Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

It’s finally the end of the week – YAY! Hope everyone has fun plans for the long holiday weekend. In the meantime, here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Kathy Griffin and Loretta Devine will appear as judges at Regionals on Glee. Griffin is expected to play a Sarah Palin type (a D-Listed liberal home-schooling Tea Party candidate character) while Devine will supposedly be Sister Mary Constance, who wears a halo and a habit now, but was – gasp – a stripper in her past. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Megan Dodds (Detroit 1-8-7) has joined the cast of the FOX drama pilot Exit Strategy, which stars Ethan Hawke in a story about a team of CIA agents who are sent in to fix operations gone bad. Dodds will play Hannah Burke, a doctor with a prodigy-level IQ who trusts no one. (The Futon Critic)

David Giuntoli (Privileged) has been cast in the lead role in the NBC drama pilot called Grimm about a police detective who discovers fairy tale creatures live among us. He will play Nick Burckhardt, who is tasked with defending humans from these mythical beasts. (The Futon Critic)

Wilson Bethel (Generation Kill) will star alongside Rachel Bilson (The O.C.) in the CW drama pilot Hart of Dixie which is about a young New York City doctor who inherits a medical practice in a small Southern town inhabited by an eclectic and eccentric group of characters. He will play Wade Kinsella, the doctor’s fisherman neighbor. (The Futon Critic)

Kiefer Sutherland (24) MIGHT be coming back to network TV in the FOX drama pilot from Heroes creator Tim Kring. The pilot is called Touch and Sutherland could be playing Martin Bohm, an unassuming baggage handler at JFK who discovers that his autistic, mute son can predict events before they happen. (The Futon Critic)

Eric Roberts has landed the lead role in the AC drama pilot called Grace, which focuses on Michael Grace (Roberts), a famous choreographer whose womanizing ways have produced three daughters – Sarah, a lawyer; Shay, a photographer; Eden, a teenager – all with different mothers. (The Futon Critic)

Glee co-creator and co-executive producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are returning to the cable network FX with a new drama pilot called American Horror Story. The premise is being kept under wraps, though. (Deadline)

Actor James Wolk (from the short-lived series Lone Star) has landed a lead role in the drama pilot Georgetown (from Joss Schwartz and Stephanie Savage) that is a sexy soap centering around the young people behind the power brokers of Washington, DC. It centers on Andrew Pierce (Wolk), an effortlessly charming and brilliant Yale graduate and the youngest presidential speech writer on record who was once idealistic but is now cynical as he sees how compromise has eroded the administration’s promise. (Nellie Andreeva at TV Line)

Meanwhile his former Lone Star co-star, actress Eloise Mumford is the first to be cast in the ABC drama pilot The River, which centers on a small group that goes deep into the Amazon in search for a missing TV explorer. She will play a fearless helicopter pilot attached to the expedition whose father, the explorer’s cameraman, is also missing. (Nellie Andreeva at TV Line)

Box office actress Leelee Sobieski (Joan of Arc) has been cast in the CBS drama pilot called Rookies (that comes from Robert DeNiro. The pilot is to follow six rookie cops who patrol especially dangerous areas. (Deadline and The Wrap)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) will appear in the box office movie Forgotten based on the soon-to-be published novel of the same name by Cat Patrick. The story follows London Lane (Steinfeld), a 16-year old whose memory is erased daily at 4:33am. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Britt Robertson (Life Unexpected) and Dylan O’Brien (soon to be seen in the MTV series Teen Wolf) are set to star in the teen romance movie called The First Time, which follows two high school students over the first weekend of a blossoming relationship. (Variety)

It looks like Mila Kunis (Black Swan and That 70’s Show) just might be playing the Wicked Witch of the West in the upcoming movie Oz: The Great and Powerful, which just might be starring James Franco in the lead role. The storyline is being kept under tight wraps, but it is said to follow the Wizard back when he was a young illusionist with a grandiose attitude who is forced to flee the traveling circus. The story also contains the origins of both the Wicked Witch of the West and the Wicked Witch of the East, not to mention Glinda the Good Witch of the North. (Vulture and First Showing)

Despite the previous announcement that newcomer Australian actress Robin McLeavy would be getting the role, it now looks like actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim) has landed the role of Mary Todd Lincoln in the historical action horror film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. (Heat Vision and First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

First Trailer Hits for WB’s Summer Fling ‘Something Borrowed’

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Not a lot of news to share, but most of it is still pretty interesting. Please read on:

TELEVISION

Actress Amber Benson – best known for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer – will reprise her Season 2 role on Supernatural, playing “good” vampire Lenore. (Zap2It)

Actor Aaron Ashmore (Smallville) will be joining the Syfy series Warehouse 13 as a series regular when it returns for its new season this summer. He will play new agent Steve Jinks, a young ATF agent with an ability to tell when somebody is lying. Jinks is recruited by Mrs. Frederic (CCH Pounder) to be Pete’s (Eddie McClintock) new Warehouse 13 partner as they search for mysterious artifacts. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Christine Lahti has signed on to star in the CBS drama pilot The Doctor, which centers on Emily Campbell (Lahti), a mother who reconnects with her adult children when she joins the family medical practice. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Lost alum Michael Emerson will reunite with J.J. Abrams on his upcoming CBS pilot, Person of Interest, which drama follows an ex-CIA hit man and a mysterious billionaire (Emerson) who team up to prevent crimes before they happen. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

Actor Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot Poe about Edgar Allan Poe, the world’s very first detective, as he uses unconventional methods to investigate dark mysteries in 1840s Boston. McNally will play Kyle Kilpatrick, the city’s tough, authoritative commissioner. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Tara Summers (Damages) has joined the cast of the CBS drama pilot Ringer, which is about Bridget Cafferty (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a troubled young woman who, while on the run from the mob, hides out by inhabiting the life of her wealthy twin sister, Siobhan Marx, until she learns that her twin’s life has a bounty on it as well. Summers is believed to be playing Gemma Gallagher, Siobhan’s tall, attractive best friend. Ioan Gruffudd, Mike Colter and Nestor Carbonell also star. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Alice Eve will appear in the box office film Men in Black III, playing the younger version of Men in Black Agency head Emma Thompson in the time travel storyline. The film is expected to be released on May 25, 2012. (Deadline)

Writer Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich and The Soloist) has been hired to write an untitled dramatic biopic on Texas high school teacher Lynn Shaw. The story centers on Shaw, a teacher who created a high school drama program and turned it into one of the best in the country. She died of breast cancer in 2009. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

There are some interesting news items to share with all of you, including a few little spoilers here and there:

TELEVISION

Relative newcomer actor Daniel Buran (who has appeared in episodes of CSI: NY, Criminal Minds and Southland) will be seen in roughly 7 episodes of True Blood, playing Raoul, the werewolf pack master of Shreveport and Alcide’s (Joe Manganiello) boss. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Legendary actor Peter Fonda will appear on CSI: NY as an ex-partner of Det. Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) named William Hunt, who will reconnect with Mac after a thug they once put away is released from prison. Even worse, this so-called reformed criminal now has a vendetta against Fonda’s character. The two-part episodes are expected to air in late April. (Lynette Rice at Entertainment Weekly)

Ready for the time warp? The CW is going to reair the very first hour of Smallville on April 8 at 8 PM. The first episode of this long-running series originally aired on October 16, 2001. A repeat of Supernatural will be aired that night with new episodes of both shows airing the next week. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

DIGITAL SERIES NEWS

Tahmot Penikett (Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse) has joined the cast of the Warner Bros. digital series Mortal Kombat. He will play police officer Lieutenant Stryker. Other cast members include Michael Jai White as Jax, Jeri Ryan as Sonya and Darren Shahlavi as Kano. White and Ryan are reprising their roles from last year’s unofficial Mortal Kombat: Rebirth short. (IGN)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four) and Mike Colter (The Good Wife) have joined the cast of the CBS drama pilot called Ringer, which is about Bridget Cafferty (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a troubled young woman who, while on the run from the mob, hides out by inhabiting the life of her wealthy twin sister, Siobhan Marx, until she learns that her twin’s life has a bounty on it as well. Gruffudd will play Siobhan’s husband Andrew Marx while Colter will play Malcolm Howard, Bridget’s AA sponsor. Nestor Carbonell (Lost) also stars. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Max Greenfield (Veronica Mars) has joined the Zooey Deschanel-led FOX comedy pilot known as Chicks and Dicks. The ensemble comedy is about the sexual politics of men and women and centers on Jessica (Deschanel), an optimistic but unlucky-in-love elementary school teacher who, after her most recent break-up, moves out of her apartment with her ex and moves in with 3 juvenile guys. (Deadline)

Actress Annie Wersching (24) will alongside actress Scottie Thompson (NCIS and Trauma) in the ABC drama pilot Partners, which centers on two female police detectives, Mattie (Thompson) and Jess (Wersching), who are fiercely loyal to one another since they’re also secretly half-sisters. (Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Dakota Fanning and Ryan Donowho are to star in the upcoming thriller movie Mississippi Wild. Donowho will play a teen who has to go on the run with his girlfriend (Fanning) after stealing diamonds that belong to a local gangster. Robert Duvall, Mickey Rourke and Forest Whitaker are in talks to join the cast. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Daniel Radcliffe is attached to star in the independent drama movie The Amateur Photographer, which is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Monger. The 1970-set tale follows a young man who discovers his artistic calling after being drafted by the denizens of a sleepy little New England mill town to serve as photographer of their most intimate moments. (Variety)

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

Question: Any new missions coming up on Chuck? — Frankie

NATALIE: Much to the chagrin of Chuck and Sarah, Casey is going to be enticed away from Team Intersect by Bentley (Robin Givens), General Beckman’s frenemy. “She presents him with things he knows are true: This has been your longest assignment; your team doesn’t need you anymore,” Givens tells us. “You were the best sharpshooter and now you’re bartending; you’re doing paperwork. So she presents him with an offer that he can’t say no to.” Two of his new team members include past Gretas Stacy Keibler and Isaiah Mustafa, whose real names will be revealed.

Question: I’m still reeling from the Castle kiss this many weeks later. Tell me there’s more where that came from! — Sharon

ADAM: While I can’t promise another liplock, I can tell you that in next week’s episode, Castle and Beckett will be locked in a confined space with one another. Twice. In related (and perhaps squeal-inducing) news, that same episode, the first of an intense two-parter, finds Beckett wondering if she should be with a man who isn’t always out healing Third World countries.

Question: Is there still hope for Michael and Nikita? — Amber

NATALIE: As if the Mikita fans hadn’t fully recovered from Ryan and Nikita’s kiss, now the “other man” in Nikita’s Division-hating life, Owen, is set to return. Of course, he’ll clash with Michael, and not just over black boxes. Do I sense a little jealousy from Michael? Short answer: Duh.

Question: So happy that Justified is back. What’s coming up? —Brett

ADAM: Remember Loretta, the young girl Raylan rescued from the pedophile in the premiere? You’ll be seeing a lot of her, as executive producer Graham Yost calls her the “heart of the season.” While Raylan is busy trying to keep her safe, look for Mags to play adoptive mama, and perhaps accidentally put her even further in harm’s way. “She does have a real soft spot for Loretta because she’s the mother of three boys and was the only woman in the household for many years,” Yost says. “You’ll see the depth of that bond from Mags’ point of view and what transpires because of that. There are unforeseen consequences.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Quite a bit of interesting news to share with all of you so let’s get right into it all:

TELEVISION

Actor Scott Michael Foster (Cappie on Greek) will be joining Parenthood for a multi-episode arc as Gary, the new older man in Amber’s (Mae Whitman) life. The two meet when she gets a job at her Aunt Julia’s law firm, where he’s already working as valet captain. He has been booked for two episodes (so far), which should air in late April. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Australian actor Robert Taylor (The Matrix) has landed the lead role of Walt Longmire in the A&E drama pilot called Longmire. The pilot is about the charismatic, dedicated and unflappable sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Ashley Madekwe (The Beautiful Life) is the first to join the cast of the ABC drama pilot called Revenge, about Emily Thorne, a mysterious young woman who comes to the Hamptons to exact revenge on the people who destroyed her family. She will play Ashley Davenport, Emily’s stylish and confident friend who works for the people who wronged her. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica and Law & Order: UK) has landed a lead role in the Ron Moore NBC pilot called 17th Precinct, which is an ensemble cop drama with a sci-fi spin set in a fictional town where magic and supernatural elements rule over science. Bamber will play Caolan, an extremely focused crime scene detective. Stockard Channing is also part of the cast. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

WEB SERIES NEWS

Web series pioneer/Actress Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog and Buffy) is going from a fictional role-playing game to a real one. The creator of the online series The Guild is set to launch a new web series inspired by the BioWare game Dragon Age called Dragon Age: Redemption. The six-part series will have its premiere this summer after the release of the game sequel Dragon Age II. In the series, Day will have a featured role as an Elvish assassin who forms an uneasy alliance with others to capture a dangerous rogue mage. Day will present the trailer for the new Redemption series Wednesday on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. BioWare will launch the Dragon Age II demo Feb. 22 on Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and PC, followed by the game’s official release to stores March 8. (The Hollywood Reporter)

CONDOLENCES

Joanne Siegel, the widow of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, who served as the model for Lois Lane, passed away. She was 93. (The Hollywood Reporter and TV Guide)

Veteran screen and voice actor Kenneth Mars, best known for his work in the Mel Brooks movies The Producers and Young Frankenstein, passed away over the weekend. He was 75. (The LA Times)

ME: Rest in Peace, Ms. Siegel and Mr. Mars. Condolences to their families, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Eddie Izzard will lend his voice to the animated sequel Cars 2. He will play Miles Axelrod, an oil tycoon-turned-environmentalist who sold off his billions, converted himself to run on electricity and has now set out to find alternative fuels. The voice cast includes Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, Michael Keaton and Jenifer Lewis, as well as John Turturro, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Jason Isaacs, Thomas Kretschmann, Joe Mantegna and Peter Jacobson. (Dark Horizons and the trades)

Actor Wentworth Miller (Prison Break) is to star in the independent dramedy called Analog that follows an introverted genius who tries to find a love connection in an increasingly digital world. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Australian actress Lian Lunson is set to make her debut dramatic feature in the contemporary fable called The Boom Boom Room, which tells the story of a young woman (Ashley Greene from the Twilight franchise) who sets out on a journey to learn the truth about her family. She soon comes upon a pair of old vaudeville stars (Christopher Walken and Shirley MacLaine) who transform her life. (Screen Daily and Dark Horizons)

Another Australian actress – Robin McLeavy – has been cast in the upcoming movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which stars Broadway actor Benjamin Walker and Dominic Cooper. McLeavy will play the role of Mary Todd, Lincoln’s love interest and eventual wife, in the film. The story kicks off with the revelation that Lincoln’s mother was killed by a supernatural creature, which fueled his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers. (Latino Review and First Showing)

Harry Potter actress Emma Watson has signed on for a lead role in upcoming movie The Perks of Being A Wallflower, which stars Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief). They will play each other’s first loves. (Dark Horizons)

Looks like Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter are being lined up to join the film adaptation of the 1960’s TV series Dark Shadows. The cast already includes Johnny Depp, Eva Green and Jackie Earle Haley. Pfeiffer is expected to play Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the reclusive matriarch of the Collins clan and owner of Collinwood, the mansion where the supernatural saga unfolds. Carter could play Dr. Julia Hoffman, a specialist in psychology and rare blood disorders who moves into Collinwood. This casting has not been confirmed yet, though. (Deadline and First Showing)

Q&A SECTION (with Kristin from E! Entertainment Online)

Question: Felicia: I’m loving Caroline on The Vampire Diaries. What’s coming up for her?

Kristin: By now you’ve probably seen the photo of Caroline up on stage with a mic preparing to rock out. But did you know that Candice Accola is a legit singer? She even recorded with Tommy Lee once! No need to dub a different voice over Candice’s, and we can’t wait to hear her pipes this week.

Question: Kelly in Philadelphia: Is there anything fans of our Olivia and Peter to look forward to on Fringe?

Kristin: Oh, yes. For one thing, executive producer J.H. Wyman says that when Olivia finds out that Fauxlivia is pregnant, “It will not unfold in a way that I think is traditional…I think that people should be prepared for that.” And for another thing, our Olivia will soon learn that Peter has been assassinating shape shifters and why. According to Wyman, “Peter let go of a certain amount of control in his life to be a part of this family…and then realized he’s in the nucleus of this entire thing that’s happening. He doesn’t have any answers, and this season was always going to be a season about self-actualization for a lot of the characters. So this is the beginning of those steps.” If you ask us, the reason Peter’s getting all proactive is to protect the family he’s established with Walter, Olivia, et al., and we love it!

Question: Leigh: Nothing good can come from Jonathan Gilbert being around. What’s up with his return on The Vampire Diaries?

Kristin: One thing is for sure: he’ll definitely be complicating Jeremy’s life. “He’s family. He knows more about my father than I know,” Steven R. McQueen tells us. “So I’m torn in two directions. One: that I’m still curious about my family and I want to know more about my father. But also I’m pissed off at him because he complicated my life in so many ways.” Steven also told us that his character will be all up in everyone’s business. “I think Jeremy is pissing everyone off,” he laughs. “He comes from this dark place, and it’s interesting to see that change in Jeremy.” Ominous, no?

Question: LucPoz88 (via Twitter): Brothers & Sisters!

Kristin: Producers are now casting for actors to play Nora (Sally Field), William (Tom Skeritt) and Brody (Beau Bridges) in flashback. Nora and Brody were teenagers as this love triangle got underway—but William was 30. Kinda skeevy, no?

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Lots of interesting news to share with everyone so let’s get right into it:

NEWS

Congrats to all the winners at the BAFTA’s and Grammy Awards last night!!

TELEVISION

Actress Elizabeth Mitchell (V and Lost) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Law & Order: SVU, starring alongside returning guest star Jeremy Irons. Mitchell will play an unmarried piano teacher who was the last person to see one of her students alive. The episode is scheduled to air March 30. (William Keck at TV Guide)

What a difference 24 hours makes – at the end of last week it was announced that actor Michael Rosenbaum would NOT be returning for the final season of Smallville, returning to the role that made him famous: Lex Luthor. Well, he has changed his mind and will be back after all. Here is the statement he issued: “I’m simply doing it for all of the fans out there who made Smallville the great success it is. I appreciate all of their passion, their relentlessness and even their threats. Ha ha. I can’t wait to hug the old crew back in Vancouver one last time and see all of my old friends once again….. Oh, and for Lex to become the badass he’s destined to be.” (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actor James Tupper (Men in Trees) will reprise his role as Dr. Andrew Perkins this spring in a multi-episode arc on Grey’s Anatomy. (Entertainment Weekly and TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Gary Cole (Wanted – the TV series) has joined the comedy pilot for FOX called Tagged, which is a workplace comedy set in a coroner’s office. Cole will play James Percy, a respected coroner whose son comes to work for him after finishing medical school. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

The graphic novel by Steve Valentine and Paul Chart called Among the Spirits is being developed by Syfy as a potential drama series. The story is about Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle solving mysteries in 1920s. This project would follow Houdini and Doyle, who, with the help of a female cop, try to solve bizarre murders and strange occurrences that look like hauntings and other supernatural events using steampunk technology. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Anthony Ruivivar (The Whole Truth) and actress Nicole Ari Parker (The Deep End) have joined the A&E drama pilot called Big Mike that is about Mike O’Bannon (Greg Grunberg), a plus-sized homicide detective in a world where plus-sized is a minus. Ruivivar is set as Mike’s partner/childhood friend, Armando Romero, an ex-Marine who – much to Mike’s chagrin – has the annoying ability to eat twice his weight in food every day and not gain a single pound. Parker will play Grace Peterson, the duo’s smart, efficient lieutenant, the youngest to hold said post in San Diego history. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Wentworth Miller (Prison Break) and actor Orlando Jones (The Evidence) are in talks to appear in the ABC drama pilot called Identity, which is a procedural set at the Identity Crimes Division, the FBI’s first cyber-crime unit mixed with traditional investigators. Miller would play John Bloom, a former undercover agent who’s reluctantly drafted to the team, with Jones as Anthony Wareing, a prideful, ambitious agent. (The Futon Critic)

American Idol runner-up-turned-actress Katharine McPhee has been added to the cast of the NBC hour-long pilot called Smash that is to follow a cross section of characters who come together to put on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway led by the musical’s composer Tom and lyricist Julia (Debra Messing). McPhee will play a beautiful struggling actress who goes to all lengths to book the role of Marilyn Monroe in the musical. (Deadline)

Veteran actress Stockard Channing has signed on to star in the NBC pilot called 17th Precinct, which is an ensemble cop drama with supernatural elements from Ron Moore (the man behind the reboot of Battlestar Galactica) The pilot is set in the fictional town of Excelsior where magic and supernatural elements rule over science. Channing will play Mira, a fiercely intelligent former homicide detective who’s working in the robbery division. (Deadline)

Actor Jesse Martin (Law & Order) has been cast in the lead role of the Marc Cherry drama pilot for ABC called Hallelujah. He will play a charming drifter. (Deadline)

Actress Saffron Burrows (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) has joined the prospective Bones spinoff for FOX. The proposed spinoff already includes actors Geoff Stults and Michael Clarke Duncan. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

MADE FOR TV MOVIES NEWS

The USA Network has announced the air date for the made for TV movie prequel of sorts for Burn Notice, focusing on Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell). The film – called Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe – will air on Sunday, April 17 at 9 PM. The film, of course, will star Campbell in the role he made infamous on the popular series with Burn Notice lead actor Jeffrey Donovan being the director. The film takes place in Colombia 2005 when Lieutenant Commander Sam Axe is sent to advise a local military platoon. It’s there he discovers deep layers of deception and ultimately realizes he may be allied with the wrong side. The film will co-star RonReaco Lee (The Good Guys), Kiele Sanchez (The Glades), John Diehl (Stargate) and Chandra West (The Gates). (TV By the Numbers)

CONDOLENCES

Actress Betty Garrett, best known for her roles in Laverne & Shirley and All in the Family passed away over the weekend. She was 91. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

ME: Rest in Peace, Ms. Garrett. Condolences to her family, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past weekend, according to studio estimates and Hollywood.com via the LA Times:

1. Just Go With It – $31 million
2. Never Say Never (Justin Bieber documentary – 30.3 million
3. Gnomeo & Juliet (the animated movie) – 25.5 million
4. The Eagle – 8.6 million
5. The Roommate – 8.4 million
6. The King’s Speech – 7.4 million
7. No Strings Attached – $5.6 million
8. Sanctum – 5.1 million
9. True Grit – 3.8 million
10. The Green Hornet – 3.6 million

Actor Gerard Butler (300) may be playing Rick “Frosty” Hesson in the upcoming surfing movie called Mavericks. The story follows the late Jay Moriarity and his quest to ride the iconic Northern California break known as Mavericks, where winter swells bring in treacherous waves the size of five-story buildings. Moriarity trained for over a year under Hesson, a friendship that transformed both their lives. Moriarity, who died in 2001 in a diving accident in the Maldives, remains an inspiration to surfers around the globe. (Dark Horizons and Deadline)

Actresses Abigail Breslin and Julianne Moore have joined the gothic vampire thriller called Innocence, which is the story about a recently bereaved teenage girl who finds herself the focus of everyone’s attention at her elitist private school, which is home to a nest of vampires. The story is adapted from the original novel of the same name by Jane Mendelsohn. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman are negotiating to join the cast of the upcoming box office movie Stoker, which is a family mystery-drama about a moody teenager (Mia Wasikowska) whose mysterious uncle (Firth) comes back into her family’s lives after the death of her father. Kidman would play the teen’s mother. The screenplay for this film comes from actor Wentworth Miller (Prison Break). (24 Frames and First Showing)

Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) and singer-actor Harry Connick Jr. (Hope Floats) will star in the holiday family film called When Angels Sing, which is about a father (Connick) whose holiday spirit was crushed by an accident when he was a child. When his son faces a tragedy, a mysterious man instills in him the courage to find the joy he lost. Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Fionnula Flanagan and Lyle Lovett are among the cast. The film will also feature appearances by Texas musicians Bob Schneider, Charlie Sexton, Sarah Hickman and Ray Benson. (Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone.

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Hey All,

There isn’t an over-abundance of news today, but there were still some very interesting items to share with all of you. If any of you will be (or live in LA) this weekend and are attending the Salute to Supernatural convention coordinated by Creation Entertainment, I hope to see you there tomorrow for all the fun and mayhem. And now, on with today’s news:

TELEVISION

It looks no amount of money or fan outcry will budge Michael Rosenbaum into coming back to Smallville for its final season. It’s being reported at various outlets all over the net that he will not appear in any of the final episodes let alone the series finale. Here is the quote that’s being ‘heard round the world’: “He has put the show behind him and moved on. He’s pursuing his other creative outlet [writing]. By all indications, he is not going to be involved.” (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Ramon Rodriguez (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) has joined the cast of the ABC pilot Charlie’s Angels where he will play John Bosley, their able sidekick who is described as a perfect specimen of 21st-Century American manhood – a chiseled, whip-smart, tech-savvy, preppy charmer. (The Futon Critic)

Australian actress Margot Robbie has been cast in the ABC pilot called Pan Am, a period drama about the iconic airline in the 1960s. She will play Laura, a radiantly beautiful new stewardess whose candid graduation shot is on the cover of Life Magazine. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Kenneth Mitchell (Jericho) will star in the ABC pilot drama Partners that focuses on two female police detectives (Scottie Thompson and another yet to be cast) who are fiercely loyal to one another since they’re also secretly half-sisters. Mitchell will play Ray Henry, a fellow detective. (The Futon Critic)

Production has begun on the new Syfy 2-hour pilot Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome. Here is the breakdown of the story: It takes place in the 10th year of the first Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, a young, talented fighter pilot, William Adama (Luke Pasqualino from the UK series Skins), finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful Battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Full of ambition and in pursuit of the intense action that the Cylon war promises, Adama quickly find himself at odds with Coker (Ben Cotton from the online series Riese), the battle-weary officer to whom he reports. With 47 days left in his tour of duty, Coker desires an end to battle just as much as Adama craves the start of it. Though they clash at first, the two men forge an unlikely bond when a routine mission turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet. Actress Lili Bordan will play Dr. Beka Kelly, a Ph.D. who worked for Graystone Industries that created the Cylon robots. Currently assigned to a secret military mission, Beka and Adama quickly establish a rapport. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Scott Speedman (Underworld and Felicity) will play a gentleman bank robber in the independent true-crime movie called Edwin Boyd. Boyd was a World War II veteran and a family man who rose to 1950s media fame as a gentleman bandit who undertook dramatic bank hold-ups and two prison breaks. Actress Kelly Reilly will star as his wife, actor Brian Cox will play Boyd’s father, actor Brendan Fletcher as a fellow gang member, and actress Charlotte Sullivan and actor Kevin Durand in undisclosed roles. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

British actor Nicholas Hoult will not only be seen this summer in the film X-Men: First Class, playing young Hank McCoy (aka Beast), but also the lead role of Jack the Giant Killer in the box office movie of the same name. Earlier it was announced that actors Stanley Tucci and Bill Nighy will also star in the action epic. The story is about a long-standing peace between humans and giants that is threatened when a young farmer (Hoult) tries to rescue a princess who was kidnapped and taken to the giants’ kingdom. This is a project I’m definitely looking forward to in the future. (Deadline and First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

X-Men: First Class: Witness the Transformation

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Hey All,

There’s a good bit of interesting items to share with all of you so let’s get right into it.

TELEVISION

Actress Gabrielle Carteris (from Beverly Hills 90210) will appear on the March 14 and 21 episodes of the NBC drama The Event. She will be Diane Geller, an old friend of Michael Buchanan who has been living amongst the human population since the crash at Inostranka. When Michael and Sophia undertake a mission to hunt down Thomas, Michael leaves his daughters Leila and little Samantha in the care of Diane and her husband, Carlos. (William Keck at TV Guide)

Veteran character actor Jay O. Sanders will play the new captain of the Major Case Squad and boss to Robert Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) on Law & Order: Criminal Intent when it returns for its final season. (Nellie Andreeva at TV Line)

Actor Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives and Chase) has landed the role of Bobby and Pam Ewing’s adopted son Christopher on the “in-the-works” TNT Dallas sequel series. Also, actress Julia Gonzalo (Veronica Mars and Eli Stone) will play Christopher’s fiancée. (Megan Masters on TV Line)

DirecTV has added the Canadian comedy Call Me Fitz, which debuted on HBO Canada last fall) to its line-up starting on April 21 at 9 PM. The comedy stars Jason Priestly (Beverly Hills 90210) as Richard “Fitz” Fitzpatrick, a morally bankrupt, yet charismatic, used-car salesman who is forced to become business partners with his inner “conscience” – a lanky do-gooder named Larry. (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Henry Ian Cusick (Lost) has joined the ABC drama pilot In Crisis, which is about the life and work of professional fixer Olivia Price (Kerry Washington) and her dysfunctional staff. Cusick will play Stephen, a litigator who works for her firm. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Scottie Thompson (Trauma and NCIS) has been cast in the ABC drama pilot called Partners, which is about two female police detectives who are fiercely loyal to one another since they’re also secretly sisters. Thompson will play one of the sisters, Mattie Scott. (The Futon Critic)

FOX is bringing the memoir by Julie Holland called Weekends at Bellevue to the small screen. The pilot is about a psychiatrist in charge of the weekend shift of Bellevue Hospital psychiatric unit. (The Futon Critic)

CBS has green lit another project by J.J. Abrams. This one is called Person of Interest, which is an hour-long drama, but very few details are known about the plot. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Amanda Peet and Minnie Driver are close to signing pilot deals with NBC. Peet is likely to star in the comedy pilot called Bent about a recently divorced Type A mom (Peet) trying not to fall for the “surfer-dude” contractor she hires to redo her kitchen. While Driver is poised to be in the pilot called Free Agents which is an adaptation of a British series about co-workers at a Hollywood talent agency – one getting over a divorce and the other a broken engagement. (Marisa Guthrie at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Writer Melissa Rosenberg (the woman behind the scripts for all of the Twilight movies) is in negotiations to work on a remake of the 80’s Highlander movies for Summit Entertainment. (Dark Horizons and the trade magazines)

Andrew Garfield, Jennifer Garner and Marcia Gay Harden are all to star in the upcoming movie Back Roads, which is an adaptation of the Tawni O’Dell bestselling novel about the Pennsylvania-set murder mystery where a young man (Garfield) who is forced to care for his three younger sisters after their mother is sent to prison for killing her abusive husband. Garner will play one of the family’s neighbors who becomes romantically involved with him. Harden will play his court-appointed therapist. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actress Amanda Seyfried will star in the thriller movie called Gone. The story revolves around a young woman named Jill (Seyfried) who returns home from her night shift to find her sister’s bed empty and is convinced a serial killer who kidnapped her two years before has come back to finish the job. The police don’t believe her. With no one to turn to, and time running out, she plans to face her abductor once and for all. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce and Mia Wasikowska have joined the cast of the upcoming Prohibition movie The Wettest County In The World. The story is based on three infamous brothers (Shia Labeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke) who made up a fierce criminal gang at the center of the American South’s moonshine trade. Oldman will play a gangster who engages the boys to deliver alcohol. Wasikowska plays a local Mennonite girl and love interest for the youngest brother Jack (Labeouf). (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

Michael Caine has joined the cast of the upcoming film Mr. Morgan’s Last Love, which centers on a widowed and retired American philosophy professor who meets a much younger woman in Paris. The pair forms a special relationship, not about sex but more than friendship, and rekindles the lost joy in both their lives. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Goran Visnjic (ER) will appear in the American version of the film The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, playing Dragan Armansky, the head of a security firm that employs the main character, Lisbeth Salander. Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara star. (Joshua Weinstein at The Wrap)

Actor Dominic Cooper (Momma Mia) is in final negotiations to star as Henry in the upcoming film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Cooper joins Broadway actor Benjamin Walker, who signed on to play Abraham Lincoln last month. (Variety)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Second Official Trailer for Illumination’s ‘Hop’ with James Marsden

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Hey All,

Quite a bit of development news and a number of other news items to share with all of you so let’s get right into it all:

TELEVISION

Actress Audra McDonald will be leaving the ABC drama Private Practice at the end of this season. (The Futon Critic)

Cinemax will embark on original programming with it first scripted prime-time drama called Strike Back, based on the UK series, which was, in turn, based on a book by Chris Ryan. This new program would be a 10-hour action series, which will follow a charismatic former U.S. Special Forces operative Rhidian Scott (actor Sullivan Stapleton) who teams up with a British military unit led by Section 20 officer Michael Stonebridge (actor Philip Winchester) to stop an international terrorist group. The series is expected to premiere this summer. (Deadline)

IN PREPARATION FOR TV SHOW RETURN

TV 101: Justified

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The CW has ordered the drama Secret Circle, based on the L.J. Smith young adult novels about a young woman who discovers that she’s a witch and part of a secret coven that holds the key to unlocking ancient battle of good and evil to pilot. Kevin Williamson (the man behind The Vampire Diaries alongside Julie Plec) is supervising the hour along with writers-producers Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain, Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Gretchen Egolf (Journeyman) will have a lead role on the USA Network pilot called that centers on a young hotel worker (Nick D’Agosto) who, with the help of his escaped con artist cousin (Enver Gjokaj), gets a job as the concierge at an elite NYC hotel. Together they manage to provide the hotel guests with whatever they desire. (Deadline)

Actor Edi Gathegi (the Twilight franchise) has a lead role in the USA Network pilot called Wild Card, which is about people behaving badly at night in Las Vegas and two very different lawyers, Will Garratt (Ben Lawson) and Eliza Evans who solve their problems before morning. Gathergi will play the duo’s smart, ambitious and resourceful investigator, a former hotel concierge who knows everyone in town. (Deadline)

Actress Amanda Detmer (Private Practice) has joined the cast of the comedy pilot Man Up for ABC, which centers on happily married father of two Will, his brother-in-law Kenny and the lovelorn Craig (Chris Moynihan). Detmer will play Kenny’s ex-wife who has a complicated relationship with him. (Deadline)

Actor Ken Leung (Lost) has joined the A&E pilot Big Mike, which stars Greg Grunberg (Heroes) as a plus-size detective with the San Diego Police Department. Leung will play the department’s doctor. (Deadline)

Actress Rachel Bilson (The O.C.) is in negotiations to star in the CW drama pilot called Hart of Dixie that is about an adorable, spoiled New Yorker who inherits a medical practice in a small Southern town inhabited by an eclectic and eccentric group of characters. Bilson will play Zoe Hart, the title character. (The Futon Critic)

Box office actress Kerry Washington and film actor Columbus Short (Stomp the Yard) are the first to be cast in the drama pilot called In Crisis for ABC, which is about the life and work of a professional fixer and her dysfunctional staff. Washington will play the lead character, Olivia Price, who is stylish but weary and too smart for her own good. Short is believed to be playing Harrison Jones, a lawyer and the newest addition to Price and Associates. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) is in talks to star in the as-yet untitled Liz Meriweather comedy pilot for FOX about an optimistic Midwestern woman who moves into a New York apartment with three juvenile guys. She will play the lead role named Jessica Day. (The Futon Critic)

Broadway actress Megan Hilty (Wicked and 9 to 5) has joined the cast of the NBC drama pilot Smash, which follows a cross section of characters who come together to put on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway led by the musical’s composer Tom and lyricist Julia (Debra Messing). Hilty will play Tom’s go-to girl for acting out scenes in progress who is hugely disappointed when she is told she is too old to play Marilyn and has to be part of the chorus. (Deadline)

Actor Anthony Carrigan (The Forgotten) has been cast in the USA Network pilot called Over/Under, which centers on Paul, a day trader with a massive gambling problem fired from his job who settles in Brooklyn where he finds an unlikely partner, expectant father with a failing business Marino (Carrigan), to start a high-end bookie business. (Deadline)

Actor Nestor Carbonell (Lost) is expected to star opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar in the CBS drama pilot Ringer, which centers on a troubled young woman Bridget (Gellar) who, while on the run from the mob, hides out by inhabiting the life of her wealthy twin sister, until she learns that her twin’s life has a bounty on it as well. Carbonell will play an FBI agent in charge of keeping Bridget safe so she can testify against the mob that tracks her down and gets to know her “sister.” (Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Former American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino is set to appear in film adaptation of the 1993 biographical book called Got to Tell It: Mahalia Jackson, Queen of Gospel, which recounts the life of the late American gospel singer, a civil rights activist who was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

Actors Diane Keaton and Ed Harris are set to star in the film called The Look of Love. Keaton will play a widow who, several years after the death of her husband, mysteriously meets a man who looks exactly like her deceased husband. (Dark Horizons and the trade magazines)

Actor Richard Jenkins has joined the cast of the comedy-toned crime caper called Cogan’s Trade, which stars Brad Pitt as Jackie Cogan, a professional enforcer investigating a heist which takes place during a mob-run high stakes poker game. Jenkins will play a lawyer who provides Cogan with inside information regarding the game. Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Sam Rockwell, Casey Affleck, James Gandolfini and Bella Heathcote also star. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges), Liam Cunningham (Clash of the Titans), Robert Patrick (Walk the Line) and Sam Shepard (Black Hawk Down) have all landed roles in the upcoming thriller Safe House that stars Ryan Reynolds as a CIA agent who has to protect a criminal (Denzel Washington) and get him safely to Washington after their safe house is attacked. (The Wrap and First Showing)

Actress Rosamund Pike (An Education) is in negotiations for the role of Andromeda in the Clash of the Titans sequel, replacing actress Alexa Davalos, who played the same Andromeda role in the predecessor. Other returning actors include Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Danny Huston and Ralph Fiennes. The sequel is set for release on March 30, 2012. (Heat Vision and First Showing)

Actor Stanley Tucci (Easy A) has joined the cast of the upcoming film Jack the Giant Killer as the villain, an advisor to the king with designs on usurping power. The lead role in the film still has to be cast, but the story will center what happens when a princess is kidnapped, threatening the long-standing peace between humans and giants. A young farmer is then forced to lead a rescue mission to the giants’ kingdom. Meanwhile, actors Bill Nighy and John Kassir will play Fallon, the two-headed leader of the giants. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor John Turturro will lend his voice to the animated sequel Cars 2, voicing Francesco Bernoulli, an Italian racecar who becomes Lightning McQueen’s (Owen Wilson) chief rival in Europe. (First Showing)

Q&A SECTION (with Adam Bryant and Natalie Abrams from TV Guide)

Question: I’m so worked up about this Bones proposal. Please tell me who Booth is going to ask to marry him! — Lisa

ADAM: Where’s the fun in that? Executive producer Stephen Nathan summed up the episode in three words: Big. Game. Changer. “We’ve existed this whole year with Booth and Brennan accepting, admitting and also denying their feelings for each another and with Booth in a very serious relationship with another woman — much to the dismay of a lot of fans,” Nathan says with a laugh. “I think the episode will be a satisfying conclusion to this story line and also a great start for the next development that happens in the show emotionally. It will be very difficult and very painful, and David [Boreanaz] really brings that home.”

Question: When will the Red John case pick up again on The Mentalist? — Jacob

ADAM: Soon. Executive producer Bruno Heller tells us the next break in the Red John case will come just as LaRoche’s mole hunt reaches fever pitch in the Feb. 24 episode. “When a suspect emerges, it’s going to be immensely shocking to both Jane and our audience,” he says.

Question: Is there hope for Damon and Elena on Vampire Diaries? — Carla

NATALIE: “In the lifetime of the series, every fan who ‘ships either side of the triangle will have moments of hope,” executive producer Julie Plec says. Does that mean we should stop asking? Well… “Stefan, Elena and Damon are a series-long journey for us,” she says. “There are big moments coming up all around for them, lots of evolution of friendships and relationships, and questions of who loves who.” You heard it, Dalena fans — moments!

Question: Any chance that Sookie and Alcide will get together this season on True Blood? — Danielle

NATALIE: “Timing is everything and the timing between those two could not have been worse, so we’ll see where the time goes in Season 4,” Joe Manganiello says. But factor this in: We’re hearing that Alcide’s loyalties might be split. His work for Eric is done, but Alcide has a new boss, and his interests diverge from those of Sookie.

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Hey All,

Not a lot of news to share today, but there are a few items that folks should find interesting. Here goes:

TELEVISION

Actors Ken Leung (Lost) and John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C) will guest star on an upcoming episode of The Good Wife. Leung will play a man who sues a social networking site for failing to protect his privacy. After he posts an anonymous blog about democracy in China, the government then jails and tortures him. Hickey will play the CEO of the social networking site. This episode is scheduled to air Tuesday, March 1. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

Actress Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill) has been made a series regular on the USA Network drama White Collar. Her character, Sara Ellis, a top-shelf insurance investigator, has appeared in several episodes thus far. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Camille Sullivan (Reunion and the Canadian cop drama Shattered) will play a recurring role on the CW series Hellcats. She will be an old adversary of cheerleader coach Vanessa (Sharon Leal). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

NBC is currently retooling the British series Prime Suspect for American television and one of the front-runners for the lead role is actress Maria Bello. But no decisions have been made on the casting as yet. (Lynette Rice at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Famke Janssen will play the leader of the witches in the upcoming Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters film. She will join Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the title characters who, 15 years after their narrow fairy tale escape from the gingerbread house, become specialized bounty-hunters looking to take down the witches that almost killed them. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

It looks like actress Julia Roberts will appear as the Evil Queen in the upcoming film The Brothers Grimm: Snow White. This film should not be mistaken for the other upcoming film Snow White and the Huntsman, which has Charlize Theron in the equivalent role. Both of these films are set for a release in 2012. While a third Snow White-themed movie called Snow and the Seven is slated for 2013. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actress Dakota Fanning will play British royal Princess Margaret in the romantic fairytale Girls’ Night Out, which is based on a true story. It follows a teenage Margaret on V.E. Day in 1945 when she and her sister Elizabeth are allowed out from Buckingham Palace for one night to join in the celebrations. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Happy Monday! I hope the start of the new week is treating everyone well. Let’s get into the news items for today, shall we?

TELEVISION

Actress Nia Vardalos – who is the real life wife of actor and Cougar Town star Ian Gomez – will play a woman with more than a passing interest in his character on the show…a woman who just happens to be his brother’s wife. She will appear in April. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Lifetime has given series pickups to two new police dramas to series: Against the Wall and Exit 19. (Variety)

Smallville will conclude its 10th and final season with a two-hour series finale on Friday, May 13 while Supernatural will get a 2-hour finale as well, which will air on May 20. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Rose McGowan (Charmed) will appear in an upcoming spring episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing a grafter names Cassandra who strikes swinging men who frequent sex clubs. Actor Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy) will also appear in this episode. (William Keck at TV Guide)

ARTICLE ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

A ‘Friday Night Lights’ marriage that binds in many ways

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Debra Messing (Will & Grace) is “this close” to landing a lead role in the upcoming NBC hour-long musical pilot called Smash from Steven Spielberg and the duo of Craig Zadan and Neil Meron as well as Hairspray songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The pilot follows a diverse cast of characters who come together to stage a Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe. Messing will play Julia, the musical’s good-natured lyricist who is slow to embrace the commercially-iffy subject matter. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Starz has another project that was ordered directly to series this past November called Boss, which is a political drama starring Kelsey Grammer as the Mayor of Chicago who is diagnosed with a degenerative mental condition that only he and his doctor know about. There are no other details available as to when the show will be broadcast. (The Futon Critic)

Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) may be teaming with FX for an as-yet untitled new potential drama for the network, but no other details are currently available. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Ryan Gosling will appear in the upcoming box office film The Place Beyond the Pines as a motorcycle stunt rider who learns he has a baby, and then starts changing his life to be a father. (Shannon Vestal at Buzz Sugar)

Here are the top 10 box offices movies for this past weekend courtesy of E! Entertainment Online and Exhibitor Relations:

1. The Roommate, $15.6 million
2. Sanctum, $9.2 million
3. No Strings Attached, $8.4 million
4. The King’s Speech, $8.3 million
5. The Green Hornet, $6.1 million
6. The Rite, $5.6 million
7. The Mechanic, $5.4 million
8. True Grit, $4.8 million
9. The Dilemma, $3.45 million
10. Black Swan, $3.4 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Must Watch: Breathtaking Super Bowl Spot for J.J. Abrams’ ‘Super 8’

Must Watch: ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ Super Bowl Spot

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

Question: Chuck is one of my favorite shows, but lately it seems to be heading towards an ultimate finale by wrapping up many story lines. Does this mean the producers think it is going to get cancelled? Has NBC indicated that it wasn’t going to get picked up next season? — Stan

Matt Roush: When hasn’t Chuck lived on the bubble? As usual, we’re not likely to know whether Chuck gets a fifth season until the fall schedule is announced in May. Fans are used to that, and so are the producers. Your observations are on point, though, because the writers went into this season with a 13-episode order and constructed the arc involving Volkoff and Chuck’s mom with that in mind. Last week’s episode, the 13th, was designed to work as a season finale or maybe even a series finale, which is why it sometimes felt like they were rushing to wrap things up. Ellie giving birth, Chuck finally proposing to Sarah, lots of closure there. But NBC upped Chuck’s order to a full season, so while there’s now more story to tell, it means fans will once again be sweating out news of the show’s future for the next few months. Complicating matters is the NBC-Comcast merger with new management overseeing the entertainment division. All bets are off right now in predicting what’s staying and what’s going and what NBC prime time will look like next season.

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