‘Vida’ Creator Tanya Saracho Launches Ojalá Productions
Christine Dávila (Photo: Christine Dávila)
Tanya Saracho is marking her place among TV elites of showrunners and creating her own production company: Ojalá Productions and has hired Saracho hired Christine Dávila, most recently at Warner Bros. content studio Stage 13, to help her run the production studio. Dávila will be the Head of Development and Production for the studio.
Saracho, best known as the creator of Vida, is a champion for diversity for Latinos and LGBTQ+ representation. She is also one of the founders of the Untitled Latinx Project which was established to help increase Latinx representation in television, broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms through content created by Latinx writers.
“It is a dream come true to be able to bring such a talented, energetic and accomplished Latina to help me kick off Ojalá,” Saracho told Deadline. “With Christine’s impeccable taste, undeniable intellect and boundless spirit, the possibilities are endless for us.”
“I’m grateful and truly invigorated to work with such an undeniable voice as Tanya’s,” Dávila said of the producer-writer. “Vida was a game changer and there is a lot more where that came from. She is intentional and unapologetic, and committed to supporting Latinx talent in all aspects of the industry and in the most inclusive way.”
Dávila is a prime pick to work with for Saracho having been a member of the programming teams at the Sundance Film Festival, the LA Film Festival and the Morelia International Film Festival. Dávila was also instrumental in helping Diego Luna (Narcos: Mexico, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Gael García Bernal’s (Coco) with their traveling documentary film festival, Ambulante.
Saracho recently penned an overall deal with UCP (Universal Content Productions) that includes the creation of a lab and program for Latino voices. Since the acclaimed Vida ended its three-season run on Starz, Saracho has remained busy working with musician Johnny Flynn (Stardust) on the Love Story pilot for UCP. The pilot will focus on a different heartbreak each season. The first season will feature a Latinx friendship that is tested when the friends become involved with the same musician.
Saracho is repped by UTA, Writ Large and J.R. McGinnis at Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson.
Rosario Dawson Makes Debut As Key ‘Clone Wars’ Character in ‘The Mandalorian’
Rosario Dawson finally made her debut on The Mandalorian as Jedi Ahsoka Tano.
Ahsoka was a fan favorite from Star Wars: Clone Wars and fans have been eager to meet her in the series since Bo-Katan told Mando (Pedro Pascual) that he would need to track her down. Until now, Ahsoka’s character was only seen as a cartoon and was voiced by Ashley Eckstein (Star Wars: Clone Wars).
This role resulted initially as a Dawson fan-cast for the role on Twitter. Dawson retweeted the fan tweet with immediate interest in the character. Although that’s not how she was ultimately casted for the role, it definitely served as a treat for fans who knew she’d be the perfect Ahsoka.
Dawson was seen most recently as Allegra Dill on Briarpatch and is best known for her roles in Rent, Eagle Eye, The Lego Batman Movie and Clerks II.
She is set to star in HBO Max’s limited-series DMZ, an adaptation of the DC comic book series by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. The series being exec produced and directed by Ava DuVernay. Roberto Pattino is set to write the limited-series as well as exec produce alongside DuVernay.
HBO’s ‘Scenes From A Marriage’ Production Halted Due To Covid-19
Oscar Issac and Jessica Chastain in A Most Violent Year (Photo: A24 Films)
The wait to see Oscar Isaac in HBO’s Scenes From A Marriage may have gotten a little bit longer. The adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s miniseries starring Isaac and Jessica Chastain has been shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The limited series has paused after two production members have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. In order to comply with safety protocols, the two members are in isolation, production is undergoing deep cleaning, contact tracing and testing of all the production members.
Scenes From A Marriage was written and directed by Hagai Levi (Our Boys, The Affair), the series will examine the intricacies of love, marriage and divorce. Isaac and Chastain are set to star as the contemporary American couple that will walk us through these lessons.
Levi is exec producing with Michael Ellenberg (Prometheus, Stoker), Lars Blomgren (The Bridge), Chastain, Isaac, Daniel Bergman, Blair Breard (The Half of It, Baskets) and Amy Herzog (Mary Jane).
This isn’t the first time Isaac and Chastain grace our screens together, they previously starred together in A Most Violent Year.
Eugenio Derbez To Star In Apple TV+ Bilingual Comedy Series ‘Acapulco’
Photo: Lionsgate
Eugenio Derbez is set to star in the TV series Acapulco, a Spanish and English-language comedy that was inspired by his 2017 comedic hit film How to Be A Latin Lover. The series will be on Apple TV+ and will be exec produced by Derbez.
The series was created by Austin Winsberg (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Eduardo Cisneros (Half Brothers, Instructions Not Included) and Jason Shuman (Half Brothers).
Acapulco will follow a young man who lands an amazing gig at the hottest resort in Acapulco who soon finds himself in over his head when the job is more complicated than he expected. The job soon has the young man questioning his beliefs and morals. The show is set in 1984 with Derbez narrating and playing the present-day version of the main character.
Winsberg will serve as showrunner, with Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as co-showrunner. The two will executive produce alongside Derbez and Odell via 3Pas, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum for the Tannenbaum Co. as well as Shuman and Cisneros. The Tannenbaum Co’s Jason Wang co-executive produces. Gaz Alazraki (Nosotros Los Nobles) will direct and executive produce the pilot.
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