America Ferrera to Serve as a Presenter at This Weekend’s Golden Globes

Posted on January 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera will be hitting the Golden Globes stage…

The full lineup of presenters for Sunday’s Golden Globes is set, with the 39-year-old Honduran American award-winning actress among the artists set to hand out trophies at the Beverly Hilton.

Ferrera, a Golden Globe winner for Ugly Betty and Barbie star, appears on a list of preseners that includes Amanda Seyfried, Andra Day, Angela Bassett, Annette Bening, Ben Affleck, Daniel Kaluuya, Don Cheadle, Dua Lipa, Elizabeth Banks, Florence Pugh, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Gabriel Macht, George Lopez, Hailee Steinfeld, Hunter Schafer, Issa Rae, Jared Leto, Jodie Foster, Jon Batiste, Jonathan Bailey, Julia Garner, Justin Hartley, Kate Beckinsale, Keri Russell, Kevin Costner, Mark Hamill, Matt Damon, Michelle Yeoh, Naomi Watts, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Patrick J. Adams, Ray Romano, Rose McIver, Shameik Moore, Simu Liu, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Will Ferrell.

Jo Koy will host the Golden Globes, which will honor the year’s best in motion pictures and television.

The ceremony will air beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Among this year’s Golden Globe nominees in 26 categories, 2023’s box office champ Barbie from Warner Bros leads all films with nine, followed by Universal’s Oppenheimer with eight and Apple’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Searchlight’s Poor Things with seven apiece.

In the TV races, HBO’s final go-round with Succession has nine noms, the most-ever for a series, scoring mentions in all categories in which it was eligible.

Netflix Releases First Trailer for “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Featuring Paola Nuñez

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Paola Nuñez is about to fall…

Netflix has released the first trailer for The Fall of the House of Usher, featuring the 45-year-old Mexican actress and producer, ahead of the series’ October 12 premiere.

From creator Mike Flanagan, the 8-episode limited series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, follows ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher who have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.

In addition to Nunez, The Fall of the House of Usher also stars Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Michael Trucco, T’Nia Miller, Henry Thomas, Kyleigh Curran, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Zach Gilford, Willa Fitzgerald, Katie Parker, Malcolm Goodwin, Crystal Balint, Aya Furukawa, Daniel Jun, Matt Biedel, Ruth Codd, Annabeth Gish, Igby Rigney and Robert Longstreet.

Flanagan and Michael Fimognari will each direct four episodes.

Fred Armisen Stars in Official Video for George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord”

Posted on December 16, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Fred Armisen has a sweet new project…

It only took 50 years, but George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” finally has its first official video, with a special appearance by the 55-year-old half-Venezuelan American actor/comedian/musician.

In the star-packed effort directed by Lance Bangs and executive produced by Harrison’s son Dhani Harrison with David Zonshine, the new “My Sweet Lord” video stars Armisen and Vanessa Bayer as “metaphysical special agents” searching for something that can’t be seen. Sending them on the mission: Star Wars’ Mark Hamill himself.

With seemingly most of Hollywood and New York celebrities showing up for cameos, the video includes appearances by Darren Criss, Jon Hamm, Rosanna Arquette, Joe Walsh, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Reggie Watts, Moshe Kasher, Natasha Leggero, Patton Oswalt, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, Garfunkel and Oates (Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome), Taika Waititi, Shepard Fairey, Aimee Mullins, Rupert Friend and Harrison’s wife Olivia Harrison and their son Dhani.

Harrison’s former bandmates Ringo Starr and Jeff Lynne also appear

“Making this was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life,” said director Bangs in a statement. “The approach was to represent the song visually while these agents and inspectors kept missing the metaphysical wonder around them. Images are choreographed to the sounds of vocal melodies, guitar strums, drum patterns, chord changes.

“George threaded a sense of humor through all of his videos, so we kept that spirit and filled the cast with friends and admirers of his music, many coming from the current comedy landscape. I tracked down vintage prime lenses from some of the films George’s HandMade Films had produced, and I hope that viewers can feel a sense of wonder and searching while they watch it, and that the song continues to add to all of our lives.”

The video for “My Sweet Lord” features the new 2020 mix of the song mixed by engineer Paul Hicks released August 6 for the 50th anniversary editions of Harrison’s All Things Must Pass.

Rosario Dawson to Lead Virtual Online Table Read of Holiday Classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Rosario Dawson is bringing the wonderful…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist will star opposite Jason Sudeikis in an all-star virtual online table read of the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life.

The special event will benefit The Ed Asner Family Center (TEAFC), which promotes mental health and enrichment programs to children with special needs and their families.

The one-night-only event is set for December 5, with a cast that also includes Mark Hamill, Martin Sheen, Mandy Patinkin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Phil Lamarr, Ben Mankiewicz, Ron Funches, Ed Harris, and Sudeikis’ real-life uncle George Wendt. The Cheers actor will play Uncle Billy to Sudeikis’ George Bailey.

The Asner benefit is presented in partnership with Turner Classic Movies and sponsored by MeTV, and this year also will honor Mike Darnell, President of Unscripted and Alternative Television at Warner Bros., and his family.

The cast will include Darnell’s daughter and Social Director of TEAFC, Chelsea Darnell, autistic actors Spencer Harte and Domonique Brown along with neurodivergent TEAFC members Ryan Booth and Lucas Salusky. Victor Nelli will return to direct. Tom Bergeron hosts.

“My father’s passing has left an indescribable hole in my heart,” said Matt Asner, son of Ed Asner & Co-Founder of The Ed Asner Family Center. “For our annual fundraising gala this year, I want to honor my father’s legacy as both a legendary actor and a staunch advocate for people of all abilities.”

Tickets start at $25, with commemorative holiday gift items also available. Also planned is a silent auction and a musical intermission.

The live virtual table read begins at 5:00 pm PT on Sunday, December 5. Ticket information can be found here.

Robert Rodriguez Teams Up with Baby Yoda for Holiday Jam Session

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Rodriguez has delivered fans of The Mandalorian (and Baby Yoda) the ultimate Christmas gift…

The 52-year-old Mexican American filmmaker and director, and The Book of Boba Fett executive producer joined the Child (a.k.a. Grogu) for a holiday jam session.

Rodriguez, who also directed Alita: Battle Angel and Netflix’s We Can Be Heroes, tweeted a video on Christmas Eve that served as an early holiday present to fans asking what it’s like to be on set with the beloved creature at the center of Jon Favreau’s Star Wars spin-off. Strumming the chords of his guitar, Rodriguez joined the child for a short performance.

In the video Rodriguez strums out an excerpt of a snazzy number while the Child nods his head, smiles and coos to the beat.

Rodriguez directed Chapter 14, titled The Tragedy, of the Disney+ series which stars Pedro Pascal in the titular role. The Mandalorian rounded off its second season a week before Christmas with a buzzy finale that had Star Wars fans celebrating the return of familiar faces.

The final episode of The Mandalorian season two saw The Child join Luke Skywalker (a CGI’ed version of Mark Hamill) and R2-D2 to train in the ways of the Jedi.

Here’s a Christmas present to all those who asked me what it’s like to hang out with Baby Yoda on the set of #TheMandalorian #TheTragedy. Check out #DisneyGallery for more behind the scenes! pic.twitter.com/6ShINBxJAN

— Robert Rodriguez (@Rodriguez) December 25, 2020

FX Renews Harvey Guillén’s “What We Do In The Shadows” for a Third Season

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Harvey Guillén will be seeing his shadow(s) for longer…

FX has ordered a third season of What We Do In The Shadows, starringthe 30-year-old Latino actor, producer and writer.

The cable network ordered a third run of the show ahead of the June 10 finale of its second season. FX said that the second season, which is averaging 3.2M total viewers across linear and digital platforms, including FX on Hulu, through its first six episodes, was up 25% on season one.

In addition to Guillen, the mockumentary series, which is based on Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s 2014 feature film, stars Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou and Mark Proksch.

It follows the lives of four vampires who’ve “lived” together for hundreds of years in the New York borough of Staten Island.

This group includes Nandor The Relentless (Novak), a great warrior and conqueror from the Ottoman Empire, British vampire Laszlo (Berry), a bit of a rogue and a dandy and a fop and Nadja (Demetriou), his lover, a wise seductress. Then there’s Guillermo (Guillén), Nandor’s familiar, who wants nothing more than to be made a real vampire just like his master, Colin Robinson (Proksch), an energy vampire and day-walker of sorts – he feasts on humans, but not on their blood.

The second season also featured a guest spot from Star Wars’ Mark Hamill as a vampire searching for Laszlo, who owed him money.

“We’re incredibly happy that critics and audiences are all in on Shadows,”Nick Grad, President, Original Programming, FX Entertainment said. “Week in and week out, the producers, writers and our amazing cast continue to make one of the funniest and best comedy series on TV.”

Guillen previously appeared on television in Huge, Eye Candy, The Magicians and The Good Place.

Helena Bonham-Carter Joins Voice Cast of Netflix’s “Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance”

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Helena Bonham-Carter is putting up some Resistance…

The 52-year-old part Spanish actress has joined the all-star voice cast of Netflix’s forthcoming Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nathalie Emmanuel have been cast as respective Gefling heroes Rian, Brea and Deet, while Bonham-Carter, Toby Jones, Alicia Vikander, Simon Pegg and Andy Samberg also lend their voices to the return of Jim Henson’s classic that will launch globally in 2019.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is based on Henson’s 1982 feature The Dark Crystal. The series tells a new epic story, set many years before the events of the movie and realized using classic puppetry with cutting-edge visual effects. We find that the world of Thra is dying. At the heart of Thra is the Crystal of Truth, a source of untold power. But it is damaged, corrupted by the evil Skeksis, and a sickness spreads across the land. When three Gelflings uncover the horrific truth behind the power of the Skeksis, an adventure unfolds as the fires of rebellion are lit and an epic battle for the planet begins.

Also joining the voice cast are Caitriona Balfe, Harris Dickinson, Natalie Dormer, Eddie Izzard, Theo James, Shazad Latif, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mark Strong.

The Skeksis & Mystics will be voiced by Harvey Fierstein, Mark Hamill, Ralph Ineson, Jason Isaacs,Keegan-Michael Keyand Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. Aughra will be voiced by Donna Kimball.

Additional characters will also be voiced by puppeteers from the production.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Perform at This Year’s Tony Awards

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is making his triumphant return to the Tony Awards…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican composer, playwright, actor and singer will perform on Sunday’s Tonycast, almost one year after his hit Broadway musical Hamilton swept the awards.

The casts of Bandstand, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Falsettos, Groundhog Day The Musical, Hello, Dolly!, Miss Saigon, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and War Paint will perform during 71st Annual Tony Awards, which CBS will broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall from 8:00 to 11:00 PM.

There’s still no word on what Miranda will perform.

There will be additional performances by The Radio City Rockettes and Tony Award winners Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton).

There will be additional appearances by Scott Bakula, Sara Bareilles, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bloom, Glenn Close, Stephen Colbert, Brian d’Arcy James, Cynthia Erivo, Tina Fey, Sutton Foster, Josh Gad, Whoopi Goldberg, Jonathan Groff, Mark Hamill, Taraji P. Henson, Christopher Jackson, Allison Janney, Scarlett Johansson, Anna Kendrick, Keegan-Michael Key, Nick Kroll, John Legend, John Lithgow, Patina Miller, John Mulaney, David Oyelowo, Chazz Palminteri, Sarah Paulson, Lea Salonga, Tom Sturridge, Tommy Tune, Olivia Wilde, and 2017 Tony nominees Sally Field, Josh Groban, Bette Midler and Ben Platt.

Although Midler will appear as a presenter in one of the acting categories, she is not scheduled to participate in the Hello, Dolly! segment, which will be led by co-star Hyde Pierce. The blockbuster production’s offer to present the title song, or another of Dolly’s show-stoppers, live via remote from the Shubert Theatre was declined by the Tony producers.

The ceremony will be hosted by Tony and Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey.

The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Armisen Lending His Voice to NBC’s Animated Special “Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas”

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Fred Armisen will be ringin’ (and singin’) in the holiday season.

The 47-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star has been added to the voice cast of NBC’s animated holiday special Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas.

Toplined by The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons, the animated special is set to air on December 16 at 8:00 pm ET. Parsons will voice Buddy in the special based on the 2003 film Elf starring Will Ferrell and the hit Broadway show Elf: The Musical.

Santa narrates the story of Buddy’s travels to New York City to meet the father he never knew he had. Along the way his unrelenting cheer transforms the lives of everyone he meets and opens his father’s eyes to the magic of Christmas.

In addition to Armisen and Parsons, the Voice cast also includes Mark Hamill, Ed Asner, Jay Leno, Matt Lauer, Gilbert Gottfried, Kate Micucci, Rachael MacFarlane, Max Charles and Steve Higgins.

Isaac to Star in the J.J. Abrams-Helmed “Star Wars: Episode VII”

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

May the force be with Oscar Isaac…

The 35-year-old Guatemalan/Cuban actor is among the stars joining the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Though casting rumors have been circulating for months about the upcoming prequel from filmmaker J.J. Abrams, an official cast announcement was made Tuesday on the movie’s official website by Disney and Lucasfilm.

Other newcomers to the Star Wars franchise include John Boyega, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Daisy Ridley and Max von Sydow.

Original stars returning for the film include Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker and Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca.

“We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII,” Abrams said in a statement. “It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

Disney and Lucasfilm did not reveal who the newcomers will be portraying in the film, but Driver and Boyega are reportedly playing the film’s villain, who will be in the vein of Darth Vader, and the lead, respectively.

Episode VII will take place 30 years after Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to open in theaters on December 18, 2015.

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