Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

The end of another week is finally here and October is nearly upon us. Where does the time go?

Meanwhile, there is a quite a bit of news to share with all of you:

NEWS

Andrew Lloyd Webber has finally found his Wizard of Oz: Stage legend Michael Crawford — who originated the role of the Phantom in Webber’s Phantom of the Opera 24 years ago — will take on the role as the ruler of Oz in the forthcoming London-based production. This is a rather buzzed-about London production that finds the British Webber producing and writing new songs with regular collaborator Tim Rice. The show’s Dorothy was found via the BBC talent-search show Over the Rainbow. (Variety and Tanner Stransky at Entertainment Weekly)

TELEVISION

As I posted yesterday in a separate item, Lifetime has renewed its two hit show Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva for their fifth and third seasons, respectively, to premiere in 2011, during which 13 all-new episodes of each program will air on the network. (The Futon Critic)

The CW has ordered 6 more scripts for both their new show Hellcats and long-running series One Tree Hill. (The Futon Critic)

Marc Blucas (Buffy) has landed the lead role opposite Callie Thorne (Rescue Me) in the USA Network pilot Necessary Roughness, which centers on a female shrink (Thorne) who becomes the therapist for a professional football team. After succeeding beyond expectations, she is sought after by other athletes, musicians, politicians, and those living in the spotlight who all want her unique brand of tough-love therapy. Blucas will play the team’s hunky trainer and a romantic foil for Thorne. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Victor Garber (Alias and Eli Stone) has joined the USA Network pilot A Legal Mind as a senior lawyer (Twitter)

Summer Glau (Firefly and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) has signed on to guest star in Chuck as one of the many versions of Greta, the Buy More’s rotating undercover agent. She will appear in the eighth episode. Other upcoming Gretas include Stacy Keibler and Isaiah Mustafa. Olivia Munn originated the role in Monday’s season premiere. Glau will next appear opposite David Lyons in the NBC midseason drama The Cape. (Michael Auseillo at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Courteney Cox and David Arquette are reportedly close to landing a new drama at ABC centering on the stories of 911 operators. No other details were given. (The Futon Critic)

CONDOLENCES

1950s pop singer Eddie Fisher (and father of Star Wars alum Carrie Fisher) passed away last night from complications related to hip surgery at the age of 82. Fisher was married to well-known actresses Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens during his lifetime, creating one of the biggest romantic scandals when in 1959 he left then wife (and America’s sweetheart) Debbie Reynolds to marry Elizabeth Taylor. He was also the father of Tricia Leigh Fisher and actress Joely Fisher. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

ME: Consider Fisher and his scandal just like that of Brad Pitt leaving Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie. Only imagine it 10 times bigger than the coverage that scandal received and you’ll just touch on how big that scandal was at the time.

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Chloe Moretz (Let Me In and Hit Girl) will take the lead role of Emily the Strange in the adaptation of the cult fave Dark Horse comic series of the same name. (Deadline and First Showing)

Kimberly Peirce (Director of Boys Don’t Cry and Stop-Loss) has been chosen by Universal Pictures to direct Wicked Lovely, the adaptation of the first book in the best-selling young adult fantasy series by Melissa Marr. The film centers on a teenage girl, Aislinn, who has seen dangerous faeries her entire life and must go against everything she was taught to confront a world she was raised to fear. (Nicole Sperling at Entertainment Weekly)

Former Veronica Mars star, Kristen Bell, has told The Hollywood Reporter that she would self-finance a feature film version of her dearly departed noir drama IF Warner Bros. would release the rights to Veronica Mars. At this point, though, Warner Bros. feels they will not make any money out of a film version and will not release the movie rights. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter and Televisionary)

Emma Watson (Harry Potter franchise) is in negotiations to join the box office movie My Week With Marilyn, which is based on a diary by Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), a young actor who worked for Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) when the veteran actor shepherded Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) around London while she shot The Prince and the Showgirl in 1956. Clark and Marilyn shared many confidences and became close despite her recent marriage to playwright Arthur Miller. Emma will play Lucy, a wardrobe assistant working behind the scenes during the making of the film who has a few dates with Clark. Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia), Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench (among others) co-star. (The Daily Mail and Dark Horizons)

Warner Bros. has snapped up a sci-fi spec script dubbed Expulsion by mystery writer Gregg Hurwitz and set it up with Brad Weston. The story centers on a small band of survivors escaping to a planet beyond the solar system after a terrorist attack destroys Earth. (Dave McNary at Variety)

Billy Zane (Titanic) is to produce and direct the project Photismos (the working title) [which means illumination] is about the relationship between a young man and his uncle and will touch on philosophy, theology, Pythagoras’ theories, geometry….and Frisbees. (Nick Holdsworth at Variety)

AJ Michalka (Secretariat) has joined the cast of the J.J. Abrams movie Super 8, which includes cast members Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler and Ron Eldard. (Brian Warmoth at MTV Movies Blog)

Pixar has named its first female director, Brenda Chapman, to direct and write the animated film Brave, which is due out in June 2012. The story follows Merida, a tomboyish royal with a love of archery. After a fight with her mom, Merida makes a decision with some major repercussions for her father’s kingdom. Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, and Julie Walters are all expected to provide voices for the film. (The Hollywood Reporter and Breia Brissey at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Must Watch: Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech Official Trailer

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!