Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

This Is Us and Designated Survivor have both been given full season orders by their respective networks (Twitter)

Aquarius has been canceled at NBC after two season. (Variety)

The Strain has been renewed for its fourth and final season by FX. The show is currently in its third season. (Variety)

POTENTIAL NEW SHOW

NBC has given a script commitment to The Italian Job, a drama series inspired by the classic 1969 film and its 2003 remake that starred Michael Caine in the original and Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron in the remake. There are no details on the specific plans for the small screen adaptation, though. (Deadline)

CASTING NEWS

Actress Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy) will guest star in the ABC anthology series American Crime that will be set in Alamance County, N.C., exploring labor issues and economic divides in addition to individual rights. She will play the recurring role of Abby Tanaka, a social worker who runs a local shelter dedicated to housing victims of domestic abuse in the face of community indifference. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Damon Gupton (Bates Motel and The Player) has landed a series regular role on Criminal Minds, playing Special Agent Stephen Walker from the Behavioral Analysis Program which is the counterintelligence division of the FBI. He’s a seasoned profiler who will bring his spy-hunting skill set to the BAU. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Ricardo Chavira (Desperate Housewives) will recur on Jane the Virgin, playing Xo’s (series regular Andrea Navedo) ex-boyfriend who dated her when he was married. (Deadline)

Actor Sam Trammell (True Blood) has landed a recurring role on This Is Us, playing Ben, the frontman of a blues-and-jazz band. (TV Line)

Actor Jon Seda, who plays detective Antonio Dawson in Chicago P.D. will be moving over to the mid-season Chicago Justice. (TV Line)

Actor Skeet Ulrich (Jericho) will guest star in the mid-season CW series Riverdale as the leader of the Southside Serpents gang of criminals, who holds a grudge against Archie’s dad, Fred Andrews (Luke Perry), and has a mysterious connection to Jughead Jones (series regular Cole Sprouse). (TV Line)

Actress Tiffany Hines (Bones and Nikita) and actor Bailey Chase (Longmire) have joined the cast of the franchise reboot 24: Legacy. Tiffany will play Aisha, the girlfriend of Issac (the estranged brother of lead character Eric Carter) while Bailey will play Locke, a rugged, intense and seasoned CTU field agent. (Deadline)

Actor Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs) has landed a recurring role on The Magicians, playing Sen. John Gaines, who discovers he’s in possession of unusual abilities. (Deadline)

Actress Molly Parker (House of Cards) has joined the cast of the upcoming Netflix remake of Lost in Space that has already cast actor Toby Stephens (Black Sails) in the lead role. Parker will play Maureen Robinson, a fearless and brilliant aerospace engineer who makes the decision to bring her family to space for a chance at a new life on a better world. (Deadline)

MOVIE NEWS

Actor Winston Duke (Person of Interest, Major Crimes and The Messengers) has landed the role of M’Baku (aka Man-Ape) in the upcoming box office movie Black Panther that will be released in February 2018. (Deadline)

MOVIE TRAILER

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales:

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Hey All,

Here are the few entertainment news items for this past week:

CASTING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Actor Toby Stephens (Black Sails) has joined the cast of the upcoming Netflix 10-episode series Lost in Space, based on the classic 1965 cult TV series. This version, much like the original, centers on the Robinson family, who is forced to come together in a time of crisis. Stranded light years from their intended destination, they find themselves battling a strange new alien environment and also their own personal demons. Stephens will play the dad, astrophysicist John Robinson, the expedition commander. (Deadline)

Actress Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill and White Collar) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the small screen adaptation of Lethal Weapon, playing DEA investigator Karen Palmer, who is described as “tough and smart” and “not afraid to speak her mind” in the official character breakdown. Karen will show up in the process of working the same case — which has been the focus of all her efforts — for the past three years. (TV Line)

MOVIE TRAILER

TV NEWS

Stephen King’s The Dark Tower is hitting the big screen and the small screen. The movie adaptation of King’s epic fantasy series will be released in theaters on February 17, 2017. The movie was conceived as one part of a larger franchise. The Dark Tower’s production company, MRC, announced plans to adapt the fourth book in the series, Wizard and Glass, as a spin-off TV series. MRC has committed to making the series, which will be between 10 and 13 episodes, depending on how the scripts and story arcs play out. It will begin shooting in 2017 for release in 2018, around the time. (Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide)

That’ it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past week:

CONGRATS

A big congratulations to all of the Emmy Award winners, specifically actress Tatiana Maslany, the star of BBC America’s Orphan Black, who was finally awarded Best Actress in a Drama Series.

CANCELLATIONS

Netflix has pulled the plug on its drama Bloodline at the end its upcoming third season. (Variety)

Amazon has cancelled Hand of God after two seasons. (Twitter)

Roadies cancelled after one season. (Variety)

CASTING NEWS

Actress Gina Torres (Suits) will have a recurring role in the second season of the ABC drama The Catch; but since it’s a Shonda Rhimes drama there are no reveals on what character she will be playing. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Dichen Lachman (The Last Ship and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) will appear as DC Comics “baddie” Roulette on Supergirl. (TV Line)

Actress Jill Flint (Royal Pains and The Night Shift) will appear in an October episode of Bull, the new Michael Weatherly-led CBS drama, where she will play Diana, a confident attorney who has crossed paths with Bull in the past. (TV Line)

Actor Mykelti Williamson (24 and Justified) will have a recurring role on the new ABC drama Designated Survivor, playing Admiral Chernow, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a forthright and intelligent career military man who quickly becomes one of President Kirkman’s most trusted advisors. (Deadline)

Actor Billy Burke (Zoo and Revolution) will have a guest spot on Chicago P.D., playing a legendary retired baseball player. (TV Line)

British actor Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) will have a series regular role in the Netflix series The Punisher, a spin-off from the streaming service’s Daredevil. (TV Line)

Actress Melanie Liburd (Dark Matter) will appear in the upcoming Netflix psychological thriller Gypsy alongside Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup. The story follows the life of a therapist who begins to develop dangerous and intimate relationships with the people in her patients’ lives. (Deadline)

Actresses Lyndsy Fonseca (Nikita) and Rita Wilson (My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2) will both guest star in the much-anticipated FOX drama Pitch. Fonseca will play Cara, a carefree waitress who befriends Ginny and shows her how normal people her age live; while Wilson Wilson will play Andra, a specialized psychiatrist who the team hires to meet with Ginny (the lead character played by Kylie Bunbury). (Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past week:

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

A month after getting a season four renewal, TNT has given The Last Ship a fifth season pick-up. Each season will consist of 10 episodes. (Deadline)

FX has pulled the plug on the drama Tyrant after three seasons on the air. (Variety)

Netflix has given their drama Narcos a renewal not just for season 3 but also for season 4. (Variety)

Queen of the South has been renewed for a second season by the USA Network. (Variety)

Mistresses has been cancelled after four seasons by ABC. (Variety)

CASTING

Actress Camryn Manheim (The Practice and Person of Interest) has been cast as a Deputy Chief of Operations in the LAPD who will be eyed to succeed the late Russell Taylor as Assistant Chief of Special Operations. She will ultimately vie for the position with MCD boss Sharon Raydor as well as a third, male candidate (who has yet to be cast). (TV Line)

Actress Emma Caulfield (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supergirl) has booked a guest role on the mid-season CBS small screen adaptation of Training Day, playing Lauren, a warm, sympathetic single mom who spent the last nine years raising her young daughter alone and in hiding after her husband (Brian Van Holt from Cougar Town) went to jail for killing a man in self-defense. When a natural disaster forces Lauren out into the open, her hubby must break out of prison in order to save their lives. The series picks up 15 years after the events of the 2001 film, centering on about an idealistic young police officer (Justin Cornwell from Chicago P.D.) who is appointed to an elite squad of the LAPD where he is partnered with a seasoned, morally ambiguous detective (Bill Paxton from Big Love). (TV Line)

MOVIE NEWS

Actor Jason Momoa (The Red Road and the upcoming Aquaman) will take over the role of Eric Draven in the latest reboot of the box office film The Crow. It is also being reported that actress Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey) will play the female lead. (The Wrap and Dark Horizons)

MOVIE TRAILER

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past several weeks:

CASTING

Actress Aisha Hinds (Under the Dome and True Blood) will play Harriet Tubman in the second season of the WGN America series Underground. (The Futon Critic)

In the wake of actor Thomas Gibson being fired from the long-running CBS drama Criminal Minds, actress Paget Brewster has been promoted to series regular (a spot she hasn’t held with the show since season seven – the show is going into season 12 now), reprising her role of SSA Emily Prentiss. She was previously set to appear in multi-episodes. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Chuck fans rejoice! Both Yvonne Strahovski and Zachary Levi will be back on the small screen next year. Well, actually they’ll both be in streaming series based on books by author Margaret Atwood. Yvonne will be in Hulu’s 10-episode adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale while Zach will be in the Netflix series Alias Grace. (ChuckTV.Net)

Actress Bethany Joy Lenz (One Tree Hill) has landed a recurring role on the USA Network drama Colony. She will portray Morgan, a highly-intelligent computer whiz with a conscience who is determined to do what’s right. The role was played in Season 1 by Thora Birch, who had to exit due to scheduling conflicts. (Deadline)

Actress Phylica Rashad (The Cosby Show) will have a recurring role on Empire, playing Diana Dubois, a powerhouse from one of New York’s most prominent African American families and the mother of Angelo Dubois (Taye Diggs). (Deadline)

Actress Robin Givens (Head of the Class) will have a recurring role on the upcoming CW series Riverdale, playing Mayor Sierra McCoy and mother of Josie (from Josie & the Pussycats). (Deadline)

Actor Faran Tahir (Warehouse 13 and American Crime) will recur as Captain Nemo in Once Upon a Time. (TV Line)

Actress Alisha Wainwright (Rosewood and Switched at Birth) has joined the second season of Shadowhunters where she will play werewolf Maia, a bartender at the Hunters Moon and a new member of Luke’s (series regular Isaiah Mustafa) pack. (TV Line)

Actor Chris Payne Gilbert (The Protector) will appear in season two of Lucifer, playing Chloe Decker’s (series lead Lauren German) late father (via flashbacks). It should be noted that he is also married to series regular Lesley-Ann Brandt. (TV Line)

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

Grimm will come to an end after its upcoming sixth season that will return on January 6. (Variety)

Netflix has given Stranger Things a second season renewal that will air in 2017. (Variety)

Killjoys and Dark Matter have been given season 3 renewals by Syfy. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Devious Maids has been cancelled by Lifetime. (Variety)

With only two episodes under its belt, the new TLC drama Too Close to Home has been given a second season order by the network. (The Futon Critic)

Feed the Beast has been cancelled by AMC after only one season. (Variety)

MOVIE TRAILER

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the entertainment news items for the last week:

CASTING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Actor Will Chase (Nashville) has joined the cast of the upcoming ABC drama Time After Time, playing Griffin, an ambitious and charismatic war veteran vying to be New York’s next state senator. (Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Grey Damon (Aquarius) will play Mirror Master in The Flash while actress Joey King (Independence Day: Resurgence) will play Magenta in the show. (TV Fanatic, TV Line and Comic Book Resources)

Actress Charisma Carpenter (Buffy and Angel) will guest star in an episode of Lucifer, playing Jamie Lee Adrienne, a former Playmate with a lot of party years on her. Married to a once-successful action star, Jamie Lee’s demeanor suggests sadness and pain or that she is hiding something. (TV Line)

Actress Janet Montgomery (Salem) is joining the cast of the NBC drama This Is Us, playing a talented and sharp tongued theater actress named Erin Maine who gets involved with Kevin (series regular Justin Hartley). The role is recurring. (TV Fanatic)

Actress Jaime Ray Newman (Bates Motel) has landed a recurring role on Major Crimes where she will play Wildred Darnell, the mother of a young White Supremacist responsible for killing several mixed race couples and who got involved with a mass shooting inside the law enforcement community. (TV Line)

Actor Sean Maguire (Once Upon a Time) will guest star as James Bond author Ian Fleming in an episode of the upcoming new NBC series Timeless. (TV Guide)

Actor Corbrin Bernsen (Psych) has joined the cast of the Starz drama American Gods. He will play the character of Vulcan, an old ally of Mr. Wednesday (series regular Ian McShane) whose loyalties are uncertain, on a potentially recurring basis. (The Wrap and Dark Horizons)

TRAILER

RENEWALS

Mr. Robot has been renewed for a third season by the USA Network. (Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hi All,

There has been a lot of news since my last report on June 27 but here are the highlights from then through now:

CASTING NEWS

Actress Parminder Nagra (The Blacklist) has landed a multi-episode role on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., playing a powerful political figure who is outspoken in her distrust of Inhumans and the threat they pose to society. Also actor Jason O’Mara (Terra Nova and Life on Mars) will as the new Director on the show. (IGN and Blastr)

Actress Susan Walters (The Vampire Diaries) has been cast as Dr. Carla Tannhauser, the mom of Caitlin Snow (series regular Danielle Panabaker) on The Flash. (Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Jeremy Davies (Lost) will recur on Sleepy Hollow, which is undergoing a change of direction after the death of lead character Abby Mills. Davies will appear as Malcolm Dreyfuss, an eccentric and outspoken tech mogul who became a billionaire before the age of 30, and has since been seeking other worlds to conquer. He will be the new big bad on the show. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Zoe McLellan will not be returning to NCIS: Los Angeles for the show’s third season. Actress Vanessa Ferlito (Graceland) has been added as a new series regular, playing an FBI Special Agent. (TV Line)

Once Upon a Time has cast Oded Fehr (Covert Affairs) as Jafar, Deniz Akdeniz (Graceland) as Aladdin and Karen David (Galavant) will portray Princess Jasmine. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Floriana Lima (The Family) has landed a series regular role on Supergirl where she will appear as Maggie Sawyer. It should also be noted that Calista Flockhart will appear in season two of the show, but only in a recurring capacity [this is due to the show relocating to Canada to film now that it is on The CW.]  (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Blair Underwood will join the second season of Quantico, playing Owen Hall, an intelligent and inspirational CIA officer every fledgling operative wishes he or she could learn from. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Luke Mitchell (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) and actress Michelle Hurd (The Glades) have joined Blindspot as series regulars with Mitchell playing Roman and Hurd playing another member of the shadowy organization that sent Jane to the FBI in season one. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Jon Huertas (Castle) has landed a recurring role in the NBC fall drama This Is Us, playing Mike, co-worker and best friend of Jack (series lead Milo Ventimiglia). (Deadline)

Actor Tate Donovan (The O.C.) will have a recurring role in the Amazon streaming series The Man in the High Castle. He will play a character named George Dixon, a mysterious figure from Juliana’s (series regular Alexa Davalos) past. (Deadline)

Actress Brit Morgan (True Blood) will have a recurring role in the new scripted drama series The Arrangement that will air on E! She will play Daisy Parson, an uncompromising independent filmmaker. (Deadline)

WWE Superstar Edge (aka Adam Copeland) (Haven) has landed a recurring role on Vikings, playing Ketill Flatnose, a fierce and brave warrior, chosen by Floki to be one of the leaders of the Viking party intent on traveling to Iceland to set up a community there. (Deadline)

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

CBS has renewed Zoo for season 3. (Variety)

Ray Donovan has been given a 5th season renewal by Showtime. (Variety)

PlayStation Network has cancelled their show Powers after two seasons. (Variety)

Suits has been renewed for a 7th season by the USA Network. (Variety)

The Last Ship has been renewed for a fourth season on TNT. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Game of Thrones will come to an end at the conclusion of the show’s 8th season. Season 7 is expected to air in 2017. (Variety)

AMC has renewed Revolutionary War drama “Turn: Washington’s Spies” for a fourth and final season, the network announced Tuesday. The 10-episode final run is scheduled to premiere in 2017. (Variety)

Wynonna Earp has been renewed by Syfy for a second season. (Variety)

The Vampire Diaries will end on The CW after its upcoming eighth season. (Variety)

Bates Motel will come to an end after season 5 on A&E. (Variety)

Teen Wolf will end after season 6 on MTV. (Variety)

Daredevil has been renewed for a third season by Netflix. (Variety)

Netflix has renewed Bloodline for season 3. (Variety)

Starz has given their drama Power two more season. (Variety)

Hunters has been cancelled after one season by Syfy. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Animal Kingdom has been given a second season order by TNT. (Variety)

Preacher has been renewed for a second season by AMC. (Variety)

FOX has canceled Houdini & Doyle after one season. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

PICK-UP ANNOUNCEMENTS

Netflix has ordered Ozark, a 10-episode drama that will revolve around financial planner Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy Bird (Laura Linney) and their family’s sudden relocation from the suburbs of Chicago to a summer resort community in the Missouri Ozarks. The series will premiere worldwide on Netflix in 2017. (The Futon Critic)

Netflix has cast Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary from Downton Abbey) as the female lead in the western mini-series Godless, which is set to premiere worldwide on Netflix in 2017. The story centers on Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels), a menacing outlaw who is terrorizing the West as he hunts down Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), his son-like partner turned mortal enemy. While Roy hides at Alice Fletcher’s (Michelle Dockery) ranch, Frank’s chase leads him to the quiet town of La Belle, N.M. – which is mysteriously made up of entirely women. (The Futon Critic)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are some miscellaneous news items from the last month and a half:

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

HBO has canceled their new series Vinyl. (Variety)

Younger, the Sutton Foster-led half-hour dramedy, on TV Land has been given a fourth season renewal ahead of its third season premiere. (Variety)

Orphan Black has been renewed for its fifth and final season by BBC America. (Variety)

The Americans has been renewed for its last two seasons by FX. It will end in 2018. (Variety)

The short-lived A&E thriller series Damian has been cancelled. (Variety)

The new drama Cleverman that just recently debuted on SundanceTV has been given a season two order. (Variety)

Lifetime has given a third season order to the series UnReal in advance of its second season premiere. (Variety)

Freeform has cancelled the one-hour drama Recovery Road after only one season. (Deadline)

CASTING NEWS

Actor Wilmer Valderrama (That 70’s Show) has joined the cast of NCIS as a series regular for the show’s upcoming 14th season. He will play a once-grounded NCIS field agent who accepted a deep cover assignment years ago and never resurfaced. Many agents don’t know he’s still on the job or that he’s even alive. Now, he’s back and his dedication to job and country has left him an unpredictable, charismatic loose cannon. (Variety)

Actor Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills 90210 and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) has joined the cast of the FOX drama Rosewood for its second season. He will play Aaron Slade, East Miami Police’s newest member with a mysterious past, who will both challenge and complicate an already messy situation between Dr. Beaumont Rosewood, Jr. (series lead Morris Chestnut) and Detective Annalise Villa (series lead Jaina Lee Ortiz). (TV Fanatic)

Actress Maggie Geha (Ted 2) will take over the role of Ivy Pepper (aka Poison Ivy) in the third season of the FOX drama Gotham. Following an encounter with a monster from Indian Hill, Ivy Pepper finds herself reborn. Now a 19-year-old woman who’s harnessed the full power of her charms, she sets her sights on Bruce Wayne (series regular David Mazouz). (Variety)

Legendary icon Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman herself) will recur as the President of the United States on Supergirl, which will now air on The CW. Also, actor Tyler Hoechlin (Teen Wolf) has landed the role of Superman (aka Clark Kent) on Supergirl. (The Hollywood Reporter and Variety)

Actress-singer Kristin Chenoweth has joined the cast of the upcoming musical TV production Hairspray Live! She will play Velma Von Tussle, the self-promoting and manipulative producer of The Corny Collins Show, who will stop at nothing to make her daughter Amber the star that Velma never was. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) has landed a major recurring role on Blindspot for the show’s second season. She will play the head of a secret division of the NSA that has been tracking the Jane Doe case from afar. (Variety)

Film star Ewan McGregor will appear in the next installment of the FX anthology series Fargo, playing the two central characters — brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy, which is supposed to be set closer to present day. Emmit Stussy is the Parking Lot King of Minnesota. A handsome, self-made, real estate mogul and family man, he sees himself as an American success story. His slightly younger brother, on the other hand, is more of a cautionary tale. Balding and pot-bellied, Ray is the kind of guy who peaked in high school. Now a parole officer, he has a huge chip on his shoulder about the hand he’s been dealt, and he blames Emmit for his misfortunes. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

SERIES PICK-UPS

FX has ordered comic book drama Legion to the small screen with an 8-episode first season order. The series will center on David Haller (Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame). Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

CBS has given a straight-to-series order to Ransom that will follow crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont (Luke Roberts from the Starz series Black Sails), whose team is brought in to save lives when no one else can. Eric understands criminals better than they do, and uses his insight into human behavior to resolve the most difficult kidnap and ransom cases. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are developing a new standalone movie featuring an all-star cast of female DC heroes and villains with actress Margot Robbie attached to reprise her role of Harley Quinn. The picture will also feature popular characters such as Batgirl and Birds of Prey. (Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items from April 4 through May 15 (excluding the renewals, cancellation and pick-up orders from the major networks that will be reported on over the course of the next few days):

CASTING

Actress Vanessa Williams is joining the cast of The Librarians. (Dean Devlin via Facebook)

Actress Arden Cho will not be returning for the sixth season of Teen Wolf. (Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Lesley Nicol (Mrs. Pattmore on Downton Abbey) has landed a recurring role on the ABC series The Catch. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Sebastian Roche (The Originals and Supernatural) has landed a recurring role on the Amazon drama series The Man in the High Castle. He will play Reichminister Martin Hausmann, a wealthy, high-ranking Nazi official based in Berlin. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Diane Farr (Numb3rs and Roswell) will recur on the upcoming Hulu drama Chance that is about a forensic neuropsychiatrist (Hugh Laurie from House), who gets sucked into a world of mistaken identity, police corruption and mental illness. Farr will appear in multiple episodes as Christina, Chance’s resentful ex-wife. (Deadline and Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actor Ioan Gruffudd (Forever) will recur on the Lifetime drama UnREAL, appearing as John Booth, a tech billionaire with his eye on Quinn (Constance Zimmer). (Variety and Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actress Joanne Kelly (Warehouse 13) will have a recurring role on the CBS thriller Zoo, playing Allison, the Deputy Secretary of Defense who is actively seeking a solution to the animal crisis and who shares a surprising history with Mitch (Billy Burke). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Echo Kellum has been promoted to series regular on Arrow. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

TV NEWS

The Shannara Chronicles was given a second season order by MTV. (Variety)

Underground was been given a second season renewal by WGN America. (Variety)

Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce was renewed for a third season by Bravo. (Variety)

Fear the Walking Dead was renewed for a third season. (Variety)

Grantchester, the popular crime-fighting clergyman drama was given a third season renewal. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

Netflix has given a spin-off order for The Punisher (from Daredevil). Jon Bernthal will reprise his role of solider turned vigilante Frank Castle. (Maane Khatchatourian at Variety)

Actor John Krasinski (The Office) has landed the coveted role of the Amazon TV series that will focus on titular literary character Jack Ryan. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

The Hulu streaming series The Path has been renewed for season two. (Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Scott Eastwood (The Longest Ride) and actress Charlize Theron have joined the Fast & the Furious franchise for the next movie Fast 8. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actress Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) has landed the plum role of Lara Croft in the upcoming reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

Actor Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures and Hail Caesar!) has landed the coveted role of Han Solo in the standalone movie that revolves around that famous character. (Variety)

Actress Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Jack Huston (Ben-Hur and The Longest Ride will star in the upcoming movie thriller Above Suspicion, the chilling true story of a newly married FBI poster boy assigned to an Appalachian mountain town in Kentucky where he is drawn into an illicit affair with an impoverished local woman who becomes his star informant. She sees in him her means of escape; instead, it’s a ticket to disaster for both of them. This scandal shook the foundations of the nation’s top law enforcement agency, ending in the first ever conviction of an FBI agent for murder. (Variety)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

The following actors have joined the cast of the upcoming live NBC musical event Hairspray: Jennifer Hudson (as Motormouth Maybelle), Harvey Fierstein (as Edna Turnblad), Martin Short (as Wilbur Turnblad) and Derek Hough (Dancing With the Stars) as Corny Collins. (The Hollywood Reporter and Daniel Holloway at Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items since March 21:

RENEWALS

Bosch has been given a third season order by Amazon. (Variety)

CBS has given renewal orders to the following dramas: Blue Bloods, Elementary, Hawaii Five-0, Madam Secretary, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans and Scorpion in addition to the already announced renewal of NCIS. (Variety)

CASTING NEWS

Actress Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its sequel) will have a recurring role on the new ABC drama The Catch. It is believed she will play Leah Wells, a neurotic but formidable counterfeiter, but those details have not been confirmed. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Patrick J. Adams (Suits) will have a recurring role in the new CW series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, but details are sketchy at this time about who he will be playing, though. (Entertainment Weekly and TV Line)

Actress Andrea Parker has been promoted to series regular for the final season of Pretty Little Liars. As viewers know she has been recurring throughout the series’ run as Jessica DiLaurentis (Allison’s mother), but she was revealed in the spring finale to also be Mary Drake, Jessica’s identical twin. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Sam Witwer (Being Human) will have a recurring role on Once Upon a Time, playing an overbearing warden name Jacob, who takes pleasure in tormenting his most disturbed and helpless patients. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Sarah Clarke (the Twilight franchise and 24) will guest star in the final two episodes of NCIS, playing Tess Monroe, an FBI Special Agent who has recently transferred to D.C. from New York City. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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