can next be seen in Yes Day starring Jennifer Garner and The Babysitter: Killer Queen with Bella Thorne.

Ortega recently wrapped filming on Songbird opposite Demi Moore and Bradley Whitford, which was one of the first notable feature productions to shoot in Los Angeles after the pandemic shutdown.

Focus Features Releases Trailer for Gina Rodriguez’s Grifter Comedy “Kajillionaire”

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Gina Rodriguez wants to be a kajillionaire…

Focus Features has released the first trailer for Kajillionaire, Miranda July’s Sundance comedy about a family of grifters starring the 36-year-old Puerto Rican actress and former Jane the Virgin star.

“Most people wanna be kajillionaires,” Dad says in the clip. “That’s the dream. That’s how they get you hooked — hooked on sugar, hooked on caffeine. Ha, ha, ha, cry, cry, cry. Me? I prefer to just skim.” His daughter looks up and says, “So do I.”

Here is your logline: Con artists Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins) have spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dollo (Evan Rachel Wood), to swindle, scam and steal at every opportunity.

“She learned to forge before she learned to write,” Pops boasts of Old Dollo. “Actually, that’s how she did learn to write.”

During a desperate, hastily conceived heist, they charm a stranger (Rodriguez) into joining their next scam, only to have their entire world turned upside down.

July wrote and directed Kajillionaire as her first feature since 2011’s The Future.

The trailer features “Mr. Lonely,” a song performed by Angel Olsen & Emile Mosseri, the latter being the film’s composer.

Produced by Plan B and Annapurna Pictures,Focus Features plans to release the film in theaters in September.

Carolina Rivera Signs Deals with Verve and Netflix

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carolina Rivera has a new deal…

The Mexican screenwriter and producer has signed with Verve and entered an overall deal at Netflix.

Under the Netflix agreement, Rivera will serve as the executive producer of the television series Madre Solo Hay Dos, which she created.

Rivera is the co-executive producer of the CW’s sci-fi drama Roswell: New Mexico, which recently wrapped.

She also worked on Jane the Virgin.

Marc Cherry’s production company purchased Rivera’s “Ellas son… la alegría del hogar,”which was originally created for Televisa. The series was the basis for Cherry’s Lifetime series Devious Maids, starring Roselyn Sanchez.

Rivera studied screenwriting at the UCLA Extension Writers Program and wrote her first feature Cilantro y Perejil, which went on to win three Ariel Awards— Mexico’s equivalent of the Oscars— for Best Original Screenplay, Best Story and Best Original Song. Cilantro y Perejil made history in the Mexican film industry as the first Mexican title to be screened at commercial movie theaters throughout the country.

Her writing credits include more than 15 feature films. In 2005, Rivera received the Motion Picture Association Award for Best Hispanic Screenplay for her screenplay Enemigos Íntimos.

In addition, she worked as head writer for the serial telenovela Lucho en Familia and worked on Amor Cautivo. She headed the children’s television development team at Channel 11, Latin America’s largest public television network. While there, she created and served as head writer for Bizbirije and El Divan de Valentina.She has also served as an International Emmy AwardsJuror for Dramatic Series and TV movies.

Jenna Ortega to Star in the High School Drama “The Fallout”

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega is dealing with some Fallout…

The 17-year-old Mexican and Puerto Rican actress has been cast as the lead in the high-school drama The Fallout.

In the feature, high schooler Vada navigates the emotional fallout she experiences in the wake of a school tragedy. Relationships with her family, friends and view on the world are forever altered.

Actress Megan Parkwill write and direct the project.

Ortega, who rose to acclaim on the Disney Channel’s Stuck In The Middle, most recently appeared on Netflix’s series You.

Her other television credits include Jane the Virgin, CSI: NYand Bizaardvark.

She’ll next star on the big screen in Yes Dayopposite Jennifer Garnerand The Babysitter 2opposite Bella Thorne.

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