HBO Gives Formal Series Pickup to Cannavale’s Untitled Rock ‘n’ Roll Project

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale is ready to rock ‘n’ HBO…

HBO has given a formal series pickup to the untitled rock ‘n’ roll project from Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger and Terence Winter starring the 44-year-old half-Cuban American actor.

The long-gestating drama, created by Winter, had been in the works at HBO since 2010. But the project gained momentum last year when Boardwalk Empire standout Cannavale was cast as the lead.

The untitled hourlong drama is set in 1970s New York and explores the drug- and sex-fueled music business as punk and disco were breaking out, all through the eyes of a record executive (Cannavale) trying to resurrect his label and find the next new sound.

Olivia Wilde, Ray Romano and Juno Temple co-star, and the cast includes Andrew Dice Clay, Ato Essandoh, Max Casella, James Jagger, Jack Quaid, Birgitte Sorenson, P.J. Byrne, J.C. MacKenzie, Bo Dietl, Robert Funaro and Joe Caniano.

Scorsese, who directed the pilot, had worked with Jagger, directing the 2008 Rolling Stones documentary Shine A Light, which led to their collaboration on the rock ‘n’ roll drama.

del Toro to Executive Produce/Possibly Star in HBO’s Drama Series “Cortes,” Currently in Development

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Benicio del Toro is ready to conquer a new role…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican actor/film producer and Oscar-winner will executive produce Cortes, a high-profile drama series in development at HBO.

Cortes will tell the sweeping story of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, who brought down the Aztec empire; Malinche, the Mayan girl who helped him do it; and Montezuma, the Aztec leader he befriended and finally put in chains.

del Toro is also interested in starring as the Spanish conqueror.

The subject matter has the makings of a compelling drama as Cortés’ legacy is a complex one. On one hand, he won Mexico for Spain and extended the Spanish Empire. But from the indigenous’ point of view, he was a mass murderer who spearheaded the destruction of one of the greatest civilizations of that time.

Cortes is being written/executive produced by Mississippi Burning scribe Chris Gerolmo, and directed/executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

Lopez Named NYC’s New Leader of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Cynthia Lopez is the new leader of the Big Apple’s film and television community…

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has named the Latina film and television veteran as New York City’s new commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

The native New Yorker, who served as executive vice president and co-executive producer of American Documentary and PBS documentary series POV, has more than two decades of experience in New York City’s film and television industries.

At POV, she was responsible for all aspects of development including programming, community engagement, digital strategies and overall strategic growth of the organization.

During Lopez’s tenure, POV earned numerous awards and last year was one of only 13 nonprofits worldwide to receive a $1 million MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

“The film and television industries are central to New York City’s cultural vitality and to economic strength,” de Blasio said in a statement. “Cynthia has the experience and understands how the industry works in the city, and as commissioner, she will lead the administration’s efforts to continue keeping New York City a top filming destination — while opening up the industry to New Yorkers from all five boroughs.”

Lopez has made it a priority to promote the work of filmmakers from traditionally unrepresented groups and mentor first-time filmmakers, but she’s also something of a left-field choice, with insiders describing her as a sleeper candidate with extensive experience.

“Having spent my entire career working in the television and film industries in New York, I’m honored to join the de Blasio administration,” Lopez said in a statement. “New York City is a thriving center of production and home to thousands of creative professionals who contribute to the film and television industries — and I look forward to leading the administration’s efforts to drive more film production to New York.”

The commission over the last decade has revitalized the city’s film and TV production, bringing millions of dollars to the state via aggressive tax credits and a streamlined permit process. Currently 29 TV series are based in New York, while an average of 200 films — from tentpole blockbusters to indies — are shot here each year. It is estimated that 130,000 New Yorkers work behind the scenes in film and TV production.

Since 2004, film and television production has grown from $5 billion to $7.1 billion, with such films as Darren Aronofsky‘s Noah and Martin Scorsese‘s The Wolf of Wall Streetand Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2filming in New York.

Television also thrived under Bloomberg’s reign with The Blacklist, Person of Interest, Girls and The Good Wife (where de Blasio made a recent guest appearance in a taxi cab video) becoming staples on New York City streets, and the growth of numerous studios including Steiner Studios, Silvercup, Kaufman Astoria and Broadway Stages.

Steiner Studios chairman Douglas C. Steiner said of de Blasio’s pick, “It’s incredibly challenging to produce television shows and feature films. It’s exponentially more difficult to make documentaries. Cynthia Lopez has had a stellar career in the documentary field. We’re thrilled with her selection as the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment — her experience in the trenches will help make New York City even more attractive to the exploding industry of content creation, which is vital to the city’s future.”

Cannavale In Talks to Appear in the Melissa McCarthy-Starrer “Spy”

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale has his spy on a new movie role…

The 43-year-old half-Cuban American actor is in talks to join the cast of Spy, the Melissa McCarthy action comedy from director Paul Feig.

The film, which at one point was titled Susan Cooper, centers on a CIA analyst who goes into the field to find the person responsible for the death of her lover.

Jude Law is already on board as the ill-fated lover, a suave super-spy, while Jason Statham will play an overconfident yet clumsy spy. Also in the cast are Rose Byrne and British comedienne Miranda Hart.

Cannavale is in negotiations to portray one of the villains, an Italian lothario.

Feig will direct the film from a script he wrote.

Cannavale, who won a Primetime Emmy for his performance on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, also appears in Jon Favreau‘s upcoming indie Chef.

He has Imagine, a drama with Al Pacino and Annette Bening, and Annie, Sony‘s remake starring Jamie Foxx, in the can and was recently cast in Martin Scorsese’s untitled rock ‘n’ roll HBO pilot.

Cuarón Wins Directors Guild of America Award for “Gravity”

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

The prizes just keep coming for Alfonso Cuarón…

The 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker took home the top honor at the 66th annual Directors Guild of America Awards, held Saturday.

Cuarón, who won his first-ever Producers Guild of America Award last weekend, was announced as the final winner of the night for his critically acclaimed work helming the 3D sci-fi thriller Gravity.

He beat out Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), David O. Russell (American Hustle), Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips) and Martin Scorsese (Wolf of Wall Street) for the DGA Award.

During a special presentation to Cuarón, Gravity star Sandra Bullock made a few jokes about Cuaron’s thick accent during shooting, but then praised him for his bravery and imagination.

“You not only gave me a once in a lifetime opportunity but you gave it to me when I thought I had nothing left to offer as an actor,” she said.

Cuarón is now considered the frontrunner to take home the Oscar for Best Director at this year’s upcoming Academy Awards, where he’s up for three awards.

Jonás Cuarón Earns His First BAFTA Awards Nomination

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Like father, like son…

Jonás Cuarón, the son of Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, has earned his first BAFTA Awards nomination.

The Mexican filmmaker has been nominated with his father in the original screenplay category, for writing their blockbuster hit Gravity.

It’s one of the whopping 11 nominations the 3D sci-fi film earned from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, including Best Film and Best British Film.

Cuarón’s father also earned a Best Editing and Best Director nod, the latest nomination in that category for one of Entertainment Weekly’s 2013 Entertainers of the Year. He’s up against 12 Years A Slave’s Steve McQueen, American Hustle’s David O. Russell, Captain Phillips’ Paul Greengrass and The Wolf Of Wall Street’s Martin Scorsese in the director field.

Meantime, Cuarón’s longtime collaborator, Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, earned a Best Cinematography nod for his work on Gravity.

Lastly, Rush star Daniel Brühl continues to earn awards recognition for portraying real-life racing legend Niki Lauda in Ron Howard‘s Formula One racing drama. Following his SAG Award and Golden Globe nods, the 35-year-old half-Spanish actor will take on Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra), Michael Fassbender (12 Years A Slave) and Bradley Cooper (American Hustle) in the race for the best supporting actor trophy.

The British Academy Film Awards will take place on February 16 at the Royal Opera House in London, with the ceremony broadcast exclusively on BBC One in the U.K. and in all major territories around the world.

Here’s the complete list of BAFTA nominations:

BEST FILM
12 YEARS A SLAVE
AMERICAN HUSTLE
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
GRAVITY
PHILOMENA

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
GRAVITY
MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
PHILOMENA
RUSH
SAVING MR. BANKS
THE SELFISH GIANT

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
COLIN CARBERRY (Writer), GLENN PATTERSON (Writer) Good Vibrations
KELLY MARCEL (Writer) Saving Mr. Banks
KIERAN EVANS (Director/Writer) Kelly + Victor
PAUL WRIGHT (Director/Writer), POLLY STOKES (Producer) For Those in Peril
SCOTT GRAHAM (Director/Writer) Shell

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE ACT OF KILLING Joshua Oppenheimer, Signe Byrge Sørensen
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR Abdellatif Kechiche, Brahim Chioua, Vincent Maraval
THE GREAT BEAUTY Paolo Sorrentino, Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima
METRO MANILA Sean Ellis, Mathilde Charpentier
WADJDA Haifaa Al-Mansour, Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul

DOCUMENTARY
THE ACT OF KILLING Joshua Oppenheimer
THE ARMSTRONG LIE Alex Gibney
BLACKFISH Gabriela Cowperthwaite
TIM’S VERMEER Teller,Penn Jillette, Farley Ziegler
WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS Alex Ginny

ANIMATED FILM
DESPICABLE ME 2 Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
FROZEN Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY Dan Scanlon

DIRECTOR
12 YEARS A SLAVE Steve McQueen
AMERICAN HUSTLE David O. Russell
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Paul Greengrass
GRAVITY Alfonso Cuarón
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Martin Scorsese

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN HUSTLE Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell
BLUE JASMINE Woody Allen
GRAVITY Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
NEBRASKA Bob Nelson

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
12 YEARS A SLAVE John Ridley
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Richard LaGravenese
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Billy Ray
PHILOMENA Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Terence Winter

LEADING ACTOR
BRUCE DERN Nebraska
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR 12 Years a Slave
CHRISTIAN BALE American Hustle
LEONARDO DICAPRIO The Wolf of Wall Street
TOM HANKS Captain Phillips

LEADING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS American Hustle
CATE BLANCHETT Blue Jasmine
EMMA THOMPSON Saving Mr. Banks
JUDI DENCH Philomena
SANDRA BULLOCK Gravity

SUPPORTING ACTOR
BARKHAD ABDI Captain Phillips
BRADLEY COOPER American Hustle
DANIEL BRÜHL Rush
MATT DAMON Behind the Candelabra
MICHAEL FASSBENDER 12 Years a Slave

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
JENNIFER LAWRENCE American Hustle
JULIA ROBERTS August: Osage County
LUPITA NYONG’O 12 Years a Slave
OPRAH WINFREY The Butler
SALLY HAWKINS Blue Jasmine

ORIGINAL MUSIC
12 YEARS A SLAVE Hans Zimmer
THE BOOK THIEF John Williams
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Henry Jackman
GRAVITY Steven Price
SAVING MR. BANKS Thomas Newman

CINEMATOGRAPHY
12 YEARS A SLAVE Sean Bobbitt
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Barry Ackroyd
GRAVITY Emmanuel Lubezki
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Bruno Delbonnel
NEBRASKA Phedon Papamichael

EDITING
12 YEARS A SLAVE Joe Walker
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Christopher Rouse
GRAVITY Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger
RUSH Dan Hanley, Mike Hill
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Thelma Schoonmaker

PRODUCTION DESIGN
12 YEARS A SLAVE Adam Stockhausen, Alice Baker
AMERICAN HUSTLE Judy Becker, Heather Loeffler
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Howard Cummings
GRAVITY Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin, Joanne Woodlard
THE GREAT GATSBY Catherine Martin, Beverley Dunn

COSTUME DESIGN
AMERICAN HUSTLE Michael Wilkinson
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Ellen Mirojnick
THE GREAT GATSBY Catherine Martin
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN Michael O’Connor
SAVING MR. BANKS Daniel Orlandi

MAKE UP & HAIR
AMERICAN HUSTLE Evelyne Noraz, Lori McCoy-Bell
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Kate Biscoe, Marie Larkin
THE BUTLER Debra Denson, Beverly Jo Pryor, Candace Neal
THE GREAT GATSBY Maurizio Silvi, Kerry Warn
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG Peter Swords King, Richard Taylor, Rick Find later

SOUND
ALL IS LOST Richard Hymns, Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor, Micah Bloomberg, Gillian Arthur
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor,Mike Prestwood Smith, Chris Munro, Oliver Tarney
GRAVITY Glenn Freemantle, Skip Lievsay, Christopher Benstead, Niv Adiri, Chris Munro
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Peter F. Kurland, Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff
RUSH Danny Hambrook, Martin Steyer, Stefan Korte, Markus Stemler, Frank Kruse

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
GRAVITY Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk, Neil Corbould, Nikki Penny
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, Eric Reynolds
IRON MAN 3 Bryan Grill, Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Dan Sudick
PACIFIC RIM Hal Hickel, John Knoll, Lindy De Quattro, Nigel Sumner
STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Ben Grossmann, Burt Dalton, Patrick Tubach, Roger Guyed

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
EVERYTHING I CAN SEE FROM HERE Bjorn-Erik Aschim, Friederike Nicolaus, Sam Taylor
I AM TOM MOODY Ainslie Henderson
SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES James Walker, Sarah Woolner, Yousif Al-Khalifa

BRITISH SHORT FILM
ISLAND QUEEN Ben Mallaby, Nat Luurtsema
KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES Megan Rubens, Michael Pearce, Selina Lim
ORBIT EVER AFTER Chee-Lan Chan, Jamie Stone, Len Rowles
ROOM 8 James W. Griffiths, Sophie Venner
SEA VIEW Anna Duffield, Jane Linfoo

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
DANE DEHAAN
GEORGE MACKAY
LUPITA NYONG’O
WILL POULTER
LÉA SEYDOUX

Cuarón Receives First-Ever Directors Guild Award Nomination

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special first for Alfonso Cuarón…

The 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker has earned the first-ever Directors Guild Awards nomination of his career from the Directors Guild of America.

Cuarón, one of Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainers of the Year in 2013, earned the nod for his critically acclaimed 3D sci-fi thriller Gravity.

The talented director is up against Captain Phillips helmer Paul Greengrass, 12 Years a Slave‘s Steve McQueen, American Hustle’s David O. Russell and Martin Scorsese, who received his 11th DGA nom for his current film, The Wolf of Wall Street.

The nominees in the TV and commercials categories will be announced Thursday, while the documentary nominees are set to be unveiled Monday.

The winners will be announced at the 66th annual DGA Awards ceremony, taking place January 25 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Glee’s Jane Lynch is set to host.

Zayas to Star in the Mob Thriller “The Wannabe”

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

David Zayas is officially a wannabe…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actor, best known for his role as Angel Batista on Showtime’s Dexter, has joined the cast of the mob thriller The Wannabe.

Zayas joins Golden Door’s Vincenzo Amato, Moonrise Kingdom’s Neal Huff, Goodfellas’ Mike Starr and The Town’s Slaine as the final additions to the film’s cast.

The Wannabe, which will begin shooting on October 28 in Brooklyn, stars Patricia Arquette, Vincent Piazza and Michael Imperioli and will be directed by Nick Sandow, who also wrote the script.

Martin Scorsese and Dean Devlin are executive producing the film, which is set in New York City in the early ’90s and follows a man obsessed with mob culture (Piazza) who attempts to fix the jury in the trial of John Gotti. But his plans are foiled, so he sets off with Rose (Arquette), a neighborhood fixture, on a ride worthy of mob lore.

Zayas, who portrayed Enrique Morales on the HBO prison drama series Oz, recently signed on to Sony‘s new Annie film.

Cannavale to Rock HBO’s Latest Project?

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale may soon be rockin’ and rollin’ on HBO…

The 43-year-old half-Cuban American actor is being recruited by Boardwalk Empire’s executive producers Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter to star in their next project at the premium cable network.

Cannavale, who served as a series regular on Boardwalk Empire in season three, is in talks to star in an untitled rock ‘n’ roll series, which Scorsese and Winter created with the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger.

The project, which has been in the works at HBO since 2010, hasn’t been green-lighted yet but HBO is gearing up for an early 2014 shoot with Scorsese directing the pilot that was written by Winter.

The untitled rock ‘n’ roll project follows the exploits of Richie (Cannavale), a cocaine-fueled record exec in NYC circa 1977, when punk, disco and a new form of music called hip-hop collided.

Issac to Star in the Thriller “Mojave”…

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac is deserting his latest project…

The 32-year-old Guatemalan-born American actor and singer has signed on to star opposite Jason Clarke in the thriller Mojave.

Directed by William Monahan, who won an Oscar for penning the Martin Scorsese crime drama The Departed, the film repotedly centers on a desert escape by a criminal.

Monahan wrote the script, whose plot details are being kept under wraps.

Isaac, recently seen in Joel and Ethan Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis, caught Hollywood’s attention in this summer’s blockbuster The Bourne Legacy. He’s also stared in Drive and Sucker Punch.

Producers are eyeing an early 2013 start for Mojave.

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