Bardem to Star in AMC’s “The Son”

Carlos Bardem has landed his first American role…

The 53-year-old Spanish actor has joined the cast of AMC’s The Son

Carlos Bardem  

Based on Philipp Meyer’s acclaimed novel, the film is a multi-generational epic telling of the story of America’s birth as a superpower through the bloody rise and fall of one Texas family.

Production will begin in Austin, Texas in June and the 10 one-hour episodes are set to premiere in 2017.

British director Tom Harper is helming the pilot.

He’ll play the patriarch whose family is the last of the wealthy Spanish aristocracy in South Texas. He’s a proud American, but must walk a careful line between his fellow ranchers and the Mexican radicals who employ terrorist tactics in an effort to drive the Anglos out of the Rio Grande Valley.

Bardem, the brother of Javier Bardem, recently completed work on New Regency’s Assassin’s Creed alongside Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, out later this year.

His past credits include Escobar: Paradise Lost opposite Benicio del Toro and Josh Hutcherson, Che: Part 2 for director Steven Soderbergh, and Scorpion In Love, which he wrote and starred in.

Meyer, Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy wrote the adaptation.

Saldaña to Serve as a Presenter at This Year’s Academy Awards

Zoë Saldaña is ready to take the Oscars stage…

The 36-year-old half-Dominican/half-Puerto Rican American actress has been added to the list of presenters for the 87th Academy Awards.

Zoe Saldana

Following breakthrough roles in Center Stage and Crossroads, Saldaña went on to star in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. In recent years, she earned acclaim for portraying Nyota Uhura in Star Trek and its sequel Star Trek Into Darkness, as well as for her role as Neytiri in James Cameron‘s Avatar. Last year, she portrayed Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Other presenters include Oscar winner Octavia Spencer, Scarlett Johansson and Josh Hutcherson.

The Oscars will take place on February 22.

del Toro to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at San Sebastian International Film Festival

Benicio del Toro is about to add another award to his collection…

The 48-year-old Puerto Rican actor and film producer and Oscar-winner will receive the Donostia Award for Lifetime Achievement at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Benicio del Toro III

del Toro’s latest film Escobar: Paradise Lostwill close the Pearls Selection at the festival, which runs September 19-27.

Escobar, written by Andrea di Stefano, tells the story of young surfer Nick who thinks he has landed in paradise when he falls in love with a Colombian girl on a visit to see his brother who is living in the South American country only to have it change when he meets her uncle, Pablo Escobar.

del Toro has confirmed that he’ll come to San Sebastian to present the film and receive the Donostia at the closing ceremony. Di Stefano, Josh Hutcherson and Carlos Bardem will also be present for the film’s Spanish premiere.

del Toro is a favorite at San Sebastian where he has accompanied films from his career.

del Toro won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic as well as an Oscar nomination for his work in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 21 Grams.

del Toro re-teamed with Soderbergh to star in the biography of Che Guevera Che. The performance won him the Best Actor award at the Palme D’Or Closing Ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, and again the following year at the Goya Awards in Madrid, Spain.

He starred opposite Emily Blunt and Anthony Hopkins in Joe Johnston’s The Wolfman and as Lado in Oliver Stone’s Savages.

del Toro was starred as Jimmy, the lead in Jimmy P. The film was screened at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. He was last seen in Guardians of the Galaxy a sci-fi action film for Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Enterprises, which was released in the beginning of August 2014.

Next year he’ll play Mambru in Fernando Leon’s A Perfect Day and Sauncho Smilax in Inherent Vice, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

The actor is currently in production on Denis Villeneuve’s Sicaro.

Lovato to Perform at This Year’s Teen Choice Awards

Demi Lovato will storm this year’s Teen Choice Awards

The 21-year-old part-Mexican singer/actress and former The X Factor judge will take the stage at this year’s Teen Choice Awards alongside Cher Lloyd.

Demi Lovato

The two will perform their dancetastic duet “Really Don’t Care,” the latest single off Lovato’s self-titled 2013 album, according to Fox.

Lovato has several nominations. She is up for Choice Summer Song and Choice Break-Up Song with Lloyd for “Really Don’t Care.” She’s also nominated for Choice Summer Music Star: Female as well as Choice Love Song for her duet with The Vamps, “Somebody to You.”

In addition to Lovato, the network also confirmed that Rita Ora will perform her latest single “I Will Never Let You Down.”

Additionally, Hilary Duff, Megan Fox, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Hart, Colton Haynes, Josh Hutcherson, Sarah Hyland, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Lea Michele, The Band Perry and Nat Wolff will all make appearances.

The Teen Choice Awards will air on August 10 at 8:00 pm ET on Fox.

Lopez to Receive Vanguard Award at the GLAAD Media Awards

It’s a Vanguard moment for Jennifer Lopez 

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer-actress and American Idol judge will be feted at the GLAAD Media Awards next month, the LGBT advocacy organization announced Monday.

Jennifer Lopez

Lopez, an executive producer on ABC Family’s The Fosters, will be recognized with the Vanguard Award at the ceremony, which will take place at the Beverly Hilton on April 12.

The Vanguard Award is presented to artists and media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Along with her strong support of LGBT issues in the media, Lopez is being recognized for her work on The Fosters, a GLAAD Media Award-nominated drama series about a lesbian couple raising a family of biological, adopted and foster children. Lopez’s inspiration for producing The Fosters came from her late aunt, who faced prejudice because of her sexual orientation and was unable to have her own family.

“Through her work to bring The Fosters to life and by consistently speaking out as a powerful ally, Jennifer Lopez has not only sent a message of acceptance to LGBT adults and young people, but inspired new support for our community among her many fans around the globe,” said GLAAD CEO and president Sarah Kate Ellis. “Family is about love, and that’s a message Jennifer has shared with millions through her groundbreaking work on The Fosters.”

Previous Vanguard honorees include Antonio Banderas, Drew Barrymore, Kristin Chenoweth, Whoopi Goldberg, Josh Hutcherson, Janet Jackson, Eric McCormack, Liza Minnelli, Sharon Stone and Elizabeth Taylor.

Radius-TWC Acquires North American Rights to del Toro’s Pablo Escobar-Film “Paradise Lost”

Benicio del Toro’s Paradise Lost will find itself in theaters in North America in the near future…

Radius-TWC has just closed a $2 million deal with Pathé for the North American rights to the 46-year-old’s Paradise Lost.

Benicio del Toro in Paradise Lost

Directed by Andrea Di Stefano, the film stars The Hunger GamesJosh Hutcherson as a young surfer who visits his brother in Colombia and falls in love with the country, especially when he meets and marries the gorgeous girl of his dreams.

He then he finds himself thrust into the family business. She’s the niece of notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, portrayed by del Toro.

The film also stars Brady Corbet and newcomer Claudia Traisac.

“We have been tracking this project for months and could not be more energized by Benicio’s outstanding performance, Josh’s extraordinary turn and Claudia Traisac’s star-making role,” said Radius presidents Tom Quinn and Jason Janego. “Di Stefano has delivered the goods and we feel privileged to be working alongside him on this fantastic film.”

Aguilera Records “We Remain” for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” Soundtrack

Christina Aguilera’s musical career us catching fire

The 32-year-old half-Ecuadorian singer and The Voice coach will appear on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack.

Christina Aguilera

Aguilera’s track, titled “We Remain,” joins the previously released piano ballad “Atlas,” written and performed by Coldplay, as well as The National‘s “Lean.”

Aguilera made the announcement via Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, telling her more than 9.4 million followers the news: “Love the underlying message of @TheHungerGames. ‘We Remain’ is special new song, its message to my fans & how I connect w/ the movie, alike.”

Aguilera’s last album was 2012’s Lotus and she has been a featured artist on several songs, including Pitbull‘s “Feel This Moment,” released earlier this year.

After taking the fourth cycle of The Voice off, the singer returned to NBC‘s hit singing competition series on September 23.

In Catching Fire, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) adjust to life as Hunger Games victors, until they are thrown back into the arena for the 75th annual Games — the Quarter Quell.

Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci and Woody Harrelson reprise their roles in the second film of the franchise.

Catching Fire hits theaters November 22.

A release date for the accompanying soundtrack, to be distributed by Lionsgate and Republic Records, has not been announced yet.

del Toro’s “Paradise Lost” to be Filmed in Panama

It looks like Benicio del Toro’s Paradise Lost will be found in Panama…

As previously reported, the 46-year-old Puerto Rican actor will be starring in Paradise Lost, a romance-thriller involving the niece of late Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. And now official sources that the film will be shot in Panama.

Benicio del Toro

del Toro will portray Escobar, who is the subject of several projects including the film Silver or Lead and a drama series from Netflix.

The source didn’t go into detail about when the shooting would begin or at what precise locations, saying the production company has asked for “maximum discretion.”

But media outlets say some technical staff had begun arriving in Panama, while del Toro will be in the Central American country next week when filming starts in the western province of Chiriqui, which borders Costa Rica, and Cerro Azul, a mountainous area outside Panama City.

The film will be the directorial debut of Italy’s Andrea Di Stefano, who also wrote the screenplay.

Paradise Lost tells of the romance that develops between Pablo Escobar’s niece, Mary, and a surfer named Nick (Josh Hutcherson), who falls in love with the young woman during a trip to Colombia.

del Toro Starring as Drug Lord Pablo Escobar in “Paradise Lost”

Don’t blame Benicio del Toro if he gets a little lost in his new role…

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican will be starring as notoriousdrug lord Pablo Escobar in Paradise Lost. And it looks like The Hunter GamesJosh Hutcherson could be del Toro’s co-star. He’s currently in negotiations to join the cast.

Benicio del Toro

Directed/written by Life of Pi scribe Andrea di Stefano, the film isn’t exactly an Escobar biopic, but is instead being compared to The Last King of Scotland.

Hutcherson would actually be the principal character in the fact-based tale. He’d portray Nick, a young Irish surfer who visits his brother in Colombia. There he meets the love of his life — until he meets her uncle Pablo.

The film will begin production in Panama in March.

del Toro most recently starred opposite Salma Hayek and Blake Lively in Oliver Stone‘s Savages, where he played the henchman to Hayek’s drug-dealing character.

The Latest Trailer for “Epic,” Featuring Pitbull, Released

He’s already considered a lively performer… But now Pitbull is getting really animated!

The 31-year-old Cuban American rap superstar, as previously reported, is lending his voice to the animated 3D film Epic. And, now 20thCentury Fox has released the second trailer for the film, directed by Ice Age’s Chris Wedge.

Pitbull voices the character of Bufo in the film, which centers on a girl who finds herself magically transported into a secret universe deep in the forest where there’s a major battle brewing between the forces of good and evil. She bands together with a rag-tag group of characters in order to save their world – and ours.

Epic

Along with Pitbull, the voice cast includes Amanda Seyfried, Beyonce, Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Jason Sudeikis and Steven Tyler.

Epic will be released on May 24, 2013.