Jackie Cruz Replaces Stephanie Beatriz in the Horror-Thriller “History of Evil”

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jackie Cruz is embracing a new history…

The 35-year-old Dominican-American actress, singer, former model and Orange is The New Black star is replacing Stephanie Beatriz as co-lead in the horror-thriller film History of Evil, which recently wrapped production.

Paul Wesley co-stars in the feature, which was pre-bought by AMC’s genre streamer Shudder for release in North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Beatriz reportedly had to switch out before the film’s early May start due to scheduling conflicts.

Written and directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Bo Mirhosseni, the film is being produced by genre specialists XYZ Films, Under the Shadow outfit Two & Two Pictures and Jake Siegel.

In History Of Evil, a family on the run from a corrupt state takes refuge in a safe house with an evil past — a terrifying last stop on a near-future Underground Railroad.

The film is the first project under a pact between XYZ Films and Two & Two Pictures to make films from first- and second-time genre directors from under-represented demographics.

The pact is set to produce two to three pictures a year initially and was hatched as a result of XYZ Films partnering with Two & Two on Babak Anvari’s Under the Shadow, which went on to win a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut. The companies most recently collaborated on Anvari’s third feature film, I Came By, which is currently in post-production for Netflix.

Cruz is best known for starring in Netflix’s hit series Orange Is The New Black. Her recent features include the Bruce Willis actioner Midnight In The Switchgrass and the thriller Panama with Mel Gibson and Cole Hauser.

Stephanie Beatriz to Star in Peacock’s Live-Action Film Adaptation of “Twisted Metal” Video Game

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Stephanie Beatriz is getting things twisted…

The 41-year-old Colombian and Bolivian American actress will star in Peacock’s Twisted Metal, the live-action video game adaptation starring Anthony Mackie.

Beatriz will play the character of Quiet, a ferocious, badass car thief who acts purely on instinct – you couldn’t stop her any more than a manhole could stop a volcano. Coming from a community that oppressed her into silence, Quiet’s wish is to find her place in this dark, chaotic world. But when she becomes clouded by her need for revenge, Quiet forms an unlikely, antagonistic bond with John Doe (Mackie).

From Cobra Kai writer Michael Jonathan Smith, Twisted Metal is a half-hour, high-octane action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.

Alongside Mackie and showrunner Smith, executive producers also include Kitao Sakurai—who will also direct multiple episodes—Reese, Wernick, Will Arnett, and Marc Forman via their Electric Avenue production company, Jason Spire of Inspire Entertainment, Peter Principato of Artists First, Asad Qizilbash, and Carter Swan from PlayStation Productions, Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios.

The series is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Beatriz most recently made a splash as the voice of Mirabel in Disney’s Encanto. Prior to that, she starred in Matthew Dunster’s hit theatrical production 2:22 on London’s West End and also played Carla in the Warner Bros. film adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical In The Heights.

Beatriz is best known for playing fan-favorite Detective Rosa Diaz in the NBC comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine throughout the show’s eight-season run.

Adassa to Perform “Encanto” Hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” at Academy Awards Show

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s official… Adassa has a date with Oscar.

The 35-year-old urban singer is set to perform the chart-topping single “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” alongside her Encanto voice cast mates.

The 94th annual Academy Awards, another key movie song not mentioned in their release.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” will be performed on the awards show even though it wasn’t even submitted by Disney and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda for consideration in the category.

Miranda is a nominee for another tune from the same film, “Dos Oruguitas,” which will be performed by Sebastian Yatra.

The performance is reportedly planned to be a major highlight of the awards show and is being advertised as the first live performance of the smash hit song.

In addition to Adassa, other Encanto cast members set to take the stage to perform the song include Stephanie Beatriz, Mauro Castillo, Carolina Gaitan, and Diane Guerrero, along with Becky G and Luis Fonsi performing “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

“If there is a song that unites people this year [it is this one], and that is kind of the epitome to me of what movies can do, because people of all stripes, ethnicities, ages, color, background, around the world [are singing it] ad nauseum, and we are going to help them out so they sing it a little bit more. Our apologies to the parents,” Packer laughed.

The 94th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday at the Dolby Theatre and will be televised live on ABC at 8:00 pm EDT/5:00 pm PDT and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

American Sign Language (ASL) provided by Certified Deaf Interpreters, and live closed captioning and audio description will be available during the live broadcast.

Rachel Zegler to Serve as Presenter During This Weekend’s Academy Awards Show

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rachel Zegler has a date with the Oscars after all…

The 20-year-old half-Colombian American actress/singer, who won a Golden Globe for her performance in West Side Story, will serve as a presenter for the 94th annual Academy Awards on Sunday.

Over the weekend, Zegler reported on social media that she did not receive an invite to the Oscars, but that changed two days later when her production schedule in London on the Disney movie Snow White loosened up.

But, Zegler isn’t the only Latinx talent set to present on Hollywood’s Biggest Night.

Jacob Elordi, the 24-year-old Spanish-Australian star of Netflix‘s The Kissing Booth teen film franchise and the HBO series Euphoria, has also been added to the list of presenters, alongside Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Momoa, Jill Scott, J.K. Simmons, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

Previously announced Latinx presenters include Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo and Rosie Perez.

Here is the full list of presenters, in alphabetical order, set for the Oscars, which will air live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET and in 200-plus territories around the world:

Halle Bailey
Stephanie Beatriz
Josh Brolin
Ruth E. Carter
Sean “Diddy” Combs
Kevin Costner
Jamie Lee Curtis
DJ Khaled
Jacob Elordi
Jennifer Garner
Jake Gyllenhaal
Woody Harrelson
H.E.R.
Tiffany Haddish
Tony Hawk
Anthony Hopkins
Daniel Kaluuya
Samuel L. Jackson
Lady Gaga
Lily James
Zoë Kravitz
Mila Kunis
John Leguizamo
Simu Liu
Rami Malek
Shawn Mendes
Jason Momoa
Bill Murray
Lupita Nyong’o
Elliot Page
Rosie Perez
Chris Rock
Jill Scott
Naomi Scott
Tyler Perry
Tracee Ellis Ross
J.K. Simmons
Kelly Slater
Wesley Snipes
Uma Thurman
John Travolta
Shaun White
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
Yuh-Jung Youn
Rachel Zegler

Carolina Gaitán & Her “Encanto” Cast Mates May Perform “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” at Academy Awards

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Carolina Gaitán could have a date with Oscar…

The Academy Awards are heralding the “first live performance of ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno,’” a song performed by the 37-year-old Colombian actress and singer and her Encanto cast mates, for the awards show on Sunday, March 27.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from Disney’s chart-topping Disney animated film Encanto topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, an astonishing showing for a multi-character theatrical piece.

The song is performed by Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the cast of Encanto on the soundtrack, which is currently in its ninth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

We don't talk about Bruno…except at this year's #Oscars!

Catch the 94th Academy Awards hosted by @MoreReginaHall, @amyschumer, and @iamwandasykes LIVE Sunday, March 27 on @ABCNetwork! pic.twitter.com/9DZ23urvSM

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 16, 2022

Another of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s songs from Encanto, “Dos Oruguitas,” is competing for best original song at the Oscars.

The Academy hasn’t officially announced that all five best original song nominees will be performed on the show, but that is widely expected. If they are, on top of the performance of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the show will have a strong music focus.

If the Oscars are able to book all of the original performers, Sebastián Yatra would perform “Dos Oruguitas,” Beyoncé would perform “Be Alive” from King Richard, Van Morrison would perform “Down to Joy” from Belfast, Billie Eilish would perform No Time to Die from the film of the same name, and Reba McEntire would perform “Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days.

Carolina Gaitán & Her “Encanto” Cast Mates Log Seventh Week at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Carolina Gaitán is still making a splash across the pond…

The 37-year-old Colombian actress and singer and her fellow Encanto cast mates are celebrating a seventh week at No. 1 in the United Kingdom with their hit single from the Disney animated film, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the longest-running No. 1 this year so far, became the first original Disney cut to lead the Official U.K. Singles Chart.

The song, by Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the Encanto cast (all singing as the characters that they voice in the movie), was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The track was recently named Best Song Written for a Film by the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA).

Encanto continues to make a big impression on the chart with “Surface Pressure” down 3-5 this week, and “The Family Madrigal” down 8-10.

Stephanie Beatriz Among Latino Entertainment Journalists Association’s Film Award Honorees

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Stephanie Beatriz is the LEJA choice…

The Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) has revealed the winners of its annual awards, with the 40-year-old Colombian and Bolivian American actress among this year’s honorees.

Beatriz took home the Best Voice or Motion Capture Performance for her role as Mirabel Madrigal in Disney’s hit animated film Encanto, which was named Best Animated Film by the association.

The chart-topping single “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which she performs alongside fellow voice cast members Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz and Diane Guerrero, was named Best Song Written for a Film. The track was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Meanwhile, the Encanto score, by Germaine Franco – the first Latina to be nominated for an Oscar for original score – was named Best Musical Score.

Oscar-hopeful Ariana DeBose, already a SAG Award winner, was named Best Supporting Actress.

The 31-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/singer/dancer continued her winning ways for her scene-stealing role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.

Spanish Oscar-winning actress Penelope Cruz was named Best Actress in a Leading Role for the work in Pedro Almodovar’s Spanish-language film Parallel Mothers, which took home the Best Foreign Language Film prize.

Anthony Ramos and his fellow In The Heights cast members won the Best Ensenble Casting award.

The LEJA membership also selected Miranda as the recipient of the Latino Activism Award. Meanwhile, John Leguizamo was honored with the 2022 Rita Moreno Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing the actor, producer and comedian as a tireless force in the Latino community. The Latino Breakout Award was bestowed on West Side Story star Rachel Zegler.

The Latino Entertainment Journalists Association is committed to developing and celebrating Latino voices among all areas and backgrounds of the entertainment industry.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Picture
“The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)

Best Director
Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Andrew Garfield, “Tick, Tick … Boom!” (Netflix)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Penélope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Troy Kotsur, “CODA” (Apple Original Films)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios)

Best Voice or Motion Capture Performance
Stephanie Beatriz, “Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Best Animated Film
“Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Best Foreign Language Film
“Parallel Mothers” (Sony Pictures Classics) (Spain)

Best Documentary Film
“Flee” (Neon)

Best Original Screenplay
“C’mon C’mon” (A24)

Best Adapted Screenplay
“The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)

Best Ensemble Casting
“In the Heights” (Warner Bros)

Best Production and Set Design
“Dune” (Warner Bros)

Best Cinematography
“Dune” (Warner Bros)

Best Costume Design
“Cruella” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Best Editing
“The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)

Best Hair and Makeup
“Cruella” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Best Sound Design
“Dune” (Warner Bros)

Best Visual Effects
“Dune” (Warner Bros)

Best Musical Score
“Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Best Stunt Design
“No Time to Die” (MGM/United Artists Releasing)

Best Song Written for a Film
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from “Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Carolina Gaitán & Her “Encanto” Cast Mates Log Fifth Week at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Make that five in a row for Carolina Gaitán…

The 37-year-old Colombian actress and singer and her fellow Encanto cast mates are celebrating a fifth week atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their smash hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from the hit Disney animated film.

The single now claims more weeks on top than the other two leaders from Disney films combined.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data.

Adassa & Fellow “Encanto” Cast Mates’ “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” Logs Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard Global 200

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Adassa’s global domination continues…

The 35-year-old Afro-Colombian singer and her Encanto cast mates’ “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has notched a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200.

The track, which also features Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the Encanto cast, from Disney’s hit animated film.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which Lin-Manuel Miranda solely wrote and co-produced with Mike Elizondo, drew 65.3 million streams (down 6%) and sold 12,900 (down 32%) worldwide in the Feb. 4-10 tracking week.

On the U.S. charts, the track tallies a third week at No. 1 on the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100, while its parent album, the Encanto soundtrack, logs a fifth week at No. 1 on the U.S.-based Billboard 200.

The chart ranks songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by MRC Data. The Billboard Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the U.S.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Carolina Gaitán & Her “Encanto” Cast Members Make Disney History with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” Track’s Third Week at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Carolina Gaitán is still a woman on top…

The 37-year-old Colombian actress and singer and her Encanto cast mates’ track “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” tops the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for a third week.

The ensemble track – by Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the Encanto cast (all singing as the characters that they voice in the hot animated film) – ties for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 ever for a hit from a Disney movie, animated or live-action, matching the three-week reign of “All for Love,” by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting, from The Three Musketeers, in 1994.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” tallied 35.6 million U.S. streams (down 5%), 5.5 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 53%) and 8,400 downloads sold (down 38%) in the February 4-10 tracking week, according to MRC Data.

The song was aided by 69-cent discount pricing in the iTunes Store the prior two weeks.

The track tops the Streaming Songs chart for a sixth week and holds at No. 2 on Digital Song Sales, three weeks after it topped the latter list.

As “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” tops the Hot 100 for a third week, its parent album, the Encanto soundtrack, crowns the Billboard 200 albums chart for a fifth week (and fourth in a row), with 110,000 equivalent album units (down 2%).

Encanto and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” mark the first soundtrack and corresponding song to have led the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 simultaneously for at least three weeks in over 26 years, since Dangerous Minds and Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise,” featuring L.V., aligned atop the respective rankings dated September 9, 16 and 23, 1995.