To celebrate the release of Casa Grande, we spoke with the amazing cast and filmmakers of the show – a whopping sixteen people!
Casa Grande follows the lives of rich Southern family dynasties and the immigrant families who work on their farms as they deal with power plays and Ice.
We spoke about wrangling such a huge talented cast as well as working on an actual, working (and smelly) dairy farm!
The cast is interviewed for Casa Granda, coming to Amazon Freevee. The ensemble cast consists of John Pyper-Ferguson, Christina Moore (90210), Madison Lawlor (Juniper), Karen Bethzabe (Babylon), Javier Bolaños (Runt), Raquel Dominguez (Chicago Med), James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Emmy-winner Kate Mansi (Days of Our Lives), Daniel Edward Mora (Coco), Loren Escandon (The Baxters), Keith Miller (Red Ruby), and Laura Alemán (Cleaners). It is directed by Gabriela Tagliavini (Despite Everything), Showrunner and Co-Creator Lauren Swickard (A California Christmas), Co-Creator and...
Casa Grande follows the lives of rich Southern family dynasties and the immigrant families who work on their farms as they deal with power plays and Ice.
We spoke about wrangling such a huge talented cast as well as working on an actual, working (and smelly) dairy farm!
The cast is interviewed for Casa Granda, coming to Amazon Freevee. The ensemble cast consists of John Pyper-Ferguson, Christina Moore (90210), Madison Lawlor (Juniper), Karen Bethzabe (Babylon), Javier Bolaños (Runt), Raquel Dominguez (Chicago Med), James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Emmy-winner Kate Mansi (Days of Our Lives), Daniel Edward Mora (Coco), Loren Escandon (The Baxters), Keith Miller (Red Ruby), and Laura Alemán (Cleaners). It is directed by Gabriela Tagliavini (Despite Everything), Showrunner and Co-Creator Lauren Swickard (A California Christmas), Co-Creator and...
- 5/4/2023
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Amazon Freevee has announced that it will stream Casa Grande, a bilingual limited series that examines the everyday realities and conflicts between California’s migrant workforce and the landowners who reap the profits.
Created by Lauren Swickard (A California Christmas) and Ali Afshar, Casa Grande follows the intertwining lives of various families in the farmlands of Northern California and is described as an “upstairs/downstairs story transposed from turn-of-the century English countryside to rural America.” It stars John Pyper-Ferguson, Christina Moore, Madison Lawlor (Juniper), Karen Bethzabe (Babylon), Javier Bolaños (All American), Raquel Dominguez (Chicago Med), James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Kate Mansi (Days of Our Lives), Daniel Edward Mora (Coco), Loren Escandon (The Baxters), and Ali Afshar (He’s Just Not That Into You).
All five one-hour episodes of the English and Spanish language limited series will premiere on Monday, May 1.
“We...
Created by Lauren Swickard (A California Christmas) and Ali Afshar, Casa Grande follows the intertwining lives of various families in the farmlands of Northern California and is described as an “upstairs/downstairs story transposed from turn-of-the century English countryside to rural America.” It stars John Pyper-Ferguson, Christina Moore, Madison Lawlor (Juniper), Karen Bethzabe (Babylon), Javier Bolaños (All American), Raquel Dominguez (Chicago Med), James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Kate Mansi (Days of Our Lives), Daniel Edward Mora (Coco), Loren Escandon (The Baxters), and Ali Afshar (He’s Just Not That Into You).
All five one-hour episodes of the English and Spanish language limited series will premiere on Monday, May 1.
“We...
- 3/20/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon Freevee has landed the exclusive first-run U.S. rights to “Casa Grande,” a bilingual limited series that follows the tales of California’s hardworking, often undocumented migrant workforce, as well as the wealthy landowners in Northern California.
The series, which consists of five one-hour episodes, premieres May 1 on Freevee. Lauren Swickard (“A California Christmas”) and Ali Afshar created “Casa Grande,” which comes from Afshar’s Esx Entertainment shingle.
Series stars include John Pyper-Ferguson, Christina Moore, Madison Lawlor (“Juniper”), Karen Bethzabe (“Babylon”), Javier Bolaños (“All American”), Raquel Dominguez (“Chicago Med”), James Marsters (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer”), Kate Mansi (“Days of Our Lives”), Daniel Edward Mora (“Coco”), Loren Escandon (“The Baxters”) and Ali Afshar (“He’s Just Not That Into You”).
Latin filmmaker Gabriela Tagliavini (“Despite Everything”) directed the series; Swickard serves as showrunner and also wrote the series with Alex Ranarivelo and Michael Cruz. Other executive producers include Ava Rettke and Daniel Aspromonte.
The series, which consists of five one-hour episodes, premieres May 1 on Freevee. Lauren Swickard (“A California Christmas”) and Ali Afshar created “Casa Grande,” which comes from Afshar’s Esx Entertainment shingle.
Series stars include John Pyper-Ferguson, Christina Moore, Madison Lawlor (“Juniper”), Karen Bethzabe (“Babylon”), Javier Bolaños (“All American”), Raquel Dominguez (“Chicago Med”), James Marsters (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer”), Kate Mansi (“Days of Our Lives”), Daniel Edward Mora (“Coco”), Loren Escandon (“The Baxters”) and Ali Afshar (“He’s Just Not That Into You”).
Latin filmmaker Gabriela Tagliavini (“Despite Everything”) directed the series; Swickard serves as showrunner and also wrote the series with Alex Ranarivelo and Michael Cruz. Other executive producers include Ava Rettke and Daniel Aspromonte.
- 3/20/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
While this month's "Macbeth" puts some serious dirt under the fingernails of Shakespeare's classic play, it's not the only literary creation getting a tweak. Writer, director, and star of "Band Of Robbers," Adam Nee, takes the work of Mark Twain, and puts a new spin on Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer in his comedy crime caper to winning effect, and a new trailer is here to show that vaunted literature can find fresh reinvention. Starring Kyle Gallner, Matthew Gray Gubler, Hannibal Buress, Melissa Benoist, Daniel Mora, Eric Christian Olsen, Stephen Lang, Creed Bratton, and more, the film follows Huck, recently sprung from prison, who teams with his old pal Tom for one last scheme. Here's the official synopsis: A modern-day retelling of Mark Twain’s iconic books, Band of Robbers is a comedic adventure that reimagines the characters as grown men, and small-time crooks. When Huck Finn is released from prison,...
- 12/10/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Classic literature endures the changing taste trends because of its timeless ideas and characters that are strongly grounded on human nature’s eternal flaws. These traits make them very desirable properties to put onto the screen. Among these there exists an even more exclusive group of works that have not only been adapted into films, but which have been removed from their original context to be placed and infused with the singular concerns of an entirely different time period
Shakespeare is a favorite for this type of treatment: Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet” and scores of films that attempt to reimagine “Hamlet,” are proof of this fascination. Hits and misses that pursue a symbiotic blend between the themes in the original material and their modern settings.
Finding this cohesive marriage of ideas to a great degree, "Band of Robbers," by co-directors and siblings Aaron and Adam Nee, is a new retelling of Mark Twain's most iconic characters that brings them into 21st century California with comedic spunk. His famous scoundrels, Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee) and Huckleberry Finn (Kyle Gallner), are still great friends looking for an ancient treasure in this modern iteration, but the obstacles to get it are very much of our time.
Segmented into cleverly titled chapters to further its literary quality, the film opens as young Huck and Tom, whose home life is less than ideal, come across Injun Joe (Stephen Lang), a rough-looking villain who is willing to kill in order to get the riches he's been chasing down for years. Caught up in middle of the crime, Huck goes to prison for most of his teenage years, while Tom gets to walk away. But in spite of the abrupt separation no loyalty is lost between them - they are, indeed, each other’s only family.
Cut to about a decade later, Tom has become a police officer and Huck has just been released. Reunited, the ex-con wants to go straight, while the boy in blue is still obsessed with finding Murrel’s legendary treasure - even if their original search is what landed Huck behind bars. Tom has obtained new intel on its whereabouts and he is putting together a gang of misfits to finally put his hands on it.
Besides our two main bandits, a shabby Joe Harper (Matthew Gray Gubler) and the easygoing Ben Rogers (Hannibal Buress) join their ranks in hopes of a quick buck Robin-Hood-style. With an elaborate plan, the band will is ready to rob a pawnshop – where the treasure is supposed to be hidden – but clearly these inept boy-scouts-turned-thieves will find it much more challenging in practice.
Adam Nee's Tom is a charmer - just like in Twain's writing - who longs to become a hero and leave a legacy behind. There is contrived idealism in his persuasive speeches that aim to inspire others to follow his lead even when he is not certain of the outcome himself. Prompted by underlying insecurities derived from living under his detective brother’s shadow, Tom tries to overcompensate with flaky confidence and reckless acts often resulting in humorous mishaps. Nee gets the tone right both when dealing with Sawyer’s heroic exploits and his constant failures.
Though the film is narrated by Gallner’s Huck, his is a much smaller role, almost like and observer who initially trusts Tom blindly. But as Sawyer’s relentless quest for glory becomes more detached with their reality, Huck begins to notice the cracks in his best pal’s personality. While not consciously aware of it or too proud to admit, they have become the villains of their legend by hurting innocent bystanders like rookie officer Becky Thatcher ( played by Melissa Benoist and who is Tom’s partner in this interpretation) or Jorge (Daniel Edward Mora), a hardworking Mexican man who risks deportation after being tricked into helping the robbers.
Huck carries himself with a hint of melancholy, which is Gallner’s best tool to transfer the lonesome vagabond to a new era and render him relevant for current audiences, many of which will have their first encounter with Twain’s world through this film. Not a bad introduction at all.
Since “Band of Robbers” approaches the material with intelligent humor and takes broad liberties with it, there is not an actual need to familiar with these characters to enjoy it. Still, the curious intersection it inhabits - somewhere between millennial bromance and elegant saga – makes the film accessible, yet embellished with sophisticated touches.
The mystery at the center of the plot is clearly not the focus as it unfolds with excessively circumstantial twists that hardly allow for any real tension. However, the film’s strength is the mythical atmosphere that’s able to generate while not being overly solemn. Particularly in the sequences when the misguided heroes confront or hide from Injun Joe, the film sports Scooby-Doo-like undertones, which add a playful mood to the narrative.
The Nee Brother’s “Band of Robbers” has the production value of major studio project and the spirit of an unconventional indie showing off compelling cinematic skills. It's like a thinking man’s “Superbad” with an ethereal quality that’s sort of murky, but delivers in laugh-out-loud moments and thoughtful realizations about young manhood.
In a scene during the first half of the film Tom and Huck wearing modern-day clothing sit in what looks like a candlelit room to discuss their future, the production design is straight from the 1800s but their worries are ageless. At that moment neither them nor us know the time and place they are supposed to be in, but we are completely aware that their emotional distress and uncertainty transcend. Hoping to become something greater never goes out of style.
World rights are being handled by Agency for the Performing Arts, U.S. rights are still available.
Shakespeare is a favorite for this type of treatment: Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet” and scores of films that attempt to reimagine “Hamlet,” are proof of this fascination. Hits and misses that pursue a symbiotic blend between the themes in the original material and their modern settings.
Finding this cohesive marriage of ideas to a great degree, "Band of Robbers," by co-directors and siblings Aaron and Adam Nee, is a new retelling of Mark Twain's most iconic characters that brings them into 21st century California with comedic spunk. His famous scoundrels, Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee) and Huckleberry Finn (Kyle Gallner), are still great friends looking for an ancient treasure in this modern iteration, but the obstacles to get it are very much of our time.
Segmented into cleverly titled chapters to further its literary quality, the film opens as young Huck and Tom, whose home life is less than ideal, come across Injun Joe (Stephen Lang), a rough-looking villain who is willing to kill in order to get the riches he's been chasing down for years. Caught up in middle of the crime, Huck goes to prison for most of his teenage years, while Tom gets to walk away. But in spite of the abrupt separation no loyalty is lost between them - they are, indeed, each other’s only family.
Cut to about a decade later, Tom has become a police officer and Huck has just been released. Reunited, the ex-con wants to go straight, while the boy in blue is still obsessed with finding Murrel’s legendary treasure - even if their original search is what landed Huck behind bars. Tom has obtained new intel on its whereabouts and he is putting together a gang of misfits to finally put his hands on it.
Besides our two main bandits, a shabby Joe Harper (Matthew Gray Gubler) and the easygoing Ben Rogers (Hannibal Buress) join their ranks in hopes of a quick buck Robin-Hood-style. With an elaborate plan, the band will is ready to rob a pawnshop – where the treasure is supposed to be hidden – but clearly these inept boy-scouts-turned-thieves will find it much more challenging in practice.
Adam Nee's Tom is a charmer - just like in Twain's writing - who longs to become a hero and leave a legacy behind. There is contrived idealism in his persuasive speeches that aim to inspire others to follow his lead even when he is not certain of the outcome himself. Prompted by underlying insecurities derived from living under his detective brother’s shadow, Tom tries to overcompensate with flaky confidence and reckless acts often resulting in humorous mishaps. Nee gets the tone right both when dealing with Sawyer’s heroic exploits and his constant failures.
Though the film is narrated by Gallner’s Huck, his is a much smaller role, almost like and observer who initially trusts Tom blindly. But as Sawyer’s relentless quest for glory becomes more detached with their reality, Huck begins to notice the cracks in his best pal’s personality. While not consciously aware of it or too proud to admit, they have become the villains of their legend by hurting innocent bystanders like rookie officer Becky Thatcher ( played by Melissa Benoist and who is Tom’s partner in this interpretation) or Jorge (Daniel Edward Mora), a hardworking Mexican man who risks deportation after being tricked into helping the robbers.
Huck carries himself with a hint of melancholy, which is Gallner’s best tool to transfer the lonesome vagabond to a new era and render him relevant for current audiences, many of which will have their first encounter with Twain’s world through this film. Not a bad introduction at all.
Since “Band of Robbers” approaches the material with intelligent humor and takes broad liberties with it, there is not an actual need to familiar with these characters to enjoy it. Still, the curious intersection it inhabits - somewhere between millennial bromance and elegant saga – makes the film accessible, yet embellished with sophisticated touches.
The mystery at the center of the plot is clearly not the focus as it unfolds with excessively circumstantial twists that hardly allow for any real tension. However, the film’s strength is the mythical atmosphere that’s able to generate while not being overly solemn. Particularly in the sequences when the misguided heroes confront or hide from Injun Joe, the film sports Scooby-Doo-like undertones, which add a playful mood to the narrative.
The Nee Brother’s “Band of Robbers” has the production value of major studio project and the spirit of an unconventional indie showing off compelling cinematic skills. It's like a thinking man’s “Superbad” with an ethereal quality that’s sort of murky, but delivers in laugh-out-loud moments and thoughtful realizations about young manhood.
In a scene during the first half of the film Tom and Huck wearing modern-day clothing sit in what looks like a candlelit room to discuss their future, the production design is straight from the 1800s but their worries are ageless. At that moment neither them nor us know the time and place they are supposed to be in, but we are completely aware that their emotional distress and uncertainty transcend. Hoping to become something greater never goes out of style.
World rights are being handled by Agency for the Performing Arts, U.S. rights are still available.
- 6/16/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Recently, CBS released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "The Mentalist" episode 5 of season 7. The episode is entitled, "The Silver Briefcase," and it turns out that we're going to see Patrick get suspicious enough to reopen a murder case that had been previously closed, and more. In the new, 5th episode press release: A chance encounter with a military colonel, is going to lead Jane to reopen a closed murder case. Press release number 2: A chance encounter with a military colonel, will lead Jane to believe the soldier is hiding something, leading him to dig into a closed murder case of the man’s wife. Cheat Tweet: Jane investigates a soldier based on a hunch but is his target 2 powerful to cross? #TheMentalist 12/28 9:30Et/9:00Pt http://bit.ly/1tUtcUv. Guest stars feature: Wiley Pickett (Aaron Raymond), Jama Williamson (Denise Cortez), Brandon Fobbs (Zach Jefferson), Lisa Kaminir...
- 12/21/2014
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
Principal photography has concluded on the comedic thriller that reimagines Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer as grown men.
Kyle Gallner (pictured at left) and Adam Nee (pictured at right) star with Matthew Gray Gubler, Hannibal Buress, Melissa Benoist, Eric Christian, Daniel Edward Mora and Stephen Lang.
Brothers Adam Nee and Aaron Nee directed Band Of Robbers. Their previous film The Last Romantic premiered at SXSW and IFC distributed in the Us.
Rounding out the cast are Johnny Pemberton, Beth Grant, Lee Garlington, Maria Blasucci, Cooper Huckabee and Creed Bratton.
John Will produces for Torn Sky Entertainment with Rick Rosenthal for Whitewater Films alongside Matt Ratner and Arun Kumar.
Nick Morton, Bert Kern, Tims Johnson, John and Margo Miller, Matthew Gray Gubler and Noah Lang are the executive producers.
Kyle Gallner (pictured at left) and Adam Nee (pictured at right) star with Matthew Gray Gubler, Hannibal Buress, Melissa Benoist, Eric Christian, Daniel Edward Mora and Stephen Lang.
Brothers Adam Nee and Aaron Nee directed Band Of Robbers. Their previous film The Last Romantic premiered at SXSW and IFC distributed in the Us.
Rounding out the cast are Johnny Pemberton, Beth Grant, Lee Garlington, Maria Blasucci, Cooper Huckabee and Creed Bratton.
John Will produces for Torn Sky Entertainment with Rick Rosenthal for Whitewater Films alongside Matt Ratner and Arun Kumar.
Nick Morton, Bert Kern, Tims Johnson, John and Margo Miller, Matthew Gray Gubler and Noah Lang are the executive producers.
- 9/18/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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