Consuelos May Star in Comedy Pilot for ABC

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Mark Consuelos may soon be moving on up to Manhattan’s Upper West Side…

ABC is thisclose to closing on a script deal for a comedy that will star the 41-year-old half-Mexican actor and former All My Children star.

Executive produced by Consuelos and his wife, Live With Kelly & Michael host Kelly Ripa, the half-hour project will be written by Peter Murrieta.

Produced by ABC Studios, the comedy centers on a blue-collar handyman from Queens (Consuelos) who enters the wealthy world of New York City’s Upper West Side, where he and his son become part of a non-traditional family unit.

This marks the second time ABC and ABC Studios are developing a comedy starring Consuelos. Two years ago, the network bought Port Love, a workplace comedy written by Jeffrey Hodes and Nastaran Dibai.

Consuelos, who rose to acclaim as the hunky Mateo Santos on All My Children, is currently recurring on FX’s American Horror Story: Asylum. He’s previously guest-starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Third Watch and Friends.

Meanwhile, this is the second broadcast project this season for Murrieta, who also has a semi-autobiographical multi-generational family show currently set up at NBC. He served as showrunner on the first three seasons of the Disney Channel’s Emmy-winning Wizards Of Waverly Place.

Austin Cast in J.Lo’s “The Fosters” Pilot for ABC Family

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He may no longer be a Russo on the Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place… But Jake T. Austin may soon be forming part of a new TV family.

The 17-year-old Puerto Rican, Argentine and Spanish actor has joined the cast of ABC Family‘s drama pilot The Fosters, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The hour-long drama, executive produced by Jennifer Lopez, centers on Stef (The West Wing‘s Teri Polo) and Lena Foster (Rescue Me‘s Sherri Saum), a mixed-race lesbian couple who are parents to a biological son Brandon (David Lambert) as well as several adopted children. When Lena decides to take in Callie (Maia Mitchell), a troubled teen with an abusive past, the girl’s disruptive ways threaten to turn the Fosters’ lives upside down.

Austin, who recently guest-starred on Law & Order: SVU and Drop Dead Diva, will portray Jesus Foster, Mariana’s bilingual fraternal twin who may not be as book smart as his sister but is more sensible and pragmatic than she is. He’s described as a charming, hyperkinetic kid who’s on Ritalin.

The casting news comes shortly after Austin wrapped his four-season stint on Wizards of Waverly Place, where he played Selena Gomez’s kid brother Max Russo, one of three wizards, for more than 100 episodes of the series. He’ll reprise the role in the network’s upcoming one-hour special.

The pilot is currently in pre-production for a November shoot in Los Angeles.

NBC Buys Murrieta’s New Comedy Series

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Peter Murrieta has sold his latest television project…

NBC has bought a half-hour comedy from the Mexican-American executive producer and sitcom veteran.

Murrieta’s yet-untitled comedy series is a multi-generational family show based on his own family – juxtaposing the immigrant generation, the assimilated generation and the American-born one.

It’s a topic Murrieta first addressed in his first-ever series as a creator, the WB’s Greetings From Tucson.

Murrieta served as the showrunner on the first three seasons of Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place, helping the family comedy achieve ratings success and land the network it’s first best series Emmy Award.

Gomez’s “Hotel Transylvania” Takes a Large Bite Out of The Box Office

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Hollywood should take note… Selena Gomez is apparently cartoon gold at the box office…

The 20-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer’s latest animated film Hotel Transylvania claimed the box office crown this weekend while setting a new September record.

Hotel Transylvania led this weekend’s box office with $43 million from 3,349 theaters — the highest September opening weekend of all time ahead of Sweet Home Alabama‘s $35.6 million bow a decade ago.

The monster hit, which centers on the former Wizards of Waverly Place star’s character Mavis celebrating her 118th birthday, earned a sizzling $12,840 per theater average.

Hotel Transylvania, which cost Sony $85 million, should continue to play to family audiences in the weeks leading up to Halloween, and will easily break the $100 million mark.

Gomez’s animated film Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!, which was released in March 2008, earned slightly more than Hotel Transylvania with $45 million. That film would go on to make $154 million at the box office.

Gomez Returning to Disney for New “Wizards of Waverly Place” Movie

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

She may be starring in more grown-up projects like Spring Breakers… But that doesn’t mean Selena Gomez is forgetting her Disney Channel roots.

The 20-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer has signed on to executive-produce and star in a one-hour special based on Wizards of Waverly Place, which ended its run on the Disney Channel early this year.

Gomez will join Jake T. Austin, Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals-Barrera, David DeLuise and Gregg Sulkin, who will reprise their original roles.

The storyline for the special takes the Russo family and friends to Tuscany, Italy, to meet their long lost relatives. But when Alex (Gomez) tries to prove that she’s more than a seemingly carefree young wizard, she inadvertently conjures up a spell that creates a Good Alex and an Evil Alex. When Evil Alex gets roped into a foreboding plan to take over the world, Good Alex must find a way to save her family and humankind, which leads to a monumental battle between the two versions of herself – all atop the Tower of Pisa.

The made-for-television special was written by Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio (Wizards Of Waverly Place) and Dan Berendsen (Baby Daddy).

Victor Gonzalez (Wizards Of Waverly Place) will direct. Wizards Of Waverly Place was created by Todd J. Greenwald (Hannah Montana) and is produced by It’s a Laugh Productions for Disney Channel.

The Wizards Of Waverly Place won its third Best Children’s Program Emmy at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards earlier this month. It has won twice for the series (2009, 2012) and once for the series’ first TV movie offshoot in 2010. It’s the only scripted series to win the award in the past two decades, since Disney Channel’s Avonlea did it in 1993.

The new Wizards of Waverly Place special is scheduled to premiere in early 2013.

First Look: Gomez’s Fangtastic Character in “Hotel Transylvania”

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is preparing to take a bit out of the box office…

Columbia Pictures has released a new trailer for Hotel Transylvania, the 3D computer-animated comedy featuring the voice of the 20-year-old Mexican American actress/singer.

Shining a bright spotlight on Gomez’s and Adam Sandler’s characters, the clip shows the former Wizards of Waverly Place star’s character celebrating her 118th birthday in her locked-up room.

For a birthday present, she begs her dad Dracula (Sandler) to allow her explore the world outside their hidden castle. Mavis whines and moans to her overprotective dad until she doesn’t realize that her fangtastic dad actually says yes. Finally realizing she’s been granted permission, she spontaneously jumps into the air and hugs her dad.

Hotel Transylvania is Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live without having to deal with the human world. Overprotective of his daughter, the Prince of Darkness fabricates tales of elaborate dangers to discourage her adventurous spirit. As a haven for Mavis, he opens the hotel, where his daughter and some of the world’s most famous monsters can kick back in safety and peace. For Dracula, catering to his ghoulish guests isn’t a problem – but his world could implode when an ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.

Along with Gomez and Sandler, the voice cast includes Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Fran Drescher and Cee-Lo Green.

Hotel Transylvania will open in theaters across the U.S. on September 28.

Gomez Launches Her First Ever Fragrance

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Move over Jennifer Lopez and Shakira! There’s a new Latina starlet-created fragrance on the market…

This week Selena Gomez launched her very own fragrance, which is named after her, at a special event in New York City.

The 19-year-old half-Mexican American actress and singer says she was inspired by Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen when she was creating the perfume.

“I’ve always wanted to [create my own fragrance] since Mary-Kate and Ashley had their little body sprays,” the former Wizards of Waverly Place star admitted to Us Weekly. “I loved those and was obsessed with them.”

So why did she name her debut fragrance after herself?

“It’s called my name, because I didn’t want to get all philosophical with my first one,” explained the “Hit the Lights” singer. “I wanted it to be representing me so it’s really fun, very sophisticated and also fruity. The only way I can describe it is yummy!”

Gomez—who recently released a YouTube video talking about her latest projects—went on to talk about how she let her fans help in the making of her first perfume.

“They’re the ones wearing it, so I trust them – their opinions and everything that they’ve done for me,” she said.

A day before launching her perfume, Gomez shared a photo of herself with the fragrance’s girlie purple packaging. The perfume has a long bottle and is topped off with a golden cap that’s bursting with kisses. Along with the image, she wrote, “Ahhh it’s so purrty… So excited, nervous and hyper.”

Gomez’s fragrance will be available exclusively at Macy’s for $35, $45 and $55 starting May. In August, it will be sold at Nordstrom, Ulta, Dillard’s, Bonton and SSI.

Austin to Appear on Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s game on for Jake T. Austin…

The 17-year-old Puerto Rican, Argentine and Spanish actor has signed on to appear on Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Austin, who rose to fame as Selena Gomez’s brother on Disney Channel’s hit series, Wizards of Waverly Place, guest star on the series’ upcoming fourth season.

In the episode titled “Home,” he’ll play a 16-year-old multi-millionaire CEO and video game designer who hires Jane (Brooke Elliott) and Grayson (Jackson Hurst) to sue his father for emancipation.

Along with playing Max for four seasons on Wizards, Austin’s television credits include a guest-starring role on Law & Order: SVU and the voice of Diego on Nickelodeon’s animated series, Go Diego! Go!

His film credits include Gary Marshall’s New Year’s Eve and the title role of Huck Finn in the upcoming film, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, in theatres next year.

Drop Dead Diva, created by Josh Berman, was renewed for a fourth season last September and returns to Lifetime with 13 new episodes this summer.

Gomez Leads the Latino Pack of Kids’ Choice Award Nominees…

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

So what do Selena Gomez, Sofia Vergara and Victoria Justice have in common? They all run the risk of being slimed this spring!

Nickelodeon has announced the nominees for 25th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards with some of today’s biggest Latino and Latina stars gettin’ some serious love from the tween set.

Gomez leads the Latino pack with two nods. The 19-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress is nominated for Favorite TV Actress for her work on Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place, as well as in the Favorite Female Singer category.

Here’s a look at this year’s Latino/a nominees:

Favorite TV Actress
Selena Gomez
Victoria Justice

Favorite Movie Actress
Sofia Vergara (The Smurfs)

Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie
Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots)

Favorite Music Group
Big Time Rush (with Carlos Peña)
Black Eyed Peas (with Fergie)

Favorite Male Singer
Bruno Mars

Favorite Female Singer
Selena Gomez

Favorite Buttkicker
Jessica Alba

Fans will have the chance to vote for their favorite stars beginning March 1 on Nick.com, as well as via Facebook and Twitter.

The 2012 Kids’ Choice Awards will be handed out on March 31 in Los Angeles.

Gomez Developing “The Sky Is Everywhere” for the Big Screen

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

She recently wrapped up her four-year stint on Wizards of Waverly Place… And now Selena Gomez is planning to develop her next project featuring a teenage character.

The 19-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer, along with her production company July Moon, has just optioned the rights to The Sky Is Everywhere, a novel by Jandy Nelson.

Gomez is planning to develop the book as a star vehicle for the big screen, according to Deadline.com.

The Monte Carlo actress will reportedly play 17-year old Lennie Walker, a bookworm and band geek who plays clarinet and lives in the shadow of her spunky older sister, Bailey.

When Bailey dies suddenly, Lennie is left to take center stage and balance two boys. One is his sister’s grieving boyfriend; the other is a musically inclined exchange student from Paris. Her whole world threatens to collapse all over again as she tries to juggle both guys.

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