Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Treat Williams (Everwood) will appear in a multi-episode arc on the NBC drama Chicago Fire, playing Benny Severide, the dad of firefighter Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney). Benny is described as a tough guy who also used to work as a fireman. Kelly and Benny have had an on/off again relationship over the years, though. (William Keck at TV Guide)

Actor Gregory Itzin (24 and Covert Affairs) will guest star on an upcoming episode of Once Upon a Time as Dr. Whale’s (er, um Dr. Frankenstein’s) father, Alphonse. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The USA Network is developing a sci-fi series called Horizon with executive producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead). The project is set during the height of World War II, centering on a secretary at the FBI who discovers that her husband might have been killed in a battle with a spaceship in the South Pacific. Obsessed with learning the truth, she becomes the only person standing between Earth and an alien invasion. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

It looks like the classic story of The Saint could be coming back to TV in the form of a remake starring British actor Adam Rayner as debonair international thief Simon Templar, a modern day Robin Hood, stealing from rich criminals and keeping the loot for himself. A master of disguise, improvisation, martial arts, firearms and espionage and the quintessential English gentleman, he is hired by certain government agencies for special assignments. The completed pilot is expected to be shopped to networks. (Nellie Andreeva and Joe Utichi at Deadline)

Ugly Betty executive producers Salma Hayek and Silvio Horta are teaming up with producer Mark Gordon for another potential “light” drama called Bastards for ABC. The project centers on a colorful Cuban-American family who have their lives turned upside down when it’s revealed that the family patriarch had a child with the family maid over 25 years ago. Now his wife will do anything to protect her children’s inheritance and prevent her family’s deep dark secrets from ever seeing the light of day. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The cable network Bravo seems to be interested in bringing the box office film Death Becomes Her to the small screen. The project, much like the film, would center on two rival women who both attain eternal youth. (AJ Marechal at Variety)

Looks like cable network Starz is also going into the sci-fi realm by developing a project called Human Error that would be set in the near future where artificial humans known as “synthetics” are being phased into the civilian sector. A veteran human detective is paired with one such synth and is tasked with a seemingly simple case that ultimately leads to a larger conspiracy. (Lacey Rose at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Terrence Howard will be joining the likes of Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Melissa Leo, Viola Davis, Maria Bello and Paul Dano in the box office film Prisoners, which revolves around a small-town carpenter (Jackman) whose young daughter and her best friend are abducted. After the cops fail to find them, Keller takes the law into his own hands, but in the process runs up against a detective (Gyllenhaal), a hot shot cop with confidence to burn, assigned to the case. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!