Today’s Deadline article, https://deadline.com/2021/09/hispanics-latinos-marginalized-popular-movies-usc-annenberg-report-1234833808/, covered the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative which noted the Hispanic representation in film right at Hispanic Heritage Month. I did not see specific films that did have Latino actors. In The Heights is a film that celebrates Hispanic people, but was ignored by that audience and really the rest of audiences. If you don’t support such films, then studios won’t make them. It featured a screenplay by Quiara Alegria Hudes and starred Anthony Ramos, he’s currently filming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and A Star Is Born (2018). The other lead is Melissa Barrera, born in Mexico and has strong Mexican television credits. In the cast was also Jimmy Smits, his mother is Puerto Rican, he played Bail Organa in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and the Star Wars prequels, he was also in the David Ayer crime drama, Tax Collector (2020). Lin Manuel Miranda, represents Puerto Rico, created the musical, has a supporting part in the film, also starred in Mary Poppins Returns (2018), and has songs featured in the animated film, Encanto, set for release on November 24th. He is directing tick, tick…Boom!, his first film.
Other films: Patricia Velasquez, born in Venezuela, starred in Malignant, also The Curse of La Llorona (2019), and the Mummy movies. Daniela Melchior, Hispanic, born in Portugal, was in The Suicide Squad. Morena Baccarin, Brazilian descent, was in the Deadpool films, the Gotham television series, the Greenland (2020) film which is getting a sequel, of course Firefly, and the recent V series. Eiza Gonzalez, Mexican heritage, was in Godzilla vs. Kong, Bloodshot (2020), and Baby Driver (2017). Demian Bichir from Mexico City, also in Godzilla vs. Kong, the remake of The Grudge (2020), and Alien: Covenant (2017). One of the co-stars of Blade Runner 2049 (2017) is Ana de Armas, born in Cuba, also starring in the Eli Roth thriller film, Knock Knock (2015), and she will be in the upcoming Bond film, No Time to Die. Reprising his role in the sequel is Edward James Olmos, he is of Mexican descent and very active in the community, he was in the series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and of course well known for the recent Battlestar Galactica as Admiral Adama.
Michael Pena, was in this year’s Tom & Jerry, also Fantasy Island (2020), Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019), and of course the Ant-Man films. Let’s focus on the Dora film; the lead was played by Isabela Merced, her mother is Peruvian, she was also in Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) and Transformers: The Last Knight (2017). Her mother was played by Eva Longoria, a Mexican-American actress and one of the strongest voices for the Latinx community, she is known for her breakout role in Desperate Housewives. Benicio Del Toro voiced Swiper, Swiper!, no swiping!, he is of course known for playing The Collector who was in an episode of What If…?, Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and the Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). He of course starred with Merced in Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). The Dora film also starred Mexican writer, director, and actor, Eugenio Derbez, he was in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018), Geostorm (2017), and the comedy How to Be a Latin Lover (2017). We also have Cuban-American singer, Camilla Cabello, stars in this year's Amazon Prime film, Cinderella.
Melissa Collazo has Puerto Rican parents, starred in Freaky (2020) and the CW Swamp Thing (2019), and Stranger Things. In television, there is Danny Ramirez, he is of Colombian and Mexican descent, born in Chicago, is in Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Joachim Torres, he will be in Top Gun: Maverick. Selena Anduze, who is from the US Virgin Islands, starred in WandaVision as Agent Rodriguez, also Swamp Thing, and had a cameo in Venom (2018). Erik Valdez, his father is of Spanish and Mexican descent, is featured in Superman and Lois. Inde Navarrette, who has a Latino father, is also in Superman and Lois. The characters don’t stray from their Latino roots, but the name of Valdez’s character is Kyle Cushing. There is a planned HBO Max series that has a Hispanic main character, Blue Beetle, that will star Jahmil French, his background is Hispanic, Native American, and African American. I’m currently watching the recent Fantasy Island, it stars Roselyn Sanchez, born in Puerto Rico, she was also in Rush Hour 2 (2001) and the action movie, Act of Valor (2012).
I found that most of what I watch does have Hispanic actors, there are certain films like In The Heights, it had a weak box office of $43.9 million with a budget of $55 million and then Dora and the Lost City of Gold was more successful with a $119.7 million box office and a $49 million budget. Both were previous franchises, maybe musicals are not a strong interest to the Hispanic audience, I recall the movie Zoot Suit (1981), and of course, West Side Story (1961) with an upcoming Steven Spielberg directed West Side Story, set for a December 10th release. The actress playing Maria, Rachel Zegler, she has a Colombian mother, is already a breakout star in her first film. She’s next in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, for 2023, and playing the lead in the live action Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The legendary Rita Moreno from the 1961 original film returns to this year’s version. She was in the recent One Day at a Time series. Will West Side Story have a stronger box office than In The Heights? Possibly with a change in the current situation? I also find that in terms of representation, DC films and television have an edge of Marvel movies. These are the talented Hispanic filmmakers, to support them and the community, it is important to watch their films and television work!
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