Julio Peña has joined the cast of Amazon MGM Studios upcoming romance Throttled, bringing him together with Josh Heuston and Nicole Wallace for the adaptation of Lauren Asher’s bestselling Dirty Air series. Peña will play Santi Alatorre, the older brother of Wallace’s Maya and a professional racing driver. The film revolves around Maya’s forbidden romance with Noah Slade, played by Heuston, who is both Santi’s teammate and fiercest rival on the racing circuit.

Julio Peña Joins Throttled As Santi Alatorre

Peña’s casting was announced through a playful video featuring Wallace and Heuston. In the clip, the two actors appear to be having a private conversation before Peña steps between them, immediately establishing Santi’s protective older-brother personality.

The Spanish actor responds to Heuston’s welcome with a clear warning to stay away from his sister before hugging Wallace. The casting reunites Peña with Wallace after their previous work in the Through My Window franchise, where both actors became internationally recognised through the popular Netflix romantic films.

Throttled Follows A Forbidden F1 Romance

Throttled is based on the first novel in Lauren Asher’s Dirty Air series and centres on Maya Alatorre, an ambitious young woman who joins her brother on the international racing circuit. There, she meets Noah Slade, a successful and intense driver who happens to be Santi’s teammate and biggest rival.

Despite promising herself that she will stay away from him out of loyalty to her brother, Maya finds herself increasingly drawn to Noah. Their growing relationship creates a complicated situation because Santi’s rivalry with Noah adds another obstacle to their romance. The story combines professional competition with the emotional complications created when family loyalty and attraction collide.

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Josh Heuston And Nicole Wallace Lead The Film

Josh Heuston has been cast as Noah Slade, the racing star at the centre of Maya’s romantic story. Nicole Wallace plays Maya, giving the project a pairing that has already generated attention among fans of young adult romance adaptations.

Wallace is known for the Culpa Mía trilogy, while Heuston recently gained wider attention through his role as Justin in Off Campus. Peña, meanwhile, became internationally familiar through his performances as Ares Hidalgo in the Through My Window trilogy. His addition gives the adaptation another actor with an established audience in the romance genre.

Throttled
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Throttled Movie Adds A New Racing World

Nzingha Stewart is directing Throttled from a screenplay by Melissa Osborne. The production team includes Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks through Brownstone Productions, alongside Jennifer Gibgot and Andrew Panay of Ethea Entertainment and Garrett Grant. Lauren Asher is also attached as an executive producer, helping connect the screen adaptation to the book series on which it is based.

The original Dirty Air series consists of 4 novels, although it has not been announced whether the other books will also be adapted for the screen. For now, the focus is on bringing the first story involving Maya and Noah to life. No release date has been announced yet. With Peña now joining Heuston and Wallace, the central cast is taking clearer shape as the project moves forward.

Final Take

Julio Peña has joined Amazon MGM Studios’ Throttled as Santi Alatorre, the protective older brother of Nicole Wallace’s Maya. Josh Heuston plays Noah Slade, the driver whose forbidden romance with Maya puts him directly at odds with Santi, setting up a romance shaped by family loyalty and racing rivalry.

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