Goodfellas Acquires Worldwide Sales Rights to Emilio Estevez’s “The Way: Chapter 2”

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Emilio Estevez may soon find his way across the globe…

Goodfellas has acquired the worldwide sales rights for the 61-year-old part-Spanish actor/filmmaker’s The Way: Chapter 2, which reunites him with the cast members of his original 2010 hit, including his father Martin Sheen, Yorick Van Wageningen and James Nesbitt.

The sequel revisits protagonist Tom (Sheen) a decade after his first pilgrimage on Spain’s El Camino de Santiago in the footsteps of his deceased son Daniel (Estevez), as he reconnects with his walking companions Joost (van Wageningen) and Jack (Nisbitt).

Now embedded with Doctors Without Borders in northern Nigeria, performing surgery in a war zone, Tom is sent a copy of Jack’s bestselling book based on their shared experience, in which a disturbing secret is revealed.

Enraged, he leaves to search for Jack and find answers to questions that have haunted him for a decade. His journey reunites him with Joost and leads them through Amsterdam, Dublin, Brussels and France before returning to Spain and the Camino.

Estevez, who revealed to Deadline last year that he had wrestled back the rights to The Way for a re-release and a sequel, takes writing and directing credits on the new film, which is produced by E2 Films.

The film is currently in pre-production.

Gloria Estefan Among Artists Sharing Personal Stories & Life Lessons on YouTube’s Documentary Series “The Thread”

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is opening up about her life…

The 66-year-old Cuban singer, actress and businesswoman is among some of the most exceptional Americans in the arts, media, religion and politics sharing their personal stories and life lessons in The Thread, a new documentary series coming to YouTube in March.

As part of the 16-episode series, Estefan sat down for a probing conversation with producers from Life Stories, a nonprofit media organization that makes and distributes “films about people whose lives inspire meaningful change.”

Each conversation is recorded at the highest quality by Emmy-winning filmmakers, notes a release, “and is accompanied by an educator guide so that the documentary series can be used in secondary classrooms and informal educational settings.”

“The Thread is an exploration of what it means to live a purpose-driven life,” noted George Kunhardt, executive director of Life Stories. “The voices we amplify in this series spark curiosity, ignite inspiration, and connect us to the multi-faceted people who have helped shape our society. Our mission as filmmakers is to shine a spotlight on the stories of moral leaders to help people find passion and purpose in their own lives.”

The “Get On Your Feet” singer’s episode, entitled Gloria Estefan: Singing Through Struggles, will go live on March 4.

Martin Sheen, who is of half-Spanish descent, will also appear on the series. The West Wing actor’s episode, entitled Martin Sheen: Lights, Camera, Activism, will go live on March 25.

Others Americans to be figured include The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis, New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast, Katie Couric, actor Jason Alexander and Sen. Mitt Romney.

The episodes will roll out once a week from March 4-June 17 on the Life Stories YouTube channel and will be released as a podcast on major platforms.

Life Stories is a new division of the Kunhardt Film Foundation, “an organization that has introduced a generation of viewers to artists, cultural, political, and civil rights leaders,” according to a release. The Kunhardts – father Peter and his sons Teddy and George – have earned a combined eight Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, a duPont-Columbia Award, an IDA Documentary Award, and two NAACP Image Awards.

“We are bringing our longstanding dedication to quality with increased focus on the power of individual narrative,” said Teddy Kunhardt, EP of The Thread. “We believe that life stories, thoughtfully told, have the power to create change.”

This is the episode guide for season 1 of the series:

March 4 Gloria Estefan: Singing Through Struggles
March 11 Jason Reynolds: The Power of Narrative
March 18 Tova Friedman: Surviving Auschwitz
March 25 Martin Sheen: Lights, Camera, Activism
April 1 Roz Chast: Drawing From Life
April 8 Kurt “Big Boy” Alexander: A Hip Hop Odyssey
April 15 Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis: Finding Wisdom in Pain
April 22 Mitt Romney: Family Ties
April 29 Cecile Richards: Championing Choice
May 6 Reginald Dwayne Betts: A Voice for the Incarcerated
May 13 Tony Hawk: Skateboarding’s Living Legend
May 20 Darren Walker: Hope and Courage in Action
May 27 Katie Couric: From Tragedies to Triumphs
June 3 Jason Alexander: The Power of Laughter
June 10 Betty Rollin: First You Cry
June 17 Father Greg Boyle: Welcoming the Unwelcome

Charlie Sheen to Star in the New Hollywood Dramedy Series “Ramble On”

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Charlie Sheen is ready to ramble…

The 56-year-old part-Spanish American actor and former Two and a Half Men star will be heading back to television.

He has partnered with Entourage creator Doug Ellin for Ramble On, a new dramedy series set in Hollywood.

The series will star Sheen and Entourage’s Kevin Connolly and Kevin Dillon as themselves as Hollywood veterans looking to reinvent their voices alongside up and comers looking to establish their own.

It will also feature Sheen’s father Martin Sheen, Kimiko Glenn, Bre-Z, John C. McGinley, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Zulay Henao, Mark Cuban, James Hiroyuki Liao, Harvey Guillén, Ana Ortiz, Sara Sanderson, Mikaela Hoover and Adam Waheed with a guest appearance by Entourage alum Emmanuelle Chriqui.

Ramble On is produced by Angry Lunch, a new production company founded by Ellin and Ted Foxman, in association with Action Park Media. The pair will executive produce alongside Gary Goldman with Jeremy Alter producing.

A pilot episode, which is being financed by Foxman and Ellin, wrapped this week. The producers are in talks with buyers for the show but could also look at new ways of distribution.

“This idea has been spinning in my head for years and seeing it come to life is incredible,” said Ellin. “I feel beyond grateful that so many of my Entourage crew and cast members, along with some of the most talented, comedic forces in the industry, have joined us on this exciting new journey. We cannot wait to share this with the world.”

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.

Martin Sheen to Take Part in The People Concern’s Homelessness-Themed Virtual Fundraiser

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Martin Sheen is shining a spotlight on homelessness…

The People Concern, one of Los Angeles’s largest housing and social services agencies, will hold a virtual fundraiser this Friday, June 4, featuring the 80-year-old half-Spanish American actor, to help benefit homeless Angelenos and other local human right causes.

The live, online charity event will be hosted by Emmy-winning actress Jane Lynch.

In addition to Sheen, the program will feature special guest appearances by Ben Vereen, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and James Beard Award-winning chef Roy Choi.

The People Concern CEO John Maceri expressed the urgency of combatting homelessness in this critical time.

“We’re deeply grateful to our friends and supporters in the entertainment community who are shining a spotlight on the urgent need for all of us to step up and help the 66,000 experiencing homelessness here in LA, the largest unsheltered group in the country. The power of your voice has global impact and we urge more of you reach out and work with us, together we can make sure LA is the blueprint for the rest of the country solving homelessness with permanent, supportive housing. This is your Dunkirk moment,” Maceri said.

Maceri believes with eviction moratoriums coming up in June, Los Angeles is facing a “tsunami of homelessness,” with as many as 370,000 in LA alone at risk.

Tonight! With The People Concern & LA Chefs For Human Rights is scheduled this Friday, June 4, at 7 PM.

For those interested, visit https://tonight.funraise.org/.

Sony Pictures Classics Releases Trailer for Martin Sheen’s “12 Mighty Orphans”

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Martin Sheen is ready for a mighty summer…

Sony Pictures Classics has released the trailer for 12 Mighty Orphans, which stars the 80-year-old half-Spanish actor.

The film will be released on June 11 and expands a week later.

The film is set to screen at the Tribeca Film Festival during the week of June 13.

Sony Pictures Classics will open Ty Roberts’ 12 Mighty Orphans on June 11 in New York and Texas with a wider expansion on June 18.

Texas theaters will do advance screenings starting June 10.

12 Mighty Orphans tells the true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who during the Great Depression went from playing without shoes—or even a football—to playing for the Texas state championships. Over the course of their winning season the underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state, and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The architect of their success was Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson), a legendary high school coach who shocked his colleagues by giving up a privileged position so he could teach and coach at an orphanage. Few knew Rusty’s secret: that he himself was an orphan. Recognizing that his scrawny players couldn’t beat the other teams with brawn, Rusty developed innovative strategies that would come to define modern football.

Sheen, Vinessa Shaw, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker, Treat Williams, Ron White, Scott Haze, and Robert Duvall also star.

The film, written by Roberts, Lane Garrison and Kevin Meyer was adapted from Jim Dent’s bestselling book of the same name.

Guillermo Díaz to Take Part in Virtual Benefit Reading of Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart”

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a new normal for Guillermo Díaz.

The 46-year-old Cuban-American actor is among the all-star cast for a virtual benefit reading of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, which will be directed by Paris Barclay.

The May 8 reading, which aims to raise funds for ONE Archives Foundation and Invisible Histories Project, will include a special introduction by Martin Sheen.

Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox, Jeremy Pope and Jake Borelli are among the cast; Ryan O’Connell; Daniel Newman; Jay Hayden and Danielle Savr.

The reading, according to producers, will mark the first performance of Kramer’s Tony Award-winning play to be performed by a predominately BIPOC and LGBTQ cast.

“When I was approached by ONE Archives Foundation to direct a virtual reading of The Normal Heart, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Barclay. “I lived in New York through the 1980s, saw the original production with Brad Davis, and have never forgotten the experience. And through today’s lens, the story of a marginalized people pushed to activism by the onslaught of an epidemic clearly was worth telling again.”

Funds raised from this event will support ONE Archives Foundation’s LGBTQ education initiatives, including K-12 lesson plans on HIV/AIDS, teacher trainings, youth engagement, and ONE Archives Foundation’s exhibitions.

The benefit also supports Invisible Histories Project’s efforts to preserve the legacy of HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ activists through archiving, inclusion training, exhibitions, and programs about Southern LGBTQ history.

The Normal Heart chronicles the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City, based on Kramer’s cofounding the Gay Men’s Health Crisis in 1982.

The play premiered Off Broadway at New York’s Public Theater in 1985, and was staged on Broadway by director Joel Grey and starring Joe Mantello in 2011, winning a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Ryan Murphy directed a 2014 film adaptation for HBO.

Tickets go on sale on April 8 here. The reading is scheduled for Saturday, May 8 at 5:00 pm ET.

Jacob Vargas to Star in Steven Soderbergh’s Next Film “KIMI”

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jacob Vargas has lined up his next big role…

The 49-year-old Mexican actor has joined the cast of Steven Soderbergh’s next film, the New Line Max Original feature KIMI, with Zoë Kravitz on board to star.

Byron Bowers and Jaime Camil are also on board.

The film will premiere exclusively on HBO Max. David Koepp penned the script and will produce with Michael Polaire.

Plot details are being kept under wraps.

The film would mark the second collaboration between Warner Bros Pictures Group, HBO Max and Soderbergh since the recent restructuring of the studio, and the third between Soderbergh and HBO Max. It follows No Sudden Move, the upcoming starry Max Original ensemble crime thriller from Warner Bros. Pictures that features Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Kieran Culkin, Brendan Fraser, Noah Jupe, Bill Duke, Frankie Shaw and Julia Fox.

Soderbergh’s most recent pic, Let Them All Talk, with Meryl Streep, premiered on HBO Max in December.

Vargas and Soderbergh’s partnership goes all the way back to Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning drug trafficking film Traffic, where Vargas played del Toro’s partner Manolo. Vargas would later appear in Soderbergh’s HBO series Mosaic.

He currently stars in the Netflix series Mr. Iglesias and was previously on the series Luke Cage and Sons of Anarchy. Recent film credits include Mark Carlson’s Princess of the Row opposite Martin Sheen and Ana Ortiz, The 33 as Edison “Elvis” Peña, one of the 33 Chilean miners that was trapped for 69 days, and Diego Luna’s biopic Cesar Chavez as Richard Chavez opposite Michael Peña.

Martin Sheen & His “The West Wing” Cast Mates to Reunite for ‘When We All Vote’ Special on HBO Max

Posted on August 26, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Martin Sheen is returning to the West Wing…

Aaron Sorkin is reuniting his The West Wing cast, including the 80-year-old half-Spanish American actor, for the first time in 17 years with a special for HBO Max.

Sheen, Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff and Bradley Whitford are getting back together with Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme for A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote.

The special will feature a theatrical performance of Hartsfield’s Landing, an episode from the NBC drama’s third season that featured Sheen’s President Barlet playing chess against Sam (Lowe) and Toby (Schiff), while the Chinese are playing war games in the Taiwan Strait and Josh (Whitford) is nervous about the 42 votes in a remote New Hampshire town’s election, which always predict the winner of that state’s primary.

It marks the second high-profile special of a classic NBC series produced by Warner Bros. set to air on HBO Max following the much-delayed Friends reunion special.

The West Wing reunion has long been in the works with Schiff saying in June that the gang was getting back together in support of Black Lives Matter following the death of George Floyd. The crew have reunited in various forms, including at ATX in Austin, for The West Wing Weekly podcast, and for an ad for Bridget Mary McCormack, a candidate for Michigan’s Supreme Court. However, this is the first time that it will air on television.

The team behind the Warner Bros. Television-produced series have organized the reunion to raise awareness for and support When We All Vote, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization co-chaired by Michelle Obama, which was founded to increase participation in every election in America.

WarnerMedia will make a donation to When We All Vote.

Michelle Obama will make a guest appearance in the special, while additional cast members and special guests from the worlds of public service and the arts will be announced in the coming weeks.

A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote will shoot over multiple days at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles in early October. Sorkin will write original exclusive material for the special, while Schlamme will serve as director of the production.

“Tommy and I are incredibly excited to be getting The West Wing cast back together for this staged reading and to support When We All Vote in their efforts to get all of us involved in this election,” said Sorkin.

“With A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote, we are excited to revisit this legendary series and offer our passionate fans something that is substantial, meaningful and unforgettable, while also promoting an important message for our time,” added Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max. “Combined with WarnerMedia’s donation to When We All Vote, this special not only entertains, but also help ensure the organization can carry forth its mission to increase voter participation in every election.”

Sheen appeared on 140 episodes of The West Wing from 1999-2006. The won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of fictitious U.S. President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet.

Sheen to Star in the Indie Film “Princess of the Row”

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Martin Sheen has landed a royal role…
The 76-year-old half-Spanish American actor will appear in the independent film Princess of the Row, from writer-director Max Carlson.

The film is set in the streets of Los Angeles’ impoverished Skid Row and follows 12-year-old Alicia Willis who, bouncing around the sometimes abusive foster care system, will stop at nothing to run away and live with her homeless, mentally ill father.

Sheen will play John Austin, Alicia’s kindly yet eccentric foster father. Shawn Austin co-wrote and is producing the coming-of-age pic along with Oddbox Films/Big Boss Creative, with filming slated to begin in July.

Sheen stars in the Netflix series Grace and Frankie, which will debut its third season March 24, and was last seen no the big screen in Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply.

His upcoming slate includes the Joshua Marston-directed evangelical drama Come Sunday and animated film The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Martin Sheen