News

Exclusive: Gabriel Chavarria (Selena: The Series) is set to executive produce and star in Real Ones, an indie drama from director Nick Anderson, who wrote the script with Alma Leiva.

In the film produced by Justin Nesbitt, the actor will play Joseph, a sharp-witted ex-con fighting to rebuild his life after prison while resisting the pull of his criminal past. Faced with prejudice and the risk of losing his family, Joseph takes a legitimate job at a law firm to prove his worth and redefine himself. But as his charming yet troubled best friend Esteban tempts him back into the world of drugs and gangs, and his fiery partner Tina struggles with her own hidden battles, Joseph realizes redemption isn’t just about changing how others see him — it’s about changing how he sees himself.

Chavarria played A.B. Quintanilla, record producer and brother of the late Tejano singer Selena,...

The Middleburg Film Festival is tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains above Washington, D.C., but that didn’t stop it from engaging in a little diplomacy of its own. A delegation of filmmakers from Nigeria and Kenya, Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Lee Satterfield, and the department’s director of film, TV and digital programs, Catherine Collins, attended the festival.

It’s always important to have the old Kurt Vonnegut quote in mind and not mistake artistic expression for political capital, but the hope was that by having the delegation at Middleburg, it would offer greater visibility for the filmmakers and foster connections between the resources and innovation of Hollywood and the exciting emerging voices coming out of Africa.

Filmmakers Kunle Afolayan (“Phone Swap”), Kenneth Ambani (“A Better Life”), Philip Karanja (“Click Click Bang”), and Bolanle Austen Peters (“House of Ga’a”) spoke about the challenges they’ve overcome and still face,...

Yelyna De León will star in and direct the romantic comedy “20 Pounds to Happiness” from “Real Women Have Curves” writer Josefina López.

Carlo Mendez and Riley Shanahan co-star in the film, which also features Christiana Leucas, Soledad St. Hilaire, Iyari Limon, Rafael Sigler and Tricia Cruz.

“20 Pounds to Happiness” marks De León’s debut as a feature film director. The movie follows a full-figured Latina in a “Real Women Have Curves” support group who must decide between staying loyal to her girlfriends or risking the loss of her dream man. López and De León serve as producers.

De León’s credits as an actor include “Will and Grace,” “Snowfall,” “Ray Donovan,” “Shamelsss,” “A Better Life” and “East Side Story.” She also wrote, produced and acted in the murder mystery film “Murder in the Woods” alongside Danny Trejo.

Mendez is a Cuban-American actor with television roles in “9-1-1,” “Superior Donuts,” “Parks and Recreation...

Sony had been planning to give director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen a theatrical release on August 25th of 2023, but in May of last year they decided to delay the release an entire year, pushing They Listen to August 30, 2024. By the time that date rolled around, the movie had been given the new title Afraid (or AfrAId)… and neither the new title nor the new release date worked out for the movie at the box office, because it only ended up making $9 million at the global box office. Just two weeks after its theatrical release, Afraid has now been given a digital release and is available for rent on Amazon’s Prime Video for $9.99. It can also be purchased for the price of $14.99.

Afraid‘s physical media release will follow on November 5th, when it comes to Blu-ray and DVD with the following extras: – 5 Deleted & Extended Scenes including...

Exclusive: After world premiering his Angelina Jolie-helmed war drama Without Blood at the Toronto Film Festival, Academy Award nominee Demián Bichir has come aboard for a role in The Black Phone 2, Universal’s sequel to its 2022 horror hit from director Scott Derrickson.

Details as to Bichir’s role are being kept under wraps, as is the follow-up’s plot. As we were first to report, original cast members Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies and Miguel Mora are all set to return, along with Derrickson, who again co-wrote the script with partner C. Robert Cargill. Slated for release in theaters on October 17, 2025, the sequel will be produced by Derrickson, Cargill, and Blumhouse’s Jason Blum. Joe Hill, writer of the short story on which the first film was based, serves as executive producer.

Set in 1978 Colorado, The Black Phone watches as the shy 13-year-old Finney Shaw...

Of the five films Angelina Jolie has directed, four have depicted war. But her latest, “Without Blood,” delves most directly into the haunting aftermath of the carnage.

“I think conflict tends to bring out absolutely the worst in our behavior toward each other and often the best, when those who fight against or rise above,” Jolie said during an interview at the Variety Toronto Film Festival Studio. “As artists, a lot of our work is this study of what it is to be human. So these extremes of the human condition are what we’re trying to understand sometimes and are drawn to. Certainly I’m somebody who, as I’ve traveled and done other [humanitarian] work in the field, I’ve always questioned why and how.”

Jolie was joined by the film’s stars Salma Hayek Pinault and Demián Bichir, who play Nina and Tito, respectively, two people who stood...

Alexander Skarsgard of Succession, The Legend of Tarzan, and The Northman is set to star in the ten-episode sci-fi series Murderbot, which has just been picked up by Apple TV+. Despite sharing a title with a recently released movie from Full Moon and director Jim Wynorski, this project is actually based on Martha Wells’ bestselling, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning book series The Murderbot Diaries.

The sibling duo of Chris and Paul Weitz (About a Boy) are writing, directing, and executive producing Murderbot under their Depth of Field banner. Andrew Miano is also executive producing for Depth of Field, while David S. Goyer executive produces alongside Keith Levine for Phantom Four. Wells is on board as consulting producer.

Coming our way from Paramount Television Studios, Murderbot is aiming to be action-packed. According to Deadline, the project first received a “blinking green light”, but the casting process was disrupted by the lengthy...

The infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper has been transplanted to America in ViX Original Series “El Dentista” (“The Dentist”) (working title) with Oscar-nominated Demián Bichir (“A Better Life”) in the titular role. Behind-the-scenes pics of the series, now shooting in Mexico, have been exclusively shared with Variety.

Based on the novel by prominent Chilean scribe Julio Rojas, creator of podcast sensation “Caso 63” and a co-writer on Pablo Fendrik’s “El Refugio,” the period thriller series is produced by Oscar-winning brothers Pablo and Juan de Dios Larrain and their powerhouse shingle, Fabula, along with the top Spanish pay TV/SVOD service Movistar Plus+, which will also handle international sales.

This is possibly the second time that Fabula handling a mythical figure after Pablo Larrain’s horror satire “The Count,” which world premiered at the Venice Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix. However, in “The Count,” Larrain reimagines...

If the summer belonged to Cillian Murphy from “Oppenheimer,” then the upcoming fall season will belong to Colman Domingo in “Rustin.”

The Emmy-winning actor of HBO’s “Euphoria” throws down the gauntlet with his portrayal of the gay civil rights leader Bayard Rustin in George C. Wolfe’s biopic, which just premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, where Barack Obama pre-recorded a message for attendees. “This past week marked the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and that March would not have happened without Bayard Rustin,” Obama said in his message. “As President, I had the honor of awarding Bayard the Medal of Freedom. Not just for his work on the March, but for a lifetime spent fighting for justice. This film is a way to share more of his story to the world. Rustin honors Bayard and the thousands of ordinary folks from all walks of life. Many...

Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro announced on Monday that he has nominated 27 films for potential addition to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, all of which feature Latino filmmakers, culture and history.

“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,” Rep. Castro wrote in his nomination letter. “The continued exclusion of Latinos in the film industry affects Latinos seeking opportunities in the industry and shapes how Latinos are perceived, stereotyped, and misunderstood in American life.”

Among the films nominated by Castro are “Frida” the 2002 biopic of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo that earned Salma Hayek an Oscar nomination. Other Oscar nominated performances, such as Catalina Sandino Moreno and Demián Bichir in the immigration dramas “Maria Full of Grace” and “A Better Life,” were also included.

Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro has nominated 27 Latino-driven films for inclusion in the National Film Registry. Among the suggestions are films that brought Oscar nominations to Latino actors and artists, including Salma Hayek, as Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in “Frida” (2002); Catalina Sandino Moreno, who portrayed a desperate undocumented pregnant immigrant in “Maria Full of Grace” (2004) and Demián Bichir, who played an undocumented worker in Los Angeles in “A Better Life” (2011). All were nominated for lead acting Oscars.

Other notable titles nominated by the congressman are Peter Sollett’s coming-of-age indie “Raising Victor Vargas,” Alfonso Arau’s romantic drama “Like Water for Chocolate (1992) and Darnell Martin’s “I Like It Like That” (1994), a story of a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx.

“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,...

Sony had been planning to give director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen a theatrical release on August 25th of this year, which is why we have it listed on our Summer Horror Movie Preview… but we’re going to have to remove it from that list, because Sony has (according to Yahoo) decided to delay the release an entire year. They Listen is now set to reach theatres on August 30, 2024.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field. Weitz is producing the film with Jason Blum and Andrew Miano. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings, and Paul Davis serve as executive producers. Filming was already underway in Los Angeles back in December, so this movie is going to be complete and sitting on a shelf a while before its new release date rolls around next year.

All details about They Listen are being kept under wraps.

We’ve previously heard that Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant), John Cho (Searching), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit), Lukita Maxwell (Shrinking), and Riki Lindhome (Wednesday) will be starring in director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen, and now Deadline has revealed that Keith Carradine (Fear the Walking Dead), Ben Youcef (Seal Team), and Wyatt Linder (Little America) are also in the cast. As is to be expected when it comes to this project, details on the characters the new cast members will be playing are being kept under wraps.

In fact, all details about They Listen are being kept under wraps. We don’t even have any idea what the story is about. So we have to gauge our interest in this one based entirely on the names of the people involved with the making of it.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field.

Havana Rose Liu recently had her breakthrough role playing the lead in the Hulu thriller No Exit (read our review Here) – which was an okay movie, but underwhelming in comparison to the awesome Taylor Adams novel it was based on. Now Deadline reports that Liu is returning to the thriller realm with a role in in director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen. Liu joins a cast that includes the previously announced Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant), John Cho (Searching), Lukita Maxwell (Shrinking), and Riki Lindhome (Wednesday). Details on her characters, and in fact on every character in the movie, are being kept under wraps.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field. Weitz is producing the film with Jason Blum and Andrew Miano. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings, and Paul Davis serve as executive producers. Filming was already underway in Los Angeles back in December.

Riki Lindhome, who was recently seen playing Dr. Valerie Kinbott in the Addams Family series Wednesday on the Netflix streaming service, has signed on to join Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant), John Cho (Searching), and Lukita Maxwell (Shrinking) in director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, but wasn’t able to dig up any information on the character Lindhome will be playing… which is to be expected, because all They Listen plot and character details are being kept entirely under wraps.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field. Weitz is producing the film with Jason Blum and Andrew Miano. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings, and Paul Davis serve as executive producers. Filming was already underway in Los Angeles back in December.

In addition to Wednesday, Lindhome’s credits include Million Dollar Baby, The Last House on the Left,...

Lukita Maxwell, who may be best known for playing Alice in 10 episodes of the Apple TV+ series Shrinking, Delilah in 16 episodes of the HBO Max series Generation, or Jillian in 4 episodes of the ABC series Speechless, has signed on to star in director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen. Maxwell joins previously announced cast members Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant) and John Cho (Searching). Deadline hears that Maxwell will have “a top-billed role” in the film.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field. Weitz is producing the film with Jason Blum and Andrew Miano. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings, and Paul Davis serve as executive producers.

Filming was already underway in Los Angeles back in December, but plot details are still being kept entirely under wraps. So we have to gauge our interest in this one based only on the title and the...

Now is the time for Graham Nash to release a new album, his first in seven years. The project arrives in full on May 19th, and along with the news, the legendary songwriter has shared first single “Right Now” and announced a new run of 2023 tour dates.

Nash produced Now alongside his longtime touring keyboardist Todd Caldwell, and according to the artist, it’s his most personal album to date. “At this point in my life, that’s something to say,” Nash boasted in a statement. Pre-orders for the project are ongoing.

Dubbed the “Sixty Years of Songs and Stories” tour, Nash’s upcoming series of shows marks 60 years since he released his first single with The Hollies. The tour includes numerous dates in Chicago, Minneapolis, and New York in the spring, and after a short break, takes Nash back to the West Coast, where previously announced dates were postponed...

After just one season that aired late last year, Showtime has already made the decision to cancel the horror series “Let the Right One In,” Deadline is reporting this afternoon.

Tomorrow Studios, Deadline notes, will be shopping the series to other platforms. In other words, “Let the Right One In” could eventually come back to life on another platform.

Deadline adds to the story, “Paramount Global just announced that Showtime will be integrated into Paramount+ across both streaming and linear later this year.”

“Let the Right One In” is a victim of this impending merger, the site notes.

A new adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel, which became Swedish movie Let the Right One In in 2008 and then American remake Let Me In a couple years later, Showtime‘s “Let the Right One In” began streaming in time for Halloween on Friday, October 7, 2022.

Led by Oscar® nominee Demián Bichir...

A new adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel, which became Swedish movie Let the Right One In in 2008 and then American remake Let Me In a couple years later, Showtime‘s “Let the Right One In” will begin streaming in time for Halloween on Friday, October 7.

Showtime will debut “Let the Right One In” on streaming and on demand for all Showtime subscribers on October 7, before making its on-air debut on October 9 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt.

Watch the official trailer for “Let the Right One In” below.

Led by Oscar® nominee Demián Bichir (A Better Life), the 10-episode series from Tomorrow Studios (Snowpiercer) also stars Tony winner Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls, Power), Grace Gummer (Mr. Robot), Madison Taylor Baez (Selena: The Series), Kevin Carroll (Snowfall), Ian Foreman (Merry Wish-Mas), Jacob Buster (Colony) and Nick Stahl (Fear the Walking Dead).

Inspired by the original hit Swedish novel and film,...

Exclusive: Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel), Bobby Soto (Narcos: Mexico), Julio Cesar Cedillo (Narcos: Mexico), Veronica Falcón (Ozark), Sarayu Blue (I Feel Bad) and Eric Johnson (Fifty Shades franchise) are among the newest additions to Prime Video’s Michael Peña starrer A Million Miles Away, which has entered production in Mexico City. Others rounding out the ensemble of the Alejandra Márquez Abella-helmed film include Jordan Dean (Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace), Ashley Ciarra (Chupa), Michelle Krusiec (Hollywood), Emma Fassler (Recovery Road), Michael Adler (Super Pumped), Carlos S. Sanchez (Chicago Fire) and Isaac Arellanes (Ghostwriter).

A Million Miles Away is based on the inspiring true story of Jose Hernandez, who defied insurmountable odds to become the first migrant farmworker to travel to space. From six years old, he toiled in the fields between Michoacán and Stockton, California —dreaming of traveling the night skies on a rocket ship. Through his...

Showtime will debut its new thriller drama Let The Right One In on streaming and on demand for all Showtime subscribers on Friday, October 7, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, October 9 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt. Led by Oscar(R) nominee Demián Bichir (A Better Life), the 10-episode series from Tomorrow Studios (Snowpiercer) also stars Tony winner Anika Noni Rose, Grace Gummer (Mr. Robot), Madison Taylor Baez (Selena: The Series), Kevin Carroll (Snowfall), Ian Foreman (Merry Wish-Mas), Jacob Buster (Colony) and Nick Stahl (Fear the Walking Dead). Inspired by the original hit Swedish novel and film, the series centers on Mark (Bichir) and his daughter Eleanor (Baez), whose lives were changed 10 years earlier when she was turned into a vampire. Locked in at age 12, perhaps forever, Eleanor lives a closed-in life, able to go out only at night, while her father does his best to provide her with the...

With the future of the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise up in the air, it seems director David Yates is looking to take a break from the Wizarding World. Variety reports the filmmaker is set to helm "Pain Hustlers," a crime-conspiracy film that has Emily Blunt — who's been busy of late filming her role as J. Robert Oppenheimer's wife and fellow scientist, Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer, in Christopher Nolan's biopic "Oppenheimer" — attached to star.

"Pain Hustlers" was written by Wells Tower ("The True American") and will be shopped around to potential buyers at the Cannes Film Festival this month. Here's the official synopsis:

"Dreaming of a better life for her and her...

The post Emily Blunt Has Signed On To Star In David Yates' Pain Hustlers appeared first on /Film.

Mohsen Makhmalbaf is an internationally known Iranian filmmaker, famous for features such as “A Moment of Innocence”, “Gabbeh”, “The Silence” and “The Gardener”. He belongs to the Iranian New Wave Movement, which also included his colleague Abbas Kiarostami, Amir Naderi and Majid Majidi. Over the course of his career he has made over 30 movies, which have won more than 50 awards in international film festivals around the world, but have often been banned in his home country. In 2005, Makhmalbaf had to leave the country after the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad due to his involvement with the Green Movement. He also released more than 30 books, translated in various languages.

On the occasion of his presence at Fica Vesoul, we speak with him about the current situation in Iran and Afghanistan, him not being able to return, the Internet, the impact of cinema, religion and education, the importance of music in films, mixing...

FX has ordered a half-hour comedy pilot from Lauren Ludwig.

The pilot is described as a metaphysical comedy about a group of queer twenty-somethings forced by the most unlikely source to confront their generational anxieties and unpack their emotional baggage.

Ludwig is writing and executive producing the pilot. Chris & Paul Weitz of Depth of Field, Andrew Miano, Dan Balgoyen and Aaron Kogan will also executive produce. FX Productions will produce.

The pilot marks the first time Ludwig will be credited as a TV writer. She previously directed an episode of the FX series “Cake.” She has also directed multiple episodes of shows like “Rob Riggle’s Ski Master Academy,” “American Auto,” and “Passive Aggressive History” as part of “Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack.” She recently wrote and produced the film “Heart Shot” at Netflix. In the world of live performance, she has written and directed several immersive theater productions.

Exclusive: Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz will co-write and co-direct Spanish Dracula, the true story about how silent film star and Mexican actress Lupita Tovar found a second wind starring in Spanish-language versions of Hollywood films like the Universal classic Dracula. The Weitz brothers are her grandsons, and they will produce with their Depth of Field cohort Andrew Miano, along with Pancho Kohner. He is their uncle and author of The Sweetheart of Mexico, a memoir he helped his mother write about her most fascinating life.

Tovar, who moved from Mexico to Hollywood, would go on to become a wildly successful actress back home where she was known as The Mexican Rose. Their grandfather is Paul Kohner, Universal Pictures chief Carl Laemmle’s right-hand man who ran the studio’s international film production business.

Falling head over heels in love with Tovar — as did many others including John Huston and a Mexican general,...

The new year is continuing apace at Hulu. The streamer’s list of new releases for February 2022 is highlighted by one very interesting project.

Pam and Tommy is set to premiere on Feb. 2. Perhaps the Groundhog Day release date is intentional as the show will cover a particular moment of celebrity, sex, and exploitation from the early ’90s that seems to have repeated itself over and over. Sebastian Stan and Lily James star as Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson and the series follows the events and fallout of their homemade sex tape being stolen and unleashed on a nascent internet. If nothing else, getting the promo photos of Stan and James as the ’90s stars was worth it.

Read more Movies Willem Dafoe on Noir, Fate and Geeks in Nightmare Alley By David Crow Movies Matthew Vaughn on Finding The Man Who Would Be King’s Man By David Crow

Another Hulu original,...

Concordia Seminary’s annual Faith and Film Festival is a gathering to screen and ponder Christian themes in contemporary cinema. Geared toward people interested in film and theology, the festival serves as an opportunity for participants to explore Christian themes in movies and develop eyes to see film in new ways. During the three-day festival, participants will watch films together and hear from theologians, pastors and film critics. Participants should be prepared to engage in challenging discussions about the ways in which the themes of redemption, reconciliation, mercy, grace and more are embedded in film. For more information about the Faith And Film Festival, go to their site Here

Throughout the festival, participants will attend plenary auditorium screenings, as well as breakout sessions where attendees will have an option to choose up to three films, each with their own discussion moderator(s).

Continuing Education credits are available. This is a limited seating event.

"There's only one person who could've done this - it's the gardener." Lionsgate has unveiled a trailer a so-bad-it's-good B-movie home invasion thriller called The Gardener, from the filmmaking duo Scott Jeffrey & Rebecca Matthews - known for all kinds of low budget, direct-to-dvd movies that you will never want to watch anyway. An immigrant living a quiet life as a gardener at a manor house in England has to rely on old skills to save the family he works for from home invaders. The small crew attacks the family, but "they didn't count on the estate's quiet gardener, Peter Juhasz, who must return to the savage ways he learned as a soldier to save the family." The film stars Robert Bronzi (from Death Kiss and Escape from Death Block 13 - who looks a lot like Charles Bronson) as "The Gardener", along with Gary Daniels, Sarah T. Cohen, Nicola Wright,...

At the Middleburg Film Festival this month, there were two rapturous standing ovations in the main theater of the Salamander Resort, where all the prominent films screen. One was for the best picture front-runner “Belfast” from Focus Features. The other was for Clifton Collins Jr.’s heartfelt turn as an aging equestrian hoping for his final championship run in “Jockey” from Sony Pictures Classics.

With more than 70 movie credits, the Los Angeles-born actor has been a staple at the movies for two decades. From his imprisoned corporal in “The Last Castle” (2001) to his Oscar-snubbed role as convicted murderer Perry Smith in Bennett Miller’s best picture-nominated debut, “Capote” (2005), opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman, Collins has been a true character actor, with no awards recognition to come his way.

“Jockey” debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which was virtual due to the pandemic. But movies often play differently in theaters.

Showtime is officially opening the door to a new vampire series.

The premium cable channel has given a series order to "Let the Right One In," a television adaptation of the Swedish novel and its spectacular 2008 film adaptation. Showtime has ordered ten episodes of this new show, which will begin production in New York City sometime in early 2022.

Oscar-nominated actor Demián Bichir ("A Better Life") plays the lead role, and the series also stars Tony winner Anika Noni Rose, Grace Gummer ("Frances...

The post Let the Right One In Gets a Series Order at Showtime appeared first on /Film.

The Critics Choice Association (Cca) announced the first annual Celebration of Latino Cinema, which will take place on Dec. 9. The event will honor Latino figures who have made significant contributions to film in 2021.

At the event, which will be presented virtually, Rita Moreno will receive the Icon Award. Her documentary “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It,” premiered earlier this year, and she also appears in and executive produces Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” adaptation premiering on Dec. 10. Lin-Manuel Miranda will receive the Visionary Award. The film adaptation of his Broadway musical “In The Heights” was released earlier this year, and he wrote the songs in the Disney animated film “Encanto,” which premieres in December. Actor Demián Bichir will receive the Career Achievement Award in recognition of the tenth anniversary of “A Better Life,” the film that made him one of only four Latinos to...

After the success of its Celebration of Black Cinema events for the past three years, the Critics Choice Association said Tuesday it is expanding the series with the inaugural Celebration of Latino Cinema, which will honor icons Rita Moreno, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Demián Bichir along with a group of additional honorees, many associated with upcoming 2021 films, still to be announced.

The new Celebration, to be presented virtually, is set for Thursday December 9, 2021 and aims to put a spotlight on the contributions of great Oscar-winning and -nominated artists like that initial trio, but also Latino filmmaking in general, a facet of the motion picture industry that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves during awards season. Among other things, the Cca’s Celebration of Latino Cinema aims to change that.

“We are thrilled to be launching the first annual Celebration of Latino Cinema which recognizes the talented performers and skilled...

Eva Longoria has wrapped production on her directorial feature debut, Searchlight Pictures’ “Flamin’ Hot.”

“I’m so honored to have led this team in telling a beautiful story where people can see themselves in these characters and are inspired by the endless beauty and talent that is so rich in our community,” Longoria tells Variety exclusively. “Every day we were on set, I was reminded again and again by our amazing cast and crew that our community is smart, creative and endlessly talented.”

From a script by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chávez, the film tells the story of Richard Montañez, a Mexican American who turned the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos snack into a global pop culture phenomenon. The film is produced by DeVon Franklin (“Breakthrough”) for Franklin Entertainment. Searchlight has yet to set a release date.

“From the moment I found Richard Montañez’s story, I was inspired by...

American High, Animal Pictures and Depth of Field have teamed up to produce the new Hulu feature “Love in Color.”

Animal Pictures and Depth of Field began development on the film before joining forces with American High, which has built a successful partnership with Hulu with buzzy releases like “Big Time Adolescence,” “The Binge,” “The Ultimate Playlist of Noise” and “Plan B.”

Written by Kirsten King and Casey Rackham, “Love in Color” follows an aspiring young artist. When forced to join her high school track team, she uses it as an opportunity to pursue the girl she’s been harboring a long-time crush on. But she soon finds herself unexpectedly falling for another teammate and discovering what real love feels like.

King and Rackham penned the script loosely based on their own experiences, largely motivated to write something that went beyond the coming out story and depicted the queer joy...

Jonás Cuarón’s feature Chupa has added Oscar nominee Demián Bichir, Dominic Mariche, Adriel Manzano and Isabella Patron in principal roles.

The pic follows a teenage Alex (Mariche), who while visiting his family in Mexico, gains an unlikely companion when he discovers a young chupacabra hiding in his grandpa’s shed. In order to save the mythical creature, Alex and his cousins (Manzano and Patron) must embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Cuarón and Tim Sexton wrote the most recent screenplay based on an original script by Marcus Rinehart, Sean Kennedy Moore and Joe Barnathan.

Said Cuarón, “Demián, Dominic, Adriel and Isabella all bring a genuineness to the characters they play. Growing up in both Mexico and the US, I’m fortunate to have my own life experiences to inspire the stories that I tell. It’s even more special to have found a cast that is able to...

The first slate of Paramount Plus Originals for Latin America will feature new series from “The Hateful Eight’s” Demián Bichir, “Luis Miguel” lead Diego Boneta, and Brazilian online phenom Porta Dos Fundos.

Paramount Plus and ViacomCBS International Studios on Thursday also confirmed that their new slate of premium original content is set to premiere in Latin America, including Brazil, from early as third quarter 2021.

Expanding the streaming service’s vast global content lineup, the slate is produced by ViacomCBS’s global studio Vis, rolling off partnerships with a growing bevy of world-renowned content creators and producers.

Bichir, whose acting credits take in “Land,” “The Midnight Sky,” “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “The Hateful Eight,” and “A Better Life,” will star, executive produce and direct “Jg Ballard Adaptation” – a working title. It is written by novelist Juan Villoro and produced by Frida Torresblanco, an Academy Award winner for “Pan’s Labyrinth.” The limited...

Rosie Perez hasn’t been invited back to the Oscars since she attended the ceremony as a nominee in 1994 for “Fearless,” where she played a plane crash survivor crippled by grief.

“Not even to sit in the audience, not to present, nothing—and I’m a member,” Perez says. “I love the Academy Awards. I cheer on my peers, but it hurts. It’s like when your home team doesn’t ask you to come back into the stadium after you got up to bat and hit the home run.”

Perez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, describes a feeling that many Latino artists have experienced in Hollywood. Even those who are as accomplished as she, aren’t given a seat at the table.

“The biggest struggle has been navigating through other people’s shortcomings,” Perez says. “Other people’s bigotry, racism — and specifically the ones that don’t understand...

First adapted by Tomas Alfredson in 2008 for his break-out film, John Ajvide Lindqvist’s 2004 novel Let the Right One In will be getting yet another adaptation. Demián Bichir (A Better Life) will be headlining a series adaptation of the vampire story for Showtime, who have ordered a pilot, THR reports.

This will be the third adaptation of the novel, after a 2010 American-language remake (re-titled as Let Me In) starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Kodi Smitt-McPhee, and Richard Jenkins. The story follows the relationship between a young girl and her father and the course their lives take after she is turned into a vampire. Seith Mann (of television’s Homecoming) is set to direct the pilot, which was written by Andrew Hinderaker (Penny Dreadful).

Bichir is no stranger to the TV landscape or to the Showtime family, having previously been a recurring star on Weeds and the lead of FX’s crime drama The Bridge.

Showtime has given a formal pilot green light to Let the Right One In, a vampire drama starring Demián Bichir (A Better Life). The project hails from Away creator Andrew Hinderaker, who will serve as showrunner, Seith Mann (Homeland), who will direct, and Tomorrow Studios, which has been the driver behind the project in its various incarnations for more than six years.

Inspired by the best-selling 2004 novel by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist and its 2008 Swedish film adaptation, the series centers on a father, Mark (Bichir) and his 12-year-old daughter whose lives were changed forever 10 years earlier when she was turned into a vampire. Locked in at age 12, perhaps forever, Eleanor lives a closed-in life, able to go out only at night, while her father does his best to provide her with the minimal amount of human blood she needs to stay alive.

Bichir’s Mark is a husband and...

Showtime has ordered a pilot inspired by the hit Swedish novel and film “Let the Right One In,” Variety has learned.

Demián Bichir is attached to star in the series, with Andrew Hinderaker onboard as showrunner and executive producer. Seith Mann will also executive produce in addition to directing the pilot.

The series centers on Mark (Bichir), a father and his 12-year-old daughter, Eleanor, whose lives were changed forever 10 years earlier when she was turned into a vampire. Locked in at age 12, perhaps forever, Eleanor lives a closed-in life, able to go out only at night, while her father does his best to provide her with the minimal amount of human blood she needs to stay alive.

“’Let the Right One In’ quickly establishes itself as a thrilling, high-stakes drama that asks the question: How far would you go to save your child from the monsters out there – would you risk becoming a monster yourself?...

If you end up shooting a movie in the wilds of Canada, it’s always good to have a bear whisperer on set. Robin Wright, who stars and makes her feature directorial debut with the intimate drama “Land,” had such an expert on location 24/7. “We had our set bear,” she recalled during a recent Variety Zoom conversation with the publication’s Jenelle Riley and Wright’s co-star Demian Bichir.

“He showed up every day. He got a hamburger on the craft service table and he decided to come back to McDonald’s drive-through every day. When we would wrap, we would go to our trailers and he would come with us. We would barbecue our food and then he was like ‘Hey, when you are all done, give me a call. I’ll come over and I’m going to lock you and producer [Allyn Stewart] into your trailers because...

Demian Bichir co-stars as Miguel in the new film “Land,” acting alongside Robin Wright in her feature directorial debut. His performance won the AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Bichir recently spoke with Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria about how he connected to “Land,” working with Wright and how his career changed after his Oscar nomination 10 years ago for “A Better Life.” Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.

SEE12 best Robin Wright movies ranked

Gold Derby: Demian, this film explores grief and loss in a really compelling and contemplative way. How did that resonate with you when you took on the role and when you were playing Miguel?

Demian Bichir: First of all, great to see you again, my friend, We actors are always looking for this type of chance to explore new, different characters and it’s really fantastic when it’s so relevant,...

Ten years ago, actresses struggled to find substantial leading parts. Today, they’re increasingly creating their own. “Land” doesn’t just give Robin Wright an enormous canvas on which to prove herself behind the camera, it also offers us another chance to admire her work in front of it.

In her feature directorial debut, Wright plays Edee Holzer, a woman clearly shattered from some overwhelmingly enormous tragedy. As the film begins, she is already leaving her former life behind by purchasing an isolated cabin on a Wyoming mountain, tossing her cell phone in the trash and having her truck towed away as soon as she arrives.

These choices are so irrational that one might assume she’s chosen a spot to conclude her pain. But she’s also brought the sorts of books and camping supplies a city dweller might use to try and survive the unknown. The mountain, of course,...

Demián Bichir says he didn’t mince words when he told Robin Wright that he had to play Miguel in her feature film directorial debut “Land.”

“When I read the script, it was so powerful and it talked to me right away. And I felt the need to do it because of the times we live in. Not only us as a society in the United States, but as humans in the planet. [We’re in] the same boat,” Bichir says on Tuesday’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. “I felt that that’s exactly what we’re lacking of — generosity, and empathy, and caring for each other and this is a film about resilience and that’s who we are.

Wright stars as Edee, a woman who moves to a remote cabin after suffering a tragic loss. Miguel is a stranger who befriends Edee and teaches her skills to survive life in the wilderness.

“We put everything we have into it, that’s what we wanted to achieve; to make people feel,” admits Oscar nominee Demian Bichir (“A Better Life”) about his latest role in “Land,” Robin Wright‘s feature directorial debut.

Bichir plays a man who shows kindness and vulnerability, often without uttering a word. “What’s happening when he’s silent?” he asks. “What’s happening when he doesn’t say a word? I love it when that happens to me as an audience, when I watch my favorite actors. It’s when they don’t say anything and the camera just stays there. It’s such a great feeling.” Watch our exclusive video interview with the Oscar-nominated actor above.

See Gallery: 12 Robin Wright movies ranked

In “Land”, Wright stars as Edee Mathis, a woman escaping unimaginable grief and loss by living off the grid in the remote wilderness. Bichir co-stars as Miguel,...

It’s a new year and everyone wants to put the vile cesspool that was 2020 behind them. Thankfully, HBO Max is coming out swinging to make the transition out of the hellyear even easier. HBO Max’s list of new releases for January 2021 is positively packed with notable film releases and even a fun HBO Max Original or two.

For starters, Search Party season 4 will arrive to HBO Max on Jan. 14. This season of the show with a now-surprising lifespan finds Dory Sief in the thrall of a deranged stalker…right after getting off on murder charges. These Brooklynites lead such fascinating lives! The other major original or note is the HBO documentary Tiger, that premieres on Jan. 10 and will delve into the complicated history of golfing legend Tiger Woods.

The real story this month, however, are the movies. Perhaps emboldened by its success with Wonder Woman 1984, HBO Max is...

Another year, and another daunting challenge to keep up with the number of streaming options available from the big online players. And to mark January 1st, there’s some new content to enjoy on the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus and HBO Max, among others, as well as several notable changes in licensing agreements that may affect how you can watch your favorite shows.

On Netflix, the biggest fresh release is the third season of Cobra Kai, which has been a hit for the service since making the move from YouTube. Critics are already dishing out praise for the latest block of episodes of The Karate Kid spinoff, which had its premiere date bumped up by a week. Other highlights, meanwhile, include Netflix documentary The Minimalists: Less Is Now, and a lot of licensed movies ranging from Bonnie and Clyde to Goodfellas.

By comparison, Disney+ have regained their rights to The Wolverine,...

So long, 2020, 2021 is here! Now that we’ve entered the New Year, the various major streaming services are starting January with a bang as they all have hefty hauls arriving this weekend. The first day of the month always sees a load of newly licensed titles go up across the platforms and that’s especially the case in January, as Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Prime Video have tons of great new movies and TV shows debuting this weekend.

For starters, there’s something for all tastes becoming available on Netflix on January 1st. We’ve got Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, animated comedy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, both Sex in the City movies, Superbad, Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon, horror flick Gothika and not one but two films directed by Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas and The Departed, featuring DiCaprio again.

Ring in the new year with a heap of new titles on HBO Max.

While production on “Euphoria” remains halted amid the Covid-19 pandemic, fans who have been clamoring for Season 2 can rest easy with the second of HBO’s two special episodes, the first of which released on Dec. 6. The second, titled “Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob,” will focus on Jules (Hunter Schafer) and premiere Jan. 24.

The fourth season of acclaimed HBO Max original dark comedy “Search Party” will debut Jan. 14. The series follows four self-absorbed post-grads who become entangled in a mystery when a former college acquaintance disappears. Season 4 picks up as Dory (Alia Shawkat) is held prisoner by her stalker Chip (Cole Escola), awaiting her friends Portia (Meredith Hagner), Elliott (John Early) and Drew (John Reynolds) to connect the dots and save her.

And if you’re looking to revisit your childhood, HBO Max...

Actor Demián Bichir has written numerous columns for Deadline on subjects ranging from the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, the cruel forced separation of refugee children by the Trump Administration, the powerful imagery of Roma and the need to protect from Covid those locked up along the border for seeking the American dream. Bichir, who became a top star in Mexico before establishing himself in Hollywood with a milestone performance in A Better Life that led him to become the first Mexican since Anthony Quinn to be Oscar nominated for Best Actor, wanted to open up for the first time on the traumatic death of his wife Stefanie Sherk. The Canadian actress died in April, 2019. The column is written with the stylistic urgency in which it was received, as he continues to process grief of losing someone so dear to him. Bichir currently co-stars in the George Clooney-directed Netflix film The Midnight Sky.