Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Happy Friday! Lots of interesting news, tidbits and some spoilers (tread lightly) to share with everyone:

TELEVISION

NBC is finally giving the long-delayed rom-com anthology series Love Bites a chance. The series, which stars Becki Newton (Ugly Betty), will begin a nine-week summer run starting on June 2 at 10 PM. But the odds of the series making it to a second season are long because Newton has already been cast in another pilot for CBS and if NBC completely believed in the series, it would have aired during the regular season. (Vulture)

Legendary actor Ed Asner will appear in a two-episode arc on Royal Pains as the grandfather of Hank and Evan. The medical dramedy will be back on the USA Network with new episodes on June 29 at 9 PM. (Nellie Andreeva at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

It looks like the cable network Starz is ready to roll out its first original limited series, an adaptation of the Dean Koontz 1985 novel Twilight Eyes. The project centers on Slim MacKenzie, who uses his psychic powers, aka Twilight Eyes, to hunt Goblins — monsters that have the ability to mimic human beings. While the events in the book take place even before the 1980s, the adaptation will be set in present day. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Dwayne Johnson will star in and produce a box office film about black country music star Charley Pride. Pride was one of eleven children born to Mississippi sharecroppers who became a musician and went on to sell more than 70 million records. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actors Travis Fimmel (The Beast), Daniel Cudmore (X2) and Andre Braugher (Primal Fear) have joined the cast the upcoming box office film called The Baytown Disco, which follows the foibles of three redneck brothers (Fimmel, Cudmore and Clayne Crawford) who get more than they bargained for when agreeing to help a woman (Eva Longoria) get her son back from his seemingly abusive father (Billy Bob Thornton). Serinda Swan, Thomas Sangster and Meagan Good also star. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

Now that actor Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) is out of the film adaptation of the Dark Horse graphic novel R.I.P.D. (or Rest In Peace Department), starring Ryan Reynolds, it looks like legendary actor Jeff Bridges is in talks to join the supernatural action comedy. Bridges would be playing Reynolds partner in the story of a dead cop who makes a deal to work one hundred years in divine law enforcement in exchange for a shot at finding who killed him. (Deadline and First Showing)

Two more newcomers have been added to the cast of the much-anticipated box office adaptation of the Suzanne Collins novel The Hunger Games. Actors Chris Mark and Jackie Emerson will play the District 5 tributes. (Movie Web)

SPOILER ROOM (with Sandra Gonzalez from Entertainment Weekly)

SPOILER ALERT!!

YOUR ‘CASTLE’ QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

First, I was completely blown away by the great response and the volume of questions y’all sent in for Andrew Marlowe. So I figured I’d poke out three of the most spoiler-ific questions for today’s column for a super-sized Castle item. Rest assured, you’ll be getting several more answered as we head toward the finale!

Question: Any further scoop on the upcoming L.A. episode would be fun…. shared hotel suite…. sportscars… palm trees… bikinis that episode is already looking like it’s going to be a fan favorite! — Cheryl

Answer: I’d be willing to say it’ll be a fan-fave — especially if you enjoy rogue Beckett! “She’s not a cop in L.A. She’s not working under any authority, so she has to go a little rogue, which I think both delights Castle, but also makes him a little bit nervous,” says Marlowe. “In New York, she’s always there as a safety net to make sure things go as planned. But in L.A., they’re flying blind.” But Marlowe is humbled when I tell him fans are building this one up. “Well, we hope we don’t disappoint. I don’t want to build it up too much,” he says, laughing. So modest!

Question: I hope this is an appropriate question as I have never posted one before: I am wondering if Marlowe and/or fellow writers see all the storyline theories for the L.A. episode or season finale posted on sites like the ABC message boards? I read them and have to chuckle, wondering if the powers that be read them and laugh at how off base they are or be amazed at how correct they are. Thanks. — Rayna

Answer: There’s absolutely no right or wrong question to ask, Rayna! Fear not. But you should fear that information you’re writing online is getting back to Marlowe. He’s a busy guy, so he doesn’t always have time to read it himself. But trust me when I say, he hears it. And you know what? Some of the theories you’ve pondered about the finale are correct! “Certainly there are people out there who are flirting with various elements of what we’re doing who have gotten some things right,” he says.

Question: Please give us some theories on the possible game changer for Castle and Beckett!!! Is someone he knows involved in Beckett’s mom’s murder? Beckett pregnant by Josh? I need something significant from the finale to get me through the summer! PLEASE!!!!! — Jade

Answer: Pregnant? I think not. And my game changer theory? Per Marlowe, “There’s a moment where the two of them talk about their feelings for each other and really get to express where they think they’re at in the relationship,” Marlowe says, making my heart flutter. “I think fans will be really interested to see how that information comes out.”

‘SUPERNATURAL’ EP SERA GAMBLE TEASES SAM’S CRUMBLING WALL, ‘SHOCKING BEGINNING’

Last week I teased the first hour of Supernatural’s two-hour finale (airing May 20), and now, I come with intel on the show’s second hour, which EP Sera Gamble says opens with “a bang,” as the wall in Sam’s mind that protects him from his darkest memories falls down. “You see Sam in a state he’s never been in before pretty much at the top of the episode,” she says. “Structurally, he does a couple of pretty interesting things in that episode.” Um, I’m worried. Nay, pleasantly terrified. “I will say that hopefully it’s entertaining. It’s like when you start to think about what that could be in your imagination — something completely spun out in all directions — except hopefully we give you something you were thinking and some unexpected twists,” she says. “We like to throw stuff at the boys that they weren’t prepared for as much as possible.” I only hope we’re prepared for the trauma. Probably not. But that’s the fun of it.

Q&A SECTION (with Sandra Gonzalez from Entertainment Weekly):

Question; NCIS L.A.? – LG

Gonzalez: I am so glad you asked. And I also hope you’re a Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) and Kensi (Daniela Ruah) fan for two reasons. (1) The May 3 episode is going to be awesome because not only does it delve deep into Deek’s twisty backstory, but it also finds Deeks undercover in a way we’ve never seen before. “[Kensi] has never seen him be intimate with a woman before — not in real life and not undercover. She’s confronted for the first time with seeing him in a big, big kiss with his past lover, and it’s interesting how she’s able to react to that. She has to keep her cool,” says Ruah. But for Olsen, the best part of the episode was seeing Deeks go to a “darker place” than we’ve seen before, and subsequently “how Kensi navigates his fall.”

Question: The Glades — do you know when it’s going to come back on? All the website says is “coming soon.” I think it is one of the BEST newer shows. Please tell me the slime ball getting out of jail IS NOT going to stop the divorce! Jimcal are great together. Have not seen that much chemistry between 2 actors in a long time.— Dana S from Texas

Gonzalez: The Glades returns June 5 for its 13-episode second season, that, as you mentioned, finds Callie’s husband, Ray, out of the slammer. And while I totally agree that “Jimcal” (that’s a new one to me!) are a great pair, Ray’s presence will definitely complicate things — especially in the episode where Callie finds herself stuck in a safe house with Ray and her son, Jeff. It’s almost like they’re… a family again. Rest assured the Jimcal story is far from done, though.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!

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Hey All,

The news for today is really short, but there are still a few interesting items to share, especially the new trailer for upcoming Harry Potter film (Part 2 is out in theatres on July 15):

TELEVISION

Actor-comedian Bill Engvall (The Bill Engvall Show) will take a dramatic turn in the TNT medical drama HawthoRNe when it returns this summer. He will play Richmond Police Internal Affairs Det. James “Jimmy” Dupree, who is called in to investigate a case involving an incident at James River Hospital. The series returns for its third season on June 14 at 10 PM. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The John Grisham novel The Firm, which was made into a box office film back in 1993 is becoming a TV series. NBC is currently in negotiations to pick up the 22-episide series that will be produced by eOne Television in association with SPT networks and Paramount Pictures. Part of the deal is for the series to air on Sony’s AXN networks – to be aired in more than 125 territories around the world. The domestic sale is handled by eOne, which retained basic and pay TV, broadcast and digital/DVD rights for the show outside of AXN markets and handles distribution worldwide, including the U.S. and Canada. Casting is underway and production is expected to begin in July. The series is to pick up 10 years after the events in the 1993 feature left off. It reintroduces Mitch McDeere who brought down a prestigious Memphis law firm operating as a front for the Chicago mob. McDeere and his family emerge from isolation after 10 years in the Federal Witness Protection Program. Determined to reclaim their lives and their future, the McDeeres soon find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

It’s official: Actress Elizabeth Banks will play Effie Trinket in the upcoming movie adaptation of the Suzanne Collins book The Hunger Games. In addition, newcomers Ethan Jamieson and Tara Macken will play the kids from the wealthy District 4. (Nicole Sperling at LA Times and Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Armie Hammer (The Social Network) is in talks to play the title character in the upcoming film The Lone Ranger, taking over for Ryan Gosling who had previously been linked to the role. Johnny Depp is already set to play Tonto. (Mike Fleming at Deadline and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ Official Trailer

That’s it. Enjoy!

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