Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

FX has given a series order to the new drama Tyrant from Gideon Raff, the creator of Homeland. Tyrant will revolve around the son of a Middle Eastern dictator who returns to his home country with his American family after 20 years in the U.S. Once there, he’s drawn into political and familial turmoil. Tyrant is anticipated to have a summer premiere. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

Actor Brett Cullen (Devious Maids and Friday Night Lights) will have a recurring role in Revenge, playing Jimmy, the biological father of Victoria’s (series lead Madeleine Stowe) love child Patrick (Justin Hartley). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Eddie Matos (All My Children and General Hospital) will have a recurring role on Hart of Dixie, playing Enrique, the gorgeous Latino driver for Grandma Bettie Breeland (Maree Cheatham), who is saving money to attend poetry school. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Showtime has pulled the plug on the drama pilot The Vatican that was to star Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) in a provocative contemporary genre thriller about spirituality, power and politics set against the modern-day political machinations within the Catholic Church. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

WGN America has landed a new suspense drama project from David Shore, the man behind the long-running medical drama House. This project is called American Dream and it will chronicle the cat-and-mouse game that erupts when a Manhattan homicide cop suspects one of America’s top CEOs of being a killer. The relationship becomes mutually dependent: the CEO who needs psychopathic games to refuel himself personally and professionally, and a cop who exploits the game to make inroads into a world he’s always wanted to inhabit – that of the rich and famous. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC is developing a straight-to-series adaptation of the Stephen King short-story Grand Central that deals with a widow who answers a phone call from her husband who died two days earlier in a plane crash. The husband predicts two tragedies that later come true and helps his wife avoid death. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Watch: ‘Earth to Echo’ Trailer Contains Spielbergian Sci-Fi Adventure

Second Colorful, Upbeat Full Theatrical Trailer for Blue Sky’s Rio 2

That’s it. Enjoy!