Love the idea of beating the heat in an air-conditioned movie theater? Check out our list of summer and fall releases that showcase some of our favorite Latino actors.
Want to watch the trailers? Just click on the movie titles and enjoy.
Star Trek Beyond (Zoe Saldana - July 22nd)
With the controversial film “Nina” behind her and Avatar 2, 3 and 4 already in pre-production, Dominican/Puerto Rican actress Zoe Saldana has her hands full this year. Saldana returns as Lieutenant Uhura in the third chapter of the action-packed Star Trek reboot where the USS Enterprise crew encounters a new ruthless enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test. Up next for Saldana is “Live By Night” directed by Ben Affleck and “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” from Marvel.
Suicide Squad (Jay Hernandez - August 5th)
In this superhero movie by Warner Bros and DC Comics, a group of villains join together to fight other villains in what is surely one of the most original premises of the year. Jay Hernandez, one of the bad guys, plays Chato Santana, a.k.a El Diablo, a fire-wielding ex-gang member whose powers mimic The Human Torch from the Fantastic Four. Hernandez has been laying low from movies as of late and concentrating his efforts in television, but his comeback to film will be nothing less than “a roaring blaze of fire”.
Hands of Stone (Edgar Ramirez - August 26th)
Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez, whose last movie “Joy” was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, returns to the screen as one of the greatest Latino boxers of all time, legendary Panamanian boxer Roberto ‘Manos de Piedra’ Duran. This biopic centers on the relationship between Duran and his legendary trainer Ray Arcel as each change each other's lives. The cast is first class. It stars Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, John Turturro and Usher, along with a quality Latino cast that includes Rubén Blades, Óscar Jaenada and new Cuban “It” girl Ana de Armas. The director Jonathan Jakubowicz who is Venezuelan, also wrote and produced the film. This is the film to see this August.
Mechanic: Resurrection (Jessica Alba – August 26th)
Apart from being a devoted mother, wife and a successful entrepreneur, Jessica Alba still finds time to be a Hollywood actress. Her latest role teams her up with the king of B-action movies, Jason Statham, in the resurrection of the popular “Mechanic” action franchise. Alba’s role has her teaming up with Statham to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents. The film promises dizzying action sequences, drenching dry humor and Alba herself. Sounds like a fun summer winner at the theater.
Deepwater Horizon (Gina Rodriguez - September 30th)
Puerto Rican actress Gina Rodriguez has done movies before, but not a big-budget action-thriller next to action superstar Mark Wahlberg. The acclaimed “Jane the Virgin” and Golden Globe star will play Andrea Fleytas in this new film about the April 2010 drilling rig disaster that exploded and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Rodriguez’s jump back to the big screen was inevitable and with Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell and John Malkovich rounding out the cast, it’s her time to prove she’s not just a TV star, but global movie star.
Desierto (Gael García Bernal - October 14th)
From the Mexican “chavos” who brought you the 2013 Best Picture Oscar nominee “Gravity,” director Jonás Cuarón and his father Alfonso Cuarón bring us an intense thriller that promises to have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Bernal, who is now our new Zorro, reunites with the Cuarón family to play Moises, a Mexican immigrant who along with a group of people are trying to cross the border from Mexico into the United States encounter a man who has taken border patrol duties into his own racist hands. Due to the political climate of our country, look for this film to hit a nerve from audiences.
A Monster Calls (directed by J.A Bayona - October 21st)
Two of the best films of the last ten years - the brilliant horror film “El Orfanato” and the visceral drama “The Impossible” - had Spaniard J.A Bayona directing them. He now helms a beautiful, but somber story of a boy who seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his mom's terminal illness. This fantasy drama, based on book by Patrick Ness, is gaining a lot of buzz amongst film critics and might just deliver the goods. And if you haven't heard already, Bayona was just announced as the principal director for Universal Picture’s next blockbuster “Jurassic World” sequel in 2018 starring Chris Pratt.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Diego Luna - December 16th)
Arguably the most anticipated movie of 2016, the new Star Wars film will have for the first time a Mexican actor as part of its main ensemble. Diego Luna, known mostly for his Alfonso Cuarón indie classic “Y Tu Mamá También” plays Captain Cassian Andor in a premise that centers around rebels who set out on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. This is the biggest break in Luna’s film career. It’s the type of film that could turn him into a household name.