Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today. Please note that I leave for the San Diego Comic Con bright and early tomorrow morning so there won’t be any daily entertainment updates for the rest of the week. I will hopefully be back to a (somewhat) normal routine on Monday, July 25.

Until then…

TELEVISION

Lifetime is moving the new drama The Protector to Monday nights at 10 PM starting August 1 in order to make room for the new drama Against the Wall that will debut on Sunday, July 31 at 10 PM. (The Futon Critic)

Actor David Ramsey (Dexter) will have a recurring role on Blue Bloods this fall, playing the newly elected Mayor Carter Poole. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

Actress Constance Zimmer (Entourage) will appear on Royal Pains as a potential recurring love interest for Hank (Mark Feuerstein). She will play Dr. Abby Burton, a psychiatrist and an old friend of Hank’s who may be able to help an especially important HankMed patient. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Logan Browning (Meet the Browns and Pair of Kings) has joined the cast of the upcoming fall series The Secret Circle that will debut on The CW this fall. She will play Sally Matthews, who befriends Cassie (Britt Robertson). (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Two big roles in season 2 of Game of Thrones have been cast. Dutch stage and film actress Carice van Houten (who appeared in the films Valkyrie and Repo Men) will appear as Melisandre, a powerful woman who counsels the late King Robert’s eldest younger brother, Stannis Baratheon, in his quest to claim the Iron Throne. Meanwhile Stannis will be played by British actor Stephen Dillane (HBO’s John Adams mini-series). (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Titus Welliver (Lost, The Good Wife and Sons of Anarchy) has been cast as Triphammer in the FX pilot called Powers, which is based on a Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming comic book. The pilot stars Jason Patric and Lucy Punch as detectives who investigate crimes involving people with superhuman abilities. Triphammer is described as both a genius and a narcissist, a combination of Steve Jobs and Donald Trump. He’s not just a powerful force in his own right, he has invented technology that can both bestow and remove superhuman abilities. (Maureen Ryan)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

It looks like Universal Pictures has dropped its plan to adapt Stephen King’s seven-novel series The Dark Tower. The original plans were to produce a film trilogy as well as TV series based on books. Ron Howard was to direct the first film. But now, the studio has decided not to commit to the project. (The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and TV Guide)

Actor Dennis Quaid has joined the cast the upcoming box office film What to Expect When You’re Expecting playing Ramsey, who has a much younger wife (Brooklyn Decker) who is giving birth to twins and who has an adult son who is also expecting his first child. (Reuters and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!