Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas to Star in “Competencia Oficial”

Two of Spain’s most adored cinematic faces, Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz, are re-teaming for another movie after seven years of absence.

They are set to co-star in a new movie titled “Competencia Oficial” (Official Competition), which is due to get underway in Spain at the end of February.

The movie is co-written and co-directed by Argentine filmmakers Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat.

It will be produced by Madrid’s The Mediapro Studio.

The pair were recently seen in Pedro Almodóvar’s movie “Pain and Glory,” – but they never appeared together on screen.

They had made their last artistic cooperation in Almodóvar’s 2013 movie "I’m So Excited".

The plot revolves around an actor (played by Banderas) whose performative methods clash with another fellow star (played by Oscar Martínez) during the preparation of a new movie that is being financed by an overbearing millionaire and directed by an eccentric–well-respected filmmaker (played by Cruz).

Banderas has been nominated recently for the best actor at the Oscars.

It is worth mentioning that the 92nd Academy Awards is set to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, on February 9th with American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish is set to perform at the awards ceremony.

This will mark the Oscars second year in a row to book a star who made a big splash at the Grammys. The award ceremony had booked last year the album of the year winner, Kacey Musgraves.

This year’s Oscars ceremony will be hostless for the second year in a row, according to the ABC entertainment president, Karey Burke.

The Oscars will once again ditch its host due to a rating’s boost after last year’s show, which didn’t feature a host.

“Together with the Academy, we have decided there will be no traditional host, repeating for us what worked last year,” Burke announced in a presentation at the Television Critics Association press tour.

“Together with the Academy, we have decided there will be no traditional host, repeating for us what worked last year,” she added.

She pointed out that it will have huge entertainment values, big musical numbers, comedy and star power.

The Oscars went hostless last year after their original choice Kevin Hart canceled after a scandal revolving an old homophobic tweet had resurfaced.

It was the first time in three decades the show didn’t have a host, since 1989.