Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Anna Chlumsky (Veep), Broadway actor Raul Esparza and TV vet Roger Bart (Revenge and Political Animals) will all appear in the same upcoming episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in the fall. Chlumsky will play the author of a best-selling erotic novel (think “50 Shades of Grey”) who accuses a high-profile talk show host (Bart) of a brutal rape. However, the SVU squad gets suspicious when they discover her account of the rape mimics the chapters in her book. The squad, along with the DA’s office (Esparza), also struggles to keep the case from turning into a media frenzy. The long-running series will be back on NBC on September 26. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

Actor turned director Peter Horton (thirtysomething) will appear in an upcoming episode of CSI: NY this October, playing a California-based FBI agent who once dated Jo (Sela Ward). While visiting New York, his character will reconnect with Jo and help her and Mac (Gary Sinise) with a case that concludes in the City by the Bay. (William Keck at TV Guide)

Irish actor Colin O’Donoghue (The Tudors and The Rite) will appear in the potentially recurring role of Captain Hook on Once Upon a Time. He will first appear in the fourth episode of the new season that is set to start on September 30 on ABC. (TV Overmind)

Actress Annie Parisse (Person of Interest) has joined the cast of the FOX mid-season drama The Following that will star Kevin Bacon as ex-FBI agent Ryan Hardy, who leads the search to catch diabolical serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) who has created a cult of serial killers. Parisse will play Debra Parker, an FBI specialist brought in to lead the investigation of Joe Carroll and his followers. She succeeds actress Jeananne Goossen (Alcatraz) in the pilot as the role has been reworked and recast. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Syfy has been busy this week, finalizing a deal with filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and TV producer Marti Noxon (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) and handing out a pilot order to Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies) and veteran producer Robert Halmi, Sr. The first project: Proof (Shyamalan and Noxon) which will follow what happens to the son of a billionaire tech genius after the tragic accident that causes the death of his parents, offering a large reward for anyone who can find proof of life after death. Meanwhile, the Halmi-Fuller project is an adaptation of the John Christopher cult 1969 young adult sci-fi novel The Lotus Caves that will be called High Moon. The story behind this pilot is a future where the countries of Earth have established colonies to mine the Moon’s resources. When a new life form is discovered, chaos erupts as various factions race to uncover and exploit its powerful secrets. (The Futon Critic and Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Diane Kruger (National Treasure) will play Sarah Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s step-mother in the next film about the 16th US President called The Green Blade Rises. This version tells the story of America’s greatest hero, the hardships that shaped him, the tragedy that marked him forever and the two women who guided him to immortality. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Actress Octavia Spencer (The Help) has joined the cast of the romantic comedy called Baggage Claim that will star Paula Patton as a flight attendant who is the oldest unmarried gal in her family, who sets her sights on finding a groom before her sister gets hitched in 30 days. (Vulture and Dark Horizons)

Actor Jason Clarke (Lawless and The Chicago Code) has joined the cast of the upcoming thriller called White House Down. He will play Stenz, the leader of the mercenaries who break into the Executive Mansion. Among the cast are Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx and Maggie Gyllenhaal. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Director Shana Faete (who directed last year’s Country Strong) is in talks to direct a remake the classic 80’s film Endless Love, which was based on the novel of the same name by Scott Spencer that made Brooke Shields a star. (The Hollywood Reporter and First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!!