Zoe Saldaña’s “Special Ops: Lioness” Touted as Paramount+’s Most-Watched Global Series Premiere in Its First 24 Hours

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Zoe Saldaña is celebrating a special accomplishment…

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress’ latest project, Special Ops: Lioness, is a streaming sensation.

The espionage thriller from Taylor Sheridan premiered with two episodes on Paramount+ on July 23, and Paramount Global is now touting it as the streamer’s most-watched global series premiere in its first 24 hours, topping a previous record set by Halo in March 2022.

In addition to debuting on Paramount+, the first two episodes also aired on Paramount Network across the last two weekends. The first episode debuted on July 23 to coincide with the series’ streaming debut, and Episode 2 aired on July 30. The remaining episodes will only be available on Paramount+.

After three days of delayed viewing, Episode 1 scored a combined audience of nearly 6M across viewing on Paramount+ globally and linear viewing on Paramount Network in the U.S., according to Paramount Global.

(For reference, Samba TV reported that 918,000 U.S. households watched Episode 1 on Paramount+ on release day, while 218,000 watched Episode 2.)

“On one of the most competitive weeks of the year, Special Ops: Lioness scored as the No. 1 new scripted series of the year on cable and one of the highest performers of all time on Paramount+,” said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO, Paramount Media Networks & Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios. “Brilliantly created by Taylor Sheridan and brought to life by our stellar cast, this heart-pounding thriller inspired by real-life events clearly struck a chord with a huge audience.”

Added Domenic DiMeglio, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Paramount Streaming: “The strong viewer reception for Special Ops: Lioness reflects the power of Paramount across the board in creating, producing, marketing and delivering this incredible Taylor Sheridan drama with broad global appeal. We can’t wait for viewers to come along with us on this high stakes thrill ride.”

On the Paramount Network, Special Ops: Lioness followed Paramount Network and CMT’s airing of the Paramount+ original series 1883, which drummed up 2.2M viewers — a season high for that Taylor Sheridan series.

Inspired by an actual U.S. military program, the new Sheridan drama follows Joe (Saldaña) as she attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA’s spear in the war on terror. The Lioness Program, overseen by Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman) and Byron Westfield (Michael Kelly), enlists an aggressive Marine Raider named Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of state terrorism in the CIA’s efforts to thwart the next 9/11.

Special Ops: Lioness also stars Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur and Hannah Love Lanier. The series is executive produced by Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Saldaña, Kidman, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Wagner, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Malone and John Hillcoat.

It’s produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios for Paramount+. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Paramount+ markets.

“We are thrilled audiences have discovered the power of Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman & Laysla De Oliveira,” said David C. Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios. “These three incredible actors delivered and make Lioness an action packed, dramatic, joy-ride week after week.”

Erislandy Lara to Defend Middleweight Title vs. Danny Garcia in August

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Erislandy Lara is preparing to defend his title…

The 40-year-old Cuban professional boxer will defend his middleweight title versus Danny Garcia on August 5, according to the WBA.

The Showtime main event is expected to take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, sources said, at a 155-pound catchweight.

PBC has been planning a fight between Lara and Garcia for months, but Michael Zerafa stood in the way. The 31-year-old Australian was the mandatory challenger to Lara’s title, but he agreed to step aside after he was offered an undercard slot, Zerafa’s manager, Elvis Grant, told ESPN.

“PBC were more than fair in reasonably working this out with Team Zerafa,” Grant said.

Zerafa (30-4, 19 KOs) is ESPN’s No. 10 middleweight.

The WBA stipulated that the winner must face Zerafa by December or face being stripped.

Lara, 40, was elevated as champion after Gennadiy Golovkin relinquished his title. A former 154-pound champion, Lara’s impressive résumé includes a controversial decision loss to Paul Williams, a split decision defeat to Canelo Alvarez and a victory over Austin Trout.

The Cuban’s split decision defeat to Jarrett Hurd in a 154-pound title unification was ESPN‘s 2018 Fight of the Year. Lara’s draw with Brian Castano the following year was one of the best fights of 2019.

Lara (29-3-3, 17 KOs) has competed four times since the Castano bout, all of them against domestic-level competition. Three of those four wins came inside the distance.

Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is a former unified 140-pound champion and 147-pound titleholder. He rose to prominence with an upset fourth-round TKO victory over Amir Khan in 2012 and followed up with an impressive victory over Lucas Matthysse the following year.

His lengthy résumé includes wins over Erik Morales, Zab Judah and Lamont Peterson, along with tight decision defeats to Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. The 35-year-old Philadelphian made his 154-pound debut in July with a majority decision win over Jose Benavidez Jr.

That was Garcia’s first fight since a December 2020 decision loss to Errol Spence Jr.

Sarah Shahi to Star in ABC’s Drama Pilot “Judgement”

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Sarah Shahi isn’t passing (on) judgement…

The 43-year-old part-Spanish actress and Sex/Life will star in and produce Judgement, ABC’s drama pilot from showrunner Joey Falco and 20th Television.

Shahi had been in talks for the project since January as ABC and the producers had to work through her commitment to Sex/Life, which she headlines.

Netflix just released the second season of the drama, inspired by BB Easton’s book 44 Chapters About 4 Men.

While there has been chatter for a while that this might be Sex/Life‘s final chapter, creator Stacy Rukeyser has shared hopes for a third season. If the show is renewed, Shahi will be able to reprise her role, subject to availability as Judgement now reportedly has her in first position.

Written and executive produced by Falco, Judgement is a high-stakes legal soap that redefines the genre by playing out over two timelines. Fifteen years from now, a woman (Shahi) being vetted for a Supreme Court seat recounts her experience at a prominent D.C. law firm in 2023, where the only thing more controversial than the cases was her messy love life, caught between two feuding brothers. Now, with a Supreme Court seat on the line, all of her darkest secrets are at risk of coming out, threatening her nomination, her reputation and her marriage.

We meet Shahi’s Mia Bahari in two distinct periods of her life. In one, she’s a brilliant, successful Appeals Court judge being vetted for the U.S. Supreme Court — so long as her dark and painful secrets don’t derail the nomination. In another, she’s a young spitfire of an attorney, painfully awkward at times but ingenious when it comes to navigating the many nuances of the law. She’s also caught romantically between two feuding brothers who are at the root of the very things she’s trying to hide from her Supreme Court investigators.

Falco executive produces with Melvin Mar, Jake Kasdan and Jordan Cerf. Paul McGuigan directs and also executive produces. 20th Television is the studio.

This marks Shahi’s return to ABC, where she had a major recurring role on The Rookie.

She also recently recurred on Showtime’s City on a Hill and was seen on the big screen in Warner Bros’ DC feature Black Adam alongside Dwayne Johnson.

Annie Gonzalez to Star as the Late Jenni Rivera in Family-Authorized Biopic “Jenni”

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Annie Gonzalez will be portraying a late banda legend…

The Latina actress will star in an authorized biopic about the life of Jenni Rivera has been greenlit at ViX.

In addition to starring, Gonzalez will also executive produce the film.

Filming of Jenni (wt) is underway in Bogota, Colombia, and will be completed in Los Angeles.

The project is set to premiere exclusively via ViX and in select movie theaters in the United States and Mexico later this year.

Jenni (wt) will follow Rivera’s journey from her humble beginnings in Long Beach, California, to her meteoric rise to the top of the charts, and her final days before her tragic and unexpected death. The film will also share a look at the struggles she endured in her personal life and how she became the artist fans all know and love today, and how she persevered and found strength from within.

The streamer notes, Jenni is a story of resilience and bravery that shows the building blocks of what made Jenni Rivera—also known affectionately as “La Diva De La Banda”— who she was and the remarkable legacy she left behind.

“My siblings and I are very excited about this biopic and we know our mother’s story will impact generations to come,” Jacqie Rivera, daughter of Jenni Rivera and CEO of Jenni Rivera Enterprises said in a statement. “It has been an uphill battle, but we are happy to see one of our mom’s dreams come to fruition. Although we still haven’t gotten used to seeing someone portray our mother, we have faith Annie will do a great job.”

As a multiple award-winning artist—including multiple Billboard Music Awards, 22 Billboard Latin Music Awards, 18 Lo Nuestro Awards, and four Latin Grammy nominations— Rivera is not only known as one of the best-selling Regional Mexican artists of all time but also for her role in disrupting cultural precedent by crossing into banda, a male-dominated music genre and eventually into pop music, where her presence posthumously continues to shine. Rivera died in a plane crash in 2012.

“I am beyond honored to portray the essence of this phenomenal survivor that is Jenni Rivera who despite adversity at every turn was never a victim and showed her daughters, her family, and her audience what grace, forgiveness, and true authenticity is— liberating us all,” Gonzalez shared. “Jenni’s messages of feminism, civil rights, and nonconformity within her music were well before her time and made space for all of us to feel empowered. With the support of the Rivera family, I cannot wait to help tell the beautiful story and the impactful legacy of what Jenni means to me personally and what it will mean to women and Latinas everywhere.”

Manuel Uriza will star opposite Gonzalez in the role of Pedro Rivera, Jenni’s father, and Regional Mexican entrepreneur. The cast also includes Cinthya Carmona (East Los High) as Jenni Rivera’s eldest daughter, Chiquis Rivera, Jero Medina (Narcos: Mexico) and Miguel Angel Garcia (The Long Game) who will dually portray Trino Marín, Rivera’s first husband and father of her three eldest children at later and earlier stages in his life, respectively.

Additionally, Gabriela Reynoso (Si Nos Dejan) will be portraying Jenni’s mother Rosa Saavedra, J.R. Villarreal (Ultra Violet) will play Juan “Cinco” Lopez, Jenni’s late second husband, and newcomer Tatiana Juarez will portray Rivera during her early years.

“ViX is thrilled to be the official home and distributor of this powerful story about Jenni Rivera. Our commitment to this project is paramount and, along with a fantastic production team and director, we know we will have a film that will captivate our audiences,” stated Augusto Rovegno, Senior Vice President of Content ViX at TelevisaUnivision.

Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock) directs from a screenplay by Shane McKenzie (Bingo Hell).

Gonzalez is gearing up to promote Flamin’ Hot, the Eva Longoria-directed Searchlight Pictures film about how Frito Lay janitor Ricardo Montañez climbs the ranks at work and creates the spicy Cheeto snack. Flamin’ Hot premieres at SXSW on March 11 followed by a wide release via Hulu in June. The Chicana actress portrays the character of Judy, Montañez’s wife, opposite Jesse Garcia.

She also recently starred in Illegally Brown alongside Jessica Marie Garcia from filmmaker, Gabby Revilla Lugo, which is currently playing on the film festival circuit. Additionally, Gonzalez can next be seen in the upcoming independent thriller Body Language and an untitled Ethan Coen project.

Gonzalez is best known for her portrayal of Lidia Solis in the Netflix comedy series Gentefied and her guest roles in Apple’s Mr. Corman, Starz’s Vida, NBC’s Good Girls, Showtime’s Shameless, and FX’s American Horror Story, among other credits.

Fight Between Ryan Garcia & Gervonta Davis Officially Confirmed

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s official… Ryan Garcia will battle Gervonta Davis.

The 136-pound catchweight fight between 24-year-old Mexican American boxer and Davis is now finalized.

Both boxers announced on social media that they’ll meet April 22 in Las Vegas.

Finalizing the broadcast agreement between Showtime and DAZN was all that was left, and that’s now been done. The fight will be broadcast on Showtime PPV.

The fight had been planned for April 15, but was pushed back one week to allow more time for promotion as negotiations dragged out, sources said.

The fight between the two stars is perhaps the biggest commercial event boxing can deliver. A dispute over the rematch clause had threatened to derail the fight, but that issue was resolved earlier this month after PBC agreed that Golden Boy would serve as the lead promoter for a second bout if Garcia wins.

Only Davis can exercise the rematch clause in the event he loses, per sources.

Typically, boxers have 30 days to activate their right to an immediate return bout.

Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) will earn slightly more for the first fight, according to sources, and is the betting favorite. Davis defeated Hector Luis Garcia last month via ninth-round TKO to keep the Ryan Garcia matchup intact.

Earlier this month, Davis pleaded guilty to four counts stemming from a hit-and-run crash in November 2020 in Baltimore that left four people injured, including a pregnant woman. Davis’ sentencing is set for May 5, which means any potential punishment won’t interfere with his ability to compete in April.

Davis was arraigned Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in connection with a Dec. 27 misdemeanor domestic violence charge of battery causing bodily harm. His next hearing is set for March 31, per Broward County court records. Davis pleaded not guilty after allegedly hitting the mother of his 1-year-old daughter with a “closed-hand type slap,” according to police, who said she suffered a small abrasion on the inside of her upper lip. She asked the court to dismiss charges in an affidavit filed Jan. 24.

Both Davis and Garcia announced on Instagram in mid-November that they would meet in a long-awaited fight in 2023, but it took months to reach an agreement on terms.

Davis, a 28-year-old from Baltimore, is one of the biggest needle-movers in boxing. “Tank” has 4.2 million Instagram followers and routinely fights before a host of celebrities. ESPN’s No. 3 lightweight, Davis won a junior lightweight title with a seventh-round KO of Jose Pedraza in 2017.

Before he defeated Hector Luis Garcia, Davis scored wins over Isaac Cruz and Rolly Romero in 135-pound bouts.

Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) is a star, too, with over 9 million followers on Instagram.

Regarded for his lightning-quick hands, he scored a career-best win in January 2021 after he survived a knockdown to stop Luke Campbell in the seventh round. He didn’t fight for the rest of 2021 after he withdrew from a bout with Javier Fortuna to address his mental health followed by wrist surgery that scrapped a match with Joseph Diaz Jr. Garcia, who fights out of Southern California, returned last year with wins over Emmanuel Tagoe and Fortuna at 140 pounds. Garcia, who formerly campaigned at 135 pounds, vowed to remain at 140 but will drop four pounds for the catchweight bout.

Garcia had been set to fight Mercito Gesta in January, but bypassed the planned tuneup bout to head directly into the high-stakes showdown with Davis.

Ryan Garcia Signs Contract for April 15 Super Fight vs. Gervonta Davis

Posted on February 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ryan Garcia is one step closer to a long-awaited bout…

The 24-year-old Mexican American boxer and Gervonta Davis have both signed contracts for an April 15 super fight in Las Vegas at a 136-pound catchweight, according to ESPN.

The deal, which has been in the works since November, will be finalized once broadcasters Showtime and DAZN sign contracts, sources said.

Showtime, Davis’ and promoter PBC‘s longtime network, sent the contract to DAZN on Saturday, per source. The streaming service is the home of Garcia, who competes for Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy Promotions.

The fight between the star boxers is perhaps the biggest commercial event boxing can deliver. A dispute over the rematch clause threatened to derail the fight, but that issue was resolved last week after PBC agreed that Golden Boy Promotions would serve as the lead promoter for the rematch if Garcia wins.

Only Davis can exercise the rematch clause in the event he loses, per sources.

Typically, boxers have 30 days to activate their right to an immediate return bout.

Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) will earn the lion’s share of revenue for the first fight, per sources, and is the betting favorite to win the bout. The Baltimore native defeated Hector Luis Garcia last month via ninth-round TKO to keep the Ryan Garcia matchup intact.

On Thursday, Davis pleaded guilty to four counts stemming from a hit-and-run crash in November 2020 in Baltimore that left four people injured, including a pregnant woman. Davis’ sentencing is set for May 5, which means any potential punishment won’t interfere with his ability to compete in April.

Davis is also set to be arraigned on Feb. 23 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in connection with a December 27 misdemeanor domestic violence charge of battery causing bodily harm. Davis pleaded not guilty after allegedly hitting the mother of his 1-year-old daughter with a “closed-hand type slap,” according to police, who said she suffered a small abrasion on the inside of her upper lip. She asked the court to dismiss charges in an affidavit filed January 24.

Both Davis and Garcia announced on Instagram in mid-November that they would meet in a long-awaited fight in 2023, but it took months to reach an agreement on terms.

Davis is one of the biggest needle-movers in boxing. “Tank” has 4.2 million Instagram followers and routinely fights before a host of celebrities. ESPN’s No. 3 lightweight, Davis won a junior lightweight title with a seventh-round KO of Jose Pedraza in 2017.

Before he defeated Hector Luis Garcia, Davis scored wins over Isaac Cruz and Rolly Romero in 135-pound bouts.

Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) is a star, too, with over 9 million followers on Instagram. Regarded for his lightning-quick hands, he scored a career-best win in January 2021 after he survived a knockdown to stop Luke Campbell in the seventh round.

He didn’t fight the rest of 2021 after he withdrew from a fight with Javier Fortuna to address his mental health followed by wrist surgery that scrapped a bout with Joseph Diaz Jr.

Garcia, who fights out of Southern California, returned last year with wins over Emmanuel Tagoe and Javier Fortuna at 140 pounds. Garcia, who formerly campaigned at 135 pounds, vowed to remain at 140 but will drop four pounds for the catchweight bout.

Garcia was set to fight Mercito Gesta in January, but he bypassed the planned tune-up bout to head directly into the high-stakes showdown with Davis.

Rolando Romero to Challenge Alberto Puello for WBA Junior Lightweight Title

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Rolando Romero is preparing for his first career title shot…

The 28-year-old Latino American boxer will challenge Alberto Puello for the WBA junior lightweight title in the spring in a PBC bout, according to ESPN.

Romero (14-1, 12 KOs) will move up to 140 pounds for his first career title shot.

In his most recent fight, Romero was stopped by Gervonta Davis in the sixth round of a 135-pound bout. The May event was staged in front of a sold-out crowd in Brooklyn and headlined a Showtime pay-per-view, increasing Romero’s profile in his defeat.

Romero’s best win came in July 2021, a seventh-round TKO of former title challenger Anthony Yigit. The 27-year-old trash-talker from Las Vegas is a damaging puncher who delivers his shots from awkward angles.

Puello (21-0, 10 KOs), on the other hand, is a southpaw counterpuncher. The 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic won the vacant 140-pound belt with a split-decision victory over Batyr Akhmedov in August.

BoxingScene first reported the news.

Monica Raymund to Star in “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial”

Posted on January 7, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Monica Raymund is headed to court…

The 36-year-old half-Dominican American actress will star in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

Raymund, the star of Starz’s Hightown, is part of a roster of new cast additions that includes Lance Reddick, Griffin Dunne, Elizabeth Anweis, Lewis Pullman, Francois Battiste and Gabe Kessler.

They join previously announced leads Keifer Sutherland, Jake Lacy, and Jason Clarke.

Led by director William Friedkin, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, originally written in 1951 by Herman Wouk, is being retold for modern times and will follow the United States Navy while on trial for mutiny. Until now, there has never been a mutiny on record within the U.S. Navy.

While the USS Caine was engulfed in a deadly typhoon off the coast of Iran, Maryk invoked Article 184 of Naval Regulations to relieve his superior, Lt. Commander Phillip Francis Queeg (Sutherland), of duty. Maryk, self-righteous and insistent that his extreme actions were justified, argued Queeg was mentally unstable and that his paranoid delusions were endangering the ship and crew.

As a result, Maryk took command and in doing so, steered The Caine directly into the storm. Fortunately, the ship and her entire crew survived, giving Maryk a deep belief that his actions were warranted. Through a series of witness examinations and deep prodding at the inner psyche of a career Naval Commander, Greenwald is able to poke holes in the mutiny charge against his client.

Raymund will portray Challee, a Lieutenant with a sharp legal mind and eye for detail who serves as the prosecuting attorney during the court-martial, doing their best to argue that Commander Queeg was wrongfully relieved of his duties.

The project hails from Paramount Global Content Distribution for Showtime.

Jeremias Ponce to Make U.S. Debut in Bout for Vacant IBF Junior Welterweight Title

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jeremias Ponce is ready to rumble on American soil for the first time…

In his U.S. debut, the 26-year-old Argentine boxer will fight Subriel Matias for the vacant IBF junior welterweight title on the PBC on the Showtime undercard, sources said.

Ponce and Matias will face off against each other on February 11 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, according to ESPN.

Ponce is currently 30-0 with 20 Kos.

Matias (18-1, 18 KOs) avenged his lone professional defeat in January with a ninth-round TKO of Petros Ananyan. The 30-year-old volume puncher from Puerto Rico is ESPN’s No. 9 boxer at 140 pounds.

The IBF title is one of three Josh Taylor vacated to proceed with his March 4 rematch vs. Jack Catterall.

Catalina Sandino Moreno to Star in the John Wick Spinoff “Ballerina”

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Catalina Sandino Moreno will soon chaseé her way into a theater near you…

The 41-year-old Colombian Oscar-nominated actress is joining Ana de Armas in the John Wick spinoff Ballerina in a sizeable role.

Moreno’s part remains under wraps.

Sandino Moreno, whose deal just closed, joins Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick in the Lionsgate release.

Cameras are currently rolling on the Len Wiseman-directed, Shay Hatten-scripted title in the $586M-grossing John Wick universe.

Producer Erica Lee said: “One of the challenges of casting Ballerina is making sure that the new roles are played by actors with as much power, emotional presence, and physical skill as Ana has. After working with Catalina on John Woo’s Silent Night, it was clear that she belonged at the top of our list, and it’s a thrill to be reuniting with her.”

Moreno was Oscar nominated out of the gate for her debut performance in 2004’s Maria Full of Grace.

In her next film, Silent Night, she stars opposite Joel Kinnaman and Kid Cudi. She recently starred in the indie Barbarians opposite Iwan Rheon and Tom Cullen.

She also stars in the Epix horror series From, currently shooting its second season.

Other recent work includes a role as a series regular on Showtime’s The Affair and a starring role on the Duplass Brothers’ HBO series Room 104.

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