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 Luis Fonsi indie romcom “Say A Little Prayer” has set a distribution deal with AMC Theatres that calls for the movie to be released in 100 theaters in large U.S. markets during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

AMC, the nation’s largest exhibitor, inked the deal directly with “Say A Little Prayer” producer New Cadence Productions. The film marks the movie debut of Fonsi, the Latin music superstar known for his 2017 global smash “Despacito.”

The deal marks another example of exhibitors breaking the mold and cutting distribution deals directly with independent producers. The movie will be promoted through trailers running in theaters with sponsorship support from Spanish-language media firm Sbs Broadcasting.

“Supporting ‘Say A Little Prayer’ was a natural fit for us, as Luis Fonsi’s music is already a staple on our stations,” said Raul Alarcon, CEO of Sbs. Sbs owns top radio stations in Miami, New York, Chicago,...

Amazon MGM Studios’ Gato Grande label will launch a new division focused on producing English language series and films sourced from Latin American intellectual properties. Its first project, “Clipperton,” is based on best-selling Colombian author Laura Restrepo’s novel “The Isle of Passion.”

“Clipperton” follows the true story of a group of Mexican castaways stranded on a remote island who must try to survive while maintaining their relationships.

The new division’s goal is to produce premium, scripted television and features for mainstream U.S. and global audiences. The idea is to create commercial content across all genres that escapes the “commonplace tropes of Latinos generally seen in media,” according to the company’s statement.

The film projects will focus on developing and producing high-concept stories in comedy, drama and sci-fi, with budgets ranging from $5 million to $30 million. In television, Gato Grande plans to develop a wide range of content...

Exclusive: Allied Management Group, which was set up by Wilmer Valderrama and John Pollak, has signed a number of Latino writers to its roster.

The company has signed Luisa Leschin, Raphael Draccon & Carolina Munhóz, The Original Content Society’s Raúl Campos and Felix de Valdivia, and Daniel and Diego Ayala López.

The goal is for Allied to bring these Latino writers to networks, streamers and studios in the U.S English-language market.

Leschin has worked on nearly 500 episodes of television including Netflix’s Gentefied, where she was a co-exec producer on its second season, Max’s Head of the Class, where she was a co-ep and Hulu’s East Los High. She has also worked on series including Everybody Hates Chris and The George Lopez Show.

Draccon and Munhóz are a husband-and-wife writing team who showran The Chosen One and Invisible City for Netflix and have a first-look deal with...

Exclusive: Coming off 5 successful seasons of Mayans M.C., Emmy Award-nominee Jd Pardo has signed a first-look deal with FX Productions to develop new television programming for FX.

Pardo portrayed Ezekiel “Ez” Reyes on the hit Sons of Anarchy spinoff, created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, from 2018 to 2023. On-screen, Pardo’s Ez went from prospect to influential member of the M.C. to leader of it all by series end. Pardo also grew professionally and creatively, he began his journey as the show’s lead actor, later adding producer to his credits to making his directorial debut in the Season 5 episode titled, “I See The Black Light.”

Additionally, Pardo was also recently seen starring in Prime Video’s action-thriller series The Terminal List, alongside Chris Pratt. He will next be in Prime Video’s reimagining of the 1989 MGM film Road House, starring alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. Directed by Doug Liman, the...

Brant Daugherty stars as Mark in Hallmark Channel’s new movie Joyeux Noel and you might be curious to know more about his life, so we’ve got you covered.

The 38-year-old actor has starred in several other Hallmark movies including Timeless Love, A Royal Runaway Romance, Mingle All the Way, and The Baker’s Son.

He’s starred in other TV shows including Pretty Little Liars, Days Of Our Lives, and Army Wives. Brant also played Sawyer the security guard in Fifty Shades Freed.

So, is he single or married?

Keep reading to find out more…

Brant has been married to wife Kim since June 2019. The two first started dating in 2016 after meeting on a dating app. The couple welcomed their first son Wilder in March 2021 and announced in October 2023 that they are expecting another baby boy.

Kim is best known for her roles in shows including Grey’s Anatomy, Bones,...

With music thumping and marchers dancing, the mood was upbeat at the Latine Salon picket staged Wednesday by members of the Writers Guild of America outside NBC Studios in Manhattan. But the collective’s main speaker wanted to be clear on something.

“This is a really, really tough time for all of us,” Kathleen Bedoya, co-creator of the former Hulu series East Los High, told about 60 striking film and television writers and their supporters as they marched at Rockefeller Center in the late morning and afternoon.

Latine Salon Picket Day @ #30Rock Let’s Gooo...

Stars: Josh Lucas, Fernanda Urrejola, Venus Ariel, Carlos Solorzan, Julio Cesar Cedillo, Jorge A. Jimenez | Written by Carlos Cisco, Boise Esquerra | Directed by Adrian Grunberg

After the trainwreck that was Cocaine Shark and with the spectre of Jurassic Shark 3: Seavenge looming over me, The Black Demon, or any other shark film for that matter, may not have been an obvious choice. But this one caught my attention when it was announced and the idea of a finned fear film with enough of a budget to give it some bite was hard to say no to.

Paul Sturges is the safety officer for Nixon Oil, a corporate name that does not exactly inspire confidence. He has been sent to Baja to inspect one of the company’s rigs and has brought his family along. He may have to work but his wife Ines, daughter, Audrey, and son Tommy can have a vacation.

Hollywood actor Danny Trejo has been cast for the role of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in “1521,” an upcoming historical epic that charts the pre-colonial era of the Philippines depicting the Battle of Mactan, Variety has learned.

Produced by Filipino-American filmmaker Francis B. Lara Ho of Inspire Studios, “1521” is a U.S.-Philippines production that follows the journey of Magellan, who led the Spanish expedition and was one of the first Europeans to travel to Asia. He reached the archipelago that is known as Philippines today on March 16, 1521.

The script of “1521” was penned by Mary Krell-Oishi. Principal photography is expected to start this month in Palawan.

Joining Trejo in the cast is Michael Copon. He will play the role of Datu Lapu-lapu, an island ruler and leader of the warriors who fended off Magellan’s attempted colonization of the Philippine archipelago. Magellan’s forces were defeated and the...

Jossara Jinaro, a veteran television actress, filmmaker, producer and SAG activist, died of cancer on April 27, according to a post on her Facebook page by her husband, Matt Bogado.

“With great sorrow, I announce the passing of my wife, Jossara Jinaro on this date, April 27, 2022. Jossara bravely fought cancer and came home to be surrounded by family. Jossara was an amazing wife, mother, artist, and friend. She had the most beautiful, kind soul and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Even in her last moments, she was still fighting. She is now resting in peace and will be remembered forever. Myself, Liam, and Emrys will miss her so deeply, although we know she is in our hearts and guiding us every step of the way.”

Bogado added that a public memorial service will be held in the Bay Area at some point.

Jinaro had a long Hollyood career, appearing in various drama series,...

1986: Bobby was alive and well on Dallas; his death was a dream.

1994: All My Children's Erica visited her mother's grave.

1995: Another World's Grant shot his brother, Ryan, in the back.

1997: Days of our Lives recast the role of Jack...in a shower."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1938: Radio soap opera Houseboat Hannah premiered on the NBC Red Network. Hard working Dan O'Leary, who lost an arm in a factory accident, moved his financially strapped family aboard a house boat in Shanty Fish Row on San Francisco Bay.

Exclusive: Tracy Perez has joined the cast of Starz’ Power Book III: Raising Kanan for Season 2 in a recurring role.

Perez will portray Detective Adina Foyle, Detective Burke’s (Shanley Caswell) ex-girlfriend who is making a comeback as her new girlfriend.

From creator and showrunner Sascha Penn, Power Book III: Raising Kanan takes viewers back to the ’90s and the early years of the now-deceased Kanan Stark, portrayed in Courtney Kemp’s original series by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is executive produced by Kemp through her company End of Episode and Jackson through his G-Unit Film and Television. Penn is the creator/showrunner of Raising Kanan. Also executive producing are Mark Canton through his Atmosphere Entertainment Mm, End of Episode’s Chris Selak and Danielle DeJesus, Shana Stein, Bart Wenrich, and Kevin Fox with Rob Hardy executive producing and directing the premiere episode.

Exclusive: Noemi Gonzalez, Tiana Okoye, Diany Rodriguez, Armando Hernandez, and Carlos Santos have been added to the cast of Lionsgate’s The Valet, the English-language remake of Francis Veber’s French film.

The new additions are joining stars Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving in the film, which is being directed by Richard Wong.

The film, written by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher, follows Olivia (Weaving), a movie star who enlists Antonio (Derbez) – a parking valet – to pose as her lover to cover for a relationship with a married man. As a valet, the hard-working Antonio usually flies under the radar but his ruse with Olivia thrusts him into the spotlight and brings...

Bill Lawrence’s “Head of the Class” reboot has been picked up to series at HBO Max, the streamer announced Wednesday.

The half-hour multi-camera comedy is an adaptation of the ABC comedy that ran for five seasons in the 1980s. It centers on a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a teacher, Alicia Adams (“One Day at a Time” star Isabella Gomez), who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life.

Jorge Diaz, Jolie Hoang Rappaport, Gavin Lewis, Dior Goodjohn, Brandon Severs (“Diary of a Future President”), Adrian Matthew Escalona and Katie Beth Hall also star.

Bill Lawrence is the executive producer on the series alongside writers Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen and Jeff Ingold of Lawrence’s Doozer Productions. Doozer’s Liza Katzer is co-executive producer. Phill Lewis directed the pilot.

The original “Head of the Class” premiered in 1986 and...

Exclusive: Netflix’s multi-camera comedy series from Jack Dolgen, Doug Mand and Kourtney Kang has rounded out its lead cast with the addition of Olivia Macklin, Michael Hsu Rosen and Cinthya Carmona. They will star opposite Emily Osment and Gregg Sulkin in the project, created and written by Dolgen and Mand and directed by Pamela Fryman.

The Untitled Dolgen/Mand/Kang Project centers on a snooty, self-proclaimed intellectual (Osment) forced to move in with her carefree sister and her sister’s lovably eccentric friends, played by Sulkin, Hsu, Rosen and Carmona.

Macklin will play Claire, scatterbrained optimist and the world’s worst waitress (although the customers love her). She lives a carefree life, surrounded by her best friends. Claire is excited at the prospect of finally bonding with her older sister, Chelsea. Like, really really really really excited!

Editor’s Note: A regular on the barrier-breaking Vida over the three-season run of the Starz series, Ser Anzoategui has long identified as non-binary. With the Golden Globes tonight, Anzoategu, whose credits also include East Los High and Better Things, has penned a guest column for Deadline about what they see as a need for a significant shift in the way performers are categorized in awards season.

It’s time for the non-binary award category.

Being eligible for award season has been a highlight of my career. However, when I was respectfully asked which category, I’d prefer to submit myself in for the Golden Globe awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, it became a challenging experience.

Now you might ask what makes submitting for such a prestigious acting award so stressful?

Well, it’s because performance award categories are marked by gender and there is no category that truly reflects my gender.

Six series will play in the festival with 10 titles in the Market.

A new anthology series titled This Is Music from directors including Wim Wenders and David Byrne is one of 10 international projects selected for the Co-Pro Series section of the Berlinale Co-Production Market 2021 (March 2-5).

The Berlinale Series has also selected six series to play in the online festival, which runs from March 1-5.

Scroll down for full list of Co-Pro Series, Berlinale Series and Series Market Selects titles

Produced by Norway’s Oslo Pictures, anthology series This Is Music is created by Bjørn Olaf Johannessen, who wrote Wenders...

This year’s Berlinale Series has announced the section’s lineup of six titles.

The TV arm of the festival, which is being held online this year due to the pandemic, said the shows reflect “unconventional and surprising topics, narratives and visual style [that] comprise a mirror of our time.”

Latin American content is represented for the first time with the Argentinian HBO production “Entre hombres” (Amongst Men) and “Os últimos dias de Gilda” (The Last Days of Gilda) from Brazil. “Philly D.A.,” a U.S. production by Oscar-nominated duo Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, is the first documentary series to be invited into the program.

Separately, the Berlinale Series Market and Conference, the industry platform which is part of the European Film Market, has announced a newly created special label called “Berlinale Series Market Selects” that highlights series with high commercial potential within the “Berlinale Series Market” screenings.

Berlinale...

“After the Reign,” a mockumentary about the rise and fall of a social media persona, has sold North American distribution rights to Gravitas Ventures.

The film, which premiered at the New York Latino Film Festival, will debut on premium video-on-demand on March 2, 2021.

“After the Reign” is a satirical documentary following the newfound viral fame of social media prankster Benito Cruz, who is known to the internet as Lil Tito. When one of his high jinks gets him arrested, his following skyrockets. His notoriety inspires a career pivot into rapping, which ultimately turns sour.

Geo Santini wrote and directed “After the Reign,” which stars Rene Rosado (“The Conners”), Lisa Roumain (“Avatar”), Tiffany Daniels (“Grace and Frankie”), Jessica Meza (“East Los High”) and Scotty Tovar (“Empire”). The film was produced by MPM Productions co-founder Luis C. Arellano and Tracy Keshek.

“I’m a Hip Hop kid,” Santini said. “I grew up in...

NBC has put in development Heirs, a thriller drama from East Los High co-creator Carlos Portugal, Davis Entertainment (The Blacklist) and Universal Television, where Davis Entertainment is under a deal.

Written by Portugal, Heirs is set in Miami Beach’s exclusive Star Island. It revolves around the heirs of a Latin American ex-dictator who face an unexpected dilemma when a young girl is kidnapped from their home on the night of their own daughter’s lavish quinceañera.

Portugal executive produces with Davis Entertainment’s John Davis, Jordan Davis and John Fox. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

Portugal is also developing his original scripted drama Miss-ng at HBO Max with Macro/UCP, as well as a feature film musical entitled El Beso at Netflix with Lucky Chap and Screen Arcade producing. El Beso is based on the romantic Mexican urban legend around Guanajuato, Mexico’s...

NBC is developing the drama series “Heirs” from Carlos Portugal.

The series is set in Miami Beach’s exclusive Star Island. It follows the heirs of a Latin American ex-dictator as they face an unexpected dilemma when a young girl is kidnapped from their home on the night of their own daughter’s lavish quinceañera.

Portugal will write and executive produce the project, with John Davis, Jordan Davis, and John Fox executive producing via Davis Entertainment. Universal Television will serve as the studio. Davis Entertainment is currently under an overall deal at Utv.

Portugal previously co-created the Hulu series “East Los High,” on which he also served as a director and executive producer. The show as one of Hulu’s first original series and ran for four seasons. His other credits include “Meet the Browns,” “House of Payne,” and the 2006 feature film “East Side Story.” He is currently developing the...

The Casagrandes will be back for a third go-round. Ahead of its season 2 debut, Nickelodeon has renewed Emmy-winning kids series The Casagrandes for a third season.

A spinoff of Nickelodeon’s top-rated animated series The Loud House, The Casagrandes has ranked as the number two animated property across television with Kids 2-11 since its October 2019 debut. Season three is currently in production by Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

The Casagrandes tells the story of Ronnie Anne, who moves to the city with her mom and older brother to live with their big, loving family, the Casagrandes. The series showcases the culture, humor, and love that’s part of growing up in a multigenerational Mexican-American family. Season 3 will find Ronnie Anne and her family members on a variety of adventures while exploring different areas of the city.

“Our audience has loved the diverse characters, relatable stories and rich animation found in The Casagrandes...

Carlos Portugal is developing the one-hour mystery drama “Miss Ng” at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively.

The series is set in the small town of Nuevo Guerrero, where nothing is more important than the annual Miss Nuevo Guerrero beauty pageant. But when last year’s winner goes missing, her former best friend, her arch-rival and her half-sister all enter the upcoming pageant. In doing so, they risk going missing themselves and exposing the town’s dark secrets.

Portugal will write and executive produce the potential series. Charles D. King and Marta Fernandez of Macro Television Studios will also executive produce. Ucp and Macro Television Studios will co-produce.

Portugal previously co-created the Hulu series “East Los High,” on which he also served as a director and executive producer. The show as one of Hulu’s first original series and ran for four seasons. His other credits include “Meet the Browns,...

Exclusive: Luisa Leschin, who is currently co-exec producer of Netflix’s Mr. Iglesias, has signed with APA.

Leschin is an industry vet having worked on shows such as as George Lopez, Everybody Hates Chris and East Los High.

She began her career as a ballet dancer then turned to acting, having appeared in many iconic TV series including Beverly Hills 90210, Love Boat, ER, Quincy, Falcon Crest and Hill St. Blues. On the feature side, she has appeared in Saturday Night Fever and True Confessions.

Last year, she was the recipient of Norman Lear Writer’s Award at the 34th Annual Imagen Awards. She also co-founded theater group, Latins Anonymous, to give Latinx more opportunities.

Leschin (left) is the latest writer-producer to ink with APA since the agency signed the WGA’s franchise agreement earlier this year. Other recent signings include Spinning Out showrunner Lara Olsen, American Gods executive producer Anne Kenney,...

Headlined by Tony Todd, writer-director Andy Stapp’s Marfa sees four lifelong friends veer off the road and venture into a small West Texas town known as Marfa.

While on a road trip from a long weekend at the Terlingua cookoff, four lifelong friends decide to veer off road and venture into a small West Texas town known as Marfa. What attracted them to do so? Could it be the strange unexplained ghost lights that Marfa is known for? While on a fuel stop they meet two very strange employees of a secluded gas station. One of them offers them a chance to look into their future by pulling a ticket from his counter top 25 cent token fortune telling machine. What does it say? Can they trust it? When they enter Marfa, Texas they realize almost immediately that something’s off. Why is this town so odd? Why are very peculiar things happening?...

We're back with another edition of Horror Highlights! Today, check out the trailer for Panacea, watch the short film Renovation, check out photos from Marfa and learn more about the online immersive experience Dtla: Son of Sam:

Watch the Trailer for Panacea: "A young woman is held captive in an underground medical facility where selected individuals are perpetually mutilated and then healed using an experimental miracle drug : a panacea."

The film is written and directed by Peter Daskaloff, and stars Louis Mandylor and Ashlynn Yennie, with Augie Duke, Yorgos Karamihos, and Christos Vasilopoulos.

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Watch the Short Film Renovation:

"We are in quarantine.

We are remodelling our condo.

And there’s something happening in the house…"

"Check out a new horror short, Renovation from Tyler Christensen (House of Purgatory) shot on an iPhone while quarantining at home and starring his husband."

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New Photos from Marfa: "The synopsis...

Mitchell Hoog, who will play Zack Morris’ son Mac in Peacock’s Saved by the Bell reboot, will star in After Masks, a 5-part anthology film written and directed by the actors themselves while under the stay at home order. Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager), Stefanie Estes (Amazon’s Tales from the Loop), Frances Lee Mccain (Back to the Future), Michael Welch (Twilight franchise), Lily Keene (HBO’s Deadwood), Krista Allen (Liar Liar), Alexandra Rodriguez (Hulu’s East Los High), Carlena Britch (CBS All Access’ The Twilight Zone), Nicole Thompson, and Debra Wilson (MadTV) will also star. Brian McCulley and John Crockett of Aec Studios producing. The stories will focus on many of the relatable issues we are all dealing with while on quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic such as isolation, uncertainty, fear, substance abuse, and self-discovery. The segments, while standalone, will take place during the same time period,...

Exclusive: We can confirm that former Wme agent Hanley Baxter has joined the UTA talent department in Los Angeles, with most of the clients on his roster joining him including Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning, Thor and Blindspot actress Jaimie Alexander, Billy Magnussen, Daredevil and The Theory of Everything‘s Charlie Cox, and Thomas M. Wright, Jd Pardo, Jamie Blackley and Malachi Kirby with others expected to follow.

Baxter began his career in the William Morris Agency mailroom and went on to join Endeavor in 2003. After the merger of William Morris and Endeavor, Baxter was made an agent in 2009 and named a partner in 2016.

Elle Fanning, in the wake of Disney’s near half-billion global-grossing sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, is attached to star with sister Dakota in The Nightingale, TriStar’s upcoming WWII feature adaptation of the Kristin Hannah novel. She currently is earning high praise on Hulu/Mrc’s...

Exclusive: David Makes Man‘s Ade Chike Torbert is set for a major recurring role in the Starz/Lionsgate Power prequel, Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

Created by Sascha Penn, who also serves as showrunner, Power Book III: Raising Kanan is a prequel that takes viewers back to the ‘90s and the early years of the now-deceased iconic Power character Kanan Stark, portrayed in the Courtney Kemp-created original series by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

Torbert will play the tough and stubborn Scrappy, one of Raq’s most trusted soldiers. With a street savvy as strong as his heart and loyalty to the crew, he reluctantly watches over Kanan and teaches him the inner workings of the family business.

He joins previously cast series regulars Patina Miller, Mekai Curtis, Omar Epps, Hailey Kilgore, Lovie Simone, London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Shanley Caswell, Toby Sandeman and Joey Bada$$, along with Quincy Brown, who recurs.

Wise Entertainment, the production company behind six-time Emmy nominated drama series East Los High, has signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios. Under the pact, Wise will develop develop and produce television series to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Co-founded by producer Mauricio Mota and producer/writer/director Katie Mota, Wise aims to develop, create, and produce content from a rich and diverse cross-section of voices to tell impactful, entertaining stories.

“Wise Entertainment is uniquely skilled at creating compelling entertainment that also tackles topical issues.” said Vernon Sanders, Co-Head of Television, Amazon Studios. “We share a common commitment to creating content for our global audience that tells an inclusive and diverse range of stories. We’re looking forward to seeing the engaging, provocative series that Wise Entertainment develops for our global Prime Video audience.”

Among other projects, Wise produced the six-time Emmy-nominated, groundbreaking drama East Los High.

Wise Entertainment has signed a first-look deal at Amazon.

Wise Entertainment is a production company known for producing five seasons of the Emmy-nominated Hulu drama “East Los High.” The company was founded by producer/writer/director Katie Mota and producer Mauricio Mota.

“We are thrilled to be working with Amazon Studios, and their incredibly innovative team,” Katie and Mauricio said. “In a short period of time, Amazon has become an amazing home for prolific, authentic, entertaining, and impactful TV, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it.”

Under the deal, Wise Entertainment will work with Amazon Studios to develop and produce television series to premiere exclusively on Prime Video.

“Wise Entertainment is uniquely skilled at creating compelling entertainment that also tackles topical issues.” said Vernon Sanders, co-head of television at Amazon Studios. “We share a common commitment to creating content for our global audience that...

Wise Entertainment is on the move.

The company behind Hulu's East Los High has signed a first-look TV deal with Amazon Studios.

Under the pact, Mauricio Mota and Katie Mota's company will create and develop projects for the streamer/retail giant.

“Wise Entertainment is uniquely skilled at creating compelling entertainment that also tackles topical issues,” said Vernon Sanders, co-head of TV at Amazon Studios. “We share a common commitment to creating content for our global audience that tells an inclusive and diverse range of stories. We’re looking forward to seeing the engaging, provocative series that ...

Exclusive: The Tax Collector, the gritty David Ayer-directed drama that stars Shia Labeouf, has found a home. The film has been acquired for U.S. theatrical distribution by the AMC Networks division Rlje Films. The film is expected to be released in August 2020.

Scripted and directed by Ayer, whose work includes Suicide Squad, End of Watch, Training Day and Bright, the film stars Labeouf (Honey Boy & Peanut Butter Falcon), Bobby Soto (Narcos: Mexico), Cinthya Carmona (East Los High), and George Lopez. Pic is a co-production between Cross Creek Pictures and Cedar Park Entertainment.

In the drama, David (Soto) and Creeper (Shia Labeouf), are “tax collectors” for the crime lord Wizard, collecting his cut from the profits of local gangs’ illicit dealings. But when Wizard’s old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico, the business is upended, and David finds himself desperate to protect what matters more to him than anything else: his family.

Most recently set for release on December 30, 2020, we’ve learned tonight that Sony’s Columbia Pictures will now be releasing Adam Robitel‘s Escape Room 2 on January 1, 2021. Escape Room stars Logan Miller and Taylor Russell will be returning for the sequel. Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan), Holland Roden (“Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block”), Indya Moore (“Pose”), Thomas Cocquerel (“The 100”) and Carlito Olivero (“East Los High”) also star. The franchise […]...

Here's the status of TV shows like East Los High, Easy, The Eddy, The Eleventh, Eli Roth's History of Horror, Emily in Paris, The End of the F***ing World, Episodes, Escape at Dannemora, Euphoria, Evel, Everything Sucks!, Everything's Gonna Be Okay, Extinct, The Expanse, F Is For Family, The Fairly Odd Parents, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Falling Water, Family Reunion, Family Time, Famous in Love, Fargo, Fast Layne, Fear the Walking Dead, The Feed, Fertile Crescent, Feud, Fever, Final Space, Firefly Lane, The First, First Ladies, First Wives Club, Five Points, Flack, Flaked, Fleabag, The Flight Attendant, Flipped, For All Mankind, Forever, The Forgotten Army, Fortitude, Fosse/Verdon, The Fosters, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Frankenstein Chronicles, The Frankie Drake Mysteries, Frank of Ireland, Friends from College, The Fugitive, Fuller House, Future Man, Gabby Duran & The Unsittables, Game Shakers, Game of Thrones, Games People Play, Gangs of London,...

Escape Room 2 has locked down a new December release date, ensuring that the horror sequel will arrive in theaters just in time for the new year. Sony was quick to get things moving on a sequel to the breakout 2019 horror hit, with Adam Robitel returning to the director's chair. The studio has done a little bit of shuffling around with its release schedule and decided to shift this one back by several months, but that's probably for the best.

Sony Pictures will now release Escape Room 2 on Wednesday, December 30. That will position it as one of the big releases heading into New Year's weekend. Originally, Sony had it slotted for an April release before bumping it to August 14 of this year. However, it's a crowded summer movie season this year, with James Wan's Malignant and Disney's The One and Only Ivan also set to open on that previous August date.

Exclusive: Casting director Natalie Ballesteros has joined CBS as Director, Talent and Casting. Based in Los Angeles, Ballesteros will work on casting for CBS Entertainment’s primetime and daytime programming, limited series, alternative programs and specials.

Reporting to Claudia Lyon, Evp, Talent and Casting, Ballesteros is Lyon’s second hire since she was named CBS head of casting in July, joining VP Dana Pine. Lyon has been putting her own stamp on the network’s casting department with staffing changes, which included the departure of three longtime executives in October.

“Natalie’s global background gives her a unique and fresh approach to casting for broadcast television,” said Lyon. “Her impressive portfolio of diverse projects gives her a deep knowledge of established and emerging talent. We’re so excited she’s joined our team.”

Ballesteros has cast both domestic and international TV series, as well as feature films during her career.

Three teaser photos have been released for Staci Layne Wilson's The Second Age of Aquarius. Continue reading for news on the cast and crew as well as production details for the film. Also in today's Horror Highlights: a new poster for Marfa (starring Tony Todd) and an excerpt from Camilla Bruce's upcoming novel You Let Me In.

The Second Age of Aquarius Photos and Details: From Staci Layne Wilson - "Just dropping in to let your readers have a first look at my newest film, The Second Age of Aquarius. We did a test shoot for a teaser and the pics are just too much fun to keep to myself.

I co-wrote The Second Age of Aquarius with Darren Gordon Smith of Repo! The Genetic Opera fame and we have John Gulager as our Dp. Richard Trejo (Holidays of Horror) is our sound guy.

Imagine, if you will, Weird Science...

Headlined by Tony Todd, writer-director Andy Stapp’s Marfa sees four lifelong friends veer off the road and venture into a small West Texas town known as Marfa.

While on a road trip from a long weekend at the Terlingua cookoff, four lifelong friends decide to veer off road and venture into a small West Texas town known as Marfa. What attracted them to do so? Could it be the strange unexplained ghost lights that Marfa is known for? While on a fuel stop they meet two very strange employees of a secluded gas station. One of them offers them a chance to look into their future by pulling a ticket from his counter top 25 cent token fortune telling machine. What does it say? Can they trust it? When they enter Marfa, Texas they realize almost immediately that something’s off. Why is this town so odd? Why are very peculiar things happening?...

Ready to get some chills? Great, because Netflix has dropped a first look at “Walking Dead” star Christian Serratos in character as Selena Quintanilla in the streaming service’s upcoming “Selena: The Series.” And the resemblance between the actress and the late singer is uncanny.

“Selena: The Series” is described by Netflix as “a coming of age story following Selena Quintanilla as her dreams come true and all the heart-wrenching and life-changing choices she and her family have to make as they navigate success, family, and music.” Season 1 will include six hour-long episodes.

“Selena is an inspirational figure who’s transcended generations. At Campanario, we’ve always known it was crucial for this series to find actors with the right mix of talent, charisma, and passion to honor Selena’s legacy and the story of her family,” said Jaime Davila, president and co-founder of Campanario Entertainment. “Our casting director Carla Hool...

Escape Room is moving right along at Sony Pictures as the studio has announced the full ensemble cast who will be leading the way in the sequel. The only previously revealed cast member was Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan), who will join several returning cast members who are coming back for another round of horrific shenanigans in the sequel. Now, Sony has settled on an ensemble of young stars who will keep the franchise going.

According to a new report, Holland Roden, Indya Moore, Thomas Cocquerel and Carlito Olivero have all been added to the cast. Details on who they will be playing haven't been revealed at this time. They will join Taylor Russell and Logan Miller, who will be reprising their roles as Zoey and Ben from the prior movie. Plot details for the sequel currently remain under wraps.

Director Adam Robitel is returning to helm the follow-up. The screenplay was penned by Bragi F. Schut,...

It looks like Wattpad is furthering its global reach — and possible domination in the international market for developing foreign-language TV series and film. The latest company to join Wattpad’s list of collaborators is Wise Entertainment, the independent studio behind the Emmy-nominated series East Los High.

With Wise, Wattpad will develop Portuguese-language Wattpad stories as TV series and films for audiences in Brazil. This partnership marks Wattpad’s first major development deal in Latin America.

Wise Entertainment is known for content that tells stories for and by underserved audience. They also run an IP incubator in the country and will work with Wattpad to develop standout teen and Ya projects for Brazilian viewers with local writers and producers. This deal, like other Wattpad international pacts, allows Wise to tap into Wattpad’s mix of creative expertise and Story DNA Machine Learning Technology.

Wattpad has a good track record for adapting hit stories for screen.

Wise Entertainment will draw on talent incubator in Brazil.

In its first major development deal in Latin America, Wattpad, the online portal for user-generated fiction that spawned the international independent hit After, has partnered with Wise Entertainment to develop Portuguese-language Wattpad stories as TV series and films for audiences in Brazil.

Us and Brazil-based Wise Entertainment will draw on its talent incubator in Brazil as it partners on the initiative to find teen and Ya projects for Brazilian viewers with local writers and producers.

Its Hulu series East Los High earned six Emmy nominations and was the first high school...

In today’s film news roundup, “Abominable” gets a Chinese-language version, “The Mandela Effect” gets a home, Buffalo 8 expands its post-production services and “Miracle on Grass” is becoming a movie.

Special Release

Universal Pictures has partnered with audio tech company TheaterEars to offer a Mandarin-language version of “Abominable” for Chinese-speaking moviegoers.

“Abominable,” produced by DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studio, centers on the relationship between a modern Chinese teenager and a Yeti. By using the TheaterEars app, users will be able to listen to a Mandarin audio track at any of the 4,000 U.S. theaters showing the animated adventure.

The partnership marks the first time that a nationally released Hollywood movie has offered a Chinese audio option. Additionally, Universal and TheaterEars will also offer Spanish audio for the film. The film’s U.S. voice cast includes Chloe Bennet, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Albert Tsai, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson, Tsai Chin and Michelle Wong.

Desperate Housewives alum Ricardo Chavira and Gabriel Chavarria (The Purge) are set as leads opposite Christian Serratos in Netflix’s upcoming scripted series about the iconic Mexican-American pop star, sources close to the project tell Deadline.

Announced last December, Selena: The Series is dubbed as “the official story of Tejano music legend, Selena Quintanilla.” It is a coming-of-age story following Selena (Serratos) as her dreams come true and all the heart-wrenching and life-changing choices she and her family have to make as they navigate success, family, and music.

Chavira will play Abraham, Selena’s father, a savvy businessman determined to achieve the American dream. Chavarria will portray A.B. Quintanilla, Selena’s brother aka the mastermind behind the music; playing bass guitar, producing and writing songs for Selena, we hear.

Netflix would not comment on any Selena castings. Deadline had previously reported that The Walking Dead actress Serratos was in talks to play the title role.

The summer movie season is coming to a close and there have been diverse stories sprinkled amongst the films featured in theaters, but one group remains underrepresented: Latinos. In a study from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in partnership with National Association of Latino Independent Producers (Nalip) and Wise Entertainment, Hollywood has failed the Latinx community when it comes to their portrayal in popular movies.

The comprehensive and in-depth study examined the prevalence of Latino characters on-screen across 1,200 top-grossing films from 2007 to 2018. In addition, it shed light on the presence — or lack of — Latinos working as directors, producers, and casting directors. On top of that, a qualitative analysis explored stereotyping of Latino actors and characters across 200 top films from 2017 and 2018.

According to the study, the top films are dragging their feet when it comes to representing Latino characters. Only 4.5% of all 47,268 speaking or named characters...

Mike Gillespie has been staffing up his Brave Artists Management, which he launched in January. Eric Kind, formerly of Kind Management, was brought in as Executive Partner in late April, while Eric Skinner has joined as Partner, reuniting with Gillespie. Additionally, Bam has added managers Tom Bixby, Karli Doumanis and Kimberly Kottwitz.

Kind has 20 years of industry experience and has worked in studio business and legal affairs, casting, agency and management at Lionsgate Television, Sovereign Talent Group, and Casting House La and NY. Most recently, he was the owner/manager of Kind Management.

Kind’s clients include Amanda Clayton Lou Ferrigno Jr., Conor Husting and Shayan Sobhian...

Exclusive: The Nelson Rodrigues Estate, considered the largest and most diverse literary estate in Latin America, is partnering with Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions for both a stage and film/TV adaptation of Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues’ seminal 1960 play The Asphalt Kiss. The project is also being produced in the U.S. by Wise Entertainment, co-founded by Rodrigues’ grandson Mauricio Mota, producers of six-time Emmy-nominated series East Los High and managers of the estate.

Often referred to as the Brazilian Shakespeare, Rodrigues’ writing dealt with controversial subjects such as racism, incest, adultery, and homosexuality, always pushing the boundaries of society. His theater work has been compared to that of Eugene O’Neill, Edward Albee, and Tennessee Williams.

An incendiary work both 60 years ago and today, The Asphalt Kiss is one of Rodrigues’ most celebrated and popular works. It follows Arandir, a young man who comes to the...

Luisa Leschin is this year’s recipient of the Imagen Awards’ annual Norman Lear Writer’s Award.

“Luisa Leschin’s work with her-highly successful play, “Latins Anonymous,” to her success as co-executive producer for beloved shows such as “George Lopez,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “East Los High,” and now “Mr. Iglesias,” serve as examples of her creative talent and leadership,” said Helen Hernandez, president and founder of the Imagen Foundation.

Leschin executive-produced the Netflix original show “Mr. Iglesias” — a multi cam series that follows a public high school teacher who works at his alma mater — and has appeared in a number of film and television shows including “Saturday Night Fever,” “True Confessions,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Love Boat,” “ER,” “Quincy,” “Falcon Crest” and “Hill St. Blues.”

“Norman Lear is a towering legend in the entertainment industry having created some of Hollywood’s most ground-breaking sitcoms,” Leschin said. “He has inspired every writer to...

Headlined by Tony Todd, writer-director Andy Stapp’s Marfa sees four lifelong friends veer off the road and venture into a small West Texas town known as Marfa.

While on a road trip from a long weekend at the Terlingua cookoff, four lifelong friends decide to veer off road and venture into a small West Texas town known as Marfa. What attracted them to do so? Could it be the strange unexplained ghost lights that Marfa is known for? While on a fuel stop they meet two very strange employees of a secluded gas station. One of them offers them a chance to look into their future by pulling a ticket from his counter top 25 cent token fortune telling machine. What does it say? Can they trust it? When they enter Marfa, Texas they realize almost immediately that something’s off. Why is this town so odd? Why are very peculiar things happening?...