Here are the few entertainment news items for the past week:
CANCELLATIONS
Freeform has canceled Dead of Summer after only one season. (Variety)
ABC has essentially cancelled Conviction, deciding to air only the initial 13 episodes given to the series, but not adding any more episodes to its debut season. The network hasn’t officially cancelled the show. (Variety)
CASTING NEWS
Actor Jay Harrington (Benched and Better Off Ted) has landed a recurring role on Code Black, playing the brilliant Dr. Leo Fields, the most respected neurosurgeon in Los Angeles who’s forced to operate on one of the show’s major characters. (Deadline)
Actor Leonard Roberts (The People vs. O.J. Simpson) will have a recurring role in season 5 of Major Crimes, playing Commander Leo Mason, who heads up the Criminal Intelligence Division of the LAPD and, along with Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell), is being considered for the job of New Assistant Chief. Roberts has an option to become a regular if the TNT series is picked up for a sixth season. (Deadline)
Actor Jonathan Howard (Guilt and Dominion) has landed a recurring role on The Last Ship, playing James Fletcher, a British Royal Navy commander and MI-6 agent, who has been tasked to work with the crew of the USS Nathan James to recover stolen items that are crucial to the survival of the planet. He will work closely with Sasha Cooper (Bridget Regan). (Deadline)
Actress Ivana Milicevic (Banshee) has landed a recurring role on Gotham where she will play the long-lost mother of Selina Kyle. Her character, Maria Kyle is described as a tough-as-nails operator with an arsenal of street smarts; she is a world-class drifter who is able to hide her true self behind a variety of personas. (TV Line)
Actress Lexa Doig (Andromeda) will recur on Arrow, playing Talia al Ghul, the daughter of the late Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) and the half-sister of Nyssa (Katrina Law). (Entertainment Weekly)
Actor Patrick Heusinger (Jack Reacher 2 and Royal Pains) has landed the lead role opposite Stana Katic (Castle) in the straight-to-series crime thriller Absentia that centers on an FBI agent (Katic), who while hunting one of Boston’s most notorious serial killers, the agent disappears without a trace and is declared dead. Six years later, she is found in a cabin in the woods, barely alive and with no memory of the years she was missing. Returning home to learn her husband (Heusinger) has remarried and her son is being raised by another woman, she soon finds herself implicated in a new series of murders. (Deadline)
Actress Mariana Klaveno (True Blood and Devious Maids) will have a recurring role on Designated Survivor, playing a mysterious and calculating Dark-Haired Woman, a clandestine operator in league with the people behind the Capitol attack. (Deadline)
Actress Abbie Cornish (the Limitless film) will star opposite John Krasinski (The Office) in the upcoming Amazon series Jack Ryan that follows an up-and-coming CIA analyst (Krasinski) thrust into a dangerous field assignment for the first time. Cornish will play Cathy Mueller, an infectious diseases doctor and Jack’s future wife. (TV Line and Deadline)
RENEWALS
Netflix has given Longmire a 10-episode sixth and final season renewal. (Variety)
MOVIE NEWS
Actor Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) will portray legendary late singer Freddie Mercury in the long-in-development biopic film Bohemian Rhapsody. (Deadline and Variety)
TRAILERS
Wonder Woman:
A Series of Unfortunate Events Teaser: Meet Count Olaf:
Actor Tim DeKay (White Collar) has landed a recurring role on the ABC anthology series American Crime that will explore labor issues, economic divides and individual rights in North Carolina. (Deadline)
Actor Jackson Rathbone (Finding Carter and the Twilight movie franchise) has joined the cast of The Last Ship. He will recur as Giorgio, a rich, Greek-American playboy who is charming but also is a dangerous thug. He uses his considerable wealth and power to make the Mediterranean his playground. (Deadline)
Actor Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story and True Blood) will recur on This Is Us, but character details are not available. (Entertainment Weekly and TV Line)
Actress Stana Katic (Castle) is expected to star in the crime drama Absentia, the straight-to-series order from Sony Pictures Television Networks’ AXN. The series follows a female FBI agent who, while hunting down one of Boston’s most notorious serial killers, vanishes without a trace and is declared dead. Six years later, the G-woman is found in a cabin in the woods, clinging onto life and with no memory of her missing time. Returning home, she not only discovers that her (stupid, stupid) husband has remarried, she also finds herself implicated in a series of murders. (Deadline and TV Line)
TV NEWS
ABC has reduced the episode order of its new drama Notorious from 13 episodes to 10 episodes. This isn’t an outright cancellation, but it’s not a good sign. (Deadline)
Bosch has been for a fourth season by Amazon. (Variety)
Freeform has cancelled Guilt after only one season. (Variety)
CBS has given both Bull and MacGyver full season orders. (Variety)
Both new dramas BrainDead and American Gothic have been cancelled after one season each. (Variety)
FX has renewed American Crime Story for a 3rd season, this time focusing on the 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace. (Variety)
CASTING NEWS
Actress Yara Martinez (Jane the Virgin) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Bull, play Isabella “Izzy” Colon, the estranged wife of Ball and estranged sister of Bull’s lawyer colleague Benny. (TV Insider)
Veteran actor Christopher Lloyd will have a guest role in season 3 of 12 Monkeys, playing Zalmon Shaw, a charming but deadly cult leader who preys upon other’s tragedies and losses in order to recruit new members into the apocalyptic cult the “Army of the 12 Monkeys.” Shaw is the father of the series’ most imposing villain, the enigmatic Pallid Man. (The Futon Critic)
STREAMING NEWS
Young actress Amybeth McNulty has been cast as Anne Shirley from the classic novel Anne of Green Gables that will air as an 8-episode drama series on Netflix, which will be executive produced and written by Moira Walley-Beckett (Breaking Bad and Flesh & Bone). (Deadline)
MOVIE NEWS
Actor Donald Glover has been cast as Lando Calrissian in the as-yet untitled Han Solo Star Wars film, joining Alden Ehrenreich (who was cast as Han Solo). (StarsWars.com)
Halt & Catch Fire has been renewed for its fourth and final season by AMC. (Variety)
Murder in the First was cancelled by TNT. (Variety)
Lethal Weapon has been given a full season order by FOX. (Variety)
The Walking Dead has been renewed for an 8th season by AMC. (Variety)
MTV has given Scream: The Series a third season renewal. (Variety)
The German-language drama Deutschland 83 has been given a second season, airing on both SundanceTV and Amazon. (Variety)
Syfy has renewed their new thriller Van Helsing for a second season. (The Futon Critic)
CASTING NEWS
Actor Leonard Roberts (The People Vs O.J. Simpson) will have a recurring role on the Syfy series The Magicians, which returns for its second season sometime next year. He will play King Idri of Loria, a skilled swordfighter who is confident in his leadership and places great value upon his kingly duty. (Deadline)
Actress Melina Kanakaredes (CSI: NY and Providence) will have a recurring role on Notorious, playing Dana Hartman, a natural beauty with a keen intelligence, sharp wit and a quick temper, who has risen to the pinnacle of success in broadcasting and plummeted to the depths of scandal-ridden despair. We meet her seven years out from the lowest point in her career, a mother to a rebellious twenty one year old daughter. She is a survivor, who will fight dirty to get what she wants and to protect her daughter. (Deadline)
Freeform has renewed their drama Stitchers for a third season. (Variety)
American Horror Story has been renewed for a 7th season by FX. (Variety)
CASTING NEWS
John Noble will return to Sleepy Hollow for the show’s fourth season (airing sometime in 2017), but there are no details about his character’s appearance. (The Futon Critic)
British newcomer Cameron Cuffe has been cast in the starring role of Seg-El on the Superman-origins pilot Krypton for Syfy. Destined to be the ancestor of Jor-El, the future father of Superman, and Kal-El, the future Superman, Seg-El is the scion of the once prosperous El family and is blessed with an intuitive brilliance for all things technical. He is now living in Krypton’s lowest caste after his family was stripped of its rank. (Variety)
Actress Bridget Regan (The Last Ship and Marvel’s Agent Carter) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Grey’s Anatomy. (TV Line)
Actor John Marshall Jones (Bosch) has landed a recurring role on The Fosters, playing the wary and diligent Detective Bruckner. (Deadline)
Actress Lea Thompson (Switched at Birth) will appear on Scorpion, playing Paige’s (series lead Katharine McPhee) con artist mother, Veronica Dineen. (TV Line)
Actor Peter Weller (the original RoboCop) will have a recurring role on The Last Ship in the show’s fourth season set to air next summer. He will play Dr. Paul Vellek, a world-renowned authority in genetic modification and plant biotechnology. Vellek’s expertise will play a critical role in the latest mission for the Nathan James and her crew. (TV Line)
Actor Jason Dohring (Veronica Mars) will appear on iZombie as Chase Graves, Vivian Stoll’s (Andrea Savage) brother-in-law and part of the Fillmore Graves hierarchy. (Entertainment Weekly)
Actor Carlos Bernard will reprise his role of Tony Almeida on 24: Legacy, the reboot of the series set to air as a two-night premiere event on FOX on February 5 and February 6. (The Futon Critic)
Actress Justina Machado (Queen of the South) has landed a recurring role on Jane the Virgin, playing Darcy Factor, an all-business brassy, formidable and likes-to-be-in-control matchmaker whom Rogelio (series regular Jaime Camil) goes to see about finding a woman. (Deadline)
Actor Kenneth Mitchell (The Astronaut Wives Club) has landed a recurring role Frequency, playing Joe Hurley, a local church Deacon who isn’t quite the family man he appears to be. (Deadline)
Actor Tyrese Gibson (Fast & Furious and Transformers franchise) has landed a recurring role in the upcoming FOX drama Star that revolves around three talented young singers who navigate the cut-throat music business on their road to success. He will play Pastor Bobby Harris, a leader and confidant to many who presides over Carlotta’s (series regular Queen Latifah) warm congregation. A handsome ex-thug, who has, like Carlotta, turned his life over to God. Carlotta and Pastor Harris begin a relationship that will be challenged on many fronts and which will ultimately create a crisis of faith for them both. (Deadline)
Singer-actress Bridgit Mendler (Undateable) has landed a recurring role on Nashville (that will move from ABC to CMT), playing Ashley Wilkenson, an internet sensation who is about to record her first album. (TV Line)
STREAMING SERIES NEWS
Actor Ben Barnes (Westworld and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) has joined the cast of Marvel’s The Punisher, that will stream on Netflix. He will play Billy Russo, Frank Castle’s (series lead Jon Bernthal) best friend from his days in the Special Forces. (TV Line)
Actress Sigourney Weaver has landed a significant but unspecified role in the upcoming mash-up series Marvel’s The Defenders. (TV Line)
TV TEASER
MOVIE NEWS
Actor Forest Whitaker has been cast alongside Chadwick Boseman in the upcoming movie Black Panther that will include cast members Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis and Winston Duke. (Deadline)
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)
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)
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)
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)
