Manu Rios Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Manu Rios has new representation…

The 24-year-old Spanish actor and singer, best known for his starring role on Netflix’s popular Spanish YA series Elite, has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation.

Rios portrays Patrick Blanco on the international hit series, which is heading into its seventh season on the streamer.

Rios will next be seen starring alongside Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal in the upcoming short film Strange Way of Life from Oscar-winning director Pedro Almodóvar. The short is set to premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The story follows the reunion of an outlaw and a sheriff after 25 years apart, and the romance that followed them there.

Rios is also set to star in the upcoming Netflix limited series El Silencio from Aitor Gabilondo.

He was previously seen in the limited series La Edad de la Ira for Atresmedia.

Alejandra Vasquez Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandra Vasquez has new representation…

The Mexican-American filmmaker and Sam Osborn, the directors behind the Sundance Film Festival-bound feature documentary Going Varsity in Mariachi, have signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME).

Marking Vasquez’s feature directorial debut and Osborn’s sophomore feature, the film makes its world premiere in U.S. Documentary Competition on January 22.

It’s set in the competitive world of high school mariachi, where the musicians from the South Texas borderlands reign supreme. Under the guidance of Coach Abel Acuña, the teenage captains of Edinburg North High School’s acclaimed team must turn a shoestring budget and diverse crew of inexperienced musicians into state champions.

The film is produced by James Lawler and Julia Pontecorvo of Osmosis Films and Luis A. Miranda, Jr. for Embeleco Unlimited. Impact Partners and Embeleco Unlimited co-financed with Fifth Season, which is also handling worldwide sales.

Vasquez is a director and producer raised in rural Texas who, with Osborn, directed the short Folk Frontera, which was awarded the Jury Prize for Texas Short Film at SXSW 2022 and premiered on PBS’ The Latino Experience. She also helmed the short When It’s Good, It’s Good, co-produced with Latino Public Broadcasting.

The up-and-comer cut her teeth on the producing side as part of the teams behind the award-winning features Matangi/Maya/M.IA. (2018) and Us Kids (2020) and is set to co-produce an upcoming feature from Sundance and SXSW prize winner Nanfu Wang.

Ivan Cornejo to Launch First-Ever U.S. Tour in January

Posted on November 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ivan Cornejo is readying for his first-ever U.S. tour…

The 18-year-old Mexican American Regional Mexican singer-songwriter hitting the road in 2023, with a tour scheduled to kick off on January 31 in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Cornejo, who won best new artist at this year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards, will headline the 11-date stint, titled Dañado Tour. He is slated to perform in Latin markets like Los Angeles, Houston and Phoenix, before wrapping up in Dallas on February 17.

“I am super excited to go on my first tour,” Cornejo tells Billboard. “We made sure to put a lot of thought into all the details. We wanted intimate venues because now more than ever, the connection to the fans is super important.”

Richard Vega, the WME agent who signed Cornejo in all areas, adds, “We feel very proud to represent such a young rising star. His fans have been wanting to see him live for a while and the response from all our partners has been amazing. This will be the first of many.”

Being produced by local promoters was key to making this happen, points out Ximena Acosta, the strategy consultant on the project. “We went with local promoters in each market [because] we wanted to make sure we had the right partners who really understood him and his fan base,” Acosta says.

Cornejo, who broke out in 2021 with his first album, Alma Vacía, has been making a name for himself in the Mexican music space and beyond (he’s collaborated with urban act JhayCo).

He secured his first entrance on any Billboard chart with his debut album, released through Manzana Records, which arrived at No. 2 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart. On Top Latin Albums, the seven-track set, featuring sad sierreño anthems like “Está Dañada,” peaked at No. 7.

Additionally, Cornejo topped Billboard‘s Latin Songwriters chart dated October 30, 2021.

Subsequently, over the summer, the singer-songwriter scored his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart as his sophomore album, Dañado, debuted atop the chart dated June 18.

Tickets to Cornejo’s tour go on sale Monday (Nov. 7).

Here’s the complete list of his tour dates:
Jan. 31: Santa Clara, Calif. (The Catalyst)
Feb. 2: Los Angeles (Roxy Theater)
Feb. 3: Riverside, Calif. (Riverside Municipal Auditorium)
Feb. 4: Santa Ana, Calif. (Constellation Room)
Feb. 7: San Diego (VooDoo Room)
Feb. 8: Phoenix (Crescent Ballroom)
Feb. 11: El Paso, Texas (Lowbrow Palace)
Feb. 14: McAllen, Texas (Cine El Rey)
Feb. 15: Austin (Antone’s)
Feb. 16: Houston (HOB Bronze Peacock)
Feb. 17: Dallas (Cambridge Room)

Pedro Pascal Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal has new representation…

The 47-year-old Chilean actor and star of Disney+’s The Mandalorian is heading to Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Pascal was previously with WME. He was repped by Brandon Liebman, who recently left WME for UTA.

The move comes as Pascal is seeing his star on the rise, having played the title character in the Star Wars series from Jon Favreau, and its sister series The Book of Boba Fett, as well as The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent alongside Nicolas Cage.

He starred as Javier Peña in Netflix’s Narcos as well as Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. His other film credits include Wonder Woman 1984, Judd Apatow’s The Bubble, Triple Froniter and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Next up, he’s playing the lead in HBO’s The Last of Us, an adaptation of the hit video game from Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin, and he is set to headline true-crime limited series My Dentist’s Murder Trial alongside David Harbour, which is in the works at HBO, from Steve Conrad, based on a New Yorker article.

Bobby Cannavale Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale is making management moves…

The 52-year-old half-Cuban American actor has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Cannavale has moved from WME, after just opening alongside Ana De Armas at the Venice Film Festival in the Andrew Dominik-directed Blonde.

He next will star in Gracie Otto’s Seriously Red, and opposite Robert De Niro in the Tony Goldwyn-directed Inappropriate Behavior.

Cannavale has had memorable turns in projects from Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman to Boardwalk Empire, Motherless Brooklyn, I, Tonya, Ant-Man, The Station Agent and many others.

In television, Cannavale will next star in Ryan Murphy’s limited series The Watcher with Naomi Watts. He was recently seen in Hulu’s limited series Nine Perfect Strangers, alongside Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy. His other TV credits include Homecoming, Angie Tribeca, Mr. Robot, Master of None, Nurse Jackie and Vinyl.

On the stage, Cannavale is a two-time Tony Award-nominee for Mauritius and The Mother F*cher With The Hat. A member of the LAByrinth Theater Company, the New Jersey-born Cannavale last appeared on stage in the 2020 production of Medea at The Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Nathy Peluso Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Posted on September 8, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Nathy Peluso has new representation…

William Morris Endeavor (WME) has signed the 27-year-old Argentine singer-songwriter as a client in all areas.

The agency will build Peluso’s business across touring, acting, fashion, talent ventures and more.

“I absolutely love performing live and visiting the world with my music, is such an enormous privilege,” Peluso said in a press statement. “I’m very happy to be represented by a team of strong women that believe in me and support me. I feel we will achieve great things together.”

Peluso’s female-led team includes her manager Florencia Juri; Lucy Dickins, who’s leading the WME team; and agents Ashley Gonzalez and Phoebe Holley, among others, in addition to her publicist Jordan Frazes of Frazes Creative.

Peluso’s R&B-tinged vocals full of soul, unapologetic in-your-face lyrics and killer dance moves have put her on the map since she began placing her music on YouTube in 2017. She explored her passion for music when she was studying abroad and would write street poetry and rap bars as part of the then-underground hip-hop movement in Spain.

In 2020, Peluso released her sophomore album Calambre under Sony Music Entertainment España, where she experiments with neo-soul, perreo fusions, old-school ‘90s rap, tango and tropical music, to name a few.

“My music has an honest identity,” the former Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise previously told Billboard. “If I create music from the heart, it will always be different. Summarizing it to one genre or a specific style would be lying to you.”

Also in 2020, Peluso was a two-time nominee at the 2020 Latin Grammys for best alternative song for “Buenos Aires,” along with the coveted best new artist award.

In 2021, Calambre won the Latin Grammy for best alternative music album and was nominated for best Latin rock or alternative album at the Grammys.

Earlier this year, Peluso made her grand debut at the coveted Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where Latin colleagues such as Karol G and Grupo Firme also took center stage.

J Balvin Returns to Longtime Agency William Morris Endeavor

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

J Balvin is back with a familiar team…

The 37-year-old Colombian singer, known as the Prince of Reggaeton, has returned to his longtime agency William Morris Endeavor (WME).

The move follows a short stint with United Talent Agency (UTA) that started in May. No reason was given for his departure from or return to WME.

Balvin left WME for UTA in May after postponing his 25-date José tour. The move was surprising considering Balvin’s long and storied history with the agency. WME began booking Balvin when he still an emerging artist, and the agency played an integral role in his global touring and branding, securing early placements for him in major festivals.

UTA never formally announced its deal with Balvin, but the agency has been growing its Latin roster and currently represents several high-profile Latin stars. Bad Bunny, Balvin’s Universal Music labelmate Karol G and Brazilian powerhouse Anitta are all currently on UTA’s roster.

Balvin has grossed more than $20 million and sold over 300,000 tickets, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All six of the Colombian star’s full-length studio albums — including the collaborative Oasis album with Bad Bunny — have reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, with four of them hitting No. 1. He’s charted 93 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, including 35 top 10s and nine No. 1s. In every year from 2014 through 2021, he’s finished as one of the year’s top 10 artists on Billboard’s annual year-end Top Latin Artists chart.

Other WME Latin acts include Nicky Jam, Juanes, Ozuna and Shakira.

Balvin continues to be managed by longtime manager Fabio Acosta along with Scooter Braun’s SB Projects.

Sarah Shahi Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Posted on June 29, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a new endeavor for Sarah Shahi.

The 42-year-old part-Spanish actress and Sex/Life star has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation.

Shahi portrays Billie Connelly in the provocative Netflix drama series which is heading into its second season.

Inspired by BB Easton’s self-published memoir 44 Chapters About 4 Men, Sex/Life is the story of a love triangle between a woman, Billie Connelly (Shahi), her husband, and her past, which takes a deliciously steamy new look at female identity and desire.

The series quickly became one of Netflix’s best performing shows and drew more than 67 million viewers in its first season.

Shahi received critical praise for her portrayal of DA’s office investigator Rachel Behnam in Showtime’s City on a Hill. She also starred in an episode of the Netflix Dolly Parton anthology series Heartstrings, in which each episode is based on a Dolly song.

She also starred alongside Nathan Fillion on NBC’s The Rookie, and in the Steven Spielberg-produced NBC series Reverie.

She also is known for her roles on CBS’ Person of Interest, USA’s Fairly Legal and Showtime’s The L Word. Her other television credits include Chicago Fire, Life with Damian Lewis, The Sopranos, Ray Donovan and Alias.

Shahi next stars in the anticipated Warner Bros./DC superhero feature Black Adam alongside Dwayne Johnson, set for release in October. She also has signed on to star in the upcoming Amazon film Red, White and Royal Blue, based on the best-selling book, and she is attached to executive produce and star in The Hollys, written by Floriana Lima, Yolanda Pecoraro, and Ilaria Urbinati, with Di Novi Pictures producing.

Ozuna Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Posted on June 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ozuna has new representation…

William Morris Endeavor (WME) has signed the 30-year-old Puerto Rican singer and rapper in all areas.

“I am excited to collaborate with many of the top agents at WME to further connect with my incredible fans in inventive ways and continue to bring my culture to the masses,” the Puerto Rican singer born Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado said in a statement. “As an artist, I want to expand my brand and develop new and exciting opportunities together in all aspects of entertainment.”

His WME signing comes on the heels of the announcement of his 2022 global tour Ozutochi, which kicks off June 30 in Seville, Spain, and will make its way across Europe and the U.S. before wrapping on December 9 at the FTX Arena in Miami.

Ozuna kicked off 2022 with his Christina Aguilera duet, “Santo,” and dropped a trio of singles over the past few months, including “Deprimida,” “G-Wagon” and “Apretatio.”

Most recently, he released “Ceremonia,” which will appear in the upcoming HBO Max remake of Father of the Bride.

The artist is also working on his fifth studio album, which will follow his sets Odisea, Aura, ENOC, and Nibiru, all of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Additionally, he’s placed over 100 entries in Hot Latin Songs, including five No. 1 hits: “Te Bote,” “Taki Taki,” “Otro Trago,” “China,” and “Mamacita.”

Natanael Cano Agrees to Worldwide Publishing Deal with Warner Chappell Music

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Natanael Cano is going to the Chappell…

The 21-year-old Mexican rapper and singer-songwriter has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, according to Billboard.

Cano’s signature corridos tumbados first put him on the map with his 2019 anthem “Soy El Diablo,” while a Bad Bunny-assisted remix scored him his first entry on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. Since, he’s released multiple corridos tumbados albums including A Mis 20 and Corridos Tumbados which topped the Regional Mexican Albums chart.

“I’m excited to join forces with Gustavo [Menéndez] and the Warner Chappell team to share my music on a global scale,” Cano said in a statement. “With our shared vision, I know we’ll accomplish great things together.”

“Nata is a unique talent, who at such a young age, has already secured his legacy in the industry. He has an incredible delivery with an uncanny penmanship as a songwriter, no matter the genre,” added Gustavo Menéndez, WCM’s president, U.S. Latin & Latin America. “I’ve also had the opportunity to spend time with Nata outside of the studio and he’s an incredible and inspiring human being. We are proud that he’s entrusted us to be his publisher and continue to help pave the way.”

The signing with Warner Chappell Music comes on the heels of his debut at Coachella last month and his new partnership with WME. The company signed him for representation in all areas — marking Cano’s first-ever agency agreement. WME will build the singer’s business across touring, acting, fashion and talent ventures.

Most recently, Cano released his half trap and half corridos studio album NataKong, where he reflects on his maturity and growth as an artist.

The set, which was released on April 8 less than a year after A Mis 20, coincided with the launch of his own record label Los CT. Moving forward, Cano will release music under Warner Music Latina, Rancho Humilde and his label Los CT.

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