Latin Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Anna Marie de la Fuente Gato Grande, an Amazon MGM Studios company, has upped Megan Espinoza and Moises Amsel to the positions of VPs of Film & TV Development in the company’s newly-launched English-language division. Espinoza and Amsel will assume responsibility for the daily operations of the new unit, focusing on the creation of original intellectual property in English for both TV and film, sourced from Latin American IP.

Fleur East has introduced her beautiful newborn girl to the world and revealed her unusual name as Nova, delighting fans with the true, innocent meaning behind the moniker. The Latin unisex name Nova beautifully means 'new' according to MummysPages, and has links to the 'solar system.' Little star-in-the-making, Nova, who was born on March 22, made her grand arrival with an unexpected amount of drama thrown in.

Shakira decided to surprise fans with a concert. Hosted in Times Square, New York, Shakira made the show’s announcement on social media, surprising her followers and inspiring a rush of movement to the location. Shakira is playing a free surprise concert in Times Square TONIGHT!Shakira goes on a dinner date with Lucien Laviscount after her surprise concert in Times SquareA post shared by Billboard Latin (@billboardlatin)Shakira’s show kicked off at 7:15 and lasted for around half an hour, performing some of her biggest hits, including “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Te Felicito”, “TQM”, “Cómo Dónde y Cuándo” and “Puntería.” She closed out the show with one of her most succesful songs of all time, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol.

Shakira played a free pop-up show in front of a huge crowd in New York’s Times Square last night (March 26).The Colombian star only announced the show on her social media channels hours before the show. By the time she took to the TSX Stage, around 40,000 fans had flocked to the square.Opening the show with her 2006 smash ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, she went on to feature a number of tracks from her recently-released album ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran’, including ‘Te Felicito’, ‘TQG’, ‘Como Donde y Cuando’ and ‘Punteria’.

Nothing says Easter tentpole quite like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire which is set to conquer the world with a box office debut around $135M, bolstered by 63 foreign markets and 3,850 theaters stateside.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Dahomey,” the Berlinale Golden Bear-winning film helmed by French-Senegalese director Mati Diop, has been sold to a raft of international territories by Les Films du Losange. Along with being acquired by Mubi in key markets, “Dahomey” has been acquired in Australia & New Zealand (Rialto), China (Hugoeast), Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Nitrato Filmes), Greece (One From the Heart), Scandinavia (NonStop Entertainement), Benelux (Cinéart), Bulgaria (Beta Films), Ex-Yugoslavia (Discovery), Hungary (Mozinet), Czech Republic (Film Europe), Romania (Voodoo), Baltic Countries (Taip Toliau), Poland (New Horizons), Ukraine (Kyivmusicfilm), Taiwan (Joint Entertainment), Indonesia (PT Falcon) and Sudu Connexion in Africa.

Thania Garcia Teddy Swims, the singer-songwriter behind “Lose Control,” has signed a new global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. The RIAA platinum-certified single “Lose Control” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the latest tracking week after spending 32 weeks on the chart.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Macu Machín’s “La Hojarasca” (“The Undergrowth”) took home the top MiradaCanaria prize at the 17thMiradasDoc, which ran March 15-22 in Tenerife, Spain. Produced by El Viaje Films, Machin’s debut feature has been picking up accolades since its world premiere at Berlinale’s Forum, snagging Best Spanish Picture and director at the Malaga Film Festival’s Zonazine, a sidebar for edgier and sometimes smaller pics.

EXCLUSIVE: Kaiwi Lyman is producing and starring in a romantic drama film out of Brazil.

Thania Garcia On her first album in seven years, Shakira is focused on her evolution. The singer solidified herself as a pillar of international pop stardom, propelled by her English-language debut “Laundry Service,” in 2001, and in her freshly-released “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” she makes a grand re-entrance into society after what she’s openly called the “darkest hours” of her life, ones defined by the tabloid gossip surrounding her finances and very public breakup with soccer player Gerard Piqué.

Thania Garcia Anitta has set a release date for “Funk Generation,” her first full-length studio effort under Republic Records and Universal Music Latin Entertainment. The album is slated for April 26. “’Funk Generation’ is an album where I celebrate my roots,” Anitta said about the incoming record.

Charis McGowan Before her ninth and final headlining show in Buenos Aires’ Movistar Arena last week, Argentine singer-rapper Nicki Nicole offered everyone in her dressing room a drink — of maté herbal tea. Speaking fast and eagerly (which she later apologized for), she said, “Ah, but if maté is too sour for you, you should try terere — you’d love that, it’s so refreshing!” This sort of dorky openness puts everyone around her at ease, earning her a reputation for being humble and approachable despite her status as one of Latin America’s most in-demand Gen-Z stars and singer-songwriters. Since releasing her third album “Alma” last May, Nicole has earned three RIAA-certified plaques for singles including “8 AM” with Young Miko, “Dispara***” with Milo J, and “que le pasa conmigo” with Rels B.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Pocket FM, a fast-growing audio entertainment startup based in India, said it banked $103 million in Series D funding as it looks to boost its presence in the U.S. and expand into Europe and Latin America. The round — which brings Pocket FM’s total funding to date to $196.5 million — was led by previous investor Lightspeed Ventures with participation from StepStone Group.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Paramount+ has boarded “Zorro” (working title), an adventure series starring Jean Dujardin, the Oscar-winning actor of “The Artist,” as the iconic character of Diego de la Vega. Created by Benjamin Charbit (“Gagarine”) and Noé Debré (“Dheepan”), the anticipated show was bought by Paramount+ for France, the U.K., Italy, Germany and Latin America. In the eight-part series, Dujardin stars opposite well-known Italian comedian Salvatore Ficarra, and French actors, including Audrey Dana, André Dussollier, Eric Elmosnino and Grégory Gadebois.

Eiza González is opening up about her experience as a Latin woman in Hollywood and how preconceived notions have made her booking roles a challenge.

Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios is enjoying her time on tour before passing down the crown to the next winner in September. The tour began in Miami, Florida, and she will next head to Asia.

Rosalía is feeling thankful on the second anniversary of her third studio album, “Motomami.” Released on March 18, 2022, through Columbia Records, the 16-track album was critically acclaimed and won multiple records. “I put my heart, mind, soul, voice, and whole body into this project, and you received it as you receive the love of your life at the airport,” she wrote in Spanish on Instagram.A post shared by LA ROSALÍA (@rosalia.vt)The singer shared a gallery of photos from the iconic era of styling, music video days, and development.

Thania Garcia The rise of música Mexicana has been one of the more unexpected movements in the music world: While it was the fastest-growing Latin subgenre of 2023, per research data company Luminate, the genre is centuries old, and rooted in traditional guitar-based melodies that many of música Mexicana’s most promising young artists — including Peso Pluma, Eslabon Armado, Xavi, Ivan Cornejo, Yahritza Y Su Esencia and Conexión Divina — likely first heard coming out of their parents’ stereos. Except for Peso, all of those artists have something else in common, a rarity in regional Mexican music: female managers. The California-based quartet Eslabon Armado, whose smash duet with Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola,” became the first song in the genre’s history to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 (and was Variety’s Hitmakers No.

Thania Garcia Reggaeton artist Feid and Mexican music pioneer Peso Pluma are in the lead as the most nominated artists at the Latin American Music Awards, Univision has revealed. They top the list with 12 nominations each followed by Bad Bunny and Grupo Frontera, with 11 nominations each. The awards show will be hosted by Latin pop phenom Thalia, along with presenter Alejandra Espinoza, and singer-songwriter and television personality Carlos Ponce.

David Guetta and Jessica Ledon are officially parents!

Thania Garcia BMI recognized the best Latin songwriters and publishers for its 31st annual BMI Latin Awards in Beverly Hills on March 13. Horacio Palencia — best known for his work with música Mexicana hitmakers Banda MS, Banda El Recodo, Carin León, Christian Nodal and more — took home the BMI President’s Award.

UK distributor-producer Signature Entertainment has set plans to acquire Latin American production and distribution company Particular Crowd. 

Anna Marie de la Fuente Gato Grande, an Amazon MGM Studios company, has unveiled the next project from its recently launched English-language division: mystery satire “Miami Spice.” Cuban-American showrunner Art Alamo, best known for his work on “Law & Order,” will be writing and producing “Miami Spice,” which is based on the novel “Mango, Mambo and Murder” from author Raquel V. Reyes’ lauded Caribbean Kitchen Mystery book series.

Earl Spencer, brother to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has opened up about his childhood trauma in his latest memoir. He admitted that he was sexually abused by a female staff member at boarding school during his younger years.

Thania Garcia Before Charli XCX took the stage at Billboard’s Women in Music Awards on March 6, the Grammy-nominated singer prefaced that her heart was beating “really, really fast.” Performing an unreleased song called “So I,” presumably a track for her new album “Brat,” Charli said: “This song is about someone really, really special to me who is no longer with us,” and launched into singing a song that references her late collaborator Sophie’s 2017 track “It’s Okay To Cry,” with the lyrics revealing Charli’s grief: “You would say ‘C’mon stay for dinner’ / I’d say ‘No, I’m fine (Now I really wish I stayed).'” Sophie died at the age of 34 in 2021 after she accidentally slipped and fell. Charli and Sophie worked together on various songs, including Charli’s “Vroom Vroom.” Sophie was best known for her solo work, specifically her 2018 album, “Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides.” After completing her performance, Charli accepted the award for Powerhouse of the Year, and told the audience — which ranged from industry champions, including Executive of the Year Michelle Jubelirer, to stars including Katy Perry, Ice Spice and more — that she was incredibly nervous to perform since she proudly and openly uses autotune.

A strikingly-designed £140m bright blue office block WILL be built in the city centre, it has been confirmed.

Naman Ramachandran Giants of U.K. TV and streaming have combined for the fourth iteration of The TV Collective’s groundbreaking Breakthrough Leaders program. The program aims to identify and empower 50 exceptional individuals from Black, Asian and global majority (a collective term for people of Indigenous, African, Asian, Latin American descent, who constitute some 85% of the global population) backgrounds who are poised to become the future leaders of the U.K.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent MALAGA — Opening last Friday with “Dragonkeeper,” also in competition, Spain’s Malaga Festival, its biggest dedicated event for movies from Spain and Latin America, is studded by latest films by Isaki Lacuesta – “Saturn Return,” reportedly fun, broad audience and radical – David Trueba – “The Good Man,” small scale but almost certainly ingratiating – and Antonio Chavarrías’ “Holy Mother,” about an extraordinary real life female figure in Spain’s 9th century Reconquista. Also in the running is “Rest in Peace,” from notable Argentine writer-director Sebastián Borensztein (“Chinese Takeaway”).

Diego Ramos Bechara editor Amazon MGM Studios’ Gato Grande label will launch a new division focused on producing English language series and films sourced from Latin American intellectual properties. Its first project, “Clipperton,” is based on best-selling Colombian author Laura Restrepo’s novel “The Isle of Passion.” “Clipperton” follows the true story of a group of Mexican castaways stranded on a remote island who must try to survive while maintaining their relationships. The new division’s goal is to produce premium, scripted television and features for mainstream U.S.

Karol G is on tour. The Colombian singer and international sensation is currently on the Manana Sera Bonito Tour, which is taking her all over Latin America. At her last concert in Mexico, fans captured a sweet exchange between Karol G and one of the concert’s security guards, who knew her songs by heart.