Tanya Saracho (Vida), Gabriela Revilla Lugo (Whiplash, Palm Springs), and Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building, 13 Reasons Why) are developing the single-camera comedy 15 Candles, a reconfiguration of the world of John Hughes‘ 16 Candles. 

The half-hour series—from UCP for Peacock—follows four young Latinas starting high school as they overcome their feelings of invisibility while exploring what it means to leave childhood behind through the lens of the traditional female coming-of-age rite: the quinceañera.

Mattel is developing the live-action family drama Christmas Balloon, which will be written by Gabriela Revilla Lugo (A Million Little Things) based off a true story.

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The film follows a young girl, Dáyami, living in a Mexican border town who tries to send her Christmas list to Santa tied to a balloon. The balloon is found by Randy and Marcella Heiss, a couple in Arizona grieving the loss of their own child, who make it their mission to fulfill the girl’s touching Christmas wishes. Mattel worked with the couple and donated toys to fulfill Dáyami’s wish towards a brighter future.

Mattel Films is developing a live-action family drama titled “Christmas Balloon,” based on a real-life story involving Mattel toys, the company announced Thursday. Gabriela Revilla Lugo (“A Million Little Things”) will write the original screenplay.

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“Christmas Balloon” centers on a young girl, Dáyami, living in a Mexican border town who tries to send her Christmas list to Santa tied to a balloon. The balloon is found by Randy and Marcella Heiss, a couple in Arizona grieving the loss of their own child, who make it their mission to fulfill the girl’s Christmas wishes.  Mattel worked with the couple and donated toys to fulfill Dáyami’s wish for a brighter future.

Mattel is developing a feature film based on the true story of a young girl who in 2018 tried to send her Christmas message to Santa via a balloon.

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Christmas Balloon centers on Dáyami, who was living in a Mexican border town when she sent her Christmas list to Santa via a balloon, which was found by Randy and Marcella Heiss, a couple in Arizona grieving the loss of their own child. The couple made it their mission to fulfill the girl’s touching Christmas wishes. At the time, Mattel worked with the Heisses and donated toys.

A career in the Arts is often circuitous. Just ask Gabriela Revilla Lugo, this month’s Member Lens subject. Now a successfully established screenwriter with multiple studio projects currently in the works, the Nicaraguan-born filmmaker was previously known for her accomplished resume as a producer, with a long list of credits including recent Film Independent Spirit Award winner Palm Springs. 

The records keep on coming for Max Barbakow’s time loop romantic-comedy “Palm Springs.” A spokesperson for Hulu confirms with IndieWire the film broke the streaming platform’s opening weekend record by netting more hours watched over its first three days than any other film on Hulu during the same period. “Palm Springs” launched July 10 on Hulu...

On the basis of a script and four-minute promo reel, Netflix has won an auction and acquired world rights to The Starling, the Ted Melfi-directed drama that stars Melissa McCarthy, Kevin Kline, Chris O’Dowd and Timothy Olyphant. Sources said the deal is in the $20 million range and while that might not be the most ever paid for a film based on script and sizzle reel, The Starling has wet its...

Walt Disney Television has named its 13 writers for its 2020 Writing Program. The initiative offers advanced professional development before participants are hired as staff writers on Walt Disney Television shows during the program year...

101 Studios has released a new trailer for Burden, one of the buzz titles at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival where the drama won the Audience Award. Garrett Hedlund, Forest Whitaker, Tom Wilkinson, Andrea Riseborough, Tess Harper, Crystal Fox and Usher star in writer-director Andrew Heckler’s pic, which arrives in theaters February 28...

Deadline today broke that Hulu and Neon set the high bar for deals at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival with a $15 million world rights deal for the Andy Samberg-starrer Palm Springs. At the time, we heard it might be a bit higher, and waited for a definitive number. The deal at that price was certainly a premium for a modest budget comedy. They just confirmed the deal but announced a...

The Panamanian International Film Festival in Los Angeles (PIFF/LA) presents PANAFEST 5.

PIFF/LA's non-traditional approach is reflected in the festival's diverse slate of over 50 films from 11 countries, including dynamic features, feature-length docs, shorts, panels and experiences.

PIFF/LA opens October 18th through October 20th at The Downtown Independent Los Angeles located at 251 South Main Street, Los Angeles, California 90012.

The Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association (MMCA) is working to address what we see as a media diversity crisis with serious economic, social and political implications that is not being adequately addressed in the new media economy. While new media platforms have expanded opportunities for diverse journalists and story-tellers to create, curate and distribute news and...