Esai Morales in Negotiations to Star in the Action Thriller “Shadow”

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Esai Morales could be preparing for a little shadow play soon…

The 60-year-old Puerto Rican actor is in talks to star in the action thriller Shadow, which XYZ Films has boarded.

XYZ acquired world sales — minus select territories — to the film, which is inspired by true events.

Colombian filmmaker Antonio Negret is directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother Daniel Negret.

The film will begin production in the fall in Colombia.

The plot follows a real-life Colombian police dog named Sombra, who, after piling up hundreds of arrests, became the cartel’s public number one enemy. As a result, a bounty is put on her head. After the cartel’s new leader sets a trap to abduct the dog, Sombra’s once reluctant handler must risk his life and career to save his partner.

The cast features Colombian actors Juan Pablo Raba and Natalia Reyes alongside Kate Del Castillo.

Previously sold territories include Latin America (CDC), Brazil (CDC), Mexico (CDC), Russia (Volga), Middle East (Selim), Korea (Noori), and Indonesia (PT Amero).

“After having spent a great deal of time in Colombia, I became incredibly passionate about and committed to telling important and inspiring stories from a regional perspective with local stars like Juan Pablo & Natalia,” said Sentient president Renee Tab. “I’m looking forward to once again teaming up with long-term collaborators Pierre Morel, and Antonio Negret (as well as his brother Daniel) to shape this true story into an action narrative inspired by a drug-sniffing German Shepherd named Sombra.”

Morales’ previous credits include La Bamba, American Family, Resurrection Boulevard, Ozark and Titans.

Negret is best known for his debut film Towards Darkness, starring America Ferrera, which premiered in competition at Tribeca. His follow-ups Seconds Apart, a supernatural horror/thriller, was released by Lionsgate, and thriller Transit starring Jim Caviezel, was released by Silver Pictures/Dark Castle.

Jenna Ortega Earns First SAG Awards Nomination for Netflix’s “Wednesday”

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega is celebrating another first…

The Screen Actors Guild has revealed the nominees for this year’s SAG Awards, with the 20-year-old Mexican and Puerto Rican actress – a first-time Golden Globe nominee this year – earning her first nod.

Ortega is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series category for her starring role in Netflix’s acclaimed series Wednesday, which has been renewed for a second season.

Ana de Armas is also a first-time SAG Awards nominee…

The 34-year-old Cuban and Spanish actress is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role category for her starring turn as Marilyn Role in Netflix’s Blonde.

Diego Calva has picked up his first SAG Awards nod.

The 30-year-old Mexican actor, the breakout star of Babylon, and co-stars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category.

Nelson Bonilla, Alfonso Herrera, Felix Solis and their Ozark co-stars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category.

It’s Solis’ second SAG Awards nomination for Ozark and the first for Bonilla and Herrera.

Aubrey Plaza has picked up her first SAG Awards nod.

The 38-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress and her The White Lotus co-stars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category.

Liza Colon-Zayas is celebrating her first SAG Awards nod.

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actress and her The Bear costars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series category.

Selena Gomez is a second-time SAG Awards nominee…

For the second year in a row, the 30-year-old Mexican American actress/singer and her Only Murders in the Building costars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series category.

The SAG Awards will air on Netflix’s YouTube channel this year and then move to the streamer in 2024.

The ceremony will take place Sunday, February 26, at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Here’s a complete look at the nominees:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Steve Carrell (“The Patient”)
Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”)
Sam Elliott (“1883”)
Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”)
Evan Peters (“Dahmer”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Emily Blunt (“The English”)
Jessica Chastain (“George and Tammy”)
Julia Garner (“Inventing Anna”)
Niecy Nash Betts (“Dahmer”)
Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan (“Barry”)
Bill Hader (“Barry”)
Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”)
Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”)
Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”)
Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”)
Jean Smart (“Hacks”)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary”
“Barry”
“The Bear”
“Hacks”
“Only Murders in the Building”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks (“Better Call Saul”)
Jason Bateman (“Ozark”)
Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Adam Scott (“Severance”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”)
Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”)
Julia Garner (“Ozark”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
Zendaya (“Euphoria”)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
“Better Call Saul”
“The Crown”
“Ozark”
“Severance”
“The White Lotus”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)
Hong Chau (“The Whale”)
Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Paul Dano (“The Fabelmans”)
Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Eddie Redmayne (“The Good Nurse”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett (Tár”)
Viola Davis (“The Woman King”)
Ana de Armas (“Blonde”)
Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”)
Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Austin Butler (“Elvis”)
Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”)
Bill Nighy (“Living”)
Adam Sandler (“Hustle”)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
“Babylon”
“The Banshees of Inisherin”
“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
“The Fabelmans”
“Women Talking”

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
“The Batman”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
“Top Gun: Maverick”
“The Woman King”

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
“Andor”
“The Boys”
“House of the Dragon”
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”
“Stranger Things”

Anahi & Her Fellow RBD Band Mates Reuniting Next Year

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Anahi is a rebel with a cause…

The 39-year-old Mexican singer and her RBD group mates are reuniting after 15 years.

The popular Mexican rock group, based on the fictional cast of the show Rebelde, is making the announcement following a recent reboot distributed by Netflix.

The OG Rebelde crew is back, as evidenced by a new Instagram post contrasting classic Rebelde footage with a recent reunion featuring (almost) the entire cast. In addition to Anahi, Christopher von Uckermann, Dulce Maria, Christian Chavez and Maite Perroni are expected to return.

The official RBD Instagram page (@rbd_musica) appears to have wiped the entire page, replacing all their prior posts with the reunion video. As the camera pans to each member of the original cast, the video cuts back to a memorable Rebelde moment featuring that cast member.

However, there is one notable absence: Alfonso Herrera. The Ozark actor has already made his mark in Hollywood following a series of notable roles. He also denied the possibility of him returning to the RBD universe in the new reboot, in an interview with Latina. “I will be in the first row to cheer them on and support them,” he said.

There’s little information on what the reunion will consist of.

We still have no idea if this is a reunion like the Friends special on HBO Max or a full-on reboot like Netflix’s Fuller House. However, the video guides fans to a website that has a countdown clock and the words

“Prepara tu corbata, Enero 19 2023” (Prepare your tie, January 19, 2023), which is as mysterious as it is exciting.

The five participating cast members seem to have followed suit. Each of them has wiped their entire Instagram profile and replaced their photos with the RBD logo. The fact that they’re all committing to the marketing this much does suggest the reunion will consist of more than one episode or special.

Rosa Salazar to Star Opposite Michael Peña in Prime Video’s Film “A Million Miles Away”

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rosa Salazar is traveling a million miles…

The 37-year-old half-Peruvian Canadian actress has joined the cast of Prime Video’s Michael Peña starrer A Million Miles Away, which has entered production in Mexico City.

Salazar is among a list of new cast additions that includes Bobby Soto, Julio César Cedillo, Veronica Falcón, Sarayu Blue and Eric Johnson.

Others rounding out the ensemble of the Alejandra Márquez Abella-helmed film include Jordan Dean, Ashley Ciarra, Michelle Krusiec, Emma Fassler, Michael Adler, Carlos S. Sanchez and Isaac Arellanes.

A Million Miles Away is based on the inspiring true story of Jose Hernandez, who defied insurmountable odds to become the first migrant farmworker to travel to space. From six years old, he toiled in the fields between Michoacán and Stockton, California —dreaming of traveling the night skies on a rocket ship. Through his family’s support and his unrelenting determination, pushing through 11 rejections from NASA, Jose’s story is a tale of perseverance, community and sacrifice to accomplish an impossible dream.

Abella is directing from the script she wrote alongside Hernàn Jiménez and Bettina Gilois.

The Amazon Original Movie will ultimately stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Salazar stars in Prime Video’s animated series Undone, and has also been part of such series as Big Mouth, Brand New Cherry Flavor, B Positive, Man Seeking Woman, Parenthood and American Horror Story, among others.

She recently appeared in Dean Fleischer-Camp’s live-action-animated hybrid Marcel the Shell with Shoes On for A24, and has also been seen in multiple Maze Runner films, as well as such titles as Pink Skies Ahead, Alita: Battle Angel, Bird Box, The Kindergarten Teacher and The Divergent Series: Insurgent.

The actress will next be seen in the Hulu series Wedding Season, launching in September.

Soto has been seen on series like Narcos: Mexico, and in such films as The Tax Collector, The Quarry and A Better Life. He’ll next be seen in Chase Joliet’s drama Grapefruit, as well as Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot for Searchlight and Michael Lozano’s Bridge to Somewhere.

Cedillo is perhaps best known for turns on such series as Coyote, Narcos: Mexico and Queen of the South. Notable film credits include The Harder They Fall, Sicario, Frontera, Cowboys & Aliens, The Mist and Bordertown. The actor will next be seen in Jonás Cuarón’s feature Chupa, as well as Adrian Grunberg’s thriller The Black Demon, Lance Larson’s action-thriller Deadland and Mark Lambert Bristol’s dramedy Chocolate Lizards.

Falcón has previously appeared on series including Perry Mason, Ozark, Why Women Kill and Queen of the South, among many others. Notable film credits include The Starling, Jungle Cruise, The Forever Purge and Voyagers. The actress will next be seen in Aitch Alberto’s film Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, based on the book by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Marc Menchaca to Star in Apple TV+’s Limited Series “The Big Cigar”

Posted on July 6, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Menchaca is going undercover…

The 46-year-old half-Mexican American actor has joined the cast of Apple TV+’s six-episode limited series The Big Cigar, which is centered on Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton.

Menchaca, who most recently starred on Netflix’s Ozark, will star alongside André Holland, Don Cheadle, Alessandro Nivola and Tiffany Boone in the project.

Based on the eponymous Playboy magazine article by Joshuah Bearman, the series tells the extraordinary, hilarious, almost-too-good-to-be-true story of how Newton relied on his best friend, Bert Schneider (Nivola), the Hollywood producer behind Easy Rider, to elude a nationwide manhunt and escape to Cuba while being pursued into exile by the FBI.

Menchaca will portray Agent Sydney Clark. A former lawyer and Vietnam vet from Oklahoma, Clark lives undercover as a dirty hippie while pursuing Newton, who is wanted on charges of killing a teenage prostitute.

NAACP Image Award winner Janine Sherman Barrois is serving as The Big Cigar‘s showrunner. Jim Hecht wrote the show’s first episode, with Cheadle directing and executive producing the first two.

The show hails from Warner Bros. Television, where Barrois and her Folding Chair Productions are under an overall deal. Barrois and Hecht are executive producing alongside Bearman, Joshua Davis and Arthur Spector through their production company Epic, a division of Vox Media Studios.

Menchaca is best known for his scene-stealing turns as Jack Hoskins on HBO’s hit series The Outsider, and as Russ Langmore on the Emmy-winning Netflix drama series Ozark.

He will next be seen in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, HBO’s miniseries The White House Plumbers, John Hyams’ thriller Sick and Gareth Edwards’ sci-fi pic True Love for New Regency.

His additional television credits include Black Mirror, Homeland, MacGyver, Blue Bloods, Chicago P.D., Sleepy Hollow, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, CSI and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Felix Solis to Star Opposite Niecy Nash in ABC’s Proposed “The Rookie” Spinoff

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Felix Solis is reporting for duty…

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star opposite Niecy Nash in ABC’s proposed spinoff from The Rookie.

Solis will guest star alongside Kat Foster in a two-episode arc in the current fourth season of The Rookie, which will serve as a backdoor pilot for the potential spinoff of the series starring Nathan Fillion.

The yet-untitled project will expand beyond the current Los Angeles Police Department and revolve around the FBI.

The potential new series comes from The Rookie creator/executive producer Alexi Hawley, executive producers Terence Paul Winter and Mark Gordon and studios eOne and ABC Signature.

The planted spinoff, co-created and written by Hawley and Winter, follows the premise of The Rookie, which stars Fillion as John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD.

In the two embedded pilot episodes, Officer John Nolan (Fillion) and the LA division of the FBI enlist the help of FBI trainee Simone Clark (Nash) when one of her former students is suspected of terrorism following an explosion at a local power station.

Solis will play Special Agent Matthew Garza, a 20-year veteran of the FBI who has been a true believer in the “Agency way” his whole career. A senior agent on the cusp of being promoted to a leadership role, Garza is tough, smart and filled with a little too much self-importance.

The Rookie and the spinoff will exist in the same universe, allowing characters to move back and forth.

Solis was most recently seen as Omar Navarro in Netflix’s Ozark and in the recurring role of Ray Vera in Charmed.

Esai Morales to Star in Paul Schrader’s Film “Master Gardener”

Posted on February 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Esai Morales is taking up gardening…

The 59-year-old old Puerto Rican actor will star in Paul Schrader’s film Master Gardener.

Led by Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver, the film is now shooting in Louisiana.

In addition to Morales, recently added cast members include Quintessa Swindell, who will play Maya, the wayward and troubled great-niece of Mrs Haverhill (Weaver), who is taken on as a new apprentice by the titular gardener Narvel Roth (Edgerton).

Morales will play Roth’s Witness Protection Officer.

Amanda Crittenden of KOJO Studios and Scott LaStaiti are producing together with David Gonzales, Schrader’s manager. Luisa Law, KOJO Studios’ Linda Ujuk and Dale Roberts are executive producers.

Morales previous credits include La Bamba, American Family, Resurrection Blvd., NYPD Blue and Ozark.

Marc Menchaca to Star in Gareth Edwards’ New Film “True Love”

Posted on January 23, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Menchaca has found true love…

The 46-year-old Mexican American actor has joined the cast of Gareth Edwards’ New Regency film True Love, which has entered production in Thailand.

Menchaca, who has starred in Ozark and The Outsider, will star alongside John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong and Sturgill Simpson in the film.

The latest film written and directed by Edwards is billed as an original sci-fi story set in the near future. Specifics as to its plot are currently undisclosed.

Edwards is producing the film with his Rogue One collaborator Kiri Hart and New Regency, which has provided the film’s financing.

Menchaca is perhaps best known for his scene-stealing turns as Jack Hoskins in HBO’s hit series The Outsider, and as Russ Langmore in the Emmy-winning Netflix drama series Ozark.

The actor most recently wrapped production on the Netflix feature No One Gets Out Alive, and the action-thriller Gypsy Moon alongside Lena Headey and Sam Worthington.

He made a recent appearance on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and will soon be featured in its upcoming series The White House Plumbers, as well as an upcoming episode of Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan. His additional television credits include Black Mirror, Homeland, MacGyver, Blue Bloods, Chicago P.D., Sleepy Hollow, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, CSI and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Veronica Falcón to Star on Netflix’s Drama Series “Ozark” for Fourth & Final Season

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Veronica Falcón is heading to the Ozarks…

The 54-year-old Mexican actress, choreographer and Queen of the South scene stealer has joined the cast of Netflix’s drama series Ozark for its fourth and final season.

Starring and executive produced by Jason Bateman, the series was created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams.

Ozark is a thrilling drama set in the present-day and follows the Byrde family’s journey from their normal, suburban Chicago life to their dangerous criminal enterprise in the Missouri Ozarks. The series explores capitalism, family dynamics, and survival through the eyes of (anything but) ordinary Americans.

Falcón will recur as Camila Elizonndro. She is the sister of drug cartel leader Omar Navarro (Felix Solis) whose son Javi Elizonndro (Alfonso Herrera) is scheming to take over his uncle’s cartel. Once she acknowledges her long dormant ambition, Camila quietly works behind the scenes to become a formidable player in her family’s drug empire.

In addition to Bateman, Ozark stars Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, Jessica Frances Dukes, Lisa Emery, John Bedford Lloyd, and Joseph Sikora.

Chris Mundy returns as showrunner, writer and executive producer for Season 4. The series hails from MRC Television.

Falcón’s credits also include Room 104, Perry Mason, Perpetual Grace LTD, Why Women Kill and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

She will appear alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Apple’s Mr. Corman and in Netflix’s Gentefied.

Her film credits include Jungle Cruise, The Purge, The Starling and Voyagers.

Alfonso Herrera to Star on the Fourth & Final Season of Netflix’s “Ozark”

Posted on November 14, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Herrera is heading to the Ozarks…

The 37-year-old Mexican actor/singer has joined the cast for the fourth and final season of Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Ozark.

Meanwhile, 49-year-old Puerto Rican actor Felix Solis, who has a recurring role in Season 3, have been promoted to series regular for the new season.

Bruno Bichir and CC Castillo have been tapped for recurring roles in the series starring and executive produced by Jason Bateman.

Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams, Ozark is a thrilling drama set in the present-day and follows the Byrde family’s journey from their normal, suburban Chicago life to their dangerous criminal enterprise in the Ozarks, Missouri. The series explores capitalism, family dynamics, and survival through the eyes of (anything but) ordinary Americans.

Herrera will play Javi Elizonndro, a member of the Navarro family who walks a fine line between playing the obedient lieutenant and scheming to take over his uncle’s cartel.

Solis plays Omar Navarro.

Bichir will recur as Navarro’s Priest. Navarro’s confessor and confident; works for the cartel because he deeply believes he belongs where God is needed most.

Castillo is Sheriff Leigh Guerrero, Missouri law enforcement who refuses to play on anyone’s terms but her own.

They will join series stars Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, Jessica Frances Dukes, Lisa Emery, John Bedford Lloyd, and Joseph Sikora in the new season.

As previously announced, Season 4 will be released in two parts, 7-episodes each and is set to begin production this year. Chris Mundy will return as showrunner, writer and executive producer.

In Season 3, with the casino up and running, Marty (Bateman) and Wendy (Linney) fought to keep control of their family’s destiny. Marty preached keeping the status quo. Aided by an alliance with Helen (McTeer) and drug cartel leader Omar Navarro (Solis), Wendy plotted for expansion. But when Wendy’s brother Ben (Tom Pelphrey) came into town, everyone’s lives were thrown into chaos.

Since its 2017 premiere, the series has racked up thirty-two Emmy nominations with three wins, to date, for Bateman for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and two for Garner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. The most recent third season received 18 Emmy nomimations. The series from MRC Television has also garnered two Golden Globe nominations and six SAG Awards nominations for its performances by Bateman, Garner and Linney.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Ozark