Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

There was a lot of news to report on since July 4, but the following is the short version of all that news, leaving out all the Comic Con news, teasers and/or trailers, movie news, etc.

TELEVISION CASTING

Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Supernatural and Extant) and actress Margo Martindale (Justified and The Americans) will both appear this fall in The Good Wife. Morgan will have the series regular role of Alex, a calm and experienced investigator hired by Alicia (series lead Julianna Margulies while Martindale will have the recurring role of Willa Eastman, a top campaign operative responsible for past successes by underdog presidential candidates in Iowa who hides her intelligence and cunning under a fake, folksy charm. (Dominic Patten at Deadline and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

French actress Elodie Yung (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) will appear as Elektra in the second season of the Netflix drama Daredevil. (Aaron Couch at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Nikki Reed (the Twilight franchise) will appear as Betsy Ross in the third season of Sleepy Hollow. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

The following actors will all appear in The Flash this fall: actress Shantel VanSanten (The Messengers) as Police Officer Patty Spivot, the new partner of Joe West (series regular Jesse L. Martin); actor Teddy Sears (Masters of Sex) as Jay Garrick, an enigmatic individual who arrives in Central City to warn Barry Allen (series lead Grant Gustin) and his team at S.T.A.R. Labs of a looming danger that he alone can’t stop; actor Michael Ironside (the original V and Smallville) as Lewis Snart, the estranged, abusive father – and career criminal – of Leonard and Lisa (Captain Cold and his crazy sister); and WWE Superstar and actor Adam Copeland (Haven) as Atom-Smasher, who has come to Central City to kill The Flash. (Comic Con, Anthony D’Alessandro at Deadline, Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Russ Burlingame at ComicBook.com)

Actor Peter Krause (Parenthood) will take over for actor Damon Dayoub (Stitchers) in the upcoming ABC series The Catch. He will play Kieran, a successful, longtime conman who lives the good life with other people’s money. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actor Peter Facinelli (the Twilight franchise and Nurse Jackie) has joined the cast of the upcoming CBS superhero drama Supergirl where he will play Maxwell Lord. (Comic Con)

Actors Neal McDonough (Band of Brothers and Justified) and Echo Kellum (Ben and Kate) will appear on Arrow this fall. McDonough will play Damien Darhk, a mysterious and sophisticated villain, and an adversary of the late Ra’s Al Ghul while Kellum will play Mr. Terrific Curtis Holt, the tech genius and inventor who works under Felicity Smoak at Palmer Industries. (The Futon Critic and Jamie Lovett at ComicBook.com)

Actor Aaron Tveit (Graceland) has been cast as the lead role in the made-for-TV version of Grease: Live, which will debut on FOX in January. (Patrick Hipes at Deadline)

Actress Toks Olagundoye (The Neighbors) has joined the cast of Castle as a series regular, playing Hayley Vargas, a quick-witted, free-spirited, former Scotland Yard police officer who works as a security specialist and is not afraid to cross lines to get things done. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Scott Wolf has been promoted to series regular on The Night Shift for its upcoming third season. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actor Jason Dohring (Veronica Mars) will recur on The Originals where he will play Detective Kinney, a confident man who, unlike the Mikaelsons, has a clear sense of right and wrong. (Variety and Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Alana De La Garza (Forever) has joined the cast of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, which will debut during mid-season. She will play Clara Seger, a well-traveled field agent who speaks an impressive number of languages and is also an excellent judge of character. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actors Josh Hopkins and Rick Cosnett (The Flash) will appear in the new upcoming fall drama Quantico. Hopkins will take over for Dougray Scott as Special Agent Liam O’Connor, a sexy, good-looking and charming staff counselor who works with new agent trainees while Cosnett will recur as Elias Harper, an openly gay, former defense attorney who used his rhetoric and savvy against FBI cases. (Lesley Goldberg and Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) and actor Robbie Amell (The Flash and The Tomorrow People) will appear in one episode of the upcoming six-episode event series The X-Files. Character details are scarce but Ambrose will play Agent Einstein and Amell will play Agent Miller. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Actor Michael Chiklis (American Horror Story) will be joining the cast of Gotham this fall, playing Captain Nathaniel Barnes, mentor and ally to Jim Gordon. (TV Line and Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic)

Actor Steven R. McQueen (The Vampire Diaries) will appear in a recurring role of Jimmy Borelli in Chicago Fire. (Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Jill Hennessy (Crossing Jordan) will appear on Madam Secretary in the recurring role of Jane Fellows, Henry’s (Tim Daly) new defense intelligence agency handler. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

RENEWALS

Lifetime has given the new drama UnReal a second season order. (Variety)

Teen Wolf has been given a sixth season order by MTV. (Variety)

Rectify has been given a third season renewal by SundanceTV. (Variety)

Salem has been given a third season renewal by WGN America. (Variety)

The ABC Family drama Stitchers has been renewed for a second season. (Variety)

Turn: Washington’s Spies will return for a third season on AMC in 2016. (The Futon Critic)

MTV has given Scream: The TV Series a second season order. (Comic Con)

The Canadian thriller Between has been renewed for a second season by Netflix. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: So wait, Merida is NOT Rumple’s mom on Once Upon a Time? — Trisha

Natalie: Correct! The producers were hoping to keep the surprise of Merida joining the show intact by throwing fans off with fake casting sides. “The only way to throw the press off and our fans off of this being Merida was to say we’re casting Rumple’s mother,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “It honestly worked because for once, this was not spoiled.” Fear not, EP Adam Horowitz says Rumple’s mother is a character they eventually want to introduce. As for Merida, “We’re going to meet her through Emma,” says Kitsis. Adds Horowitz: “It’s certainly a part of Emma’s journey as the Dark Swan and dealing with her darkness. All that is tied with how we explore the world of Camelot this year.”

Question: Are Red and Liz really on the run in the new season of The Blacklist? — Kyle

Natalie: You betcha! And it’s not all fun private flights to foreign countries without extradition treaties. No, Liz and Red are still very much in the country and must momentarily split up in an attempt to get past road blocks that Liz’s own team — along with basically every major agency in D.C. — have set up to hunt her down.

Question: Will there be a time jump on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. next season? — Sam

Natalie: The third season picks up a few months after the end of season 2. Word on the street is Coulson will meet a woman who’s more than his match. But is she friend or foe?

Question: Will the new season of The Flash explain why Robbie Amell isn’t signed on for Legends of Tomorrow? — Rienne

Natalie: Yes! According to Victor Garber, you’ll find out what’s going on with Ronnie Raymond in the season premiere. Also, the first seven episodes of both The Flash and Arrow will act as a “table setting” for Legends, says EP Marc Guggenheim. “We’re putting pieces back on the chessboard,” which includes actually introducing Kendra Saunders (Ciara Renée), aka Hawkgirl, on The Flash first.

Question: I would love some scoop on Supernatural. —Frances

Ausiello: Later in the season, a two-part “bottle” episode will find Sam and Dean “in the same location, building off the same case,” shares EP Andrew Dabb, adding that the arc will “create a little bit of serialization we don’t do a lot of.”

Question: Any scoop yet on what’s in store for Supergirl? —Stefanie

Ausiello: A whole world of hurt around Episode 3. That’s when infamous DC villain Reactron is poised to take aim at Kara. The nuclear-powered, exoskeletal chest-plated madman has a long-held grudge against Superman, but, for some reason, it’s his cousin he’s striking out against (possibly because she has her own TV series and Superman doesn’t). Fun bonus fact, free of charge: In the Superman: New Krypton comic, Reactron is responsible for the deaths of Kara’s parents.

Question: Anything on Beauty and the Beast Season 4? —Maria

Ausiello: Max Brown — AKA Cat’s morgue crush Evan Marks — is returning for an episode. Which is notable mostly because the character is, you know, dead.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for all of last week:

TELEVISION

Syfy has picked up Bitten for a third season (after the show’s home Canadian network renewed it up for a new season). (Laura Prudom at Variety)

American Odyssey has been cancelled by NBC after only one season; the same is true for A.D. The Bible Continues. (Variety)

Actor Liam Garrigan (24: Live Another Day and Strike Back) will appear as King Arthur on Once Upon a Time when the show returns this fall for its new season. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

The USA Network has given Suits an order for a sixth season. (Variety)

Actress Neve Campbell (Party of Five and the Scream franchise) has joined the cast of House of Cards for the fourth season of the online series. (Aaron Couch at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Nick Zano (One Big Happy) has joined the cast of the upcoming small screen adaptation of Minority Report that will air on FOX this fall. He will also co-star alongside Stark Sands, as the now-fraternal twin brother Arthur to Sands’ character of Dash. (Sands was to play the originally planned identical twins). (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Kevin Alejandro (Arrow and True Blood) has joined the cast of the FOX mid-season drama Lucifer, replacing Nicholas Gonzalez (Sleepy Hollow) in the series regular role of Dan, a gruff homicide detective who is wary of Lucifer’s involvement with his wife (Lauren German) and daughter. The series is based on the Vertigo comic about the bored Lord of Hell (Tom Ellis), who resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actress Marisa Tomei has joined the cast of the FOX drama Empire for the show’s second season in the recurring role of Mimi Whiteman, a demanding venture capitalist who becomes involved with the Lyon family. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Rockmond Dunbar (Prison Break) will star alongside actor Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Michelle Monaghan (Source Code and True Detective) in the Hulu original drama The Way that examines a couple, Eddie (Paul) and Sarah Cleary (Monaghan) at the center of a controversial movement struggling with relationships, marriage and power. Dunbar will play Detective Abe Gaines, a thorough FBI investigator who seems to be the only agent suspicious of the mysterious religious sect that recently responded to a natural disaster. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here is the top 10 box office movies for last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Jurassic World – 54.5 million
2. Inside Out – 52.3 million
3. Ted 2 – 33.5 million
4. Max – 12.2 million
5. Spy – 7.9 million
6. San Andreas – 5.4 million
7. Dope – 2.8 million
8. Insidious Chapter 3 – 2 million
9. Mad Max: Fury Road – 1.8 million
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 1.7 million

Actress Stana Katic (Castle) and actor Raza Jaffrey (Homeland and Smash) will star in the action adventure film The Rendezvous, which is inspired by classic romantic capers like North By Northwest and Romancing The Stone. It is set in Jordan and follows an unlikely pair who find themselves swept up in a deadly race to find a sacred Dead Sea Scroll hidden in the ancient city of Petra. (Ali Jaafar at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actor Anthony Mackie (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) will Martin Luther King, Jr. in the HBO telefilm All the Way where he will star opposite Bryan Cranston, who is set to play Lyndon B. Johnson). (Deadline and Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

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

Question: I’m dying for news about Nashville‘s new season. –Christina

Ausiello: How about some new faces making their way to Music City? The show is casting Markus Kane, a globally successful, late-20s to 40something artist who’s looking for a new label to represent him as a solo act. Though every label courts him, Rayna’s Highway 65 is the one that’ll eventually win him over with talk of stripping away all the noise and getting to the essence of his soulful musical truth. Things are great… until Markus realizes how much Rayna’s fledgling company needs his solo album to be a hit. That’s when his controlling, narcissistic side comes out, and he’ll test his boss’ boundaries throughout the writing, recording and release of his first solo album.

BONUS SPOILER: #LoveWINS — but Will may not when Luke hires a no-BS elite media consultant named Gabriella to handle the fallout from Mr. Lexington’s very public coming-out. Though Gabriella herself (and an increasingly accepting Luke) are cool with Will’s sexuality, she serves as a giant reality check: Country-music fans may not support Will now that they know he’s gay.

Question: Got any other Flash scoop for next season? —Jeannette

Ausiello: My gut is telling me Joe is going to partake in some nookie-nookie with a woman named Olivia. In potentially related news, producers are looking for an African-American actress in her early-40s to play a troubled old friend of Joe’s. The recurring character’s name is Olivia.

Question: I’m a big fan of Iris West on The Flash. Any info on what’s to come for her in Season 2? –Leslie

Ausiello: Hopefully, more of an independent and resourceful Iris, per Candice Patton’s wishes. “She’s found her way into S.T.A.R. Labs and she’s trying to get her career off the ground at Picture News,” her portrayer says. “So I, personally, am really hoping to see Iris have more agency and more abilities to help the team and The Flash and the city that she loves so much. I want to see her stand on her own two feet and really contribute to the group.”

BONUS SCOOP: Patton teases that, following the wormhole cliffhanger, the Season 2 premiere will address “where Barry is and what that means for S.T.A.R. Labs and Iris and Joe and Eddie. It’ll pick up right where we left off.”

Question: Any West- Allen scoop to help us survive The Flash‘s hiatus? –Kaz

Mitovich: As we all surmised when I wrote this not-at-all-controversial bit, Barry is getting his own “Felicity” because it’s simply too soon for Iris to move on from Eddie — especially since Season 2 picks up right where we left off, with The Flash fighting the wormhole. “[Eddie’s death] is definitely a factor, for sure,” Grant Gustin says. “Barry wants to be there for Iris as her best friend right now. And for Barry, too. It’s too soon for everybody. Some tragic events just took place!” Interestingly, exec producer Geoff Johns added that the aforementioned (and yet-to-be-cast) CCPD noob Wendy Miller won’t be the only one shaking up the status quo when the CW hit returns. “There are a lot of new characters coming in, not just the ones that have been leaked online,” he teased. “And they all will challenge relationships, in good and bad ways.”

Question: Any info about who/what Teen Wolf‘s flashback episode (5×06, I think) will feature, aside from Scott and Kira? —Cecile

Mitovich: Show boss Jeff Davis tells the Inside Line you can expect “a heart-wrenching scene between Stiles and his mother, Claudia, where we learn just how bad things got before her death.”

Question: Did Graceland‘s Mike actually forgive Paige? Or is he playing her? –Diane

Mitovich: I’m going with Option A, suspecting that in his “death,” Mike saw the proverbial light. “One of the things that fascinated me, as a big Six Feet Under fan, is that Mike was clinically dead for six minutes,” series creator Jeff Eastin says, “and the season does hinge a great deal on what he believes happened in that six minutes.” Which is not to say that a crossover with TNT’s Proof is on tap. “We have not done any spiritual shark-jumping,” Eastin makes clear. “But it does influence the season a great deal, and I think at the end people will be very surprised by exactly how it does that.”

Question: Any scoop on Once Upon a Time? I’m not particular, I’ll take anything! –Allison

Mitovich: I’m hearing that the season opener, not unexpectedly, will pick up right where the finale left off, with Emma having vanished after taunting the disembodied Darkness with the Dark One’s dagger. Where exactly the Savior was transported to, however, thus far remains a closely guarded secret. Also, it will be sooner rather than later that we meet King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for all of last week:

TELEVISION

Hannibal has been cancelled after three seasons on the air on NBC. This current season that is airing will be its last. (Variety)

Actor Noah Centineo (Disney’s How to Build a Better Boy) will take over the role of Jesus Adams Foster on the ABC Family drama The Fosters from actor Jake T. Austin, who decided to exit the show. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

Actress Aisha Tyler (Archer) will have a recurring role in Criminal Minds filling the hole left by the Jennifer Love Hewitt, who left the show. Tyler will play Dr. Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist who is determined by Hotch. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Molly Bernard has been promoted to series regular on the second season of the TV Land comedy Younger. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

The new USA Network drama Mr. Robot, which just debuted this past Wednesday, received a second season order from the network ahead of its series premiere. (Variety)

Actor James Frain (Orphan Black and True Blood) has landed a recurring role on Gotham, which will return this fall for its second season. He will play Theo Galavan, the brother to Tabitha Galavan, known as Tigress, who will be played by actress Jessica Lucas (Cult and Melrose Place). Frain is a new arrival to the city, but apparently he’s hiding a centuries old vendetta behind his altruism, and he and Tabitha plan to take chaos to a new level in order to make Gotham bleed, creating new villains while destroying others. Tigress is the lead enforcer for her brother. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic and Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Charisma Carpenter (Buffy, Angel and Veronica Mars) has landed the role of mom to the character to be played by actress-singer Ariana Grande in the much-talked about FOX thriller Scream Queens from Glee creator Ryan Murphy. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic)

NBC has given a second season order to the new drama Aquarius. (Variety)

Actor Sinqua Walls (Teen Wolf and Power) will be returning to Once Upon a Time as Lancelot in a recurring capacity. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Mark Valley (Boston Legal) will have a recurring role on Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce, playing Dr. Harris, a popular television personality who responded to Abby’s (series lead Lisa Edelstein) tweet and wants to meet. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Tyra Ferrell (Boyz ‘N The Hood) has landed a recurring role on the FOX hit series Empire where she will play a lawyer who comes in contact with the Lyon family. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

TV TRAILER

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actress Amber Riley (Glee) will star in the holiday movie My One Christmas Wish that will air on the UP Channel. The movie is inspired by the true story of Jackie Turner, a straight-A college student who turns to Craigslist to post a want ad to find a family with whom she can celebrate Christmas. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: Any scoop about Castle Season 8? –Fred

Mitovich: There’s no good way to say this, Fred, so let’s just rip the Band-Aid off and let the Internet take it from there: As Season 8 gets underway, Rick will be spending a lot of time with Hayley.

Question: Any fresh scoop on Defiance? –Craig

Mitovich: If you, like me, think the show has been a bit conspicuous about displaying the forehead wounds where Nolan and Irisa had been connected to that pod for several months, it’s for good reason. Grant Bowler told me that towards the end of the season, that onetime “connection” will come back into play and “lead to the best episodes Steph[anie Leonidas] and I think we’ve ever done. It’s really, really cool.”

Question: Your Orphan Black post mortem was a little light on my soul seestra Alison. Anything to share for Season 4? –Jeannie

Mitovich: Remember how Helena went all killer crazy and murdered those drug lords? That bloody massacre may come back to haunt Alison’s happily ever after with Donnie. “The Hendrixes are still bonded, but there’s a few things that happened at the end of the season that could have some impact going forward,” executive producer Graeme Manson teases.

Question: Is it October yet? Dying for some Arrow scoop! –Catarina

Mitovich: I can’t let good Arrow fans up and die, now, can I? In the second episode of Season 4, the CW hit will introduce the heavily recurring character of a twentysomething African American male who is a technological savant on par with Ms. Smoak. Maybe during Felicity and Oliver’s romantic retreat, Thea/Diggle/Laurel had to recruit a new computer whiz via Craigslist…?

UPDATE: Or better, as readers have suggested, he’s Felicity’s H.I.V.E. counterpart/adversary?

Question: Any scoop on Beauty and the Beast, please? –Anna

Mitovich: Nearly wed Heather’s romantic loss will be her engaged sister’s gain. As Jay Ryan explained to me, “Because Heather has had so much experience at actually organizing weddings, though she has yet to walk down the aisle herself, she is a great help once Vincent and Catherine get caught up in the hunt [for the supernatural beings]. They don’t have time to be a normal couple and plan what the cake topper’s going to look like, so Heather comes to the rescue on that side – which is a huge relief!”

Question: Give me scoop on Falling Skies! – Wrier

Mitovich: That “beautiful”… whatever… that Tom saw at the very end of Season 4, upon waking up from his detoured trip to the moon? I can confirm that some commenters on my finale recap guessed correctly its identity. This… whatever… promptly suggests a rallying cry to Tom, one that will rub some of his comrades in the 2nd Mass the wrong way after he (somehow!) gets back to Earth.

Question: I’m so happy that Aaron Tveit is alive on Graceland! Any scoop? — Dean

Natalie: What happened during his near-death experience is going to play a big role this season. “What he believes he saw in the six minutes when he was clinically dead have changed him completely,” executive producer Jeff Eastin says. “The season hinges on what Mike believes he saw when he was on the other side. The resolution will be something hopefully nobody will expect.”

Question: Any Sara Lance scoop for Arrow or Legends of Tomorrow? — Justin

Natalie: Personally, I’m curious as to whether Sara is going to be pissed at Thea for, you know, killing her. “I would imagine it would be a hard image to shake, Thea’s face as she shoots three arrows into Sara’s chest,” Caity Lotz says. “Though when/if Sara learns that it was actually Malcolm Merlyn’s doing, I think she’d definitely have some feelings of revenge brewing in her stone cold assassin blood.”

Question: Anything on the new season of Falling Skies? — Brad

Natalie: Try not to eat while watching episode 2. When the 2nd Mass gets desperate for food and supplies, someone has the bright idea to cook up a skitter. The results are quite disgusting.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for all of last week:

TELEVISION

Bates Motel has been renewed for two more seasons at A&E while The Returned has been cancelled by the network. (Variety)

Showtime has given Penny Dreadful a season three renewal. (Variety)

Starz has given a greenlight to the fantasy novel American Gods by Neil Gaiman. The plot posits a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. (Starz Press Release)

Actor Michael Ealy (The Following and Almost Human) has joined the cast of the ABC series Secrets and Lies for its second season. He will play Eric Warner, a smart, well-educated, hard-working man at the top of his game. He’s newly married to the perfect woman. He has it all. The heir apparent to his family’s private equity firm, he’s attending a party in which the torch will be passed to him when his wife is murdered and his life as he knew it is over. (TV Fanatic)

Actress Adria Arjona (Person of Interest) has landed the lead role in the upcoming NBC drama Emerald City, which is about 20-year-old Dorothy Gale and her K9 police dog who are transported to another world, one far removed from our own — a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Martin Henderson (Off the Map and Red Road) has joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy as s series regular but there are no details as to the role he will be playing. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Shalita Grant and actor Daryl Mitchell have been promoted to series regulars on NCIS: New Orleans for the show’s second season. Grant plays ex-ATF agent Sonja Percy, who will now work as the newest NCIS agent while Mitchell plays Patton Plame, a brilliant computer investigative specialist. (Rebecca Iannucci on TV Line and Deadline)

Actress Britne Oldford (American Horror Story and Ravenswood) has been cast in the female lead role of the upcoming Syfy alien drama Hunters, which chronicles the disappearance of a decorated Philadelphia cop’s wife, which leads him to a secret government unit assembled to hunt a group of ruthless terrorists — shadowy figures that may or may not be from this world. Oldford will play Regan, a talented and valuable government operative. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Russell Tovey (Looking and Being Human) has joined the cast of AMC’s upcoming adaptation of The Night Manager based on the novel by John le Carre. The event series follows a British solider-turned-luxury hotel auditor (Tom Hiddleston from Thor) who gets roped into an intelligence operation to take down an internationally renowned arms dealer (Olivia Colman from Broadchurch). Tovey will play a spy named Ogilvey. The cast includes Hugh Laurie (House), David Harewood (Homeland) and Tobias Menzies (Outlander). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) has joined the cast of the upcoming Jason Katims Hulu drama The Way that examines a family at the center of a controversial faith-based movement struggling with relationships, marriage and power. He will play Eddie Cleary, a supportive husband and long-time member of The Way. Having grown up in a troubled blue-collar household, The Way was his way out. Recently returned from a retreat with other members of the movement, Eddie is distant and emotionless, distraught from what he witnessed on the trip. His wife (Michelle Monaghan) believes he is having an affair, but Eddie is really sneaking off to meet with a still unknown person who claims to know “the truth” about The Way. The online series is expected to have a winter premiere. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Claire Foy (Wolf Hall) and actors Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and John Lithgow (Third Rock from the Sun) have joined the cast of the upcoming Netflix original series The Crown, which will follow the decades-spanning inside story of Queen Elizabeth II and the prime ministers who shaped Britain’s post-war destiny. Foy will play the Queen while Smith will play Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh and Lithgow will play Sir Winston Churchill. (Bryn Elise Sandberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office movies from last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Jurassic World – 209 million
2. Spy – 15.6 million
3. San Andreas – 10.8 million
4. Insidious Chapter 3 – 7.3 million
5. Pitch Perfect 2 – 6.4 million
6. Entourage – 4.2 million
7. Mad Max: Fury Road – 4.1 million
8. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 3.7 million
9. Tomorrowland – 3.5 million
10. Love & Mercy – 1.7 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

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

Question: Teen Wolf? Any information? —Sandi

Ausiello: A vague question gets a vague answer, Sandi. While I’m sure you’re still reeling from Aiden’s return in the first six minutes of the June 29 premiere you’ll be happy to know he’s not the only member of the show’s fallen faction that receives a tribute of sorts in Season 5’s opening hour.

Question: Anything on how Falling Skies’ 2nd Mass is doing now Tom that is floating around in space? —JJ

Ausiello: The good news: With the Espheni power core destroyed (thanks, Lexi!), the Skitters and Mechs are (mostly) sitting ducks. The bad news: The assorted ETs have still got some pluck (and maybe a tiny new weapon), and at the start of the final season’s Episode 2 they strike a critical blow against the 2nd Mass, one that will leave them wondering: “Is Skitter meat edible?” (Also: Don’t be so sure that Tom is floating around in space…)

Question: Please tell me good things about Kyle Dean Massey’s future on Nashville. I saw him in Pippin on Broadway and am obsessed. —Anders

Ausiello: Officially, the ABC drama has no plans to make Massey, who plays Will’s songwriter love interest Kevin, a series regular. Unofficially, this shirt was recently added to the show’s official store, which seems like a good omen to me.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for all of last week:

TELEVISION

Actors Will Kemp (Van Helsing) and Daniel Lissing (When Calls the Heart) will both have recurring roles on the second season of the Bravo scripted drama Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce. Kemp will play Scott, a charismatic, off-beat, handsome vegan baker at Jo’s (Alanna Ubach) shop while Lissing will play Payton, an actor friend from Becca’s (Julianna Guill) childhood. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Starz has ordered a third season of drama “Power. (Variety)

Actor Sean Maguire and actress Rebecca Mader have been made series regular on Once Upon a Time for when the show returns for its fifth season this fall. (Shelli Weinstein at TV Guide and TV Line)

Actress Sarah Shahi (Person of Interest) will guest star in an episode of Ray Donovan, her first TV appearance since temporarily leaving the CBS drama to give birth to her twins. She will play Hasmig, an Armenian pop star. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actress Kaitlyn Leeb (Degrassi) has landed a role in the ABC Family adaptation of the Cassandra Clare novel The Mortal Instruments that will be known as Shadowhunters on the small screen. She will play Camille Belcourt, the leader of the New York vampire clan. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead) has been cast as the Punisher in the second season of the Netflix drama Daredevil. (Alex Stedman at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) will star as Baron Mordo in the box office film Doctor Strange that will find actor Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock and Star Trek) in the title role. (Mike Fleming Jr. at Deadline)

Here is the top 10 box office movies for last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Spy – 29.1 million
2. San Andreas – 25.9 million
3. Insidious: Chapter 3 – 22.7 million
4. Entourage – 10.3 million
5. Mad Max: Fury Road – 7.8 million
6. Pitch Perfect 2 – 7.6 million
7. Tomorrowland – 7.2 million
8. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 6.3 million
9. Aloha – 3.2 million
10. Poltergeist – 2.7 million

Actor Chris Hemsworth has joined the cast of the upcoming female led Ghostbusters remake that will star Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: Some Teen Wolf updates would be much appreciated! Particularly Stiles and Lydia-related. –Alexandra

Mitovich: If you’re hoping for something romantic between the former flames, you’re sadly out of luck. But if you’re as into both characters as you appear to be, you’ll definitely be hitting the rewind button during the June 29 premiere. They both deliver insane, gasp-worthy moments that will leave you worried about them for weeks to come.

Question: The CW is withholding The 100‘s Season 3 [for midseason]. Can you please give me some scoop on what to expect? –Spinae02

Mitovich: When I caught up with Marie Avgeropoulos at Upfronts, she suspected that Octavia will continue to be torn between her origin as one of the Sky People and her new (albeit shunned) status as an honorary Grounder. “Octavia and Lincoln are back in Camp Jaha, which is a very awkward situation for Lincoln, because he’s a Grounder — and at the end of the day so is Octavia,” she reminded. “And yet the strongest alliance is family, is Bellamy — Octavia is the only one [of The 100] with a sibling, so she’s in a really difficult situation. We’ll see what position she takes in Season 3!”

Question: What’s going on with Once Upon a Time‘s Will Scarlett? Is Michael Socha still a series regular? –Emma

Mitovich: Michael Socha alas will not continue to be one — which is not to say we’ve seen the last of Will, however.

Question: On the Castle TV show, I was wondering if Esposito or Ryan are leaving? –Molly

Mitovich: I can confirm that Jon Huertas and Seamus Dever, as well as Tamala Jones, Susan Sullivan and Molly Quinn, all are on board for Season 8 (along with, you know, Nathan and Stana). Penny Johnson Jerald is the only departure.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for all of last week:

TELEVISION

Actors Luke Mitchell and Henry Simmons have both been promoted to series regulars on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel.com and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Sendhil Ramamurthy will reprise his role of Dr. Mohinder Suresh in Heroes Reborn on NBC. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

Actor Adam Rodriguez (CSI: Miami and Magic Mike) will have a recurring role in the FOX drama Empire where he will play Laz Delgado, a smooth-talking concert promoter with expert hustler skills who will take an interest in Cookie (series lead Taraji P. Henson). (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Jason George has been promoted to series regular on Grey’s Anatomy. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actresses Natalie Martinez (Secrets and Lies and Under the Dome) and Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl) will both be appearing in the second season of the DirecTV series Kingdom that follows the story of Alvey Kulina (series lead Frank Grillo) who owns and runs a mixed martial arts gym called Navy St. Gym in Venice, California, with his girlfriend, Lisa (series lead Kiele Sanchez). Martinez will be a series regular, playing Alicia Mendez, a woman who is damaged with self-destructive tendencies while Szohr will have the recurring role of Laura Melvin, an artist/photographer. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor John Noble (Fringe and Sleepy Hollow) has landed a series regular role on Elementary, playing the estranged father of Sherlock Holmes. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor David Castro (the Nickelodeon movie Summer Camp) has been cast in the upcoming ABC Family series Shadowhunters, which is an adaptation of The Mortal Instruments book series by Cassandra Clare, which follows a young woman named Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara from Happyland) who discovers on her 18th birthday that she’s a human-angel hybrid destined to battle dark supernatural forces. He will play Raphael Santiago, the former leader of New York’s local vampire clan. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

It looks like FOX is developing a spin-off of 24 that would revolve around a new 20-something male terrorist hunter with the intention, however, that Kiefer Sutherland’s Jake Bauer will weave in and out as a guest star. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Percy Daggs III (Veronica Mars) has been announced as a cast member of season two of the online series The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy. (Amy Ratcliffe at Nerdist)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box offices movies for last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. San Andreas – 54.6 million
2. Pitch Perfect 2 – 14.8 million
3. Tomorrowland – 14.3 million
4. Mad Max: Fury Road – 14.2 million
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 11.4 million
6. Aloha – 9.7 million
7. Poltergeist – 8.1 million
8. Far from the Madding Crowd – 1.6 million
9. Hot Pursuit – 1.4 million
10. Home – 1.3 million

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

Question: Since we haven’t seen Sin Rosetro’s new face yet, what are the odds that Bridget Regan will be returning to play this delicious bad girl when Jane the Virgin returns? —Tori

Ausiello: I actually don’t have an answer to that question. To make it up to you, I can confirm that Season 2 will introduce Rafael’s mysterious half-brother. That’s an even trade, yes?

Question: Will Fritz (Jon Tenney) be making any appearances on Major Crimes this season? —Linda

Ausiello: Though the potential S.O.B. spinoff got snuffed by new TNT management, the Special Operations Bureau itself will be seen again, led by Deputy Chief Fritz Howard. “Yes, Jon Tenney will be in Episode 7,” series creator James Duff told Matt Mitovich, “when we have two officers shot to death during what looks like a routine traffic stop.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for last week:

TELEVISION

Actor Eric Close will not be returning as a series regular on Nashville when it returns this fall for its third season. (Kimberly Roots and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Penny Johnson Jerald will not be returning for the 8th season of Castle, possibly laying groundwork for Beckett to take over since she “aced her captain’s exam” in the show’s season finale. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Colin Donnell (Arrow) has joined the cast of this fall’s new drama Chicago Med, but it hasn’t been released who he will be playing though. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor John Pyper-Ferguson (The Last Ship) will have a major recurring role in Suits, playing Jack, a partner at the law firm and new head of the firm’s Compensation Committee, who will have to work with the on-going power struggle between Harvey and Louis. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Nazneen Contractor (Covert Affairs) will have a recurring role in the upcoming NBC series Heroes Reborn. She will play Farah, a mysterious character who is militant, tough and stoic. Also, actor Dylan Bruce (Orphan Black) has joined the cast of the show, but his role has not been revealed yet. (Denise Petski at Deadline and Tim Surette at TV Guide)

Actors Nicholas D’Agosto and Chris Chalk and actress Morena Baccarin have been promoted to series regulars on Gotham when it returns for its second season this fall. (Denise Petski at Deadline and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Jon Cor (Being Human and Being Erica) will have a recurring role in the ABC Family series Shadowhunters, which is an adaptation of The Mortal Instruments book series. He will play Hodge Starkweather, a weapons trainer at the Shadowhunters New York Institute and a former Circle member. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP) has landed a role in the upcoming FOX live production of Grease that will star Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens. Palmer will play Pink Lady Marty Maraschino. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Charlene McKenna (A.D. The Bible Continues and Ripper Street) has landed a series regular role on the upcoming Lifetime drama Clan of the Cave Bear (based on the book by Jean M. Auel) that takes place more than 25,000 years ago when Neanderthals shared the Earth with the first early modern humans. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actress Ally Walker (Profiler and The Protector) will appear in season four of the western-themed drama Longmire, which will air its 4th season on Netflix. There are no details on who she will play, though. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Deadbeat, the Hulu drama, has been given a 13-episode third season order. (The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor William Fichtner (Prison Break) has joined the cast of the box office film Independence Day 2 where he will play a top general. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actress Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) will star in the biopic about Tammi Terrell, the 1960s Motown singer who teamed with Marvin Gaye for a number of hit singles, but who died of a brain tumor at age 24. (Erik Pedersen at Deadline)

Here are the top 10 box office movies for last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Tomorrowland – 33 million
2. Pitch Perfect 2 – 30.8 million
3. Mad Max: Fury Road – 24.6 million
4. Poltergeist – 22.6 million
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 21.7 million
6. Hot Pursuit – 3.6 million
7. Far From the Madding Crowd – 2.28million
8. Furious 7 – 2.72 million
9. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 – 1.9 million
10. Home – 1.8 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Q&A SECTION (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: I want some DC Comics TV scoop, please! Arrow, The Flash, Gotham, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow. – Keith

Mitovich: What I’ve got is… Fox’s Gotham casting for Season 2 a “male DC Villain” described as “intelligent, cultured and highly articulate,” “extremely attractive, both seductive and threatening,” as well as a female DC Villain in her mid- to late 20s — “a sexy knock-out.” So get speculating! Turning to DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, the cast was hard-pressed to elaborate on the midseason CW drama, seeing as no one had seen a script for the pilot yet. (They only filmed a trailer for this month’s Upfronts.) That said, Brandon Routh allowed that I made “a pretty good guess” that Ray/The Atom’s exploded body has been reconstituted using miniaturization-capable nanites; Ciara Renee said that the origin of her winged hero, Kendra Saunders, will be “melding some [Hawkgirl origin stories] together”; and Franz Drameh was super-mum on what powers high school jock Jay Jackson (MIA from the trailer) might bring to the table” – though the actor himself “was in the London Youth Circus for a little while.”

Question: Any scoop on what’s coming up for Defiance’s Tarr family this season? –Katie H.

Mitovich: Holy Rayetso, a tremendous amount of things happen in the two-hour season premiere (airing June 12). As you’ll recall, Datak and Stahma were searching for Alak and Christie, who had been spirited away by nutty Pilar – but what the Castithans instead find is tons of trouble in the form of Oz alum Lee Tergesen’s General Rahm Tak aka “The Beast,” a Johnny Cash-quoting marauder who has insidious plans for Defiance. Elsewhere in the epic opener, which picks up seven months later: Nolan and Irisa are rescued by a most unlikely savior; the new, purple-skinned Omec race rival only Rahm Tak as the show’s most frightful adversary yet (let’s just say they could use a good dentist); Doc Yewll remains highly quotable; and there are no fewer than two shocking deaths.

Question: Hilarie Burton hinted that she may be playing a bad guy on Extant. Do you have any more info about what we can expect? –Annie

Mitovich: The Tree Hill alum’s Season 2 arc kicks off with Episode 2, where she’ll be playing Anna Schaefer, a government operative charged with overseeing the militarization of the Humanichs program. Anna causes great moral discomfort for Julie (played by Grace Gummer) and Charlie (Tyler Hilton) as she pushes the boundaries of what is ethically sound for the robotic soldiers they are creating — so, yeah, “bad guy.”

Question: Do you know how Scott Michael Foster’s new show (ABC’s Oil) getting picked up is going to affect his role as Leo on Chasing Life? –Steph

Mitovich: ABC Family’s Chasing Life has been in production for a couple of months already, so just as EP Patrick Sean Smith recently told us, “Leo will still have a strong presence in the second season,” premiering August 17.

Question: What’s happening with TNT’s Lumen? –Lisa

Mitovich: The pilot for the family fantasy drama, starring Parenthood‘s Sam Jaeger and filmed in New Zealand, “looks spectacular,” Turner president Kevin Reilly told me earlier this month. “It’s very, very big,” he added, “and really original” — if a bit “soft for our network right now.” Even so, Reilly believes it could appeal to the same crowd as another fantastical TNT series: “I think that people who watch The Librarians would enjoy Lumen…. It’s fun escapism.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

TELEVISION

Actor Greg Grunberg is set to reprise his role of Officer Matt Parkman in a guest arc of Heroes Reborn, the reboot (of sorts) of the once popular series, which will air this fall on NBC. (Jessica Roy at TV Guide)

Actor Skeet Ulrich (Jericho) will take over the role of Eddie Martin from Michael Dempsey in the former CBS drama Unforgettable that will air its fourth season on A&E. Martin showed up in the season 3 finale claiming to be Carrie’s (series lead Poppy Montgomery) husband. (TV Guide News)

Actor Frank Whaley (Blue Bloods, The Blacklist and Gotham) will have a recurring role on the CBS summer series Under the Dome, playing Dr. Marston, a brilliant doctor and scientist whose motives are suspicious. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

MTV has given their sophomore drama Finding Carter 12 additional episodes. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Canadian actress Maxi Roy has joined the cast of the upcoming ABC Family drama Shadowhunters based on the Mortal Instruments book franchise. She will play Jocelyn Fray, the mother of lead protagonist Clary (Katherine McNamara from Happyland. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

TV TRAILER

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office movies for last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Pitch Perfect 2 – 70.3 million
2. Mad Max: Fury Road – 44.4 million
3. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 38.8 million
4. Hot Pursuit – 5.7 million
5. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 – 3.6 million
5. Furious 7 – 3.6 million
7. The Age of Adaline – 3.2 million
8. Home – 2.7 million
9. Ex Machina – 2.1 million
10. Far From the Madding Crowd – 1.3 million

It would seem that actress Reese Witherspoon will appear as Tinker Bell in the planned live-action film Tink. (First Showing)

MOVIE TRAILER

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

Question: I can’t believe I have to wait (for) the Outlander season finale. I know someone at TVLine has seen it. Can you tell us anything, pretty please? —Janet

Ausiello: Those who’ve read the book know that a major revelation happens in the last few pages. I can tell you (via Kim Roots) that a) said revelation is in the finale, but b) it doesn’t happen in the same place or in the same way that it does in Diana Gabaldon’s novel.

Question: I’ll get right to the point. Is Mark Harmon leaving NCIS? —BC

Ausiello: He’d be breaching his contract if he walks so… no?

Question: Supergirl intel, please. I’m obsessed with the trailer. —Jonathan

Ausiello: Nashville‘s Laura Benanti, who plays Kara’s Krypton mom Alura Zor-El, acknowledges that she can’t spill the superbeans, but offers this tantalizing bit: “You’ll see me in flashbacks, you’ll see me in hologram and then you’ll see me in one other capacity, which I can’t tell you [about] — but it is the thing that makes me the most excited and is why I wanted to do the show.”

BONUS SPOILER: Benanti adds that Kara’s Supergirl outfit is based on the long, blue gown Alura wears in the trailer. “I have the same belt that she has and the S — which is our family crest, it actually doesn’t stand for ‘super’ — in the top,” she says, laughing. “It’s very ‘hot Yoda.’”

Question: Should Person of Interest fans be worrying about the shortened episode count? Is next season it? —Jess

Ausiello: Not necessarily…? At least according to CBS boss Nina Tassler, who weighed in on the show’s future not long after Season 5 got halved. “[Showrunners] Jonah Nolan and Greg Plageman came in and pitched really terrific ideas for the new season. So, we have to see,” she said. “It’s always been a very smart, creative show; we don’t know yet whether it’s going to be the end or not. If it is, we’ll have a great ending.”

Question: Too soon to ask about Arrow Season 4? —Rae

Ausiello: Theoretically, it’s way too soon. But in actuality, maybe not. Because when showrunner Marc Guggenheim told us that they knew at this time last year that Malcolm would wind up as the new Ra’s, we of course had to ask if they could tease the plan for next May’s finale. “The funny thing is I could,” the EP told Matt Mitovich, “because we are in the writers’ room right now working on the plan for Season 4. And though we don’t always start with where we’re going to end, where we’re going to end is an important part of our conversation. And the room today generated, I think, a potential ending that is very, very interesting. But the first step in surprising all of you is surprising us.”

Question: I heard a rumor that Jane the Virgin plans to introduce Rogelio’s ex in Season 2. Any truth? —Gerry

Ausiello: Yes, exec producer Jennie Urman confirms that we’ll meet Ro’s first wife, “who’s a very, very beautiful hoarder and former telenovela star,” adding that the yet-to-be-cast character’s arrival will put “stress and pressure on Ro and Xo.” What are you waiting for?

That’s it. Hope you’re having a great Memorial Day weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for all of last week:

TELEVISION

Actress-singer Vanessa Williams will guest star in an upcoming episode of the long-running USA Network series Royal Pains, playing Olympia Houston, a generous benefactor at the Hamptons Heritage Center for Rare and Orphan Diseases. Royal Pains will be back with new episodes starting on June 2. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

The USA Network is also moving forward with an American adaptation of the telenovela La Reina Del Sur, which will be known as Queen of the South. The series will debut in 2016, centering on Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga). When her drug-dealing boyfriend is unexpectedly murdered in Mexico, Teresa is forced to seek refuge in America, where she teams with an unlikely figure from her past to bring down the leader of the very drug trafficking ring that has her on the run. In the process, she learns the tools of the trade and strategically positions herself to become the leader of the cartel. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

ABC Family has added to the cast of the upcoming small screen adaptation of Mortal Instruments to be known as Shadowhunters. Actors Alan Van Sprang (Reign) and Harry Shum, Jr. (Glee) will appear as villain Valentine and Magnus Bane respectively. Shadowhunters will follow Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara from Happyland and The Fosters), a teenager who learns that she comes from a long line of Shadowhunters, (or human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons). (The Futon Critic and Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Actress Kathy Najimy has joined the cast of Unforgettable that has been picked up by A&E after its cancellation by CBS. The show revolves around a female detective (Poppy Montgomery) who remembers everything except the day her sister was murdered. Najimy will play Rachel, a whip-smart, unflappable former street cop who is tough when she needs to be, but has the political chops/ambition to get her the gig as head of the Major Cases Department of the NYPD. (Kimberly Nordyke at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Portia de Rossi has been promoted to series regular on Scandal when it returns this fall. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

TV TRAILER

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Lifetime is moving forward with more adaptation of V.C. Andrews’ books. The network has given a greenlight to a movie based on the 1982 novel My Sweet Audrina that centers on Audrina, a young girl with an inability to recall past events in her life. Living in her family’s secluded mansion, Audrina is kept alone and out of sight and is haunted by nightmares of her older sister, the First Audrina, who was left for dead in the woods after an attack. Everyone in her family knows the secret surrounding First Audrina’s death except Audrina herself. As she begins to question her past and her disturbing dreams, the grim truth is slowly revealed. Actress India Eisley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) will play the lead role while James Tupper (Revenge) will play her father Damian and William Moseley (The Royals) will portray Audrina’s love interest, Arden. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office films for last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 77.7 million
2. Hot Pursuit – 13.9 million
3. The Age of Adaline – 5.8 million
4. Furious 7 – 5.4 million
5. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 – 5.3 million
6. Ex Machina – 3.5 million
7. Home – 3.1 million
8. Woman in Gold – 1.7 million
9. Cinderella – 1.68 million
10. Unfriended – 1.5 million

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

TELEVISION

Syfy has given a 12-episode order to a new drama called The Magicians, which is based on the best-selling fantasy book series by Lev Grossman. The drama stars Jason Ralph (A Most Violent Year, Aquarius) as Quentin Coldwater, a brilliant grad student who enrolls in Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, a secret upstate New York university specializing in magic. He and his 20-something friends soon discover that the magical fantasy world they read about as children is all too real — and poses grave danger to humanity. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Orlando Jones is leaving the FOX drama Sleepy Hollow before the start of show’s third season. (Variety)

iZombie has been renewed for a second season by The CW; meanwhile, the network has officially pulled the plug on Hart of Dixie. (Variety)

Actress Katherine McNamara (Happyland) has been cast as heroine Clary Fray in the upcoming ABC Family series Shadowhunters, which is an adaptation of the Cassandra Clare young adult book series “The Mortal Instruments”. The story follows 18-year-old Clary, who discovers that she comes from a long line of supernaturally powered folks known as Shadowhunters, bringing her into a world filled with fairies, werewolves, vampires, and warlocks. Also added to the cast is Old Spice spokesman Isaiah Mustafa, who will appear as NYPD detective Luke Garroway. (Megan Daley at Entertainment Weekly and Marianne Zumberge at Variety)

BBC America has renewed Orphan Black for a fourth season. (TV Guide)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Powers has been renewed for a second season at PlayStation. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

The top 10 box office movies for last weekend, courtesy of Box Office Mojo, were:

1. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 187.7 million
2. The Age of Adaline – 6.3 million
3. Furious 7 – 6.1 million
4. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 – 5.6 million
5. Home – 3.3 million
6. Cinderella – 2.4 million
7. Ex Machina – 2.2 million
8. Unfriended – 2 million
9. The Longest Ride – 1.7 million
10. Woman in Gold – 1.68 million

Actress Sela Ward will appear as the current President of the United States in the upcoming sequel to Independence Day. (Anita Busch at Deadline)

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

Question: Do you have any scoop on the season finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? —Deana

Ausiello: The first half of Tuesday’s two-hour closer alone is chock-a-block with reveals, including what exactly was in the vials found on Cal (gorilla testosterone?!), what Ward wants from Bobbi and just how far (too far?) Jiaying will go to ignite a war between the Inhumans and S.H.I.E.L.D. The first hour also boasts two sizable hand-to-hand combat sequences (girl-girl, guy-girl), you’ll find out what the “key” to saving the Inhumans from “death and destruction” is, and you’ll hear someone say this about Ward: “When I find him, I’m gonna kill him.” (And you believe that person!)

Question: I have a question concerning Once Upon a Time. Will we ever know what happened between Will Scarlett and Anastasia (The White Queen)? Any chance to see her in the future? —Marine

Ausiello: In the future, yes, there’s a chance. But during this season, which has only Sunday’s two-hour finale remaining, no. “Unfortunately, there was not room to bring Anastasia on this year,” says series co-creator Adam Horowitz. “But hopefully we will in the future, because we’d love to tell that story.”

Question: Any new Beauty and the Beast Season 3 spoilers? —Jacob

Ausiello: Forget Season 3. I’ve moved on to Season 4, production on which begins later this month. The show is adding a new series-regular character by the name of Kyle. He’s a mid-20s EMT who is ridiculously charming, super-athletic and unnaturally handsome. So, he’s basically Colton Haynes?

That’s it. Enjoy!

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