Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

Greenleaf has been renewed for a fourth season by OWN. (TV Line)

Dietland has been cancelled after only one season by AMC. (Variety)

POTENTIAL AND NEW SERIES NEWS

Captain America himself Chris Evans will star and executive produce the limited series Defending Jacob, which has been ordered straight-to-series at Apple. The series is based on the 2012 best-selling novel of the same name by William Landay that tells the story of a father whose 14-year-old son is accused of murder. (Variety)

ABC has given a production commitment to a series that will feature female Marvel superheroes from Wonder Woman screenwriter Allan Heinberg. The exact details of the project are being kept under wraps, so there is no word on which character from the Marvel Universe will be featured, though. Should the project move forward, it would be the latest Marvel project to air on ABC. (Deadline and Variety)

Disney is enlisting Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as the company prepares to launch its upcoming streaming service. Disney is in early development on an ambitious plan for a number of limited series centered on popular characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These series will likely include shows centered on Loki and the Scarlet Witch, along with other beloved superheroes who have yet to appear in their own standalone movies. The actors who portrayed these heroes and villains in the Avengers films and their spin-offs, such as Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen, are expected to play them in the streaming shows. (Variety)

CASTING NEWS

Actress Brec Bassinger (Nickelodeon’s Bella and the Bulldogs) has landed the title role in the DC Universe streaming series Stargirl, which follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore as she inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past. The series will reimagine Stargirl and the very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Bethany Joy Lenz (One Tree Hill) will take over for Rebecca Rittenhouse in the series regular role of Keri Allen, in the upcoming Suits spin-off series for the USA Network. Keri is described as a driven, ambitious city attorney serving as unofficial right hand to the mayor. (Deadline and TV Line)

Actor Jeremy Davies (Lost) will appear in The CW crossover event between Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl as John Deegan, a doctor at the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, who just might be crazier than the inmates he treats.  (TV Line)

Actress Katherine McNamara (Shadowhunters) has landed a pivotal recurring role on Arrow, playing Maya, a scrappy street fighter and thief from Star City.  (TV Line)

Actress Bellamy Young (Scandal) will be showing up in former Scandal co-star Scott Foley’s new ABC drama Whiskey Cavalier, which will air this mid-season. She will play Karen Pappas, the gorgeous widow of a nefarious Greek shipping magnate who dazzles agent Will Chase (Foley), promising romance, espionage and more. (TV Line)

Actress Kearran Giovanni (Major Crimes) has landed a recurring role on Black Lightning for its upcoming second season, playing Cutter, a smart, proud, tough and beautiful woman more than able to best a man in combat — a mercenary trained by British intelligence. (Deadline)

Actor Rob Benedict (Supernatural) has landed a recurring role on the fifth season of the Amazon drama Bosch, based on the Michael Connelly best-selling novels, which stars Titus Welliver in the lead role. Benedict will play Victor Hansen, a responsible, concerned, doctor who runs a group therapy for addicted vet. (Deadline)

Actress Annie Ilonzeh (Arrow and Person of Interest) has joined the cast of Chicago Fire for its upcoming 7th season. She will play Emily, an intelligent, easy-going and confident new paramedic, who is an effective worker but may have a chip on her shoulder. (Deadline)

Actor JR Bourne (Teen Wolf) has landed a recurring role on The 100, playing Russell, the charismatic and visionary leader of a peaceful society. (TV Line and Entertainment Weekly)

MOVIE CASTING NEWS

Actor Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther) will play Tom Clancy’s character John Clark in a new film series from Paramount Pictures. Two movies are being developed based on the book “Rainbow Six” and “Without Remorse.” The latter will be the first film of the two, serving as an origin story for the character. Clark, a.k.a. John Terrence Kelly, is an ex-Navy Seal-turned-operations officer for the CIA. (Variety)

Actor Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) and actress Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) will star in the holiday rom-com movie Last Christmas from Universal Pictures. Details on the movie are being kept under wraps and a release date still has to be announced. (The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly)

That’s it. Enjoy!