America Ferrera Earns Two Astra Awards Nominations from the Hollywood Creative Alliance

America Ferrera is having an Astra-nomical year…

The Hollywood Creative Alliance has revealed its nominees for the 2024 Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards, with the 39-year-old Honduran American actress earning two nods.

America Ferrera, BarbieFerrera picked up a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category for scene-stealing performance in Greta Gerwig’s box office smash Barbie, which earned a best picture nomination.

Ferrera is also nominated in the Best Cast Ensemble category alongside her Barbie cast mates, including fellow Latina actresses Ariana Greenblatt and Ana Cruz Kayne,

Colman Domingo has picked up three nods…

The 54-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and social justice activist is nominated for Best Actor for his performance in Rustin, Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Color Purple and Best Cast Ensemble for The Color Purple.

Ariana DeBose has some Astra Award recognition.

The 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress and singer is nominated for Best Voice-Over Performance for portraying the lead character in Walt Disney Studios’ animated film Wish, while the title track that she performs in the film, “This Wish,” is up for Best Original Song.

Winners of the 2024 Astras film winners will be revealed on Saturday, January 6, during a live-streamed event from the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:30 pm PT/9:30 pm ET. Comedian Jimmy O. Yang will serve as host.

The Astras creative arts winners will be revealed on Monday, February 26 at City Market Social House in Los Angeles.

Here are nominees for the 2024 Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards in 14 selected categories:

Best Original Song
“Camp Isn’t Home” from Theater Camp, Written by Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, and Mark Sonnenblick – Performed by Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, Alexander Bello, Bailee Bonick, Donovan Colan, Jack Sobolewski, Kyndra Sanchez, Luke Islam, Madisen Lora and Quinn Titcomb (Searchlight Pictures)

“Dance the Night” from Barbie, Written by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Dua Lipa, and Caroline Ailin – Performed by Dua Lipa (Warner Bros. Pictures)

“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie, Written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt – Performed by Ryan Gosling (Warner Bros. Pictures)

“Peaches” from The Super Mario Bros Movie, Written by Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, and John Spiker – Performed by Jack Black (Universal Pictures)

“This Wish” from Wish, ​​Written by Julia Michaels, Benjamin Rice, and JP Saxe – Performed by Ariana DeBose (Walt Disney Pictures)

“What Was I Made For?” from Barbie, Written By Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell – Performed by Billie Eilish (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Best Score
Elemental, Thomas Newman (Disney/Pixar)
Killers of the Flower Moon, Robbie Robertson (Apple Original Films)
Oppenheimer, Ludwig Göransson (Universal Pictures)
Poor Things, Jerskin Fendrix (Searchlight Pictures)
Saltburn, Anthony Willis (Amazon MGM Studios)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Daniel Pemberton (Sony Pictures) 

Best Documentary Feature
20 Days in Mariupol (PBS Distribution)
American Symphony (Netflix)
Beyond Utopia (Roadside Attractions)
Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia Pictures)
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple Original Films)
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (AMC Theatres Distribution)

Best Animated Feature
The Boy and The Heron (GKids)
Elemental (Disney/Pixar)
Nimona (Netflix)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)
Suzume (Sony Pictures/Crunchyroll)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount Pictures) 

Best Voice-Over Performance
Ariana DeBose – Wish (Walt Disney Studios)
Bradley Cooper – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Disney/Marvel)
Daniel Kaluuya – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)
Hailee Steinfeld – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)
Jack Black – The Super Mario Bros Movie (Universal Pictures)
Shameik Moore – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)

Best Cast Ensemble
Air (Amazon MGM Studios)
Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple Original Films)
Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)
The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Holdovers (Focus Features)

Best Supporting Actress
America Ferrera – Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers (Focus Features)
Julianne Moore – May December (Netflix)
Rachel McAdams – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (Lionsgate)
Viola Davis – Air (Amazon MGM Studios) 

Best Supporting Actor
Charles Melton – May December (Netflix)
Colman Domingo – The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Dominic Sessa – The Holdovers (Focus Features)
Glenn Howerton – BlackBerry (IFC Films)
Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)
Ryan Gosling – Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) 

Best Actress
Carey Mulligan – Maestro (Netflix)
Emma Stone – Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures)
Fantasia Barrino – The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Greta Lee – Past Lives (A24)
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple Original Films)
Margot Robbie – Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) 

Best Actor
Barry Keoghan – Saltburn  (Amazon MGM Studios)
Bradley Cooper – Maestro (Netflix)
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)
Colman Domingo – Rustin (Netflix)
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers (Focus Features) 

Best Original Screenplay
Air, Written by Alex Convery (Amazon MGM Studios)
Anatomy of a Fall, Written by Justine Triet & Arthur Harari (NEON)
Barbie, Written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Past Lives, Written by Celine Song (A24)
Saltburn, Written by Emerald Fennell (Amazon/MGM Studios)
The Holdovers, Written by David Hemingson (Focus Features) 

Best Adapted Screenplay
American Fiction, Screenplay by Cord Jefferson (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Screenplay by Kelly Fremon Craig (Lionsgate)
Killers of the Flower Moon, Screenplay by Eric Roth & Martin Scorsese (Apple Original Films)
Oppenheimer,  Screenplay by Christopher Nolan (Universal Pictures)
Poor Things, Screenplay by Tony McNamara (Searchlight Pictures)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Screenplay by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Dave Callaham (Sony Pictures) 

Best Director
Alexander Payne – The Holdovers (Focus Features)
Ben Affleck – Air (Amazon MGM Studios)
Bradley Cooper – Maestro (Netflix)
Celine Song – Past Lives (A24)
Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)
Cord Jefferson – American Fiction (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
Emerald Fennell – Saltburn (Amazon MGM Studios)
Greta Gerwig – Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple Original Films)
Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures) 

Best Picture
Air (Amazon MGM Studios)
American Fiction (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Holdovers (Focus Features)

Disney Channel Renews Carrero’s “Elena of Avalor” for a Third Season

Aimee Carrero’s reign continues…

Disney Channel has ordered a third season of its hit animated series Elena of Avalor, featuring the 28-year-old Dominican actress as the voice of the title character.

Aimee Carrero

The announcement comes months ahead of its Season 2 premiere.

Created and executive-produced by Emmy winner Craig Gerber, the series centers on a brave and adventurous teenager who rules her kingdom as crown princess, Elena of Avalor. It stars Carrero as the voice of Elena; Jenna Ortega as Princess Isabel; Chris Parnell, Yvette Nicole Brown and Carlos Alazraqui as the jaquins Migs, Luna and Skylar, respectively; Emiliano Díez as Francisco; Julia Vera as Luisa; Christian Lanz as Chancellor Esteban; Jillian Rose Reed as Naomi; Joseph Haro as Mateo; Jorge Diaz as Gabe; Keith Ferguson as Zuzo; and Joe Nunez as Armando. The recurring guest voice cast includes: Constance Marie, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rich Sommer, Justina Machado and Jaime Camil.

When it premiered in July 2016, Elena of Avalor quickly became television’s No.1 series for Girls age 2-11 in the U.S. It also ranks No. 1 in its timeslot among kids in the UK, Spain and Portugal.

Season 2 is scheduled to premiere this fall on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.

Elena of Avalor has spawned a franchise aside from the television series, including a line of dolls from Disney Store and Hasbro which recently reached the mark of one million dolls sold. The Elena character also is featured at Disney Parks & Resorts where she greets well-wishers with stories and songs from her native land during special character appearances. The series also has spawned print and e-book titles from Disney Publishing; an “Elena of Avalor” original soundtrack album from Walt Disney Records; and multiple DVD releases from Walt Disney Studios, including the recently released Elena and the Secret of Avalor.

Miranda In Talks to Join Walt Disney Studios’ “Mary Poppins” Sequel

Lin-Manuel Miranda may be ready for a little Chim Chim Cher-ee.

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican composer, lyricist, rapper and actor, best known for creating and starring in the Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, is in talks to join the Walt Disney Studios’ planned sequel to Mary Poppins. Emily Blunt is in talks for the lead role, played by Julie Andrews in the 1964 film.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Disney had no comment, but a source with knowledge of the project says the untitled film will connect with Mary’s charges, Jane and Michael Banks, now grown and with Michael’s own three kids in need of a nanny. Mary and her “lamplighter” friend Jack — kin to Bert the chimney sweep played by Dick Van Dyke opposite Andrews in the film — help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing from their lives.

Miranda’s Disney ties already include the bar scene music for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the score for the animated film Moana, coming in November.

According to the source, the new film will be set in Depression-era London and include material drawn from the seven Mary Poppins books writer P.L. Travers’ published between 1935 and 1988 following the initial novel.

Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman will be composing original songs and an all-new score. David Magee is attached to write the screenplay. Rob Marshall is attached to direct.

Disney and Marshall are working with the Travers estate, and Mary Poppins composer Richard Sherman is reputedly aware and supportive of the project. Word of the talks first appeared earlier today in Variety.

Disney Partners with myLINGO to Make Pratts’ “McFarland, USA” Accessible to Spanish-Speaking Audiences

Spanish-speakers will soon have the chance to hear Carlos Pratts in their native tongue…

Walt Disney Studios has unveiled a new collaboration with myLINGO, a smartphone app that’ll allow Spanish-speaking audiences to experience the 28-year-old Latino actor’s latest film McFarland, USA in their native language.

McFarland, USA

The film, which opens on February 20, stars Kevin Costner as the coach of a track team at a predominantly Latino high school.

The myLINGO dubbing system uses the microphones on moviegoers’ smartphones or other devices to connect to the movie once it has begun. The app then matches the unique audio signature to its precise place in the movie, and plays back the alternate language audio through headphones in perfect sync with the film.

The app company previously conducted tests at limited screenings of Annie, Big Hero 6 and The Equalizer, but this is the first time that the technology will be available to wider audiences. “Now we’re going much wider,” myLINGO co-founder Olenka Polak told Deadline.

The myLINGO website said the system will be available at 25 theaters showing McFarland, USA, most of which appear to be located in neighborhoods with high percentages of Latino moviegoers.

“This is a great movie to do this with,” app co-founder Adam Polak said.

“We are delighted to bring the magical world of Disney films to a broader group of Spanish-speaking viewers and multicultural families at select theatres with this new technology,” said Paul Holliman, VP Strategic Planning at Walt Disney Studios. “myLINGO provides a rich and customized cinematic experience, where bilingual families and friends can share the same emotion, laughter and excitement together in a whole new way.”