Over three seasons and a total of 34 episodes, Ted Lasso brought us moments of comedy mixed with genuine emotion. It was the ultimate feel-good show, filled with well-rounded characters, great dialogue and a story of hope that we could all get behind.
Okay, it may have gotten a little cheesy at times. But it was a show that knew what it was and didn't take itself too seriously. Balancing that with sincerity was one of its strengths and helped the show earn a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
But it ain't coming back.
However, if Ted Lasso was right up your alley, this Apple TV+ series, which has a 93% rating on Rt, is a must-see.
Smart, authentic, and thoroughly bingeable, the show leaves the original movie in its wake
The 2017 film How to Be a Latin Lover is rated just 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, which states that it "raises the question: Is...
Okay, it may have gotten a little cheesy at times. But it was a show that knew what it was and didn't take itself too seriously. Balancing that with sincerity was one of its strengths and helped the show earn a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
But it ain't coming back.
However, if Ted Lasso was right up your alley, this Apple TV+ series, which has a 93% rating on Rt, is a must-see.
Smart, authentic, and thoroughly bingeable, the show leaves the original movie in its wake
The 2017 film How to Be a Latin Lover is rated just 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, which states that it "raises the question: Is...
- 5/8/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Lee Jevon)
- STartefacts.com
Apple TV+ has announced its programming for the month of May, which includes the return of two comedies, the premieres of a drama and a sci-fi series, and a documentary. The service also offers feature films, as well as kids and family entertainment.
The Apple TV Plus May 2024 lineup includes Acapulco Season 3, The Big Cigar, Dark Matter, Hollywood Con Queen, and Trying Season 4.
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Tcl, and others, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at the Apple site.
For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
Apple TV Plus May 2024 Highlights
Available May 1
Acapulco...
The Apple TV Plus May 2024 lineup includes Acapulco Season 3, The Big Cigar, Dark Matter, Hollywood Con Queen, and Trying Season 4.
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Tcl, and others, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at the Apple site.
For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
Apple TV Plus May 2024 Highlights
Available May 1
Acapulco...
- 4/25/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Today, Apple TV+ unveiled the trailer for the third season of Acapulco, the global hit bilingual comedy series starring and executive produced by Emmy and SAG Award winner Eugenio Derbez.
The first two episodes of Acapulco Season 3 will debut globally on Wednesday, May 1, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through June 26.
In season three of Acapulco, it’s time to reconcile past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Máximo (Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes.
In 1985, younger Máximo (Enrique Arrizon) continued his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’d worked so hard to build.
In addition to Derbez and Arrizon, the returning Acapulco ensemble cast includes Fernando Carsa, Damián Alcázar, Camila Perez, Vanessa Bauche, Regina Reynoso, Raphael Alejandro, Jessica Collins, Rafael Cebrián, Regina Orozco and Carlos Corona.
Jaime Camil (Schmigadoon) and Cristo Fernández...
The first two episodes of Acapulco Season 3 will debut globally on Wednesday, May 1, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through June 26.
In season three of Acapulco, it’s time to reconcile past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Máximo (Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes.
In 1985, younger Máximo (Enrique Arrizon) continued his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’d worked so hard to build.
In addition to Derbez and Arrizon, the returning Acapulco ensemble cast includes Fernando Carsa, Damián Alcázar, Camila Perez, Vanessa Bauche, Regina Reynoso, Raphael Alejandro, Jessica Collins, Rafael Cebrián, Regina Orozco and Carlos Corona.
Jaime Camil (Schmigadoon) and Cristo Fernández...
- 4/17/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Acapulco dropped its official trailer for Season 3 (above) which reveals younger Máximo (Enrique Arrizon), who in 1985 is working hard to continue his climb up the ladder of success. While in the present day, older Máximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes.
Season 3 of the Apple TV+ series premieres with the first two episodes on Wednesday, May 1, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through June 26.
In addition to Derbez and Arrizon, the cast also includes Fernando Carsa, Damián Alcázar, Camila Perez, Vanessa Bauche, Regina Reynoso, Raphael Alejandro, Jessica Collins, Rafael Cebrián, Regina Orozco, Carlos Corona and Karen Rodriguez. As Deadline exclusively announced, Jaime Camil (Schmigadoon) and Cristo Fernandez (Ted Lasso) will appear as recurring guest stars this season.
Damián Alcázar and Enrique Arrizon
The Lionsgate Television series is inspired by 3Pas Studios and Pantelion Films’ hit How to Be A Latin Lover, and is...
Season 3 of the Apple TV+ series premieres with the first two episodes on Wednesday, May 1, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through June 26.
In addition to Derbez and Arrizon, the cast also includes Fernando Carsa, Damián Alcázar, Camila Perez, Vanessa Bauche, Regina Reynoso, Raphael Alejandro, Jessica Collins, Rafael Cebrián, Regina Orozco, Carlos Corona and Karen Rodriguez. As Deadline exclusively announced, Jaime Camil (Schmigadoon) and Cristo Fernandez (Ted Lasso) will appear as recurring guest stars this season.
Damián Alcázar and Enrique Arrizon
The Lionsgate Television series is inspired by 3Pas Studios and Pantelion Films’ hit How to Be A Latin Lover, and is...
- 4/17/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s been a minute since we checked in on Máximo, old and young, and Las Colinas. Actually, it’s been like 16 months in the real world, which is why it was a wise choice for the “Acapulco” Season 3 trailer to open with the exposition it did.
Máximo (Eugenio Derbez): “Hugo, do you remember where my rags-to-riches life story left off? It all started with a job as Las Colinas. I told you about my big promotion and Julia and I getting together — but there’s still so much more I haven’t told you.”
Smash Cut To: Season 2’s big cliffhanger moment. Oh that’s right, (old) Máximo has a grownup daughter we didn’t even know about. The trailer doesn’t really get into that storyline, but certainly the season will.
The third season of “Acapulco” premieres its first two episodes on Wednesday, May 1, 2024; new episodes will...
Máximo (Eugenio Derbez): “Hugo, do you remember where my rags-to-riches life story left off? It all started with a job as Las Colinas. I told you about my big promotion and Julia and I getting together — but there’s still so much more I haven’t told you.”
Smash Cut To: Season 2’s big cliffhanger moment. Oh that’s right, (old) Máximo has a grownup daughter we didn’t even know about. The trailer doesn’t really get into that storyline, but certainly the season will.
The third season of “Acapulco” premieres its first two episodes on Wednesday, May 1, 2024; new episodes will...
- 4/17/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
If the atmosphere seems spiced with something other than pumpkin extract this month, don’t worry. That’s just the creamy mouth-feel (sorry!) of awards season, which is once again upon us in full-force. Look no further than this month’s Don’t-Miss Indies, full of auteur-driven storytelling from tip to tail, including plenty of Film Independent Spirit Award alumni. Want to receive screeners and vote for this season’s Spirit Award winners? Go ahead!
Fingernails
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (limited), Apple TV+
Director: Christos Nikou
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White
Why We’re Excited: Film Independent Spirit Award winners Buckley (Robert Altman Award co-recipient for last year’s Women Talking) and Ahmed (Best Male Lead for 2020’s Sound of Metal) stars as Anna and Amir—two colleagues who work at the “Love Institute”, which has supposedly developed a test to...
Fingernails
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (limited), Apple TV+
Director: Christos Nikou
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White
Why We’re Excited: Film Independent Spirit Award winners Buckley (Robert Altman Award co-recipient for last year’s Women Talking) and Ahmed (Best Male Lead for 2020’s Sound of Metal) stars as Anna and Amir—two colleagues who work at the “Love Institute”, which has supposedly developed a test to...
- 11/6/2023
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: Ahead of its U.S. release on November 3, Eugenio Derbez-starrer Radical is off to a great start in Mexico. The film, which won the Festival Favorite Award when it premiered at Sundance in January, opened last weekend in Mexico, selling 631.7K tickets, outdoing the sophomore frame of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, as well as that film’s debut the previous session; both in terms of admissions.
Released by Videocine, this was the biggest local-language opening in Mexico since the Covid era began in both grosses and ticket sales. Radical grossed Mxn 43,339,719 ($2.36M) across the October 20-22 frame, which is just slightly under what The Eras Tour brought in across its second weekend. That’s because the Taylor Swift movie is being sold at event pricing with tickets going for Mxn 215 a pop versus Mxn 69 for Radical. The latter also had the highest per-screen average of the October 20-22 session.
Released by Videocine, this was the biggest local-language opening in Mexico since the Covid era began in both grosses and ticket sales. Radical grossed Mxn 43,339,719 ($2.36M) across the October 20-22 frame, which is just slightly under what The Eras Tour brought in across its second weekend. That’s because the Taylor Swift movie is being sold at event pricing with tickets going for Mxn 215 a pop versus Mxn 69 for Radical. The latter also had the highest per-screen average of the October 20-22 session.
- 10/27/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Amazon executive Leo Zimbrón has been appointed senior vice president of Spanish-language features and international co-productions at Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell’s 3Pas Studios.
“There are few executives with the levels of experience and success that Leo has garnered over the years. Eugenio and I have both worked with him previously and love what he will bring to 3pas as we continue to build and scale our business,” Odell said. “He has great creative instincts combined with a sharp business mind. I don’t want to call him a unicorn for Spanish-language content – but oops, I just did.”
Previously, Zimbrón served as head of local original movies for Latin America at Amazon Studios; he has worked on 40 projects for the company. In 2018, he held the position of director of fiction programming at EndemolShine Boomdog. Zimbrón also served as director of local production for Warner Bros. Pictures in Mexico from 2004 through 2010. Additionally,...
“There are few executives with the levels of experience and success that Leo has garnered over the years. Eugenio and I have both worked with him previously and love what he will bring to 3pas as we continue to build and scale our business,” Odell said. “He has great creative instincts combined with a sharp business mind. I don’t want to call him a unicorn for Spanish-language content – but oops, I just did.”
Previously, Zimbrón served as head of local original movies for Latin America at Amazon Studios; he has worked on 40 projects for the company. In 2018, he held the position of director of fiction programming at EndemolShine Boomdog. Zimbrón also served as director of local production for Warner Bros. Pictures in Mexico from 2004 through 2010. Additionally,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Kate del Castillo is set to lead the ViX comedy feature Es Por Tu Bien which just kicked off production in Mexico. The project is produced by 3Pas Studios.
The film’s logline reads as follows, “Horrified by the new girlfriends of their respective sons, three sisters-in-law – Clara (Consuelo Duval), a socialite, Matis (Mónica Huarte), a widowed professional, and Nena (del Castillo), a naive housewife – make an alliance to get rid of their undesirable daughters-in-law. It’s for their own good.”
Es Por Tu Bien also stars José Eduardo Derbez, Ana Sofía Gatica, Ana González Bello, Fernando Memije, Michael Ronda, Victor Huggo Martin.
“We’re very excited to have some of the biggest names in Mexican comedy, Consuelo, Monica, Jose Eduardo, to make this wonderful film with 3pas’ signature humor and heart. And audiences are going to be very surprised by iconic Kate del Castillo doing comedy,...
The film’s logline reads as follows, “Horrified by the new girlfriends of their respective sons, three sisters-in-law – Clara (Consuelo Duval), a socialite, Matis (Mónica Huarte), a widowed professional, and Nena (del Castillo), a naive housewife – make an alliance to get rid of their undesirable daughters-in-law. It’s for their own good.”
Es Por Tu Bien also stars José Eduardo Derbez, Ana Sofía Gatica, Ana González Bello, Fernando Memije, Michael Ronda, Victor Huggo Martin.
“We’re very excited to have some of the biggest names in Mexican comedy, Consuelo, Monica, Jose Eduardo, to make this wonderful film with 3pas’ signature humor and heart. And audiences are going to be very surprised by iconic Kate del Castillo doing comedy,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Mexican actor/director/writer/ producer Eugenio Derbez “can do anything.”
That’s what Ben Odell, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Derbez’s production company, 3Pas, believes.
“The roles he’s been offered to date are the comedy relief guy,” Odell tells Variety. “The best of Hollywood is the big spectacle movies. Anyone who comes here wants to play in that big sandbox. Let’s see [Derbez] as the ‘bad guy’ in a Marvel movie. It’ll be fun, but he’ll bring that humanity and be scary as shit.”
First, audiences will get to see Derbez — who celebrates the 10th anniversary of groundbreaking comedy “Instructions Not Included” this year — tackle drama in “Radical,” which debuted at Sundance and won the Audience Award. “Radical” follows the true story of Mexican schoolteacher Sergio Juárez Correa, who uses immersive teaching techniques in a border town with failing test scores to inspire his students.
That’s what Ben Odell, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Derbez’s production company, 3Pas, believes.
“The roles he’s been offered to date are the comedy relief guy,” Odell tells Variety. “The best of Hollywood is the big spectacle movies. Anyone who comes here wants to play in that big sandbox. Let’s see [Derbez] as the ‘bad guy’ in a Marvel movie. It’ll be fun, but he’ll bring that humanity and be scary as shit.”
First, audiences will get to see Derbez — who celebrates the 10th anniversary of groundbreaking comedy “Instructions Not Included” this year — tackle drama in “Radical,” which debuted at Sundance and won the Audience Award. “Radical” follows the true story of Mexican schoolteacher Sergio Juárez Correa, who uses immersive teaching techniques in a border town with failing test scores to inspire his students.
- 10/13/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Film Independent has set seven filmmakers for the 2023 edition of its Producing Lab, an intensive program designed to help creative, independent producers develop their skills and further their careers. The list includes Camila Grimaldi & Farah Jabir (AmeriGirl), Rob Cristiano (Gone by Morning), Daniel Tantalean (In the Summers), Valeria Contreras (Not My Name), Annalisa Shoemaker (Obsolete), and Fiona Hardingham (Smoke Country).
Film Independent looks to bolster its Fellows by introducing them to film professionals who can advise them on both the craft and business of independent producing. Each is paired with a Creative Advisor, with whom they’ll look to develop a project over the course of the program. Rebecca Green will serve as lead creative advisor for this year’s program, which will also feature an expansive roster of guest speakers: Jason Michael Berman, Apoorva Charan, Marissa Frobes, Nate Kamiya, Kristen Konvitz, Stephen Lee, Alex Lo, Lauren Mann, Jack Pearkes,...
Film Independent looks to bolster its Fellows by introducing them to film professionals who can advise them on both the craft and business of independent producing. Each is paired with a Creative Advisor, with whom they’ll look to develop a project over the course of the program. Rebecca Green will serve as lead creative advisor for this year’s program, which will also feature an expansive roster of guest speakers: Jason Michael Berman, Apoorva Charan, Marissa Frobes, Nate Kamiya, Kristen Konvitz, Stephen Lee, Alex Lo, Lauren Mann, Jack Pearkes,...
- 10/11/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Radical, the Mexican true-life drama starring Coda‘s Eugenio Derbez that broke out of Sundance as the 2023 Festival Favorite, has secured a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement that will permit publicity efforts ahead of its October 20 nationwide release, Deadline has learned.
Agreements of the sort do not guarantee actor participation in PR campaigns, only opening up the possibility for it amidst the SAG-AFTRA strike. But Radical is precisely the kind of film that would most benefit from it, as a small, star-driven awards prospect looking to perform at the box office. And it is expected that Derbez now will be out promoting the movie, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Related: SAG-AFTRA Tells Members It’s Ok To Promote Their Movies With Interim Agreements At Film Festivals
Among other major titles to have secured publicity-focused agreements from the actors guild recently are Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and Michael Mann’s Ferrari,...
Agreements of the sort do not guarantee actor participation in PR campaigns, only opening up the possibility for it amidst the SAG-AFTRA strike. But Radical is precisely the kind of film that would most benefit from it, as a small, star-driven awards prospect looking to perform at the box office. And it is expected that Derbez now will be out promoting the movie, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Related: SAG-AFTRA Tells Members It’s Ok To Promote Their Movies With Interim Agreements At Film Festivals
Among other major titles to have secured publicity-focused agreements from the actors guild recently are Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and Michael Mann’s Ferrari,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Participant has partnered with TelevisaUnivision’s Pantelion Films and 3Pas Studios on Radical, the Eugenio Derbez-led film written and directed by Chris Zalla. Radical will be released in U.S. and Mexico theaters on October 20. Additionally, international sales have been made in several territories including the UK, Germany and Australia.
Radical will be distributed in the U.S. by Paul Presburger and Edward Allen’s Miercoles Entertainment on behalf of Pantelion Films. The announcement arrives following the film’s successful turn at the Sundance Film Festival where it earned the “Festival Favorite Award” from a field of 111 films.
“We are so excited to bring Radical to as wide an audience as possible, giving us the opportunity to share this powerful story with both Eugenio’s massive core audience as well as the specialty market. To reach these very different markets and audiences, we could not be more thrilled...
Radical will be distributed in the U.S. by Paul Presburger and Edward Allen’s Miercoles Entertainment on behalf of Pantelion Films. The announcement arrives following the film’s successful turn at the Sundance Film Festival where it earned the “Festival Favorite Award” from a field of 111 films.
“We are so excited to bring Radical to as wide an audience as possible, giving us the opportunity to share this powerful story with both Eugenio’s massive core audience as well as the specialty market. To reach these very different markets and audiences, we could not be more thrilled...
- 7/11/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Outfest has lined up its opening and closing night films.
The Los Angeles LGBTQ film festival — scheduled for July 13-23 and presented by Warner Bros. Discovery and Genesis Motor America — will open with Aitch Alberto’s Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe at the Orpheum Theatre and close with Sav Rodgers’ Chasing Chasing Amy at the Montalbán Theatre.
The selections mark the first time in the fest’s history that both the opening and closing night films come from trans filmmakers. Furthermore, both Alberto and Rodgers hail from Outfest’s artist development programs. Alberto participated in the Outfest screenwriting lab in 2007 and has since served as a mentor to young filmmakers in Outfest programs, while Rodgers participated in Outfest’s OutSet filmmaking lab and mentorship program as well as the screenwriting lab in 2021.
Based on Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s young adult novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the...
The Los Angeles LGBTQ film festival — scheduled for July 13-23 and presented by Warner Bros. Discovery and Genesis Motor America — will open with Aitch Alberto’s Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe at the Orpheum Theatre and close with Sav Rodgers’ Chasing Chasing Amy at the Montalbán Theatre.
The selections mark the first time in the fest’s history that both the opening and closing night films come from trans filmmakers. Furthermore, both Alberto and Rodgers hail from Outfest’s artist development programs. Alberto participated in the Outfest screenwriting lab in 2007 and has since served as a mentor to young filmmakers in Outfest programs, while Rodgers participated in Outfest’s OutSet filmmaking lab and mentorship program as well as the screenwriting lab in 2021.
Based on Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s young adult novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the...
- 6/6/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Today, Outfest announced the Opening and Closing Night gala film selections for the 41st edition of the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival, taking place from July 13 – 23 in Los Angeles, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery and Genesis Motor America. The festival will open with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, directed by Aitch Alberto, and the 11-day event will close with Chasing Chasing Amy, directed by Sav Rodgers. The Opening Night Gala will screen at the Orpheum Theatre, with the Closing Night Gala screening at The Montalbán Theatre.
This marks the first time in Outfest’s history that both Opening and Closing night will feature films made by trans artists, underlining the deep roster of trans, non-binary, and intersex talent working in the entertainment industry as well as the diversity of trans storytelling at this moment in history. These events also represent a homecoming for both Alberto and Rodgers,...
This marks the first time in Outfest’s history that both Opening and Closing night will feature films made by trans artists, underlining the deep roster of trans, non-binary, and intersex talent working in the entertainment industry as well as the diversity of trans storytelling at this moment in history. These events also represent a homecoming for both Alberto and Rodgers,...
- 6/6/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
LA Screenings Independents hosted a panel of leading U.S.-based Latino producers who held forth on the challenges of creating Latino projects from the heart of Hollywood.
Organized by C21 Media, the panel kicked off with Axel Kuschevatzky, director-owner of Infinity Hill, a producer of the Oscar-shortlisted “Argentina 1985,” who pointed out the asymmetry of the Latino experience in the U.S. entertainment biz, a persistent conundrum where 19% of the U.S. population is Latino, contributing an estimated $3.2 trillion to the economy, but where its representation on TV, streaming and theatrical hovers between 3%.and 5%.
“We’re earning a lot of money for a lot of people but we’re not reclaiming the business that comes along with it,” Kuschevatzky asserted.
They all acknowledged that Hollywood was undergoing a significant transition, given the writers’ strike and the reset among the streaming services, among other factors.
“The business is undergoing a kind of existential crisis,...
Organized by C21 Media, the panel kicked off with Axel Kuschevatzky, director-owner of Infinity Hill, a producer of the Oscar-shortlisted “Argentina 1985,” who pointed out the asymmetry of the Latino experience in the U.S. entertainment biz, a persistent conundrum where 19% of the U.S. population is Latino, contributing an estimated $3.2 trillion to the economy, but where its representation on TV, streaming and theatrical hovers between 3%.and 5%.
“We’re earning a lot of money for a lot of people but we’re not reclaiming the business that comes along with it,” Kuschevatzky asserted.
They all acknowledged that Hollywood was undergoing a significant transition, given the writers’ strike and the reset among the streaming services, among other factors.
“The business is undergoing a kind of existential crisis,...
- 5/22/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
A new adult animated series starring Mexican actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez is in the works at Spanish-language streamer ViX.
The Book of Life and The Secret Life of Pets voice star will lead Circo Gómez, an irreverent comedy that follows a dysfunctional family running a shoddy traveling circus. The series is produced by Derbez’s 3Pas Studios, which he co-founded with Ben Odell, and is currently in development as part of a first-look deal between the studio and TelevisaUnivision.
Arturo Navarro and Teco Lebrija’s F3 Media will serve as the series’ animation studio, with Navarro and Lebrija also writing on the series. After launching their animation studio, the duo created the Familia del Barrio YouTube channel, which led to a 94-episode series produced for MTV and Comedy Central.
“I love exploring family dynamics, whether it’s Familia P. Luche or De Viaje con los Derbez because all families...
The Book of Life and The Secret Life of Pets voice star will lead Circo Gómez, an irreverent comedy that follows a dysfunctional family running a shoddy traveling circus. The series is produced by Derbez’s 3Pas Studios, which he co-founded with Ben Odell, and is currently in development as part of a first-look deal between the studio and TelevisaUnivision.
Arturo Navarro and Teco Lebrija’s F3 Media will serve as the series’ animation studio, with Navarro and Lebrija also writing on the series. After launching their animation studio, the duo created the Familia del Barrio YouTube channel, which led to a 94-episode series produced for MTV and Comedy Central.
“I love exploring family dynamics, whether it’s Familia P. Luche or De Viaje con los Derbez because all families...
- 5/16/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Details on US roll-out to follow.
Andrew Herwitz’s New York-based The Film Sales Company is launching talks with buyers on the Croisette this week on international rights excluding Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Brazil to Sundance Festival Favorite Award winner Radical.
Eugenio Derbez from Oscar winner Coda and Instructions Not Included stars as an inspirational teacher who tries to unlock the potential of his under-performing students at a school in one of the most crime-ridden parts of Mexico.
Christopher Zalla directed and Ben Odell, Joshua Davis and Derbez served as producers. Radical screens in the market on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Andrew Herwitz’s New York-based The Film Sales Company is launching talks with buyers on the Croisette this week on international rights excluding Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Brazil to Sundance Festival Favorite Award winner Radical.
Eugenio Derbez from Oscar winner Coda and Instructions Not Included stars as an inspirational teacher who tries to unlock the potential of his under-performing students at a school in one of the most crime-ridden parts of Mexico.
Christopher Zalla directed and Ben Odell, Joshua Davis and Derbez served as producers. Radical screens in the market on Tuesday and Wednesday.
- 5/16/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso) has joined the cast of the Apple TV+ series Acapulco for Season 3 and the Disney+ film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day reimagination.
In Acapulco, Fernández will portray an artist and community organizer. Deadline exclusively announced the addition of Jaime Camil in the role of Alejandro for Season 3. Production on the 10-episode new season is currently underway.
When Acapulco returns with new episodes, it’s time to reconcile past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo (Enrique Arrizon) continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build.
The cast also includes Fernando Carsa (as Memo), Damián Alcázar (Don Pablo), Camila Perez (Julia), Chord Overstreet (Chad), Vanessa Bauche (Nora...
In Acapulco, Fernández will portray an artist and community organizer. Deadline exclusively announced the addition of Jaime Camil in the role of Alejandro for Season 3. Production on the 10-episode new season is currently underway.
When Acapulco returns with new episodes, it’s time to reconcile past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo (Enrique Arrizon) continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build.
The cast also includes Fernando Carsa (as Memo), Damián Alcázar (Don Pablo), Camila Perez (Julia), Chord Overstreet (Chad), Vanessa Bauche (Nora...
- 4/25/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired North American rights to “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” a queer coming-of-age story about two teens who form a special bond after a chance meeting one summer. The sale comes a few months after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Blue Fox is planning a wide theatrical release of the film this summer, though the exact date has yet to be determined. Blue Fox’s international division is handling the international sales.
“It’s rare when a best-selling book, talented crew, amazing director and cast all come together to create a ‘must see’ film, and we are very proud to bring ‘Aristotle and Dante’ to audiences across the U.S.,” said Blue Fox executive James Huntsman.
Filmmaker Aitch Alberto wrote and directed “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” marking her directorial debut. It’s based on...
Blue Fox is planning a wide theatrical release of the film this summer, though the exact date has yet to be determined. Blue Fox’s international division is handling the international sales.
“It’s rare when a best-selling book, talented crew, amazing director and cast all come together to create a ‘must see’ film, and we are very proud to bring ‘Aristotle and Dante’ to audiences across the U.S.,” said Blue Fox executive James Huntsman.
Filmmaker Aitch Alberto wrote and directed “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” marking her directorial debut. It’s based on...
- 4/18/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Jaime Camil (Schmigadoon!) has joined the cast of Apple’s Acapulco for Season 3. Production on the 10-episode new season is currently underway.
Camil will guest star as Alejandro, the brother of one of the wealthiest men in Mexico and a new co-owner of Las Colinas who makes his co-owner Diane Davies’ (Jessica Collins) life miserable at the hotel.
From Lionsgate TV, 3Pas Studios, Zihuatanejo Productions and The Tannenbaum Company, in Season 3 of Acapulco, it’s time to reconcile past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo (Enrique Arrizon) continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build.
The cast also includes Fernando Carsa (as Memo), Damián Alcázar (Don Pablo), Camila Perez (Julia), Chord Overstreet (Chad), Vanessa Bauche...
Camil will guest star as Alejandro, the brother of one of the wealthiest men in Mexico and a new co-owner of Las Colinas who makes his co-owner Diane Davies’ (Jessica Collins) life miserable at the hotel.
From Lionsgate TV, 3Pas Studios, Zihuatanejo Productions and The Tannenbaum Company, in Season 3 of Acapulco, it’s time to reconcile past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo (Enrique Arrizon) continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build.
The cast also includes Fernando Carsa (as Memo), Damián Alcázar (Don Pablo), Camila Perez (Julia), Chord Overstreet (Chad), Vanessa Bauche...
- 4/11/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: 3Pas Studios, the entertainment company co-founded by Eugenio Derbez and his business partner, Ben Odell, signed a multi-year production deal with Audible. Through their overall exclusive audio deal, 3Pas Studios will produce scripted and unscripted audio content for Audible in both English and Spanish.
“The partnering of Audible’s powerful medium with 3Pas’ culturally authentic stories is an exciting combination. We will be developing fiction and non-fiction stories in both English and Spanish in order to reach audiences with our storytelling pillars of the 3 H’s: Humor, Heart, and Humanity,” said Ben Odell, CEO and co-founder of 3Pas Studios.
Cristy Marrero
To lead these efforts, 3Pas has hired Cristy Marrero as Head of Podcast Content Development; Marrero will oversee all creative and physical production of 3Pas podcast content.
An award-winning bilingual journalist and media executive with over two decades of experience in the U.S. Latino and Latin American markets,...
“The partnering of Audible’s powerful medium with 3Pas’ culturally authentic stories is an exciting combination. We will be developing fiction and non-fiction stories in both English and Spanish in order to reach audiences with our storytelling pillars of the 3 H’s: Humor, Heart, and Humanity,” said Ben Odell, CEO and co-founder of 3Pas Studios.
Cristy Marrero
To lead these efforts, 3Pas has hired Cristy Marrero as Head of Podcast Content Development; Marrero will oversee all creative and physical production of 3Pas podcast content.
An award-winning bilingual journalist and media executive with over two decades of experience in the U.S. Latino and Latin American markets,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance 2023: ‘Radical’ directed by Christopher ZallaChristopher Zalla returns to Sundance (‘Padre Nuestro’, U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize 2007) thanks to one of Hollywood’s most innovative producers, Ben Odell and Eugenio Derbez, the top star of Mexico. Their company 3Pas has consistenly created entertainment for the Latinx community in new ways and now this powerfully inspiring story about a teacher deserves to be put to the test to see how it stands with a public along side with education classics as ‘Blackboard Jungle’, ‘Goodbye Mr. Chipps’, ‘Dead Poets’ Society’ and ‘To Sir With Love’. And yes, ‘Stand and Deliver’ as well, Edward James Olmos’ breakthrough and best film.
Director Christopher Zalla. Courtesy of Sundance Institute, photo by Erynne Dowe
With Mr. Zalla in Sundance is Mexican Superstar Eugenio Derbez, who appeared at Sundance in 2021 as Bernardo in Sian Heder’s Coda, top prize winner at Sundance and winner of three Oscars including Best Picture. InCoda he played an inspirational high school music teacher, and in Radical he is again such a teacher.
Every student in K -12 should be given the opportunity to see this film on the educational non-theatrical circuit as well as theatrical and streaming platforms. This is the film that will inspire children to become teachers like Sergio Juarez as played with all his heart by Eugenio Derbez, Mexico’s top comedian and movie star. The discovery of the joy of learning for the children on Matamorros, Mexico, a place where kids live in a world where they can’t be kids, was based upon a true story.
Eugenio Derbez — Co-Founder, 3Pas Studio — Lead Actor & Producer, Radical speaking at Illuminative’s Indigenous House, courtesy of the social justice organization IllumiNative, a Native woman-led racial and social justice organization dedicated to challenging the narrative about Native peoples:
“I started as a comedian in television. When I made the transition to cinema, I always tried to bring joy into each of my movies. Even though it’s drama, it’s part of our brand. I have a production company called Tripas Studios. Tripas means guts, so when you do everything with your guts, you can make all the decisions with your guts. When we are looking for a project, we always look for the three H’s: Humanity, Humor, and Heart. We need at least two of these elements to be in the movie. But I always need to put in some humor. Even though ‘Radical’ is a drama and a really sad and true story, you’re going to laugh a couple of times because humor makes everything easy. When you show me drama and a true story, I put in a little bit of joy, so you can digest the information much better.”
Eugenio Derbez at the Illuinative panel. Photo Credit: INDÍGENA for IllumiNative
[When asked what he wanted viewers to take away from Radical] “I want to celebrate education. I think education is the base for future generations. I feel that right now education, not just in my country, but worldwide, has been the same for the last 200 years. The same kind of structure, it’s twisted, we’re teaching kids to obey, sit down, shut up, do this, do that, memorize this. We’re teaching them to obey, we’re teaching them to memorize and we need to teach them how to learn.”
Radical shines a light on the incredible potential children can manifest when an innovative teacher empowers them to think for themselves. The Wired article by Joshua Davis (also a producer here) explains it is based on the life of teacher Sergio Juárez Correa, who with his students was the subject of a 2013 Wired magazine cover story titled A Radical Way of Unleashing a Generation of Geniuses. The article details Juárez’ rather incredible story as an unorthodox teacher in a poor Mexican border town called Matamoros. It is a forgotten poor city with little hope for its kids, particularly in the elementary school, where he uses a teaching method he stumbled upon seeing a Ted Talks video in which the students lead the curriculum in learning what they want to learn, not what officials dictate through testing and other methods.
Eugenio Derbez conducting a class on the solar system. Courtesy o Sundance Institut
After establishing the To Sir, with Love nature of this school and who the kids in the sixth-grade class are, we meet Sergio. He has turned over all the desks in his classroom and tries to convince the incredulous students to come aboard these “lifeboats” in the make-believe ocean for the kind of off-the-wall lesson they have never encountered before.
As we learn to know the students: Paloma (the nascent shining star Jennifer Trejo), who aspires to be a rocket scientist (That is true and her story is more incredible), Nico, Lupe and others surrounded by cartel culture and bullies, their fates take shape.
Derbez never has been better than in this film, one that’s for sale and, if there is any justice, will be picked up immediately by a distributor looking for a feel-good true story with real potential to make a difference. It co-stars Daniel Haddad, Jennifer Trejo, Mia Fernanda Solis and Danilo Guardiola.
Radical was produced by 3Pas Studios (Derbez’s label run by Benjamin Odell), in association with Epic Magazine and The Lift, and financed by TelevisaUnivision/ViX.
The film is seeking worldwide distribution in all territories, save Mexico. Andrew Herwitz of The Film Sales Company is representing the film.
Eugenio Derbez. Courtesy of Sundance Institute photo by Mateo Londono
“Three Steps” says Ben Odell, co-founder of 3Pas (as in 3Pas, Tripas or tripe, or Guts as Eugenio decribes them), when explaining to me the meanng of the pun. 3Pas in Spanish means three steps, but is also a play on words, something Mexicans like a lot. Personally, I too love tripas y menudo. Delicioso!
Ben and Tripas also won the 2007 Grand Jury Prize Winner at Sundance with the art house Spanish language thriller, Padre Nuestro. IFC changed the title to Sangre de mi sangre for its U.S. release. It also played at New Directors/ New Films at Museum of Modern Art in New York in the Spring of 2007, received two Independent Spirit Awards nominations, for Best First Feature (for which Odell was nominated) and Best Screenplay.
Ben is sure that his producing partner Eugene will go way beyond his current core Latinx market “He is so lovable to watch. He has a magic about him that is undeniable and transcends language and culture.”
When Ben and Eugenio decided to go together they knew it was The-One-Time-In-a-Career-To-Capitalize moment. It happened while Eugenio was making his breakout film Instructions not Included. They formed 3Pas to focus on brand-building based upon Eugenio’s popularity. They planned to go beyond his own work, in English and Spanish. 3Pas Studios signed a first-look deal with Pantelion in August 2014. Neither Eugenio nor Ben had any idea Instructions not Included would be so big. It was released in 2013 by Pantelion and grossed $44.5 million, making it the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S. It grossed another $55 million overseas making it the number one Spanish language movie in the world.
Before I met Ben, I always pictured him as my other friend whose last name is Odell, a slight and wiry, dark haired type. How surprised I was to see this big, handsome blond who exuded warmth and a good-willed wit and storytelling skill. Love at first sight! And I am sure I am not the only one who is smitten with him. I wish I could convey his spirit, humor and strength as he recounted his life and career(s) to me in the hour we spent together in his new spacious, airy and bright Santa Monica office where Ben Shalom-Martinez was the third person in the new company, manning a phone system not yet working.
I told Ben I had read his mini bio in IMDb, and it made me want to know how he had gotten into the Latinx side of the business. I expected him to reveal that, in fact, and in spite of his name, he was Latino.
One year out of college, Ben said,
“I worked in editing with the Maysles Brothers. I was a P.A. on the first film John Turturro directed called “Mac”, and I was a reader for Art Linson. And that was my degree in Liberal Arts in Film. I wanted to be a screenwriter but I didn’t feel I had enough life experience. A family friend offered me a job in commercial production in Colombia. It was 1992 and my dad said: “if you love all things Latino, go learn Spanish and become an expert in the Latino market. It’s going to need people that understand it. No one was really talking about its importance then but that piece of advice changed my life. I moved to Colombia to learn Spanish and start what would be a life long journey in all things Latino, from U.S. Latino to Latin America. It’s not a single market but there is a connectivity between all of it.”
Ben grew up in Pennsylvania and when he was six years old, neighbors, who had old friends from Colombia, did an exchange of one of their children with a Colombian child. “My father ended up basically adopting that child for the year he lived with our neighbors and from that grew a friendship with this Colombian family.”
When he was 12 years old the whole Colombian family moved to Philadelphia. “I wanted them to adopt me. They were crazy, emotional, passionate, loving. It was a warmth and lust for life I hadn’t really experienced in suburban white America. And then I realized there was a whole country full of them.” At 15 he went with a friend to Colombia and loved it.
His father eventually married someone from that family. So Ben’s connection to Colombia, if not to all of Latin America was very organic. Colombia is not part of the “U.S. Latino market” per se, but Colombia and the rest of Latin America share certain characteristics and commonalities — views on life and death, family, spirituality — that end up working their way into storytelling that are shared throughout the U.S. Latino market and Latin America along with a larger emotional scale in the tone of their storytelling.
Odell lived in Colombia from 1992 to 2000. He also worked as a freelance journalist before becoming a Spanish language television writer and screenwriter there.
When he was in Colombia working in commercials, he met Tom Quinn, a journalist Iiving there for 25 years, working for Time Magazine and running an English language rag called The Colombian Post. In his youth, Tom had run with the likes of Hunter S. Thompson. He had lots of adventures and lots of stories of those days.
Ben asked Tom what was the most compelling story they could make into a movie that wasn’t about narcotrafficking, and Tom said one word: “Emeralds.” Colombia supplies 60% of the world’s emeralds. The mines in the Emerald Zone have strong drug laundering connections as well, as one might guess. The land is leased by the government to the three or four mining companies and they control everything with no supervision by the government.
Ben thought this was a great story to develop into a movie, and so he went back to New York to the contacts he had made including an exec at Tribeca Films. “They all said the same thing, great story but you are not a writer. Go write the script and then we’ll talk.” Ben returned to Colombia to do research.
In the meanwhile he began writing for Colombian TV. He had never written a feature film script, nor did he speak Spanish. He had, however, taken a course in feature film screenwriting with Robert McKee. And he had a girlfriend who was bilingual. He knew about Colombian TV and he saw the potential for legitimizing the story first as a TV show and then making it into a feature later.
Tom Quinn was very well known in Colombia as he was the Time News correspondent there at a moment when the magazine had a lot of power; the drug wars were one of its most consistent cover stories. They pitched it to Rti TV, and structured it like The Fugitive.
There is a drug, called burandanga, scientifically known as Scopolamine. It comes from a plant that grows wild in Colombia. The drugged one loses control of his or her will. Ben once heard a story about a man in a bar who wakes up in jail accused of a murder he can’t remember. This became the basis of the story. The lead goes into the Emerald Zone and drugged by burundanga, he kills one on the wrong side in a war going on there. He wakes up with no recollection and a full on civil war going on around him. He can’t get out of the Emerald Zone until he finds the man who drugged him. The title of this series that Tom and he pitched and in 1998 created was Fuego verde, like the 1954 Hollywood movie, Green Fire starring Grace Kelly and Stewart Grainger.
As a television writer, he eventually created and wrote over 300 hours of Spanish-language narrative television including Fuego Verde — the first-ever action series. It was one of the highest rated series on Colombian television. He also co-wrote the Colombian political satire feature film, Golpe de estadio, which was nominated for Spain’s Academy Award, the Goya in 1999, and was Colombia’s nomination to the Oscar in 2000. It is still one of the highest grossing Colombian films of all time.
In the film, Golpe de estadio, (Golpe de Estado means “Coup d’état”but it also could mean “Coup de Stadium”), an oil company has set up a camp for geological research in a small village in Colombia that has been named New Texas. It becomes the target of the guerrillas who are constantly clashing with police in the area. The confrontation is put on hold however during the TV transmission of the world Cup qualifiers.
For more about this and Ben, read my blog from several years ago here.
In summary, Tripas has created a feel-good story that has great potential to make a difference and is available for distribution.
EducationMexicoFilm FestivalsInternational FilmFemale Empowerment...
Director Christopher Zalla. Courtesy of Sundance Institute, photo by Erynne Dowe
With Mr. Zalla in Sundance is Mexican Superstar Eugenio Derbez, who appeared at Sundance in 2021 as Bernardo in Sian Heder’s Coda, top prize winner at Sundance and winner of three Oscars including Best Picture. InCoda he played an inspirational high school music teacher, and in Radical he is again such a teacher.
Every student in K -12 should be given the opportunity to see this film on the educational non-theatrical circuit as well as theatrical and streaming platforms. This is the film that will inspire children to become teachers like Sergio Juarez as played with all his heart by Eugenio Derbez, Mexico’s top comedian and movie star. The discovery of the joy of learning for the children on Matamorros, Mexico, a place where kids live in a world where they can’t be kids, was based upon a true story.
Eugenio Derbez — Co-Founder, 3Pas Studio — Lead Actor & Producer, Radical speaking at Illuminative’s Indigenous House, courtesy of the social justice organization IllumiNative, a Native woman-led racial and social justice organization dedicated to challenging the narrative about Native peoples:
“I started as a comedian in television. When I made the transition to cinema, I always tried to bring joy into each of my movies. Even though it’s drama, it’s part of our brand. I have a production company called Tripas Studios. Tripas means guts, so when you do everything with your guts, you can make all the decisions with your guts. When we are looking for a project, we always look for the three H’s: Humanity, Humor, and Heart. We need at least two of these elements to be in the movie. But I always need to put in some humor. Even though ‘Radical’ is a drama and a really sad and true story, you’re going to laugh a couple of times because humor makes everything easy. When you show me drama and a true story, I put in a little bit of joy, so you can digest the information much better.”
Eugenio Derbez at the Illuinative panel. Photo Credit: INDÍGENA for IllumiNative
[When asked what he wanted viewers to take away from Radical] “I want to celebrate education. I think education is the base for future generations. I feel that right now education, not just in my country, but worldwide, has been the same for the last 200 years. The same kind of structure, it’s twisted, we’re teaching kids to obey, sit down, shut up, do this, do that, memorize this. We’re teaching them to obey, we’re teaching them to memorize and we need to teach them how to learn.”
Radical shines a light on the incredible potential children can manifest when an innovative teacher empowers them to think for themselves. The Wired article by Joshua Davis (also a producer here) explains it is based on the life of teacher Sergio Juárez Correa, who with his students was the subject of a 2013 Wired magazine cover story titled A Radical Way of Unleashing a Generation of Geniuses. The article details Juárez’ rather incredible story as an unorthodox teacher in a poor Mexican border town called Matamoros. It is a forgotten poor city with little hope for its kids, particularly in the elementary school, where he uses a teaching method he stumbled upon seeing a Ted Talks video in which the students lead the curriculum in learning what they want to learn, not what officials dictate through testing and other methods.
Eugenio Derbez conducting a class on the solar system. Courtesy o Sundance Institut
After establishing the To Sir, with Love nature of this school and who the kids in the sixth-grade class are, we meet Sergio. He has turned over all the desks in his classroom and tries to convince the incredulous students to come aboard these “lifeboats” in the make-believe ocean for the kind of off-the-wall lesson they have never encountered before.
As we learn to know the students: Paloma (the nascent shining star Jennifer Trejo), who aspires to be a rocket scientist (That is true and her story is more incredible), Nico, Lupe and others surrounded by cartel culture and bullies, their fates take shape.
Derbez never has been better than in this film, one that’s for sale and, if there is any justice, will be picked up immediately by a distributor looking for a feel-good true story with real potential to make a difference. It co-stars Daniel Haddad, Jennifer Trejo, Mia Fernanda Solis and Danilo Guardiola.
Radical was produced by 3Pas Studios (Derbez’s label run by Benjamin Odell), in association with Epic Magazine and The Lift, and financed by TelevisaUnivision/ViX.
The film is seeking worldwide distribution in all territories, save Mexico. Andrew Herwitz of The Film Sales Company is representing the film.
Eugenio Derbez. Courtesy of Sundance Institute photo by Mateo Londono
“Three Steps” says Ben Odell, co-founder of 3Pas (as in 3Pas, Tripas or tripe, or Guts as Eugenio decribes them), when explaining to me the meanng of the pun. 3Pas in Spanish means three steps, but is also a play on words, something Mexicans like a lot. Personally, I too love tripas y menudo. Delicioso!
Ben and Tripas also won the 2007 Grand Jury Prize Winner at Sundance with the art house Spanish language thriller, Padre Nuestro. IFC changed the title to Sangre de mi sangre for its U.S. release. It also played at New Directors/ New Films at Museum of Modern Art in New York in the Spring of 2007, received two Independent Spirit Awards nominations, for Best First Feature (for which Odell was nominated) and Best Screenplay.
Ben is sure that his producing partner Eugene will go way beyond his current core Latinx market “He is so lovable to watch. He has a magic about him that is undeniable and transcends language and culture.”
When Ben and Eugenio decided to go together they knew it was The-One-Time-In-a-Career-To-Capitalize moment. It happened while Eugenio was making his breakout film Instructions not Included. They formed 3Pas to focus on brand-building based upon Eugenio’s popularity. They planned to go beyond his own work, in English and Spanish. 3Pas Studios signed a first-look deal with Pantelion in August 2014. Neither Eugenio nor Ben had any idea Instructions not Included would be so big. It was released in 2013 by Pantelion and grossed $44.5 million, making it the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S. It grossed another $55 million overseas making it the number one Spanish language movie in the world.
Before I met Ben, I always pictured him as my other friend whose last name is Odell, a slight and wiry, dark haired type. How surprised I was to see this big, handsome blond who exuded warmth and a good-willed wit and storytelling skill. Love at first sight! And I am sure I am not the only one who is smitten with him. I wish I could convey his spirit, humor and strength as he recounted his life and career(s) to me in the hour we spent together in his new spacious, airy and bright Santa Monica office where Ben Shalom-Martinez was the third person in the new company, manning a phone system not yet working.
I told Ben I had read his mini bio in IMDb, and it made me want to know how he had gotten into the Latinx side of the business. I expected him to reveal that, in fact, and in spite of his name, he was Latino.
One year out of college, Ben said,
“I worked in editing with the Maysles Brothers. I was a P.A. on the first film John Turturro directed called “Mac”, and I was a reader for Art Linson. And that was my degree in Liberal Arts in Film. I wanted to be a screenwriter but I didn’t feel I had enough life experience. A family friend offered me a job in commercial production in Colombia. It was 1992 and my dad said: “if you love all things Latino, go learn Spanish and become an expert in the Latino market. It’s going to need people that understand it. No one was really talking about its importance then but that piece of advice changed my life. I moved to Colombia to learn Spanish and start what would be a life long journey in all things Latino, from U.S. Latino to Latin America. It’s not a single market but there is a connectivity between all of it.”
Ben grew up in Pennsylvania and when he was six years old, neighbors, who had old friends from Colombia, did an exchange of one of their children with a Colombian child. “My father ended up basically adopting that child for the year he lived with our neighbors and from that grew a friendship with this Colombian family.”
When he was 12 years old the whole Colombian family moved to Philadelphia. “I wanted them to adopt me. They were crazy, emotional, passionate, loving. It was a warmth and lust for life I hadn’t really experienced in suburban white America. And then I realized there was a whole country full of them.” At 15 he went with a friend to Colombia and loved it.
His father eventually married someone from that family. So Ben’s connection to Colombia, if not to all of Latin America was very organic. Colombia is not part of the “U.S. Latino market” per se, but Colombia and the rest of Latin America share certain characteristics and commonalities — views on life and death, family, spirituality — that end up working their way into storytelling that are shared throughout the U.S. Latino market and Latin America along with a larger emotional scale in the tone of their storytelling.
Odell lived in Colombia from 1992 to 2000. He also worked as a freelance journalist before becoming a Spanish language television writer and screenwriter there.
When he was in Colombia working in commercials, he met Tom Quinn, a journalist Iiving there for 25 years, working for Time Magazine and running an English language rag called The Colombian Post. In his youth, Tom had run with the likes of Hunter S. Thompson. He had lots of adventures and lots of stories of those days.
Ben asked Tom what was the most compelling story they could make into a movie that wasn’t about narcotrafficking, and Tom said one word: “Emeralds.” Colombia supplies 60% of the world’s emeralds. The mines in the Emerald Zone have strong drug laundering connections as well, as one might guess. The land is leased by the government to the three or four mining companies and they control everything with no supervision by the government.
Ben thought this was a great story to develop into a movie, and so he went back to New York to the contacts he had made including an exec at Tribeca Films. “They all said the same thing, great story but you are not a writer. Go write the script and then we’ll talk.” Ben returned to Colombia to do research.
In the meanwhile he began writing for Colombian TV. He had never written a feature film script, nor did he speak Spanish. He had, however, taken a course in feature film screenwriting with Robert McKee. And he had a girlfriend who was bilingual. He knew about Colombian TV and he saw the potential for legitimizing the story first as a TV show and then making it into a feature later.
Tom Quinn was very well known in Colombia as he was the Time News correspondent there at a moment when the magazine had a lot of power; the drug wars were one of its most consistent cover stories. They pitched it to Rti TV, and structured it like The Fugitive.
There is a drug, called burandanga, scientifically known as Scopolamine. It comes from a plant that grows wild in Colombia. The drugged one loses control of his or her will. Ben once heard a story about a man in a bar who wakes up in jail accused of a murder he can’t remember. This became the basis of the story. The lead goes into the Emerald Zone and drugged by burundanga, he kills one on the wrong side in a war going on there. He wakes up with no recollection and a full on civil war going on around him. He can’t get out of the Emerald Zone until he finds the man who drugged him. The title of this series that Tom and he pitched and in 1998 created was Fuego verde, like the 1954 Hollywood movie, Green Fire starring Grace Kelly and Stewart Grainger.
As a television writer, he eventually created and wrote over 300 hours of Spanish-language narrative television including Fuego Verde — the first-ever action series. It was one of the highest rated series on Colombian television. He also co-wrote the Colombian political satire feature film, Golpe de estadio, which was nominated for Spain’s Academy Award, the Goya in 1999, and was Colombia’s nomination to the Oscar in 2000. It is still one of the highest grossing Colombian films of all time.
In the film, Golpe de estadio, (Golpe de Estado means “Coup d’état”but it also could mean “Coup de Stadium”), an oil company has set up a camp for geological research in a small village in Colombia that has been named New Texas. It becomes the target of the guerrillas who are constantly clashing with police in the area. The confrontation is put on hold however during the TV transmission of the world Cup qualifiers.
For more about this and Ben, read my blog from several years ago here.
In summary, Tripas has created a feel-good story that has great potential to make a difference and is available for distribution.
EducationMexicoFilm FestivalsInternational FilmFemale Empowerment...
- 2/11/2023
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
Apple TV+ today announced that it’s checking back in to Las Colinas for “Acapulco” season three! Following its globally acclaimed second season, the hit Apple Original comedy series starring and executive produced by Emmy and SAG Award winner Eugenio Derbez, has been picked up for a 10-episode third season, set to go into production this spring.
“We at 3Pas Studios are thankful to Apple TV+, the perfect home for ‘Acapulco,’ along with our production partner Lionsgate, filmmakers and cast and crew,” said star and executive producer Eugenio Derbez. “We have always believed that the stories we tell about our communities and cultures can resonate with global audiences, so crank up the AC, it’s about to get a lot hotter at Las Colinas Resort.”
“We’ve seen an overwhelming response from audiences all over the world who have fallen in love with ‘Acapulco,’” said Morgan Wandell, head of international programming for Apple TV+. “Eugenio,...
“We at 3Pas Studios are thankful to Apple TV+, the perfect home for ‘Acapulco,’ along with our production partner Lionsgate, filmmakers and cast and crew,” said star and executive producer Eugenio Derbez. “We have always believed that the stories we tell about our communities and cultures can resonate with global audiences, so crank up the AC, it’s about to get a lot hotter at Las Colinas Resort.”
“We’ve seen an overwhelming response from audiences all over the world who have fallen in love with ‘Acapulco,’” said Morgan Wandell, head of international programming for Apple TV+. “Eugenio,...
- 2/4/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
This year, women directors – and their women-centric subjects – swept the awards at Sundance Film Festival. Three women directors – Madeleine Gavin, Maryam Keshavarz, and Noora Niasari – won Audience Awards for their films on North Korea (“Beyond Utopia”), intergenerational motherhood (“The Persian Version”), and custody in diaspora (“Shayda”). Portraits of masculinity were also celebrated as well. First-time feature filmmaker Sing J. Lee won the Directing Award for his touching portrait of masculinity and fatherhood in “The Accidental Getaway Driver,” while Sauvnik Kaur’s intimate documentary on brotherhood “Against The Tide” took home a Special Jury Award. After two years of isolation and virtual festival-ing, it seems that stories of tenderness appealed over aggressive storytelling at Park City this year.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film.
- 2/1/2023
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
“Acapulco” has been renewed for Season 3 at Apple, Variety has learned.
The third season will consist of 10 episodes and will begin production in the spring. The series stars Eugenio Derbez and is inspired by 3Pas Studios and Lionsgate/Pantelion Films’ feature “How to Be A Latin Lover,” in which Derbez starred.
“We at 3Pas Studios are thankful to Apple TV+, the perfect home for ‘Acapulco,’ along with our production partner Lionsgate, filmmakers and cast and crew,” said Derbez. “We have always believed that the stories we tell about our communities and cultures can resonate with global audiences, so crank up the AC, it’s about to get a lot hotter at Las Colinas Resort.”
Along with Derbez, the cast includes Enrique Arrizon (as Máximo Gallardo), Fernando Carsa (as Memo), Damián Alcázar (Don Pablo), Camila Perez (Julia), Chord Overstreet (Chad), Vanessa Bauche (Nora), Regina Reynoso (Sara), Raphael Alejandro (Hugo), Jessica Collins...
The third season will consist of 10 episodes and will begin production in the spring. The series stars Eugenio Derbez and is inspired by 3Pas Studios and Lionsgate/Pantelion Films’ feature “How to Be A Latin Lover,” in which Derbez starred.
“We at 3Pas Studios are thankful to Apple TV+, the perfect home for ‘Acapulco,’ along with our production partner Lionsgate, filmmakers and cast and crew,” said Derbez. “We have always believed that the stories we tell about our communities and cultures can resonate with global audiences, so crank up the AC, it’s about to get a lot hotter at Las Colinas Resort.”
Along with Derbez, the cast includes Enrique Arrizon (as Máximo Gallardo), Fernando Carsa (as Memo), Damián Alcázar (Don Pablo), Camila Perez (Julia), Chord Overstreet (Chad), Vanessa Bauche (Nora), Regina Reynoso (Sara), Raphael Alejandro (Hugo), Jessica Collins...
- 1/30/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Apple TV+ has renewed the bilingual comedy series Acapulco for a 10-episode third season. Production is set to begin this spring.
In Season 3 of the series inspired by the 3Pas Studios and Pantelion Films’ feature How to Be A Latin Lover, it’s a time of reconciling past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build…
“We at 3Pas Studios are thankful to Apple TV+, the perfect home for Acapulco, along with our production partner Lionsgate, filmmakers, and cast and crew,” said star and executive producer Eugenio Derbez. “We have always believed that the stories we tell about our communities and cultures can resonate with global audiences, so crank up the AC,...
In Season 3 of the series inspired by the 3Pas Studios and Pantelion Films’ feature How to Be A Latin Lover, it’s a time of reconciling past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build…
“We at 3Pas Studios are thankful to Apple TV+, the perfect home for Acapulco, along with our production partner Lionsgate, filmmakers, and cast and crew,” said star and executive producer Eugenio Derbez. “We have always believed that the stories we tell about our communities and cultures can resonate with global audiences, so crank up the AC,...
- 1/30/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
While our Sundance Film Festival 2023 coverage continues to roll in, the respective juries at Park City have doled out their winners, with Grand Jury Prizes awarded to A Thousand and One (U.S. Dramatic), Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (U.S. Documentary), Scrapper (World Cinema Dramatic), and The Eternal Memory (World Cinema Documentary), and the Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Kokomo City.
Check out the full list of winners below, with our coverage where available.
Grand Jury Prizes
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One / U.S.A. — Convinced it’s one last, necessary crime on the path to redemption, unapologetic and free-spirited Inez kidnaps 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding on to their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in New York City.
Check out the full list of winners below, with our coverage where available.
Grand Jury Prizes
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One / U.S.A. — Convinced it’s one last, necessary crime on the path to redemption, unapologetic and free-spirited Inez kidnaps 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding on to their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in New York City.
- 1/28/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Teyana Taylor and Aaron Kingsley in ‘A Thousand and One’ (Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute / Photo by Focus Features)
The Sundance Film Festival named A Thousand and One from writer/director A.V. Rockwell the winner of the prestigious U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson’s The Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2023 festival which hosted in-person screenings as well as access online.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film. Today’s award winners highlight our programs’ most impressive achievements in the current moment of cinematic arts. I hope you will join me in congratulating our winners, as well as thanking all artists across sections...
The Sundance Film Festival named A Thousand and One from writer/director A.V. Rockwell the winner of the prestigious U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson’s The Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2023 festival which hosted in-person screenings as well as access online.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film. Today’s award winners highlight our programs’ most impressive achievements in the current moment of cinematic arts. I hope you will join me in congratulating our winners, as well as thanking all artists across sections...
- 1/27/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
From To Sir, With Love through Stand and Deliver and Dangerous Minds, inspirational dramas about dedicated educators overcoming the apathy of disadvantaged students to expand their horizons generally stick to a formula carved in stone. But when that formula works, it works. In rare instances, a movie in this narrative ballpark breaks the mold, like Laurent Cantet’s The Class, with its granular documentary-style textures and illuminating social and political context. Writer-director Christopher Zalla adheres to the subgenre’s conventions and doesn’t stint on sentimentality, but Radical more than earns its surging emotional payoff.
Given its assault on the tear ducts combined with its resolute channeling of hope even in the wake of tragedy, it’s no surprise that the film snagged Sundance’s Festival Favorite Award, voted by the audience. That should help give it an acquisitions nudge, along with a big-hearted lead performance from superstar Mexican actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez,...
Given its assault on the tear ducts combined with its resolute channeling of hope even in the wake of tragedy, it’s no surprise that the film snagged Sundance’s Festival Favorite Award, voted by the audience. That should help give it an acquisitions nudge, along with a big-hearted lead performance from superstar Mexican actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez,...
- 1/27/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
ViX+, the fledgling Spanish-language SVOD from TelevisaUnivision, is dipping into literary classics once more with the modern retelling of Alexandre Dumas’ popular revenge tale, “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
The news follows the Jan. 20 bow of ViX+’s Anna Karenina adaptation, “Volver a Caer” with Kate del Castillo. Last year, ViX+ unveiled an adaptation of Nobel Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa’s “Travesuras de la Niña Mala” (“Bad Girl”).
In an exclusive first look, ViX+ unveils footage of the six-part series, simply titled “Montecristo,” with William Levy (“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”) playing the enigmatic lead.
Produced by Spain’s Secouya Studios, “Montecristo” follows Alejandro Montecristo, a mysterious figure whose past and considerable fortune are unknown. Montecristo is the founder and CEO of a successful new tech company that has sparked the interest and envy of many, including Fernando Alvarez Mondego, a businessman with close ties to the Spanish aristocracy...
The news follows the Jan. 20 bow of ViX+’s Anna Karenina adaptation, “Volver a Caer” with Kate del Castillo. Last year, ViX+ unveiled an adaptation of Nobel Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa’s “Travesuras de la Niña Mala” (“Bad Girl”).
In an exclusive first look, ViX+ unveils footage of the six-part series, simply titled “Montecristo,” with William Levy (“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”) playing the enigmatic lead.
Produced by Spain’s Secouya Studios, “Montecristo” follows Alejandro Montecristo, a mysterious figure whose past and considerable fortune are unknown. Montecristo is the founder and CEO of a successful new tech company that has sparked the interest and envy of many, including Fernando Alvarez Mondego, a businessman with close ties to the Spanish aristocracy...
- 1/25/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
The last time Mexican superstar Eugenio Derbez had a film at Sundance was just in 2021. The movie was Coda, and it not only swept all the top prizes at the fest that year, it went on to win three Oscars including Best Picture. He had a supporting role in that film as an inspirational high school music teacher, and now in Radical, which just had its world premiere at Sundance on opening night at the Eccles Theatre, he essays another inspirational teacher. This time it’s a true story and one in which he plays the lead role of Sergio Juarez.
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Juarez (full name Sergio Juarez...
Related Story 20 Titles To Heat Up Chilly 2023 Sundance Festival Related Story Ryan Coogler On Sundance & 'Fruitvale Station' A Decade Later & How 'Creed' May Be The Most Park City Franchise Ever Related Story Brett Kavanaugh Investigation Documentary 'Justice' From Doug Liman Added To Sundance Lineup
Juarez (full name Sergio Juarez...
- 1/20/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
International comedy star Eugenio Derbez has touched down in Utah for the world premiere of his latest dramatic turn in “Radical,” one of the opening night presentations at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
Variety has an exclusive first look at the project, the story of an outside-the-box teacher in a crime-ridden Mexican border town.
The film is directed by Christopher Zalla, who won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize in 2007 for “Sangre de Mi Sangre.” In the exclusive clip, Derbez can be seen changing the physical layout of a classroom — and removing his own desk — at a hard-knock school known more for discipline than academic encouragement. Already getting pushback from the establishment faculty, Derbez admits he wants to try something different.
The film marks Derbez’s return to Sundance after the record-breaking sale of “Coda,” which would go on to win the Oscar for best picture. “Radical” was chosen by the festival...
Variety has an exclusive first look at the project, the story of an outside-the-box teacher in a crime-ridden Mexican border town.
The film is directed by Christopher Zalla, who won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize in 2007 for “Sangre de Mi Sangre.” In the exclusive clip, Derbez can be seen changing the physical layout of a classroom — and removing his own desk — at a hard-knock school known more for discipline than academic encouragement. Already getting pushback from the establishment faculty, Derbez admits he wants to try something different.
The film marks Derbez’s return to Sundance after the record-breaking sale of “Coda,” which would go on to win the Oscar for best picture. “Radical” was chosen by the festival...
- 1/19/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell have set the comedy series Put@s Redes Sociales at Prime Video, starring Paulina Gaitán and Azul Guaita. Jorge Ulloa directs the series which explores human relationships in the era of likes.
Put@s Redes Sociales tells the story of Amanda (Gaitán), a decadent YouTuber of children’s content who has just turned 30, which makes her “over the hill” on the internet. She’s willing to do anything to stay relevant on social networks, from filtering her own nude photo to risking her life. She does all this to dethrone the number-one influencer of the moment: Vicky Moo (Guaita), who also happens to be her younger sister.
The cast also includes Hernán Mendoza, Jesús Zavala, Melissa Hallivis, Beng Zeng Wong, Hugo Catalán, Nataly Valencia, Bárbara Torres, Paola Fernández, and Jorge Enrique Abello.
“With this series, we confirm our commitment to new,...
Put@s Redes Sociales tells the story of Amanda (Gaitán), a decadent YouTuber of children’s content who has just turned 30, which makes her “over the hill” on the internet. She’s willing to do anything to stay relevant on social networks, from filtering her own nude photo to risking her life. She does all this to dethrone the number-one influencer of the moment: Vicky Moo (Guaita), who also happens to be her younger sister.
The cast also includes Hernán Mendoza, Jesús Zavala, Melissa Hallivis, Beng Zeng Wong, Hugo Catalán, Nataly Valencia, Bárbara Torres, Paola Fernández, and Jorge Enrique Abello.
“With this series, we confirm our commitment to new,...
- 1/12/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Presburger, who served as CEO of Hispanic showbiz leader Pantelion Films and Spanish-language streaming service Pantaya, is leaving after serving more than a decade at the helm.
Presburger will be focusing on Globalgate Entertainment, the international production and co-financing company he co-founded six years ago, where he will be working on a slate of new projects, including a number of them for TelevisaUnivision’s new two-tiered streaming service, ViX.
His move comes a month after TelevisaUnivision acquired Pantelion Films and Pantaya from Hemisphere Media Group in a bid to bolster the programming assets of ViX and its premium service counterpart, ViX+.
Presburger is credited for steering Pantelion Films, founded in 2010, to become the first major Latino Hollywood studio and a leader of Hispanic entertainment in the U.S.
Expressing his gratitude to his original partners at Lionsgate, Televisa, and Hemisphere, Presburger said: “I am immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished,...
Presburger will be focusing on Globalgate Entertainment, the international production and co-financing company he co-founded six years ago, where he will be working on a slate of new projects, including a number of them for TelevisaUnivision’s new two-tiered streaming service, ViX.
His move comes a month after TelevisaUnivision acquired Pantelion Films and Pantaya from Hemisphere Media Group in a bid to bolster the programming assets of ViX and its premium service counterpart, ViX+.
Presburger is credited for steering Pantelion Films, founded in 2010, to become the first major Latino Hollywood studio and a leader of Hispanic entertainment in the U.S.
Expressing his gratitude to his original partners at Lionsgate, Televisa, and Hemisphere, Presburger said: “I am immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished,...
- 11/5/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell’s 3Pas Studios (Acapulco) has signed a multi-year first-look deal with ABC Signature for English-language TV content.
As part of the deal, 3Pas will develop and produce English-language projects for the studio. Reporting to Derbez and Odell, Sonia Gambaro, the VP of 3Pas’ English-language TV division, will oversee development, identify and source talent, ideas, and IP for ABC Signature across all platforms.
“Eugenio and Ben transcend culture through their diverse and inclusive storytelling, driven by their deep connection to talent and source material from Latin America,” said Jonnie Davis, president of ABC Signature. “We couldn’t be more excited to shepherd their next wave of brilliant and culture-defining English language projects at the studio.”
3Pas has been creating content in both English and Spanish with multiple studio and platform partners over the last several years. Most recently, the company’s series Acapulco premiered its...
As part of the deal, 3Pas will develop and produce English-language projects for the studio. Reporting to Derbez and Odell, Sonia Gambaro, the VP of 3Pas’ English-language TV division, will oversee development, identify and source talent, ideas, and IP for ABC Signature across all platforms.
“Eugenio and Ben transcend culture through their diverse and inclusive storytelling, driven by their deep connection to talent and source material from Latin America,” said Jonnie Davis, president of ABC Signature. “We couldn’t be more excited to shepherd their next wave of brilliant and culture-defining English language projects at the studio.”
3Pas has been creating content in both English and Spanish with multiple studio and platform partners over the last several years. Most recently, the company’s series Acapulco premiered its...
- 10/28/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Vix+ has set the premiere date for the reality series La Noche Del Diablito for October 13.
The reality series is the first project from the previously announced first-look deal with 3Pas Studios, the entertainment company co-founded by Eugenio Derbez and his producing partner Ben Odell.
In La Noche Del Diablito, Mexican actors and comedians Mauricio Barrientos, better known as “El Diablito,“ and Paloma Cedeño travel around the city to share the colors and culture of Mexico City with their guests. The conversations will revolve around life, relationships, and sex— specifically who, why, and how people ultimately connect with each other. The reality series delves into the exciting stories of provocative characters and closely explores taboo topics in a curious and fun way.
Celebrity guests will also appear in each 30-minute episode and will be seen dining with hosts and exchanging personal anecdotes and sexual experiences. Special guests include Sofía Rivera Torres,...
The reality series is the first project from the previously announced first-look deal with 3Pas Studios, the entertainment company co-founded by Eugenio Derbez and his producing partner Ben Odell.
In La Noche Del Diablito, Mexican actors and comedians Mauricio Barrientos, better known as “El Diablito,“ and Paloma Cedeño travel around the city to share the colors and culture of Mexico City with their guests. The conversations will revolve around life, relationships, and sex— specifically who, why, and how people ultimately connect with each other. The reality series delves into the exciting stories of provocative characters and closely explores taboo topics in a curious and fun way.
Celebrity guests will also appear in each 30-minute episode and will be seen dining with hosts and exchanging personal anecdotes and sexual experiences. Special guests include Sofía Rivera Torres,...
- 10/10/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple TV+ has released the Season 2 trailer of the bilingual comedy “Acapulco,” which will drop its first two episodes on Oct. 21.
Starring Eugenio Derbez, the series follows 20-something Máximo Gallardo (Enrique Arrizon), who earns his dream job as a cabana boy at the hottest resort in Acapulco, Las Colinas.
Along with Derbez and Arrizon, returning stars include Fernando Carsa, Dambián Alcázar, Camila Perez, Chord Overstreet, Vanessa Bauche, Regina Reynoso, Raphael Alejandro, Jessica Collins, Rafael Cebrián and Carlos Corona.
“Acapulco” is produced for Apple by Lionsgate Television, 3Pas Studios, Zihuatanejo Productions and The Tannenbaum Company. The series is executive produced by creators Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman, with showrunner Chris Harris. Jay Karas serves as executive producer and director. In addition to starring in the series, Derbez executive produces alongside Ben Odell and co-executive producer Sonia Gambaro on behalf of 3Pas Studios. The Tannenbaum Company’s Eric and Kim Tannenbaum...
Starring Eugenio Derbez, the series follows 20-something Máximo Gallardo (Enrique Arrizon), who earns his dream job as a cabana boy at the hottest resort in Acapulco, Las Colinas.
Along with Derbez and Arrizon, returning stars include Fernando Carsa, Dambián Alcázar, Camila Perez, Chord Overstreet, Vanessa Bauche, Regina Reynoso, Raphael Alejandro, Jessica Collins, Rafael Cebrián and Carlos Corona.
“Acapulco” is produced for Apple by Lionsgate Television, 3Pas Studios, Zihuatanejo Productions and The Tannenbaum Company. The series is executive produced by creators Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman, with showrunner Chris Harris. Jay Karas serves as executive producer and director. In addition to starring in the series, Derbez executive produces alongside Ben Odell and co-executive producer Sonia Gambaro on behalf of 3Pas Studios. The Tannenbaum Company’s Eric and Kim Tannenbaum...
- 10/5/2022
- by Michaela Zee and Katie Reul
- Variety Film + TV
Eugenio Derbez is developing the workplace comedy series They Came At Night with ViX+ under the first-look deal between 3Pas Studios and TelevisaUnivision.
They Came At Night is inspired by true events and it gives a behind-the-scenes look at the group of underdogs who went on to create the critically acclaimed Spanish version of the 1930 horror classic, Dracula. While Bela Lugosi filmed Dracula during the day on the Universal lot, at the end of each day another cast and crew arrived to make the same exact movie… only in Spanish. Using the same sets, costumes, and a translated version of the script, the cast and crew of the Spanish Dracula filmed from dusk to dawn, and, against all odds, the critical consensus is that the Spanish version turned out to be the better film.
Derbez is set to star in the comedy created and written by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher (The Valet). Derbez,...
They Came At Night is inspired by true events and it gives a behind-the-scenes look at the group of underdogs who went on to create the critically acclaimed Spanish version of the 1930 horror classic, Dracula. While Bela Lugosi filmed Dracula during the day on the Universal lot, at the end of each day another cast and crew arrived to make the same exact movie… only in Spanish. Using the same sets, costumes, and a translated version of the script, the cast and crew of the Spanish Dracula filmed from dusk to dawn, and, against all odds, the critical consensus is that the Spanish version turned out to be the better film.
Derbez is set to star in the comedy created and written by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher (The Valet). Derbez,...
- 9/19/2022
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Eugenio Derbez will explore a lesser-known aspect of Hollywood history with his latest TV project.
The actor and producer (Apple TV+’s Acapulco, How to Be a Latin Lover) will star in and executive produce a comedy with the working title They Came at Night, which is in development at TelevisaUnivision’s streaming platform Vix+. The project is a workplace show about the cast and crew who made a Spanish-language version of Dracula in 1930 — filming at night and using the same sets and costumes as Tod Browning’s English-language version.
“I have not worked in scripted Spanish language TV comedy for well over ten years and was looking for something really special to come back,” Derbez said in a statement. “This story really jumped out at me because it tells the story of Latinos always having to accomplish more with less resources and harder conditions.
Eugenio Derbez will explore a lesser-known aspect of Hollywood history with his latest TV project.
The actor and producer (Apple TV+’s Acapulco, How to Be a Latin Lover) will star in and executive produce a comedy with the working title They Came at Night, which is in development at TelevisaUnivision’s streaming platform Vix+. The project is a workplace show about the cast and crew who made a Spanish-language version of Dracula in 1930 — filming at night and using the same sets and costumes as Tod Browning’s English-language version.
“I have not worked in scripted Spanish language TV comedy for well over ten years and was looking for something really special to come back,” Derbez said in a statement. “This story really jumped out at me because it tells the story of Latinos always having to accomplish more with less resources and harder conditions.
- 9/19/2022
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Blockbuster,” a Netflix comedy series about the flagship movie rental store starring Randall Park, has set a premiere date for Nov. 3. The half-hour comedy’s 10 episodes will premiere all at once on the streaming service.
Park plays Timmy Yoon, an analog dreamer who is in charge of the last operating Blockbuster Video in the United States. Timmy, alongside the rest of his employees, must work to remind their community that the local store can provide the human connection that big corporations can’t.
Alongside Park, the cast includes Melissa Fumero as Eliza Walker, Tyler Alvarez as Carlos Herrera, Madeleine Arthur as Hannah Hadman and Olga Merediz as Connie Serrano. Recurring guest stars for the series include J.B. Smoove as Percy Scott and Kamaia Fairburn as Kayla Scott.
Vanessa Ramos created the show and serves as executive producer and showrunner. Her previous credits include working on “Superstore” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Universal Television produced the show,...
Park plays Timmy Yoon, an analog dreamer who is in charge of the last operating Blockbuster Video in the United States. Timmy, alongside the rest of his employees, must work to remind their community that the local store can provide the human connection that big corporations can’t.
Alongside Park, the cast includes Melissa Fumero as Eliza Walker, Tyler Alvarez as Carlos Herrera, Madeleine Arthur as Hannah Hadman and Olga Merediz as Connie Serrano. Recurring guest stars for the series include J.B. Smoove as Percy Scott and Kamaia Fairburn as Kayla Scott.
Vanessa Ramos created the show and serves as executive producer and showrunner. Her previous credits include working on “Superstore” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Universal Television produced the show,...
- 8/27/2022
- by EJ Panaligan, Michaela Zee and Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Daniel Batista has been tapped as chief digital officer of Candle Media’s Exile Content Studio.
In the role, Batista will oversee the podcast and digital content studios at the Spanish-language media studio. Batista comes to the position after serving as co-founder of Zoe Saldaña’s digital media studio Bese and consulting on new revenue streams for actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez and producer Ben Odell’s 3Pas Studios.
“In this next phase of Exile’s growth, Daniel will play a critical role in realizing our vision to create a content ecosystem built around compelling IP,” Exile Content Studio Chief Executive Officer Isaac Lee stated.
Kevin Mayer and Tom Stagg’s Candle Media acquired Exile Content Studio in May 2022. The company, founded by Lee, the former chief content officer of Univision and Televisa, creates content, including feature films, scripted and unscripted television, as...
Daniel Batista has been tapped as chief digital officer of Candle Media’s Exile Content Studio.
In the role, Batista will oversee the podcast and digital content studios at the Spanish-language media studio. Batista comes to the position after serving as co-founder of Zoe Saldaña’s digital media studio Bese and consulting on new revenue streams for actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez and producer Ben Odell’s 3Pas Studios.
“In this next phase of Exile’s growth, Daniel will play a critical role in realizing our vision to create a content ecosystem built around compelling IP,” Exile Content Studio Chief Executive Officer Isaac Lee stated.
Kevin Mayer and Tom Stagg’s Candle Media acquired Exile Content Studio in May 2022. The company, founded by Lee, the former chief content officer of Univision and Televisa, creates content, including feature films, scripted and unscripted television, as...
- 7/19/2022
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The upcoming ViX Plus romantic drama series “Travesuras de la Niña Mala” (“Bad Girl”), an adaptation of the 2006 novel by Nobel Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, has found its heroine.
Macarena Achaga, who most recently starred in HBO Max’s “Father of the Bride,” will play Arlette, a non-conformist who urges her lover to break away from his routine and be more adventurous. Their lives will intersect over forty years across Lima, Paris, Madrid, Tokyo, London and other cities.
“‘The ‘Bad Girl’ invites us to challenge our life in auto pilot, transform ourselves and take charge of who we want to be, and seek happiness while feeling immortal because what is life without those moments when we forget that everything has an end?” the synopsis goes.
“’Travesuras de la Niña Mala’ proves that my purpose of seeking equity and the projection of our female voices attracts characters ready for anything,...
Macarena Achaga, who most recently starred in HBO Max’s “Father of the Bride,” will play Arlette, a non-conformist who urges her lover to break away from his routine and be more adventurous. Their lives will intersect over forty years across Lima, Paris, Madrid, Tokyo, London and other cities.
“‘The ‘Bad Girl’ invites us to challenge our life in auto pilot, transform ourselves and take charge of who we want to be, and seek happiness while feeling immortal because what is life without those moments when we forget that everything has an end?” the synopsis goes.
“’Travesuras de la Niña Mala’ proves that my purpose of seeking equity and the projection of our female voices attracts characters ready for anything,...
- 6/23/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Former Warner Bros. Development Executive Paul Perez has inked a production deal at the Burbank, CA lot.
The news comes just as the Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan romantic comedy, Father of the Bride, a project Perez spearheaded and produced at the studio, hits HBO Max on Thursday, June 16.
During his time at Warner Bros, Perez was involved with the development of Ready Player One, Dune and Doctor Sleep.
He came to Warners after a development executive stint at Lionsgate’s Pantelion where he worked on the Eugenio Derbez hit movie, Instructions Not Included, which wound up being Mexico’s highest grossing export of all-time with 100.5M WW, as well as Spare Parts and No Maches Frida. Perez initially cut his teeth in the industry reading scripts for producer Ben Odell (now Derbez’s production partner at 3Pas Studios) and working in the Miami William Morris offices.
Father of...
The news comes just as the Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan romantic comedy, Father of the Bride, a project Perez spearheaded and produced at the studio, hits HBO Max on Thursday, June 16.
During his time at Warner Bros, Perez was involved with the development of Ready Player One, Dune and Doctor Sleep.
He came to Warners after a development executive stint at Lionsgate’s Pantelion where he worked on the Eugenio Derbez hit movie, Instructions Not Included, which wound up being Mexico’s highest grossing export of all-time with 100.5M WW, as well as Spare Parts and No Maches Frida. Perez initially cut his teeth in the industry reading scripts for producer Ben Odell (now Derbez’s production partner at 3Pas Studios) and working in the Miami William Morris offices.
Father of...
- 6/13/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
In its continued bid to ramp up its programming content, ViX Plus, the upcoming premium SVOD service from TelevisaUnivision, has formed a strategic alliance with Spain’s The Mediapro Studio, which will produce exclusive original content for the new Spanish-language streamer slated to launch in the second half of this year.
First out the gate are scripted series “Las Pelotaris” and the sports-themed docuseries, “La Sangre y la Gloria” (“The Blood and The Glory”).
Welcoming The Mediapro Studio as a crucial partner in its efforts to build “a service that will offer the best content in Spanish for our audience in the United States and Latin America,” Rodrigo Mazón, executive vice president and general manager of ViX Plus, said: “We are very excited to present the first original productions resulting from this strategic alliance and to be able to develop more stories together with the highest of production values.”
Commented Marta Ezpeleta,...
First out the gate are scripted series “Las Pelotaris” and the sports-themed docuseries, “La Sangre y la Gloria” (“The Blood and The Glory”).
Welcoming The Mediapro Studio as a crucial partner in its efforts to build “a service that will offer the best content in Spanish for our audience in the United States and Latin America,” Rodrigo Mazón, executive vice president and general manager of ViX Plus, said: “We are very excited to present the first original productions resulting from this strategic alliance and to be able to develop more stories together with the highest of production values.”
Commented Marta Ezpeleta,...
- 5/12/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
"Elegant just like his mother!" Hulu has revealed an official trailer for a comedy film titled The Valet, a US remake of a French comedy of the same name (The Valet from 2006). Produced by Ben Odell and Eugenio Derbez (of 3Pas Studios), this one takes the story to Los Angeles where a famous actress ends up dating a parking valet. Samara Weaving stars as Olivia, a super famous movie star who enlists a parking valet at a Beverly Hills restaurant to pose as her new lover to cover for her relationship with a different married man. Eugenio Derbez also co-stars as the valet, named Antonio, joined by Max Greenfield, Carmen Salinas Lozano, Betsy Brandt, Amaury Nolasco, Marisol Nichols, Diany Rodriguez, Tiana Okoye, John Pirrucello, Ravi Patel, Noemí González, and Lunay. This looks and feels quite similar to that Marry Me movie, where a celebrity must date a nobody and learns...
- 5/3/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Jorge Ramos, the star anchor and Emmy-winning journalist of U.S. Hispanic giant Univision for decades, will host a new celebrity interview program on ViX, the fledgling AVOD streaming service launched by TelevisaUnivision, the media juggernaut formed by the merger of Mexico’s Televisa and Univision early this year.
“Algo Personal con Jorge Ramos” (“Something Personal with Jorge Ramos”) is set to bow Sunday April 24 at 10 p.m. Et and will be available in the U.S. and most of Spanish-speaking Latin America.
“This is a new welcome challenge for me,” said Ramos, adding: “After spending almost all of my career talking to presidents and politicians, this is a great opportunity to talk, unhurried, with writers and artists about their innermost motivations. It’s truly something personal, for them and for me.”
“I love the chance to reach, through ViX, a brand-new audience in the U.S. and Latin America.
“Algo Personal con Jorge Ramos” (“Something Personal with Jorge Ramos”) is set to bow Sunday April 24 at 10 p.m. Et and will be available in the U.S. and most of Spanish-speaking Latin America.
“This is a new welcome challenge for me,” said Ramos, adding: “After spending almost all of my career talking to presidents and politicians, this is a great opportunity to talk, unhurried, with writers and artists about their innermost motivations. It’s truly something personal, for them and for me.”
“I love the chance to reach, through ViX, a brand-new audience in the U.S. and Latin America.
- 4/21/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Prolific TV director Zetna Fuentes (The Gilded Age) is set to helm the film Never Look Back, based on Lilliam Rivera’s 2019 novel of the same name, for 3Pas Studios and Amazon Studios, with Talia Rothenberg (Rebelde) adapting the screenplay.
Never Look Back is a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Now set in the Bronx with a multicultural cast and bumping soundtrack filled with bachata, reggaeton, salsa, and hip-hop, the film is a blend of genres: fantasy, horror, and romance.
Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell will produce for 3Pas Studios, with Jordan Rubio overseeing the project for the company. Chart-topping singer-songwriter Romeo Santos and Artie Pabon will serve as exec producers and music supervisors through the former’s Chimbi Productions. Santos, who is known as the “King of Bachata,” will also have one of his original songs featured in the film.
Rivera is an...
Never Look Back is a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Now set in the Bronx with a multicultural cast and bumping soundtrack filled with bachata, reggaeton, salsa, and hip-hop, the film is a blend of genres: fantasy, horror, and romance.
Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell will produce for 3Pas Studios, with Jordan Rubio overseeing the project for the company. Chart-topping singer-songwriter Romeo Santos and Artie Pabon will serve as exec producers and music supervisors through the former’s Chimbi Productions. Santos, who is known as the “King of Bachata,” will also have one of his original songs featured in the film.
Rivera is an...
- 4/13/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: CAA has signed Eugenio Derbez and his production company 3Pas Studios in all areas.
Derbez is on a hot streak following the announcement of multiple deals: a first-look deal with TelevisaUnivision’s streamer Vix, a development deal with Encantos for kids content, and a re-up of a first-look film deal at Lionsgate, to name a few.
The 3Pas Studios-produced bilingual series Acapulco for Apple TV+ was recently renewed for a second season.
Derbez is an award-winning actor, writer, director, producer, and philanthropist, who, along with former Pantelion Films executive and producer Ben Odell, built 3Pas Studios, a bilingual production company producing English and Spanish language content for global audiences.
3Pas has offices in Los Angeles, Miami, and Mexico City, where they also have its production services arm, Visceral. Composed of 22 employees, the studio services development and production across English and Spanish language movies, scripted and unscripted content, as well...
Derbez is on a hot streak following the announcement of multiple deals: a first-look deal with TelevisaUnivision’s streamer Vix, a development deal with Encantos for kids content, and a re-up of a first-look film deal at Lionsgate, to name a few.
The 3Pas Studios-produced bilingual series Acapulco for Apple TV+ was recently renewed for a second season.
Derbez is an award-winning actor, writer, director, producer, and philanthropist, who, along with former Pantelion Films executive and producer Ben Odell, built 3Pas Studios, a bilingual production company producing English and Spanish language content for global audiences.
3Pas has offices in Los Angeles, Miami, and Mexico City, where they also have its production services arm, Visceral. Composed of 22 employees, the studio services development and production across English and Spanish language movies, scripted and unscripted content, as well...
- 4/6/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Hulu today announced that its original film The Valet, starring Eugenio Derbez (Coda) and Samara Weaving (Nine Perfect Strangers), will premiere globally across Disney’s streaming services on May 20th.
In The Valet, world famous movie star Olivia (Weaving) faces a PR disaster when a paparazzi snaps a photo of her with her married lover, Vincent (Max Greenfield). The hard-working valet Antonio (Derbez) accidentally appears in the same photo and is enlisted to pose as Olivia’s new boyfriend as a cover-up. This ruse with Olivia thrusts Antonio into the spotlight and unexpected chaos. In this fish out of water romantic comedy, two worlds and cultures collide as both Olivia and Antonio start to see themselves more clearly than ever before.
The Valet is an English-language remake of the hit 2006 French film of the same name, which also stars Betsy Brandt, Carmen Salinas Lozano, Amaury Nolasco, Marisol Nichols, Diany Rodriguez,...
In The Valet, world famous movie star Olivia (Weaving) faces a PR disaster when a paparazzi snaps a photo of her with her married lover, Vincent (Max Greenfield). The hard-working valet Antonio (Derbez) accidentally appears in the same photo and is enlisted to pose as Olivia’s new boyfriend as a cover-up. This ruse with Olivia thrusts Antonio into the spotlight and unexpected chaos. In this fish out of water romantic comedy, two worlds and cultures collide as both Olivia and Antonio start to see themselves more clearly than ever before.
The Valet is an English-language remake of the hit 2006 French film of the same name, which also stars Betsy Brandt, Carmen Salinas Lozano, Amaury Nolasco, Marisol Nichols, Diany Rodriguez,...
- 3/31/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
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