CNN
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Latin boy band Menudo is eyeing a comeback with a new generation of talent, and Mario Lopez is lending a hand in the search.
After a 12-year hiatus, Menudo Productions has announced the launch of a global talent search to find the next iteration of the vocal group that helped bring Ricky Martin to prominence as a teenager.
Lopez, who had his day as a teen idol when he starred as AC Slater on the 90s sitcom ‘Saved By the Bell,’ will provide updates on finding media platforms social.
The global hunt for “Menudo: A New Beginning” will begin later this month with online submissions. Select in-person audition events will also take place, beginning with one in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“Like so many people around the world, I grew up a huge Menudo fan,” Lopez said in a press release. “I’m so excited and honored to be part of the comeback of this iconic Latin boy band!”
The Puerto Rican boy band dominated the tween market in the 80s and 90s and are known for introducing new faces as older talent leaves the group.
While this isn’t the first time Menudo has been revived, executives are taking a fresh approach, with plans for the band to “connect with fans in ways unimaginable just a decade ago,” said Menudo Productions CEO Paul Tarnopol in a statement.
And according to the press release, “unlike previous incarnations of the band, the new members of Menudo will share all concert, merchandise and music revenue.”
Tarnopol said the management team is “committed to the safety, well-being and financial security of each of Menudo’s members.”
“That’s what we mean by ‘A New Beginning,'” he said.