Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for the last few weeks:

TELEVISION

The Blacklist has been renewed for a fourth season. (Variety)

TNT has given renewals to The Librarians and Major Crimes, but the network has cancelled Legends, Agent X and Public Morals. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

FOX has given a season two order to Wayward Pines. (The Futon Critic)

Showtime has given renewal orders to Homeland and The Affair. (The Futon Critic)

Crackle has given a second season order to the streaming series The Art of More. (The Futon Critic)

Amazon has given a second season order to both web series Hand of God and The Man in the High Castle. And, Amazon has also given series orders for two new shows: Good Girl Revolt and Patriot. Good Girl Revolt will be set in 1969, following a group of young female researchers at “News of the Week,” who simply ask to be treated fairly. The cast will include Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect and True Blood) and Grace Gummer (Extant). Patriot follows the complicated life of intelligence officer John Tavner. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Megalyn Echikunwke (The 4400 and The Following) will appear on Arrow as Vixen, an African orphan who inherited the ability to mimic any animal. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Jaime Ray Newman (Drop Dead Diva) will have a recurring role on Bates Motel, playing Rebecca Hamilton, an old flame of Alex Romero (series regular Nestor Carbonell) with whom she’s still very much in love. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Looks like Kiefer Sutherland may be coming back to the small screen this time as President of the United States. Designated Survivor is the new conspiracy thriller from ABC that will find Sutherland, playing a lower level United States Cabinet member who is suddenly appointed President after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union kills everyone above him in the Presidential line of succession. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Scottish actor Richard Rankin has landed the role of Roger Wakefield in the second season of Outlander. Roger is the adopted son of Reverend Wakefield, who was introduced in the first season of the much buzz-about Starz series. Roger is a professor at Oxford with a keen interest in history and all the secrets and insights its presents. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Italia Ricci (Chasing Life) will appear in Supergirl in the recurring role of Siobhan Smythe, the latest hire by Cat Grant (series regular Calista Flockart), who at first becomes a work nemesis for Kara (series lead Melissa Benoist), but later proves a more deadly foe for Supergirl as the DC Comics villain Silver Banshee. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Tom Welling (Smallville) may be coming back to the small screen in the starring role of the CBS drama series project Section 13, which centers on a CIA black ops officer-turned-private contractor (Welling) who, after a personal tragedy, joins a covert organization devoted to carrying out the most difficult and dangerous high-stakes assignments. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Teri Reeves (Chicago Fire) will have a recurring role on Once Upon a Time as the grown-up version of Dorothy Gale, who was last seen in the series as a teenager. This time around Dorothy is a “brave warrior for good” who returns to Oz to save the magical city from the most wicked of witches. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Alicia Witt (Friday Night Lights) will appear in Nashville in a major arc, playing music sensation Autumn, “a respected singer who’s paid her dues and who’s managed to both cross over to pop and thrive in the era of bro country.” Also, actress Meg Steedle (Boardwalk Empire) will guest star in the ABC series as a single mom that Avery sparks to after they have a charming first encounter. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Rebecca Iannuci at TV Line and Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Diego Boneta (Scream Queens) will guest star in Jane the Virgin as Dax, a genius techie and hipster skateboarder who takes a look at Jane’s computer and ends up surprising her — in more ways than one. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actress Melinda Clarke (The O.C. and Nikita) has landed a recurring role on Gotham, playing Grace Van Dahl, a power-hungry woman who plays the perfect hostess and wife while she plots how to cheat — and kill! — to get what she wants. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line and E! Online)

MOVIE NEWS

Actor Chadwick Boseman (42 and Draft Day) will star as the highly respected Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in the upcoming box office film based on the first African American judge on that court. (Anita Busch at Deadline)

It would seem that director James Gunn is eyeing Kurt Russell for a key role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Russell is being considered for the role of Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) father. (Ross A. Lincoln at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!