Ortiz to Star in Legendary’s “Kong: Skull Island”

John Ortiz is going bananas for his latest role…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican actor, director and producer has joined the cast of Legendary’s Kong: Skull Island.

John Ortiz

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the story is about a man (Tom Hiddleston) who travels to the mythical island and home of the king of the apes. A team of explorers ventures inside what they find to be a treacherous island. The story is said to honor the King Kong lore but in a different time period.

Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman also star in the project, which is expected to go before the cameras this fall.

No word on the character Ortiz will play.

Ortiz co-starred on Rake and just wrapped a role in Zach Braff’s remake of Going In Style. 

He’ll next be seen in Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs and Disney’s The Finest Hours.

La La to Star in Spike Lee’s Amazon Studios Film “Chi-Raq”

La La Anthony is experiencing a Spike in her movie career…

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican actress, businesswoman and radio/television personality has joined Spike Lee’s Amazon Studios film Chi-Raq.

La La Anthony

Anthony will portray Hecuba, a very strong, fiesty, outspoken woman who is part of a female crew/gang.

Set against the violence in inner city Chicago, Chi-Raq touts a top-billed cast that includes Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson.

Anthony is a series regular on A&E’s Unforgettable and starred in the Think Like A Man franchise.

The Weinstein Company to Release Bichir’s “The Hateful Eight” on Christmas Day

Demian Bichir is preparing for a Hateful Christmas

The Weinstein Company has announced plans to give Quentin Tarantino’s new movie The Hateful Eight, starring the 51-year-old Mexican actor, an exclusive two-week roadshow in 70mm nationwide beginning Christmas Day.

Demian Bichir

The plan is to follow that with a digital theatrical release on January 8. The Western shoot-em-up is Tarantino’s follow-up to 2012’s Django Unchained, for which he won the Original Screenplay Oscar. That also was released on December 25.

It will mark the widest 70mm release that the industry has seen in more than 20 years, TWC said. Tarantino has been one of the biggest proponents of the format and was part of the filmmaker-led fight to keep the film stock division open at Kodak, which had decided to scrap the unit altogether until it was resurrected in February.

Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern also star in the pic.

Bichir portrays Bob, “The Mexican,” in the film.

Martinez Signs with Paradigm Talent Agency

Olivier Martinez has new representation…

The 49-year-old half-Spanish actor has signed on as a client with Paradigm Talent Agency.

Olivier Martinez

Martinez, who has a César Award under his belt for 1993’s Un, deux, trois, soleil, most recently appeared last season on ABC’s Revenge as French billionaire media mogul Pascal LeMarchal.

He’ll next appear in History Channel’s upcoming miniseries Texas Rising playing Antonio López de Santa Anna, the 19th century Mexican general known as the Napoleon of the West, in a cast that includes Bill Paxton, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Brendan Fraser and Chad Michael Murray.

Martinez rose to acclaim in the United States after starring in Unfaithful with Diane Lane and Richard Gere. His other credits include Before Night Falls opposite Javier Bardem, S.W.A.T. with Samuel L. Jackson, D.J. Caruso’s Taking Lives, and Dark Tide with wife Halle Berry.

Bichir to Star in in Quentin Tarantino’s Post-Civil War Western “The Hateful Eight”

Demián Bichir is hateful

The 51-year-old Mexican American actor has been cast in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, the epic post-Civil War Western from The Weinstein Company.

Demian Bichir

The plot: A stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth and his fugitive Daisy Domergue, race towards the town of Red Rock where Ruth, known in these parts as “The Hangman,” will bring Domergue to justice. Along the road, they encounter two strangers: Major Marquis Warren, a former Union soldier-turned-infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix, a Southern renegade who claims to be the town’s new sheriff.

Losing their lead on the blizzard, Ruth, Domergue, Warren and Mannix seek refuge at Minnie’s Haberdashery, a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass. When they arrive at Minnie’s, they are greeted not by the proprietor but by four unfamiliar faces: Bob (portrayed by Bichir), who’s taking care of Minnie’s while she’s visiting her mother, is holed up with Oswaldo Mobray, the hangman of Red Rock, cow-puncher Joe Gage, and Confederate Gen. Sanford Smithers. As the storm overtakes the mountainside stopover, the eight travelers come to learn they may not make it to Red Rock after all.

Bichir, making his first appearance in a Tarantino film, joins a cast that includes Channing Tatum, Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern.

The Hateful Eight begins shooting early next year in Telluride, with The Weinstein Company eyeing a 2015 release.

The Official Trailer Released for Padilha’s “Robocop” Remake

The official trailer for José Padilha‘s highly anticipated RoboCop remake has been released…

The clip for the 46-year-old Brazilian director’s reinvention of Paul Verhoeven‘s 1987 cult sci-fi film begins with: “When crime is out of control, the only solution isn’t human.”

RoboCop

Starring The Killing‘s Joel Kinnaman in the role originally made famous by Peter Weller, the film centers on police officer Alex Murphy, who suffers fourth degree burns and the loss of a leg when his car blows up.

Murphy recovers to find himself trapped inside a robo-suit, designed by scientists Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) and Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton). It’s hoped that this part-man, part-robot police officer will fight crime in Detroit but, as we all know very well, things do not always work out as planned.

RoboCop also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish and Jay Baruchel.

With an estimated budget of $120 million, the new trailer showcases a number of epic special effects as well as plenty of new gadgetry.

 

The film from MGMColumbia Pictures opens in theaters on February 7.

DreamWorks Animation Releases Trailer for Peña’s “Turbo”

Michael Peña is getting quite animated in his next motion picture…

Michael Peña

The 37-year-old Mexican American, who recently landed a starring role in Fox’s drama pilot The List, voices the character of Tito in DreamWorks Animation’s feature film Turbo.

DreamWorks just released the first full-length trailer for the film, which features Ryan Reynolds as an ambitious garden snail who, after a freak accident, gains super speed and gets the chance to pursue his dream of racing in the Indy 500.

Turbo

In addition to Reynolds and Peña, Turbo stars Luis Guzman as Tito’s brother, as well as Michelle Rodriguez, Maya Rudolph, Samuel L. Jackson and Snoop Dogg.

Turbo will hit theaters on July 17.

Mars Makes Cameo in Jimmy Kimmel’s “Movie: The Movie” Trailer

Bruno Mars may feel like he’s been “Locked Out of Heaven,” but he hasn’t been excluded from Jimmy Kimmel’s post-Oscars antics.

The 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer appears in the trailer for the sequel to the late night talk show host’s mock film, Movie: The Movie, from last year’s post-Oscars show.

Bruno Mars

But Mars isn’t the only Hispanic celebrity to appear in the hilarious seven-minute skit…

Salma Hayek, who wowed on the red carpet at this year’s Academy Awards, makes a cameo appearance.

Other celebrities involved include Oprah Winfrey, who plays the U.S. president, as well as Channing Tatum, Rachel Weisz, Samuel L. Jackson, Bradley Cooper, Bryan Cranston, Gerard Butler, John Krasinski, Kerry Washington and Matt Damon.

Miguel Receives Three 2012 BET Awards Nominations

The nominations for the 2012 BET Awards have been unveiled… And, rising star Miguel leads the Latino pack of nominees with three nods.

The 25-year-old half-Mexican R&B singer/songwriter has received a nomination in the Best Male R&B Artist category. He’ll face off against fellow Latino singer Bruno Mars, as well as Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Usher.

Miguel

In addition, Miguel has been nominated in the Best Collaboration category with Wale for their song Lotus Flower Bomb.” Other nominees include Beyonce f/ J. Cole – “Party,” Big Sean f/ Kanye West & Roscoe Dash – “Marvin & Chardonnay,” DJ Khaled f/ Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne – “I’m On One,” Drake f/ Lil Wayne & Tyga – “The Motto,” The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding – “Otis.”

Miguel’s final nod comes in the Coca-Cola Viewer’s Choice Award category for his same collaboration with Wale on “Lotus Flower Bomb.” The pair will face off against Beyonce – “Love On Top,” Chris Brown – “Turn Up the Music,” Drake f/ Lil Wayne & Tyga – “The Motto,” Mindless Behavior – and “Hello,” The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding – “Otis.”

But Miguel and Bruno Mars aren’t the only Latino artists getting nominations… Zoe Saldana received a nod in the Best Actress category, while New York Giants’ star Victor Cruz was nominated in the Subway Sportsman of the Year category.

The 2012 BET Awards, which will be hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, will be held on July 1 at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium. Last year’s awards show drew 7.7 million viewers on BET.

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