Azul Guaita Signs with AFA Prime Talent Media

Posted on October 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Azul Guaita has new representation…

The 21-year-old Mexican actress has signed with AFA Prime Talent Media, a division of Kenan Thompson’s Artists for Artists company, for representation in all areas.

Guaita can currently be seen in Netflix’s Rebelde in the role of teen star Jana Gandía Cohen. Season 2 of the series, a sequel to the 2004 Mexican telenovela of the same name, was released in July.

Additionally, she stars in La Mujer del Diablo, an original series from TelevisaUnivision’s new streaming service Vix+, as Daniela Beltrán.

Guaita has also starred in several projects produced by the biggest production companies and studios in Latin America including Soltero con Hijas from Televisa, La Negociadora from Claro Video, and Subete a mi Moto, an Amazon prime original series about the Latin boy band Menudo.

The actress has expanded her social media footprint in the Latin-American market thanks to the success of Rebelde. She currently boasts 1.4 million followers across multiple social platforms, which helped her close her first endorsement deal with Dolce & Gabbana as an ambassador this year.

Juan Pablo Di Pace Joins Cast of Vix+’s “Travesuras de la Niña Mala,” Based on Mario Vargas Llosa’s Novel

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Pablo Di Pace is getting into a little mischief, and he’s doing it en español…

The 42-year-old Argentine actor and singer has joined the cast of Travesuras de la Niña Mala for the TelevisaUnivision streaming service ViX+.

He’ll star opposite Macarena Achaga in the role of Ricardo Somocurcio.

Production is currently underway in Paris and London.

“It is a privilege to portray Ricardo Somocurcio, perhaps Mario Vargas Llosa’s most idealistic hero when it comes to love. A translator whose undying love for ‘the bad girl’ will transcend time and space,” Di Pace tells Deadline. “It is very exciting to portray him from the age of 25 to 55 – from the 1960s to the 1980s – in Paris, London, Mexico, Madrid and Tokyo and to speak Spanish, English, and French. From one country to the next, she will drive him crazy but he’ll always follow. The series is a first in many ways and I am so proud to be working on it with the brilliant ViX+. It’s an absolute dream job.”

Travesuras de la Niña Mala tells the epic love story between Arlette (Achaga), a nonconformist and adventurous woman, and her once teenage love, Ricardo, a man trapped in a predictable routine. Thanks to Arlette, he slowly learns to get out of his comfort zone.

These two characters’ lives will intertwine over forty years, through reunions across Lima, Paris, Madrid, Tokyo, London, and more.

María López Castaño wrote the series based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa. Alejandro Bazzano will direct the ViX+ Original series, in production by W Studios. David Azcano joins the production as the show’s cinematographer.

“Watching the first scenes of this unique series filmed in Paris is a dream come true,” said Patricio Wills, president of W Studios. “With ViX+ we are producing this incredible series based on Mario Vargas Llosa’s beautiful book. We are not only filming in the original European locations but are accurately able to depict an era that marked a dramatic change in world culture.”

“I am thrilled and thankful to be able to direct a series based on one of my favorite novels by Mario Vargas Llosa,” Bazzano said. “Recreating the convulsive universe of this stormy love story is an exciting challenge and I am confident it will be a great success.”

Di Pace is most notably known for flexing his comedic chops on the Netflix series Fuller House in the role of Kimmy Gibbler’s (Andrea Barber) husband Fernando Hernandez-Guerrero-Fernandez-Guerrero.

His other television credits include the role of Jesus Christ in A.D. The Bible Continues and Nicolas Treviño in TNT’s Dallas.

On the big screen, he played Petros in the 2008 smash musical feature, Mamma Mia! opposite Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Amanda Seyfried, among others.

Univision & Televisa to Produce Vicente Fernández Biopic Series Based on Olga Womat’s Book “El Último Rey”

Posted on January 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

The late Vicente Fernández’s life story is headed to the small screen…

Univision and Televisa are joining forces to produce a biopic series inspired by the legendary Mexican singer, actor and film producer.

The new series will be based on the book El Último Rey, penned by journalist Olga Womat, for which Televisa reached an agreement with Editorial Planeta to acquire the rights, according to a statement from Univision and Televisa.

Without revealing many details about the series, like the release date or cast, the announcement comes a month after the death of the ranchera icon, who died December 12 in a hospital in his native Guadalajara. The cause of death was complications following surgery for a cervical spine injury after a fall last August. Fernández had remained hospitalized since then in stable but serious condition.

Univision and Televisa’s series on Fernández isn’t the only one that will see the light of day.

The Idol of the People, starring Mexican singer and actor Jaime Camil, is a Caracol TV production that will air on that Colombian television network and for which Netflix has acquired world rights outside of Colombia.

A cultural icon to generations, the Jalisco-born artist was known for his swooning rancheras, like “Hermoso Cariño” and “Acá Entre Nos,” and timeless folk anthems that he serenaded fans with for decades. The Mexican cultural icon also holds the record for the most top 10s on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart to date, with a total of 49.

Over on the all-metric Hot Latin Songs tally — a blend of airplay, streams and digital sales — Fernández holds the record for the most entries for a regional Mexican solo act, with a total of 61.

Following his death, the catalog of songs by the man known as the “Charro de Huentitán’s” increased 721% globally in the days, according to reports to MRC Data. Collectively, his songs generated 97.3 million on-demand streams on December 12 and 13, compared to the 11.9 million streams accrued on December 10 and 11.

Born February 17, 1940, Fernández began his career singing on the streets of his hometown Guadalajara and went on to record more than 50 albums, starred in more than 2 dozen telenovelas and Mexican films, and became a touring titan always going onstage with his iconic traje de charro that included ornate sombreros and embroidered jackets.

Cassandra Sanchez-Navarro Signs with Buchwald & Anonymous Content for U.S. Representation

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Cassandra Sanchez-Navarro is ready to crossover stateside…

The 30-year-old Mexican actress and telenovela star has signed with Buchwald and Anonymous Content for representation in the United States.

Sanchez-Navarro starred in the romantic comedy Cindy La Regia, a film that went on to become the most successful film in her native Mexico in 2020.

She most recently appeared in the Pantaya release El Peligro En Tu Miranda, currently available for viewing on streaming platforms.

Up next, she will appear in two films: Malcriados and Enfermo Amor opening in Mexico later this year.

Other credits include appearances in Netflix’s Sense 8 and El Dragon: Return of the Warrior for Univision and Televisa.

Sanchez-Navarro was classically trained at LA’s Lee Strasberg Academy and New York American Musical and Dramatic Academy, before going to London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

She’s a fifth-generation actor and granddaughter of Manolo Fabregas, often referred to as ‘The Man of Theater’, and the first Mexican to perform on Broadway, starring opposite legends including Shirley MacLaine and Clint Eastwood.

She continues to be represented by manager Prensa Danna in Mexico.

David “Leche” Ruiz Signs with Cavalry Media

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

David “Leche” Ruiz is joining the cavalry…

Following the success of Netflix’s Who Killed Sara?, which the streamer has reported as its most-watched foreign language series at 55-million subscribers, Cavalry Media has signed the Mexican director and screenwriter, the show’s director.

Ruiz, who is based in Mexico City, Mexico, began his career directing music videos, before quickly becoming one of the most prolific filmmakers in his field.

Ruiz directed six episodes of Who Killed Sara?, including the pilot and the finale.

The series stars Manolo Cardona as Alex Guzman, a man hell-bent on getting revenge on the Lazcano family and finding out who killed his sister Sara after spending 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The series launched on March 24 and Netflix revealed viewership figures as part of its first quarter financial results on April 20.

Ruiz will be the showrunner, as well as direct multiple episodes of season 2, which hit Netflix on May 16. Other episodic directing credits include Claro Video’s La Negociadora and Televisa’s La Piloto.

AppleTV+ GIves Series Order to Eugenio Derbez-Starrer “Acapulco,” Inspired By His “How to Be A Latin Lover” Film

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez has found the Apple(TV) of his eye…

AppleTV+ has given a series order to Acapulco, a Spanish and English-language half-hour comedy executive produced and starring the 59-year-old Mexican actor, comedian and filmmaker.

The project is inspired by Derbez’s hit 2017 feature comedy How to Be A Latin Lover.

Acapulco hails from Lionsgate Television, studio-based The Tannenbaum Company, as well as Derbez and Benjamin Odell’s 3Pas Studios.

Created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman, Acapulcocenters on a young Mexican man, who’s dream comes true when he gets the job of a lifetime at the hottest resort in Acapulco. But he soon realizes the job is far more complicated than he ever imagined as all of his beliefs and morals start to be questioned. The show takes place in 1984 with Derbez narrating and playing the present-day version of the main character.

InHow to Be a Latin Lover,produced by 3Pas Studios and distributed by Pantelion Films, Lionsgate’s venture with Televisa, an out-of-shape former gigolo (Derbez) is left to fend for himself after the rich older woman he’d married 25 years ago dumps him for a younger man.

Gaz Alazraki will direct and executive produce the pilot.

Derbez’s feature film Instructions Not Included, which he directed, co-wrote and starred in, became the most successful Spanish language film in the U.S. and worldwide, grossing more than $100 million worldwide. Cisneros served as an associate producer on the movie.

United Airlines’ Oscar Munoz Named to Univision’s Board of Directors

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Munoz is ready to share his (Uni)vision…

The 61-year-old Mexican-American businessman and executive chairman of United Airlines has been named as an independent director on Univision’s board of directors.

Prior to his role at United Airlines, Munoz served on the board of parent company United Continental Holdings (UCH) and held multiple executive positions at CSX Corporation and AT&T.

Univision, the Hispanic media giant whose takeover by private equity investors led by former Viacom CFO Wade Davis will soon close, has also named SoftBank Group COO Marcelo Claure; Estée Lauder Companies SVP of public affairs María Cristina “MC” González Noguera; and veteran Walmart exec Gisel Ruiz to the board.

It’s understood that Univision will name at least four more members to the board when the pending takeover by new majority investors is complete. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2020.

ForgeLight, a firm run by Davis, and Searchlight Capital Partners are buying majority control of Univision from a collection of other private equity investors. Mexico-based production power Televisa is keeping its 36% stake.

Madison Dearborn Partners, Providence Equity Partners, TPG, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Saban Capital Group acquired the company for $13.7 billion in 2007, beating out a rival bid from Televisa. The current transaction, which is expected to close at the end of the year, is expected to value the company at less than $10 billion.

Davis exited Viacom when it merged with CBS last December, emerging soon thereafter as the leader of the Univision bid. The deal, announced last February, was initially expected to close over the summer.

Univision has been run since 2018 by CEO Vince Sadusky. The local television and Hispanic media veteran replaced predecessor Randy Falco after the longtime former NBC exec made a series of out-of-the-box investments in English-language websites and ill-fated cable network venture Fusion. Sadusky has implemented a “back-to-basics,” Spanish-language refocus in an effort to help the flagship broadcast network regain ground it had lost to U.S. rival Telemundo in some pockets of the schedule.

Eiza González Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Posted on August 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Eiza González has new representation…

The 30-year-old Mexican actress/singer has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation in all areas.

González rose to acclaim after her roles in El Rey’s series From Dusk till Dawn, in which she collaborated with Robert Rodriguez. She further increased her star power in the United States after appearing in Edgar Wright’s 2017 summer blockbuster Baby Driveras Darling, the heist girlfriend to Jon Hamm’s Buddy, in the $227M grossing movie.

González has scored roles in notable movies, including Nyssiana in the Rodriguez-directed 20th Century Fox sci-fi movie Alita: Battle Angel($404.8M WW), Madame M opposite Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson in Hobbs & Shaw($759M WW), and the upcoming Legendary/Warner Bros. sequel Godzilla vs. Kongdue out on May 21, 2021.

She most recently starred in Sony Pictures’ Bloodshotopposite Vin Diesel and Guy Pearce, which earned her an Imagen Award nomination for Best Actress in a Feature Film.

González will next be seen opposite Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage in I Care A Lot, which will premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Mexico City native studied at the American School Foundation, the Edron Academy, M&M Studio and Televisa’s Centro de Educación Artística.’

Her breakthrough came in the teenage telenovela Lola: Érase una vezin 2007. González also starred in numerous additional series in Mexico. She signed with Universal Music, and recorded five albums.

Her other feature credits include Robert Zemeckis’ Welcome to Marwen, and voiceover credits in DreamWorks’ The Croods and 20th Century Fox’s Alvin and the Chipmunks and Horton Hears A Who!

Carolina Rivera Signs Deals with Verve and Netflix

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carolina Rivera has a new deal…

The Mexican screenwriter and producer has signed with Verve and entered an overall deal at Netflix.

Under the Netflix agreement, Rivera will serve as the executive producer of the television series Madre Solo Hay Dos, which she created.

Rivera is the co-executive producer of the CW’s sci-fi drama Roswell: New Mexico, which recently wrapped.

She also worked on Jane the Virgin.

Marc Cherry’s production company purchased Rivera’s “Ellas son… la alegría del hogar,”which was originally created for Televisa. The series was the basis for Cherry’s Lifetime series Devious Maids, starring Roselyn Sanchez.

Rivera studied screenwriting at the UCLA Extension Writers Program and wrote her first feature Cilantro y Perejil, which went on to win three Ariel Awards— Mexico’s equivalent of the Oscars— for Best Original Screenplay, Best Story and Best Original Song. Cilantro y Perejil made history in the Mexican film industry as the first Mexican title to be screened at commercial movie theaters throughout the country.

Her writing credits include more than 15 feature films. In 2005, Rivera received the Motion Picture Association Award for Best Hispanic Screenplay for her screenplay Enemigos Íntimos.

In addition, she worked as head writer for the serial telenovela Lucho en Familia and worked on Amor Cautivo. She headed the children’s television development team at Channel 11, Latin America’s largest public television network. While there, she created and served as head writer for Bizbirije and El Divan de Valentina.She has also served as an International Emmy AwardsJuror for Dramatic Series and TV movies.

Zuleyka Rivera to Perform at This Year’s Grammy Awards

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Zuleyka Rivera is ready for music’s biggest night…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican actress and former Miss Universe will perform at this year’s Grammy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, January 28.

Rivera is featured in the music video for Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s global smash, “Despacito.”

After completing her commitment as Miss Universe, Rivera studied acting in New York. Eventually, she snagged parts on a whole slew of Televisa soap operas in Mexico, including playing the part of the main villain in 2014’s Cosita Linda. Currently, she’s based in Miami where she’s a special guest/host on Latin shows such as Telemundo’s Un Nuevo Dia and Univision’s Despierta America.

Rivera joins a roster of performers that includes Alessia Cara, Bruno Mars and Cardi B, Childish Gambino, Daddy Yankee, DJ Khaled with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, Luis Fonsi, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and more.

The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will air on Sunday, January 28 at 7:30 pm EST.

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