Harvey Guillen has more shadow play in his future…
FX has renewed its acclaimed series What We Do in the Shadows, starring the 32-year-old Mexican American actor, has been renewed for both Season 5 and Season 6.
The announcement comes ahead of the vampire comedy’s fourth season premiere.
“There’s a lot of life left in our favorite vampires from Staten Island and FX couldn’t be more thrilled to commit to two additional seasons of this phenomenal series,” said Nick Grad, president of original programming for FX Entertainment. “What We Do in the Shadows excels on every level, from the brilliant cast and surprising guest stars to the producers, writers, directors and crew. We can’t wait for everyone to enjoy season four, knowing that the next two are on the way.”
Season 4 of What We Do in the Shadows will debut on July 12 at 10:00 pm ET with two episodes.
Episodes will be available on Hulu the day after their linear premiere, with the show soon to be available on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories.
The series is based on the film of the same name by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, who both serve as executive producers on the show.
The TV version follows vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (Guillén).
The show has proven popular with audiences and critics alike. Its first two seasons garnered 10 Emmy Award nominations, including one for best comedy series. The third season is currently a contender for more nominations, which will be announced in July.
The Latinx, non-binary and gender-fluid actor has signed with Paradigm.
Ortiz is a known for their work in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death andThe Sex Lives of College Girls, and Starz’s Vida.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ortiz’s first breakthrough role was in Amazon Prime Video’s Transparent. They then appeared in recurring roles for Freeform’s The Fostersand Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and Netflix’s Lucifer. They appeared in Starz’s Vida, where their drag king alter ego Vico Suave made their screen debut.
Currently Ortiz is a series regular on Our Flag Means Death, appearing opposite stars Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. They play Jim, the first non-binary pirate to exist in a period piece. Their additional credits include S.O.Z: Soldados o. Zombies, American Horror Story: 1984, Criminal Minds, 9-1-1, Ray Donovanand Jane The Virgin.
Beyond television, they were a co-lead in The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night, which premiered at TIFF in 2021. Ortiz also received a 2021 Queerties Award nomination for their performance in the buzzed about queer digital series, These Thems.
Beyond their on-screen work, Ortiz is an activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They championed organizations including The Dru Project and the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center..
Ortiz is a known for their work in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death andThe Sex Lives of College Girls, and Starz’s Vida.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ortiz’s first breakthrough role was in Amazon Prime Video’s Transparent. They then appeared in recurring roles for Freeform’s The Fostersand Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and Netflix’s Lucifer. They appeared in Starz’s Vida, where their drag king alter ego Vico Suave made their screen debut.
Currently Ortiz is a series regular on Our Flag Means Death, appearing opposite stars Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. They play Jim, the first non-binary pirate to exist in a period piece. Their additional credits include S.O.Z: Soldados o. Zombies, American Horror Story: 1984, Criminal Minds, 9-1-1, Ray Donovanand Jane The Virgin.
Beyond television, they were a co-lead in The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night, which premiered at TIFF in 2021. Ortiz also received a 2021 Queerties Award nomination for their performance in the buzzed about queer digital series, These Thems.
Beyond their on-screen work, Ortiz is an activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They championed organizations including The Dru Project and the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center.
It only took 50 years, but George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” finally has its first official video, with a special appearance by the 55-year-old half-Venezuelan American actor/comedian/musician.
In the star-packed effort directed by Lance Bangs and executive produced by Harrison’s son Dhani Harrison with David Zonshine, the new “My Sweet Lord” video stars Armisen and Vanessa Bayer as “metaphysical special agents” searching for something that can’t be seen. Sending them on the mission: Star Wars’ Mark Hamill himself.
With seemingly most of Hollywood and New York celebrities showing up for cameos, the video includes appearances by Darren Criss, Jon Hamm, Rosanna Arquette, Joe Walsh, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Reggie Watts, Moshe Kasher, Natasha Leggero, Patton Oswalt, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, Garfunkel and Oates (Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome), Taika Waititi, Shepard Fairey, Aimee Mullins, Rupert Friend and Harrison’s wife Olivia Harrison and their son Dhani.
Harrison’s former bandmates Ringo Starr and Jeff Lynne also appear
“Making this was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life,” said director Bangs in a statement. “The approach was to represent the song visually while these agents and inspectors kept missing the metaphysical wonder around them. Images are choreographed to the sounds of vocal melodies, guitar strums, drum patterns, chord changes.
“George threaded a sense of humor through all of his videos, so we kept that spirit and filled the cast with friends and admirers of his music, many coming from the current comedy landscape. I tracked down vintage prime lenses from some of the films George’s HandMade Films had produced, and I hope that viewers can feel a sense of wonder and searching while they watch it, and that the song continues to add to all of our lives.”
The video for “My Sweet Lord” features the new 2020 mix of the song mixed by engineer Paul Hicks released August 6 for the 50th anniversary editions of Harrison’s All Things Must Pass.
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s work has caught the attention of an Oscar winner…
Taika Waititi has signed on to direct the first feature adaptation of the 92-year-old Chilean-French filmmaker and artist and Mœbius’ bestselling graphic novel, The Incal, for Humanoids and Primer Entertainment.
Waititi will also co-write the script for the project, marking Humanoids’ first foray into film, with his frequent collaborator Jemaine Clement and Peter Warren.
The Incal is an epic space opera centered on shabby P.I. John Difool, who happens upon a mystical artifact known as the Incal—an object of great power coveted by many factions across the galaxy. As Difool learns of the Incal’s powers and purpose, he—along with a ragtag crew of unlikely cohorts—reluctantly embarks on what begins as an improbable mission to save the universe, and slowly becomes a spiritual journey examining the duality and meaning of existence.
Jodorowsky and French artist Mœbius unveiled the Humanoids title at the end of the 1970s, seeing it go on to become the highest-selling sci-fi graphic novel in history. It serves as the foundation of the “Jodoverse,” which encompasses bestselling comic book series including The Metabarons and Megalex, and may be further explored by the company via additional films at a later date.
“The films and graphic novels of Alejandro Jodorowsky have influenced me and so many others for so long,” said Waititi. “I was stunned to be given the opportunity to bring his iconic characters to life and I am grateful to Alejandro, Fabrice and everyone at HUMANOIDS for trusting me to do so.”
“When Humanoids’ CEO Fabrice Giger introduced me to Taika Waititi’s work, it became obvious to me that he was the one,” said Jodorowsky. “I fully trust Taika’s creativity to give THE INCAL a stunning take, intimate and at the same time of cosmic proportions.”
Added Giger: “It began as the adventures of a jackass named John Difool, and then it became something else—we called it THE INCAL—something that has transformed everything it’s ever touched and continues to do so its creators, the other artists who later became a part of John’s journey, its publisher HUMANOIDS and myself in the process, countless readers, writers and directors around the world, and soon, I believe, the great Taika Waititi himself and everyone who looks to him for inspiration.”
Humanoids’ producing partner, Primer—led by David Jourdan—acquired a stake in the publishing house in 2019, and brought in a multi-million-dollar development fund to partner on a slate. This fund has helped jumpstart the company’s production efforts, as it look to draw on a catalogue of IP by artists and writers including John Cassaday, Milo Manara, Mark Waid and Robert Silverberg, among others.
The 54-year-old half-Venezuelan American actor has joined the cast of HBO Max’s pirate comedyOur Flag Means Death, joining stars Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi.
The series hails from writer David Jenkins, Garrett Basch and Dan Halsted.
Created by Jenkins, who also serves as showrunner, Our Flag Means Death is based loosely on the true adventures of Stede Bonnet (Darby), a pampered aristocrat who abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate.
Armisen joins the cast in a recurring role. Details about his character have not been revealed.
The ensemble cast also includes Ewen Bremner, David Fane, Nat Faxon, Nathan Foad, Joel Fry, Leslie Jones, Samson Kayo, Guz Khan,Rory Kinnear, Matt Maher, Kristian Nairn, Con O’Neill and Vico Ortiz.
Our Flag Means Death is executive produced by Waititi, Jenkins, Basch and Halsted.
Armisen’s recent credits include Portlandia, Los Espookysand Documentary Now!
The non-binary Puerto Rican actor, drag king, activist and performer extraordinaire will star in HBO Max’s upcoming period comedy Our Flag Means Death.
Ortiz joins a cast of newcomers that includesKristian Nairn, Nathan Foad, Samson Kayo, Rory Kinnear and Con O’Neill.
The series hails from Taika Waititi, David Jenkins, Garrett Basch and Dan Halsted.
Ortiz is set to portray Bonifacia.
The series, which stars Rhys Darby and Waititi, based loosely on the true adventures of Stede Bonnet, a pampered aristocrat who abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate in the early 18th century.
Bonnet was a moderately wealthy land owner who later turned to a life of crime as a pirate. He bought a sailing vessel, named it Revenge and traveled with his paid crew along the Eastern Seaboard of what is now the United States, capturing other vessels and burning other Barbadian ships.
Darby plays Bonnet, while Waititi, who is also directing the pilot episode and will executive-produce, will play Blackbeard, history’s most feared and revered pirate.
Ortiz’s previous credits include Indebted, Vida and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay.
Nicolás Pereda is bringing the faunato this year’s reimagined Toronto Film Festival.
The 38-year-old Mexican filmmaker’s latest film Fauna will be among the film’s screened at the festival, which is North America’s largest festival.
The film is an exploration of the impact of “narco” culture on Mexican society.
It’ll be Fauna’s official global premiere. An excerpt from the film was screened as part of the “Works in Progress” section of the Los Cabos International Film Festival in 2019,and won the Cinecolor Mexico Award.
This year’s edition will run from September 10–19. As expected, the festival will look different due to the coronavirus.
Organizers say the 45th TIFF will be “tailored to fit the moment,” with a combination of physical screenings and drive-ins, digital screenings, virtual red carpets, press conferences and industry talks.
There’ll be considerably fewer movies — a selection comprising 50 new features — and the festival isn’t expecting large numbers of international press or industry to attend in person.
In addition to Pereda’s Fauna, this year’s strong crop of early movies confirmed to screen at the festival are the Kate Winslet-starrer Ammonite, Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round, Concrete Cowboy with Idris Elba, Good Joe Bell starring Mark Wahlberg, Suzanne Lindon’s Spring Blossom, True Mothers by Naomi Kawase and Halle Berry’s directorial debut Bruised. More titles will be announced over the summer.
The movies will play over the event’s first five days as physical, socially distanced screenings. There will also be five programs of short films, interactive talks, film cast reunions, and Q&As with cast and filmmakers.
However, the festival has acknowledged that its plans for an in-person festival will be contingent on the local government’s “reopening framework to ensure that festival venues and workplaces practice, meet and exceed public health guidelines.” Large gatherings still aren’t permitted in Toronto.
TIFF temporarily closed its year-round offices and cinemas at TIFF Bell Lightbox in March due to the pandemic. The organization is now taking steps to prepare for reopening and working with medical advisors and public health officials to ensure safe conditions.
Meanwhile, TIFF is launching a bespoke digital platform for the festival. The organization has partnered with Shift72 on the platform, which will host digital screenings, talks and special events.
The Industry Conference will be online-only this year, with screenings for press and industry taking place on the digital platform only. The fest says there will be “advanced security and anti-piracy measures, access to buyers, and opportunities for networking.”
For 2020, TIFF says it will welcome 50 filmmakers and actors as TIFF Ambassadors to help the festival deliver its program. They will include Ava DuVernay, Taika Waititi, Anurag Kashyap, Nicole Kidman, Martin Scorsese, Nadine Labaki, Alfonso Cuarón, Tantoo Cardinal, Riz Ahmed, Isabelle Huppert, Claire Denis, Atom Egoyan, Priyanka Chopra, Viggo Mortensen, Zhang Ziyi, David Oyelowo, Lulu Wang, Rosamund Pike, Sarah Gadon and Denis Villeneuve.
TIFF will also present its annual TIFF Tribute Awards, acknowledging and celebrating outstanding contributors to the film industry.
Now in its third year, TIFF’s Media Inclusion Initiative will continue to accredit eligible black, indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+ and female emerging film critics. New this year, TIFF is also offering companies and individuals the opportunity to gift industry access to 250 underrepresented emerging filmmakers from around the world.
Starting Monday, Quibi will stream an all-star remake of The Princess Bride filmed by actors at home while in quarantine, including the 17-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress.
In addition to Ortega, the re-creation will feature an A-list cast that includes couples Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner,Common and Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka and Chris Pine and Annabelle Wallis, along with Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Garner, Elijah Wood, Jon Hamm, Beanie Feldstein, Lucas Hedges, Jack Black, David Oyelowo, Keegan-Michael Key, Patton Oswalt, Josh Gad, Andy Serkis, Diego Luna, Taika Waititi and Zazie Beetz and more.
Directed by Jason Reitman, the project will see Common playing the heroic Westley (originated by Cary Elwes), Haddish as Princess Buttercup (first played by Robin Wright), and Jackman as the villainous Humperdinck, to name a few.
The Princess Bride’s director, Rob Reiner, will also appear in the remake, along with Fred Savage, who reprises his role as the grandson in the film.
Beginning June 29, Quibi will release chapters of the made-at-home movie daily for two weeks.
The remake also is aiding a good cause. As part of the project, Quibi has donated $1 million to chef José Andrés’ charity World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to those who have been most affected by the coronaviruspandemic.
The remake of The Princess Bridewas first reported by Vanity Fair.
Harvey Guillén will be seeing his shadow(s) for longer…
FX has ordered a third season of What We Do In The Shadows, starringthe 30-year-old Latino actor, producer and writer.
The cable network ordered a third run of the show ahead of the June 10 finale of its second season. FX said that the second season, which is averaging 3.2M total viewers across linear and digital platforms, including FX on Hulu, through its first six episodes, was up 25% on season one.
In addition to Guillen, the mockumentary series, which is based on Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s 2014 feature film, stars Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou and Mark Proksch.
It follows the lives of four vampires who’ve “lived” together for hundreds of years in the New York borough of Staten Island.
This group includes Nandor The Relentless (Novak), a great warrior and conqueror from the Ottoman Empire, British vampire Laszlo (Berry), a bit of a rogue and a dandy and a fop and Nadja (Demetriou), his lover, a wise seductress. Then there’s Guillermo (Guillén), Nandor’s familiar, who wants nothing more than to be made a real vampire just like his master, Colin Robinson (Proksch), an energy vampire and day-walker of sorts – he feasts on humans, but not on their blood.
The second season also featured a guest spot fromStar Wars’Mark Hamill as a vampire searching for Laszlo, who owed him money.
“We’re incredibly happy that critics and audiences are all in on Shadows,”Nick Grad, President, Original Programming, FX Entertainment said. “Week in and week out, the producers, writers and our amazing cast continue to make one of the funniest and best comedy series on TV.”
Guillen previously appeared on television in Huge, Eye Candy, The Magicians and The Good Place.
The 43-year-old Chilean actor is joining the Jedi universe, portraying the title character in The Mandalorian, the live-action Star Warsseries that will be a flagship program for Disney+, the ambitious streaming service launching in 2019.
Pascal is in final negotiations to star in the series, which chronicles the lone-wolf odyssey of a character who hails from the planet Mandalore, which Star Wars fans know as the homeworld of the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett and Jango Fett.
Pascal memorably portrayed the passionate warrior Oberyn Martell, aka the Red Viper, on the fourth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones. He also played DEA agent Javier Peña on three seasons of Narcos, when the Netflix series centered on the cocaine cartels of Colombia. Pascal also played Agent Whiskey in the Foxfeature film Kingsmen: The Golden Circlein 2017.
The Mandalorian is written and executive produced by Jon Favreau, the director of Jungle Book, Iron Man as well as the upcoming reinterpretation of The Lion King. Favreau’s official description of the show: “After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.”
The events depicted in the series are set after the events of Return of the Jedi, which concluded with the fiery funeral of Darth Vader on the forest moon of Endor.
The first episode of the series will be directed by Dave Filoni(Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Also on board to direct early episodes are Taika Waititi(Thor: Ragnarok), Rick Famuyiwa(Dope), Deborah Chow(Jessica Jones) and actress Bryce Dallas Howard, whose previous directorial work has been limited to short films.
