Harvey Guillén to Star in Sci-Fi Thriller “Companion”

Harvey Guillén has a new companion

The 33-year-old Mexican American actor will star opposite Jack Quaid, Lukas Cage and Megan Suri in CompanionNew Line’s sci-fi thriller from the team behind last fall’s horror smash Barbarian, which Drew Hancock will direct from his own original script, in his feature debut.

Harvey GuillénDetails regarding the film’s plot are under wraps.

New Line acquired Companion in a competitive situation following the multi-studio bidding war for Barbarian filmmaker Zach Cregger’s new horror Weapons, which Cregger is producing alongside Vertigo’s Roy Lee and BoulderLight’s Raphael Margules & J.D. Lifshitz, as well as Miri Yoon.

Best known for his portrayal of Guillermo de la Cruz, the human ‘familiar’ of a group of Staten Island vampires, on FX’s hit comedy series What We Do in the Shadows, which returns for its fifth season on July 13 and has already been picked up for a sixth, Guillén will also soon be starring in Warner Bros.’ DC pic Blue Beetle, out August 18th.

He also recently voiced the role of Perrito in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the critically acclaimed animated feature that proved a box office smash for Uni and DreamWorks, in a moment otherwise devoid of family fare.

Aaron Dominguez to Star in Chuck Russell’s Remake of the ’80s Supernatural Horror “Witchboard”

It’s the witching hour for Aaron Dominguez

The 28-year-old Latino actor will star in Chuck Russell’s remake of the ’80s supernatural horror Witchboard, which is currently in production in Montreal.

Aaron DominguezDominguez is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Madison Iseman, Antonio Desplat and Charlie Tahan, who will all star alongside Jamie Campbell Bower.

The new film watches as recovering drug addict Emily (Iseman), her fiancé Christian (Dominguez) and a group of their friends open an organic café, refurbishing an old carriage house in New Orleans’ French Quarter. A darkness descends over Emily when she discovers an ancient pendulum board, once used to summon spirits, with Christian then seeking help for Emily from occult expert Alexander Babtiste. Babtiste, however, has secrets of his own, knowing the fateful bloodlines that binds them all to the Witchboard. A modern coven of White Witches, a masked ball at Babtiste’s mansion, and the legacy of Naga Soth, the Queen of Witches, are all then part of a dangerous game that puts Emily’s very soul at risk.

Russell is directing from his script co-written by Greg McKay, with the pair set to produce alongside Kade Vu and Bernie Gewissler, in an A-Nation Media production.

Best known for his work on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Dominguez has also appeared on shows like Gossip Girl and SEAL Team. The actor most recently hitting the big screen as part of Elegance Bratton’s acclaimed A24 drama The Inspection has also been seen in films like Roadside’s YA romantic drama Words on Bathroom Walls and Tim Story’s take on Shaft for New Line. Among his other upcoming projects is the Amazon rom-com Sitting in Bars with Cake executive produced by and starring Yara Shahidi.

Madeleine Stowe to Star in “It” Prequel Series “Welcome to Derry”

Madeleine Stowe is extending a welcome

The 64-year-old half-Costa Rican actress will star in the Max Original series Welcome to Derry (working title).

Madeleine StoweThe former Revenge star will appear opposite Stephen Rider, Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs in the series, which is a prequel to New Line’s hit Stephen King film franchise, It.

Stowe will have a recurring guest role while Rider is a series regular. Their parts are being kept under wraps in the series which expands on King’s It universe, particularly that laid out in Andy Muschietti’s It movies. He’ll direct several episodes in the series including the first.

Stowe also joins previously announced cast members Taylour PaigeJovan AdepoChris Chalk and James Remar.

Stowe’s long-running career includes such movies as The Two Jakes, Stakeout, The Last of the Mohicans, 12 Monkeys, Blink, Unlawful Entry, The General’s Daughter and We Were Soliders.

For 89 episodes, she played the wicked Victoria Grayson on ABC’s hit TV series Revenge, and stars on the Netflix series Soundtrack.

Welcome to Derry is produced by HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television.

Judy Reyes to Star in ABC’s Character-Based Procedural Drama Pilot “HPI (High Intellectual Potential)”

Judy Reyes is reaching new potential

The 55-year-old Dominican American actress and former Scrubs star has landed a series regular role opposite Kaitlin Olson and Daniel Sunjata in ABC’s character-based procedural drama pilot based on TF1’s popular detective series HPI (High Intellectual Potential).

Judy ReyesThe project hails from top TV and film writer Drew Goddard and ABC Signature, where Goddard and his Goddard Textiles are based.

Written by Goddard, the untitled HPI remake centers on Morgan (Olson), a single mom with three kids and an exceptional mind who helps solve an unsolvable crime when she rearranges some evidence during her shift as a cleaner for the police department. When they discover she has a knack for putting things in order because of her high intellectual potential she is brought on as a consultant to work with a by-the-book seasoned detective, Karadec (Sunjata), and together they form an unusual and unstoppable team.

Reyes will play Selena Soto.

In addition to Olson and Sunjata, series regular cast also includes Javicia Leslie as Daphne and Deniz Akdeniz as Lev “Oz” Osman.

In the original French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel (HPI), created by Alice Chegaray-Breugnot, Stéphane Carrié and Nicolas Jean, the leads were played by Audrey Fleurot and Mehdi Nebbou.

Goddard and Sarah Esberg executive produce the ABC adaptation for Goddard Textiles; Rob Thomas, who serves as showrunner, and Dan Etheridge for Spondoolie Productions; and Pierre Laugier and Anthony Lancret for Itinéraire Productions, a UGC company. Alethea Jones is director and executive producer. Olson serves as producer.

Known for her work on Scrubs, Devious Maids and Claws, Reyes was recently seen in Birth/Rebirth, the AMC/Shutter film that premiered this year at Sundance.

Up next, Reyes can be seen in recurring roles in Season 2 of the Peacock anthology series Dr. Death and in Amazon’s The Horror of Dolores Roach.

On the film side, she’ll next be seen in a lead role in New Line’s Turtles All The Way Down for HBO Max. Most recently, she starred on the big screen in Paramount’s Smile

Sarah Shahi to Executive Produce & Star in the Christmas Film “The Hollys”

It’s a Hollys, jolly Christmas for Sarah Shahi. 

The 42-year-old part-Spanish American actress and breakout star of Black Adam will executive produce and star in the Christmas film The Hollys with Burr Steers attached to direct.

Sarah ShahiThe film, co-written by Floriana Lima, Yolanda Pecoraro, and Ilaria Urbinati, will be produced by Denise Di Novi and Margaret French Isaac of Di Novi Pictures.

The story centers on Emma Holly (Shahi), a workaholic single mom whose life starts to unravel when she loses her job in the city as a successful food editor right before the holidays. Along with her young daughter, Emma is forced to move back into her childhood home in Connecticut with her old-fashioned housewife mom, whose husband just left her on Thanksgiving. In this multigenerational love letter to moms, the three Holly women will have to get through Christmas under one roof, learn to reconcile their differences and mend their fractured relationship in order to cook up a new future for themselves.

“DiNovi Films has a reputation for making insightful, timeless films that champion relevant and bold female narratives to become generation-spanning cinematic gems,” said Shahi. “Under the ingenious direction of Burr Steers, along with the eye of Denise Di Novi, Margaret French Isaac and the rest of the DiNovi team, it’s the perfect home to turn our Christmas tale into an instant classic to revisit year after year.”

Shahi stars alongside Dwayne Johnson in New Line/DC’s Black Adam, which was the No. 1 movie globally its first three weeks of release and has grossed $390M to date. She also stars in the lead role of Netflix’s hit series Sex/Life, which amassed more than 67 million viewers in its first season.

The series will return for Season 2 in 2023.

Shahi also has wrapped production on the Amazon film Red, White & Royal Blue, based on Casey McQuiston’s bestselling novel, and is working on a book.

“We are admirers of Sarah’s brilliant and honest performances, we are thrilled to partner with her and Burr on this evergreen holiday movie,” Di Novi and French Isaac said in a statement. “Combining the heartfelt wit and nuance from our writers with Burr’s comedic and visual excellence, we are excited to deliver a film starring Sarah that showcases working parents, family, togetherness, and all sides of the passion and love brought forth during the holiday season.

Alejandro Edda to Star in Kevin Costner’s Epic Western Film Saga “Horizon”

Alejandro Edda is just beyond the horizon

The 38-year-old Mexican–American actor has joined the ensemble cast of Kevin Costner’s epic Western film saga Horizon at Warner Bros/New Line.

Alejandro EddaEdda is among a list of new cast additions that includes Jena Malone, Tatanka Means and Michael Rooker.

The foursome join an expanding roster that includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jamie Campbell Bower, Luke Wilson and Thomas Haden Church.

Costner will produce through his Territory Pictures, and direct and star in the period film, which he co-wrote with Jon Baird.

Horizon chronicles a multi-faceted 15-year span of pre- and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. Experienced through the eyes of many, the epic journey is fraught with peril and intrigue from the constant onslaught of natural elements, to the interactions with the indigenous peoples who lived on the land, and the determination and at many times ruthlessness of those who sought to settle it.

Costner returns to directing for the first time since his 2003 box office hit Open Range. With Horizon, Costner revisits Civil War-era America, the setting for his 1990 blockbuster and multi-Oscar winner Dances with Wolves, which he also directed, produced and starred in. That film won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Costner.

Edda was last seen on the FX series Snowfall and is returning to Season 6 as a regular. He stars as El Chapo in the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico and starred opposite Tom Cruise in American Made and in Universal/Blumhouse’s The Forever Purge.

Judy Reyes to Star in New Line’s Film Adaptation of John Green’s “Turtles All the Way Down” for HBO Max 

It’s turtle time for Judy Reyes

The 54-year-old Dominican American former Scrubs star will appear in New Line’s film adaptation of John Green’s #1 NY Times best seller Turtles All the Way Down for HBO Max.

Judy Reyes,Turtles All the Way Down tackles anxiety through its 17-year-old protagonist, Aza Holmes (played by Isabela Merced).

Reyes will play Gina, the mother of Aza. Cree Cicchino and Felix Mallard also star. It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s trying… trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis, her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship, and hope in the face of her mental illness.

New Line/HBO Max picked up the project from Fox 2000 when that division closed; the project being ripe for the streamer’s devotion to YA fare, i.e. the new Gossip Girl, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and the upcoming Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

Green’s Turtles All the Way Down is his follow-up to his hit novel The Fault in Our Stars, which was a big YA movie in 2014 for 20th Century Fox and Temple Hill, making over $307M WW.

Reyes played Carla on the TV series Scrubs, Zoila on Lifetime’s Devious Maids, and Quiet Ann on the hit TNT series Claws.

Upcoming for Reyes is the Paramount Players’ horror film Something’s Wrong Rose.

Recent film credits include Netflix’s All Together Now, The Circle and Gun Hill Road. Recurring roles include Eva on HBO’s smash hit Succession, Lala on FX’s Better Things, Ramona on Netflix’s One Day at a Time, Deb on the TBS series Search Party and Irene Vega on Bravo’s Dirty John.

Reyes has worked extensively in television, theater, and film for the last 20 years and remains a founding member of NYC’s Labyrinth Theater Company.

She is executive-producing the animated video series LaGolda, which tackles a variety of social and environmental issues through the sport of soccer and is sponsored by UnitedHealthcare’s “Do Good. Live Well.” initiative.

Issa López to Direct Her Original Screenplay “The Girl with a Thousand Names” for New Line

Issa López has a thousand reasons to smile…

New Line has acquired the Mexican producer, writer and film director’s original screenplay The Girl with a Thousand Names.

Issa LópezLopez will direct and produce the feature for HBO Max.

The Girl with a Thousand Names is the first original idea López has brought to the marketplace since the premiere of her acclaimed film Tigers Are Not Afraid.

She is currently in development on separate projects with producers Guillermo del Toro, Noah Hawley and Jason Blum.

Girl with a Thousand Names tells the fantastically real story of a child from another world, trapped in our broken reality… without documents, in a detention center for unaccompanied minors and children separated from their families at the U.S. border.

The film will be produced by López for her Peligrosa label alongside Macro’s Charles D. King and Poppy Hanks. The exec producers are Gaby Mena and Macro’s Greta Talia Fuentes.

Warner Bros. Animation Releases First Trailer for Diego Luna’s Animated Film “DC League of Super-Pets”

It’s a super time for Diego Luna.

Warner Bros. Animation has released the first official trailer for its upcoming DC League of Super-Pets, starring the 41-year-old Mexican actor/director/producer.

Diego LunaProduced by and starring Dwayne Johnson, the film finds one (Super)man’s best friend his only hope. After Superman (John Krasinski) is sidelined by Lex Luthor, the Man of Steel’s faithful companion, Krypto, sets out to save the day.

While Superman has Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League at his side, Krypto has only “a bunch of shelter pets” who, luckily, have been imbued with superpowers.

Johnson plays Krypto, while his ragtag band is made up of Ace (Kevin Hart), a hound who has super strength; PB (Vanessa Bayer), a pig named who can grow to a massive-size instantly; Merton (Natasha Lyonne) a turtle with super speed; and Chip (Luna), a squirrel who can shoot electricity from his tiny fingertips.

“My best friend is in trouble and you have to help me,” says Krypto, rallying the troops. What follows is an adventure full of challenges, surprises and potty humor.

The project reps Johnson’s second with DC after the New Line/DC movie Black Adam, in which he plays the title character, with his Seven Bucks producing.

DC League Of Super-Pets marks the Johnson’s third theatrically-released animated film, after Planet 51 and Moana.

Luna has previously been part of the voice cast of The Book of Life and Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.

Bobby Cannavale Starring Opposite Rose Byrne in the Musical Dramedy “Seriously Red”

Bobby Cannavale is seeing Red

The 50-year-old half-Cuban American Emmy-winning actor is starring opposite Rose Byrne in the musical dramedy Seriously Redthe first feature from Byrne’s Dollhouse Pictures.

Bobby Cannavale

Cameras are currently rolling on the film in Northern Rivers, Australia.

Krew Boylan wrote the screenplay for Seriously Red, while Gracie Otto is directing

In addition to Cannavale and Byrne, the ensemble cast also includes Daniel Webber. Arclight Films has boarded to handle worldwide distribution rights with Gracie Otto (The Last Impresario) directing.

In the rowdy and rambunctious musical comedy, Red (played by Boylan) is at a crossroads in her life. A vivacious and hilarious red-haired woman grappling with high expectations and low self-esteem, she pours herself a cup of ambition and trades her 9 to 5 career in real estate for a life under the spotlight as a Dolly Parton impersonator. After misreading her work party’s dress code, Red tumbles outta bed into a new world of tribute artists and impersonators in her wild and messy journey that includes romancing a Kenny Rogers impersonator. Red has to lose herself in order to find herself. As Dolly Parton says, “Be Yourself Because Everyone is taken.”

Parton’s canon is the backbone of Seriously Red, which will also include a soundtrack from notable musical artists and as well as re-recordings.

Seriously Red is created by an extraordinary all-female filmmaking team, which at Arclight Films we are proud to always champion,” Arclight Films chairman Gary Hamilton said. “The film is a fun, upbeat celebration of women and their journey to self-acceptance. It’s a powerful film that appeals to worldwide distributors who understand that audiences will immediately fall in love with the story, the beautifully drawn characters… and the music!”

Cannavale won Emmys for his work on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and NBC’s Will & GraceHis Recent series credits include the upcoming Nine Perfect Strangers, Mr. Robot and HomecomingHis features include HBO Max/New Line’s upcoming SuperintelligenceUniversal’s The King of Staten Island, The Jesus Rolls, The Irishman, Jumanji: Welcome to the Junglethe Oscar-winning I, Tonya, Ant-Man and Spy among many others.

Byrne and Cannavale recently starred in The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s theatrical production of Medea before the pandemic closed down theaters in New York City.