Hey All,
Here are the news items for today:
TELEVISION
Actor John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood and Arrow) will guest star in the May 9 episode of Scandal, but there are no details on what role he will play. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)
Actor Colin Hanks (Dexter and Roswell) will appear in the final two episodes of NCIS as Department of Defense Investigator Richard Parsons. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)
The CW has pulled the new drama Cult (that sounds like an early cancellation), being replaced by the reality series Oh Sit and repeats of The Carrie Diaries. (TV By the Numbers)
Syfy has renewed Being Human for a 13-episode fourth season. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)
Actress Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck) will return for a multi-episode arc on the 8th season of Dexter, reprising her role of Hannah McKay. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Syfy is developing a new project called No Place, based on the Top Cow comic book “The Test” by Matt Hawkins and Joshua Hale Fialkov that is about residents of a high-tech gated community awaken one morning to find themselves alone and cut off from the rest of reality – nothing exists beyond the community’s walls. Only one man has contact with the powers responsible for what is known as ‘The Rift’, and he must lead his fellow residents beyond the void to discover the truth. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)
Syfy is also developing seven other projects, according to Lacey Rose at The Hollywood Reporter, including the following:
Dominion (formerly known as Legion), which tells the story of what happens twenty years after evil angels descended from heaven to lay waste to the human souls they felt God had favored over them. A reluctant “savior” must arise to protect Vega, the last remaining stronghold of humanity. The savior has more to fear than just angels, as the elites of this new society conspire to gain power for themselves.
Orion, which is a space opera that centers on Orion, an adventurous female relic hunter who tracks down valuable artifacts while trying to piece together her past.
Sojourn is about the first detective ever in space, who is tasked with investigating a murder on a starship that is headed to colonize another planet, but instead becomes embroiled in a vast conspiracy involving a mysterious terrible crime dating back to the original launch of the ship 50 years ago.
Clandestine is about what happens after a clan of bandits are nearly destroyed and left for dead by Coalition forces. They take refuge in the nearest safe haven, a derelict Coalition starship floating in space. Once onboard, they masquerade as Coalition officers while continuing their criminal ways ¬- until they stumble upon a shocking realization about the true nature of the Coalition.
Infinity tells the story of what happens when an alien armada is sighted in the region of Pluto, causing the Earth government to turn to a young billionaire industrialist, who has the only ship ready for interstellar travel, to greet the aliens and avoid a catastrophe. Powered by secret alien technology discovered on Earth in the 1960s, the ship engages in a firefight that sends them spinning through a wormhole into an uncharted region of space. Lost in the universe, the team struggles to survive as they encounter new planets and alien species, searching for a way back home.
Silver Shields is about what happens when farm boy Caymer’s father is slain by assassins connected to the government of the large nearby city of Pont Royal. He journeys there to continue his father’s legacy as a member of the local police force and to solve the mystery of his father¹s death. He discovers that his simple country view on life is at odds with the big city, filled with orcs and other magical creatures.
Shelter is about what happens when a massive meteorite is headed toward Earth, forcing 30,000 hand-picked humans to live underground in a government funded shelter in order to start a new society. What begins as a Utopia quickly succumbs to the old human faults and jealousies as certain members of society create alliances to gain favor and power. Meanwhile, things on the surface are not what they seem. Humans slowly realize that this event may have been fated and the survivors meant for a greater purpose in rebooting life on Earth.
MINI-SERIES NEWS
Syfy is also working on two new mini-series: Ringworld based on the book by Larry Niven and Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. Ringworld will be a four-hour mini that follows a team of explorers who travel to the farthest reaches of space to investigate an alien artifact called Ringworld, an artificial habitat the size of one million Earths. As they crash land on this enormous structure, they discover the remnants of ancient civilizations, technology beyond their wildest dreams, mysteries that shed light on the very origins of man and, most importantly, a possible salvation for a doomed Earth. Meanwhile, Childhood’s End follows a peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival ends all war and turns the planet into a near-utopia. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Actor Noah Emmerich (The Americans) will star alongside Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper and Joel Edgerton in the upcoming box office film Jane Got A Gun. He will play the outlaw husband of the title character (Portman) who is trying to keep her farm from going under. Knowing that his gang–led by a desperado played by Cooper–will come to kill her husband and destroy her farm, Jane hires her ex-lover (Edgerton) to stop them. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)
Actors Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) and actress Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) will lend their voices along with Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and other original cast members for Kung Fu Panda 3. (The Deadline Team)
BOX OFFICE TRAILER
Hot Trailer: ‘Elysium’
Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online, Natalie Abrams and Adam Bryant at TV Guide and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)
Question: Zoe and George scoop would be really, really, really, really, really nice! – ampdalejr89
Team Watch with Kristin: Prepare for your ship to set sail again! “George is in a happy relationship for the first time in a long time and in comes Zoe Hart to try to ruin it all once again,” Scott Porter teases. “So, things are going to get bumpy for George. And there’s some more singing in the future and there might be a couple of kisses with people who aren’t Tansy.” Woah! So can we expect a juicy moment between George and Zoe? “I would say we’re heading that way, yes!”
Question: I love Person of Interest. Will the Stanton Virus wreak havoc on the Machine? — James
ADAM: Finch pretty much confirmed in the last episode that the virus was most likely behind the Machine’s glitchy behavior in recent episodes. But it sounds like the Machine will fight back in the run-up to this year’s finale. “What’s really interesting about the Machine is whether or not you believe it is an evolving organism,” executive producer Greg Plageman says. “What happens when an organism like that comes under attack? The question to ask is: Have we seen all the facets of the Machine and its true power?” Anyone else hoping to see Terminators in Season 3?
Question: Got any scoop on The Vampire Diaries spin-off episode? — Jorge
NATALIE: After Klaus and Haley’s hookup, Phoebe Tonkin’s casting on the spin-off makes a little more sense, but in the backdoor-pilot episode, we’ll discover why they’ll always be connected — and why Elijah is so damn happy about it.
Question: Do you know if there any big deaths coming up on The Vampire Diaries? —Audrey
Ausiello: Nope, but I can tell you that next Thursday’s episode features another big return (in addition to Steven R. McQueen coming back), as well as a passing glimpse of Silas’ real face — rumor has it he looks a lot like an actor out of Atlanta named Scott Parks. However, don’t get too used to seeing Silas’ authentic self. According to sources, the erstwhile warlock will continue to do most of his dirty work in disguise.
Question: When will Vampire Diaries start addressing the fact almost all of the core characters will be graduating high school in a few weeks? —Matt
Ausiello: The G-word will soon become a big topic of conversation in Mystic Falls. “There’s going to be a lot of questions about, ‘Who am I? What am I going to do with my life? What am I meant to be? Where am I meant to go?’” previews exec producer Julie Plec. “All of our characters will be faced with that question as they make decisions about whether to stay or go, go to college, travel the world, break up, stay together. A lot of big, important life decisions as we say goodbye to the high school chapter of the show.”
Question: I’m obsessed with Nashville and I’m so happy new episodes have returned! Any scoop? —Jill
Ausiello: The apparent heart attack/stroke that Lamar suffered at the end of last week’s episode will prove to be fatal. Just joshing. He survives, but for how long? “He’s one tough customer,” acknowledges series creator Callie Khouri. “But there’s also the oh-how-the-mighty-have-fallen aspect to deal with. It’s a different place than we’ve seen him throughout the whole season. He seems very strong and a kind of invincible person. And then suddenly you realize: Everybody’s mortal.”
Question: Please, Scandal withdrawal is killing me. Anything related to the show is greatly appreciated. —Mateo
Ausiello: How about some new intel on the mysterious character Jasika Nicole is playing? TVLine previously scooped that the Fringe vet’s alter ego has “a deep connection to an existing character.” Well, the preview snippet ABC just released for her episode — airing April 25 — includes this telltale line: “Secrets from Huck’s life before Pope and Associates are revealed.” You thinking what I’m thinking?!
Question: Any word on a renewal for Nikita? It seems to have stayed pretty steady since moving back to 8pm? —Jared
Ausiello: Good news: Buoyed in part by a report in Deadline that said the show might be renewed for a shortened final season, Nikita has been upgraded to a “safe bet” on TVLine’s Renewal Scorecard. Also brightening the show’s renewal prospects is word that the show’s May 17 closer features a cliffhanger-ish ending. Basically, if they ended the series that way, people would be very unhappy.
Question: Nikita scoop, please! Preferably anything on Alex and Owen? I love the dynamic that has been set up between them. —Steph
Ausiello: Lyndsy Fonseca hints that there’s a “really cool twist” coming with regard to Owen’s relationship with not only Alex but everyone. “Owen as a character changes a lot by the end of the season,” she teases. “All I’m going to say is that Amanda’s influence on — and what she’s done to — Alex and Nikita and Owen and eventually another character is going to become apparent.” Bonus Scoop: The aforementioned finale? Per Fonseca, Amanda has a “big part” in it.
Question: I loved the Justified finale. Is that the end of the Detroit mob plot, or will it continue in Season 5? —Keith
Ausiello: Much like Nicky Augustine, it’s dead. “It’s our intent to move off of it, to a certain extent,” confirmed exec producer Graham Yost, before nothing that we may see Max Perlich’s mafia heir Sammy Tonin again. “We really like [him]. There could be fun stuff there, but that’s not something we’re driving toward. [But] if something materialized, it would be a good story.”
Question: Do you have any Grimm news? —JP
Ausiello: Nick’s heightened abilities in the wake of being attacked by that fly Wesen won’t turn him into Superman, maintains exec producer David Greenwalt. “You’ll see some cool fighting for sure,” he adds, “but he won’t be able to leap off tall buildings in a single bound or anything like that.” Adds fellow EP James Kouf with a laugh: “It’ll take at least two bounds.”
That’s it. Enjoy!
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