After this week, Latino headliners are noticeably absent until 2012
…though Sofia Vergara and the ubiquitous Danny Trejo seem to be keeping busy.
All in all, it was a pretty good summer–at least in terms of visibility–for Latino actors, especially in high-profile supporting roles. And even though the TV networks have finally started to notice the value of Latinos in prominent positions (or at least they seem to be), the trend isn’t extending to theatrical releases, at least not in November-December 2011.
November gives us a few names in a few features, but it thins by the end of the month…
Michael Peña finishes a very productive year with one more entry, in his above-the-title involvement in Tower Heist, the new Brett Ratner crime comedy premiering Friday, November 4. And you’ll see the beautiful Paula Garcés and the…ah, less beautiful Danny Trejo in A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, also crashing into theaters on Friday.
Brazilian director José Padilha made a small splash with action fans last year with Elite Squad; his sequel is showing up on November 11 here in the U.S. And the same day, Mexico’s popular actor Eugenio Derbez appears as a man and his grandmother in Adam Sandler’s new cross-dressing comedy Jack and Jill.
Sofia Vergara is one of the Latino voices in Happy Feet Too, opening wide-wide-wide on November 18, along with the amazing Carlos Alazraqui and the equally awesome voice talent Jeffrey Garcia. Just a few days later, on November 23, Danny Trejo shows up a second time in the much anticipated The Muppets.
And Sofia makes a second appearance (and Danny a third!) in December…
Garry Marshall follows up his semi-successful Valentine’s Day multi-story-line rom-com with the obvious New Year’s Eve, and thus: Sofia Vergara.
Director Rodrigo Garcia’s intriguing feature Albert Nobbs, starring Glenn Close, debuts on December 21, though this late 19th century Irish period piece has not other Latinos involved, at least not in front of the camera.
Latino actor Adrian Martinez is part of the large ensemble cast in the Tom Hanks’ 9/11 drama, Extremely Loud and Incredible Close, opening Christmas Day, and three days later Zabryna Guevara plays a part in Pariah. Then, on December 30, Julian Dominques appears in the low-key independent missing child movie, Angels Crest.
…and that, compadres, is it for Latinos in film through the rest of 2011. Name any one of your favorite big-time Latino actors, and you won’t find them on the list. It makes for a disappointing end to an otherwise active, if unremarkable, year.
Here’s hoping for more and better in the big movies come 2012.
