Carol Speed Dies: Star Of Blaxploitation Film ‘The Mack’ And Horror Classic ‘Abby’Was 76

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterActors Sherri Shepherd and Jo Marie Payton have joined the feature film “ImPossible” in key roles.The movie, from executive producer and NFL champ Donald Driver, will weave narrative with Brandon Keith Lewis’ real-life diabetes battle. He will star, direct and co-write the film.

Steve Salas, a cofounder of the Los Angeles R&B band Tierra and an activist in Chicano politics, died Thurday morning at age 69, according to his family. Salas had been battling myeloma for two years and recently contracted COVID-19.

EXCLUSIVE: Matthew Modine (Stranger Things, The Dark Knight Rises) is the latest addition to the cast of Christopher Nolan’s anticipated film Oppenheimer for Universal Pictures.

EXCLUSIVE: Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz will co-write and co-direct Spanish Dracula, the true story about how silent film star and Mexican actress Lupita Tovar found a second wind starring in  Spanish language versions of Hollywood films like the Universal classic Dracula. The Weitz Brothers are her grandsons, and they will produce through Depth of Field, along with Pancho Kohner. He is their uncle and author of The Sweetheart of Mexico, a memoir he helped his mother write about her most fascinating life.

EXCLUSIVE: Actor and producer Karrie Martin Lachney signed with Paradigm for representation in all areas.

Luke Bryan has a special surprise in store for him on the opening night of his US tour  - wife Caroline has brought along a new fan.MORE: Luke Bryan receives outpour of love as he shares bittersweet message"Fireball the monkey is ready for opening night!" she captioned a picture of her with a large stuffed monkey that wears a grey sweater with a red hood that reads: "Wild about you."WATCH: Luke Bryan surprised on stage by wife Caroline in sweet videoCaroline was on a private jet with girlfriends as they headed to Las Vegas for the opening night, and she also shared a picture of Luke smoking a cigar and giving Fireball a cuddle."You three have a blast opening night. It is going to be epic," commented one fan as others shared laughing emojis and one wrote: "I absolutely love that you brought him!! You’re awesome!"MORE: Luke Bryan gets fans talking with rare pictureThe Raised Up Right tour kicks off on Friday 11 February in Las Vegas and alongside a teaser image of the upcoming gigs, the American Idol judge wrote: "My favorite place to be is on stage performing to country music fans.

Mom and Dad in Mexico! Darren Criss and his pregnant wife, Mia Criss, enjoyed a tropical babymoon ahead of their first child’s arrival.

DEALSUniversal’s Republic Records has expanded its partnership with K-pop company JYP Entertainment, they having worked together to launch girl group Twice in the US. “We are beyond delighted to move forward with Republic Records”, says JYP CEO Jimmy Jeong, so to develop a “major artist roster” together after “the successful kick-off Twice has brought”.————————————————–APPOINTMENTSUlf Zick has joined Utopia Music as Chief Marketing Officer.

New York University’s Clive Davis Institute has introduced its first-ever course on Taylor Swift, which launched on Jan. 26 and continues through March 9.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorAmazon Prime Video has acquired the North American and Latin American rights to Anthony Nardolillo’s “7th & Union,” starring Mexican actor/comedian Omar Chaparro (“Pokemon: Detective Pikachu,” “Stuck”). Grandave Intl.

Vivienne Chow Leading Hollywood screenwriters Bruce McKenna and John Fusco have been tapped by U.S-based Inspire Studios to write two Asian-themed war features. One will go into production this year, the other in 2023, Variety has learned.McKenna, who co-wrote and co-produced the Emmy-winning mini-series “The Pacific,” and wrote part of “Band of Brothers,” is attached to the company’s debut release, Filipino-Hollywood feature “Angel Warrior” as scriptwriter.

MEXICO CITY -- Argentine singer-songwriter Diego Verdaguer, whose romantic hits such as “Corazón de papel,” “Yo te amo” and “Volveré” sold almost 50 million copies, has died of complications from COVID-19, his family said Friday. He was 70.The naturalized Mexican-Argentine musician, who was married to singer Amanda Miguel, died Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles, his daughter Ana Victoria said in a statement released by Diam Music, Verdaguer’s record company.“With absolute sadness, I regret to inform his fans and friends that today my father left his beautiful body to continue his path and creativity in another form of eternal life,” said his daughter.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Season 4 of “Ozark.”“Ozark” fans saw Javier “Javi” Elizondro blow away newlyweds Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery) and Wyatt Langmore (Charlie Tahan) with two shotgun blasts in Episode 7 of the drama’s final season on Netflix.That wasn’t quite the wedding gift anyone expected, but Alfonso Herrera, who plays Javi, says there are other layers to the ambitious, calculating nephew of Mexican cartel kingpin Omar Navarro (Felix Solis) — who knows his nephew has him in his deadly sights.“When I first got the script, and even when I got my lines for the audition, I saw something very interesting about Javi,” Herrera, 38, told The Post. “He likes to enjoy life, to be in the present with the birds or when he’s having dinner or talking to someone.”Viewers met Javi this season as Marty and Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman, Laura Linney) inextricably aligned themselves with Novarro, who tasks them with a scheme to “launder” him through the FBI so he can travel freely between Mexico and the US without fear of being arrested.

Lisa Kennedy Every now and again, a documentary filmmaker finds a bona fide star to pin the meaning of her film on, a figure so compelling she leaves a comet trail of thoughts and feelings after the movie’s end. Isabel Castro’s “Mija” boasts two: music manager Doris Muñoz and singer Jacks Haupt. Make that three, including the writer-director herself.