The Latest in Latino Entertainment News

‘MacGyver’ going to the big screen!

New Line Cinema is using twine, bubble gum and a pencil to throw “MacGyver” into development as a feature film.

Raffaella De Laurentiis, daughter of Dino De Laurentiis, is producing through her Raffaella Prods. along with Martha De Laurentiis and series creator Lee Zlotoff.

Dino De Laurentiis is exec producing.

“MacGyver” was a science-oriented adventure series that ran from 1985-92 on ABC. Richard Dean Anderson, later of “Stargate: Atlantis” and “SG-1” fame, starred as an incredibly resourceful secret agent for the Phoenix Foundation who frequently would escape from dangerous situations with ingenious and lightning-quick engineering trickery.

Two telefilms starring Anderson aired in the years after the show’s cancellation. The character eventually achieved enough cultural penetration to become a reference for anyone attempting to jury-rig a solution out of household items. “Saturday Night Live” took the concept to the next level with its spoofs “MacGruber,” starring Will Forte.

No writer is attached, but the studio hopes to find a script that can acknowledge how the concept has staked a place into pop culture yet still makes for a serious and fun adventure movie.

“We think we’re a stick of chewing gum, a paper clip and an A-list writer away from a global franchise,” said New Line’s Richard Brener, who will oversee with Sam Brown and Walter Hamada.

Exclusive! 7 scenes from ‘Broken Embraces’!

If you’re a Pedro Almodovar fan or a Penelope Cruz fan, you are in for a treat. We have just obtained 7 exclusive scenes from ‘Broken Embraces’, movie which will be released in the U.S on November 6th, 2009. These scenes tell a bit more than what both the teaser and the theatrical trailers have shown. We don’t see too much of Penelope, rather the secondary actors led by Blanca Portillo and Lluís Homar.

This is Almodovar’s first ‘film noir’. He has gone to extreme measures to make sure the film feels old, yet modern. Many of the scenes are interconnected with a wonderful and magical score that should be one of the best of the year. It really sets a dark and mysterious tone to the whole film. John Huston would be jealous today. To see and read more, check out our comprehensive ‘Broken Embraces’ film page.

Confirmed! Mickey Rourke will be ‘Iron Man 2’

Mickey Rourke has closed his deal to play the Russian villain in “Iron Man 2.”
His involvement was expected, but dealmaking was arduous after Marvel Entertainment offered “The Wrestler” star only $250,000 for his first major studio film in years.More than one option

Rourke’s salary will be now better than that.

While his ICM rep, David Unger, battled for more dough, Rourke’s encounters with “Iron Man” star Robert Downey Jr. on the awards circuit sealed his participation in the film.los

Rourke won the Golden Globe and was Oscar nominated for “The Wrestler” and Downey got Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for “Tropic Thunder,” so Downey used each occasion to recruit Rourke.

When Downey, Rourke as well as actors including Frank Langella and Anne Hathaway took part in a roundtable discussion with Newsweek’s David Ansen, Downey interrupted the proceedings, reached across the table and flat out asked Rourke to do “Iron Man 2.”

Rourke also met with Jon Favreau and scribe Justin Theroux and got to be part of the development of his character. He’ll play Whiplash, a character that includes elements from that comicbook villain and Crimson Dynamo, another Russian baddie.

Marvel wouldn’t confirm Rourke’s involvement, but he’s planning to join Downey, Sam Rockwell and Samuel L. Jackson, with Scarlett Johansson the frontrunner to play the Black Widow.

Juan Antonio Bayona could direct ‘Twilight 3’

Could Summit be going genre with its third “Twilight” pic?

Sources indicate that horror wunderkind — and Guillermo Del Toro protege — Juan Antonio Bayona has emerged as one of the finalists to direct “Eclipse,” the third movie in Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” franchise.

The studio declined to comment; a rep said producers were looking at a number of candidates.

Bayona’s name has come up in recent months, though generally in a group of other directors — an eclectic list that’s ranged from Paul Weitz to Drew Barrymore to James Mangold;earlier today, in fact, a report on the Twilighters fansite reported it would be Paul Weitz.

Many of the other names have been batted down. Bayona’s name, on the other hand, has surfaced more in recent days as the man who could land the job, in what would mark a bold departure for the franchise.

If he does come aboard, the studio would have brought on a female coming-of-age girl director in Catherine Hardwicke for the first “Twilight” picture, a mainstream Hollywood comedy director in Chris Weitz for sequel “New Moon” and a genre maven for the third picture.

 The shift would make sense on a number of levels — “Eclipse,” while continuing the romances and love triangles of previous books, does contain a mystery of unsolved murders that protags Bella and Edward seek to solve. (Notably, Bayona’s debut “The Orphanage” also contained a plotline centering on children who had been killed under mysterious circumstances.) It also features battles between werewolves and vampires that could call for a practiced genre hand.

Bayona, for those who don’t follow foreign horror directors, is a hot property — the 33-year-old Spaniard  who goes mainy by his last name has been championed by  “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Hobbit” director del Toro, who has produced and/or godfathered his work. Bayona received rave reviews for his Spanish-language “Orphanage,’ the Picturehouse-released Gothic tale about childhood and loss that was rife with spooks. He’s currently signed on to direct the dystopian thriller “Hater” for Universal. 

That project was to mark his English-language debut. If he and Summit can make a deal work, he may have some vampires to contend with first.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to direct ‘X’

Spanish helmer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has made a deal with MGM to develop a film based on director Roger Corman’s 1963 pic “X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes,” a movie from the Lion’s library.

The original starred Ray Milland as a scientist who is near a breakthrough in X-ray vision technology when his funding is cut off. Desperate to show results, the doc applies eye drops that eventually cause him to lose control over his growing powers.

Mandeville Films partners David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will produce with Enrique Lopez Lavigne. Lou Arkoff will exec produce.

The director hasn’t committed to a film since “28 Weeks Later.”

Fresnadillo is in Hollywood this week meeting with writers for “X” and is expected to set one quickly.

Javier Bardem to join ‘Cartel’?

Latino Review is reporting that Javier Bardem is in talks to join Sean Penn in Cartel.

The movie would star Penn as a man who journeys to protect his son after his wife is brutally murdered in the gritty world of Mexican cartels.

Bardem would take the role of Rafael Castillo, a wealthy but righteous DA who wants to put the cartels away. Castillo shunned his rich family for the law.

Asger Leth will direct from a script by Peter Craig. The project started as a remake of 1993 Italian film La scorta but has since evolved into an action vehicle for Penn.

Sean Penn vs. Mexicans in ‘Cartel’

Sean Penn is in talks to star in “Cartel,” a drama for Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment.

Asger Leth will direct and Brian Grazer is producing.

Scripted by Peter Craig, the mission movie will follow Ed Marker as he journeys to protect his son after his wife is brutally murdered in the gritty world of Mexican cartels.

The drama took root at Imagine as a remake of 1993 Italian film “La scorta,” which followed four cops’ struggle to guard a special prosecutor trying to bring mob bosses to justice. It evolved into an action vehicle for Penn.

Robert Stone and Webster Stone will exec produce.

Leth makes his dramatic feature directing debut on the film. He previously won a DGA Award for directing the 2006 documentary “Ghosts of Cite Soleil.”

The studio and Imagine want to get the picture into production by summer. Start date won’t be firmed until Penn’s deal is made.

Penn has also been in discussions to star with Naomi Watts in the Doug Liman-directed “Fair Game,” a drama about the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame that landed at Bill Pohlad‘s River Road after Warner Bros. dropped out. Those talks continue.

Imagine is in post-production on the Ron Howard-directed “Angels and Demons,” which Sony releases May 15. Company is also prepping the untitled Robin Hood film to be helmed by Ridley Scott, with Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett starring. Lensing is set to begin April 1 for Universal.