Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for all of last week:

TELEVISION

Bates Motel has been renewed for two more seasons at A&E while The Returned has been cancelled by the network. (Variety)

Showtime has given Penny Dreadful a season three renewal. (Variety)

Starz has given a greenlight to the fantasy novel American Gods by Neil Gaiman. The plot posits a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. (Starz Press Release)

Actor Michael Ealy (The Following and Almost Human) has joined the cast of the ABC series Secrets and Lies for its second season. He will play Eric Warner, a smart, well-educated, hard-working man at the top of his game. He’s newly married to the perfect woman. He has it all. The heir apparent to his family’s private equity firm, he’s attending a party in which the torch will be passed to him when his wife is murdered and his life as he knew it is over. (TV Fanatic)

Actress Adria Arjona (Person of Interest) has landed the lead role in the upcoming NBC drama Emerald City, which is about 20-year-old Dorothy Gale and her K9 police dog who are transported to another world, one far removed from our own — a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Martin Henderson (Off the Map and Red Road) has joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy as s series regular but there are no details as to the role he will be playing. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Shalita Grant and actor Daryl Mitchell have been promoted to series regulars on NCIS: New Orleans for the show’s second season. Grant plays ex-ATF agent Sonja Percy, who will now work as the newest NCIS agent while Mitchell plays Patton Plame, a brilliant computer investigative specialist. (Rebecca Iannucci on TV Line and Deadline)

Actress Britne Oldford (American Horror Story and Ravenswood) has been cast in the female lead role of the upcoming Syfy alien drama Hunters, which chronicles the disappearance of a decorated Philadelphia cop’s wife, which leads him to a secret government unit assembled to hunt a group of ruthless terrorists — shadowy figures that may or may not be from this world. Oldford will play Regan, a talented and valuable government operative. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Russell Tovey (Looking and Being Human) has joined the cast of AMC’s upcoming adaptation of The Night Manager based on the novel by John le Carre. The event series follows a British solider-turned-luxury hotel auditor (Tom Hiddleston from Thor) who gets roped into an intelligence operation to take down an internationally renowned arms dealer (Olivia Colman from Broadchurch). Tovey will play a spy named Ogilvey. The cast includes Hugh Laurie (House), David Harewood (Homeland) and Tobias Menzies (Outlander). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) has joined the cast of the upcoming Jason Katims Hulu drama The Way that examines a family at the center of a controversial faith-based movement struggling with relationships, marriage and power. He will play Eddie Cleary, a supportive husband and long-time member of The Way. Having grown up in a troubled blue-collar household, The Way was his way out. Recently returned from a retreat with other members of the movement, Eddie is distant and emotionless, distraught from what he witnessed on the trip. His wife (Michelle Monaghan) believes he is having an affair, but Eddie is really sneaking off to meet with a still unknown person who claims to know “the truth” about The Way. The online series is expected to have a winter premiere. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Claire Foy (Wolf Hall) and actors Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and John Lithgow (Third Rock from the Sun) have joined the cast of the upcoming Netflix original series The Crown, which will follow the decades-spanning inside story of Queen Elizabeth II and the prime ministers who shaped Britain’s post-war destiny. Foy will play the Queen while Smith will play Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh and Lithgow will play Sir Winston Churchill. (Bryn Elise Sandberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office movies from last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Jurassic World – 209 million
2. Spy – 15.6 million
3. San Andreas – 10.8 million
4. Insidious Chapter 3 – 7.3 million
5. Pitch Perfect 2 – 6.4 million
6. Entourage – 4.2 million
7. Mad Max: Fury Road – 4.1 million
8. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 3.7 million
9. Tomorrowland – 3.5 million
10. Love & Mercy – 1.7 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Q&A SECTION (with Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: Teen Wolf? Any information? —Sandi

Ausiello: A vague question gets a vague answer, Sandi. While I’m sure you’re still reeling from Aiden’s return in the first six minutes of the June 29 premiere you’ll be happy to know he’s not the only member of the show’s fallen faction that receives a tribute of sorts in Season 5’s opening hour.

Question: Anything on how Falling Skies’ 2nd Mass is doing now Tom that is floating around in space? —JJ

Ausiello: The good news: With the Espheni power core destroyed (thanks, Lexi!), the Skitters and Mechs are (mostly) sitting ducks. The bad news: The assorted ETs have still got some pluck (and maybe a tiny new weapon), and at the start of the final season’s Episode 2 they strike a critical blow against the 2nd Mass, one that will leave them wondering: “Is Skitter meat edible?” (Also: Don’t be so sure that Tom is floating around in space…)

Question: Please tell me good things about Kyle Dean Massey’s future on Nashville. I saw him in Pippin on Broadway and am obsessed. —Anders

Ausiello: Officially, the ABC drama has no plans to make Massey, who plays Will’s songwriter love interest Kevin, a series regular. Unofficially, this shirt was recently added to the show’s official store, which seems like a good omen to me.

That’s it. Enjoy!