Through the new deal, Lopez will produce television shows and films, adding to the projects he already has in place with the two companies, including a development deal for a drama with South Shore.

In a statement, Paul Presburger, the CEO of Pantelion Films, said “George is a comic superstar and brand name in the Latino community, and he reflects the kind of A-list Latino film and TV talent we’re recruiting for our Pantelion and South Shore partnerships. As our breakout hit 'Instructions Not Included' recently demonstrated, Latino audiences are hungry for mainstream commercial entertainment that incorporates Latino characters and themes, and George’s broad appeal and cross-cultural humor is tailor-made to meet this demand.”

That demand is high, and appealing to Latino audiences is important. In September, Variety reported that Latino audiences are "the most enthusiastic moviegoing demo in the country, representing 22% of frequent moviegoers with only 16% of the U.S. population." Meeting that demand is difficult, but Pantelion is on track to do so, especially considering their success in gaining a wide Hispanic audience for "Instructions not Included."

As part of the deal, Lopez will produce and star in "La Vida Robot," an English-language feature by Pantelion. Principal photography for the film starts in mid-October.

The film is based on a true story by Joshua Davis that was originally published in Wired magazine. The 2005 article tells the story of four undocumented Mexican-American teenagers as they form a robotics team and take down the reigning MIT champion at a national robotics competition.

Turning an idea from our real lives into a written story starts with the courage to sit down and write – see Cameron Cubbison's ScreenCraft post: When To Start Writing