Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items from the last three days:

TELEVISION

Actress Claudia Black (Stargate SG1) will be appearing on The Originals the role of Dahlia, the mysterious aunt of the Mikaelson siblings. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor-singer Jeremy Jordan (Smash) will guest star in the upcoming CBS drama Supergirl, playing Winslow “Winn” Schott, a tech-savvy colleague of Kara’s (Melissa Benoist from Glee). (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

The 10-episode WGN America straight-to-series drama Underground has announced its cast, including Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Friday Night Lights and True Blood), Aldis Hodge (Leverage) and Jessica De Gouw (Arrow and Dracula). This new series will follow a group of slaves, who plan a daring escape from a Georgia plantation to cross 600 miles to freedom, aided along the way by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad, as they evade those tasked with bringing them back, dead or alive. Smollett-Bell will play Rosalee, a shy house slave with a powerful inner strength and courage; Hodge will play Noah, a brave and clever slave on the plantation with dreams of freedom and a dangerous plan to escape; Meloni will play August, a secretive mercenary who walks a tightrope between survival and morality and De Gouw will play Elizabeth, a socialite who shares her husband’s abolitionist ideals. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Geoff Stults (Enlisted) has landed a multi-episode arc on the summer CBS series Zoo, that is based on the James Patterson book that will star James Wolk as a young renegade biologist, who is thrust into a race to unlock the mystery of why animals are suddenly and violently attacking humans before there’s no place left for people to hide. Stults will play Agent Ben Shafer, a rogue FBI agent who is investigating the wave of bizarre animal attacks, but whose methods and motivation complicate things greatly for our heroes. Also, actor Carl Lumbly (Alias) has also joined the cast of this new show where he will play Delavane, an enigmatic, veteran Interpol agent embedded within the hierarchy of the General Secretariat, who takes matters into his own hands, when faced with what he believes to be a global animal crisis. The series will debut on June 30. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly and Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Eric Mabius (Ugly Betty) has landed a major recurring role on Chicago Fire, playing Tom Nesbitt, a high-end strip club owner. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Zachary Quinto (Heroes, The Slap and Star Trek) will guest star in Hannibal, playing a patient of Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson). (Entertainment Weekly and Michael Slezak at TV Line)

Actor James Remar (Dexter and State of Affairs) will be starring in the MTV series The Shannara Chronicles that is being adapted from the Terry Brooks fantasy book series that follows the Shannara family, whose members can tap into ancient magic to help reshape the world’s future. Remar will play Cephelo, the leader of the Rovers, who roam the Four Lands. (Aaron Couch at The Hollywood Reporter)

TV TRAILER

BOX OFFICE NEWS

It looks like a sequel to Independence Day is going to happen with Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games franchise), Jessie Usher (Survivor’s Remorse) and original cast member Jeff Goldblum will star. Usher will play the son of Will Smith’s character. (Lily Harrison at E! Online)

Actress Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) and actor Jason Clarke (the upcoming Terminator: Genisys) will star in the upcoming box office film All I See Is You, a new psychological drama that follows a blind woman and her husband who upon restoration of her sight begins to discover previously unseen and disturbing details about themselves, their marriage and their lives. (Ethan Anderton at First Showing)

Here are the top 10 box offices movies from this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Focus – 18.7 million
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service – 11.9 million
3. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water – 10.8 million
4. Fifty Shades of Grey – 10.6 million
5. The Lazarus Effect – 10.2 million
6. McFarland, USA – 7.8 million
7. American Sniper – 7.4 million
8. The DUFF – 6.9 million
9. Still Alice – 2.7 million
10. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 – 2.4 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Q&A SECTION (with Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: I need scoop on The 100! – Claire

Kristin: Tonight is the beginning of the two-part season finale, and Alycia Debnam-Carey, aka Commander Lexa, describes the two episodes in three words: “Hopeful, explosive and thrilling.”

Question: Can you provide some Beauty And the Beast scoop! – Beth

Kristin: Expect one of our four main heroes to end up in the hospital after being severely injured. Like, life-or-death here, people.

Question: This separation of Deacon and Rayna on Nashville is killing me! Please tell me they’re going to get back together and soon! – Alex

Kristin: Although Deacon’s health is deteriorating fast, there’s hope for these two to finally reconcile if only Deacon can bring himself to tell Rayna about his health problems. But you know the saying “when it rains it pours?” Deacon’s about to find out that’s extremely true about good luck. Take that as you will!

Question: Loving Arrow right now. What’s coming up for Thea? – Tess

Kristin: Though it may seem like Thea’s trying to get herself killed by telling Nyssa she killed Sara and then letting the grieving assassin out of her cage, this isn’t the end of her story. “We’re working towards telling a different story with Thea, it won’t always be just her acting out,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim says. “She’s processing a huge amount of guilt and regret. At the end of [episode] 15, she’s essentially attempting suicide by Nyssa. It’s a continuing progression. It won’t just be a repetition of her acting out. In [episode] 16, she looks for closure in another way because spoiler alert, Nyssa’s not going to kill [Thea].”

Question: Anything cool coming up on Arrow? —Julie

Ausiello: The show’s Season 3 finale will introduce a major, formidable, fierce new foe for Oliver, and his reign of terror will continue well into Season 4. The mysterious character is being referred to internally as “Damian Dark,” which got Matt Mitovich and I (but mostly MM) pulling up and skimming the Wiki page of one Damian Wayne. Get it? Damian Wayne. Son of the Dark Knight. They’d probably have to tweak the Bruce Wayne connection, but it’s a plausible theory, no?

UPDATE: Readers better-schooled than Matt Mitovich and I (but mostly MM) notes that Damien Darhk is a H.I.V.E. operative per DC lore, and thus is more likely to be introduced.

Question: Are we going to see ATF Agent Zoe Keates again on NCIS? I really like her and actress Marisol Nichols! —Lori

Ausiello: As a matter of fact yes, I can confirm that 24 alum Nichols will again reprise her role as DiNozzo’s former colleague, in an episode airing this spring.

Question: Any new scoop on NCIS? —Marsha

Ausiello: How about another casting tidbit — and this one’s near and dear to my heart. A Martinez, former star of Santa Barbara, TV’s greatest soap ever and one of my favorite shows ever, will guest-star in a late March episode titled “Patience.” Says EP Gary Glasberg of the ep: “It deals with the mystery surrounding a decades-old airport bombing. When new evidence surfaces, the NCIS team follows a cold clue trail that turns red hot. We were thrilled when A took the role of Orlando. His South American-based character is full of surprises and brings some real twists and turns to the investigation.”

Question: There are rumors going around that the sixth season of Downton Abbey will be its last. Do you have any concrete scoop on this? —Kristen

Ausiello: The actors’ contracts expire at the end of Season 6 and, save for one or two possible exceptions, they want outta there (with Maggie Smith leading the charge). So, short of them being offered $1 million an episode, the show’s done after one more “series” (as they say across the pond).

Question: Anything on Grimm? —Thomas

Ausiello: I hear that the NBC drama is mulling going dark — really, really dark — as it approaches season’s end. Gruesome dark. Death-of-a-major-character dark. (Fill the comments with your guesses on who it might be.)

Question: Do you have any scoop on what’s going with Once Upon a Time’s Hook? —Jessica

Ausiello: Episode 15 (airing March 15) will reveal why the pirate has a quite complicated past with sea witch Ursula — and the nature of it is “far worse” than any romantic indiscretion, says co-creator Eddy Kitsis. “When you think about what would be worse than having your heart broken, I would say having your soul crushed. You’re going to see the entire flashback of what happened, with the origin of Ursula.”

Question: Is Once Upon a Time actually considering a Belle/Hook pairing or are they just keeping the two busy, while Rumple and Emma are busy with the Queens of Darkness? —Linda

Ausiello: No, no, no. They’re not hinting at a Belle/Hook pairing. Belle and Will Scarlett, however, may be a different story, as you’ll see teased this Sunday. As series co-creator Eddy Kitsis notes, Belle and Will, after all, have “a lot in common,” in that “they both fell in love with villains (Rumple and Wonderland’s Red Queen, respectively), and they both hoped that these villains would be redeemed.” And they both were let down. With Rumple banished (as far as Belle knows!) and Anastasia MIA, “Anytime you have your heart broken,” Kitsis says, “you look for a way to smile again.”

Question: Any Once Upon a Time scoop you can share about the infamous Cruella de Vil? –Mason

Ausiello: If you’re wondering how Cruella wound up in Long Island, N.Y. while her previous associates Rumplestiltskin and the Charmings landed in Storybrooke, Maine, co-creator Adam Horowitz promises that in an upcoming episode “all the pieces on the chessboard are laid out,” explaining “who wound up where and why.”

Question: The synopsis for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Episode 13 says that Cal assembles a team of super-villains. Any idea who they are? —Joseph

Ausiello: As revealed in our Season 2B preview, Cal rounds up other “misfits” on the Index who aren’t happy with S.H.I.E.L.D., including, EP Jeph Loeb says, Karla Faye Gideon, “a dark character” played by The Sopranos’ Drea de Matteo. As such, Coulson would be prudent to keep his guard up. Says Clark Gregg, “[Cal] is not so happy with how their last fight went,” interrupted as it was by daughter Skye/Daisy. “There’s a score he wants to settle.”

Question: On Sleepy Hollow, what is Grace Dixon? Is she a witch? —Reagan

Ausiello: Well, you’ll remember that Jenny and Abbie weren’t activated as witches when Henry rang the enchanted bell, leading us to believe that their colonial ancestor wasn’t part of the Pointy Hat Crew. But to be sure, we asked showrunner Mark Goffman to weigh in on the matter. “Grace was a keeper of witchcraft,” he says, couching his answer by saying that the magic she oversaw “could be of a different type” from the dark mojo Katrina practiced. “That’s something we can learn a lot more about in the future.”

Question: Can I have some Sleepy Hollow scoop, please? —Alexsandra

Ausiello: Remember when Moloch told Henry, “There were horsemen before you, there’ll be horsemen after” (or something to that effect)? Now that Henry is dead — and stripped of his Horseman of War status shortly before that — it’s likely that we’re back to only knowing who one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are. We ran our theory by Goffman, who coyly replied, “That very well could be the case. I think that’s a very astute reading of Moloch’s comment.”

Question: Is it too early to ask for any spoilers for Season 2 of The Last Ship? –Heather

Ausiello: It’s never too early! (Except when it is.) That said, I have learned exclusively that Stephen Monroe Taylor (Anger Management, History’s upcoming Texas Rising mini) is set to recur during Season 2 of the TNT drama as Flea, a captured prisoner who has survived by weaseling his way into safe positions.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the few news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Reiko Aylesworth (24) and actor Ricardo Chavira (Desperate Housewives) will be guest starring in an upcoming episode of Castle. Chavira will play Alex Lopez, a popular congressman whose life may in danger, while Aylesworth will play his astute wife, Mia. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Helen Slater and actor Dean Cain – both who have history in the world of Superman-Supergirl – will guest star in the CBS Supergirl drama that will star Melissa Benoist (Glee) in the lead role. Details on the roles they will play, though, are being kept under wraps. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Looks like The CW is developing another DC Comics superhero series for next TV season that would be a spin-off from Arrow and The Flash featuring fan-favorite actors/characters from both shows that include Brandon Routh, Victor Garber, Wentworth Miller and Caity Lotz. The project is, of course, untitled right now, and since Lotz’s character was killed in Arrow, it is unclear whether she will play the same or new superhero. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Chyler Leigh (Grey’s Anatomy) and actor David Harewood (Homeland) have joined the cast of the CBS drama Supergirl that will star Melissa Benoist (Glee) as the lead character. Leigh will play Alexandra “Alex” Danvers, Kara’s confident foster sister. Fascinated by Kara’s powers from a young age, Alex developed a lifelong obsession with science which inspired her to become a doctor. Meanwhile, Harewood will play Hank Henshaw, a onetime CIA agent who now runs the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, which tracks extraterrestrial threats on the planet Earth. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actors Ray Liotta and Warren Kole (Common Law) and actress Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos) will star opposite Jennifer Lopez in the NBC straight-to-series drama Shades Of Blue that follows a tight-knit crew of police officers who are effective at keeping the streets safe but also corrupt when it comes to lining their pockets and protecting their own. When one of the officers (Lopez) is forced to become a federal informant, she must decide between her own family’s welfare and that of her police family. Liotta will play Lieutenant Bill Wozniak, the enigmatic and resourceful patriarch of the tight knit unit of corrupt cops, who steps outside the limitations of the law to protect his precinct. de Matteo will play Shirley Nazario, a tough, outspoken female cop who holds her own with the men in her crew, and yet her brashness covers her insecurities. And, Kole will play Robert Staal, a relentlessly ambitious up-and-coming FBI agent desperate to make a name for himself. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Marg Helgenberger (CSI and Intelligence) will have an extended guest starring role in the CBS summer series Under the Dome; however, details on what part she will be playing have not been made available yet. Also, actress Kylie Bunbury (the short-lived ABC Family drama Twisted) will also join the show, playing Eva, a beautiful and intelligent woman who comes to Chester’s Mill with her boss, Lucy, in search of the egg. Eva is used to following Lucy’s orders without question, but Eva’s interest in Barbie (series lead Mike Vogel) may complicate matters for all of them, as well as Julia (series lead Rachelle LeFevre). (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter and Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Nic Bishop (Covert Affairs and Body of Proof) will appear in a season-long arc on the Syfy drama Dominion that is set in post-apocalyptic future, where an army of lower angels, assembled by the archangel Gabriel, has waged a war of possession against mankind. Details on Bishop’s are being kept under wraps, though. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

ORPHAN BLACK IN FOUR MINUTES VIDEO

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Henry Cavill (Man of Steel and the upcoming reboot of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) will star in the upcoming box office film Stratton that is based on the first in a series of eight novels written by Duncan Falconer, a real ex-Special Boat Service operative. The story follows Stratton as he and his team risk life, limb and national security to track down an international terrorist cell. (Ethan Anderton at First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

First of all congrats to all of the Oscar winners who were announced Sunday night, including Birdman, Eddie Redmayne, Julianne Moore, Alejandro Inarritu, J.K. Simmons, Patricia Arquette, Selma, Big Hero 6, The Imitation Game and The Grand Budapest Hotel (among others).

TELEVISION

Actress Lena Dunham (Girls) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Scandal, but details on the role she will play is being kept under wraps. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actress Calista Flockhart (Brothers & Sisters) will appear in the CBS pilot Supergirl, playing Cat Grant, a self-made media magnate and founder of CatCo, where Kara Zor-El (lead Melissa Benoist) works as her assistant. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Jessica Chastain has joined the cast of The Huntsman, starring opposite Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron, who reprise their roles from the first installment of the Snow White reboot. There are no specific details on who she will play in the movie, though. (Ali Jaafar at Deadline)

Here are the top 10 box office films from this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Fifty Shades of Gray – 23.2 million
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service – 17.5 million
3. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water – 15.5 million
4. McFarland, USA – 11.3 million
5. The DUFF – 11 million
6. American Sniper – 9.6 million
6. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 – 5.8 million
7. Jupiter Ascending – 3.6 million
8. The Imitation Game – 2.5 million
10. Paddington – 2.3 million

Q&A SECTION (with Kristin Dos Santos at E! and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: Will we see much of Felicity on Arrow? – BrowningAmber

Kristin: There’s a huge scene coming up in this week’s episode that is legitimately going to break the internet. It involves Felicity…and that’s all we can say.

Question: We will see a confrontation between Laurel and Thea about Sarah on Arrow? – birdsofcanary

Kristin: You will indeed see a scene between these two fierce females in this week’s episode, though what is discussed and both women’s reactions to the conversation will not be what you’re expecting. It’s a fascinating scene to watch, and it left us wanting more scenes between this dynamic duo!

Question: Is Agent Carter getting renewed!!? – @_LightToMyDark

Kristin: We certainly hope so! Agent Carter has been kicking some major ass all season long, and since the eight episode first season comes to an end tonight, we asked the showrunners if they’d be willing to take another trip back to the ’40s for a second season. “Oh god, absolutely! All day long, yeah,” Michelle Fazekas says with a laugh. “It’s so much fun, I love these characters, it’s such a happy cast and crew and writing staff. Everyone loves being there. It was a special, intense, short amount of time, and everyone is hoping that we can continue for more.”
‏
Question: Any scoop on The100? Maybe the season finale or any major character deaths? – isabellag08

Kristin: Bigger. That seems to be the keyword for the finale and beyond as showrunner Jason Rothenberg reveals he and the writing team are “most excited” about building out the universe. “It’s the thing that floats my boat, this universe creation and telling that bigger Grounder story,” he says. “And we’re going to keep doing that. Season three will make season two look like season one. It’s so different and bigger.

Question: Please, any kind of Outlander news! Any teases on what to expect when the show returns? – Theresa124:

Kristin: When the “Droughtlander” ends, in the first episode back, you will get that super-steamy love scene we already teased you about (and showed you a full minute of, which any good citizen has watched on repeat). That love scene comes after what is thus far Claire and Jamie’s biggest fight. And though at first you might start to dislike him a wee bet, you will ultimately love him all the more, when you see how he’s willing to change his ways, even his belief system for the woman he loves. This ain’t no fleeting fling, and arguably, one of TV’s most passionate love affairs of all time.

Question: Arrow scoop, please! – Deborah

Mitovich: Seeing as how we’re due for a couple of weeks of reruns, this Wednesday’s episode was “designed to be this crazy cliffhanger” — and boy is it! – “and have all this amazing stuff in it,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg teases. Among the highlights for him: “Seeing what [Thea]’s willing to do, and what Oliver’s willing to do, for her soul,” and watching John Barrowman and Matt Nable finally share a scene. EP Marc Guggenheim, meanwhile, is “really excited for people to see the A.T.O.M. suit in its full glory,” especially as Ray takes his maiden flight. “This show is not Flash — we don’t traffic in these sort of visuals — so it’s a big deal for us to get this kind of character on the show, looking the way he does.” Bonus scoop: See if you can guess which character delivers this heartbreaker: “It’s hard to remember a time when I was actually in love with you.”

Question: Please give me something on Forever! I am desperately hoping it comes back for a second season! – Eileen

Mitovich: If you’re among those wondering how Henry’s wife, Abigail, died, we went straight to the source — series star Ioan Gruffudd — for the answer. And it turns out… he doesn’t have one. “I always thought that something had happened where she not necessarily died in front of us, but maybe we had to part company to protect her or protect me or something,” he says. “Who knows if she’s still alive or still out there? I tend not to ask, because it’s best that I don’t know these things.”

Question: I am seeking any info on Season 5 of Teen Wolf. – Lisa

Mitovich: For those who’ve been holding out hope for Danny’s return, there’s this consolation prize: Episode 4 of the new season, titled “Condition Terminal,” will introduce the recurring character of Corey, who in the course of being treated in an operating room for a strange, painful wound dishes on his boyfriend Lucas. (Guest star Lucas, meanwhile, is described as a shy young man who has become an aggressive problem at a club.)

Question: Is there any way you can get any scoop about Once Upon a Time’s Belle? Her fans are dying for news. – Betsy

Mitovich: Your long wait for Belle goodness will end as soon as possible, because she gets the first line of dialogue — “Well, I see you still have your temper” — once the ABC drama returns to Storybrooke in Sunday’s Season 4B premiere. “And yes,” co-creator Adam Horowitz notes, “we haven’t forgotten that she’s still in possession of the Dark One’s dagger. That’s going to come into play pretty soon after our return as well.”

Question: Any hint on the surprise related to Emma’s Once Upon a Time storyline for the second part of the season? – Frances

Mitovich: You probably got a taste for it from the new promo that debuted during the Oscars and hinted at Miss Swan’s dance with the dark side. As EP Horowitz explained at a Tuesday screening of the Season 4B opener, “One of the big themes for the second half of the season that we want to deal with is what makes someone a hero and what makes someone a villain — what the differences are and what the common ground is. Emma has spent a long time on the series being told she’s a savior and being told she’s a hero. Now she’s going to have to face that it’s not black-and-white.”

Question: Any scoop on Grimm? – Jen

Mitovich: Casting is underway for the guest-starring role of “Iron Hans,” a rugged fiftysomething ranch owner who hosts weekend retreats for Wesen fathers and sons who have lost contact with their warrior heritage. We’ll also meet his beautiful, twenty-something (and strong-willed) daughter, Maggie.

Question: What does it say for a potential Season 8 of Castle that they wrapped up the two major storylines (Bracken, 3XK)? And if this is indeed the last season, shouldn’t the writers already know so that they can properly wrap up the show? – Vaso

Mitovich: I revisited this hot topic with showrunner David Amann the other week — asking, At what point do they need to know which way the wind is blowing with regards to re-signing Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic and possibly locking a renewal? – and his response was this: “Obviously, we’re prepared for whatever comes along, and we’ll adjust as necessary. But we’re hopeful that the show will move forward. In the meantime, we’ll just make the best show that we can.”

Question: Is there any hope for Jane the Virgin‘s steadfast, remaining Jane/Michael ‘shippers? – Lianne

Mitovich: It’s kinda sorta possibly looking that way. As creator EP Jennie Urman said of upcoming episodes (resuming March 9), “There are a few moments where Michael helps Jane with certain things that he knows how to help her with only because of their history, and that starts to play a big part in their reconnection. At the same time, her relationship with Rafael gets stressed the more they start to think about the practicals of what their life will be and what their life will look like together.” (Hmm, now that I have re-read that, you can probably strike the “kinda sorta.”)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

TELEVISION

Pop singer Christina Aguilera (The Voice) will be appear in a multi-episode arc of episode of Nashville playing Jade St. John, a pop superstar who hit it big 10 years ago, who wants to take a break from her life. (Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online)

Actress Linda Park (Star Trek: Enterprise) will appear in an upcoming episode of Castle, playing Inspector Zhang, a hot-shot Hong Kong cop that Beckett is paired up with, somewhat unwillingly. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Australian actress Gillian Alexy (The Americans and Royal Pains) has landed the lead role in the WGN America drama Outsiders that tells the story of the Farrell clan, a family of outsiders living off the grid and above the law on their mountaintop homestead. Alexy will play G’Winn Farrell. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Simon Merrells (The Tomorrow People) will appear in an eight-episode arc of the Syfy drama Dominion, playing Julian, the cunning and powerful leader of New Delphi, who will go to any lengths to protect his city. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Tom Everett Scott (Southland and That Thing You Do) will appear in the first half of the two-hour season finale of How to Get Away With Murder, playing a priest accused of killing a fellow man of the cloth. (Michael Slezak at TV Line)

Actor Doug Jones (Falling Skies) will appear in an upcoming episode of The Flash, playing Jake Simmons (aka Deathbolt), a villain with the power to manipulate lightning. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Actor Cristian de la Fuente (Royal Pains and CIS: Miami) will appear in Devious Maids, playing a mysterious character who has had a past relationship with one of the series’ central maids. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Laura Benanti (Nashville) has been cast in the CBS pilot Supergirl, playing Alura Zor-El, the birth mother of Kara (Melissa Benoist), a strong noblewoman who sends Kara to Earth to escape Krypton’s destruction. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Elizabeth Mitchell (Revolution and Lost) and actor Goran Visnjic (ER) will star alongside Donald Sutherland in the international series Crossing Lines, which revolves around a squad of European law enforcement officers who battle the explosion of international crime that accompanied the opening of borders by the European Union. Mitchell and Visnjic will play Carine Strand and Marco Corazza, new members of the elite team of officers investigating cross-border crimes. (Nellie Andreeva and Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Jason Biggs will not be returning for the third season of Orange Is the New Black. (Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online)

The Amazon original series Mozart In The Jungle has been renewed for a second season. (Nancy Tartaglione on Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Fifty Shades of Grey – 85 million
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service = 36.2 million
3. The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water – 31.7 million
4. American Sniper – 16.5 million
5. Jupiter Ascending – 9.2 million
6. Seventh Son – 4.1 million
7. Paddington – 4 million
8. The Imitation Game – 3.5 million
9. The Wedding Ringer – 3.2 million
10. Project Almanac – 2.8 million

Actress Morena Baccarin (Gotham, Firefly and Homeland) has landed the lead role in the upcoming box office adaptation of Deadpool, but the character she will play has not been revealed yet. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Actress Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) will star alongside actress Melissa McCarthy (Tammy) and actor Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) in the box office comedy Michelle Darnell that will have McCarthy in the lead role, a titan of industry who is sent to prison after she’s caught for insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget. Bell will play a single mother and Darnell’s former assistant. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) has been cast as the younger version of Nightcrawler in the upcoming box office film X-Men: Apocalypse that will find Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult and Michael Fassbender reprising their roles. The film is set to be out in May 2016. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actress Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs) will star alongside actors Bruce Willis and Sir Ben Kingsley in the indie thriller flick Wake. When the Forrester family reunites for a relative’s wake, they are unnerved by the arrival of the dead man’s brother, Red (Willis), a diagnosed sociopath who made their lives a living hell until he disappeared years ago. But when the family comes under siege from some deadly associates of the deceased, they’re glad to have Red on their side. Perabo will play Claire Forrester, the dead man’s widow who is also a former lover of Red’s. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

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

Question: Any chance I could get some scoop on my favorite Once Upon a Time character, Robin Hood? –Nicole

Mitovich: As previously hinted (and despite how Season 4A ended), Sean Maguire will be back in some capacity this spring as Regina’s soul mate. “And for the uber-observant fans,” series co-creator Adam Horowitz hints, “we’re going to shed some light on just why he might have looked different and not had a tattoo in Season 2″ — that is, back when the role was originally played by Tom Ellis.

Question: Do you know if we will see Emma’s childhood friend Lily on Once Upon a Time again this season? –Dee

Mitovich: Horowitz was a bit less forthcoming on that topic, offering only this, “We sure hope so!”

Question: Got something on my favorite Queen Catherine from Reign? –Astrid

Mitovich: I’ll meet you halfway with scoop on a queen – the queen? – seeing as for Season 3 the CW drama is casting the series regular role of a young Queen Elizabeth. The twentysomething monarch is described as “beautiful, cunning and brave, vulnerable and in love.”

Question: Since Arrow‘s Oliver Queen saw his ex on The Flash, will there be a storyline with that, or was that a one-time encounter? –Elizabeth

Mitovich: That fleeting, crossover event encounter with Oliver’s baby mama “was a little bit of a no-brainer,” Arrow showrunner Marc Guggenheim explained to me. With Oliver visiting Central City — the same place his secretly pregnant girlfriend scurried off to after taking a payoff from Moira — “How could we not take that opportunity?” he says. “That was really the reason to do it.”

Question: Any chance we’ll learn a little bit more about Alison or Cosima on Orphan Black this year? Maybe something about their parents, or how they first came to join the Clone Club? — Katie H.

Mitovich: We may gleam some bits of backstory this season, but don’t expect any big answers just yet. “We’re always trying to go forward and fill in blanks as we push a plot and a story forward,” co-creator John Fawcett tells TV Line. “That being said, it is an important part of the story that we understand how they found out that that they were clones. I don’t know if that’s necessarily going to find its way into Season 3, but needs to find its way in somewhere.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Warren Christie (Alphas) is joining the cast of Chicago Fire in a recurring role that could become a series regular role next season. He will play a new firefighter on the squad who is a childhood friend of Lt Kelly Severide (series regular Taylor Kinney). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The CW has given Beauty And the Beast a fourth season renewal; and the show’s third season has finally been given a premiere date: May 21. (Variety)

Actor Nathan Owens (Days of Our Lives) has joined the cast of the Lifetime drama Devious Maids, playing Jesse, a handsome military vet who returns stateside to settle back into civilian life. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Cinemax has given the drama series Banshee an eight-episode fourth season order. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos) has joined the cast of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. where she will play Karla Gaye Gideo, a gifted woman with a grudge to bear against the team. Additionally, actress Adrianne Palicki has been promoted to series regular. (Denise Petski at Deadline and ComingSoon.com)

The 13-episode Syfy series Dark Matter, which will follow the crew of a spaceship who awake from stasis with no clue where they are, will now include Stargate alums Amanda Tapping and Torri Higginson. Tapping will be in the director’s chair while Higginson will be part of the cast. The series will also star Antony Lemke (White House Down), Jodell Ferland (Twilight franchise), Roger Cross (24) and Zoie Palmer (Lost Girl). (Trent Moore at Blastr)

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: Any Castle scoop? — Sandra

Natalie: The second hour of the two-parter will see Castle get a taste of what Beckett went through for the months he was missing … and he’s not going to handle it well. Being personally targeted by 3XK brings out a new, more violent side of Castle, and his temper might just land him in handcuffs.

Question: Can Belle ever forgive Rumple on Once Upon a Time? — Michelle

Natalie: If she ever will, it won’t happen overnight. “That’s one of the things in the second half that we’re exploring, which is forgiveness,” executive producer Edward Kitsis tells me. “Can good people make a bad decision? Can bad people make a good decision? Can you come back from the bad decisions you made and how? What he did to Belle is really atrocious and that is not going to be solved with a mixed tape and flowers.”

Question: Any Arrow scoop on Ray suiting up as The Atom? — Stella

Natalie: Yeah, he’ll be more like Laurel than Oliver. “He’s definitely a sloppy superhero in the sense of all of our characters don’t immediately have the easiest time fighting crime,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim says. “I would say episode 19 really digs underneath what does it mean for Ray to be a hero. Is he a hero because of who he is? Or is he a hero because of the suit that he’s made?”

Question: Is there anything you can say about Cooper’s fate on The Blacklist?— Tony

Natalie: Sad to say, but nobody is really safe. “We feel like we have a great story coming up where his health issues will make him face his own mortality and question his value,” executive producer John Eisendrath says. “He will be tested in ways that he’s never been tested before and tempted to do things that are darker than he has ever done before when balanced against his health.”

Question: What do you have on the State of Affairs finale? — Max

Natalie: The season (series?) finale has a Man on Fire feel as Charlie ventures across the world to hunt down Fatah, but she does so with a heavy heart. “She’s dealing with the idea that Nick is gone and she’s at odds with the President,” executive producer Joe Carnahan says, teasing that the team will be tracking down the suicide vests back in the States while Constance faces her allies jumping ship as the truth about Fatah goes public.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

TNT has renewed The Librarians for a second season. (The Wrap)

Actress Katheryn Winnick (Vikings) will appear in an episode of Person of Interest, playing Frankie Wells, a resourceful, relentless bounty hunter who enjoys her job of chasing down bad guys perhaps a bit too much. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Cinemax has given a 10-episode order to the paranormal drama Outcast based on the comic-book by Robert Kirkman that will star actor Patrick Fugit (Gone Girl) as a young man who sets off to find answers as to why he’s been possessed by demons since he was a child. His search is aided by an unconventional evangelist, who has possession issues of his own (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past three days:

TELEVISION

Actress Megalyn Echikunwoke (House of Lies and The 4400) has joined the cast of the Lifetime straight-to-series drama Damien, the six-episode drama that follows the adult life of Damien Thorn (Bradley James from Merlin), the mysterious child from the 1976 film who has grown up, seemingly unaware of the satanic forces around him. She will play Simone Baptiste, a woman who grew up in the shadow of her overachieving sister whose life is thrown into turmoil when tragedy strikes, leading her to question her religious faith. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Aisha Hinds (Under the Dome) will star opposite Justin Chatwin (Shameless) in the TNT pilot Breed, the supernatural thriller that tells the wild and chilling story of a series of brutal murders in the Pacific Northwest and the mysterious race of creatures who may be committing them. Hinds will play police Captain Dennison, Cooper’s (Chatwin) boss, who warily gives him some leeway to pursue his unusual theories about the recent murders in Tacoma. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead) will appear in an upcoming episode of The Flash, she will appear as Brie Larvan — fka Bertram in comics lore — when Arrow‘s Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) visit Central City for help with his A.T.O.M. exosuit. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actor David Morrissey (The Walking Dead) will appear in the CBS summer drama Extant, playing Gen. Tobias Shepherd, Head of the global security commission. Also joining the cast is actress Kiersey Clemons (Transparent and the MTV thriller series Eye Candy), who will play Lucy, a lifelike robot. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter and Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Actress Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Jane the Virgin, as a woman who plays a critical role in the relationship between Jane (Gina Rodriguez) and Rafael (Justin Baldoni) as it reaches a crossroads. (Variety and The Futon Critic)

Actress Jennifer Esposito (Blue Bloods) will fill the void on the ABC summer series Mistresses vacated by Alyssa Milano. She will play Calista Raines, the uber-fabulous and larger-than-life Creative Director of a luxury fashion brand who has the high-class socialite lifestyle that goes with it. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy) has landed a series regular role on the WGN America drama series Outsiders that tells a tale of struggle for power and control in the hills of Appalachia. It tells the story of the Farrell clan, a family of outsiders who’ll protect their world and defend their way of life using any means necessary. Hurst will play Lil Foster, the son of Big Foster and brother of Hasil. He is pathologically loyal to his father and will always take his father’s side in an argument or confrontation – until he doesn’t. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Agnes Bruckner (24 and Private Practice) will have a recurring role on Once Upon a Time, but details on who she will be playing are being kept under wraps. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. will be showing on the ABC drama Forever, playing Isaac Douglas, a rich do-gooder who — after being cleared as a possible murder suspect — wines and dines Detective Martinez (Alana de la Garza) in a multi-episode arc. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Veteran actress Linda Lavin (the classic comedy Alice) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Bones where she will appear as a criminal courts judge. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

TRAILERS

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water – 55.4 million
2. American Sniper – 23.3 million
3. Jupiter Ascending – 18.4 million
4. Seventh Son – 7.2 million
5. Project Almanac – 5.23 million
6. Paddington – 5.22 million
7. The Wedding Ringer – 4.7 million
8. The Imitation Game – 4.68 million
9. Black or White – 4.5 million
10. The Boy Next Door – 4.1 million

Actor Eric Bana will play Uther, the father of King Arthur in the upcoming movie Knights of the Round Table. Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) will play Arthur. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

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

Question: Apparently Stephen Amell said at the Dallas Comic Con that the Arrow costume would undergo a change this season. Do you have any details? –Ravi

Mitovich: I ran that by showrunner Marc Guggenheim the other day, and after some thought he allowed this much: “You’ll see a wide variety of changes coming for Arrow. There’s a lot that’s happening in the latter half of the year that will require some big, wholesale changes.”

Question: Can you offer any news on Grey’s Anatomy or Suits? —Jonny

Mitovich: Suits, it is! This week’s flashback-heavy episode will “shed light on Harvey and Louis’ backstory” and the origins of their feud, executive producer Aaron Korsh previews. As for Mike, he’s just been kicked out of college, so the glimpses of the past are intended to reveal the “aftermath of that and just to show a progression with his relationship with Trevor and his grandmother.” In the midst of all that, there’s also “some fun Jessica stuff and Donna stuff, and we try to put some little tidbits about the first time various things happened. We actually have a really fun scene, to me, that’s actually the first time Rachel is inside of Pearson Hardman.”

Question: Got any scoop on The Flash’s Gorilla Grodd? –Mason

Mitovich: Captain Cold and Heat Wave, who when next seen are accompanied by Lisa Snart AKA Golden Glider, will be back. Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg says with a laugh that it’s a treat to watch Leonard “try to be a good big brother to this slightly psycho younger sister,” while Lisa in turn endeavors to “manipulate Heat Wave and his willingness to be a dumb lug for love.”

Question: Scoops, please, on Rookie Blue, Chicago P.D. or The Night Shift. – Debbie

Mitovich: I choose… Night Shift, since a lotta people aren’t aware that NBC’s sophomore medical drama will be back so soon (on Monday, Feb. 23 at 10/9c). I can report that NCIS alum Sarah Jane Morris has booked a multi-episode arc as war vet TC’s sister-in-law, Annie, who has been in free fall ever since the death of her husband. TC has supported Annie through her hard times and even put her through nursing school, but she may be concealing a potentially deadly problem….

Question: I was wondering if you had any scoop on ABC Family’s Switched at Birth? – Mar

Mitovich: The decision to wrap up the consent storyline with Tank’s expulsion from college was “a very controversial” one, executive producer Lizzy Weiss says. “We struggled a lot in the writers’ room with how to end the story. We finally felt like there had to be some sort of closure. Whether or not it’s realistic, I don’t know. People can argue about that.” And they can take comfort in the fact that we will find out what happened to Tank after he was kicked out of school. “We’ll revisit him in the second part of the season,” the EP reveals.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the few news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Luke Mitchell (The Tomorrow People) will appear in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., playing charismatic Inhuman Lincoln, who has an important role to play in Skye’s (series regular Chloe Bennet) understanding the true extent of her transformation. SHIELD will be back on March 3 on ABC. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

A&E may have pulled the plug on The Glades and Longmire, but they seem ready to help an underdog CBS series. The cabler will be reviving the cop procedural Unforgettable for a 13-episode fourth season. (Variety Staff)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor James Badge Dale (Iron Man 3 and 24) will star in the Michael Bay film 13 Hours that will chronicle the deadly assault on the U.S. State Department Special Mission Compound in Benghazi. It will be told from the perspective of the six-member security team that fought to protect the other people stationed there. He will play the leader of the security team that tries to protect U.S. lives in the assault. John Krasinski (The Office) will co-star. (Mike Fleming, Jr at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today and yesterday:

TELEVISION

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and singer-actress Rita Ora will both guest star in upcoming episodes of the new FOX drama Empire; but details about their roles are being kept under wraps. (Sadie Genis at TV Guide and E! News)

Actor Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) will have a multi-episode recurring role in the FOX drama Gotham, playing Jason Lennon, a.k.a. The Ogre, [but he is not the same Ogre as the DC Comics character Ogre]. (Movie Web)

Bravo has given a second season order to Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce. (Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

Being Mary Jane has been given a second season order by BET. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Mira Sorvino (Falling Skies and Intruders) will have a recurring role on the CBS drama Stalker, playing Vicki Gregg, a well-respected FBI agent who began her career at TAU and once ran the division. She returns to help the team when Beth’s (series lead Maggie Q) stalker escalates. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Derek Luke (Hawthorne) will star opposite Thandie Newton and Cole Hauser in the third season of the DirecTV drama Rogue. He will play Marlon Dinard, the leader of the 13th Street Kings, a powerful street gang. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

NBC has given a renewal order to the following dramas: The Blacklist, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Grimm and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

ONLINE TV TRAILER

That’s it. Enjoy!

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