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Disney Greenlights ‘Primos’, A Series About Extended Multicultural Mexican-American Family

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Birmingham Times
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Disney Branded Television has ordered “Primos,” a series exploring family relationships and children's empowerment. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

By Cesar Arredondo

Filmmaker Natasha Kline treasures her childhood memories with her many Mexican-American cousins and is turning those “recuerdos” into a new animated comedy series.


Disney Branded Television has ordered Klines’s “Primos,” a series exploring family relations and children’s empowerment.

“‘Primos’ is set in childhood summers spent with my cousins … and the comedy that is born from that wonderfully hectic setting,” said the Latina artist.

“As a kid, I didn’t see myself or my culture represented on screen, so I’m excited to share my family dynamic through these new Disney characters and stories.”

Disney’s greenlighting of the show is a significant accomplishment for Kline, who has worked on two other Disney Channel animated series. She directed, wrote, and storyboarded a few episodes of “Big City Greens” and worked briefly as a writer on “Star vs. the Forces of Evil.”

With “Primos,” Kline is now donning the hat of executive producer, her first major production credit. She is also credited as a writer.

The show introduces Tater, an eccentric 10-year-old girl with big dreams but unaware of her exceptional qualities. That changes when her 12 cousins, “primos” in Spanish, move in for the summer, helping her discover what is so special about her.

“It’s been especially gratifying to see Natasha directing more than 30 episodes of our number 1 series ‘Big City Greens,’ while also creating her own new show that bears her authentic comedic voice and her family’s culture and values,” said Meredith Roberts, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Television Animation with Disney Branded Television. “We’re looking forward to delivering it to kids and families worldwide.”

Produced by Disney Television Animation, each half-hour “Primos” episode will consist of two 11-minute stories. Tater’s aspirations and larger-than-life imagination permeate her super-secret diary entries, which turn her most profound thoughts into grandiose animation sequences.

Kline has more than a decade of experience in animation. She spent six and a half years as a storyboard artist and designer on Comedy Central’s multiple-Primetime Emmy-winning series “South Park.” Before coming to Disney, she freelanced for various animated projects like Nickelodeon’s “Hey Arnold!, The Jungle Movie” and “Pinky Malinky,” and DreamWorks Animation’s “Home: The Adventures of Tip and Oh,” “Too Loud!” and “Harvey Street Kids.” She also worked as a story artist in Warner Bros’ “LEGO Ninjago” movie and as a storyboard artist in Netflix’s “Bojack Horseman.”

The filmmaker is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton, where she earned a degree in illustration and studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts.

Disney Greenlights Series ‘Primos’ About Extended Multicultural Mexican-American Family is published in collaboration with LatinHeat Entertainment.

Edited by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos and Melanie Slone



The post Disney Greenlights ‘Primos’, A Series About Extended Multicultural Mexican-American Family appeared first on Zenger News.

Cross-Border Clash: US, Mexico Fighters Meet In MMA Tournament

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Birmingham Times
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Campbell McLaren, the founder of Combate Global, co-founded and produced UFC 1  28 years ago. strong(Combate Global)/strong

By George A. Willis

It was the birth of mixed martial arts, though not exactly as we know it now. On Nov. 12, 1993, at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, UFC 1 debuted as a made-for-TV spectacle. Twenty-eight years later, MMA is a billion-dollar industry with promotional companies worldwide and fighters — male and female — from around the globe.


Purchased in January 2001 for $2 million by Lorenzo Fertitta, his brother Frank Fertitta III and their childhood friend Dana White, the UFC was sold for $4 billion to Endeavor on July 11, 2016. And the sport has only gotten bigger since then.

Backed by a seven-year deal with ESPN, UFC remains the dominant MMA promotion, but others — from spectators to networks looking for live-streaming and pay-per-view content — are benefiting from the sport’s popularity.

The Professional Fighters League concluded its third season two weeks ago with six championship fights and $1 million going to each winner. ESPN televised the bouts, underscoring the attraction networks now have for MMA.

On Friday night, the 28th anniversary of UFC 1, two major promotional companies will stage MMA cards on television. Bellator 271 is being shown on Showtime with MMA veteran Cris Cyborg defending her featherweight title against Sinead Kavanagh in the main event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

A few miles away in Miami, Combate Global will stage a one-night eight-man tournament featuring 155-pound male fighters from the USA and Mexico. This might be the truest homage to UFC 1, as the tournament champion will need to win three fights in one night to capture the crown.

Enrique “Baby Bull” Gonzalez (left) hopes to have his hand raised again when he competes in the eight-man Combate Global tournament Friday night in Miami. (Combate Global)

Live coverage on Paramount Plus begins with a preshow at 9:30 p.m. ET with live action beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Univision’s broadcast begins at 11 p.m. ET. The show will also air in Mexico on TUDN MEX beginning at 10 p.m. local time.

Campbell McLaren was among the original group that produced UFC 1 and nursed it through those early years when the UFC had few rules and was described as “human cockfighting” by the late Senator John McCain. Now McLaren is the founder of Combate Global, which features up-and-coming fighters who appeal to the Latin American market, which is where Univision steps in. The Spanish-language network has taken the unusual step of becoming an equity partner in Combate Global.

UFC 1 headlined with a one-night eight-man tournament, a concept McLaren brought with him when he founded Combate Americas as a Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts sports franchise in 2011 and rebranded it Combate Global in 2021. On Friday night, he has four fighters from the USA in one bracket and four fighters representing Mexico in the other, with the winner needing to defeat three opponents in one night.

Fights in the first round and semifinal consist of one five-minute round. The finals consist of three five-minute rounds. To preserve the fighters physically, no knees or elbows are allowed in the first two rounds.

“The USA-Mexico rivalry has provided some of the most exciting and memorable fights in Combate history,” McLaren said, “and this tournament, loaded with talent from both sides of the border, is sure to deliver much more action and pay tribute to the sport that I launched 28 years ago.”

Royce Gracie, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist, was the last man standing at UFC 1, but there were no weight divisions, no time limits, and no judges. Though the fight poster read: “There Are No Rules,” the only rules were no groin attacks, no eye-gouging and no biting. It proved a modest pay-per-view success, attracting 86,000 buys. The competitors were specialists in Sumo wrestling, kickboxing, karate, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo and boxing. Sumo wrestling is out, but everything else still applies in today’s MMA, with the top athletes skilled in various forms of mixed martial arts.

USA vs. Mexico is always an attraction in any combat sport. In Miami, Mexico’s bracket pits Cristian “Puas” Perez (6–0) of Ensenada, B.C., against Patrick “La Sanguijuela” Lehane (3–0), who was born in Ireland, but is applying for his Mexican citizenship. Hugo “The Hooligan” Flores (9–3) of Guadalajara battles Daniel “Scrappy” Soto (15–5) of Ciudad Jimenez in the other quarterfinal.

Cristian “Puas” Perez (right) will represent Mexico in the eight-man MMA tournament against the USA presented by Combate Global Friday night in Miami. (Combate Global)

In the U.S. bracket, Jim “The Beast” Alers (14–4) of Pembroke Pines, Fla., challenges Enrique “Baby Bull” Gonzalez (9–4) of Laredo, Texas, and Samuel “The Alley Cat” Alvarez (5–4) of Manteca, Calif., takes on Jimmy “Sandstorm” Sandlin (4–3) of Carlisle, Ohio.

Gonzalez, who trains at Valle Flow Striking in Chicago, thinks his background in karate, competing against successive opponents in one day, will serve him well in this MMA tournament format. “When I was in karate growing up you fought somebody, and it was on to the next one, then fight again and on to the next one,” he said. “I’m familiar with it.”

The key to success in this format, according to Gonzalez, is not to focus on an opponent but polish your individual skills to react to anything. “I just keep working on myself,” Gonzalez said. “That’s the best thing you can do, just keep working on yourself.”

Gonzalez faces Alers, a jiu-jitsu specialist, who fought in the UFC from 2014 to 2016.  “He’s probably going to want to take me down and hold me down,” Gonzalez said. “… But I’m going to be sticking and moving on him.”

Compared to UFC 1, MMA is rather tame these days, needing to abide by a variety of state regulations. The elimination of knees and elbows in the first two rounds on the Combate card should make it an interesting strategic battle. “They’re trying to take care of you so the person that makes it to the finale isn’t all banged up and cut up,” Gonzalez said. “It’s like amateur boxing. But I like to take people down, too, and with no legs involved, I can even go lower.”

Piera Valle, who manages Gonzalez, sees this as a prime opportunity for her fighter. “This brings him up another level to be a real contender and a possible champion for Combate at some point,” said the wife of Gonzalez’s trainer, Mike Valle.  “I think the exposure is great, and the fact that it’s the anniversary of UFC 1 is a bonus.”

Edited by Stan Chrapowicki and Matthew B. Hall



The post Cross-Border Clash: US, Mexico Fighters Meet In MMA Tournament appeared first on Zenger News.

2021 Veteran’s Day Celebrated in Birmingham, AL

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Birmingham Times
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The annual Birmingham Veterans Day Parade was held downtown Thursday for a “live and in-person” tribute to the nation’s veterans. (Haley Wilson, For The Birmingham Times)

By Haley Wilson

The Birmingham Times

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Alabama boy named world’s most premature infant to survive

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Birmingham Times
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This undated photo provided by the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows Michelle Butler of Eutaw, Ala., and son Curtis Means in Birmingham, Ala. The child has been certified by Guinness World Records as the world's most premature baby to survive. (Andrea Mabry/UAB University Relations via AP)
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Miles College hosts Albany St. on Sat. for the SIAC championship

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Birmingham Times
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Donte Edwards has been one of the top running backs in the SIAC, averaging 5.5 yards a carry and with eight touchdowns this season.(MILES COLLEGE)

By Donald Hunt

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Did Biden Beat Oil Prices?

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Birmingham Times
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strongCrude oil prices remain at multiyear highs and could undermine U.S. economic growth. (David McNew/Getty Images)/strong

By Daniel James Graeber

Crude oil prices lost ground during the Wednesday session, with overtures on controlling U.S. inflation overshadowing some usual market movers for the day.


West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark for the price of crude oil, closed trading Wednesday at $81.34 per barrel, a 3.3 percent decline from the previous session.

Crude oil prices remain at multiyear highs and, added to other inflationary measures, could undermine U.S. economic growth.

The market on Wednesday typically moves on the usual weekly data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration on commercial storage levels of crude oil and refined petroleum products such as gasoline.

“Crude oil traded a bit softer after the release, primarily I think due to the drop in natural gas prices, both in the U.S. and especially in Europe,” said Ole Hansen, the head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank in Denmark.

Higher oil prices are a growing concern for a White House wary of inflationary pressures. (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

Natural gas prices, which have been on an exponential rise for weeks, have been moderating on assurances of more supplies. So-called fuel switching, where power generators, for example, look to crude oil or other fuels when natural gas prices are high, has led to a surge in commodity prices across the board.

Meanwhile, the federal energy data was a bit of a mixed bag. Oil storage level increases usually point to lackluster demand, while the opposite holds for decreases. For the week ending Nov. 5, crude oil in commercial crude oil inventories increased by 1 million barrels from the prior week, while gasoline inventories decreased by 1.6 million barrels.

“Crude prices extended declines after a surprise build and on growing expectations the Biden administration will do something after inflation hit a 30-year-high,” said Edward Moya, a senior market analyst at OANDA.

The federal government reported prices for U.S. consumer goods increased 6.2 percent in October from year-ago levels. That’s the highest inflation rate since 1990. For just energy, inflation over the 12-month period ending in October rose a steep 30 percent.

Even with recent builds, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories remain at the low end of the historic average. (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

Elsewhere, federal energy data showed there was a sizable withdrawal from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Often used in emergency situations such as hurricane-related outages, oil refiners can borrow crude oil from the reserve and replace that later with additional quantities.

U.S. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has suggested tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to counter higher prices. But a monthly report from the Energy Information Administration released earlier this week showed supplies will outweigh demand next year, pointing to lower prices in the future. That could negate the need of tapping into strategic reserves.

Al Salazar, the managing director at energy data firm Enverus, said it was the petroleum reserve that was the star of the show.

“President Biden has been exploring all options to ease gasoline prices, including tapping SPR reserves in a more material manner,” he said.

“The acceleration in pace of SPR draws this past week as reported by the EIA, suggests that perhaps President Biden is already testing the SPR option and its impact on prices,” Salazar said, referring to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the Energy Information Administration.

The Energy Information Administration’s November monthly market report said it expected crude oil prices would hold around current levels for the remainder of the year.

Edited by Bryan Wilkes and Kristen Butler



The post Did Biden Beat Oil Prices? appeared first on Zenger News.

Companies Join In Creating A Decarbonized Economy

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Birmingham Times
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Race to Zero has become the largest global coalition to unite for the singular purpose of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. (VCG)

By Rachel Barr

Israeli innovation is seemingly everywhere. Hardly a week goes by without a new company from the Startup Nation ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Peruse a list of successful tech companies and you’re bound to find a few Israeli firms among them.


But there is one list that Israeli companies have yet to join: the Race to Zero Campaign.

Organized by the United Nations, the Race to Zero brings together public and private entities from around the globe who have pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest. By this date, companies must release no more carbon to the atmosphere than the carbon we can remove through either natural or technological means.

Many believe companies must move even more quickly than this if they are to halt the consequences of catastrophic climate change.

As long as atmospheric concentration of CO2 keeps rising, so will temperatures. Emitting net-zero carbon is necessary to achieve a sustainable future.

Thousands of businesses, along with hundreds of cities and educational institutions, have already committed to participating. Race to Zero has become the largest global coalition to unite for the singular purpose of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, November 1, 2021. (Haim Zach/Government Press Office)

Together, these players account for almost 25 percent of global CO2 emissions and more than 50 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The shared goal of these businesses, cities, investors and others who have committed to the Race to Zero is to build a decarbonized economy. With the UN’s climate summit taking place in Glasgow right now, companies have an invaluable opportunity to advance this vision and build on momentum.

The heat is on

The scientists behind the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are highly confident that human activities have contributed to this warming trend.

As demonstrated in this interactive climate projection tool from the World Bank, the severity of the warming we experience throughout the rest of the century will be tied to the amount of greenhouse gases we emit.

The effects of climate change will be dangerous and expensive. The World Bank estimates that the cost of the predicted changes, if no action is taken to prevent or adapt to the impacts, will amount to 5 percent of Israel’s annual GDP.

UBQ Materials: Lone Israeli racer?

To date, only one entity from the Startup Nation is listed in the Race to Zero coalition – UBQ Materials.

UBQ is an Israeli cleantech company that has developed a patented solution to convert unsorted household waste, including all organics, into a climate-positive thermoplastic.

By diverting food scraps, greasy pizza boxes and dirty diapers from landfills, UBQ prevents the production of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is gaining more and more infamy for its role in climate change.

UBQ developed a patented solution to convert unsorted household waste, including all organics, into a climate-positive thermoplastic. (Courtesy of UBQ)

For every ton of UBQ material produced, 1.3 tons of landfill waste are diverted, and 11.7 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent are prevented from polluting the atmosphere.

This makes UBQ material the most climate-positive thermoplastic on the market, able to substitute oil-based plastics, wood or concrete in thousands of applications.

Addressing the climate emergency is central to UBQ’s work. In 2020, the company took this commitment to the next level by pledging to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030  across its entire supply chain.

One country, one planet, one goal

The Race to Zero is not a competitive event. UBQ envisions building a robust community of Israeli businesses working toward the same goal, inspiring and learning from one another.

Supporters say there is not a better time for Israeli companies to get on board, with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog launching Israeli’s Climate Change Forum and recruiting policymakers to ensure that climate action is at the top of Israel’s agenda.

For more information, go to Race to Zero.

Produced in association with Israel21C.



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VIDEO: X-Cellent! Elon Musk’s Dragon SpaceX Shot Finally Blasts Off After Medical Delay

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Birmingham Times
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The Falcon 9 rocket, topped by the Crew Dragon capsule containing four astronauts, makes a fiery liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 10, 2021. (NASA Kennedy Space Center/Zenger)

By Peter Barker

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts were blasted into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket, beginning their journey to the International Space Station.


NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron and Raja Chari, along with European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer, were launched into space aboard a rocket built by entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:03 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

The crew is expected to dock at the forward port of the space station’s Harmony module at 7:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Earlier this month, the launch date for the Crew-3 mission was pushed back for several days due to what NASA described as “a minor medical issue” involving one of its crew members. “The issue is not a medical emergency and not related to COVID-19,” the agency said at the time.

The astronauts that lifted off on Tuesday are setting off on a six-month mission carrying out research in the lab on the space station covering such areas as materials science, plant science and health technologies.

In video released by NASA, the astronauts can be seen preparing for the mission and waving for the cameras as they walk toward the launch site.

The four astronauts of Crew-3 await liftoff on Nov. 10, 2021, in the SpaceX spacecraft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA’s Kennedy Space Center/Zenger)

They then take their positions aboard the Dragon capsule that sits atop the Falcon 9 booster. Shortly after that, the powerful, reusable booster roars to life, launching the crew out of Earth’s atmosphere and into space. At liftoff, the Falcon 9’s massive orange exhaust fireball briefly brightens the area surrounding the launch pad.

When they arrive at the space station roughly 22 hours after liftoff, the crew members will be met by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov, the crew members from Expedition 66 who are on board the space station.

The latest mission, NASA said, is part of a wider plan to “restore and maintain American leadership in human spaceflight.”

The Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon spacecraft and four astronauts aboard, shortly after liftoff from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. (NASA’s Kennedy Space Center/Zenger)

By carrying out regular long-term missions, NASA is able to rotate crews and carry out extensive research and technology investigations on the space station.

The research benefits the people back on Earth by contributing to the technology and understanding needed for future missions to Mars and the moon, the agency said in the statement.

The launch marked the third operational crew launch by Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 booster and Dragon capsule for NASA. Earlier this week, the station’s predecessor Crew-2 safely returned to Earth after a record-setting stay on the space station by a U.S.-crewed spacecraft. That crew, which consisted of two NASA astronauts, along with one each from the European agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, was aboard the station for 199 days.

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Kristen Butler



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Easy Peasy: Huge Genome Study Set To Boost Chickpea Yields 

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Birmingham Times
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Genomic sequencing of chickpea varieties may lead to improved yields and climate-resiliency, say the authors of a new study. (ICRISAT)

By Martin M Barillas

In the biggest plant genome sequencing project ever, an international team assembled a pan-genome from thousands of chickpea lines in 60 countries, which may lead to increased yields for this essential legume.


Researchers identified 29,870 genes in chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), including 1,582 previously unreported ones. The India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) conducted the study, placing chickpeas among the few crops to have had such an extensive genome map. The study was published in the journal Nature.

“By employing whole genome sequencing, we have been able to affirm the history of chickpea’s origin in the Fertile Crescent and identify two paths of diffusion or migration of chickpea to the rest of the world,” the study’s lead researcher, Rajeev Varshney, said. “One path indicates diffusion to South Asia and East Africa, and the other suggests diffusion to the Mediterranean region (probably through Turkey) as well as to the Black Sea and Central Asia (up to Afghanistan).”

Chickpea seeds show their genetic diversity. (ICRISAT)

Varshney and his team sequenced the genomes of 3,366 chickpea lines from 60 countries. The world’s third-most cultivated legume, chickpeas are essential in many nations’ diets.

“This research provides a complete picture of genetic variation within chickpea and a validated roadmap for using the knowledge and genomic resources to improve the crop,” Varshney said.

Once the initial 2013 sequencing was complete, the sequencing of more lines led to an understanding of chickpea genetic variation, including wild types, and domestic landraces (domesticated varieties developed by farmers). The authors sequenced 3,366 accessions, which represent the chickpea’s genetic diversity in a much larger global collection.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, an accession is a “distinct, uniquely identifiable sample of seeds representing a cultivar, breeding line or a population, which is maintained in storage for conservation and use.”

The taxonomic name of the chickpea species is Cicer arietinum. The authors found that the cultivated species diverged from its wild progenitor species, Cicer reticulatum, about 12,600 years ago. The wild plant now grows only in the southeast corner of Turkey, where it may have been domesticated. Chickpea seeds are stored at several gene banks.

A chickpea plant with its pods seen up close. (ICRISAT)

The number of chickpea varieties reached a minimum about 1,000 years ago but saw a strong expansion in the last 400 years, suggesting a renewed interest in the legume. By analyzing the branching out of eight chickpea species over time, researchers can identify misclassification or duplication of accessions. This should result in better management of chickpea germplasm held at gene banks.

“The demand for chickpea is set to increase in the coming years as the world’s population rises,” yields increase and crops become more climate-resilient, according to study coauthor Trilochan Mohapatra.

“By developing many genomic resources for chickpea over the last decade, ICRISAT has helped the crop shed its ‘orphan’ tag. With our partners in agricultural research for development, we will continue to research chickpea and translate findings into crop varieties that benefit farmers, consumers and nations,” said Jacqueline Hughes of the crop research organization.

Comparison of the genetic variation in cultivated chickpeas and its wild progenitor helped in identifying genes that reduce crop performance. These genes were more abundant in the wild progenitor because over time they were bred out of cultivated lines through selection and recombination. In the future, deleterious genes can be further purged through genomics-assisted breeding or gene editing.

The authors identified haplotypes (blocks of genes) in landraces that can significantly improve yield, climate resilience and seed characteristics. The study examined historical data of all chickpea varieties released between 1948 and 2012, providing insights into the use of haplotypes in varieties of chickpeas.

Study lead Rajeev Varshney examining chickpea plants. (ICRISAT)

“We examined 129 varieties released in the past. Though a few superior haplotypes were detected in some of these varieties, we found that most varieties lacked many beneficial haplotypes,” said study co-author Manish Roorkiwal. The research team uncovered 56 promising lines that can “bring these haplotypes into breeding programs to develop enhanced varieties,” he said.

The crop research institute’s efforts have resulted in the last three years in seven improved chickpea varieties in India and Ethiopia. “Genomic resources are crucial for accelerating the rate of genetic gains in crop improvement programs,” researcher Arvind Kumar said. “Genomic resources are crucial for accelerating the rate of genetic gains in crop improvement programs.”

The team hopes the study will help breeders “revolutionize chickpea breeding without eroding its genetic diversity,” Kumar said.

The authors of the study suggest three breeding approaches based on genomic prediction, with the aim of improving 16 species traits. The study shows that by applying them, an increase in yield ranging between 12 and 23 percent can be expected.

Edited by Richard Pretorius and Kristen Butler



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Raul Castillo Co-Stars In Hulu’s Upcoming Futuristic Series ‘Mother/Android’

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Birmingham Times
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Raul Castillo has had a productive 2021. Back in 2019, he starred in “Vida.” (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

By Cesar Arredondo

Raul Castillo stars in Hulu’s “Mother/Android,” a sci-fi thriller series about a dystopian future where androids — human-looking robots — revolt against their master creators. “Mother/Android” will debut on Dec. 17.


Budding filmmaker Mattson Tomlin wrote and directed the series, which is a Miramax production. Tomlin’s directing credits include the indie drama thrillers “The Projectionist” and “Solomon Gundy.” He recently penned Netflix’s “Project Power” and co-wrote “The Batman,” the next installment in the DC Comics’ “Dark Knight” franchise.

Chloë Grace Moretz (“Kick-Ass”) and Algee Smith (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) co-star in “Mother/Android.”

In the series, Georgia (Moretz), a pregnant young woman, and her boyfriend Sam (Smith) embark on a dangerous journey to escape a nation caught in an unexpected war with artificial intelligence. The couple must reach safety before the woman gives birth. One of the few men willing to help the parents-to-be is Arthur (Castillo), a reclusive and psychologically challenged computer whiz. Arthur has developed a camouflage shield against androids.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chloë Grace Moretz (@chloegmoretz)

Castillo’s “Mother/Android” role will cap a busy 2021. The 44-year-old Texas-born actor has been featured in half a dozen films, including Netflix’s “Night Teeth” and “Army of the Dead” and the MGM action/crime thriller “Wrath of Man.” He was also featured in the indie film “Bless Me, Ultima,” based on Rudolfo Anaya’s novel of the same title.

Castillo was nominated for the Film Independent Spirit Award for his role in the 2018 film “We the Animals.” Three years earlier, he won the Vision Award of the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications to Best Performance – Comedy for his role in the HBO series “Looking.” He shared that award with Academy Award winner Don Cheadle for “House of Lies.” “Looking” also won Castillo two nominations for the Imagen Awards.

Castillo’s other series credits include cable channel Starz’s “Vida” and Netflix’s “Ghost Tape” and “Seven Seconds.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Raúl Castillo (@raulcastillo)

A theater actor since high school, Castillo has performed extensively in Off-Broadway plays, including “A Lifetime Burning.” His stage credits also include “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train,” “The Way West,” and “Adoration of the Old Woman,” and he starred alongside Sandra Oh in “Death and the Maiden.”

Andrew Golov, whose credits include “Wrath of Man,” is “Mother/Android’s” executive producer. The series producers include Matt Reeves and Bill Block, who have worked on popular sci-fi and action flicks in different capacities. Reeves directed “War for the Planet of the Apes” and “Cloverfield.” He is also a producer in the upcoming “The Batman.” Miramax’s Block produced “The Gentlemen” and was the executive producer of “District 9.”

Raul Castillo Co-Stars in Hulu’s Upcoming Futuristic Series ‘Mother/Android’ is published in collaboration with LatinHeat Entertainment.

Edited by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos and Melanie Slone



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