I recently had a nice interview with the folks over at Deep Red Press about my photography. We talked about my process on set as an actor and photographer. Head over to their website and take a look at some of my work. You won’t be disappointed.
Spike in Demand for ‘Narcos’ Seen as Season 4 Launch Nears
MEDIA PLAY NEWS / Wednesday, October 10, 2018 Thomas K. Arnold
The Netflix original series “Narcos,” produced for the streaming giant by the French film company Gaumont, currently ranks as the fifth most in-demand digital original series in the world for 2018, Parrot Analytics announced Oct. 8.
Further, anticipation for the upcoming fourth season of the drama series is driving demand beyond that of any previous season’s debut.
According to Parrot Analytics’ most recent data, U.S. demand for “Narcos: Mexico” (season 4) is accelerating ahead of its Nov. 16 release. Comparing pre-release demand data for season 3 with season 4 over the same 30-day period ahead of launch, Parrot Analytics has found that audience demand for the forthcoming season is on average 318% greater.
Parrot Analytics used a proprietary metric call Demand Expressions to measure global demand for TV content through a wide variety of data sources, including video streaming, social media activity, photo sharing, blogging, commenting on fan and critic rating platforms, and downloading and streaming via peer-to-peer protocols and file sharing sites.
A “digital original” is described as a multi-episode series in which the most recent season was first made available on a streaming platform such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
“We have every indication that the upcoming ‘Narcos: Mexico’ will be the most popular yet,” said Courtney Williams, European regional director for Parrot Analytics. “The release of the trailer for the new season served to super-charge interest and we have seen a considerable spike in demand.
Gaumont retained Parrot Analytics last year to quantify cross-platform, country-specific audience demand for its roster of established and new television shows and has recently renewed their agreement with company for another year.
The first two seasons of “Narcos” were set and filmed in Colombia and were based on the story of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who became a billionaire through the production and distribution of cocaine. The two seasons also focused on Escobar’s interactions with drug lords, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, and various rival drug gangs. Season three picks up after the fall of Escobar and continues to follow the DEA as they try to shut down the rise of the infamous Cali Cartel.
On July 18, 2018, the directors announced that the fourth season would instead “reset” as a new Netflix original series, titled Narcos: Mexico, set in Mexico in the 1980s.
Formed in 1895, Gaumont says it is the first and oldest film company in the world, with offices in Paris and Los Angeles. In the past few years, the company’s release schedule has continued to increase across film and television production, in both the French and English languages.
The film library now encompasses over 1,100 titles, including films from such directors as Luc Besson, Matthieu Kassovitz, Francis Veber, Jean-Jacques Beineix, Federico Fellini, Maurice Pialat, Jean-Luc Godard and, most recently, Toledano and Nakache for The Intouchables, the highest-grossing French-language movie ever with more than $450 million in revenues to date.
Gaumont also produces and distributes TV programming worldwide. Key drama series include “Narcos” for Netflix; the critically acclaimed “Hannibal”; winner of “Best Series” (Festival of Fiction TV); “The Frozen Dead”; “The Art of Crime”; and “Nox.”
https://www.mediaplaynews.com/spike-in-demand-for-narcos-seen-as-season-4-launch-nears/
EXPANDING THE CARTEL by Olly Richards
EMPIRE MAGAZINE
‘Narcos’ Showrunner Reveals Key Cast Members Joining Season 4
MAY 17, 2018
Speaking to Variety at the LA Screenings, “Narcos” showrunner-executive producer Eric Newman revealed the names of key cast members of the upcoming fourth season of Netflix’s global hit series. The much-anticipated season, shot on location in Mexico, is likely to be released in the fall like past seasons.
The previously announced leads, Diego Luna and Michael Pena, head a cast that includes Tenoch Huerta (“Spectre”), Joaquin Cosio (“Quantum of Solace”), Jose Maria Yazpik (who starred in Season 3), Mexican-American thesp Teresa Ruiz (“The Last Ship”), and American actress Alyssa Diaz (“Red Dawn”).
“Narcos” Season 4 has also enlisted award-winning Mexican helmers including Amat Escalante, who won the Silver Lion Best Director award at Venice 2016 with his sci-fi drama “The Untamed,” and Alonso Ruizpalacios, whose “Museum” won the Silver Bear in Berlin.
Colombian director Andi Baiz, who helmed several episodes of the first three seasons shot in Colombia, has also directed some episodes of Season 4, which remains in production. Baiz is a partner in the Colombian company that provided production services to the first three “Narcos” seasons, Dynamo.
Seasoned Mexican producer Stacy Perskie of Redrum, whose high-profile credits include “Elysium” and “Spectre” and the upcoming “Godzilla: King of Monsters” and “Bel Canto,” provided production services in Mexico.
Newman admitted that the show has had to enlist more security in Mexico, given the unfortunate start to the production in September when a location scout, Carlos Muñoz Portal, was killed while checking out a site. “They suspect that he may have stumbled upon a crime,” said Newman, who says that the mystery behind the murder has not been solved.
In staging action scenes, most of which involve the use of firearms, they have followed the same standards and practices as they did in Colombia, he said.
Newman had originally developed “Narcos” as a movie for some 10 years before he pitched it to Netflix, which suggested a series. Together with co-executive producer Jose Padilha, his movie idea became the series that it is today. Newman was a producer on Padilha’s “Robocop.”
Aside from “Narcos,” Newman is currently working on the sequel to Will Smith-toplined Netflix feature, “Bright.”
Newman and Bryan Unkeless, his partner in their newly launched company, Screen Arcade, recently inked a multiyear first-look deal with Netflix. Gaumont is offering linear broadcasting rights to “Narcos” at the LA Screenings.
Link to article: https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/narcos-cast-season-4-tenoch-huerta-joaquin-cosio-1202814294/
Eric Newman
Executive Producer of NARCOS
ROSE feature mentioned in ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY.
Nice to recently see ROSE feature film mentioned in the Entertainment Weekly magazine. Cybill Shepherd stars in the film alongside James Brolin and Pam Grier, the film is directed by Rod McCall. I had the pleasure of working with her and sharing every one of my scenes with the feisty star. We spent a lot of time talking in between set ups and takes about dogs, her kids, my kids and her love affair with Elvis Presley. I enjoyed every story she was willing to share.
Here we are sharing stories with each other as we are about to shoot another car scene.
Director Rod McCall takes a moment in between set ups during our chapel scene.
THE BIG SCREEN PODCAST : SUPPORTING SICARIO.
I had fun talking to Stephen Becker (KERA producer) and Chris Vognar (film critic of THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS) on their show THE BIG SCREEN about Denis Villeneuve's film SICARIO starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin. Take a listen to our small conversation. The film is showing in selected markets and will open nationwide on Oct. 2nd.
In Sicario, members of an elite U.S. taskforce cross the border into Mexico in search of a drug kingpin. The movie stars Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt among others. This week, we talk with Benbrook actor Julio Cesar Cedillo about the pivotal scene he shot with Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro.
PHOTO BY RICHARD FOREMAN
USA Film Festival presents a special advanced screening of SICARIO Wednesday Sept. 16th.
I just wanted to remind everyone about the advanced screening of SICARIO one of the most anticipated films for 2015. The Rolling Stone describes it as "the most gripping and tension-packed spin through America's covert war on drugs since Steven Soderbergh's TRAFFIC 15 years ago." Richard Roeper of the Chicago Times after seeing the film at THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL hails Benicio Del Toro's performance as "to rival his Oscar winning work in TRAFFIC!"
I was fortunate enough to have seen the film this past June at the Lionsgate screening room in Santa Monica. I was invited by Trent Luckinbill, one of the producers of Sicario. He was kind enough to include me in on a screening by the Lionsgate marketing team.
Even though I read the entire script and knew that some things would change within the script (most films on average never stick exactly to what's written) and I knew the tone and feel of the film...it still kept me on edge and tension was thick. This is a very smart approach by our director as he maneuvered through this genre with the masterful cinematographer, Roger Deakins. The actors also executed every note with full intensity. What I did notice was how Benicio's dialogue was reduced to a minimum compared to the original script. But it serves the script well. Show me more and tell me less is employed here creating mystery filled with a dark vagueness...exactly what the drug war experience invokes.
I am a huge fan of Ann Alexander, the managing director of the USA FILM FESTIVAL. She has hosted several films I've been a part of, the most recent one was FRONTERA starring Ed Harris, Michael Peña and Eva Longoria. So when she reached out to invite me as a special guest I said yes of course. However I had to remind her that even though I'm the cartel boss they're hunting down through the whole film...I only have one scene...great scene...but nonetheless only one scene. So I will be attending the screening in support of Ann and the great folks over at THE USA FILM FESTIVAL, not as a self absorbed actor.
Come on out and join us. Tickets are available at the USA FILM FESTIVAL office at (214)821-6300 or at www.usafilmfestival.com
Thanks!
THE AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES "THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA."
A unique moment for us to reminisce about the making of one of the most important films in my life. I shared the stage with some of the hardest working guys in Texas, our Assistant Director, Phil Hardage, Eric A. Williams (Line Producer for THREE BURIALS & executive producer of FRONTERA), Larry Madaras (assistant editor of THE HOMESMAN, and THE THREE BURIALS. Editor for FRONTERA), and of course our director, TOMMY LEE JONES.
This special reunion was held last year but now made available to watch.
Click on the play button to enjoy this very special event.
LA FILM FEST 2015 REVIEW : POCHA.
Another great review of our film POCHA. Click on the black labeled button to go directly to the review or just read it directly below. THANKS.
America has long been viewed as a refuge, replete with a melting pot of cultural identities and origins; but despite how things may seem, such a concept is still an unattainable luxury for some. Director Michael Dwyer and writer Kaitlin McLaughlin explore the harsh reality of this ideal and what happens when both sides of your heritage don’t want you in Pocha (Manifest Destiny). A powerful script, exceptional performances and haunting score are only some of the elements that make the film an unbelievable experience.
The film follows Claudia (Veronica Sixtos), a 22-year-old Mexican woman raised in the US. She is arrested for credit card fraud and deported to her “homeland” of Mexico. Speaking no Spanish and not knowing anyone who can help her, she goes to her father Andres’ (Julio César Cedillo) cattle ranch where he lives with her grandmother, Lita (María del Carmen Farías). Working with her father’s ranch hands, she meets Ricky (Roberto Urbina), a smuggler who offers her a chance to return home and make some money helping him out on a few of his runs.
Sixtos as Claudia delivers a chillingly brilliant performance. A true fish out of water, she plays much of the film with only her body language and facial expressions. Her costars do most of the talking, wonderfully enhancing her alienation and solitude. This is an amazing foil for co-star Cedillo – playing Sixtos’ father Andres, he perfectly exudes the rugged, chiseled facade of a man who’s had to work hard for everything he’s received in life. A lesson he tries to teach to Claudia throughout the film is that nothing comes easily, which she frequently, at times unwillingly, rejects. On the opposite spectrum of Cedillo, is Urbina’s Ricky, who is every bit as slimy as his eerily perfect smile.
Dwyer and McLaughlin’s work on the picture is a smart cohesion of influences which make up a visually stunning, singular whole. The cold electronic score a la John Carpenter collides with the claustrophobic, but rich look of Roger Deakins’ photography on No Country For Old Men. Sweeping landscapes are beautifully used, and they contrast against the lay of the land, as rough and unforgiving as life itself is something wonderfully portrayed in the film. The nighttime sequences are dark while daytime settings are sometimes overexposed. A wonderful moment catches Claudia and her father riding on horse back with a landscape behind them that is washed out on one side and vibrant on the other.
When all is said and done, the unforgiving ending is something you just can’t walk away from and simply brush off. Claudia’s attempts to manipulate those around her or to sway the occurrence of things offer a refreshingly exciting take on a moral tale. As an audience, we get a sense of where the story will go, but how we arrive there is grueling and intense. Pocha (Manifest Destiny) is an amazing film that explores the collision of cultural identities and what happens when the American Dream collapses or turns out to be a cruel pipe dream. Pocha, a slang term for a Mexican person who speaks little to no Spanish, originates from “pocho,” a term for rotten fruit. Is Claudia a bad apple for thinking of herself first? Are her means to an end justified? These questions rage on long after the film has ended. What the film does best is continue a necessary and frequent debate, particularly for those who feel disconnected from their family’s culture.
GREAT INTERVIEW WITH POCHA FILM DIRECTORS.
Check out this interview with Michael Dwyer (cinematographer and director) and Kait McLaughlin (screenwriter and co-director) from the award-winning film POCHA.
Click on the play button to hear the interview or scroll through.
POCHA WINS BIG AT THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL.
Pocha won two great awards at the 2015 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL. It won the AUDIENCE AWARD for BEST FICTION & A SPECIAL JURY AWARD for BEST DIRECTION. The premiere was completely sold out to the point where people were waiting in the rush line to see if any tickets were left over from anyone who pre-purchased a ticket and didn't show up.
We had an exciting crowd and tons of questions from the audience. The film looks so beautiful thanks to our director who also photographed the film. It hits all the vibrant colors of an epic western. And the sound design is flawless and masterful...it doesn't hurt that we had the Warner Brothers sound designers from TOMMY LEE JONES' films THE HOMESMAN and THE THREE BURIALS behind it. The music is superbly scored and unexpected choices bring the scenes to another level.
I am so proud of this cast and crew. You can see the actors pouring their hearts into every frame of the film. All their fears and joys displayed like a beautiful composition, hitting all the right notes. Michael Dwyer (our D.P. and director) and Kait McLaughlin (screenwriter & co-director) stayed true to their vision and nurtured this film to life.
Thank you Jesse Garcia for bringing me into this film along with the other great cast members you helped select.
Can't wait for everyone to see the film soon. POCHA will move on to other festivals as we hope to win more awards. AND DON'T FORGET TO CLICK BELOW TO LIKE THE FILM ON FACEBOOK!
Partial cast of POCHA.
Michael Dywer (Our director & cinematographer)
Our screenwriter, Kait McLaughlin answers questions from the audience.
Jaime Jimenez, Jorge A. Jimenez, Roberto Urbina, and Julio César Cedillo.
SICARIO -- OFFICIAL TRAILER IS RELEASED
One of our producers of SICARIO got me into a special screening of the film this past Thursday. I can't say much but brace yourselves...it keeps you on the edge of your seat! Enjoy the trailer.
LITTLE BOY by METANOIA FILMS.
Grab a DVD copy of this film as soon as it becomes available. Metanoia Films produces this family film and is directed by Alejandro Monteverde. I was fortunate enough to have worked with my good friend Alonso Alvarez Barreda on THE FINDING, a short film that Metanoia Films produced. The film company has a strong producing and writing team with Leo Severino, Eduardo Verástegui, Pepe Portillo & Alejandro Monteverde.
LITTLE BOY has a stellar cast with Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Rapaport, Kevin James and the young lead Jakob Salvati. Jakob is amazing and he steals the show. The film is about the capacity to love big, dream big, to forgive big and to do great things with your life.
Here we are on location in Tampico, Mexico for THE FINDING discussing our scene. Alejandro is on the far right and Alonso is wearing the light blue cap.
You can watch our short here (http://julioactor.com/the-finding/).
DESCRIPTION
An eight-year-old boy is willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II so he can bring his father home. The story reveals the indescribable love a father has for his little boy and the love a son has for his father.
POCHA Trailer unveils for the 2015 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL.
The first feature film trailer for Pocha is finally here! I've been looking forward to sharing this with everyone since I had the privilege of seeing it before it became public. This film is a labor of love for our director, Michael Dwyer, screenwriter, Kait McLaughlin, producer, Alicia Dwyer and the rest of the producing team along with countless people who shared a love for the story. I was brought in by Jesse Garcia, executive producer for Pocha. This film was beautifully crafted and supported by an amazing crew. You are nothing without a caring crew.
Hope you enjoy the trailer!
Please share with everyone.
SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT
- #PochaMovie is our official hashtag, and #LAFilmFest is the official hashtag for the festival
- Our Twitter and Instagram handles are both @pochamovie. They need some love, so follow us.
- Link for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pocha-Manifest-Destiny/421452998027666?fref=ts
- Link to buy tickets (which is also accessible on the Facebook page): bit.ly/1IP2zvm
POCHA CREW
VARIETY CANNES REVIEW: SICARIO "an impeccably well-crafted film."
In a terrific performance that recalls the steely ferocity of Jodie Foster in “The Silence of the Lambs” and Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty,” Emily Blunt stars here as Kate Macer, an FBI field agent.
