Max Renews “Bookie,” Featuring Jorge Garcia, For a Second Season

Jorge Garcia’s bookie life continues…

Max has renewed its sports book series Bookie, featuring the 50-year-old Cuban & Chilean American actor and former Lost star, for a second season.

Jorge GarciaThe renewal comes two weeks after the season one finale of the show, which stars Sebastian Maniscalco.

From Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay, the series follows bookie Danny (Maniscalco) as he and his partner, former NFL star Ray (Omar Dorsey), romp around Los Angeles trying to keep their illegal sports betting operation in play.

The series premiered on November 30.

Season 2 presumably will show whether Danny can win back the affections of his wife Sandra, played by Andrea Anders, after his Super Bowl win seems to have torn them apart, as well as Ray dealing with the fallout of his mother’s wedding, which saw the groom seemingly die at the alter.

Produced by Warner Bros. TelevisionBookie also stars Vanessa Ferlito as Danny’s side-hustling sister Lorraine, Garcia as reluctantly reformed drug dealer turned soccer expert Hector and Maxim Swinton as Sandra’s ten year old son.

Charlie Sheen also reunited with Lorre for a few appearances.

“The collaboration between Chuck and Sebastian has proven to be a winning hand and we’re looking forward to continuing the story with this incredibly talented cast and crew,” says Amy Gravitt, executive vice president, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series.

Channing Dungey, chairman, Warner Bros. Television Group added, “There’s no doubt that Chuck and Nick’s Bookie won big this season as they took us on a hilarious ride into the underbelly of illegal sports gambling, featuring a cast led by another dynamic duo: Sebastian Maniscalco and Omar J. Dorsey. I’m looking forward to watching more of their antics in Season 2.  Congratulations to the entire cast and crew, and thanks to our partners at Max.”

Nestor Carbonell Starring in the Indie Drama “Motherland”

Nestor Carbonell is heading to the motherland

The 55-year-old Cuban American actor will star in Motherland, an indie drama from MPI Original Films that entered production in New York under an interim agreement.

Nestor CarbonellCarbonell, who currently stars on The Morning Show, is starring opposite Miriam Silverman, newcomer Emily Arancio and Holland Taylor.

Silverman leads the cast as Cora, who forms a protective bond with her estranged daughter Zinnia (Arancio) in an alternate present society where parents are forbidden from knowing or raising their children.

Evan Matthews is directing from a script by Nicole Swinford.

Currently starring opposite Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, which is approaching the end of its third season, Carbonell is otherwise best known for prominent roles on the popular A&E series Bates Motel and ABC’s Lost.

Also coming up for Carbonell is the FX/Hulu series Shōgun, based on the James Clavell bestseller, which premieres in February 2024.

Arancio makes her feature debut in Motherland after earning an MFA in acting from the University of Southern California.

Lana Parrilla to Appear on Season 2 of Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer”

Lana Parrilla is lawyering up…

The 45-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress has joined the cast of Netflix’s hit series The Lincoln Lawyer for Season 2 in a recurring role.

Lana ParrillaShe will play Lisa Trammell, a beloved chef and community advocate struggling to keep her restaurant afloat as a predatory real estate developer threatens the neighborhood around her.

Based on the series of bestselling novels by Michael ConnellyThe Lincoln Lawyer follows the redemption of Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a Los Angeles attorney who regains much of what he lost due to addiction with hard work and hustle. His success is also thanks to his devoted supporters: his ex-wives Maggie (Neve Campbell) and Lorna (Becki Newton), his driver and unofficial sponsor Izzy (Jazz Raycole), and the best investigator in town—and Lorna’s newly minted fiancé—Cisco (Angus Sampson).

The 10-episode second season will be based on the fourth book in The Lincoln Lawyer series by Connelly, The Fifth Witness.

Season 2 will be executive-produced by co-showrunners Ted Humphrey and Dailyn Rodriguez; as well as Connelly, David E. Kelley, Ross Fineman, Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson. The series is produced by A+E Studios for Netflix.

Parrilla is best known for her portrayal of the Evil Queen/Regina Mills in ABC’s Once Upon a Time across the show’s seven seasons. Most recently she starred as Rita Castillo in Marc Cherry’s dark dramedy Why Women Kill. She’s also appeared in various hit shows including Spin CityNYPD BlueSix Feet Under24Lost and The Shield.

Her film credits include 2000’s Very Mean Men alongside Matthew Modine and Ben Gazzara, as well as 2020’s The Tax Collector opposite Jimmy Smits and George Lopez.

Lin Manuel Miranda Challenges TV Industry to Create All-Inclusive Environment in New #SeeAll PSA

Lin Manuel Miranda is stressing the importance of diversity on the small screen…

During Sunday night’s Primetime Emmy Awards, a powerful PSA that challenges the television industry to do more to create an all-inclusive environment will air, featuring the 40-year-old Puerto Rican composer, lyricist, actor, singer, rapper, producer, and playwright.

See All,

Miranda, who created the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton, appears alongside Billy Porter, Isis King, Daniel Dae Kim, Jamie Chung and others, in the 60-second PSA, titled “See All.”

The PSA, created by the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM), a division of the New York-based Association of National Advertisers, features the actors alternating lines of the script, which opens with the appeal, “We appreciate the dialogue. We see the effort from Hollywood. But we need more.”

In the spot’s midsection, the voices raise important questions. “Do you see me in this industry? You act as if bias doesn’t exist. Would you rather breathe life into stereotypes or stand up against them? Because what I know of my culture isn’t who you portray me to be.”

The comments become more pointed as the spot progresses. “We are more than a splash of color on your white canvas. We’re not your quota. We are quotable. So show me — me. Not your me. Me.”

A social movement to #SEEALL will follow.

The actors epitomize the success in recent years of more diverse performers. Miranda, who has Puerto Rican roots, is just an Oscar away from becoming an EGOT. Porter, the star of Poseand Kinky Boots, is among today’s most high-profile LGBTQ performers. King, the first trans woman to compete on America’s Next Top Model, is one of the most visible transgender people on television. Kim, who was born in South Korea, has appeared in Lost, Hawaii Five-O and Angel. Chung, a second-generation Korean-American, has appeared in the films The Hangover Part IISucker Punch and Big Hero 6.

AIMM describes itself as “a coalition of entities from the entire marketing ecosystem, representing the Hispanic, African-American, Asian, and LGBTQ+ markets. AIMM members are focused on re-prioritizing multicultural and inclusive marketing to help companies maximize their growth potential. AIMM has been the catalyst for unprecedented industry research examining multicultural marketing opportunities and the obstacles that stand in the way of optimal growth.”

Netflix Releases New Trailer for Natalie Martinez’s Sci-Fi Thriller Series “The I-Land”

Natalie Martinez is stranded…

The new trailer has been released for Netflix’s upcoming limited series The I-Land, starring the 35-year-old Cuban American actress.

Natalie Martinez

The clip gives off some major Lord of the Flies vibes with a glimmer of Lost and a dash of The Hunger Games.

The sci-fi thriller follows ten people wake up on a treacherous island with no memory of who they are or how they got there, they set off on a trek to try to get back home. They soon discover this world is not as it seems. Faced with the I-Land’s extreme psychological and physical challenges, they must rise to their better selves — or die as their worst ones.

In addition to Martinez, the series stars Kate BosworthAlex Pettyfer,Ronald PeetKyle SchmidKota Eberhardt, Sibylla DeenAnthony Lee MedinaGilles Geary and Michele Veintimilla.

The I-Land debuts on Netflix debuts on September 12. 

Jan Luis Castellanos to Star in Quibi’s Sci-Fi Drama Series “Don’t Look Deeper”

Jan Luis Castellanos is going deeper

The 23-year-old Dominican actor has landed a role in Quibi’s sci-fi drama series Don’t Look Deeper.

Jan Luis Castellanos

Castellanos joins a supporting cast that includes Erin PinedaRaquel McPeek Rodriguez andKaiwi Lyman.

They’ll appear opposite previously announced cast members Don CheadleEmily Mortimerand Helena Howard

Belissa Escobedo, Ema Horvath, Harvey ZielinskiBrandon WinKayleigh GilbertTyler GhyzelCameron RobertsDana Gourrier, Bevin BruAmy AndersonHarvey GuillenHolly LongMakenzie Lee-FosterHartlyn Hilsman and Kate Crashround out the supporting cast. 

Catherine Hardwickeis attached to direct and executive produce.

Co-written by Lost co-creator Jeffrey Lieber, who also serves as showrunner, and Charlie McDonnellDon’t Look Deeper is set in Merced, California, “fifteen minutes into the future.” It centers on a high school senior who can’t seem to shake the feeling that something about her just isn’t right. And that something is… she’s not human… not one of us. This revelation of what she really is, where she comes from, and who has started looking for her, sets in motion a series of events that suddenly puts her entire life in jeopardy.

Castellanosrecently appeared in television on Marvel’Runaways.

Carbonell to Star in Fox’s Drama Pilot “Behind Enemy Lines”

Nestor Carbonell is reading behind the lines…

The 49-year-old Cuban/Spanish American actor has been cast opposite Marg Helgenberger and B.J. Britt in Fox’s drama pilot Behind Enemy Lines, a drama pilot loosely based on the 2001 movie.

Nestor Carbonell

Written by Nikki Toscano and directed by McG, Behind Enemy Lines is a military soap thriller wherein a group of U.S. soldiers find themselves trapped behind enemy lines. It’s described as a multiple-perspective narrative that closely follows our soldiers on the ground and the officers and service men and women on a nearby aircraft carrier, along with intelligence officers in D.C. as they attempt to bring our heroes home safely and under the radar.

Carbonell will play Mateo Rodriguez, a respected career Navy man and Executive Officer on the USS Tyson aircraft carrier.

The project hails from 20th Century Fox Television — whose feature sibling was behind the movie — studio-based Temple Hill and Davis Entertainment.

Carbonell’s previous credits include ABC‘s drama series Lost and A&E‘s drama-thriller series Bates Motel.

Grillo-Marxuach Penning “Xena: Warrior Princess” Remake for NBC

Javier Grillo-Marxuach is in warrior mode…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican television screenwriter and producer has been tapped to pen NBC’s planned remake of the popular syndicated action-adventure series Xena: Warrior Princess.

Javier Grillo-Marxuach

Grillo-Marxuach will executive produce the project with the original series’ executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi.

So far, there is no involvement by Lucy Lawless, who toplined the 1995-2001 series, though NBC brass had been open to having her on board in some capacity.

Xena: Warrior Princess

Underscoring NBCUniversal’s hopes to capitalize on the property’s global appeal, the new series is being produced by NBC’s international production unit NBC International Television Studios, headed by Michael Edelstein and JoAnn Alfano.

Grillo-Marxuach (The 100) recently sold the ABC drama project Black Stilleto with Mila Kunis executive producing.

His other credits include Lost, Charmed and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Gonzaga to Star in TBS’ Comedy Pilot “Wrecked”

Ginger Gonzaga has wrecked her career…

The part-Latina actress has been cast in the TBS pilot Wrecked, a single-camera comedy from up-and-coming writers Justin Shipley and Jordan Shipley and producer Jesse Hara.

Ginger Gonzaga

Described as Lost meets It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Wrecked follows a group of extremely diverse survivors of a plane crash on a remote island who must adjust to life in a dangerous new world that poses unique threats — mostly brought upon themselves. No longer plugged in, the group must navigate this new society and learn to live without the comforts of 2015, including social media, Wifi, indoor plumbing and Chipotle.

Gonzaga, whose television credits include Anger Management, Mixology and In Gayle We Trust, will portray Emma, who’s on her way to Thailand with her friend, Florence, after having decided to drop out of medical school.

Gonzaga’s costars include Zach Cregger, Jessica Lowe, Asif Ali, Ally Maki, Will Greenberg, Brooke Dillman, James ScottGeorge Basil and Rhys Darby.

Filming on the pilot has begun in Puerto Rico.

Campanella to Direct the USA Network’s Drama Pilot “Colony”

Juan José Campanella is joining a colony

The 55-year-old Argentine filmmaker, who won the foreign language Oscar winner for The Secret In Their Eyes, is set to direct the USA Network’s drama pilot Colony.

Juan José Campanella

Starring former Lost co-star Josh Holloway, the family drama/thriller centers on life in Los Angeles after a mysterious “foreign” occupation. Holloway will play the main character, Will Bowman, a former FBI agent who — to protect his family — is forced to collaborate with the occupational government to bring down the growing resistance movement inside the Los Angeles colony.

Colony, written and executive produced by Lost executive producer/showrunner Carlton Cuse and Ryan Condal, is a co-production between Legendary Television and Universal Cable Productions.

Campanella’s other credits include directing episodes of Halt and Catch Fire, House MD, 30 Rock and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.