Bella Thorne’s “Divinity” to Have International Premiere at Italy’s Taormina Film Festival 

Bella Thorne’s latest film is preparing to have its first international showing…

The 25-year-old half-Cuban American actress/singer’s feature Divinity, hailing from Bolivian American director Eddie Alcazar, is set to premiere internationally at the Taormina Film Festival on June 29th in Italy.

Bella Thorne, DivinityWriter and director Alcazar and stars Thorne, Karrueche Tran and Moises Arias will appear at the Teatro Antico for the celebration.

The feature, produced by Steven Soderbergh, was reportedly acquired at Sundance by Utopia and Sumerian for seven figures.

It will also screen in Germany at the Munich Film Festival and in Canada at Fantasia Film Festival this summer.

Divinity is set in an otherworldly human existence where scientist Sterling Pierce (Scott Bakula) is on a quest for immortality, slowly creating the building blocks of a groundbreaking serum named “Divinity.” Jaxxon Pierce (Stephen Dorff), his son, now controls and manufactures his father’s once-benevolent dream.

Society on this barren planet has been entirely perverted by the supremacy of the drug, whose true origins are shrouded in mystery. Two mysterious brothers (Jason Genao and Arias) arrive with a plan to abduct the mogul, and with the help of a seductive woman named Nikita (Tran), they will be set on a path hurtling toward true immortality.

Divinity is a creative tour-de-force. We are fortunate to be screening the film’s European premiere after its success at Sundance. I look forward to welcoming Eddie Alcazar and the film’s cast to the premiere in Taormina. It will surely be one of the highlights of the Festival this year,” said Barrett Wissman, the Festival’s Executive and Artistic Director.

Prior to his success with Divinity, Alcazar directed The Vandal, executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. Additionally, he directed the feature-length sci-fi thriller Perfect (2018), executive produced by Soderbergh through his company Brainfeeder Films and produced 2016’s Kuso.

Jessie Reyez to Appear on Sam Smith’s New Single “Gimme”

Jessie Reyez is about to gimme more…

The 31-year-old Colombian singer, who was born and raised in Canada, is joining voices with Sam Smith and Koffee for the new single “Gimme.”

Jessie ReyezSmith announced the new single over the weekend, saying it will be officially released on Wednesday, January 11.

Teasing the new track on Instagram and TikTok, Smith also shared a snippet of the song’s infectious chorus, with them and Reyez singing the word “gimme what I want” over an undulating tropical beat.

Fans of Reyez will also be excited to know that this is not the only time the R&B star will be appearing on Smith’s new album Gloria — the singer is also credited as a featured artist on the song “Perfect.”

Reyez was also announced as Smith’s special guest for their upcoming U.S. tour, which will see them hit arenas around the country this summer.

Gloria, which will be released on Friday, January 27, is marked to be something of a breakthrough for Smith in terms of songwriting and production.

Speaking to Billboard for its August cover story last year, the star said that fans can expect to hear Smith’s “first non-heartbreak album,” and that the project was centered around the concept of queer joy. “I think joy for me, and for a lot of queer people, is quite a dangerous place,” Smith said “We’re all masters of pain, and I think it’s actually a very courageous act to step into the queer joy of it all.”

Bella Thorne to Star in Steven Soderbergh & Eddie Alcazar’s Indie Film “Divinity”

It’s to Divinity and beyond for Bella Thorne

The 24-year-old half-Cuban American actress/singer has been cast in the indie film Divinity.Bella ThorneThorne is among the final cast members to be announced for the film, alongside Scott Bakula.

The project is the latest collaboration between Steven Soderbergh and Eddie Alcazar. Cypress Hills’ DJ Muggs will serve as musical composer.

Chris Santos, Danielia Maximillian, Lydia Bielen, and Emily Willis round out the cast.

Previously announced actors leading the project include Stephen Dorff, Jason Genao, Moises Arias, Karrueche Tran, and Mike O’Hearn.

Divinity follows otherworldly brothers (Genao & Arias) that are hellbent on stopping a mogul (Dorff) who is close to unraveling the secrets behind immortality.

The film includes elements of Alcazar’s “Metascope” technique which combines stop motion animation and live-action sequences. The technique was featured in his short film The Vandal, a collaboration with Darren Aronofsky, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021.

Divinity is targeting completion ahead of the film festival circuit.

Alcazar previously worked with his mentor Soderbergh on his feature debut Perfect, released in 2018, a sci-fi thriller starring Abbie Cornish, Rainey Qualley, Courtney Eaton, and Tao Okamoto.

Camila Cabello Brings “Cinderella” Character to James Corden’s “Crosswalk the Musical” Segment

Camila Cabello isn’t afraid to walk the (cross)walk

Late night television host James Corden has debuted another segment of his Crosswalk the Musical on The Late Late Show, and this time he welcomed the 24-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer/actress and their Cinderella co-stars Billy Porter and Idina Menzel.

Camila Cabello, Crosswalk the Musical

The segment opened with Corden dressed as the fairy godmother, quipping that he gave Porter the wrong address because he’s “intimidated.” “Billy Porter is the only actor I’ve ever encountered who is almost as talented as I am,” the late-night host joked.

Porter eventually joined Cabello and Menzel, immediately calling out Corden and reminding him that he’s “the only one that’s going to be playing the Fairy Godmother” whereas Corden can play “the rat” like he does in the film, to which Corden argued was a mouse.

The co-stars then changed into their characters from Amazon’s Cinderella and stopped traffic to perform songs from the film in the somewhat busy streets of Los Angeles. The Cinderella actors and singers sang along to a few of the tunes they cover in the musical, including the mash-up of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” and Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be.”

A few drivers looked amused and confused while others appeared slightly annoyed that their commute was delayed.

The modern version of the classic fairy tale, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, depicts the princess, played by Cabello, as an independent woman who is focused on achieving her fashion dreams. The jukebox musical features the cast’s versions of popular songs like Madonna’s “Material Girl,” Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” and Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.” The film marks Cabello’s acting debut.

The segment ends with Porter, who plays the Fabulous Godparent dubbed “Fab G” in the film, turning Corden into an actual mouse. “Bibbidi-bobbidi bye bitch,” Porter says to the camera.

 

Amazon’s Cinderella is streaming now.

Ally Brooke Hernandez Debuts New Spanish Track “Vámonos” at Fusion Festival

Ally Brooke Hernandez is embracing her Spanish roots…

The 25-year-old Mexican American singer and former Fifth Harmony member has a new Latin-pop song called “Vámonos,” which she debuted live over the weekend at Fusion Festival in Liverpool, U.K.

Ally Brooke Hernandez

“VAMANOS FUSION FEST!!!” the Fifth Harmony singer — now focusing on her solo career– wrote on Twitter, where she posted a short video from the fest.

The footage doesn’t show the entiresong, but you can hear the lyrics of the chorus: “Vámonos, vámonos, vámonos, pero a la cama, a la cama, a la cama, no.”

Her performance to the upbeat, Spanish-language track was dance-heavy, with several backup dancers included in the choreography.

“First show tomorrow…been working hard,” the singer said on Twitter the day before her set at Fusion Fest.

No word on whether “Vámonos” will be an official single, but Brooke did recently confirm she’s signed a solo recording deal with Latium Entertainment/Atlantic Records. Since Fifth Harmony’s hiatus, she’s contributed vocals to DJ Topic‘s “Perfect” and Lost Kings‘ “Look at Us Now.”

Hernandez shared one clip of “Vamonos,” while fans at the show supplied some more on social media.

Eddie Alcazar’s “Perfect” to Have Its World Premiere at This Year’s SXSW Festival

Eddie Alcazar is preparing for a perfect night…

The world premiere of the Latino director’s sci-fi thriller Perfect, executive produced bySteven Soderbergh, is set for the South by Southwest Interactive Festival (SXSW).

Perfect

In Perfect, a boy in a cold and stark modern house in a vaguely science fiction world is seduced by advertisements of perfection to install implantable characteristics directly into his body. The implants heal his dark, twisted visions, but come with a corporeal cost. He persists on applying them, hoping to reach perfection, but ultimately discovers that purity of mind is not exactly as he’s imagined.

The film is produced by Alcazar and Javier Lovato for Brainfeeder Films, with Garrett Wareing, Courtney Eaton, Tao Okamoto with Maurice Compte and Abbie Cornish.

Alcazar previously directed Tapia for HBO, and FUCKKKYOUUUa Sundance selected short scored by Flying Lotus, which also did the music for Perfect.  

Camila Cabello Leads U.K. Midweek Sales Chart with “Havana”

Camila Cabello is making waves across the pond…

After three weeks in the runner-up position, the 20-year-old Cuban singer has the U.K. chart crown in her sights.

Camila Cabello

Cabello’s hit “Havana” climbs 2-1 on the midweek chart, with a 3,500 combined sales lead over the second-placed “Rockstar” by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage, which is unseated from the chart throne after four weeks. It’s the first time that “Havana” has led the Official Chart Update.

Meanwhile, Marshmello and Khalid’s “Silence” is unchanged at No. 3, Avicii and Rita Ora’s collab “Lonely Together” is unmoved at No. 4 and Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” rises one place to No. 5.

Rita Ora could snaffle a second top 10 when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published this Friday as “Anywhere” leaps 20-6, just up from Charlie Puth’s “How Long,” which follows a similar trajectory by soaring 18-7.

Marshmello, meanwhile, backs up his “Silence” hit with “Wolves,” a collaboration with Selena Gomez which bites into the chart at No. 14 for the highest debut on the current midweek survey.