Ariana DeBose to Star in Universal Pictures’ “With Love”

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Ariana DeBose is embracing a new love…

The 33-year-old half-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress, singer and dancer will star in 87North’s With Love for Universal Pictures.

DeBose will star opposite Ke Huy Quan in the film, which Universal Pictures will release in wide release on Friday, February 7, 2025.

The film is written by Josh Stoddard, Luke Passmore and Matthew Murray. Guy Danella is also producing for 87North.

Making his feature film directing debut on With Love is acclaimed veteran stunt coordinator and fight coordinator Jonathan Eusebio.

Plot details are being kept under wraps.

DeBose’s previous credits include her star-making role in West Side Story, which earned her an Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG Award and BAFTA, as well as Prom, Schmigadoon! and Wish.

Colman Domingo to Star as Joe Jackson in the Michael Jackson Biopic “Michael”

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo has landed a father of a role…

The 54-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor, who recently earned his first-ever Oscars nomination, has landed the role of Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson in Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael.

Joe Jackson was known for his hard-driving management and often controversial parenting of the Jackson 5. Domingo joins Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, who is playing his King of Pop uncle in the Antoine Fuqua-directed film from Oscar-winning producer Graham King and his GK Films. Three-time Oscar nominee John Logan wrote the screenplay.

“Few actors present themselves with Colman’s screen presence and force of will,” said King. “We’re so fortunate to have an actor with his undeniable talent portraying Joe Jackson on screen. We couldn’t be more excited to have him join us on this journey.”

Fuqua added, “Colman has such incredible range – he puts in the work to deeply inhabit his characters and understand their true essence and motivation. I’m grateful to be working with an actor with his passion and ability to portray the many sides of Joe Jackson: a husband, a father and a manager.”

Domingo said, “I’m excited to be a part of a film that explores both the complicated soul of the legendary Michael Jackson as well as his impact on music and culture as a global icon. Not only am I fortunate to have a rich, complex and flawed character to portray in Joe Jackson, but I also have a front row seat for Jaafar’s incredible transformation. After seeing him in rehearsal, my mind was blown. There is something divine about the way that Jaafar is channeling his late uncle. His talent and embodiment of Michael’s essence is simply on another level.”

Domingo’s turn in Rustin also earned him BAFTA, SAG Award and Golden Globes nominations. He’s also an Emmy winner for his guest role on HBO’s Euphoria and his recent work includes in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Zola, the newly conceived musical film version The Color Purple, as well as his just-completed starring role on Fear the Walking Dead.

Upcoming for the actor is Ethan Coen’s movie Drive-Away Dolls opposite Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp and Matt Damon, which arrives on February 23.

Later this year, he will be seen starring in the feature film Sing, Sing and in The Madness, a new Netflix limited series.

Michael will be produced by King and the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain. It is getting an overseas release from Universal Pictures International (sans Japan, which Lionsgate is handling). The film bows day-and-date around the world on April 18, 2025.

Peacock to Exclusively Stream “Renfield,” Featuring Adrian Martinez

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Adrian Martinez will be vamping it up online…

Universal Pictures has set the streaming premiere date for its Chris McKay-directed horror comedy Renfield, featuring the 51-year-old Mexican American actor.

Starring Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage, the film will bow exclusively on Peacock on Friday, June 9th.

Released in theaters on April 14th, the film follows Renfield (Hoult), the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss: Dracula (Cage). For centuries, Renfield has slavishly served Dracula by procuring his master’s prey and doing his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, Renfield is ready to look for a new life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness, if only he can figure out how to end the toxic, co-dependent relationship.

Martinez portrays Chris Marcos, a traffic cop and Rebecca’s (Awkwafina) co-worker.

The film was scripted by Ryan Ridley, from a story by Robert Kirkman — one of a number of projects through which Universal has looked to leverage its movie monster library for a modern audience.

Brandon Perea to Star in Upcoming “Twister” Sequel, “Twisters”

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Brandon Perea is getting twisted…

The 27-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor will star in the upcoming Twister sequel.

Perea, a standout in Jordan Peele’s Nope, joins Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos in Twisters, directed by Lee Isaac Chung from a script by writer Mark L. Smith.

The film, from Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. and Amblin Entertainment, is described as a “new chapter” of the 1996 movie, which followed a team of storm chasers as they hunted down the most powerful tornado in decades.

Plot details, including Perea’s role, are being kept under wraps.

Twisters is slated for release on July 19, 2024.

The original Twister was a massive hit, earning more than $494 million at the worldwide box office, which is often credited to the film’s groundbreaking special effects. Starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, the film was helmed by director Jan De Bont and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Michael Crichton.

Before Nope, Perea was best known for his work in Netflix’s The OA, where he played Alfonso “French” Sosa for two seasons. Then, Perea auditioned for Peele, delivering such a compelling performance that the Oscar winner rewrote the part of Angel Torres to suit the actor, casting him alongside Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun and Michael Wincott.

“This is the greatest miracle to ever experience,” Perea told Variety on the red carpet at the film’s world premiere last July. “For Jordan to change the role for me is just truly a blessing. And I’m glad I just went with my gut feeling of, like, you know what, let me go do something different. I know Jordan is just full of surprises, so I was just like, ‘Let me surprise him.’ So I’m glad that I was able to.”

In another interview with Variety, Perea explained that Angel, who works as a tech expert at Fry’s Electronics, was written as more of a cheery, can-do guy, but Perea brought a more downbeat, angsty approach to the part.

Following his scene-stealing performance, Perea was selected as one of BAFTA’s Breakthrough Artists for 2022 and honored with the rising star award for film at the Critics Choice second annual Celebration of Latino Cinema and Television.

Anthony Ramos In Talks to Star in Series “Twisters,” a New Chapter to 1996 Box Office Hit

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anthony Ramos is getting twisted…

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actor and singer is in talks to join Twisters, a new chapter to the 1996 box office hit, for Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell are also on board.

Lee Isaac Chung is on board to direct from a script by Mark L. Smith. The film will be co-financed by Warner Bros.

Starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, Twister was a massive hit in 1996, scoring more than $494 million at the worldwide box office thanks in no small part to its groundbreaking special effects.

The original film was helmed by Jan De Bont and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by author Michael Crichton.

EVP Production Sara Scott and creative executive Jacqueline Garell will oversee Twisters for Universal Pictures, and Ashley Jay Sandberg will oversee for Kennedy/Marshall.

Following breakout roles in the Broadway smash Hamilton and Oscar-winning A Star Is Born, the Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated Ramos has begun filling a slate with upcoming franchises. Next up, he leads Paramount’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

He will also star in the upcoming Marvel series Iron Heart for Disney+, as well as the feature films Distant for Amblin and Dumb Money for Sony.

Ramos inaugurated the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Tony-winning Broadway musical Hamilton and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his performance as Usnavi in John M. Chu’s In the Heights.

Kid Cudi Joins Voice Cast of Trolls Threequel “Trolls Band Together”

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Kid Cudi is on a t(roll)…

The 39-year-old half-Mexican American rapper, singer, songwriter record producer and actor has joined the voice cast of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation’s next Trolls film.

The studios have unveiled the official title for the third film in their hit animated musical franchise, which opens in theaters nationwide on November 17.

Returning to lead the threequel, Trolls Band Together, as expected, are Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick.

In addition to Kid Cudi, others set for the film include Eric André, Daveed Diggs, Troye Sivan, Camila Cabello, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, RuPaul Charles, Zosia Mamet, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Icona Pop collaborators Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt, Anderson .Paak, Ron Funches , Kunal Nayyar and Kenan Thompson.

Trolls is a jukebox musical franchise that has thus far grossed over $396M worldwide between 2016’s Trolls, which landed a Best Original Song Oscar nom for the Timberlake-voiced pop hit “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” and 2020’s somewhat pandemic-hampered Trolls World Tour.

The new film will pick up with trolls Poppy (Kendrick) and Branch (Timberlake) after two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, at a point when they’re now officially, finally, a couple (#broppy)! As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd (Sivan), John Dory (André), Spruce (Diggs) and Clay (Cudi).

BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby, as did the family, and Branch hasn’t seen his brothers since. But when Branch’s bro Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains —Velvet (Schumer) and Veneer (Rannells) — Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop-culture obscurity.

Walt Dohrn returned to direct Trolls Band Together after helming both past installments, with Trolls World Tour’s head of story Tim Heitz coming aboard as co-director, and Gina Shay returning as producer.

Aquí y Allí Films Partners with Daniel Guzmán to Produce Drama Thriller “La Deuda”

Posted on February 20, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Daniel Guzmán has a new partner…

Madrid-based Aquí y Allí Films, one of Spain’s most successful auteur movie production houses, is joining forces with the 49-year-old popular Spanish actor turned writer-director to produce drama thriller La deuda.

Backed by Spain’s pay TV giant Movistar+ and public broadcaster RTVE, La deuda will be produced by Aquí y Allí’s Pedro Hernández and Guzmán at El Niño Producciones.

The film is scheduled to roll in Madrid by the fall.

Written by Guzmán, La deuda tells the story of Lucas, a 37-year-old man and the 86 year-old woman Antonia, who live together in a city too big to be alone. Lucas is looking for a job but the job seems not to be looking for him.

Despite the economic difficulties they are going through, and their generational difference, they live day to day with a certain enthusiasm. Until Lucas’ decision will change the rest of their lives.

“I share with Pedro a vision and a cinematographic style that is essential to develop and produce a project as personal as this one,” Guzmán said.

“Dani’s managed to bring together in La Deuda many of the elements that make a film work with the audience without losing auteurship,” Hernández added.

“It is a human story, with wonderful, deep characters. It’s tender, sometimes hard, and has a lot of rhythm. And most importantly, it has his stamp,” Hernández observed.

Guzmán’s directorial debut Nothing in Return scored best picture, director and a Critics’ Prize at 2015’s Malaga Film Festival, going on to scoop Spanish Academy Goyas for new director and breakout actor (Miguel Herrán).

Its follow-up, Canallas, a Movistar+ original movie production released by Universal Pictures, world premiered at the 2022 Málaga Festival.

Froy Gutierrez to Star in Renny Harlin’s Lionsgate “The Strangers” Remake

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a strange(r) time Froy Gutierrez…

The 24-year-old Mexican American actor will star opposite Madelaine Petsch and Gabriel Basso in a Lionsgate remake of the 2008 horror film The Strangers, which has entered production in Slovakia.

Renny Harlin is directing the film, which will be the first in a trilogy, having locked in a deal to helm the subsequent pair.

The original film The Strangers was a home invasion film that Bryan Bertino wrote and directed in his feature debut, with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman starring.

It registered as a sleeper hit upon its May 2008 release via Universal Pictures and came to be appreciated in the years following as a cult classic, with the sequel The Strangers: Prey at Night being released in March 2018.

The new Strangers film will follow Petsch’s character as she drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend (Gutierrez) to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.

Lionsgate plans from there to expand the story in new and unexpected ways with its sequels.

Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland wrote the franchise launcher, to be distributed worldwide by Lionsgate.

“My mother instilled the love of movies in me through the world of Hitchcock and other masters of suspense and horror. My breakthrough to Hollywood happened with the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4,” noted Harlin. “It is only fitting that I get to return to my favorite genre with the incredibly well written trilogy of The Strangers. The characters and the storyline are all grounded in reality and offer me an endless tapestry of haunting visuals in bringing these movies alive.”

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

“When you’ve got two horror aficionados like Courtney Solomon and Renny Harlin coming together, you’ve got all you need to create some incredibly smart, lean-forward-in-your-seat, addictively thrilling entertainment,” said Mark Canton. “Fans of the original film will be blown away; new audiences will discover the intensely unnerving world of The Strangers.”

“The Strangers taps into such primal fears that it will always be relevant,” added Eda Kowan, Lionsgate’s EVP of Acquisitions & Co-Productions. “But what truly sets this project apart is the way the filmmakers have expanded the story and given these characters a new life.”

Gutierrez plays Jamie Henson on the Freeform series Cruel Summer, which has been renewed for a second season, and has also been seen on shows like Light as a Feather, Teen Wolf and One Day at a Time. Also coming up for the actor is the long anticipated Hocus Pocus 2, which is slated for release on Disney+ on September 30th.

Guillermo Díaz Wraps Production on Indie Thriller “You Can’t Stay Here”

Posted on July 30, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Guillermo Díaz isn’t staying here…

The 47-year-old Cuban American actor has wrapped production in New York of his upcoming indie thriller You Can’t Stay Here.

The film is loosely inspired by real events in New York City in the 1990’s. It follows a photographer (Díaz), who witnesses the brutal murder of a gay man in Central Park. When the cops take little interest in the crime, a relationship develops between the photographer and the killer.

“I have been a fan of Guillermo since his first film and when he approached me about wanting to work on something together, I jumped at the chance and came up with the story for You Can’t Stay Here, ” said director Todd Verow, who produces through his Bangor Films. “It is a film about queer cruising and finding love and real human connections in the most unlikely places. While set in the 1990s, the film’s themes of homophobia, social hysteria, and finding oneself in a dangerous and intolerant world are as resonant as ever today.”

The script was penned by Verow and his longtime collaborator James Derek Dwyer.

The cast also includes Becca Blackwell, Justin Ivan Brown, Vanessa Aspillaga, Marlene Forte, Jack Waters, Karina Arroyave, Jordan Hall and Michael Vaccaro.

Díaz, who will be seen in Universal Pictures’ upcoming comedy Bros, also serves as one of the film’s producers alongside Verow, James Kleinmann, and Christian DiPillo.

Diaz’s television credits include Scandal and Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Tristan Mack Wilds to Star in Universal’s Music-Competition Feature Comedy “Praise This”

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Tristan Mack Wilds is ready for a little praise (this).

The 32-year-old half–Afro-Dominican American actor has been cast in Universal Pictures’ film Praise This, starring Chloe Bailey.

Also signing on for roles include Anjelika Washington, Quavo, Druski, Koryn Hawthorne and Jekalyn Carr.

Other new cast members include newcomers Kiara Iman Heffner and Ilario Grant, Birgundi Baker, Loren Lott, Crystal Renee Hayslett, Cocoa Brown, Vanessa Fraction and Kountry Wayne.

Praise This is a music-competition feature comedy set in the world of youth choirs, announced earlier this year as one of three Universal films coming to Peacock in 2023.

Tina Gordon is directing, having penned the latest draft of the script, which was based off an original idea by The Story Company.

Earlier drafts were written by Camilla Blackett and Brandon Broussard, Hudson Obayuwana and Jana Savage—the trio otherwise known as Murder Ink.

The film falls under Will Packer Productions’ first-look deal with Universal.

Production kicked off in Atlanta in June.

Wilds currently stars in the Apple TV+ series Swagger. Past credits include the Spike Lee miniseries Miracle’s Boys, the critically-acclaimed HBO series The Wire, the award-winning feature Half Nelson, The Secret Life of Bees and George Lucas’ Red Tails.

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