The 30-year-old Mexican actress and singer will star opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Michael Bay’s action-thriller Ambulance.
Chris Fedak wrote the original script, based on the original Danish Film Ambulancen produced by Nordisk Film Productions.
The logline is being kept under wraps, but insiders say the film is the vein of the great action thrillers of the ’90s like Speedand Bay’s Bad Boys.
The script has been highly coveted for years but never able to lock down a director before Bay got his hands on it and instantly fell in love.
Universal Pictures recently finalized the deal to distribute the film with Endeavor Content handling the packaging of the project.
Production is expected to start in January.
Gonzalez’s 2021 looks to be quite busy as she can be seen next in the thriller I Care A Lot, which also stars Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was picked up by Netflix for a 2021 release.
She also has the tentpole Godzilla vs. Kong, which will bow in 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max day and date.
Focus Features has pre-bought world rights to under-the-radar supernatural-horror You Won’t Be Alone, which will star the 40-year-old half-Spanish Swedish actress.
Rapace will appear opposite Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Carloto Cotta, Félix Maritaud and Sara Klimoska.
Filming has just wrapped in Serbia on the feature, which is being made by Kristina Ceyton and Sam Jennings.
Set in an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, the film follows a young witch who is left to go feral in the woods. Curious about life as a human, she accidentally kills a peasant in the village, then takes her shape to see what life is like in her skin. This ignites her deep-seated curiosity to experience life inside the bodies of others. The witch will be played by different actors and the film will include an old Macedonian dialect.
The movie marks the feature debut of Australian-Macedonian writer-director Goran Stolevski, whose short film Would You Look At Her won Best International Short Film at 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
Focus will handle domestic and Universal Pictures International will handle international territories. Bankside is the sales agent and cut the deal with Focus, which has boarded early.
Said producers Kristina Ceyton and Sam Jennings: “You Won’t Be Alone is a very special project by a very special and talented filmmaker and we’re so proud and excited to be producing Goran Stolevski’s debut feature film. And to be collaborating with Focus Features and, for the third time, with Bankside Films, to bring this story to life and out into the world. Making a film amidst a pandemic has certainly been challenging, but with such supportive financiers in Screen Australia and Film Victoria, our post partner KOJO Studios, Head Gear Films, and the dedication of our amazingly committed international cast and the incredible crew here in Serbia, we feel very grateful.”
The 39-year-old Puerto Rican television personality, actress and entrepreneur has teamed up with Issa Rae for Juju.
Anthony and Rae will executive produce the upcoming horror comedy for Universal Pictures, according to Deadline.com.
The project will be based on an original concept by Angelica Nwandu, founder of Instagram-based info hub The Shade Room and a Sundance fellow, who will write the script.
Juju will be the studio feature directorial debut for Thembi Banks, a Sundance alum who has been a director on Rae’sInsecure and Frankie Shaw’s SMILF.
Anthony to prominence as an MTV VJ on Total Request Live. She hosted several VH1 reality television reunion shows, including Flavor of Love and I Love New York.
Her acting credits include You Got Served, Think Like a Man and Starz’s Power series.
Antonio Jaramillo is bracing for some heavy snowfall…
The Mexican actor and Mayans M.C. alum has landed a recurring role on the upcoming fourth season of FX’s Snowfall..
Created by John Singleton, Eric Amadio and Dave Andron, the drama series revolves around the start of the cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles.
Jaramillo will play Chief Oscar Fuentes, the new Tijuana Police chief who is bold, ambitious, connected, smart and dangerous. He’s willing to let Teddy and Gustavo continue to go about their business in Mexico, but only if they make it worth his while.
Best known for his role as Riz Arisa on Mayans M.C., Jaramillo’s previous credits include appearances on NBC’s Shades of Blue, TNT’s Dallas and Universal Pictures’ Savages.
He was recently cast opposite Octavia Spencer in Amazon’s Invasion.
Jennifer Lopez’s wedding bells will have to wait a little longer…
Universal Pictures’ music fueled romantic comedy Marry Me, starring the 51-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer and Maluma, is moving from Presidents Day–Valentine’s Day weekend on the theatrical release calendar next year, February 12 and moving to May 14, 2021.
Marry Me will take the place of DreamWorks Animation’s untitled Spirit Riding Freemovie, which has now been titled Spirit Untamed. That animated pic will now open on June 4, 2021.
This is one of Lopez and Wilson’s highest tested features, and Universal wants to make an event out of this, at an opportune time on the calendar.
Marry Me leaves behind a weekend that has Disney/20th Century Studios’ The King’s Man prequel and Paramount’s untitled Lee Daniels’ Billie Holiday movie on Feb. 12, and goes to a frame where it’s facing off against Paramount’s Animation feature Rumble. Spirit Untamed joins a weekend, though it looks busy, is apt to loosen up with Paramount’s Micronauts dated there, Sony Animation’s Vivo, New Line’s Conjuring 3 and MGM’s Samaritan.
The feature hasoriginal songs from Lopez and Maluma. Lopez stars as musical superstar Kat Valdez and Owen Wilson as Charlie Gilbert, a math teacher—total strangers who agree to marry and then get to know each other. An unlikely romance about two different people searching for something real in a world where value is based on likes and followers, the pic explores celebrity, marriage and social media.
Kat Coiro directs from a screenplay by John Rogers, Tami Sagher and Harper Dill based on the graphic novel by Bobby Crosby.
It’s the beginning of the end for Michelle Rodriguez.
Universal Pictures is planning to wrap up its Fast & Furious core film franchise, starring the 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress, with two final movies that will bring to a close a franchise.
The Fast & Furious films have revved their way to become the highest-grossing movie series in the studio’s history. Justin Lin, who’s in post-production onF9, is in talks to direct the final two installments and bring a saga that began nearly 20 years ago to a close.
It’s early days on when this will begin production but it seems likely they will tell a big story over two films that will focus on franchise patriarch Vin Diesel and bring back Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang.
F9 — which is the fifth film in the franchise directed by Lin and which premieres next Memorial Day — continues the storyline of the core cast and Charlize Theron, and adds John Cena, Helen Mirren, Grammy-winner Cardi B and reggaeton star Ozuna. They are just beginning to put the final two vehicles together. There’s speculation that Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham — core cast members who peeled off for the F&F spinoff Hobbs & Shawafter Johnson and Diesel had a falling out — will be back for the finale.
There’s also an opportunity to pull off the motorhead’s answer to Marvel’s Avengers, a configuration that might include Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot, also part of the ensemble earlier in her career.
It might not have seemed probable back when The Fast & Furious launched the franchise in 2001 with Diesel and Paul Walker as lead-footed protagonists, but the entire series has eclipsed Jurassic Parkto become Universal’s biggest. The eight movies and the spinoff have grossed around $5.7 billion; Jurassic is also over $5 billion and has its next installment, Jurassic World: Dominion, shooting in London.
The Fast franchise survived the tragic death of cornerstone star Walker, but it’s always good to end the race before the vehicle runs out of gas. There are still plans for other movie spinoffs and TV shows, so there will be no call for the studio to be calling Kars for Kids to cart away a junker.
It is likely that the final two installments will be produced by Diesel through his One Race Films banner, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Lin, Neal Moritz, Joe Roth, Clayton Townsend and Samantha Vincent. They are the producers of F9.
Lin berthed his Perfect Storm Entertainment banner at Universal in a multi-year overall film and TV deal in late summer, and these two films will likely keep him busy for a long time.
Universal Pictures has announced plans to move F9, starring the 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress, to May 28, 2021, which is Memorial Day weekend.
The move comes after MGM moved its James Bond picNo Time to Die, starring Ana de Armas, to April 2, 2021 — which had been the release date for this latest installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise.
In March, F9 drove out of its original May 22, 2020 global day-and-date release amid the coronavirus lockdown. The studio had previously reserved that April 2021 date for Fast & Furious 10.
Justin Lin returns to direct F9 a cast that includes Rodriguez, who portrays Letty Ortiz, Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Cardi B and Ozuna.
The entire franchise, including spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, through nine movies counts $5.9 billion at the worldwide box office.
Amazon Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society are hosting a nationwide summer screening series “A Night at the Drive-In” with a line-up of features celebrating diverse voices in cinemas, including the 55-year-old Puerto Rican actress and activist’s Do The Right Thing.
The series kicks off on July 1 and runs through August 26. Attendance will be at no cost to local communities for the double feature-program. As part of the concessions for the screenings, all attendees will receive refreshments provided by Black and Brown owned businesses, which are Path Water, Pipcorn Popcorn and Partake Cookies.
The line-up was curated by Jordan’s newly formed marketing arm 8788 and Outlier Society, every other week through the end of August.
“When Michael and our friends at Outlier proposed this idea, we instantly agreed there was no better time to celebrate these inspired films featuring diverse stories while bringing communities together to share in the experience” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “Drive-in theaters offer a unique experience in that they provide an inspiring and joyful communal experience while still maintaining safe social distance. A special thanks to our friends and colleagues at Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures.”
“With this drive-in summer series, I hope that friends and families are able to not only enjoy, but to learn and grow,” said Michael B. Jordan, Principal of Outlier Society. “Now more than ever, amplifying Black and Brown stories means engaging culture to speak to hearts and minds about the world we live in. As we use this opportunity to reimagine community and proximity, I am excited that these films will be shared and celebrated all across the country.”
Do The Right Thing, directed by Spike Lee, featured Perez in her breakthrough film performance as Tina. It will hit the drive-in on August 12 in the “Movies to Open Your Eyes” category.
Here’s a look at the featured titles and special themes:
Movies to make you fall in love: Love & Basketball (Warner Bros. / New Line) Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros.)
Movies that make you proud: Black Panther (Disney) Creed (Warner Bros.)
Movies to inspire your inner child: Hook (Sony Pictures) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)
Movies to make you open your eyes: Do The Right Thing (Universal) Get Out (Universal)
Movies to make you laugh: Coming to America (Paramount Pictures) Girls Trip (Universal)
Participating theaters include: Vineland Drive-In – Los Angeles, CA Overlook Drive-In – New York, NY Solano Twin Drive-In – San Francisco, CA Sacramento Drive-In 6 – Sacramento, CA Las Vegas 6 Drive-In – Las Vegas, NV Shankweiler’s Drive-In – Philadelphia, PA Galaxy Drive-In – Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX Showboat Drive-In – Houston, TX Ford Wyoming Drive-In – Detroit, MI Springmill Drive-In – Cleveland, OH South Drive-In Twin – Columbus, OH Jesup Drive-In Twin – Savannah, GA| Bengies Drive-In – Baltimore, MD Ocala Drive-In – Orlando, FL Parkway Drive-In – Knoxville, TN Midway Twin Drive-In – Cleveland, OH Glendale Drive-in – Phoenix, AZTransit Drive-In – Buffalo, NY Badin Drive-In – Charlotte, NC Monetta Drive-In – Augusta-Aiken, SC
Colman Domingo has landed a sweet (but scary) role…
The 49-year-old Afro-Latino actor has been castin MGMand Jordan Peele’s forthcoming reboot of the classic horror film Candyman, which has begun principal photography in Chicago.
Domingo will star opposite Nathan Stewart-Jarrett,Yahya Abdul-Mateen IIand Teyonah Parrisin the film.
The film will be directed by Nia DaCostaand will be a spiritual sequel to Benard Rose’s 1992 gothic horror movie, which was originally based on Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden.
The film will be shot entirely in Chicago and feature various locations throughout the city, including the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified North Side where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.
The original movie followed the urban legend of the titular character and starred Tony Toddas Candyman, a former slave turned artist who fell in love and with a white woman and fathered a child during the late 1800s. Because of this forbidden relationship, his lover’s father hired a lynch mob to kill him. He was smeared with honey and bees attacked him. He was burned to death and his ashes were scattered upon what became the present-day the Cabrini-Green housing project. The story of his death became an urban legend and by saying his name five times in the mirror, he comes and murders you. The horror became popular among the masses and spawned two sequels.
Universal Pictureswill distribute Candymanglobally with the U.S. release date set for June 12, 2020.
A Tony andLawrence Olivier-nominated actor and playwright, Domingo is known for his role as Victor Strand on Fear the Walking Dead. He also appears on HBO’s Euphoria. He can next be seen in A24’s Zola, Noah Hawley’s Lucy in the Skyand The God Committeealongside Kelsey Grammarand Julia Stiles. He is currently filming Ma Rainey’s Black Bottomwith Viola Davisand Chadwick Boseman.
The 25-year-old Colombian singer/rapper will make his acting debut in the Jennifer Lopez–Owen Wilson romantic comedy Marry Me.
Returning to Universal Picturesafter its initial set-up at STX, the film is being directed by Kat Coiro.
Described asNotting Hill meetsThe Proposal, Marry Me centers on a pop superstar (Lopez) who, moments before marrying her rock-star fiancé at Madison Square Garden, finds out he was cheating with her assistant and spontaneously melts down onstage and picks a random math teacher (Wilson) out of the crowd to marry instead. What starts as a goof ends up becoming an exploration of relationships, expectations and destiny.
Maluma will play Lopez’s cheating fiancé.
The film is based on a graphic novel by Bobby Crosby. John Rogersand Tami Sagheradapted the screenplay with a rewrite by Harper Dill.
Marry Me goes into production this October in New York.
Maluma is signed with Sony Music, and has a Latin Grammyand two Latin American Music Awards. He has collaborated with artists like Thalía, Shakira, Madonnaand Ricky Martin. His songs “Chantaje” with Shakira and “Medellín” with Madonnahave reached the top of the Hot Latin Songschart.
