Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Three familiar faces will be showing up in upcoming episodes of Drop Dead Diva, starting with actress S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order), who will play the presiding judge in Bobbi Dobkins’ (Sharon Lawrence) case, in which Bobbi is being sued by a “dance mom” for causing a young dancer’s career-ending injury. Then actor Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck) will play Lawrence Tobin, a renowned mega-litigator/plaintiff’s attorney who only takes on the most headline-grabbing cases. He heads a huge product liability case and enlists Jane as a second chair. And (in the season finale) actor Ethan Embry (Sweet Home Alabama) will play Dan Baker, a devoted husband whose wife Hannah is refusing treatment on a brain tumor that will kill her in six months because it has made her a genius. (Lynette Rice at Entertainment Weekly)

Anne of Green Gables, the beloved Canadian novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery – which has been adapted into plays and musicals, cartoons, films and TV shows – is coming back to the small screen (at least in Canada) thanks to L.M. Montgomery’s granddaughter, Kate MacDonald Butler and Canadian independent producer Breakthrough Entertainment in the form of a 13-episode TV drama that is set for production next summer. (Etan Vlessing at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck) is joining the cast of Dexter for a multi-episode arc in which she will play Hannah McKay, a strong, independent woman with a past that she’s struggled to put behind her. As a turn of events leads Miami Metro Homicide to ask for her help in solving some old cases, Dexter works with her and begins to wonder if there’s more to this woman than she’s professed. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers and Snow White And The Huntsman) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film called In The Heart Of The Sea, which is based on the award-winning book by Nathaniel Philbrick. It is the fact-based story of the Nantucket whaling ship the Essex, which was stalked and ultimately destroyed by a sperm whale in 1820. Stranded thousands of miles from home, the crew struggled to survive, being lost at sea for 90 days. He will play a first mate who was supplanted as captain of the whaling ship by a better connected rival. When the ship was attacked by the sperm whale in the Pacific, he becomes the hero who leads some of them to safety. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Actor Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) has joined the cast of the upcoming film called Only Lovers Left Alive that will also star Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska and John Hurt. The story is about a centuries-long love affair between two star-crossed vampires. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actor Neal McDonough (Justified) will star alongside and wrestling star Mike “The Miz” Mizanin in the action thriller film called The Marine: Homefront. Mizanin will play a marine sergeant who, after returning home to his small rural town after an extended leave away, is forced to put his skills to use when he discovers his sister has been kidnapped by a domestic terrorist (McDonough). (Variety and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!