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By Astrid Rivera

Get ready Costa Rica, the Smiths are coming to town! Will Smith and son, Jaden Smith are headed to the tropical paradise to begin filming their newest joint movie adventure, entitled After Earth.

The arrival of the Smiths in the northern region of the country has sparked tons of media attention and curiosity about the film itself. So far the controversial director M. Night Shyamalan has yet to release any details about the the film, except for a basic premise. A thousand years after the end of the world, a father and son (played by Will and Jaden) crash-land on a abandoned planet and must find a way to survive. The focus seems to be more on Jaden's character, suggesting that this could be a more coming-of-age story.

Shyamalan spent more than a year in preparation and is extremely excited to finally start production. The director tweeted,

"Crew leaving for Costa Rica already. A year and half of writing and prep is coming to an end. #After Earth will begin shooting on Feb. 6th."

Other actors set to star in the film are Zoe Kravitz, Sophie Okonedo and Hunger Games actress Isabelle Fuhrman. The local Costa Rican media is dying to capture a shot of the ongoing production but so far that task is impossible as the crew is shooting in a top secret location that is literally in the middle of nowhere.

So I guess we'll all have to wait until 2013 to find out what Shyamalan has in store for us. Hopefully this film will be more like the Sixth Sense or Signs and not like some of his flops (aka The Last Airbender, The Happening, Lady In The Water, etc). But the Smiths don't attach their name to just any project so there is still hope for this SciFi adventure.

Do you plan on watching After Earth? Sound off in the comments or at MTV3.

Tags After Earth, Astrid Rivera, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jaden Smith, M. Night Shyamalan, Movies, Sophie Okonedo, Will Smith, Zoe Kravitz

By Rafael Abreu

The film Without Men continues to spur talk as its main star Eva Longoria plays a woman who is left in charge of a small village in Latin America after all its men are forcibly recruited by a band of guerrillas. All the women are left to fend for themselves without knowing what to do. However, they quickly adapt and take over roles typically assigned to the men.

There is, of course, a sexual void, filled rather exceptionally in a steamy scene between Longoria and Kate Del Castillo, a famous Mexican actress whose sexual ambivalence has left people everywhere wondering, 'is she?'

Spanish audiences, however, won't get a chance to see the lesbian scene, or any other, for that matter, as puritanical film executives have decided to remove any trace of lesbianism and deposit it on the cutting room floor. Why, you might ask?

Without Men is one of many films presented at the International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Barcelona, but according to director Xavier Daniel, he was shocked to learn that the film's distributor had censored the film.

"We received word from the Spanish distributor specifying that upon the film's debut in Spain, all of the lesbian scenes will be removed," the director told the AFP news agency.

"We're very upset that a company would alter a film that way. People won't fully understand the plot if all the female love scenes are cut," Daniel explained. "It's unbelievable that this would happen in 2011."

Film festival organizers have decided to remove Without Men entirely from its lineup, refusing to screen the censored film.

AOL Latino did not receive comment from the studio behind the film, Maya Entertainment, or from the film's lead actress, Eva Longoria.

Tags AOL Latino, Eva Longoria, Kate Del Castillo, Movies, Without Men

By Michael Lopez

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 13 years since Antonio Banderas first donned his black cape and hat in The Mask of Zorro. Though the studio desperately tried to turn that movie into an ongoing franchise, its lackluster sequel and dismal box office returns kept the dream from ever happening. Now, it seems that 20th Century Fox is keen on bringing the masked Latin outlaw back, but in an entirely new fashion.

Latino Review is reporting that Fox hopes to reboot the legendary character in a new movie called Zorro Reborn. But instead of the historic California setting that Zorro fans know and love, this crusader will be fighting evil in a “desolate and post-apocalyptic world.”

Still in its very early development stages, the L.A. Times described the project as,

“Less a caped crusader for justice than a one-man vigilante force bent on revenge, in a western story that has echoes of both Sergio Leone and No Country for Old Men.’”

It all sounds very interesting to us, particularly the No Country for Old Men angle. Could that mean they may be considering a certain Spanish heavyweight to take on the role of Don Diego de la Vega?

To be honest, the character of Zorro has undergone quite a few changes since his creation nearly a century ago. Varying media interpretations have sent him to the future, given him magic powers, and even changed his gender (who can forget Tessie Santiago in Queen of Swords?).

So we say, why not? It’s obvious the old-fashioned swashbuckler imaged seemed a little stale for movie audiences. Who knows? Maybe they could even pit a post-apocalyptic Zorro against the Terminator!

Would you like to see a new Zorro movie get made? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Antonio Banderas, Chisme, Hot Stuff, Movies, Movies & CineMás, Zorro, Zorro Reborn

By Sugey Palomares

Crazy mothers are a dime a dozen in Hollywood and Eva Mendes is adding one more to the list for her new movie "Ansiedad." The 37-year-old actress plays an immature mother who has an intense relationship with her daughter.

Mendes is also set to co-star along Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez. The movie directed by Patricia Riggen has already received lots of buzz for being one of the five finalist in the Nicholl’s Screenwriting Fellowship back in 2009.

Eva Mendes explained how excited she is about her new role:

"In the movie, my daughter always tells me 'mom, why did you name me Ansiedad? Why did you pick such an ugly name for me? I tell her, 'girl, it's a name of a song, un bolero.' I play an irresponsible parent. A young mom that's still a little guy crazy. Immature."

We can wait to see Eva on the big screen again! "Ansiedad" is slated to be released this fall.

Source: [Notimex]

Tags Ansiedad, Eugenio Derbez, Eva Mendes, Latinas, Movies, Patricia Riggen

By Larry Yepez Jr.

What do Colombian drug king pin Pablo Escobar and a little Argentine girl with Down Syndrome have in common?  Sure at first you might think "absolutely nothing", but they both were this year's audience choices for best films in the most respected Latino Film Festival.

The first, Pecados de Mi Padre, an autobiographical documentary made by Juan Pablo Escobar,  chronicles what was like growing up in the shadows of his infamous father.  And the second, a fiction film called Anita, tells the story of a girl with Down Syndrome whose life changes after the AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) bombing in 1994.

For the past two weeks, the windy city was witness to another very impressive rendition of the oldest Latino Film Festival in the U.S.  Backed up by the International Latino Cultural Center, the Festival's mission this year was to promote diversity in Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the U.S. by screening over 120 Films from 20 different countries.

The festival focused on very important subjects in special segments, such as "Made in USA", which showed films of Latinos made in the United States, and Latin Women in Film, a segment that showcased female filmmakers, directors and producers. The festival also took a firm stance against homophobia by screening several films portraying the lack of compassion towards the GLBT community.

The closing night film was Chicogrande, starring Mexican actor Damián Alcázar, who was awarded with the 2011 Gloria Career Achievement Award.

Tags Chicago, chicago film festival, damian alcazar, documentary, Festival, Film, juan pablo escobar, Latino, Movies

By Michael Lopez

All of us remember Disney’s animated 1994 epic, The Lion King. With its gorgeous artwork, colorful animals, and heartwarming storyline, it is a true essential for any family-friendly DVD library. Well now Disneynature has taken that premise even further, with its sweeping live-action film African Cats. Part documentary, part adventure story, this 90-minute journey through central Kenya is truly an amazing feat of filmmaking.

For the past four years, the Mouse House’s Disneynature division has produced some breathtaking films. Their first outing, 2007’s Earth, showcased magnificent scenery in the Arctic. Oceans arrived in 2010 and focused on (you guessed it) the most amazing sea life on the planet. Now with Cats, the studio has branched out even further, offering a semi-storyline to go along with the documentary footage.

Even though every “character” in this movie is a real animal in the wild, you can truly see their personalities shine. There are temperamental crocodiles, overprotective cheetah moms, and even a fang-faced lion who provides quite a bit of comic relief. To be honest, after watching the film you almost find yourself wondering whether the African Cats cast was following a script!

The characters audiences will fall in love with most are Mara the lioness, Sita the cheetah, and all of the cute baby kitties roaming around the landscape. And just like every good movie, Cats has its share of villains too. Kali the lion can be quite intimidating and has some scenes that may be a little intense for the younger crowd.

The plot of the movie is broken down into two separate stories. One involves Mara and her struggle to adapt to a new pride of lions. Throughout the film, you see her evolve from a timid 6-month-old cub into a proud and confident queen of the Cats. The other storyline follows Sita, a four-legged single mom trying desperately to provide for her adorable spotted babies.

Throughout it all, audiences are treated to the engaging voice of narrator Samuel L. Jackson and an incredibly fun musical score. And in case you were thinking of bringing little ones to African Cats, be warned. Though there is no outward violence shown in the movie, there are scenes involving death and battles between the prides (not to mention a pretty high gazelle body count).

Bottom line: African Cats literally puts those television nature specials to shame. With its stunning visuals and lush score, we highly recommend catching this movie in an IMAX theater (or at the very least, on a Blu-Ray DVD).

Are you planning on seeing African Cats this weekend? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags African Cats, Disney, Disneynature, Documentaries, Movie Reviews, Movies, Movies & CineMás, Samuel L. Jackson

By Michael Lopez

We knew it was only a matter of time before Victoria Justice made her first big splash on the silver screen. Now it looks like Nickelodeon’s Victorious star is ready for the jump with a starring role in the new romantic comedy The First Time.

Directed by Jonathan Kasdan (who helmed 2007’s critically-acclaimed In The Land Of Women), The First Time will reportedly be a coming-of-age film focusing on two high school students and one unforgettable weekend. Victoria is set to play (no shocker here) the movie’s “fantasy girl.”

And, as you can imagine, The First Time is only the start of Victoria's big push for movie stardom. In addition to the upcoming rom-com, Justice will be appearing in Fun Size, the big screen directorial debut of Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz.

Add in that long-awaited debut album and you’ve got a full Victoria plate on your hands. And just to prove that she’s got even more goodies up her sleeve, Justice tweeted news this week of a contest and an upcoming “big announcement.”

“There's going to be another contest.. I can't wait to share it with you guys. Big announcement soon...I think you guys are going to love it!”

We can't wait to see what else this talented teen has got in store!

Which of Victoria’s upcoming projects are you most excited about? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Celebrities, Fun Size, Hot Stuff, Movies, Movies & CineMás, The First Time, victoria justice

By Michael Lopez

Just a few months after being recognized by the Academy Awards for his 2010 documentary Restrepo, British filmmaker Tim Hetherington was killed by a mortar attack in the Libyan city of Misrata. The incident happened Wednesday and also inflicted critical injuries to Hetherington’s photographers Chris Hondros and Guy Martin.

Hondros died later on Wednesday.

Documentary film fans will definitely be feeling this loss. Tim’s work has continually been praised by critics and audiences from around the world. Restrepo, in particular, was a major eye-opener, as it focused on the brutal military conflicts going on in Afghanistan.

The Restrepo film was based around an outpost named after Juan Sebastián Restrepo, a Colombian-American private who was killed in the line of the duty. Now sadly, it appears as though Hetherington has suffered the same fate.

"Tim was one of the bravest photographers and filmmakers I have ever met," said James Goldston, a colleague of Hetherington's who worked at ABC News.

Hetherington and his crew had been in Misrata to capture moments from the ongoing conflict against controversial Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. And even though that project will now never be finished, Tim's Restrepo film more than sums up the atrocities that come along with military combat.

Have you had a chance to see Restrepo? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Libya, Movies, Muammar Gaddafi, Restrepo, Tim Hetherington

By Michael Lopez

Those of you hoping to see Eva Longoria flex her bilingual skills on the big screen may have to wait a little longer. The Desperate Housewives star was recently cut out of the new Spanish-language drama Days of Grace. And for the record, it wasn’t because of a bad performance or diva-esque behavior behind-the-scenes.

As producer Ozcar Ramirez put it, the reason Eva got the axe was strictly because of time restrictions.

"Vino a hacer un papel pequeño. Estuvo una semana de trabajo, pero en el proceso de edición, varias líneas tuvieron que ser eliminadas, entre esas Eva y toda su línea narrative."

So, to be fair, it looks like Longoria had signed on for more of a cameo than a full-blown starring role. But regardless, being a part of Days of Grace may have gotten her a nice bit of additional exposure. Currently considered to be a top contender at the upcoming Cannes International Film Festival, Grace is on track to attract quite a bit of critical buzz.

The movie is based on the current narcoviolence happening in Mexico and creatively intertwines several plotlines and memorable characters. Well-known Mexican actors Dolores Heredia, Tenoch Huerta, and Mario Zaragoza all appear throughout the film.

Even though there won’t be any Eva action in the theatrical version of Days Of Grace, you can bet that she’ll pop up in a few of those DVD deleted scenes.

And we are certainly not worried about Longoria’s film career at the moment. She’s set to star in Gabriela Tagliavini’s Without Men and Billy Bob Thornton’s The Baytown Disco before the year is up.

Would you like to see Eva Longoria in Spanish-language movies? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Chisme, Days Of Grace, Eva Longoria, Movies, Movies & CineMás

By Horacio Garcia

There is something disturbingly cold in Saoirse Ronan’s eyes. We saw it in The Lovely Bones where she played the victim of a serial killer and is exploited to the max in Joe Wright’s globe-trotting thriller Hanna.

Even though it begins as a cold-blooded spy movie, Hanna suddenly becomes more and more a              coming-of-age movie and then it turns sharply again and ends literally with a bang.

The movie tells the story of the first mission of 16 year-old Hanna, who has been trained by her father in Finland to become a cold-blooded assassin.

Hanna, played by Saoirse, takes the prize. Erick Bana (who plays Hanna's father) is OK all 15 minutes he’s on screen, but we’ve already seen his man-with-a-troubled-mind character in Troy and The Time Traveler’s Wife. Banna remains in his comfort zone for most of the film. Cate Blanchett goes at it professionally but her character is a little distant. I just don’t think she looks or sounds like a Texan CIA agent.

On the other hand, the secondary characters are brilliantly written and very well performed. Olivia Williams, Jason Fleming and especially Jessica Bardem who play the family of British tourists that befriend Hanna, are the best of the movie.

Ms. Bardem manages to be funny, idiotic, lovely, annoyingly irresponsible and a loyal friend, all at the same time in the best portrait of a typical teen age girl I’ve seen in years. The contrast between the cold deadly Hanna and the warm brainless Sophie is what gives real charm to what otherwise would be another spy/revenge/action movie.

Wright certainly has a distinctive hand for action dramas as anybody can see in his critically acclaimed Atonement. This same tempo, somewhat slower than what we are used to in Hollywood, gives Hanna a little European flavor.

Wright, who was born to a family of actors and puppeteers, literally grew up on the stage, and got his training directing short fiction and music clips. That combination of the most classical formation possible and the fastest creative environment there is holds the secret to his success.

The locations of Hanna are also the open kind he prefers; the film begins in the north of Finland, jumps to Morocco and then takes a detour through Europe all the way to Germany.

Maybe the best achievement Wright can claim is that he never loses the sort of intimate touch present in all of his movies. The truth is that Wright has been tackling some very complex stories with the steadiness of a master and the truth is that not everybody can take on Pride and Prejudice and get good reviews.

I give Hanna 4 stars out of 5 for some small weaknesses in the story and a not-very-imaginative final solution but overall it's a great cinematic experience.

Tags Cate Blanchet, Cine Pick of the Week, Erick Bana, Hanna, Jason Fleming, Jessica Bardem, Joe Wright, Movies, Olivia Williams, Saoirse Ronan