Bleecker Street Acquires U.S. Distribution Rights to Ariana DeBose’s Sci-Fi Thriller “I.S.S.”

Ariana DeBose is heading out of this world… and into U.S. theaters. 

After its critically acclaimed world premiere at the this year’s Tribeca Film FestivalLD Entertainment’s sci-fi thriller I.S.S. starring the 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress and singer, has been picked up for U.S. release by Bleecker Street.

Ariana DeBose, I.S.S.The film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite from Nick Shafir’s script will hit theaters nationwide at a date that has not been disclosed.

I.S.S. marks Bleecker’s second collaboration with Cowperthwaite following 2017’s Megan Leavey, and its fourth with LD, which in addition to that true-life military drama, produced their films Anthropoid and Teen Spirit from Sean Ellis and Max Minghella, respectively.

The film follows two crews of scientists — one group American, the other Russian — aboard the International Space Station, as they conduct research towards the betterment of humanity. Soon, however, international tensions on Earth escalate in unpredictable ways and the teams are commanded to take control of the station at any cost.

The cast also includes Chris Messina, Pilou Asbæk, John Gallagher Jr., Costa Ronin and Masha Mashkova.

DeBose won an Academy Award for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story retelling.

Ariana DeBose to Star in the Space Thriller “ISS”

Ariana DeBose has landed an out of this world role…

The 30-year-old half-Afro-Puerto Rican actress/singer has been cast in ISS, the space thriller from LD Entertainment and director Gabriela Cowperthwaite.

Ariana DeBose

DeBose joins previously announced stars Chris Messina and Pilou Asbaek, as well as John Gallagher Jr., Costa Ronin, and Masha Mashkova.

Nick Shafir wrote the screenplay, which was featured in the recent 2020 Black List. The plot follows six astronauts living aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and the actions they take after receiving distressing information from Earth that threatens their missions and their lives.

DeBose will play Kira Foster, a promising biological engineer and the newest arrival of six astronauts aboard the ISS.

Production is set to begin this month in Wilmington, NC.,

DeBose was most recently seen in Ryan Murphy’s all-star Netflix musicalThe Prom,

She also earned a Tony Award nomination in 2018 for her portrayal of Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and was part of the Off Broadway cast of Hamilton.

Up next, she can be seen in the role of Anita for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake.

HBO to Premiere Season 3 of Rodrigo Santoro’s “Westworld” in March

Rodrigo Santorois heading West(world) this March…

HBO has set Sunday, March 15 at 9:00 pm for the release of the eight-episode third season of its Emmy-winning drama series Westworldstarring the 44-year-old Brazilian actor.

Rodrigo Santoro

In addition to Santoro, who portrays Hector Escaton, the returning cast includes

Evan Rachel Woodas Dolores, Thandie Newtonas Maeve, Ed Harris as the Man in Black, Jeffrey Wrightas Bernard, Tessa Thompsonas Charlotte, Luke Hemsworthas Stubbs and Simon Quartermanas Lee Sizemore.

New cast members this season include Aaron PaulVincent Cassel,Lena WaitheScott MescudiMarshawn LynchJohn Gallagher Jr., and Michael and Tommy Flanagan.

Created for television by Jonathan Nolanand Lisa Joy, and based on the film written by Michael Crichton, Westworld is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the birth of a new form of life on Earth.

The theme for the new season is “New World” and at Comic-Con in July, Nolan said one of the inspirations for the new season was Blade Runner, though he noted he wanted to do it differently.

Nolan said they went out in the world to find some beautiful places to shoot to capture the show’s future. “Dystopia can look pretty beautiful in the world. Just because the world is corrupt inside, doesn’t mean it can’t be smothered over and pretty. We wanted to find a version of dystopia that we hadn’t seen before,” Nolan said at Comic-Con.

The first two seasons of Westworld received a combined 42 Emmy nominations. The second season’s 20 noms resulted in three wins, including: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Newton, Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) and Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series.

Del Rio to Star in the Action Horror Film “The Belko Experiment”

David Del Rio is experimenting…

The 27-year-old Latino actor has been cast in The Belko Experiment, the Greg McLean-directed action horror film that was written and is being produced by Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn.

David Del Rio

Gunn has been leaking out a new role a day for the MGM thriller, which stars Melonie Diaz.

Del Rio will play a snarky young man with a wicked sense of humor and a key component in the panic of the employees at a San Paulo office building who are mysteriously forced to either start killing one another or be killed.

John Gallagher Jr., Tony Goldwyn, Adria Arjona, Michael Rooker and John C. McGinley are among those already aboard.

Del Rio will next appear in Undrafted with Chace Crawford and Aaron Tveit.