Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

First of all, let’s congratulate all of the Oscar winners, which were presented last night, including The Artist, Jean Dujardin, Meryl Streep, Octavia Spencer, Christopher Plummer, Woody Allen, Michel Hazanavicius, Rango, Hugo, The Descendants, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Muppets and The Iron Lady.

And, now here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) is headed to Doctor Who to play the latest incarnation of The Master. (Express.Co.UK and Film Thrasher)

Actor David Morrissey will join the AMC zombie drama The Walking Dead, playing The Governor, the main villain of season three. (The Live Feed and Dark Horizons)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Veteran character actor Martin Landau has been cast in the ABC drama pilot called Antichrist that will be about Carter Henderson (Max Thieriot), an astrophysics grad student who, after his father is killed, learns that he is the chosen one to destroy the forces of evil. Landau will play Mister Armin, a blind World War II veteran and the executor of Carter’s father’s estate. (The Futon Critic)

Scottish actor/singer Darius Campbell has booked one of the title roles on the ABC drama pilot Beauty and the Beast that will be set in the mythical city of Kendan where its princess, Grace, is tasked with quelling a rebellion. Campbell will play the beast, Shiro, once the Holy Protector to the Emperor, now a mercenary for the rebels. Chris Egan also stars. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

British actress Janet Montgomery (Human Target) has landed the lead in the CBS legal drama pilot called Baby Big Shot that will center on Martina (Montgomery), a working-class woman who uses her street smarts to compete with her more polished colleagues at a top New York law firm. (Deadline)

Actor Ethan Peck (grandson of legendary actor Gregory Peck), who starred in the short-lived TV adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You on ABC Family has been tapped to play the prince in the futuristic drama pilot for The CW called The Selection. He will star opposite Aimee Teegarden (Friday Night Lights) in a story that draws parallels to The Hunger Games. This pilot will be based on the upcoming series of books by Kiera Cass and is set 300 years in the future. It centers on America Singer (Teegarden), a poor young woman who is chosen by lottery to participate in a competition to marry Prince Maxon (Peck) and become the next queen of a war-torn nation at a crossroads. Maxon has an unusual run-in with potential bride America and is impressed and intrigued with her honesty and moxie. (Deadline)

Actor Julian Morris (Pretty Little Liars) has been cast in the FOX legal drama pilot called Guilty that will center on Billy Remz, a brilliant, morally questionable defense attorney who, after being falsely convicted of fraud and stripped of his legal license, uses his unorthodox methods to solve the cases he’s been banned from handling and to exact revenge on the men who set him up. Morris will play an eager young attorney, dazzled and intimidated by Billy’s self-confidence and breezy ability when it comes to breaking the rules. (Deadline)

Actor Rick Gonzalez (Reaper) and Zoe Boyle (Downton Abbey) have joined the NBC drama pilot called Bad Girls that is to follow the ins and outs of a group of unlikely women in a federal prison: a scandalous female warden, her new protégé and a host of inmates — some mothers, some friends — who struggle with loyalties to people on the inside and outside. Gonzalez will play a hot, tattooed ex gang-banger who is now a correctional officer at the women’s prison and the object of lust among the man-less female inmates. Boyle will play a single mother who takes a job as nurse at the prison. (Deadline)

Actor Chaske Spencer (Sam in the Twilight movie franchise) has joined the cast of the NBC western drama called The Frontier that will revolve around a group who follows their dreams and heads West from Missouri across the unchartered country in the 1840s. Spencer will play Eli, a cook who’s traveling with his mentally unstable aunt, Luisa. The cast already includes Ethan Embry (Sweet Home Alabama), Megan Ferguson (Boardwalk Empire), Jake McLaughlin (Savages), Bridget Regan (Legend of the Seeker) [among others]. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) has been tapped to star in the NBC drama pilot Revolution that is to center on a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist. Esposito will play Capt. Neville, a tough military man with a genteel Southern manner who may not always be what he seems. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Act of Valor, $24.7 million
2. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds, $16 million
3. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, $13.5 million
4. Safe House, $11.4 million
5. The Vow, $10 million
6. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, $8.8 million
7. This Means War, $8.5 million
8. Wanderlust, $6.6 million
9. Gone, $5 million
10. The Secret of Arrietty, $4.5 million

Actress Frances Fisher (Titanic and The Lincoln Lawyer) has joined the cast of the film adaptation of the Stephenie Meyer book The Host. The store follows a few human survivors of a parasitic alien species called the Souls which have plagued Earth. The cast already includes Diane Kruger, Saoirse Ronan, Jake Abel and William Hurt. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Robert Knepper (Prison Break) will co-star in the drama pilot Cult for The CW. The pilot centers on Skye (Jessica Lucas), an inquisitive, young female production assistant on a wildly popular television show called Cult who, after a rash of disappearances and a likely murder, joins a journalist blogger in investigating the rabid fans of the series who might be re-creating crimes seen on the program in real life. Knepper will play actor Roger Reeves, who plays the charismatic cult leader Billy Grimm on the show-within-a-show. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actresses Judy Reyes and Roselyn Sanchez [among others] have joined the cast of the ABC pilot called Devious Maids that will be about four maids with ambition and dreams of their own who work for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. Reyes and Sanchez will play two of the maids – Zoila Del Barrio and Carmen Verde respectively – joining the previously cast Ana Ortiz and Dania Ramirez. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Scott Foley (The Unit and Felicity) has landed a lead role in the FOX comedy pilot called The Goodwin Games that is about a trio of siblings’ chance to inherit a fortune from their father, if only they can heed the idiosyncratic terms of his will. Foley is expected to play the eldest son Henry, who is a dedicated surgeon. Actress Becki Newton (Ugly Betty) will play the middle child Coney with the youngest Jimmy yet to be cast. (Variety and The Futon Critic)

The USA Network is moving forward with development of a mini-series called Succession that will center on a scenario where following a devastating attack; the American power structure is shaken. (Variety and The Futon Critic)

Actress Mira Sorvino is in final negotiations to star in the CBS drama pilot called Trooper that is already set to star Jay Hernandez. The pilot is about a common-sense mother (presumably Sorvino) who becomes a New York State Trooper. Hernandez will play Carlos Coto, her partner who is a former Miami homicide detective looking for a new start for him and his daughter following the death of his wife. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actors Matt Long (Mad Men and Jack & Bobby) and Maury Sterling (Homeland) and actress Brigid Brannagh (Army Wives) have joined the cast of the ABC period pilot called Gilded Lilys (from show runner Shonda Rhimes). The drama centers on the opening of the first luxury hotel in New York City in 1895 and the stories of love, treachery and disdain between the classes set against a backdrop of vicious family rivalries, scandalous secrets and conflict and co-mingling of the classes. The Lily family has reigned over New York’s elite for decades but a recent family scandal has undermined their fortunes both financially and societally. Long will play the lead role of John Kidd, a lower-class survivor with an adventurous spirit and a romantic soul. Sterling will play a character named Jasper, while Brannagh is set to play Elizabeth, the beautiful matriarch of the Lily family. The cast already includes Brian F. O’Byrne, Blythe Danner, Sarah Bolger and Madeline Zima. (Lacey Rose at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters) will co-star in the ABC supernatural-tinged drama pilot called 666 Park Avenue that is based on the book series by Gabriella Pierce. The series centers on a young couple (Annable and his not-yet-cast spouse) who accept an offer to manage one of the most historic apartment buildings in New York City. They unwittingly begin to experience supernatural occurrences, which complicate and endanger the lives of everyone in the building. Terry O’Quinn (Lost) has already been cast to plays the haunted house’s owner. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Idris Elba (Luther) will star as Nelson Mandela in the film adaptation of Long Walk To Freedom, which is Mandela’s own account of his life. (BBC America)

Actor Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker and The Adjustment Bureau) is in talks to join Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as the third lead in low-budget crime comedy called Pain and Gain that is based on a true story. The film follows a group of bodybuilders who engaged in a campaign of kidnapping, extortion and murder in Florida. Mackie would play a big-hearted bodybuilder who works out with Wahlberg’s character. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Harold Perrineau (Lost) has joined the cast of the as-yet-untitled film from director Kathryn Bigelow about Navy SEAL Team 6′s long hunt for Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden. Perrineau’s role is being kept secret just like all the other roles in the film. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actresses Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) and Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood) and actor Dave Franco (Fright Night) are up for starring roles in the box office film Rosaline, which would be a contemporary re-telling of Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of Romeo’s spurned love. The film would be based on the debut novel by Rebecca Serle called When You Were Mine with Collins playing Rose whose boyfriend Rob (Franco) is stolen by her cousin and best friend Juliet (Woll) who is rumored to have suicidal tendencies. (Digital Spy and Dark Horizons)

Actor Dwayne Johnson is in talks to play the lead role in a new box office film about Hercules. In this adaptation, the story would follow Hercules years after he carried out his twelve tasks and has now turned his back on the Gods. He and six friends have become mercenaries who have been hired by the King of Thrace to train his men into becoming an army every bit as ruthless as they are. (The New York Daily News and Dark Horizons)

Actor Joel Kinnaman (The Killing and Safe House) has been offered the lead role in the box office remake of RoboCop. (Deadline and First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town) will guest star in two upcoming episodes of the USA Network drama In Plain Sight. He will play Kenny, a fellow single parent who hits on Mary (Mary McCormack) shortly before she runs into her former fiancé, Ralph (Cristian de la Fuente). In Plain Sight is back for its fifth and final season starting on March 16 at 10 PM. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

The rocker turned actor Meat Loaf will guest-star in an upcoming episode of Fairly Legal, playing Charlie DeKay, an old-school, blue-collar transportation union boss with a dirty mouth who wields an iron fist as he threatens to bring San Francisco to a halt in order to protect his workers. Enter Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi) as mediator. Season 2 of the series will be back on March 16 at 9 PM. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Daytime darling Nadia Bjorlin (Days of Our Lives) will appear in an upcoming episode of CSI, playing Crystal Hasselbeck, a Las Vegas minx who has made a bit of a cottage industry of getting engaged, breaking it off and then holding onto the ring. And while that is not a crime, when a series of wedding robberies hit the strip, the CSIs suspect she might be upping her game. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

It was announced awhile back that actor Sebastian Stan (Captain America and Gossip Girl) would be appearing in an upcoming episode Once Upon a Time; and now it has been announced what role he will be playing. He will be the Mad Hatter. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Bradley Whtiford (The West Wing) will star opposite actress Ali Larter (Heroes) in the FOX drama pilot called The Asset, which centers on Anna King (Larter), a remarkably gifted globe-trotting photographer with a secret life: she is a CIA field operative. Whitford will play Leo, the Station Chief of the New York City CIA who is King’s biggest supporter. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Michael Raymond-James (True Blood and the short-lived Terriers) has landed a lead role in the NBC drama pilot called Midnight Sun that follows the mysterious disappearance of Midnight Sun, a group living on a cult-like commune in Dugan, Alaska, and a female FBI cult specialist leading the investigation that uncovers a larger conspiracy. Raymond-James will play the second-in-command of the Dugan Police Department, an Alaskan lawman. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Daytime soap stud Jonathan Jackson (General Hospital) has been cast in the ABC musically-driven drama pilot called Nashville that will center around the Nashville music scene and its rising and fading stars, including Avery (Jackson), a sexy bad boy musician and aspiring songwriter. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Greg Grunberg (Felicity, Alias and Heroes) has been cast in the untitled CBS comedy pilot from Greg Berlanti (the man behind Brothers & Sisters and Everwood). The pilot is to center on Nick, a notorious womanizer who, after surviving a health scare, realizes that “The One” he has never found is actually his best friend of 15 years, Wendy (JoAnna Garcia). The problem is that Wendy is engaged to a guy Nick likes; she and Nick own a business together; and their attempt at dating back in college was a disaster. Grunberg will play Wendy’s brother Charlie, beaten down by life, outrageously acerbic and in the midst of a bitter divorce. He went to college with both Wendy and Nick and is Nick’s best guy friend. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Brandon Routh (Superman Returns and Chuck) has joined the CBS comedy pilot called Partners that will star Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) and Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill). The comedy will center on lifelong friends and business partners —architects Charlie, who is straight, and Louis (Urie), who is gay. Routh will play Louis’ steady partner, a former alcoholic, club-hopping model, now a sober, vegan nurse. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Aimee Teegarden (Friday Night Lights) has landed the lead role in The CW drama pilot called The Selection that is to be an epic romance set 300 years in the future, centering on a poor young woman who is chosen by lottery to participate in a competition to become the next queen of a war-torn nation at a crossroads. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Emilie de Ravin (Lost and Roswell) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called Americana that will focus on Robert Soulter (Anthony LaPaglia), the creator of the most iconic fashion brand in the world that is celebrating its 30th anniversary. De Ravin will play his daughter Francesca, who handles special events for the company. Ken Olin will also star. (Movie Hole and The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor William Fichtner (Prison Break) will replace Dwight Yoakam the long-in-production box office film remake of the classic TV series The Lone Ranger. He will play villain Butch Cavendish. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Australian actor Jai Courtney (Spartacus: Blood and Sand) will play Jack McClane – the son of Bruce Willis’s character, John McClane – in the upcoming box office film A Good Day to Die Hard. This fifth film in the franchise introduces John McClane’s estranged son Jack and will have the two working together to keep each other alive in Moscow. The film is expected to be released on February 14 next year. (Joshua L. Weinstein at The Wrap)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Watch: Spurlock’s ‘Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope’ Doc Trailer

Watch: Second Theatrical Trailer-Clip from Pixar’s ‘Brave’ Revealed

Q&A SECTION (with The TV Addict)

Question: Is George and Lemon really going to go through with their wedding on HART OF DIXIE? — Lisa

The TV Addict: Not if Mother Nature has anything to say about it (Evidently, Mother Nature is a supporter of Team Zoe!) According to our sources, a storm of biblical proportions is scheduled to touch down in BlueBell Alabama just in time for the season finale of HART OF DIXIE that will, as luck would have it, center around George and Lemon’s big day.

Question: Anything exciting coming up on my favorite new show of the season ONCE UPON A TIME? — Ashley

The TV Addict: Tons! That said, your level of excitement with regards to one of ONCE’s upcoming fables will truly be determined by your answer to the following question: Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? If you answered “Yes” to said aforementioned question you may want to watch the upcoming March 11th episode with the lights on. Well, that or risk being petrified by the original big baddie who will be making a killer first (and possible second and third) impression on poor Red Riding Hood and her unsuspecting town of fairytale denizens.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Christine Woods (FlashForward) will guest star on an upcoming episode of Castle where she will play Leann Peach, an ambitious young reporter who lands the story of a lifetime when a bomb goes off at an anti-Wall Street protest rally during her live broadcast. This episode is slated to air in late March. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor-Director Ken Olin has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called Americana that will follow Robert Soulter (Anthony LaPaglia), the creator of the most iconic fashion brand in the world which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Olin will play Martin Garano, the owner of a garment manufacturing company whose daughter designs clothes for the company. (The Hollywood Reporter and The Futon Critic)

Actor Colin Donnell (Pan Am) has joined the cast of the drama pilot for The CW called Arrow, which is a modern retelling of DC Comics character Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), better known as Green Arrow. Donnell will play Tommy Merlyn, Oliver’s playboy best friend. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Chris Egan (Kings and Letters to Juliet) has been the first to be cast in the ABC pilot Beauty and the Beast that will be set in the mythical city where its princess, Grace, is tasked with quelling a rebellion. Egan will play Garrick, said princess’s fiancé and Emperor Dorian’s – her father – most favored soldier. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) has joined the cast of the TNT drama pilot called L.A. Noir, a period drama that will chronicle the epic battle between Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker and mobster Mickey Cohen. Ventimiglia will play Ned Stax, a former marine who served with Joe Teague (Jon Bernthal) during WWII, now a budding lawyer groomed to be a master ‘fixer’ for the mob. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actress Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse and currently on the Syfy version of Being Human) has landed a role in the ABC drama pilot called Last Resort that will follow the crew of a nuclear submarine, who, after disobeying a suspicious order become fugitives, take over the NATO Listening Post in Sainte Marina and declare themselves an independent nuclear nation. Lachman will play Tani Tumrenjack, a native of Soubourg; a mixture of intelligence and naiveté; inherited a local bar, but has ambitions beyond the shores of Sainte Marina; daughter of elder tribesman. The cast currently includes Andre Braugher, Autumn Reeser, Daisy Betts and Scott Speedman. (TV Line and The Futon Critic)

It was only two weeks ago that news broke that film star Ryan Phillippe would be coming back to TV in the as-yet-untitled CBS drama pilot (formerly called Golden Boy) from show runner extraordinaire Greg Berlanti. But now, Phillippe has departed the project. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actors Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis are in negotiations to star in the as-yet-untitled CBS Las Vegas period drama that tells the true story of Ralph Lamb. Quaid is in talks to play the lead role: rodeo cowboy turned longtime Sheriff of Las Vegas. Chiklis would play Johnny Savino, a Chicago mobster who recently moved to Las Vegas, a ruthless killer with a polished edge. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Lee Tergesen (Oz and Desperate Housewives) has landed a role in the ABC drama pilot called Penoza (based on Dutch series) that centers on the (yet-to-be-cast) widow of an assassinated criminal who is forced to adopt her husband’s role in a crime syndicate in order to protect her family. No specific details are available on what character he will play. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Michael Rady (Melrose Place and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants franchise) will star in the medical-themed drama pilot First Cut for The CW. The pilot will follow Emily, a newly-minted doctor as she discovers that life at the hospital where she works is no different than high school. Rady will play a fellow doctor. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

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

Question: Any update on whether Castle will be touching on the 3XK killer again? — Chase

ADAM: The show is definitely keen on revisiting that story line, but it’s all about timing. “We’re having talks about whether we’re bringing him back by the end of this season,” executive producer Andrew W. Marlowe says. “But we’re still waiting to hear on Season 5. If we get the Season 5 pickup, it’s something that we might wait and make more of a meal of next year.”

Question: Got any good teases about Nikita? — Haley

ADAM: Nikita may soon confront her deadliest foe yet. The show is currently casting for a depraved psychopath who Nikita captured five years ago when he attempted to sell nuclear weapons to a terrorist group. But he’ll soon be back on the hunt when Percy offers him a get-out-of-jail free card in exchange for the nukes.

Question: Just saw the new promo for Switched at Birth and was wondering if you had any spoilers. —Heather

Ausiello: There may be trouble in paradise for the show’s happily married parental unit, John and Kathryn. “My wife is having a little flirtation with our new lawyer [played by Mad Men’s Sam Page], and I’m going, ‘What’s that about?’” teases Bay and Daphne’s onscreen pop, D.W. Moffett. But he’ll have bigger things to worry about when the aforementioned attorney digs up some new information “that’s going to be very earth-shattering in terms of what the [lawsuit against the hospital is] about,” he previews. “We’ve always thought it was Angelo. … but there’s another piece of information that’s going to get leaked that is completely different.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Tim Guinee (most recently seen on The Good Wife) will guest star on an upcoming episode of Castle where he will play an activist who is critical of an anti-Wall Street movement and witnesses a bombing of a protest rally in a New York City Plaza. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

Legendary actor Robert Englund (the original Freddy Krueger) and actress Julie Landau (Buffy the Vampire Slayer will both guest star on an upcoming episode of Criminal Minds. Englund will play Det. Gassner, who helps the team at the BAU with a case involving a string of ritualistic murders in Oregon while Landau will play the ghost (yep, you read that right) of a former actress named Catherine Heathridge, who had a psychotic break as a young woman. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Peter Jacobson (House) has joined the cast of the Showtime drama pilot called Ray Donovan that stars Live Schreiber in the title role of Hollywood’s best professional “fixer” – the one called in to solve the complicated, confidential and controversial problems of the city’s elite. Jacobson will recur as Lee Drexler, a hard-driving, foul-mouthed wheeler-dealer who relies on Ray as Mr. Fixit whenever his high-profile clients get into hot water. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actress Monica Raymund (The Good Wife) has been cast as one of the leads in the NBC pilot Chicago Fire, the action drama about the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department. Raymund will play Gabriella, a fast-thinking and fearless paramedic committed to her job. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Titus Welliver (Lost and Sons Of Anarchy) is the first actor to be case in the NBC drama pilot called Midnight Sun, which is based on an Israeli format that follows the mysterious disappearance of Midnight Sun, a group living on a cult-like commune in Alaska, and a female FBI cult specialist leading the investigation that uncovers a larger conspiracy. Welliver will play Bennett Maxwell, the charismatic and manipulative leader of Midnight Sun. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE FOR TV MOVIE NEWS

Actress Lucy Lawless (Spartacus and Xena) has joined the cast of the seven-part mini-series Top of the Lake that chronicles one detective’s (Elizabeth Moss) tireless search for a missing 12-year-old pregnant girl who just so happens to be the daughter of a local drug lord. Holly Hunter also stars. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises) and Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond and Gladiator) will star in the film adaptation of the Caryl Férey’s novel Zulu that follows two Cape Town police officers (Bloom and Hounsou) who investigate the murder of a 18 year-old girl who just happens to be the daughter of one of the players from the championship winning Sprikboks rugby team, bringing an insane amount of media attention to the case. (Screen Daily/The Playlist and First Showing)

TV and film scripter Marc Guggenheim, is in negotiations to write a script that would bring fictional defense lawyer Perry Mason to the big screen starring Robert Downey Jr. The Perry Mason stories generally follow a certain formula: Mason takes on a client with an unusual case, and there’s a massive courtroom showdown in which the police believe the client is guilty, but Mason provides alternate evidence to convince them of the opposite. (The Hollywood Reporter and First Showing)

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

Question: Just wanted to thank you for turning me on to the fabulous Downton Abbey. I love everything about it, and could Maggie Smith be any more delightful as “Granny” Violet? I’ve always loved Maggie Smith, but she has outdone herself with this role. I can’t wait to hear what comes out of her mouth next. I’m with all the others who think the season is too short. Will this show continue for several seasons or is it meant to be more short-lived? I know the Brits do things differently than we do. — Camille

Matt Roush: There is at least one more season guaranteed for Downton Abbey, which will begin production soon and, if the pattern holds, will captivate British audiences in the fall and regale us next winter, leaving us ravenous for more in much the same way as we’re now feeling after Sunday’s richly satisfying finale. It is expected to be set in the Roaring ’20s, and Shirley MacLaine has been cast as Martha Levinson, the mother of American-born Lady Cora Grantham. We can’t wait to see her go grande dame-to-grande dame against Maggie Smith. The British do tend to take things one season at a time, and the show’s creator Julian Fellowes has said he can’t imagine the Downton story continuing indefinitely — each season eats up a lot of story, covering a fair amount of time. But it’s also hard to imagine something this successful and enjoyable being cut too short, so I’m hoping we get at least four if not five seasons out of this. In this case, the more the merrier.

Question: Wouldn’t it be a great idea on Smash to have Karen play Norma Jean and Ivy play Marilyn? That would help to visually show her change/evolution. Anyone else think that’s a great idea? — Don

Matt Roush: I’ve certainly heard worse. It would be fun to see them try to share the spotlight — although as you’ll see in next week’s episode, even having them share the same rehearsal room becomes a problem. But given the way theater gossip works, I can’t help but bring up the unfortunate precedent of the recent short-lived On a Clear Day You Can See Forever revival (starring Harry Connick Jr.), which I had the misfortune to see. The gimmick involved splitting the lead female character (formerly played by Barbara Harris, Barbra Streisand, and in concert — which I was lucky enough to witness — Kristin Chenoweth) into two: one being a gay man, the other being a woman from a previous incarnation trapped within. It didn’t work. But kudos for the provocative idea. I don’t see Smash (or the musical within) heading that way, but you’ve nailed it that Katharine McPhee would make a much more natural Norma Jean, while Megan Hilty is better suited for the Hollywood Marilyn.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Happy President’s Day! I hope everyone had a really nice long holiday weekend. Here are the news items for today:

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace) has landed the lead role in the ABC drama pilot called Americana that is about Robert Soulter (LaPaglia), the creator of the most iconic fashion brand in the world – Americana – which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, his family and his business. (MovieHole.net and The Futon Critic)

Actress Jurnee Smollett (Friday Night Lights) has landed a lead on the NBC drama pilot called Bad Girls that is adapted from the long-running U.K. series that follows the ins and outs of a group of unlikely women in a federal prison: a scandalous female warden, her new protégé and a host of inmates — some mothers, some friends — who struggle with loyalties to people on the inside and outside. Smollett will play Gwen, a famous rap star who lives the high life on the local club scene until she gets busted by the DEA and finds herself tossed into a women’s prison without bail. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty) has landed a lead role on the ABC drama pilot called Devious Minds that is about four maids with ambition and dreams of their own while they work for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. She will play one of them, Marisol who goes to work in the upscale neighborhood to try and acquit her son, who was recently convicted of murder. Earlier Dania Ramirez also landed a lead role in the pilot. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Scott Speedman (Felicity and the Underworld franchise) [among others] has joined the ABC drama pilot called Last Resort about the crew of a nuclear submarine, who, after disobeying a suspicious order become fugitives, take over the NATO listening array and declare themselves an independent nuclear nation. Speedman will play the ship’s second-in-command, XO Sam Kendal. The cast already includes Andre Braugher, Autumn Reeser and Daisy Betts. (Deadline, Twitter and The Futon Critic)

Actor Scott Michael Foster (Greek) has been cast in the ABC drama pilot called Zero Hour that is about Hank, a skeptical everyman who gets swept up in one of history’s greatest conspiracies. He will play Arron, a staffer at Hank’s magazine, Modern Skeptic. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Taylor Kinney (The Vampire Diaries) has landed a lead role in the NBC drama pilot called Chicago Fire about the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department. He will play adrenaline-junkie Squad Lieutenant Kelly Severide, the leader of the elite firefighters who respond to the most dangerous fires or rescue operations. Eamonn Walker is also part of the cast. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Brían F. O’Byrne (FlashForward) will star in the ABC drama pilot called Gilded Lilys from Shonda Rhimes that is set in 1895. It is an epic love story about a vicious rivalry and a scandalous secret that unfolds against the backdrop of the opening of New York’s first luxury hotel. It centers on wealthy blue-blood Edwin Lily (O’Byrne), a heavy hitter in New York society who, reeling from a recent family scandal, tries to revive his family’s fortunes by opening the most lavish hotel in history. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Mary McCormack (In Plain Sight) will star in the currently unnamed ABC comedy pilot that centers on Hilary Pfeiffer-Dunne (McCormack), a high-powered executive who, having dominated the corporate America for years, now faces the biggest challenge of her life when she finds herself unemployed and acting as a full-time mom to her two teenagers. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office films for this past weekend, including estimates for the long holiday weekend from BoxOfficeMojo.com:

1. Safe House, $23.8 million ($28.4 million Friday-Monday)
2. The Vow, $23.6 million ($26.6 million Friday-Monday)
3. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, $22.1 million ($25.7 million Friday-Monday)
4. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, $20 million ($26.4 million Friday-Monday)
5. This Means War, $17.4 million ($20.4 million Friday-Monday)
6. Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace, $8 million ($10.2 million Friday-Monday)
7. Chronicle, $7.6 million ($9.2 million Friday-Monday)
8. The Woman in Black, $6.7 million ($7.9 million Friday-Monday)
9. The Secret of Arrietty, $6.5 million ($8.1 million Friday-Monday)
10. The Grey, $3.1 million ($3.8 million Friday-Monday)

Actor Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) has joined the cast of the Kathryn Bigelow untitled box office film about Navy SEAL Team 6′s long hunt for Osama bin Laden. Chandler will likely be playing a CIA agent. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actor Oded Fehr (The Mummy franchise) has joined the indie thriller called Inescapable that follows a Syrian expatriate (Alexander Siddig) whose journalist daughter goes missing in Damascus and he must return to his homeland to find her. Marisa Tomei and Joshua Jackson also star. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

Actors Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger will star in the box office film called The Tomb with Stallone playing the architect of a maximum security prison who is wrongfully incarcerated and must fight his own design to escape. But there are no specific details on the role Schwarzenegger will play, though. Also actor Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest) will star as the prison warden. (Ain’t It Cool News and First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Matthew Perry (Friends) will be joining The Good Wife in the recurring role of Mike, an ultra-charming Chicago attorney tasked with heading up a blue ribbon panel that is investigating a suspicious police shooting. His political steering of the committee seems inevitable until he’s sabotaged by a truth-seeking Alicia (Julianna Margulies). Perry’s arc will start on March 25. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Cristian de la Fuente has signed on to reprise his role as Mary’s former fiancé Raph during In Plain Sight’s upcoming final season. Raph is back in town for his new job as the Albuquerque Isotopes 3rd base coach — and he’s not alone; he is now married. In Plain Sight will be back for its last season on USA Network starting on March 16. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Colin Ferguson (Eureka) has been cast in the lead role of the FOX comedy pilot called Like Father. The series, from series creator Bill Lawrence (the man behind Cougar Town and Scrubs) is inspired by Lawrence’s real-life experience and will center on a father-son relationship. Ferguson will play the father Van Lyons, nicknamed “The Hurricane” for his bombastic personality. After his wife dies, Van moves into his son Will’s campus apartment. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Austin Basis (Life Unexpected) has joined the cast of The CW drama pilot Beauty and the Beast. The pilot will center on Catherine (Kristin Kreuk), a tough-minded NYPD homicide detective and the Beast, Vincent Koslow (yet to be cast), the survivor of a military experiment that went disastrously wrong. Basis will play Vincent’s friend JT. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Kate Moennig (The L Word and the short-lived Three Rivers) has joined the Showtime drama pilot Ray Donovan that will star Liev Schreiber as the title character who is a professional trouble-shooter regularly called upon to solve the complicated, confidential and controversial problems of L.A.’s elite. Moennig will play Lena, Ray’s “second in command”. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

A sci-fi action drama called The Dover Agenda has been sold to Syfy and is being adapted into a 90-minute pilot for the network. The potential series is a thriller about a young man who is recruited by a future version of himself to work for a secret branch of Military Intelligence specializing in parapsychology and future tech. The nature of fate comes into play as the man slowly begins to realize he did not turn out the way he thought he would. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Eamonn Walker (Oz) has been the first actor to be cast in the NBC ensemble pilot called Chicago Fire, that is an action-driven drama exploring the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department. Walker will play Chief Walter Boden, a former Golden Gloves champ who is mulling retirement. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Gael Garcia Bernal is attached to star in the upcoming box office film Zorro Reborn, which is a futuristic reboot of the classic Zorro mythology. The plan is for the movie NOT to be set in California or Mexico, though. Garcia Bernal will play the character as a masked vigilante bent on revenge. (Jeff Sneider at Variety)

Actress Sienna Miller and actor Brendan Fraser have joined the cast of the independent film A Case of You that will revolve around a young writer who tries to impress a girl he meets online with an embellished profile, but finds himself in a real mess when she falls for him and he has to keep up the act. The cast includes Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood, Peter Dinklage, Keir O’Donnell and Busy Phillips. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Q&A SECTION (with The TV Addict)

Question: In accordance with Sunday’s off-the-hook episode of Once Upon a Time, I have one quick question in the form of three simple words: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! — Dillon

The TV Addict: A whole heck of a lot! But rather than spoil all of the fun, let’s just say that Storybooke Maine is very quickly giving Wisteria Lane’s Fairview a run for its money in the most dangerous town to live in department. Case in point, the upcoming March 4th episode of Once that will see Sheriff Emma’s case-of-the-week involve the mysterious disappearance of David’s wife Kathryn. Fingers crossed Mary Margaret has a good alibi!

Question: Emilie de Ravin was pretty much the perfect casting choice to play Belle on Once Upon a Time. That being said, curious as to what familiar fairytale faces we can expect to see next? — Jay

The TV Addict: Seven or eight little ones in the form of Grumpy, Doc, Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Happy, Bashful, Bossy, Watchy. And no, we didn’t just make that last one up in an attempt to turn one of Disney’s iconic dwarfs into a TV Addict. We swear.

Question: Any Supernatural scoop? — Jess

The TV Addict: Entitled “Of Grave Importance,” Supernatural’s 19th episode of the season will introduce an attractive old flame of Sam and Dean’s who in typical scary fashion is a hunter of sorts.

Question: As a staunch supporter on “Team Karen” I simply must know what is to happen to poor Katharine McPhee now that Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) has been cast as Marilyn on Smash? — Lisa

The TV Addict: Good News: Katharine McPhee’s Karen isn’t going anywhere. Well actually, she is, but it’s at the behest of the show’s Producers who decide to reward Karen for all of her hard work with a consolation role in the ensemble. Bad News: The ensemble, who have so clearly been on “Team Ivy” from day one do not take kindly to newcomers. Worse News: You’ll have to wait until Smash’s fantastic fourth episode of the season to see how all of this plays out.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend and for those in the US have fun over the long holiday weekend!!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Chloe Sevigny (Big Love) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing a stay-at-home mom who is attacked and kidnapped while video-chatting with her husband, who’s halfway around the world. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Kelly Bishop (Gilmore Girls) has joined the cast of the upcoming ABC Family drama Bunheads that comes from Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. In Bunheads, Tony winning actress Sutton Foster stars as a trained ballerina-turned-Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town – Paradise, California – and assumes an uneasy role at her mother-in-law’s dance studio, the Paradise Dance Academy. Bishop will recur as said mother-in-law, Fanny. (Mandi Bierly at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Ali Larter (Heroes) has landed the top role in the FOX spy dram pilot called The Asset. The pilot is described as a character-driven drama set in the CIA’s New York City station, focusing on a female agent with a very specialized and controversial area of expertise. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Katie Cassidy (Gossip Girl, Melrose Place and Supernatural) and actress Willa Holland (Gossip Girl and The O.C.) have both been cast in The CW drama pilot called Arrow that will focus on the comic-book character Green Arrow (aka Oliver Queen). The series stars Stephen Amell (Hung and Private Practice) in the lead role. Cassidy will play Dinah “Laurel” Lance, a young attorney with the City Necessary Resources Initiative who shares a romantic past with Oliver while Holland will play Thea Queen, Oliver’s celebutante younger sister who’s testing the boundaries of acceptable behavior. The cast also includes Susanna Thompson (Once and Again and NCIS) as Oliver’s mom Moira Queen and David Ramsey (Dexter) as an ex-military/special forces type now working in private security for Oliver. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Kristin Kreuk (Smallville) has landed the lead role in The CW’s new drama pilot loosely based on the 1980’s Beauty and the Beast series. This new version will center on Catherine (Kreuk), a tough-minded NYPD Homicide Detective haunted by witnessing her mother’s murder 9 years ago and the killers’ quick demise at the hands of a Beast. After years of searching, Catherine finally finds the Beast, Vincent Koslow, the survivor of a military experiment that went disastrously wrong, and becomes the protector of his secret life as a bestial superhero. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Dania Ramirez (Heroes) has been cast in one of the lead roles in the ABC pilot called Devious Maids that hails from Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry. The pilot is based on a Mexican series that follows four maids with ambition and dreams of their own while they work for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. Ramirez will play Rosie, a single mother who left her son back in Mexico when her husband died, slipped into El Norte and now works as the housemaid/nanny for a pair of self-absorbed and successful actors. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me) has landed the dual lead role in the NBC Jekyll & Hyde-style medical drama called Do No Harm that chronicles the life of Jeffrey Kohn (Pasquale), a brilliant neurosurgeon who wrestles with his dangerous alter-ego Ian Price that threatens to wreak havoc on his personal and professional life. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Terry O’Quinn (Lost) has landed a lead role in the ABC supernatural drama pilot called 666 Park Avenue that is based on the Alloy book series by Gabriella Pierce. The pilot will center on a young couple who accept an offer to manage one of the most historic apartment buildings in New York City. Unwittingly, they begin to experience supernatural occurrences, which complicate and endanger the lives of everyone in the building. O’Quinn will play Gavin, the building’s owner. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors Laurence Fishburne and Kevin Zegers will star in the independent Canadian sci-fi feature called The Colony. Details on the film are few and far between, but reportedly it will follow a group of underground survivors after the next Ice Age, fending off an invasion of feral cannibals. (The Hollywood Reporter and First Showing)

Actresses Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts will star in the film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play by Tracy Letts called August: Osage County. The darkly comic movie focuses on the story of the women of the Weston family, who have grown apart from one another, but return to their house in the Midwest after a family crisis. Streep will play Violet Weston, the dysfunctional matriarch while Roberts will play her adult daughter, Barbara. (Joshua L. Weinstein at The Wrap)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Paget Brewster will officially be leaving Criminal Minds as of the end of this season. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC has given a 13-episode order to the new Bryan Fuller (the man behind Pushing Daisies) drama pilot called Hannibal. Yep, you read that right – Hannibal. The series will be a thriller, of course, featuring the classic characters from the Thomas Harris novel Red Dragon: FBI agent Will Graham and his mentor Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who are re-introduced at the beginning of their budding relationship. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Allison Janney (The West Wing) will guest star in the upcoming season of The Big C, playing an ultra-successful Hollywood producer who wants to purchase Cathy (Laura Linney) and Paul’s life rights in order to tell their story on the big screen. The third season of The Big C will start on Sunday, April 8 on Showtime. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Susanna Thompson (Once and Again) has been cast in drama pilot for The CW called Arrow, where she will play Moria Queen, the mother of Green Arrow’s alter ego Oliver Queen, which will be played by actor Stephen Amell (Hung and Private Practice). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Agam Darshi (Sanctuary) have joined the cast of the Jason Katims NBC drama pilot called County that will chronicle the lives of young doctors, nurses, and administrators in a frenetic underfunded and morally compromising LA County Hospital. Darshi will play one of the staff members alongside already cast actors Jason Ritter and Michael B. Jordan. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) will make his feature directorial debut, after recently completing his first short called Fade Into You, a horror-thriller that is currently in post-production. In addition to directing this new project, Rosenbaum wrote and will star alongside actress Morena Baccarin (Homeland). The film follows Jim Owens (Rosenbaum), a discouraged actor who returns home to Indiana for his 15th high school reunion. There he gets into mischief with his friends and falls for his high school sweetheart (Baccarin). (Brian Brooks at Deadline)

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

Question: What can you tell me about the end of Castle’s two-parter? — Ellen

ADAM: How about a cryptic hint from creator Andrew W. Marlowe? “Hang on to the end, because we have a couple of surprises in store,” he says. “There’s a revelation about Castle that should be interesting for fans.” We hear it’s connected to the mystery surrounding Castle’s absent father — who may have had a behind-the-scenes role in his son’s future successes.

Question: When is Alaric going to do something other than drink and flirt with Meredith on The Vampire Diaries? — Sam

NATALIE: To be fair, Alaric has lost both his wife and girlfriend to the blood-suckers, so we’ll give him a pass on the nascent alcoholism. But we’ll soon learn more about his vampire-hunting days, which may help us to figure out why Elena trusts him so blindly. “A lot more of his past will be revealed,” Matt Davis says. “Things that he’s been struggling with will be purged and come into clarity for him.”

Question: What are you hearing about the new season of Army Wives? I’m desperately missing our favorite tribe. Any scoop? Maybe a start date? —Jill

Ausiello: Season 5 launches on Sunday, March 4, and the opener features the following: a retirement, an intervention, a hurricane, a car accident, a finalized adoption and an explosion.

Question: I need a Season 2 Homeland scoop. —Carter

Ausiello: Morena Baccarin, who makes her second appearance on The Mentalist this Thursday, confirms that there will be “a bit of a time lapse” between seasons, adding, “I’ve heard that Brody’s in office to some extent. But I haven’t heard much more than that. I’m dying to get a script.” That makes two of us.

Question: Any spoilers on Revenge? —Paige

Ausiello: Someone will begin to dabble in drugs after becoming collateral damage in Emily’s quest of vengeance. And rumor has it this week’s episode more than lives up to the hype. (And, holy hell, there has been a lot of hype.) Bonus scoop: Grandpa Grayson (William Devane) proves that he can play dirty with the best of them (aka Victoria and Emily), particularly when it concerns keeping the Grayson name intact.

Question: I am dying for spoilers on The Killing, especially about Holder! —Claudia

Ausiello: Next season, Linden won’t be the only woman to whom your favorite cop answers: The show is bringing on his sister, Liz, who, for all intents and purposes, sounds a lot like a younger Mitch.

Question: I love Downton Abbey so much. Any scoop on this Sunday’s Season 2 finale? —Nicolas

Ausiello: There’s a pregnancy, a breakup, a proposal, a séance, a death and a poignant scene between Mary and her dad that will reinforce everything you love about this show.

Question: Does NCIS have any plans for an episode with Ziva and Abby working together on a case? Maybe going undercover? —Marla

Ausiello: As of right this instant, no — but series boss Gary Glasberg is chomping at the bit for when the right opportunity presents itself. “We talk about that, about bringing them together more often,” he said when we ran your question by him. “[Pauley Perrette and Cote de Pablo] love to work together, and if we can come up with a storyline that services that, I’d do it in a heartbeat!”

Question: Do you have anything more on NCIS: LA and the big Kensi storyline? —Rod

Ausiello: How about this — the two-parter, launching next week, won’t only reveal Kensi’s secrets. “At one point, for a period of time, Granger (played by Miguel Ferrer) and Hetty were partners on a task force together. So there is very much past history between those two,” says show runner Shane Brennan. And as viewers will see over the next two Tuesdays, “If you think you know why Granger is in Los Angeles, you’re wrong. He’s in town for a very specific reason, and it plays out through sweeps.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Happy Valentine’s Day for those who celebrate the day and for the rest of us, well, Happy Tuesday!

Now, let’s get into the news for today, shall we?:

TELEVISION

FOX has announced the series finale date for their long-running medical drama House: May 21. Mark your calendars! (E! Online)

Actor Peter Mensah (Spartacus) will be joining the cast of True Blood for the show’s upcoming 5th season. He will have the recurring role of Kibwe, a ruling member of the Vampire Authority. (Deadline and TV Line)

Actress Kelli Williams (The Practice and Lie to Me) has been promoted to series regular on Army Wives when the Lifetime series returns for its sixth season starting on March 4. Williams will play Jacqueline “Jackie” Clarke, the ambitious wife of 2-star Major General Kevin Clarke. Her character is described as well-educated and born into a well-to-do, politically connected family and was named after Jacqueline Kennedy, a family friend. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actors Jeff Fahey and Kevin Tighe – both of whom appeared in Lost – will appear in the same episode of the new USA Network drama Common Law. Fahey will appear as a hard-drinking narcotics detective with a cowboy swagger who Travis (Michael Ealy) credits for making him the detective he is while Tighe (Locke’s evil dad) will play a reasoned and methodical missing persons detective who brought Wes (Warren Kole) up through the police ranks. Common Law will air this summer on USA. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Alana De La Garza (Law & Order) has landed a lead role in the NBC medical drama pilot called Do No Harm that will center on Jeffrey Kohn, a brilliant neurosurgeon who wrestles with his dangerous alter-ego that threatens to wreak havoc on his personal and professional life. De La Garza will play Dr. Lena Steck, a confident neurosurgeon who has chemistry with Kohl. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Zachary Levi (Chuck) has landed the male lead in the single-camera comedy pilot Let It Go for FOX. The ensemble comedy is about a married couple, the husband played by Levi, his best friend and her sister as they try to navigate, negotiate and sometimes manipulate society’s unspoken rules. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Shawn Ashmore (of the X-Men movie franchise) has joined the cast of the as-yet-untitled FOX drama pilot from Kevin Williamson that is set to star Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy. The pilot is an edge-of-the-seat thriller about Joe Carroll (Purefoy) a diabolical serial killer who uses technology to create a cult of serial killers, and the retired FBI profiler Ryan Hardy (Bacon) who finds himself in the middle of it. Ashmore will play a junior FBI agent who is part of the task force assisting Hardy in the search for Carroll. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jonny Lee Miller (Dexter and Eli Stone) has been cast in the CBS Sherlock Holmes reboot called Elementary, playing the famous detective. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano (Haywire) will star in the Taken-esque action thriller called In the Blood that will star with a husband disappearing while vacationing in the Caribbean with his wife (Carano). She then sets out in a relentless pursuit of the men whom she believes kidnapped and killed him. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Director Guillermo del Toro is attached to direct and actress Emma Watson (the Harry Potter franchise) is attached to star in the box office movie Beauty that will be a new take on Beauty and the Beast. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Greta Gerwig and Adam Brody in First ‘Damsels in Distress’ Trailer

That’s it. Enjoy!

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