Manu Rios Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Manu Rios has new representation…

The 24-year-old Spanish actor and singer, best known for his starring role on Netflix’s popular Spanish YA series Elitehas signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation.

Manu RiosRios portrays Patrick Blanco on the international hit series, which is heading into its seventh season on the streamer.

Rios will next be seen starring alongside Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal in the upcoming short film Strange Way of Life from Oscar-winning director Pedro Almodóvar. The short is set to premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The story follows the reunion of an outlaw and a sheriff after 25 years apart, and the romance that followed them there.

Rios is also set to star in the upcoming Netflix limited series El Silencio from Aitor Gabilondo.

He was previously seen in the limited series La Edad de la Ira for Atresmedia.

Mark Consuelos to Begin Co-Hosting Opposite Wife Kelly Ripa on April 17

Mark Consuelos will be going live in a little more than a month…

The 51-year-old Mexican-Spanish actor will replace Ryan Seacrest as the co-host of the syndicated daytime show Live with Kelly and Ryan.

Mark ConsuelosOn the Oscars red carpet with Vanessa Hudgens, Consuelos, who was joined by Seacrest and wife Kelly Ripa, revealed that he’s officially beginning his gig as co-host on April 17.

“I couldn’t be more honored or excited,” he said.

It was announced last month that after a six-year run, Seacrest would be stepping down from his co-hosting slot.

“It’s bittersweet,” he shared on the Oscars red carpet. “We have such a great relationship and friendship and working relationship. Mark is going to take over and he and I have the same kind of relationship. It’s going to be an exciting last few weeks.”

Ripa added with a smile, “Nothing will really change between the three of us. It’s just that Ryan will get to have his coffee later.”

In a statement announcing his departure last month, Seacrest — who will keep hosting American IdolDick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, his syndicated On Air with Ryan Seacrest daily radio show and the American Top 40 countdown — said working with Ripa has been a “dream job” and one of the highlights of his career.

“She has been an amazing partner, friend, and confidant, and although we will always be a part of each other’s lives, I will miss our mornings together,” he said, also thanking the show’s executive producer Michael Gelman and the crew. “We’ve made memories to last a lifetime, met some of the most incredible people and had the warmest welcome into the homes of so many viewers across America. It’s been a memorable ride and now I’m excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark.”

Guillermo del Toro Makes Academy Awards History Following “Pinocchio” Win

Guillermo del Toro is celebrating making Academy Awards history…

The 58-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning filmmaker took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature during Sunday’s 95th Academy Awards ceremony for his adaptation of Pinocchio.

Guillermo del Toro, Pinocchio,In the process, del Toro became the first person in the awards’ history to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Animated Feature.

During his acceptance speech, del Toro mentioned the following: “Animation is cinema. Animation is not a genre. Animation is ready to be taken to the next step. Keep animation in the conversation”.

In Pinocchio, which was released on Netflix last year, Gregory Mann voices the titular puppet, who is eager to learn as much as he can about the world. After Geppetto‘s (David Bradley) son is lost during the war, the woodcarver spirals into a heavy depression, making him lose his job and his desire to enjoy the small things in life. After building a wooden puppet meant to represent the child he lost, the figure is given life by the Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton).

Geppetto is given a new life himself, when he gets the opportunity to raise a kid who is very different to the one that came before him, allowing to gain a different perspective about the time he has left on this Earth.

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Swinton also voices the role of Death in the film, as Pinocchio is sent to the afterlife multiple times throughout the story. In Del Toro’s version, Death is depicted as a Chimera with the face of a human, the horns of a cape buffalo, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. The voice cast of the movie also includes Ewan McGregor as Sebastian J. Cricket, Christoph Waltz as Count Volpe, Cate Blanchett as Spazzatura and Ron Perlman in the role of Podestà.

Most of the star-studded cast had already worked with del Toro in other projects, with Pinocchio giving the actors the chance of a reunion with the filmmaker.

del Toro won his Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his 2017 film The Shape of Water.

Starring Sally Hawkins as Elisa, the movie told the story of a mute woman who fell in love with an anthropomorphic amphibian creature (played by Doug Jones). Elisa comes up with a plan to help the creature escape from the secret government facility where he was kept, but the authorities didn’t want the being they considered a monster to roam freely in the outside world. After Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) shoots both Elisa and the creature, the amphibian man kills him and takes Elisa underwater with him. The woman is brought back to life, and they are implied to live happily ever after.

Pedro Pascal to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Academy Awards Show

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Pedro Pascal is headed to the Oscars

The 47-year-old Chilean actor appears on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ final list of names chosen as presenters for the 95th annual Academy Awards.

Pedro Pascal

In addition to Pascal, the latest round of stars set to present includes Eva Longoria, Halle Berry, Paul Dano, Cara Delevingne, Kate Hudson, Mindy Kaling, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Andie MacDowell, Elizabeth Olsen and John Travolta, executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner and executive producer Molly McNearney have announced.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, at Ovation’s Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Previously announced Oscars presenters include Riz Ahmed, Halle Bailey, Antonio Banderas, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, John Cho, Glenn Close, Jennifer Connelly, Ariana DeBose, Andrew Garfield, Hugh Grant, Danai Gurira, Salma Hayek Pinault, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Nicole Kidman, Troy Kotsur, Jonathan Majors, Melissa McCarthy, Janelle Monáe, Deepika Padukone, Florence Pugh, Questlove, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Donnie Yen.

Antonio Banderas to Serve as Presenter During Academy Awards Show

Antonio Banderas is headed to the Oscars

The 62-year-old Spanish actor and director has been added to the presenter ranks for this weekend’s Academy Awards show by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS).

Antonio BanderasBanderas is among a list of recently added presenters that includes Halle Bailey, Elizabeth Banks, Jessica Chastain, John Cho, Andrew Garfield, Hugh Grant, Danai Gurira, Salma Hayek, Nicole Kidman, Florence Pugh and Sigourney Weaver.

They join the previously announced Riz Ahmed, Emily Blunt, Glenn Close, Jennifer Connelly, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Troy Kotsur, Jonathan Majors, Melissa McCarthy, Janelle Monáe, Deepika Padukone, Questlove, Zoe Saldaña and Donnie Yen.

More presenters will be revealed during the week.

The latest adds to Hollywood’s Big Night come just as Oscar voting is set to end, with ballots due at 5 p.m. PT tonight.

The months-long awards season culminates with the 95th annual Academy Awards, which will be handed out Sunday, March 12, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

ABC will air the ceremony live coast-to-coast starting at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET, along with more than 200 countries around the world.

Penélope Cruz In Talks to Star in Netflix’s Upcoming Nancy Meyers Film “Paris Paramount” (Working Title)

Penélope Cruz could be starring in a comedy soon…

The 48-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actress is in talks to star opposite Scarlett Johansson, Michael Fassbender and Owen Wilson in the big-budget Netflix comedy marking Nancy Meyers’ return to directing, Deadline can confirm.

Penelope CruzSources say actor deals have not yet closed, as budgeting is still being worked through. Netflix had no comment.

The film currently titled Paris Paramount, which tells the story of an above-the-line filmmaking duo who reunite (begrudgingly) on set after falling in and out of love with one another.

Meyers will direct from her own script and also serve as producer on the film, which sources tell us is at a budget exceeding $100M.

The project will mark her first as director since The Intern, a buddy comedy of sorts starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, which was released by Warner Bros in 2015.

Most recently appearing in films including Emanuele Crialese’s L’immensitàOfficial Competition with Antonio Banderas, and Pedro Almodóvar’s Oscar-nominated Parallel Mothers, Cruz will next be seen starring opposite Adam Driver in Michael Mann’s Ferrari.

An Academy Award-nominated writer, director and producer best known for her work in the rom-com space, Meyers has also previously helmed features including It’s Complicated, The HolidaySomething’s Gotta GiveWhat Women Want and The Parent Trap.

Apple & Skydance Release Trailer for Ana de Armas’ Romantic Action-Adventure Film “Ghosted”

Ana de Armas is ghosting

Apple and Skydance have unveiled the first trailer for their romantic action-adventure film Ghosted, reuniting Knives Out stars Chris Evans and the 34-year-old Spanish-Cuban actress, the first Cuban woman to earn an Oscar nomination.

Ana de Armas, No Time to DieThe film is set to premiere globally on Apple TV+ on April 21st.

The film from director Dexter Fletcher watches as salt-of-the-earth Cole (Evans) falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie (De Armas) — but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world.

Adrien Brody, Mike Moh, Amy Sedaris and Tate Donovan also star in the film, which was penned by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, as well as Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers.

de Armas served as exec producers.

Sony Lands Global Rights to Ariana DeBose’s Upcoming Film “My Ex-Friend’s Wedding”

It’s a moment of wedding bliss for Ariana DeBose.

Sony has landed global rights to the Sister comedy My Ex-Friend’s Wedding, starring the 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress/singer.

Ariana DeBose,To be directed by Kay Cannon, the film is penned by New York Times bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid and Ashley Rodger, with revisions by Cannon.

In addition to DeBose, the cast includes Chloe Fineman, Megan Stalter and Amanda Seyfried.

In the film heading into production this summer, four childhood best friends get a drunken voicemail from their former best friend on the eve of her wedding day — confessing that she thinks she’s making a mistake — then setting out to stop her wedding and rekindle the friendship they once shared.

Sister acquired the My Ex-Friend’s Wedding spec script in a competitive situation after it was developed by production and management company, Circle of Confusion.

Ariana DeBose to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Academy Awards Show

Ariana DeBose is returning to the Oscars stage…

The 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/singer, who made Oscar history with her Best Supporting Actress win last year, will be a presenter at this year’s Academy Awards show.

Ariana DeBose,No doubt DeBose will present the award for Best Supporting Actor per long standing Academy tradition.

The announcement comes on the heels of DeBose’s much talked about rap tribute to BAFTA’s actress nominees at the BAFTA awards ceremony.

CODA Best Supporting Actor winner Troy Kotsur will also return to the Dolby Theatre, this time as a presenter.

Last year’s Live Action Short Oscar winner Riz Ahmed, Emily Blunt, eight-time nominee Glenn Close, Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly, past Honorary Oscar recipient Samuel L. JacksonDwayne Johnson, Creed III’s Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors, Melissa McCarthy, Janelle Monáe, Deepika Padukone, Oscar winner Questlove, Zoe Saldaña and Donnie Yen will all be onstage at the Oscars.

Final Oscar balloting is underway. The 9,579 eligible Academy voters are now going to make their choices, and they have only until March 7 at 5:00 pm PT to do so.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on March 12 at 8:00 pm ET/5 pm PT from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

The producers will continue to announce talent joining the show leading up to the ceremony. They already have been rolling out talent taking part in performances of songs up in the Original Song category.

Sofia Carson to Perform Oscar-Nominated Track “Applause” at This Year’s Academy Awards

Sofia Carson has a date with Oscar

The 29-year-old Colombian American actress/singer and Diane Warren will perform “Applause,” the Oscar-nominated Best Song track, at the 95th annual Academy Awards next month.

Sofia CarsonWarren wrote the music and lyrics for the track from the film Tell It Like a Womanearning her 14th Best Song Oscar nod since 1988 and sixth in as many years.

She has yet to claim the hardware but did receive a Governors Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in November and snagged an Emmy for The Hunting Ground song “Til It Happens to You,” sung by Lady Gaga.

Carson played the Evil Queen’s daughter Evie in Disney’s Descendants and its sequels, and the first film’s soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 chart in 2015.

She released her self-titled debut album in 2022.

She also starred in last year’s Netflix film Purple Hearts and next appears in Jaume Collet-Serra’s Carry On.

“Applause” is competing for the Best Song Oscar against “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: MaverickLift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — which Super Bowl halftime star Rihanna will perform at the ceremony — “Naatu Naatu” from RRR and “This Is A Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The 95th Academy Awards will be handed out on Sunday, March 12, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.