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.

Humberly González to Star in Screen Gems & Alloy Entertainment’s Thriller “Horrorscope”

Posted on July 2, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Humberly González is checkin’ her horrorscope…

The 25-year-old Venezuelan actress will star in Screen Gems and Alloy Entertainment’s film Horrorscope, based on Alloy’s same-name novel, written by Nicholas Adams.

Gonzalez will appear opposite leads Jacob Batalon, Alana Boden, Adain Bradley and Avantika. Wolfgang Novogratz will also star in the project.

Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen wrote the script and will make their feature film directorial debut.

Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton are producing through Alloy, along with Scott Glassgold of Ground Control. Cohen and Halberg are also on board to executive produce.

The story follows a group of college friends who, after getting their horoscopes read, begin dying in ways connected to their fortunes. Are their fates fatal or can they change what’s written in the stars?

The film is set for a fall start and is being overseen by Scott Strauss, Michael Bitar and Lariah Perara at Screen Gems.

González recently wrapped shooting Season 2 of the Netflix series Ginny & Georgia reprising her breakout role as Sophie. She will next be seen opposite Jason Momoa in the Netflix feature Slumberland. She also recently starred in the Universal feature Nobody and the Netflix series Jupiter’s Legacy.

Luis Gerardo Méndez Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Gerardo Méndez has new representation…

United Talent Agency (UTA) has signed the 40-year-old Mexican actor and producer, one of Mexico’s biggest stars, for representation in all areas.

Méndez is an actor, writer and producer best known for exec producing and starring in Netflix’s first Spanish-language original comedy series, Club de Cuervos.

He most recently appeared in the third season of Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico, as well as in Los Enviados for Paramount+, where he’s currently under a first-look producing deal for Spanish-language projects.

Méndez will next be seen in a starring role in the Netflix limited series, Belascoaran, and in Netflix’s Me Time, with Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg, which is slated to premiere later this year.

He will soon begin filming the Peacock limited series, The Resort, which was written and will be directed by Andy Siara.

The actor made his entrance into the U.S. feature marketplace opposite Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in the Netflix original film Murder Mystery, which was the streamer’s most-watched original feature at the time of its release.

He was also previously seen in Sony’s Charlie’s Angels opposite Kristen Stewart, and executive produced and starred in Half Brothers for Universal and Focus Features, with that project marking his first English-speaking starring role.

In Mexico, he has starred in several successful features, including Cantinflas and Nosotros Los Nobles, the latter of which is the second most successful film of all time at the Mexican box office.

In addition to his television and feature roles, the actor has also appeared in the Mexico City stage play Privacidad, which he produced alongside Diego Luna, and starred in several international campaigns for global companies such as Verizon, Pepsi and Toyota.

Bobby Cannavale to Star Opposite Bill Burr in the Comedy “Old Dads”

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale is reporting for (old) dad duty…

The 51-year-old half-Cuban American actor will star in the original comedy film Old Dads.

Written, directed and co-starring comedian/actor Bill Burr, the film centers on a middle-aged father (Burr) and his two best friends (Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine) who after selling their company to a millennial, find themselves out of step and behind the times as they hilariously struggle to navigate a changing world of culture, career and fatherhood.

Burr and Ben Tishler penned the script and are producing with Bill Block, Monica Levinson and Mike Bertolina.

Production on the film, Burr’s feature directorial debut, kicked off in Los Angeles this week.

Miramax has come aboard to produce in conjunction with Burr’s All Things Comedy.

“I’m very excited to start shooting Old Dads,” said Burr. “This comedy is based on my own and my co-writer, Ben Tishler’s, lives. Miramax has been awesome to work with and I think people are really going to like this movie.”

“Burr is one of the top comedic voices of his generation and he has written a script that’s not just unwaveringly funny, but also full of heart and unfiltered cultural commentary,” added Miramax CEO Bill Block. “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with him and this fantastic cast, including Bobby Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine.”

Cannavale will next be seen in Andrew Dominik’s Marilyn Monroe film Blonde, toplined by Ana de Armas, also featuring in Netflix’s upcoming Big Mouth spin-off Human Resources.

The actor recently featured in the casts of Illumination and Universal’s Sing 2 and Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers. He’s also appeared in such series as Homecoming, Mr. Robot, Angie Tribeca, Will & Grace, Master of None, Vinyl, Nurse Jackie and Boardwalk Empire.

His additional film credits include Superintelligence, The Jesus Rolls, The Irishman, Motherless Brooklyn, Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ferdinand, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, I, Tonya, The Fundamentals of Caring, Daddy’s Home, Danny Collins, Annie, Adult Beginners, Chef, Blue Jasmine, Win Win, The Other Guys, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Snakes on a Plane, Fast Food Nation and The Station Agent.

Melissa De Sousa Signs with Mainstay Entertainment

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Melissa De Sousa has new management…

The 54-year-old Panamanian American actress has signed with Mainstay Entertainment for management.

De Sousa, best known for her role as the infamous Shelby in Universal’s The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday, films will next be seen starring opposite Morris Chestnut in the Peacock limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters based on the films, which set to begin shooting in 2022.

Also on the television side, De Sousa recently wrapped the first season of Our Kind of People opposite Chestnut for Fox.

Her other recent credits include recurring as Chief Ana Lopez on CW’s Black Lightning and as the pill popping journalist Mirta Herrera on Showtime’s On Becoming a God in Central Florida, opposite Kirsten Dunst.

De Sousa continues to be repped by A3 Artists Agency and Meyer & Downs.

Lorenza Izzo Signs with M88 for Representation

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lorenza Izzo has new representation…

The 32-year-old Chilean actress and producer has signed with M88 and its sister company Uncmmn for representation.

Izzo will next be seen in Greg Mottola’s Miramax comedy, Confess, Fletch, opposite Jon Hamm.

She can currently be seen in HBO Max’s Emmy-winning comedy series Hacks, and in Lissette Feliciano’s award-winning film Women Is Losers, which was released by HBO Max after premiering in competition at SXSW. Izzo also produced the latter title, in which she stars opposite Shang-Chi‘s Simu Liu.

Izzo has previously appeared on the film side in Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar winner Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood; Universal and Amblin’s The House with a Clock in Its Walls, opposite Jack Black and Cate Blanchett; and writer-director Dan Fogelman’s multigenerational Amazon drama, Life Itself, opposite Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde.

She also starred opposite Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas in the Lionsgate psychological thriller Knock Knock, from director Eli Roth.

Izzo also recently starred on the television side in John Logan’s Penny Dreadful spin-off, City of Angels. Additional TV credits include AMC’s Feed the Beast, in which she starred alongside David Schwimmer and Jim Sturgess, the Gaumont/Netflix series Hemlock Grove, Hulu’s Dimension 404 and the fourth and final season of Hulu’s Casual.

Izzo is well known in Chile for starring in a pair of comedies from director Nicolas Lopez: Que Pena Tu Boda and Que Pena Tu Familia.

She continues to be represented by ICM and Viewpoint.

Former WME Partner Phillip Sun and Macro Founder & CEO Charles D. King launched M88 in 2020, with an eye toward supporting the work of the next generation of artists and cultural leaders. Sun leads the firm with partners Oronde Garrett and Gaby Mena.

Chrissie Fit to Star in Indie Comedy “The List”

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Chrissie Fit is makin’ The List…

The 37-year-old Cuban American actress has joined the cast of The List, the indie comedy from director Melissa Miller Costanzo.

Fit forms part of a list of new cast additions that includes Jonah Platt, Will Peltz and Zach Reino.

They join previously announced leads Halston Sage, Christian Navarro and Gregg Sulkin.

The film written by Rob Lederer and Steve Vitolo centers on Abby (Sage), a woman who is about to get married, for whom everything is perfect. Until she finds out her fiancé Matt (Platt) has slept with a celebrity from his “free pass” list. To get her mind off things, Abby and her best friend Chloe (Fit) come up with a crazy idea: Abby should pursue a celebrity from her own list. But things become complicated when she meets Jake (Navarro), a sweet and charming waiter at a neighborhood cafe, who gives her a fresh perspective.

Peltz is portraying Avon, an LA-based rapper/pop star who is on a lot of free pass lists, including Abby’s, with Reino as Matt’s best friend and consistent bad influence, Connor.

Fit is best known for turns in Universal’s Pitch Perfect franchise and Disney Channel’s Teen Beach films. She can currently be seen in Amazon’s series reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer, and will next be seen in Showtime comedy series I Love This for You, as well as Starz’ horror comedy, Shining Vale.

Fit has also recurred on Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens and Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor, among other series. Additional film credits include Universal’s All My Life and HBO Max’s Women Is Losers.

Reino is a comedian and actor who has appeared on the TV side in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Netflix’s Brews Brothers, A.P. Bio, Sofia the First, Speechless, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and more. He recently wrote on Peacock’s new series Baking It with Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg and co-hosts Off Book, a popular podcast, which originally debuted on Earwolf. Reino also co-wrote the script for Elizabeth Banks’ upcoming Amazon film Where the Fore Are We? with David Wain and Jess McKenna.

Trailer Released for Universal’s Action-Film “Ambulance,” Starring Eiza Gonzalez

Posted on October 24, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Eiza Gonzalez is going on the ride of her life…

Universal has released the trailer for Ambulance, starring the 31-year-old Mexican actress and singer alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Garret Dillahunt.

The action film is directed by Michael Bay.

Gyllenhaal and Abdul-Mateen play old buddies whose plan to rob a bank in an effort to help Abdul-Mateen’s character pay for surgery for his wife goes south, and they’re forced to hijack an ambulance to try and get away. But it happens to be transporting a police officer who’d been shot while trying to stop the robbery. Gonzalez plays the paramedic in the vehicle.

The film is set to open in theaters on February 18, 2022, on Presidents Day weekend.

“It’s the kind of movie made for a big old movie theater,” said Gyllenhaal about the movie during this year’s CinemaCon.

Ambulance, based on the original Danish film Ambulancen, was adapted by Chris Fedak.

Remi Adeleke, A Martinez, Keir O’Donnell, Moses Ingram, Wale Folarin, Cedric Sanders, Jackson White, Colin Woodell and Olivia Stambouliah also star.

Zoey Luna Signs with A3 Artists Agency for Representation

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Zoey Luna has new representation…

The pioneering Latina transgender youth activist turned actress, who stars in The Craft: Legacy star Zoey Luna has signed with A3 Artists Agency.

Luna portrayed Lourdes in The Craft: Legacy and currently can be seen in Universal’s Dear Evan Hansen, directed by Stephen Chbosky.

Luna was the subject of the groundbreaking documentary film Raising Zoey, chronicling her journey of how she was determined to live her authentic life, and fought school officials in the Los Angeles school system with the ACLU for her right to self-identify in school between ages 12-15.

She was also part of Laverne Cox’s documentary film Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word for MTV and the documentary 15: A Quinceañera Story for HBO.

She began her acting career with a lead role in the Rosario Dawson-directed short film Boundless and she most recently appeared in the season finale of FX’s award-winning series Pose.

Luna served as the grand marshal at the 2015 LA Pride parade, is the recipient of the San Diego Equality Award and the recipient of the ALMA Awards’ Young Trailblazer Award.

She also is a frequent featured speaker at the Human Rights Campaign’s Time to Thrive conferences.

Danny Pino to Appear on Soundtrack for Film Adaptation of Broadway Musical “Dear Evan Hansen”

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Danny Pino isn’t just starring in Dear Evan Hansen… He’s also appearing on the soundtrack.

Universal has announced the track list for the film adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, with the 47-year-old Cuban American actor among the talents appearing on the album.

Pino appears on the film’s track “Requiem,” alongside Kaitlyn Dever and Amy Adams.

The soundtrack, which will be available on September 9 – the same day as the film’s theatrical release via Interscope Records, will also feature Sam Smith with Summer Walker, SZA, Carrie Underwood with Dan + Shay, Finneas, and Tori Kelly. They’ll be performing reimagined versions of the musical’s Tony Award-winning songs and as well as original recordings from the film’s score.

Songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul also wrote original tracks for the movie adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. The album also features 16 tracks that include recordings by the film’s cast.

“Pasek and Paul’s songs from the Dear Evan Hansen stage play are so amazing and timeless — newly recorded by our film’s cast for the soundtrack (and freshly produced by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Alex Lacamoire and Dan Romer, and supervised by Jordan Carroll) — and they’re now also complemented by two new original songs written for the film (with one of them co-written and performed in the film by Amandla Stenberg),” Mike Knobloch, president of global film music and publishing at Universal Pictures, tells Billboard.

Pino portrays Larry Mora in the film.

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