Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Liane Balaban has landed the enviable role of new love interest for Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) on Supernatural when the series returns this fall. She will play Amelia, who is described as a tragedy-damaged soul who soon reveals herself to be a brave, sweet, smart, sarcastic woman. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. The Amazing Spider-Man, $65 million
2. Ted, $32.6 million
3. Brave, $20.2 million
4. Savages, $16.2 million
5. Magic Mike, $15.6 million
6. Madea’s Witness Protection, $10.2 million
7. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, $7.7 million
8. Katy Perry: Part of Me, $7.2 million
9. Moonrise Kingdom, $4.6 million
10. To Rome With Love, $3.5 million

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has signed on to play Plutarch Heavensbee in Catching Fire, the second installment in the Hunger Games trilogy. Heavensbee is the new Head Gamemaker who may (or may not) be more loyal to reigning champ Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) than the diabolical President Snow (Donald Sutherland). (The Hollywood Reporter and E! Online)

Actress Radha Mitchell (who will be seen this fall in the new ABC drama Red Widow) has joined the cast of the upcoming film called Olympus Has Fallen. She will play Leah, the wife of Gerard Butler’s Secret Service character in the White House thriller. The film sees the president (Aaron Eckhart) and key members of his administration taken hostage. Butler’s character tries to stop the terrorist plot. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actor Kevin Durand (Lost) has joined the cast of the film adaptation of The Mortal Instruments novel by Cassandra Clare. Lily Collins plays a seemingly ordinary teenager who discovers she is the descendent of a demon-hunting clan. Durand will play one of the antagonists. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy) and Ashley Jensen (Ugly Betty) will play the leads in the upcoming film called Indian Summer that follows an orphaned boy, his embittered uncle, and beautiful but lonely aunt, whose lives are changed forever by the arrival of an exotic stranger – a Native American Indian U.S. Marine. (Movies.ie and Dark Horizons)

Actor Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class) will co-produce and star in the film adaptation of the popular video game franchise Assassin’s Creed. (Variety and First Showing)

Actress Keri Russell (Felicity) has joined the cast of the supernatural thriller called Dark Skies. She will play the lead role, but details on the film have yet to be revealed. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Legendary actor Anthony Hopkins will appear in the Biblical epic film Noah that is set to star Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly as Noah and his wife. Hopkins will play Metheselah, Noah’s grandfather who dies seven days before the great flood. (Twitter and First Showing)

CONDOLENCES

Legendary film and TV actor Ernest Borgnine passed away over the weekend. In addition to being an Oscar winner, he appeared in the classic TV show McHale’s Navy and the popular 80’s actioner Airwolf [among countless other movies and TV shows]. He was 95. (Variety)

ME: Rest in Peace, Mr. Borgnine. Condolences to his family, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica) has joined the cast of the upcoming online series from called Hemlock Grove. He will appear as Sheriff Sworn, the local lawman investigating a young girl’s gruesome murder in a Pennsylvania steel town. The online series is based on a novel by Brian McGreevy and will stars Famke Janssen and Dougray Scott (among others). (The Deadline Team)

That’s it. Enjoy!

NOTE: I leave for Comic Con tomorrow and won’t be back until Sunday so there won’t be any daily entertainment updates until next week.