News

I remember when there was such a profound lack of Latinx representation in Hollywood that even seeing our beloved Jennifer Lopez playing a Latina maid in "Maid in Manhattan" felt like progress - compared to films in which we were portrayed as sexpots, gang members, or drug lords. For years, Hollywood has perpetuated harmful stereotypes of Latinx communities, and this failure to humanize Latinxs in mainstream media, film, and television directly impacts the way we are treated by society. While recent years have seen more positive portrayals in Hollywood, it's been slow.

As a result, we as a community have found ourselves at times overly critical of Latinx films or series; we're often quick to dismiss or cancel certain stories because they didn't get everything right. And while the criticism is often valid - like how Lin-Manuel Miranda's film adaptation of "In The Heights" failed to fully depict the...

HBO Max has given a series order to the family-friendly comedy “Gordita Chronicles” that hails from Sony Pictures TV, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Osprey Productions.

The Latino-focused series stars Diana-Maria Riva, Juan Javier Cardenas and Olivia Goncalves (“Scooter McGruder”).

Claudia Forestieri, wrote the pilot and Eva Longoria directed. Longoria will serve as an executive producer for her Unbelievable Entertainment banner, and Forestieri also executive produces.

“We are thrilled to partner with Zoe, Eva, Josh and Sony Pictures Television to bring to life this beautiful coming-of-age story inspired by Claudia’s personal journey,” said Jennifer O’Connell, executive VP, non-fiction and live-action family programming, HBO Max. “HBO Max is proud to work with the powerhouse Latinx talent in front of and behind the camera for this series, which we believe will resonate with all families,” added Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max.

Per the logline, “Gordita Chronicles” centers on a willful,...

In today’s TV news roundup, Amazon Prime Video released the premiere date and trailer for “Frank of Ireland,” and TV One released a clip from the upcoming season of “Unsung.”

Casting

HBO Max has announced the cast for the upcoming comedy pilot “The Gordita Chronicles” from Sony Pictures Television. The family comedy is about a willful, 12-year-old Dominican girl Cucu (Olivia Goncalves) who struggles to fit into hedonistic 1980s Miami as her family pursues the American dream. The cast will also include: Diana Maria Riva as as “Adela,” Cucu’s mom; Juan Javier Cardenas as “Victor Castelli,” Cucu’s dad; Savannah Nicole Ruiz as “Emilia,” Cucu’s older sister; Noah Rico (“High School Musical: The Musical”) as “Yosmel ‘Yoshy’ Hernandez,” a Cuban refugee and Cucu’s first friend in Miami.

Dates

Amazon released the premiere date and trailer for the upcoming comedy series “Frank of Ireland,” which will begin...

HBO Max has added Diana Maria Riva, Juan Javier Cardenas and more to the cast of its upcoming family comedy pilot The Gordita Chronicles, from Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Sony Pictures TV. Also joining the cast are Savannah Nicole Ruiz, Noah Rico and Cosette Hauer.

They join newcomer Olivia Goncalves, who will lead the comedy written by Claudia Forestieri and directed by Eva Longoria.

The Gordita Chronicles centers on Carlota “Cucu” Castelli (Goncalves), a willful 12-year-old Dominican immigrant with a heart of gold. Cucu leaves her home and her parochial school in Santo Domingo to live in Miami and pursue the American Dream during the hedonistic 1980s after her father, a marketing executive with a large airline, gets transferred there. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

Riva will appear as Adela,...