Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Oscar winning actress Ellen Burstyn has joined the cast of the much-buzzed-about six-hour USA Network series Political Animals that will star Sigourney Weaver as Elaine Barrish, a divorced former first lady and current secretary of state, who is struggling to keep her family together while simultaneously dealing with the crises of the State Department. Burstyn will appear as Margaret Barrish, Elaine’s mother, who is a tough Chicago broad and one-time Vegas showgirl with biting tongue and sharp wit. Other cast members include James Wolk (Lone Star and Happy Endings), Sebastian Stan (Gossip Girl) and Carla Gugino. (Lacey Rose at The Hollywood Reporter)

Two very different stories broke today regarding legendary actress Dame Maggie Smith and her continuation in the raved about BBC series Downton Abbey. One story says she has asked to leave the show after the third season (which is being filmed now for airing in the U.K. in September) and one that says the rumor is false. Time will tell which story is true. (Deadline, The Daily Mail, BBC America, The New York Times and PBS)

Actress Skyler Day (Parenthood and TeenNick’s short-lived teen series Gigantic) will appear in a recurring role on the Lifetime drama Army Wives, playing Sophie Clarke, the 16-year-old daughter of Jackie and Army Gen. Clarke (Kelli Williams and Robert John Burke). Sophie is described as a pretty and willful girl who can be flippant to the point of rudeness but knows how to turn on the charm and portray the perfect daughter. She’s close with her father and has a deep resentment toward her mother for what she believes was a childhood of neglect. (The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

HBO is edging closer to making the Philip Kerr trilogy into a series to be called Berlin Noir. The potential series would focus on Bernie Gunther, a police detective in 1930s Germany, with the political climate and run-up to WWII and then the Cold War as the backdrop. The books from the trilogy – “March Violets”, “The Pale Criminal” and “A German Requiem” were published starting in 1989 and will include Tom Hanks as one of their executive producers. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office films for this past weekend courtesy of Exhibitor Relations and E! Online:

1. The Hunger Games, $21.5 million
2. The Three Stooges, $17.1 million
3. The Cabin in the Woods, $14.9 million
4. Titanic 3D, $11.6 million
5. American Reunion, $10.6 million
6. Mirror Mirror, $7 million
7. Wrath of the Titans, $6.9 million
8. 21 Jump Street, $6.8 million
9. Lockout, $6.3 million
10. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, $3 million

Actress Joelle Carter (Justified) has joined the cast of the upcoming horror film called Jessabelle that will be about a woman who returns to her father’s Louisiana home after an accident robs her of the use of her legs. Once there, she must confront an enraged ghost. Carter will play the woman’s mother. (Dread Central and Dark Horizons)

Actor Wentworth Miller (Prison) has sold the original thriller screenplay called The Disappointments Room to Voltage Pictures and Killer Films. The story follows a family that moves into a mysterious old house in the country that has a dark past. (Risky Biz Blog and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Must Watch: Heartwarming ‘Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog’ US Trailer

That’s it. Enjoy!