Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn will join the cast of the CBS procedural Criminal Minds as a new series regular next season. She will play a new FBI profiler, but details on the character are still being “fleshed out”. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation) will appear in a six-episode arc on Syfy’s Warehouse 13, playing Brother Adrian, the leader of a top-secret sect known as the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Black Diamond. The Brotherhood is descended from the Knights Templar and connected to the Vatican; it is charged with the protection of many powerful artifacts, one of which Artie (Saul Rubinek) desperately needs to make everything right again [after the massive explosion in last season’s finale]. Brother Adrian will become a major obstacle for the team. (Michael Logan at TV Guide)

Actress Jacinda Barrett (who will be seen in this fall’s Zero Hour) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the USA Network drama Suits (which just so happens to star her off-screen husband Gabriel Macht). She will play Zoe Lawford, a former lawyer-turned-jury consultant who once worked at the law firm of Pearson Hardman. Jessica (Gina Torres) is skeptical when Harvey (Macht) brings Zoe in to work a difficult case and is afraid his past history with her may cloud his judgment. Suits returns tonight with all new episodes. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

MADE FOR TV MOVIE NEWS

Actors Rob Lowe (The West Wing) and Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap) have joined the cast of the HBO biopic about Liberace called Behind the Candelabra that will star Michael Douglas in the lead role. Lowe is in talks to play Liberace’s plastic surgeon, while Bakula will play Bob Black, the choreographer who introduced the singer to his longtime partner, Scott Thorson (Matt Damon). They join a cast that already includes Dan Aykroyd and Debbie Reynolds. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) and actor Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) have joined the cast of the upcoming film called The West Memphis Three that already stars Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon. Ryan would play Firth’s estranged wife, while DeHaan would be a teenager who shares some kind of history with the three young murder victims at the center of this ultimately tragic story. (Variety and First Showing)

Actor Bill Paxton (who was just seen on History’s Hatfield & McCoys mini-series) will play a high-ranking CIA operative in the adaptation of the comic book 2 Guns that centers on a DEA agent and an undercover naval intelligence officer who unknowingly investigate each other as each is stealing money from the mob. Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington play the two leads. Actress Paula Patton (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) is also in talks to star. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Recent Oscar winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist) has joined the cast of the upcoming film by Martin Scorsese called The Wolf of Wall Street. He will play Jean-Jacques Handali, a suave Swiss banker who launders money for Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), the stockbroker who tastes success but gets caught up in drugs, excess, and greed. Jonah Hill will co-star in the film. (Variety and First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development, Ally McBeal and Better Off Ted) will play Lily Munster in the NBC reboot of the classic 60’s comedy, which will be called Mockingbird Lane. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Bellamy Young, who plays First Lady Mellie Grant on the ABC drama Scandal has been promoted to series regular. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Margarita Levieva will be back for season two of Revenge, appearing in 7 of the first 14 episodes. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Showtime is bringing their “ground-breaking’ dramedy Weeds to a close after its current 8th season. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

MADE FOR TV MOVIE NEWS

Actresses Mia Kirshner (The Vampire Diaries and The L Word) and Rachel Blanchard (TV’s Clueless) have joined the cast of the Lifetime TV movie called The Perfect Surrogate, which tells the story of a couple turning to surrogacy to have a child, only to find a young woman they choose as a partner is not as perfect as she appears. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

HBO has given a pilot order to the Cold War spy drama called The Missionary with actor Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) in talks for the lead role. The series will be set in Berlin in the late 1960s, centering on a young American missionary (Paul) who becomes involved with the CIA. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC has given a pilot production order to the Jerry Bruckheimer project called The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives that will revolve around three couples living in a seemingly idyllic California community that becomes a hotbed of secrets and intrigue. The script had been in development at ABC this past pilot season and is inspired by the book of the same name by Josie Brown. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Hugh Laurie (House) is in negotiations to play the villain in the remake of Robocop that stars Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) as cop Alex Murphy who is brought back from the brink of death and turned into a cyborg police officer. Laurie will play the evil and ultra-rich CEO of Omnicorp, the company that makes Robocop. Gary Oldman and Samuel L. Jackson also star. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Actors Brendan Fehr (Roswell and Bones) and Tony Sirico (The Sopranos) and actress Erin Cummings (Spartacus) will star in the upcoming movie called Zarra’s Law with Sirico playing a retired police detective who is pulled into the criminal underworld when his younger brother is murdered. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER/BANNERS

ME: I missed posting this trailer back in March so when the following banners were released, I thought I should include the very cool looking trailer too:

Teaser Trailer for DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Rise of the Guardians’

Check Out Six Colorful Character Banners for ‘Rise of the Guardians’

Q&A SECTION (with Adam Bryant and Natalie Abrams at TV Guide and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: Any Tony-Ziva NCIS scoop? — Rita

ADAM: Executive producer Gary Glasberg says it was no accident that the fan-favorite couple ended last season in close quarters when the bomb went off at NCIS HQ. “We’ll pick up with them in that elevator and, with the situation that they’re in, there will be some conversations,” Glasberg says. “Hopefully we’ll scratch our way a little bit deeper into the relationship.” What’s that?

Question: Will The Vampire Diaries kids actually graduate and leave Mystic Falls this year? — Jess

NATALIE: Put your Kleenex away: Executive producer Julie Plec says it could be a while before those decisions will be made. However, the theme of moving on and growing up will be prevalent this year. “What is that passage of adulthood for these kids who have been living these tragic lives as young adults [with] no parents, no parental supervision?” Plec says. “That’s our next couple of seasons, to get them through senior year and into college… or not.”

Question: Got any teases about the new season of Burn Notice? — Mitch

ADAM: The show is looking to bring on a pretty nasty nemesis who Michael & Co. will chase to Panama as part of a CIA snatch-and-grab job. Described as cunning and merciless, this operative will have a major impact on Michael when his ruthless actions force Michael to again question the CIA after finally getting back in their good graces.

Question: We know where Neal will be when White Collar returns, but what will happen to Peter? — Chad

ADAM: After Neal’s escape, Peter is put on leave by the FBI and is barred from having any role in the manhunt for Neal. (That effort will be led by guest star Mekhi Phifer). But with all that free time on his hands, why shouldn’t Peter take a little tropical vacation of his own? Naturally, Peter gets mixed up in the search — but he won’t be playing for the FBI.

Question: Are Jane and Dean done on Rizzoli & Isles? — Lisa

NATALIE: No, Dean is still in the picture, but Jane has bigger fish to fry when her old flame Lt. Col. Casey Jones (Chris Vance) returns next week — injured — which sets up one doozy of a triangle. “There’s a little more to [his injury] and she doesn’t know how to react at first,” Angie Harmon tells us. “She’s not exactly skilled in the areas of the heart and I love the way she handles it. But Dean is certainly in there, which is problematic, and her heart’s telling her one thing and she has to figure out if she’s acting accordingly or not.”

Question: Sad to hear about the casting changes on Body of Proof. What can you tell me about the new characters? — Deb

ADAM: Police detective Tommy Sullivan has transferred to Philadelphia in order to rekindle his relationship with Megan. Even though he cheated on her 20 years ago, Megan still finds Tommy hard to resist. Perhaps standing in the way of a reunion is Tommy having to babysit his new partner, who joined the force to stick it to his high-profile defense attorney father. He’s super-green, but, to Tommy’s chagrin, thinks he’s got it all figured out.

Question: Any scoop on Drop Dead Diva? —Alex

Ausiello: There will be multiple deaths by season’s end, one of which (I suspect) will make viewers very happy.

Question: Any Vampire Diaries scoop on Bonnie? —Macarena

Ausiello: Her decision in the finale to help Klaus take possession of Tyler’s body (all for the greater good and unbeknownst to everyone) sets up a very interesting Season 4 for Elena’s BFF. “This is Bonnie’s ‘I am witch woman, hear me roar’ moment,” declares Vampire Diaries EP Julie Plec. “She went and made a decision that she felt was best for the people that she loved, consequences be damned. Bonnie is the true hero in all of this, if you really look at it. She came in and found a way to save the day. Had she not done what she did, all of our heroes would be dead… We’re just seeing the beginning of growth for her, exploring who she is and what it means to be a witch and how she feels about it.”

Question: I need some Vampire Diaries scoop on Delena. —Karolina

Ausiello: Although not specifically about the star-crossed duo, Plec reveals that Year 4 will be the Season of Transition. “Every character is growing up and graduating, so to speak,” she says, “and setting up the future of their grown-up worlds outside of Mystic Falls… Or maybe not.”

Question: ABC Family’s The Lying Game is quickly moving up my list of favorite television obsessions. Can you give me any scoop? —Gina

Ausiello: There will be a time jump between Seasons 1 and 2, but it will be teensy. We’re talking a few seconds, which, technically, still qualifies as a time jump in my book.

Question: Got anything on Pretty Little Liars? —Dawn

Ausiello: Additional members of Team A will be revealed, and “they are people you might know,” hints exec producer Oliver Goldstick. “Just when those girls thought the ‘A’ of it all went away, he or she seems to resurface and take a new form. And it might be even more difficult and more formidable than the previous version.”

Question: In the Once Upon a Time finale, did Rumple restore the magic — even if it meant empowering Regina — because he was so ticked about Belle being hidden away so long? —Joshua

Ausiello: “His plan was set in motion long before he knew that Belle was alive,” notes exec producer Adam Horowitz. So all his actions in the finale were part of something else going on. When he discovers that Belle is alive and that Regina had her locked away, that’s a wrinkle in his plan and something that he must deal with in Season 2 while he also deals with whatever agenda he already has (hey, we’re not gonna spill that just yet!).”

Question: Any tidbits on Falling Skies? —Scott

Ausiello: In this Sunday’s Season 2 opener, on the very same night that The Killing wraps its second season, Brandon Jay McLaren (who recurred as Bennett Amed on the AMC drama) joins the cast as Jamil, a heretofore never-seen 2nd Mass member who’s extremely crafty with auto-mechanics and is poised for romance with one of the TNT sci-fier’s pretty (if grungy) ladies.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Three familiar faces will be showing up in upcoming episodes of Drop Dead Diva, starting with actress S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order), who will play the presiding judge in Bobbi Dobkins’ (Sharon Lawrence) case, in which Bobbi is being sued by a “dance mom” for causing a young dancer’s career-ending injury. Then actor Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck) will play Lawrence Tobin, a renowned mega-litigator/plaintiff’s attorney who only takes on the most headline-grabbing cases. He heads a huge product liability case and enlists Jane as a second chair. And (in the season finale) actor Ethan Embry (Sweet Home Alabama) will play Dan Baker, a devoted husband whose wife Hannah is refusing treatment on a brain tumor that will kill her in six months because it has made her a genius. (Lynette Rice at Entertainment Weekly)

Anne of Green Gables, the beloved Canadian novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery – which has been adapted into plays and musicals, cartoons, films and TV shows – is coming back to the small screen (at least in Canada) thanks to L.M. Montgomery’s granddaughter, Kate MacDonald Butler and Canadian independent producer Breakthrough Entertainment in the form of a 13-episode TV drama that is set for production next summer. (Etan Vlessing at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck) is joining the cast of Dexter for a multi-episode arc in which she will play Hannah McKay, a strong, independent woman with a past that she’s struggled to put behind her. As a turn of events leads Miami Metro Homicide to ask for her help in solving some old cases, Dexter works with her and begins to wonder if there’s more to this woman than she’s professed. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers and Snow White And The Huntsman) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film called In The Heart Of The Sea, which is based on the award-winning book by Nathaniel Philbrick. It is the fact-based story of the Nantucket whaling ship the Essex, which was stalked and ultimately destroyed by a sperm whale in 1820. Stranded thousands of miles from home, the crew struggled to survive, being lost at sea for 90 days. He will play a first mate who was supplanted as captain of the whaling ship by a better connected rival. When the ship was attacked by the sperm whale in the Pacific, he becomes the hero who leads some of them to safety. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Actor Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) has joined the cast of the upcoming film called Only Lovers Left Alive that will also star Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska and John Hurt. The story is about a centuries-long love affair between two star-crossed vampires. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actor Neal McDonough (Justified) will star alongside and wrestling star Mike “The Miz” Mizanin in the action thriller film called The Marine: Homefront. Mizanin will play a marine sergeant who, after returning home to his small rural town after an extended leave away, is forced to put his skills to use when he discovers his sister has been kidnapped by a domestic terrorist (McDonough). (Variety and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Congrats to all of the winner of the Tony Awardslast night, among them being Once, Audra McDonald, James Corden, Christopher Borle, Porgy and Bess, Death of a Salesman, Newsies, Judith Light, Bernadette Peters and Hugh Jackman.

And now on to the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Henry Ian Cusick (formerly of Lost) will not be back for season two of the ABC drama Scandal while actor Joshua Malina (best known for his work on The West Wing) has been promoted to series regular on the drama. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter and Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Valerie Cruz (True Blood and Alphas) will make a guest appearance on Homeland, playing Major Joy Mendez, a military intelligence officer who goes with Carrie (Claire Danes) on a sensitive mission in Beirut. It is possible this role could become a recurring one. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Showtime is picking up both of its pilots: Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex. Each series has received a 12 episode order and are expected to debut next year. Donovan stars actor Liev Schreiber as LA’s best professional fixer, or the man called in to solve complicated, controversial and confidential problem’s of the city’s elite. The only problems he’s unable to make disappear are those involving his own damaged South Boston family. The cast of Ray Donovan includes Jon Voight, Elliot Gould, Eddie Marsan, Dash Mihok and Paula Maclomson. As for Masters of Sex, actor Michael Sheen and actress Lizzy Caplan as the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series will chronicle their unusual lives, romance and pop culture trajectory, which had them go from a mid-western teaching hospital to Time Magazine’s cover and Johnny Carson’s couch. Masters of Sex includes cast members Caitlin Fitzgerald, Nicholas D’Agosto and Teddy Sears. (Lacey Rose at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical franchise) will have a two-episode arc on the FX drama Sons of Anarchy. Yes, you read that right! She will play Emma Jean, a high-priced escort who complicates the club’s life. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Joseph Fiennes is in negotiations to appear as a regular in the second season of the FX thriller American Horror Story, playing the head of the institution for the criminally insane where Jessica Lange’s characters works, and will also be the object of her attraction. (Tim Stack at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Alfre Woodard has joined the cast of the upcoming movie Twelve Years A Slave, which is based on an autobiography written in 1853 by Solomon Northup, a free black man who became enslaved. The film will tell how Northup (Chiwitel Ejiofor) was kidnapped and put in a slave pen, paving the way for a grueling life under numerous owners. Woodard will play Mistress Shaw, a former slave who has risen in the Southern caste system. Lupita Nyong’o is also joining the cast and will play a slave who is the object of both the affections and cruelty of Master Epps (Fassbender). The movie’s cast also includes Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock), Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Brad Pitt and Sarah Paulson. (Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Benjamin Walker (soon to be seen in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) has nabbed the co-lead of the upcoming film called The Great Wall, the period adventure movie that already stars Henry Cavill (the upcoming Man of Steel). The film, set in 15th century China, is about British warriors who happen upon the hurried construction of the massive wall. As night falls, the warriors realize that the haste in building the wall isn’t just to keep out the Mongols — there is something inhuman and more dangerous. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Actor Josh Dallas (Once Upon a Time) will not return to his role of Fandral in the upcoming sequel to Thor rather actor Zachary Levi (Chuck) is in early talks to take his place. Ironically, Levi was in talks to take on the role in the original film, but his commitments to Chuck precluded him from doing so. (Heat Vision, Dark Horizons and E! Online)

Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past weekend courtesy of Exhibitor Relations:

1. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, $60.4 million
2. Prometheus, $50 million
3. Snow White and the Huntsman, $23 million
4. Men in Black 3, $13.5 million
5. The Avengers, $10.8 million
6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, $3.2 million
7. What to Expect When You’re Expecting, $2.7 million
8. Battleship, $2.3 million
9. The Dictator, $2.2 million
10. Moonrise Kingdom, $1.6 million

Actress Sonya Walger (Lost, FlashForward and now in Common Law) has joined the cast of the upcoming film called Admission, an academia-based comedy where she will play Helen, a professor at Princeton. Among the cast are Tina Fey, Michael Sheen and Paul Rudd. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Roush at TV Guide)

Question: I had a quick programming question regarding Switched at Birth. I fell in love with this show last summer and was eagerly anticipating its return. However, there’s still no return date listed on the ABC Family website. I did find an unofficial return date of September elsewhere on the web. I’m not necessarily upset by the move (besides the fact I’m sad about waiting longer for its return), but I’m curious about the reasoning behind the decision. Do you have any light you can shed on the matter? — Lindlee

Matt Roush: Here’s news that surprised even me. According to ABC Family, Season 1 of Switched at Birth isn’t even finished yet. The show will return in early September with eight new episodes to round out a first season that will comprise a staggering 30 (!) episodes. A pickup for a second season hasn’t been announced, but a renewal is a no-brainer. As to why Switched isn’t airing this summer, I was asked a similar question recently about why Syfy was holding back on a new season of Haven (previously a summer show) until late September, and it more or less comes down to an embarrassment of riches. These channels are juggling a number of successful shows these days, and to manage these assets, they need to spread them out, not lump them all together in the summer, even if that’s where many first found success. Besides, ABC Family is marshaling its resources this summer to launch the promising new series Bunheads (think Gilmore Girls with toe shoes), starring Broadway triple-threat Sutton Foster and created by Gilmore’s Amy Sherman-Palladino, which premieres tonight (9/8c) alongside a new season of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. (Personally, I’d rather see Bunheads paired with the far superior Switched at Birth, but Teenager’s popularity will likely help launch Bunheads to good numbers. With that peculiar title, it might need the boost.) Switched at Birth is a strong enough (and good enough) show to take on the networks in the fall. Given that ABC Family split the first season into thirds, I imagine you’ll see them continue to try this one out at various times of the year, but it is peculiar not to see it as part of the summer lineup.

Question: I read the number of episodes for Warehouse 13 in this season was increased from 13 to 20. Does that mean it will be 10 this summer and then 10 next summer? It didn’t work out with Eureka when Syfy aired season 4.0 one summer and then season 4.5 the next summer. If there is such a long break between each half of a season, it’d be better if they kept the season order to 13 episodes per summer. Announcing an increase in episodes sounds good, but it actually can be a lot worse. It’d be better if they went back to airing 10 episodes in the summer and then another 10 in the winter. It was great with the Stargate shows. — Ryan

Matt Roush: Syfy will split the new season of Warehouse into two batches of 10 — the first half will air from July 23 to Oct. 1 — and while it hasn’t yet been decided when the back half will air, I’m betting it will be closer to the Stargate model (airing both halves within a year) than what happened to Eureka, which never should have been kept off the air so long between partial seasons. Warehouse 13 is doing very well for Syfy, which is why they expanded its episode order. I would be very surprised if they didn’t try to maximize their investment by airing the back half during winter or early spring.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Kristen Hager, who has recurred as werewolf Nora Sergeant on the Syfy series Being Human for two seasons, has been promoted to series regular status for the upcoming third season, which is set to premiere in 2013. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

In other Being Human news, Actress Amy Aquino (The Finder) has landed a major recurring role for the upcoming third season. She will play Donna, a vibrant, strong woman who runs the local soup kitchen and is sought out to help find Sally who became lost in the season 2 finale. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Dylan Neal (Blood Ties) has been cast as a lead opposite Andie MacDowell in the Hallmark Channel’s first scripted series Cedar Cove, which is based on the book series by Debbie Macomber. The series revolves around the residents of the small town of Cedar Cove, centering on Judge Olivia Lockhart (MacDowell). Neal will play the new editor of the small town’s newspaper and potential love interest for Lockhart. Cedar Cove will film a two-hour pilot/backdoor pilot that will air later this year, followed by the series, which is slated for an early 2013 debut. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Greg Grunberg (Alias and Heroes) will guest star in an August episode of the new ABC Family comedy Baby Daddy that is set to debut on June 20. The sitcom centers on a young man (Jean-Luc Bilodeau from Kyle XY) raising his newly discovered daughter with the help of his brother (Derek Theler from 90210) and best friends (Chelsea Kane from One Tree Hill and Tahj Mowry from Smart Guy). Grunberg will guest as the boys’ absentee father, who returns home to meet his granddaughter and make amends with his sons. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Jena Malone, who just starred in the History Channel mini-series Hatfields & McCoys, will play the female lead in the LA noir thriller called The Go Getters. She will play Danneel Dobson, a struggling actress who gets caught up in a heist planned by two underworld brothers. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal is joining the cast of the upcoming box office film White House Down that just might star Jamie Foxx has the President of the United States [that casting has not been confirmed just yet though]. The film will star Channing Tatum as a single father and Secret Service agent who is tasked with protecting the president when bad guys initiate a hostile takeover of the White House. Gyllenhaal will play a fellow agent. (Variety and First Showing)

Actress Abbey Cornish (Sucker Punch) has joined the cast of the upcoming reboot of RoboCop that will star Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) in the title role. Cornish will play his wife, who is led to believe her husband is actually dead. (Deadline and First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!

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Hey All,

First of all, congrats are extended to the winners at the CMT Music Awards, including Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, Scotty McCreery, Jason Aldean, Thompson Square and Brad Paisley.

Now, here are the rest of the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Jorge Garcia (Alcatraz) will make a guest appearance on Californication, joining his former Lost co-star Maggie Grace in a story about Faith, a rock star groupie and muse who befriends Hank Moody (David Duchovny) whose relationship becomes more than platonic. Garcia will play an old contact from Faith’s past. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actors John Carroll Lynch and Nicholas Bishop as well as actress Sonja Sohn will NOT be returning to Body of Proof when the series returns to ABC mid-season of the 2012-2013 TV season. (Sadie Gennis at TV Guide, Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

NBC will be taking on a modern-day story of the Hatfields & McCoys that will feature Charlize Theron as a producer. It should be noted this project predates the highly successful History Channel mini-series that just aired over the Memorial Day weekend. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Samuel L. Jackson has joined the cast of the remake of the film Robocop that will have actor Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) starring as cop Alex Murphy, who is brought back from the brink of death and turned into a cyborg police officer. Jackson will play Pat Novak, a charismatic media mogul and a powerful force in the Robocop world. Gary Oldman also stars. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Actor Dan Aykroyd will appear in the Liberace biopic called Behind the Candelabra where he will play the singer’s (Michael Douglas) long-time manager, who doesn’t approve of his gay relationship with lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon). (Variety and First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

First Trailer for Robert Zemeckis’ Live-Action Film Return with ‘Flight’

Watch: First Wonderful Trailer for Disney’s ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ Revealed

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Rutina Wesley will be back as Tara on True Blood despite her character taking a bullet to the head in the season finale. But details on how exactly Tara will return are unclear at this time. (SciFiPulse)

WEB SERIES

TNT has announced there will be post-episode web shows for Falling Skies and the new Dallas reboot. The new 15-minute digital talk shows called 2nd Watch and Dallas Round-Up will feature discussions on each week’s episodes, interviews with special guests from the cast and crew, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, fan questions, trivia and more. 2nd Watch will air here with actor Wil Wheaton as host. 2nd Watch will go live on June 17, at 11 PM (Eastern Time), running for nine weeks. Dallas Round-Up will air here with Cameron Mathison set as the host. Dallas Round-Up will go live on June 13, at 11 p.m. (Eastern Time), also running for nine weeks. (TV By the Numbers)

CONDOLENCES

Renowned author Ray Bradbury has passed away after a long illness. He wrote such classics as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. He was 91. (The Wrap)

ME: Rest in Peace, Mr. Bradbury. Deepest condolences to his family, friends and legends of fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Billy Campbell (The Killing) has taken over the lead role from Jason Patric in the Civil War-era film called Copperhead. He will play Amber Beech in the film, which is based on the Harold Frederic 1883 novel about a family feud during the Civil War. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actors Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt and Paul Dano as well as actor Paul Giamatti and actress Sarah Paulson have joined the ever-growing cast of the upcoming film called Twelve Years A Slave that will star Chiwetel Ejiofor (Serenity) as Solomon Northrop, a black man captured and sold into slavery. Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) plays a plantation owner who buys Solomon and is ultimately won over by his engineering skills. There are no details, yet, on the roles all of these actors will play in the film. (Variety and First Showing)

Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) will play opposite Vera Farmiga (Source Code) in the upcoming film called Greenland Time, which is set on the icy Arctic landmass, following a woman out for revenge against the man who killed her daughter in a hit-and-run accident. (Screen Daily and Dark Horizons)

Actor Luke Evans (The Raven and Immortals) has, indeed, joined the cast of Fast Six, the next film in the Vin Diesel-Paul Walker franchise. (24 Frames and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan) has been cast as Herman Munster in the upcoming NBC drama reboot of the classic 60’s sitcom that will be known as Mockingbird Lane from the mind of Bryan Fuller (the man behind Pushing Daisies). O’Connell joins already cast Eddie Izzard as grandpa, Charity Wakefield, as their “plain” cousin and Mason Cook as Eddie. Word has it that actress Marianna Klaveno (True Blood) could potentially play Lily Munster, but that will only happen if she is released from her contract to Marc Cherry’s new pilot Devious Maids that was up for consideration at ABC (but not picked up there) but still in potential play at Lifetime. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and William Keck at TV Guide)

Syfy has picked up season three of the Canadian hit series Lost Girl with plans to air it next January. (Shilo Adams at TV Overmind)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actors Eddie Cibrian and Michael Beach (both of Third Watch) will star in the Hallmark Channel movie called Playing Father that revolves around a former musician (Cibrian) who, despite having fans around the world, opts to return home to take a job teaching music to disenfranchised children so he can repair his relationship with his own family. Beach will play a custodian who works at the school. The film will premiere next year around Father’s Day. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Danielle Panabaker, singer-actress Naomi Judd and Travis Milne (Rookie Blue) will all star in the Hallmark Channel movie called The Nearlywed. The project revolves around three friends who have dream weddings only to find out that the pastor who married them failed to complete the key paperwork required to make them official. Panabaker will play Erin, whose husband David (Ryan Kennedy) invites his manipulative mother Renee (Judd) to stay with the couple. Milne will play Nick, one of the other husbands. The film will premiere in January. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope) has joined the cast of the upcoming film called Twelve Years A Slave where he will portray Armsby, a fellow field hand who works alongside Solomon Northup (Chiwitel Ejifior), a free black man who’s brought South against his will and sold into slavery. Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) also stars. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actors Douglas Booth (The Pillars of the Earth) and Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) are set to play Noah’s son Shem and Ham in the upcoming epic film entitled Noah that is set to star Russell Crowe. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Actor Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) has joined the cast of the upcoming film called CBGB, the legendary New York club where American punk rock and New Wave got its start in the mid-1970’s. Galecki will play band manager Terry Ork. The cast includes Alan Rickman, Rupert Grint and Malin Ackerman. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actress Rebecca Hall (The Town) will star in the upcoming film called A Promise, which is an adaptation of the Stefan Zweig novella entitled Journey into the Past. The film will be set in Germany in 1910 and centers on the wife of an older, wealthy man who falls hopelessly in love with her husband’s teacher, a young and ambitious engineer from a modest background. They embark on a passionate liaison and quickly vow to live together. When WWI breaks out and they are separated, they promise to go on loving each other. (Variety)

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

Question: Any good Teen Wolf scoops? —Alysia

Ausiello: JR Bourne, who plays big, bad Argent, would neither confirm nor deny buzz that one and possibly two major characters will bite the dust this season, but he did issue this frighteningly cryptic warning. “I think [the fans] will be shocked, surprised and maybe even upset,” he told TVLine at the ATX Fest. “I think they’re going to cry. I think they might maybe pee a bit in their pants out of nervousness. There’s going to be a lot of stuff going on.”

Question: Any Teen Wolf scoop on Lydia? —Jen

Ausiello: By the third episode you’re going to get some hints of what’s to come with Lydia… and she’s not OK,” teases the show’s creator/showrunner Jeff Davis. “She is definitely feeling the effects of the bite that was taken out of her side. She has a very big arc this season. I told [her portrayer], Holland [Roden], at the start of the season that her role is going to become a lot more important, even though the character doesn’t know it yet. There’s a lot for her to play and she’s part of a big mystery.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The Starz drama Spartacus will come to an end after its upcoming third season. This version will be called Spartacus: War of the Damned and is slated to air in January of 2013. (The Futon Critic and E! Online)

Actress Diane Neal (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) will make a guest appearance on Suits, playing Allison Holt, a legal eagle who digs up a secret that could jeopardize Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Donna’s (Sarah Rafferty) working relationship. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Dougray Scott (Ever After) is expected to make an appearance in the 7th season of Doctor Who; but no other details are available at this time. (Screen Crush)

Actor Victor Webster (Mutant X and Continuum) will appear in an episode of White Collar, playing Eric Dunham, an aggressive top Wall Street trader. White Collar is back on July 10 on USA Network. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Brian White (Men of a Certain Age) will appear in an upcoming episode of Burn Notice, playing Agent Woods, a hard-edged and by-the-book FBI agent who has devoted much of his career to bringing down a ruthless Boston Mob syndicate. (Jeff Labrecque at Entertainment Weekly)

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) has landed the lead role of Hannibal Lecter in the upcoming NBC drama series Hannibal. The new drama received a 13-episode order for next season. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIES

Actress Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) and music pioneer/actor John Doe (Roswell) have joined the cast of the Lifetime movie called Ring of Fire (formerly known as The June Carter Cash Story) that will star singer Jewel in the lead role of June Carter. Conroy will play June’s mother Maybelle Carter and Doe will play June’s uncle, A.P. Carter. The film will follow June’s early childhood growing up in the rural mountains of Virginia to her relationship with Johnny Cash (Matt Ross). (TV By the Numbers)

Actor Ralph Macchio (best known for The Karate Kid) will star in the Lifetime holiday film called Holiday Spin that will star Disney’s Garrett Clayton (Teen Beach Musical) as rebellious teen Blake, who is forced to go live with his father after his mother is killed in a car accident. Macchio will play Ruben, Blake’s father, who runs a famed dance studio that has fallen on hard times and is preparing his star student — and future step-daughter, Pia, for the annual Christmas Eve ballroom dance competition, the Holiday Spin, when Blake arrives. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

CONDOLENCES

Actor and Family Feud host Richard Dawson (Hogan’s Heroes) passed away over the weekend. He was 79. (E! Online)

Actress Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives and The West Wing) passed away over the weekend. She was 72. (E! Online)

ME: RIP Mr. Dawson and Ms. Joosten. Deepest condolences to their family, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here is the top 10 box office films for this past weekend courtesy of TV Guide and Box Office Mojo:

1. Snow White and the Huntsman – 56.2 million
2. Men in Black 3 – 29.3 million
3. The Avengers – 20.2 million
4. Battleship – 4.8 million
5. The Dictator – 4.7 million
6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – 4.6 million
7. What To Expect When You’re Expecting – 4.4 million
8. Dark Shadows – 3.8 million
9. Chernobyl Diaries – 3 million
10. For Greater Glory – 1.8 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Logan Lerman & Emma Watson in ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower’ Trailer

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

First came news that actor Tim Daly would not be back on Private Practice this fall now the news comes that lead actress Kate Walsh will only appear in 13 episodes of the medical drama this fall. And now, ABC has announced the sixth season that is expected to air this fall will only have 13 episodes, but there are no current plans to end the season after those 13 episodes. Where the show will go without Walsh is anyone’s guess. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide, Deadline and Lynette Rice at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

The new 3D CG-animated film called Epic, about a teen girl who finds herself transported into a magical deep forest where she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters to save that world which will in turn save our real world, will include the voice talents of Beyonce, Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Knoxville, Aziz Ansari, rapper Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis and Steven Tyler. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actor Chris Lowell (Veronica Mars and Private Practice) will make his feature directorial debut on the independent film called Beside Still Waters that will star Ryan Eggold (90210) as a young man on the verge of losing his childhood home following the death of his parents. He struggles to maintain the friendships of his youth as he invites his high school pals over for one last celebration and attempts to win back his ex-girlfriend. Lowell co-wrote the script as well. (The Chicago Tribune and Dark Horizons)

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock and the upcoming Star Trek 2) has joined the cast of the upcoming film called Twelve Years a Slave where he will play a 19th century Louisiana cotton plantation owner who is won over by the engineering skills of his “forced into slavery” slave (to be played by Chiwetel Ejiofor). (The Guardian and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: Gordon-Levitt’s ‘Premium Rush’ New Trailer Arrives On Time

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!

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