Jenna Ortega to Serve as Presenter at This Weekend’s SAG Awards Ceremony

Win or lose, Jenna Ortega will take the SAG Awards stage…

The Screen Actors Guild has announced the latest group of presenters for Sunday’s SAG Awards ceremony, with the 20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress set to participate.

Jenna OrtegaOrtega is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series category for her starring role in Netflix’s acclaimed series Wednesdaywhich has been renewed for a second season.

In addition to Ortega, the list of recently added presenters includes Jason Bateman, Jeff Bridges, Aubrey PlazaAdam Scott, Zendaya, SAG-AFTRA president Fran DrescherMatt Bomer, Ariana DeBose, Eugene Levy and Amy Poehler.

Previously announced presenters for the 29th annual ceremony include Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, Jovan Adepo, Diego Calva and Li Jun Li.

The SAG Awards are set for Sunday, February 28, at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The ceremony, featuring the winners in the guild’s 15 acting categories, will stream live on Netflix’s YouTube channel.

Tonatiuh to Star in Netflix & Amblin’s Thriller “Carry-On”

Tonatiuh is carrying on

The Latino actor, screenwriter and activist will star in Netflix and Amblin’s thriller Carry-On.

Tonatiuh Tonatiuh is part of a roster of new cast additions that includes Dean Norris, Logan Marshall Green and Sinqua Walls.

Additionally, Joe Williamson, Curtiss Cook, Josh Brener and Gil Perez-Abraham round out the cast, who will all join previously announced stars Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler and Theo Rossi.

Details regarding the characters they’ll portray remain under wraps.

Carry-On will begin production this week with Jaume Collet-Serra serving as director.

The film centers around Ethan Kopek, a young TSA agent who gets blackmailed by a mysterious traveler to let a dangerous package slip through security and onto a Christmas Day flight.

TJ Fixman penned the screenplay’s first draft, with Michael Green doing the most recent polish. Dylan Clark will produce. The film marks the first production out of the overall deal Amblin signed with Netflix last June.

Tonatiuh’s previous projects include Vida, Promised Land and Angelyne.

Otmara Marrero to Star Opposite Edgar Ramirez in Netflix Series “Florida Man”

Otmara Marrero is headed to The Sunshine State

The 32-year-old Cuban American actress will star opposite Edgar Ramirez in Netflix’s eight-episode series Florida Man. 

Otmara Marrero

Marrero joins a roster of new cast additions that includes Anthony LaPagliaAbbey Lee, Lex Scott Davis and Emory Cohen as series regulars, with Clark Gregg joining in a recurring role in the hourlong series from veteran television writer producer Donald Todd and Jason Bateman & Michael Costigan’s Aggregate Films.

Additionally, Netflix has tapped Miguel Arteta to direct the pilot and second episode and executive produce. This reunites him with Ramírez with whom he worked on the Netflix feature Yes Day.

Rounding out directors for the season are Julian Farino (eps 3/4), Haifaa Al Mansour (eps 5/6) and Kevin Bray (eps 7/8).

In Florida Man, created by Todd, when a struggling ex-cop (Ramírez) is forced to return to his home state of Florida to find a Philly mobster’s runaway girlfriend, what should be a quick gig becomes a spiraling journey into buried family secrets and an increasingly futile attempt to do the right thing in a place where so much is wrong. The series is described as a wild odyssey into a sunny place for shady people in the spirit of Body Heat and Elmore Leonard’s Out of Sight.

Marrero is Patsy, Mike’s sister, living in Orlando, is relentlessly upbeat, churchgoing, and bravely soldiering on in the life she made too early with husband Deacon and daughter Tyler.

Marrero’s credits include comedy series Connecting and the role of Izzy Morales on StartUp.

Veronica Falcón to Star on Netflix’s Drama Series “Ozark” for Fourth & Final Season

Veronica Falcón is heading to the Ozarks

The 54-year-old Mexican actress, choreographer and Queen of the South scene stealer has joined the cast of Netflix’s drama series Ozark for its fourth and final season.

Veronica Falcon

Starring and executive produced by Jason Bateman, the series was created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams.

Ozark is a thrilling drama set in the present-day and follows the Byrde family’s journey from their normal, suburban Chicago life to their dangerous criminal enterprise in the Missouri Ozarks. The series explores capitalism, family dynamics, and survival through the eyes of (anything but) ordinary Americans.

Falcón will recur as Camila Elizonndro. She is the sister of drug cartel leader Omar Navarro (Felix Solis) whose son Javi Elizonndro (Alfonso Herrera) is scheming to take over his uncle’s cartel. Once she acknowledges her long dormant ambition, Camila quietly works behind the scenes to become a formidable player in her family’s drug empire.

In addition to Bateman, Ozark stars Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, Jessica Frances Dukes, Lisa Emery, John Bedford Lloyd, and Joseph Sikora.

Chris Mundy returns as showrunner, writer and executive producer for Season 4. The series hails from MRC Television.

Falcón’s credits also include Room 104, Perry Mason, Perpetual Grace LTD, Why Women Kill and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

She will appear alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Apple’s Mr. Corman and in Netflix’s Gentefied.

Her film credits include Jungle Cruise, The Purge, The Starling and Voyagers.

Edgar Ramírez to Star in Netflix Series “Florida Man”

Edgar Ramírez is headed to the Sunshine State

The 44-year-old Venezuelan actor will star in Florida Man, which has received a formal eight-episode series from Netflix.

Edgar Ramirez

Ramirez, the star of the streamer’s popular film Yes Day, will headline the hourlong series from veteran television writer/producer Donald Todd and Jason Bateman & Michael Costigan’s Aggregate Films.

In Florida Man, created by Todd, when a struggling ex-cop (Ramírez) is forced to return to his home state of Florida to find a Philly mobster’s runaway girlfriend, what should be a quick gig becomes a spiraling journey into buried family secrets and an increasingly futile attempt to do the right thing in a place where so much is wrong. The series is described as a wild odyssey into a sunny place for shady people in the spirit of Body Heat and Elmore Leonard’s Out of Sight.

The series is not related to limited series Florida Man starring Joel Edgerton, which is in development at Anonymous Content. It’s based on Tom Cooper’s novel, with Graham Gordy writing.

Ramírez stars opposite Jennifer Garner in Netflix’s movie Yes Day, which was estimated to be seen by 53 million households in the first four weeks. He recently starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in HBO’s high-rated and award-winning limited series The Undoing. He soon will begin production on Borderlands and next will star in Disney’s Jungle Cruise and Universal’s The 355.

Ramírez is a two-time Golden Globe nominee for his performances as Carlos the Jackal in Carlos and as Gianni Versace in American Crime Story

Alfonso Herrera to Star on the Fourth & Final Season of Netflix’s “Ozark”

Alfonso Herrera is heading to the Ozarks…

The 37-year-old Mexican actor/singer has joined the cast for the fourth and final season of Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Ozark.

Alfonso Herrera

Meanwhile, 49-year-old Puerto Rican actor Felix Solis, who has a recurring role in Season 3, have been promoted to series regular for the new season.

Bruno Bichir and CC Castillo have been tapped for recurring roles in the series starring and executive produced by Jason Bateman.

Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark WilliamsOzark is a thrilling drama set in the present-day and follows the Byrde family’s journey from their normal, suburban Chicago life to their dangerous criminal enterprise in the Ozarks, Missouri. The series explores capitalism, family dynamics, and survival through the eyes of (anything but) ordinary Americans.

Herrera will play Javi Elizonndro, a member of the Navarro family who walks a fine line between playing the obedient lieutenant and scheming to take over his uncle’s cartel.

Solis plays Omar Navarro.

Bichir will recur as Navarro’s Priest. Navarro’s confessor and confident; works for the cartel because he deeply believes he belongs where God is needed most.

Castillo is Sheriff Leigh Guerrero, Missouri law enforcement who refuses to play on anyone’s terms but her own.

They will join series stars Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, Jessica Frances Dukes, Lisa Emery, John Bedford Lloyd, and Joseph Sikora in the new season.

As previously announced, Season 4 will be released in two parts, 7-episodes each and is set to begin production this year. Chris Mundy will return as showrunner, writer and executive producer.

In Season 3, with the casino up and running, Marty (Bateman) and Wendy (Linney) fought to keep control of their family’s destiny. Marty preached keeping the status quo. Aided by an alliance with Helen (McTeer) and drug cartel leader Omar Navarro (Solis), Wendy plotted for expansion. But when Wendy’s brother Ben (Tom Pelphrey) came into town, everyone’s lives were thrown into chaos.

Since its 2017 premiere, the series has racked up thirty-two Emmy nominations with three wins, to date, for Bateman for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and two for Garner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. The most recent third season received 18 Emmy nomimations. The series from MRC Television has also garnered two Golden Globe nominations and six SAG Awards nominations for its performances by Bateman, Garner and Linney.

Cravalho Wins Annie Award for Her Voice Work in “Moana”

Auli’i Cravalho has reason to celebrate…

The 16-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress picked up the Voice Acting in an Animated Feature award at this year’s Annie Awards, the highest honor given for excellence in animation.

Auli’i Cravalho

Cravalho took home the award for her voice acting debut as the title character in the Disney’s Moana, sharing the prize in a tie with Jason Bateman for his work on Zootopia.

In the film, Cravalho plays Moana Waialiki, the high-spirited daughter of the chief of a mystical Polynesian island, who sets sail to an island with a demigod named Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) to help save her family from disaster. The story is full of Disney fantasy, but Cravalho says her character’s journey toward self-discovery — and the fact that she makes that journey alone — is relatable to everyone.

Cravalho, who was discovered almost by accident when Disney talent scouts saw her sing in a YouTube video, is a natural.

“I’m kind of an animated person,” she adds. “I was given this really big blessing that my voice just kind of carries the emotion.”

Meanwhile, Carlos Alazraqui picked it the award for Voice Acting in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production.

The 54-year-old Latino stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, singer and impressionist won the award for his role as Ponce de León on DreamWorks Animation Television’s The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show.

It’s Alazraqui’s first win in three nominations.

Here’s a look at the big winners:

Best Animated Feature
ZOOTOPIA

Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Byron Howard, Rich Moore
ZOOTOPIA
Walt Disney Animation Studios 

Directing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Patrick Osborne
PEARL
Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures 

Best Animated Feature-Independent
THE RED TURTLE
Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions

Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production
BOB’S BURGERS Episode: Glued, Where’s My Bob?
Bento Box Entertainment 

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children
ADVENTURE TIME
Episode: Bad Jubies
Bix Pix Entertainment Cartoon Network Frederator Studios 

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
TUMBLE LEAF
Episode: Mighty Mud Movers / Having a Ball
Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment 

Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Jared Bush, Phil Johnston
ZOOTOPIA
Walt Disney Animation Studios 

Writing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Lizzie Molyneux, Wendy Molyneux
BOB’S BURGERS
Episode: The Hormone-iums
Bento Box Entertainment 

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
(tie)
Auli’i Cravalho as Moana
MOANA
Walt Disney Animation Studios

and

Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde
ZOOTOPIA
Walt Disney Animation Studios 

Voice Acting in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Carlos Alazaraqui as Ponce de León
THE MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN SHOW
Episode: Ponce de León
DreamWorks Animation Television 

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial
LOTERIA, “NIGHT SHIFT”Passion Pictures Ltd

Best Animated Special Production
PEAR CIDER AND CIGARETTESMassive Swerve Studios and Passion Pictures Animation

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Nelson Lowry, Trevor Dalmer, August Hall, Ean McNamara
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
Laika 

Production Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Tuna Bora
PEARL
Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures 

Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production
Jan Maas
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
Laika 

Character Animation in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Mike Chaffe
DREAMWORKS TROLLHUNTERS
Episode: Becoming, Part 1
DreamWorks Animation Television 

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Andrew R. Jones, Peta Bayley, Gabriele Zucchelli, Benjamin Jones
THE JUNGLE BOOK
Walt Disney Pictures 

Character Animation in a Video Game
Jeremy Yates, Almudena Soria, Eric Baldwin, Paul Davies, Tom Bland
UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END Naughty Dog

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Cory Loftis
ZOOTOPIA
Walt Disney Animation Studios 

Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Victor Maldonado, Alfredo Torres, Jules Rigolle
DREAMWORKS TROLLHUNTERS
Episode: Win, Lose or Draal
DreamWorks Animation Television 

Music in an Animated Feature Production
Hans Zimmer, Richard Harvey, Camille
THE LITTLE PRINCENetflix and On Animation Studios 

Music in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Scot Stafford, Alexis Harte, JJ Wiesler
PEARL
Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures 

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Georg Kaltenbrunner, Michael Marcuzzi, Thomas Bevan, Andrew Graham, Jihyun Yoon
DOCTOR STRANGE – MIRROR DIMENSION
Marvel Studios 

Animated Effects in an Animated Feature Production
Marlon West, Erin V. Ramos, Blair Pierpont, Ian J. Coony, John M. Kosnik
MOANA
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Animated Short Subject
PIPER
Pixar Animation Studios 

Best Student Film
CITIPATIDirector: Andreas Feix 
Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg 

Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
Christopher Murrie
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS 

Editorial in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Illya Owens
DISNEY MICKEY MOUSEEpisode: Sock Burglar
Disney Television Animation 

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Dean WellinsZOOTOPIA Walt Disney Animation Studios

Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Hyunjoo Song
DREAMWORKS TROLLHUNTERS
Episode: Win, Lose or Draal
DreamWorks Animation Television 

Winsor McCay Awards
Dale Baer
Caroline Leaf
Mamoru Oshii. 

Ub Iwerks Award
Google Spotlight’s Virtual Reality Platform

June Foray Award
Bill & Sue Kroyer 

Special Achievement Award
Life, Animated

Rodriguez Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Genesis Rodriguez has new representation in Hollywood…

The 25-year-old Cuban and Venezuelan American actress has signed on with Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Genesis Rodriguez

Earlier this year, Rodriguez starred in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Last Stand as well as the hit comedy Identity Thief with Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman.

She also played leading roles in the Summit thriller Man on a Ledge and Will Ferrell’s Casa de mi Padre.

Rodriguez, the daughter of Venezuelan singer Jose Luis Rodriguez, got her start in telenovelas, starring in Prisionera and Dona Barbara.

She was previously repped by ICM.

Armisen to Appear on NBC’s Game Show “Hollywood Game Night”

Fred Armisen is about to get his game on…

The 46-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star has signed on to appear on NBC’s new game show series Hollywood Game Night.

Fred Armisen

Executive produced by Will & Grace’s Sean Hayes and hosted by Glee’s Jane Lynch, features celebrities hanging out and playing games with fun-loving non-celebrity contestants in a cocktail party atmosphere.

Along with Armisen, other celebrities set to appear on the game show include Amy Poehler, Matthew Perry, Jason Bateman, Kristin Bell and fiance Dax Shephard, Maya Rudolph, Minnie Driver, Kristen Chenoweth, Cheryl Hines, Molly Shannon and Max Greenfield, with more stars expected to join.

The series, which has an eight-episode order, is based on Hayes’ real-life game nights. In each episode, two contestants will be treated to a night of fun and celebration where they get to rub shoulders with the celebrity crowd. At the end, one of the contestants will walk away with a cash prize and a night of stories and memories.

Rodriguez to Star in “Identity Thief”

Genesis Rodriguez is getting married to the mob… at least on the big screen!

The 24-year-old Venezuelan American actress has signed on to star in Universal’s film Identity Thief.

Genesis Rodriguez

In the comedy starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, Rodriguez will play an associate to a local crime boss who comes looking for McCarthy’s character after she scams them out of money.

This marks Rodriguez’s latest project in her quest to make a big splash in Hollywood…

She previously starred in Man On A Ledge and Will Ferrell’s Spanish-language melodrama Casa De Mi Padre. And, she most recently appeared opposite Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez in What to Expect When You’re Expecting.