Ketchup Entertainment Releases Trailer for Robert Rodriguez-Directed Thriller “Hypnotic”

Robert Rodriguez is hypnotizing audiences…

Ketchup Entertainment has released the trailer for Hypnotic, the thriller directed by 54-year-old Mexican American filmmaker.

Robert Rodriguez

The film, which stars Ben Affleck, will open in theaters on May 12 release.

The film is coming off a work-in-progress screening last month at SXSW.

Ketchup Entertainment acquired the U.S. rights to the big-budget film earlier this year; the project, which went into production in late 2021 after several pandemic delays and a lawsuit, saw its original financier and U.S. distributor Solstice Studios shut down. Now it will be released via Ketchup on more than 2,000 screens, helped by several former Solstice executives who will assist in getting the film over the finish line.

The feature centers on a detective (Affleck) who finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole while investigating a series of reality-bending crimes mysteriously connected to his missing daughter. Aided by a gifted psychic (Alice Braga), he is pursued by a lethal specter (William Fichtner) who he believes holds the key to finding his daughter.

JD Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey and Jackie Earle Haley also star.

FX Releases Trailer for Fifth & Final Season of JD Pardo’s “Mayans M.C.”

JD Pardo is revving up for a final ride…

FX has released the trailer for Mayans M.C., starring the 42-year-old Argentine & Salvadoran American actor.

JD PardoThe hot series will premiere its fifth and final season on Wednesday, May 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the network, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.

The premiere will include the first two episodes of the 10-episode final season, with one new episode each following week. The series will be available on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories.

Mayans M.C. follows the life of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (Pardo), president of the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Once a golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp, EZ has now risen to lead his brother Angel (Clayton Cardenas) and the Santo Padre M.C. in a bloody war against their rival Sons of Anarchy. Defending the California territory and patch begins to claim lives within the club and causes strain between EZ and Angel — as one brother devotes himself to the club and the other to family. Felipe (Edward James Olmos) attempts to heal these fractured bonds for the future of the Reyes family.

JR Bourne, Danny Pino, Carla Baratta, Michael Irby, Emilio Rivera, Sarah Bolger, Frankie Loyal, Joseph Lucero, Vincent Vargas, Gino Vento, Emily Tosta and Vanessa Giselle also star.

Mayans M.C. was co-created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James. The series is executive produced by James and Sutter. The series is produced by 20th Television and FX Productions.

JD Pardo to Star in Robert Rodriguez’s Action-Thriller “Hypnotic”

It’s a hypnotic time for JD Pardo

The 41-year-old Argentine Salvadoran American actor will star in Robert Rodriguez’s action-thriller Hypnotic, alongside Ben Affleck, Alice BragaDayo OkeniyiWilliam Fichtner and Hala Finley.

JD Pardo,

Currently filming in Texas, Hypnotic follows a detective (Affleck) who becomes entangled in a mystery involving his missing daughter (Finley) and a secret government program – while investigating a string of impossible high-end crimes.

Rodriguez and Max Borenstein wrote the film.

Pardo recently had a cameo as character Jack Toretto in Universal’s blockbuster hit F9: The Fast Saga and he’ll next be seen in STX’s Violence of Action alongside Chris Pine and Ben Foster.

He recently wrapped work on Amazon’s conspiracy-thriller series The Terminal List opposite Chris Pratt. Earlier this week he was awarded the Imagen Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of EZ Reyes in FX’s hit show Mayans M.C. which has been picked up for a fourth season.

Michael Cimino Wins First-Ever Imagen Awards Prize for “Love, Victor”

Michael Cimino is celebrating a special first…

The 2021 Imagen Awards have been announced, with the 21-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor earning the first of his career.

Michael Cimino

The Imagen Awards recognize Latinas and Latinos in the entertainment industry who work both in front of and behind the camera.

Cimino was named Best Actor – Television (Comedy) for his performance on Hulu’s Love, Victor, which was named Best Primetime Program – Comedy.

Mj Rodriguez took home the Best Actress – Television (Drama) award.

The 30-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/singer won for her performance on FX’s Pose, which was named Best Primetime Program – Drama.

The Best Young Actor – Television award went to Madison Reyes for her work on Netflix’s Julie and the Phantoms, which was named Best Young Adult Programming.

Justina Machado was named Best Voice-Over Actor – Television for PopTV’s One Day at a Time – Animated Special, which was named Best Primetime Program – Special or Movie.

Tanya Saracho took home the Best Director – Television prize for her work on Vida; she also was presented with the The Norman Lear Writer’s Award.

Other winners in the television categories include JD Pardo (Best Actor – Television (Drama)) for his work on Mayans M.C.; Barbie Ferreira (Best Actress – Television (Comedy) for her work on Unpregnant; Colman Domingo (Best Supporting Actor – Television (Drama)) for his work on Euphoria Special: Part 1 Rue; Morena Baccarin (Best Supporting Actress – Television (Drama)) for her work on The Twilight Zone; Harvey Guillén (Best Supporting Actor – Television (Comedy)) for his work on What We Do In The Shadows; and Diana Maria Riva Best Supporting Actress – Television (Comedy)) for her performance on Dead to Me.

Netflix’s Ya No Estoy Aquí was named Best Feature Film, with the film’s helmer Fernando Frías De La Parra taking home the Best Director – Feature Film prize.

Hosted by Aida Rodriguez, Chuey Martinez, Isabella Gomez and Karrie Martin Lachney, the Imagen Awards were announced last night during a live-streamed ceremony.

The 36th annual awards winners were determined by an independent panel of entertainment industry executives and Latina and Latino community leaders.

The theme of this year’s Imagen Awards was “A Celebration of Our Community: Diverse, Talented, and United.” Each year the Awards recognize an array of Latino talent by honoring and celebrating ground-breaking performances, storytelling, and powerful diverse programs.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

FEATURE FILM

Best Feature Film: Ya No Estoy Aquí / I’m No Longer Here (Netflix; Panorama Global for Netflix)

Best Director – Feature Film: Fernando Frías De La Parra, Ya No Estoy Aquí / I’m No Longer Here (Netflix; Panorama Global for Netflix)

Best Actor – Feature Film: Demián Bichir, Land (Focus Features / a Big Beach Production / Flashlight Films)

Best Actress – Feature Film: Aubrey Plaza, Black Bear (Momentum Pictures, an Entertainment One Company; Tandem Pictures, Oakhurst Entertainment & Blue Creek Pictures, in association with Productivity Media and Radiant Films International)

TELEVISION

Best Primetime Program – Drama: Pose (FX; 20th Television)

Best Primetime Program – Comedy: Love, Victor (Hulu; Hulu, 20th Television, Temple Hill)

Best Primetime Program – Special or Movie: One Day at a Time – Animated Special (PopTV; Sony Pictures Television, Act III, Snowpants Productions, GloNation)

Best Director – Television: Tanya Saracho, Vida (STARZ; Big Beach and Chingona Productions in association with Starz Originals)

Best Actor – Television (Drama): JD Pardo, Mayans M.C. (FX Networks; 20th Television and FX Productions)

Best Actress – Television (Drama): Mj Rodriguez, Pose (FX; 20th Television)

Best Actor – Television (Comedy): Michael Cimino, Love, Victor (Hulu; Hulu, 20th Television, Temple Hill)

Best Actress – Television (Comedy): Barbie Ferreira, Unpregnant (HBO Max; HBO Max presents a WarnerMax / PictureStart / Berlanti / Schechter Films production)

Best Supporting Actor – Television (Drama): Colman Domingo, Euphoria Special: Part 1 Rue: “Trouble Don’t Last Always” (HBO; HBO in association with Reasonable Bunch, A24, Little Lamb, Dreamcrew, ADD Content Agency | HOT | Tedy Productions)

Best Supporting Actress – Television (Drama): Morena Baccarin, The Twilight Zone (Paramount+; CBS Studios in association with Monkeypaw Productions and Genre Films)

Best Supporting Actor – Television (Comedy): Harvey Guillén, What We Do In The Shadows (FX; FX Productions)

Best Supporting Actress – Television (Comedy): Diana Maria Riva, Dead to Me (Netflix; CBS Television Studios for Netflix)

Best Young Actor – Television: Madison Reyes, Julie and the Phantoms (Netflix)

Best Voice-Over Actor – Television: Justina Machado, One Day at a Time – Animated Special (PopTV; Sony Pictures Television, Act III, Snowpants Productions, GloNation)

Best Variety or Reality Show: TIE

A Tribute to Linda Ronstadt at The Soraya (PBS; KCET and The Soraya)

Shine True (Fuse; Vice Studios, OUTtv Canada, Fuse Media)

Best Young Adult Programming: Julie and the Phantoms (Netflix)

Best Youth Programming: The Casagrandes (Nickelodeon)

Best Music Composition for Film or Television: Cristobal Tapia de Veer, The Third Day (HBO; HBO in association with Sky Studios, Plan B, and Punchdrunk)

Best Music Supervision for Film or Television: Joe Rodríguez & Javier Nuño, Ya No Estoy Aquí / I’m No Longer Here (Netflix; Panorama Global for Netflix)

Best Documentary: TIE

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix; A Netflix Original Documentary / A Muck Media Production in Association with Key Rat, Inc. & Topic Studios)

POV: The Infiltrators (PBS; American Documentary | POV, Pueblo Sight & Sound, Chicago Media Project, Naked Edge Film, 3DMC, Baked Studios, The National Day Laborer Organizing Network)

Best Informational Program: Street Food: Latin America (Netflix; Boardwalk Pictures for Netflix)

Best Short Film: UNLADYLIKE2020: Jovita Idar (PBS American Masters; Unladylike Productions LLC in association with The WNET Group’s American Masters.)

Best Commercial Advertisement or Social Awareness Campaign: Latinos Are Essential (Latino Public Broadcasting; PBS)

The Norman Lear Writer’s Award was presented to playwright and television writer Tanya Saracho. Saracho is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed series on Starz, Vida.

Debra Moore Muñoz Signs Overall Content Deal with FX Productions

Debra Moore Muñoz has a new content deal…

The Mexican-American writer and producer, a co-executive producer and writer on FX’s Mayans M.C., has signed an overall deal with the show’s producer, FX Productions, to develop new content for FX through her company Apogee Films, Inc.

Debra Moore Muñoz

Muñoz is a first generation American who was born and raised in Los Angeles. She attended Columbia University in New York City, then returned to LA to begin her career in film development.

She worked on projects like Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Heat and St. Vincent before transitioning into television, serving first as a general assistant, then as a writers’ assistant on Westworld from 2016 to 2018.

In 2019, she was included on the 2019 Black List for her script Refuge, which follows a brother and sister through Central America as they seek safety in the United States.

In 2021, Muñoz joined the writing staff of Mayans M.C., which stars JD Pardo as Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes, a new member of the Mayans M.C. charter on the border of California and Mexico. EZ and his brother Angel (Clayton Cardenas) uncover the truth behind their mother’s murder while their father Felipe (Edward James Olmos) struggles to reconcile the choices he and his sons have made. Muñoz was recently promoted to co-executive producer.

“Debra has emerged as one of the brightest writers and producers in the industry and FX was fortunate to have her on the writing staff of ‘Mayans M.C’. since its inception,” said Nick Grad, FX’s president of original programming. “We look forward to collaborating with her for new projects that draw on her enormous talents.”

Frankie Loyal Upped to Series Regular on FX’s “Mayans M.C.”

There are more rides in Frankie Loyal’s future…

The 51-year-old Latino actor/producer has been upped to series regular on FX’s biker drama Mayans M.C. alongside Joseph Lucero and Vincent Vargas for season 4, which is scheduled to return in early 2022.

Frankie Loyal

Loyal, Lucero and Vargas took on larger roles in season 3, which saw their characters Hank Loza, Neron “Creeper” Vargas, and Gilly Lopez, respectively, flourish and develop into fully rounded characters with storylines fans embraced fully.

The trio have been a part of the series throughout its three-season run.

Mayans M.C., a spin-off series of the network’s hit Sons of Anarchy, follows a motley crew of Latino men who found a family in the motorcycle club charter Santo Padre on the California and Mexico border. While the story is about the M.C., it also features powerful female characters that are bold and powerful in their own right.

The character of E.Z. Reyes (JD Pardo) is at the center of the story as he finds his place in the gray area of a world that is mostly black and white.

It’s helmed by co-creator and executive producer Elgin James; and co-stars Clayton Cardenas, Danny Pino, Richard Cabral, Michael Irby, Carla Baratta, Sarah Bolger, Emilio Rivera, Edward James Olmos, Raoul Trujillo, Emily Tosta, and Sulem Calderon.

Loyal, whose character Hank serves as Sergeant-of-Arms to the M.C., guest-starred on FX’s Better Things opposite Pamela Adlon. On the big screen, he starred in The Deep End alongside Tilda Swinton and Goran Visnjic. He will next be seen in the drama feature Die Like A Man.

Lucero made his debut in the 2006 drama Gridiron Gang alongside Dwayne Johnson, Xzibit, Moe McCrae, and Jurnee Smollett. He was also featured in Father G and the Homeboys, an award-winning documentary chronicling Father Greg Boyle’s work with Los Angeles’ toughest gang members. Lucero’s television credits include Dirt, ERThe ShieldCold Case, Criminal MindsThe CloserShameless, S.W.A.T., and FBI.

Vargas is a veteran of the U.S. Army that served three combat deployments who continues to serve his country today for the Army Reserve. In 2009, he became a Federal Agent with the Department of Homeland Security and was a Medic with the Special Operations Group.

He has starred and produced several films including Lucy Shimmers and the Prince of Peace (co-executive producer), Not a War Story (executive producer), and Dads in Parks (writer). Vargas pulled double duty since season 2 on Mayans M.C. as recurring star and technical advisor.

JD Pardo to Appear on Amazon’s Conspiracy-Thriller Series “The Terminal List”

JD Pardo is officially on the list

The 40-year-old Salvadoran and Argentinian-American actor will star alongside Chris Pratt in Amazon’s conspiracy-thriller series The Terminal Listbased on Jack Carr’s bestselling novel, in a key recurring role.

JD Pardo,

Constance Wu, Riley Keough, Taylor Kitsch and Jeanne Tripplehorn also star in the series, which Pratt executive produces along with Antoine Fuqua, who directs, and writer David DiGilio.

The Terminal List is a co-production from Amazon Studios and Civic Center Media in association with MRC Television.

Written by DiGilio, The Terminal List follows James Reece (Pratt) after his entire platoon of Navy SEALs is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission. Reece returns home to his family with conflicting memories of the event and questions about his culpability. However, as new evidence comes to light, Reece discovers dark forces working against him, endangering not only his life but the lives of those he loves.

Pardo will play Tony Liddel, one of the youngest leaders of an FBI Task Force, he leads his team with veracity and stalwart determination. He’s hell-bent on finding his fugitive and is merciless when it comes to bringing justice to bear. But while his work is simple, his home-life is complicated, and his family is what motivates him to make the world a better, safer place.

Pardo currently stars as EZ Reyes in FX’s Mayans M.C., which was recently picked up for a fourth season ahead of its third season finale.

He’ll next be seen in Thunder Road and 30West’s thriller Violence of Action alongside Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Gillian Jacobs.

FX Renews JD Pardo’s “Mayans M.C.” for Fourth Season

JD Pardo is still ridin’ high…

FX’s Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans M.C., starring the 40-year-old Salvadoran and Argentinian-American actor, has been renewed for a fourth season, coming ahead of the third-season finale of the gritty biker drama on May 11.

JD Pardo

Co-creator Elgin James took over as showrunner for the third season following the firing of his co-creator Kurt Sutter.

The fourth season will air in 2022.

Mayans M.C. follows the life of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes, played by Pardo, a newly patched member of the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp, EZ and his brother Angel (Clayton Cardenas) are closer than ever after uncovering the truth behind their mother’s murder while their father Felipe (Edward James Olmos) struggles to reconcile the choices he and his sons have made.

After U.S. Assistant District Attorney Lincoln Potter (Ray McKinnon) threatens to deport Felipe, EZ and Angel chose to leverage incriminating information to protect him rather than to free rebel leader Adelita (Carla Baratta) from federal custody, leaving her to give birth to Angel’s son while in handcuffs. Meanwhile, Miguel Galindo (Danny Pino), is left reeling over the loss of his mother to apparent suicide, while others quietly suspect foul play.

Additionally, the Mayans seek vengeance on their rivals, the Tijuana M.C. Vatos Malditos, after a surprise attack on their club. When the smoke clears, they discover the body of a Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original – there will be hell to pay.

Michael Irby, Raoul Max Trujillo, Richard Cabral, Emilio Rivera, Sarah Bolger and Sulem Calderon also star.

Mayans M.C. is executive produced by James, Michael Dinner and Sutter. The 10-episode third season is produced by 20th Television and FX Productions.

“Elgin James, his creative collaborators, this incredible cast and crew delivered on another epic season of Mayans M.C.,” said Nick Grad, President, Original Programming, FX Entertainment. “Through three seasons, Mayans has told stories that resonate well beyond the border where the club thrives and survives, inviting fans inside their world and giving them a seat at the table.”

FX to Debut Third Season of J.D. Pardo’s “Mayans M.C.” in March

J.D. Pardo will be riding again next month…

FX will launch the third season of Mayans M.C., starring the 39-year-old Salvadoran and Argentine-American actor, in March.

JD Pardo

The series, the next chapter in the Sons of Anarchy saga, will premiere on Tuesday, March 16 at 10:00 pm ET/PT on FX with the first two episodes of its 10-episode third season.

After US Assistant District Attorney Lincoln Potter (Ray McKinnon) threatens to deport Felipe, EZ (Pardo) and Angel chose to leverage incriminating information to protect him, rather than to free rebel leader Adelita (Carla Baratta) from federal custody, leaving her to give birth to Angel’s son while in handcuffs.

Meanwhile, Miguel Galindo (Danny Pino) is left reeling over the loss of his mother to apparent suicide, while others quietly suspect foul play. Additionally, the Mayans seek vengeance on their rivals, the Tijuana M.C. Vatos Malditos, after a surprise attack on their club. When the smoke clears, they discover the body of a Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original – there will be hell to pay.

Michael Irby, Raoul Max Trujillo, Richard Cabral, Emilio Rivera, Sarah Bolger and Sulem Calderon also star in the gritty motorcycle drama.

Mayans M.C. was co-created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James. The series is executive produced by James, Michael Dinner and Sutter. The 10-episode third season is produced by 20th Century Television and FX Productions.