Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today, few though they may be:

TELEVISION

Sundance TV has renewed The Red Road for a second season. It will return with six episodes sometime in 2015. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

A&E has given a 10-episode straight-to-series order for an adaptation of the acclaimed French drama The Returned with Carlton Cuse (Bates Motel and Lost) and Raelle Tucker (True Blood) as writers/executive producers. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NOTE: Quite frankly, we don’t need an adaptation of this series. The original will be far better and network TV already has a less-than-stellar version of this story in the form of Resurrection that will be ending on ABC next weekend. Just my opinion.

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

FOX has announced they will broadcast the first-ever three-hour LIVE production of Grease in 2015. Casting has to be made, but the made-for-TV movie musical will feature a young ensemble cast. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Casting for the new Star Wars film has been announced with actors John Boyega (Attack the Block and 24: Live Another Day), Adam Driver (Girls), Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) and Domhnall Gleeson (About Time); relative newcomer Daisy Ridley, actor Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings franchise) as well as veteran Max von Sydow joining original stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker. The movie is set to open worldwide on December 18, 2015. (StarWars.com)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Columbus Short, whose character Harrison Wright has been on the show since season 1, will not be returning for Scandal‘s upcoming fourth season. The series has not officially been renewed yet, but it is pretty much a given that it will be. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Jake Weber (Medium) has joined the cast of the AMC western drama Hell on Wheels where he will play Harlan Fell, the chief engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad. AMC renewed the series for a fourth season this past November and it will return this summer for an expanded 13-episode season. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

TV SERIES TRAILER

Hot TV Trailer: HBO’s The Leftovers

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

FOX is jumping into the TV musical arena with the announcement they will put on a three-hour live presentation of Grease sometime in 2015. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Jude Law will join actor Colin Firth and actress Nicole Kidman in the upcoming box office film called Genius that will recount the relationship between literary icon Thomas Wolfe (Law) and renowned editor Max Perkins (Firth) that changed both men forever. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

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

1. The Other Woman – 24.7 million
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – 16 million
3. Heaven Is for Real – 13.8 million
4. Rio 2 – 13.6 million
5. Brick Mansions – 9.6 million
6. Transcendence – 4.1 million
7. The Quite Ones = 4 million
8. Bears – 3.606 million
9. Divergent – 3.600 million
10. A Haunted House 2 – 3.2 million

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online)

Question: Give us some scoop on Supernatural (please)? – Brandon T.

TV Scoop Team: Prepare for a Supernatural first and a major cliffhanger in the finale. “We leave our guys in a situation they’ve never faced before, which after nine seasons, it kind of narrows it down a little bit,” supervising producer Andrew Dabb teases. “I think once they see the last frame of the last episode, I think people are going to be incredibly excited for Season 10.”

Question: Got any Pretty Little Liars secrets you can spill? – Benzoholic345

TV Scoop Team: Ah, you caught us, we always carry pretty little spoilers in our fanny pack. (Hey, don’t judge—they’re still cool!)As you know, creator Marlene King already spilled that a PLL movie is the goal, but just when will that happen? ABC Family has already renewed the dark drama for a fifth season, but could that be the end of our Rosewood residents on the small screen? “I don’t think the end of season five is the end of our story,” King says. “We know what that ending is already and it definitely sets us up for some more stories to tell in season six, but of course we have to rely on ABC Family for that, but I think they’ll think so too.” Are you excited for more potential PLL seasons?!

Question: I’m obsessed with Under the Dome, please tell me that I’m not alone? – Joseph

TV Scoop Team: Heck no! We found ourselves trapped by all the soapy-goodness last summer and we’ve got some brand new scoop on what’s ahead. Prepare to meet Hunter, he’s a confident teen who is particularly savvy when it comes to all things technology. He’ll definitely be helping out our dome detainees in season two to warn you—don’t get on his bad side!

Question: I’m stoked that Awkward is back, but I’m just waiting for Jenna to screw up her life again. Got any info on what’s ahead? – Sydney

TV Scoop Team: Jenna may be a ticking time bomb of bad choices, but Natalie sure isn’t! Who is Natalie, you ask? She’s a sexy single mom in her late twenties who helps give one P.V. senior his sexy mojo back at a New Year’s Eve party. (But we’re not spilling who!) We’ll be seeing a lot from Natalie in future episodes, so you better start learning to like her now…

Question: My mind is still blown from Saturday’s episode of Orphan Black. Helena is a…what?! – Emma

TV Scoop Team: Spoiler Alert: She’s a mirror twin! Her internal organs are the exact opposite of Sarah’s—pretty wild right? We chatted with Orphan Black’s genius creators to get the scoop on this twist. Graeme Mason explains, “Somewhere along in my research I discovered what a mirror twin was, and I told John and we both just flipped and said ‘That’s it!'” Executive producer John Fawcett adds, “It’s perfect because Sarah and Helena are kind of a yin/yang thing, and that worked exactly for our concept. And we loved it as a reveal for season two. We had never ever had any plans to dispatch of Helena.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Laura Spencer (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Switched at Birth) will recur on Bones as one of the rotating interns and a potential long-term “mate” for Sweets (series regular John Francis Daley). She is also currently recurring on The Big Bang Theory as a potential love interest for Raj (series regular Kunal Nayyar). The next new episode of Bones will air on FOX on May 5. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Larenz Tate (Rescue Me) has been promoted to series regular on the upcoming new medical drama Rush that is set to premiere on the USA Network on July 17. The series follows Dr. William Rush (Tom Ellis from Eastenders and Merlin), a medical fixer who privately caters to Los Angeles’ elite. Tate will play Dr. Alex Thomas, Rush’s best friend dating back to medical school and one of the few constants in his life. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Veteran actors Cloris Leachman (Raising Hope) and Barry Bostwick (Cougar Town) will both appear in separate episodes of the TNT drama Franklin & Bash. Leachman will guest star as Irina Lottye Kruskal, a frightening gypsy with pertinent knowledge of an allegedly haunted house while Bostwick will play Jake “Falcon” Reilly, a boozy resident of a retirement community who seeks to adopt his late girlfriend’s grandson. The catch? Jake’s potential adoptee is a full-grown adult. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Stage actor Ray Fisher (Fetch Clay, Make Man) will play Cyborg in the upcoming untitled Batman-Superman box office film. He will not have a major part in that feature, but will become more prominent as Warner Bros. and DC develop more films related to the Justice League universe. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

Actress Amanda Seyfried (Veronica Mars and Les Miserables) has joined the cast of the upcoming live-action Peter Pan feature entitled Pan that will follow the story of an orphan who is spirited away to the magical Neverland where he finds both fun and danger and ultimately discovers his destiny: to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan. The film already includes Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard, Garrett Hedlund as Hook and Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily. The film is set to release on July 17, 2015. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

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

Question: Do you have anything juicy on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s season finale? –Andy

Mitovich: That absolutely depends on how you define “juicy.” Bill Paxton told us that in addition to getting insight into Garrett’s “weird, fatherly relationship” with Ward, he will “of course” resurface in the May 13 season finale.

Question: Is there more to Arrow’s “Oliver has a child” reveal, or is it something that will be addressed in Season 3? –Sam

Mitovich: As of now, the name of the baby momma glimpsed this week is not being specified (lest everyone crash the Connor Hawke Wiki page), but that thread will be picked up. Eventually. “That is something that will be paid off in Season 3,” EP Andrew Kreisberg told reporters at a recent screening.

Question: Can we expect any more development between Once Upon a Time’s Hook and Emma? Or Regina and Robin Hood? –Charlee

Mitovich: On the Hook/Emma front — specifically, the matter of his damning next kiss – series co-creator Eddy Kitsis points out, “Right now, Emma doesn’t seem so interested in kissing him. So we’ll have to see if that changes.” As for the simmering “OutlawQueen,” he says, “You will see that the only thing standing in their way is Regina’s sister [Zelena], who will test whether or not she has really changed.” Reflecting on Regina’s long road to romance, Kitsis says, “It’s taken 60-some episodes to get to this moment of Regina opening her heart, so we’re gratified the audience came with us on that ride.”

Question: Please tell me you have some good spoilers for Once Upon a Time’s Rumple/Belle fans? It would be nice to get something positive for once! –vab

Mitovich: I was valiant like a prince in trying to get you the goods, during my May Sweeps Q&A with the creators. So when Eddy Kitsis offered up the usual, “Fans should keep watching,” I pressed for more. Adam Horowitz responded, “Rumple and Belle are a relationship that has had many challenges, but what we love about them — and what the fans can look forward to — is that no matter the adversity, the light and hope and optimism at the core of Belle will continue to fight on. You’ll see that as the rest of the season plays out.” And if you relished as I did the overdue scene where Belle gave Regina guff for her long captivity, Kitsis promises “more stuff with Emilie [de Ravin] coming up that we think is some of her best work on the show.”

Question: The photo you released of Once Upon a Time Episode 320 has a girl with what looks like the classic blue-and-white checkered Dorothy dress. Any chance you can give us more on her? –Jacquelyn

Mitovich: That’s Matreya Scarrwener playing Dorothy. You may know the ingenue from… hmm… a Season 3 episode of The Killing, maybe?

Question: Was Delilah’s move to Dubai due to Margo Harshman not wanting to stay on NCIS, or was it part of their storyline? Some fans think it could be a way McGee could leave the show if Sean Murray doesn’t [re-sign]. –Robert

Mitovich: File this one under “Wait and See.” Show boss Gary Glasberg says the McGee/Delilah story won’t be revisited over these last few episodes, “but it wouldn’t surprise me if it comes back up in the earlier part of Season 12.”

Question: Give me anything you have on Person of Interest. –Bradley

Mitovich: How about Amy Acker teasing the season finale? Agreeing with the producers’ assessment that it’s “a f—king giant hot mess,” she goes on to say, “They’ve done huge episodes throughout the season that on any other show I’ve been on would’ve been a season finale, so they just had to make it even bigger than that. And I think they succeeded. It’s really exciting, everything that happens. I was like, ‘Can’t you just give us the script for next season?!’”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today, few though they may be:

TELEVISION

Actress Helena Mattsson (Betrayal, 666 Park Avenue and Nikita) will have a recurring role in the ABC summer drama Mistresses, playing Greta Jager, an ageless, gorgeous European supermodel, who isn’t afraid to bare her teeth when the situation calls for it. That tough edge may come in handy in Greta’s business endeavor launching a new restaurant called Wundebar along with partner Scott (actor Justin Hartley from Smallville and Revenge), who will be a love interest for Joss (series regular Jes Macallan). Mistresses will be back on ABC starting on June 2. (Michael Slezak at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Sam Trammell (True Blood) will star in the Amazon drama pilot Cocked that revolves around an estranged son who must return to work with his father and brother at his family’s gun manufacturing company after a corporate rival, run by their uncle, moves to take them over. Trammell will star as Richard Paxson, the man who after years of torment from his brother and father, left the family business and has been trying to work his way up a marketing firm to no avail. He has an amazing immediate family that he has worked to keep separate from his extended one for years — until he is forced back into the family gun manufacturing business. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Scott Speedman (Last Resort and Felicity) will star opposite actress Patricia Clarkson in the box office film called October Gale. Speedman will play a mysterious man who, during a violent October storm, washes up on the shore of Helen Matthews’ remote island cottage, unconscious and bleeding from a gunshot wound. Clarkson plays the recently widowed doctor who takes him in, only to find that the shooter is coming back to finish the job and that the storm has cut them off from the mainland. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actress Aubrey Peeples (Nashville) has landed the lead role in the upcoming box office adaptation of the 1980s Hasbro toyline and beloved cartoon Jem and the Holograms. She will be surrounded by actresses Stefanie Scott (Disney’s A.N.T. Farm), Aurora Perrineau (Pretty Little Liars) and Hayley Kiyoko (The Fosters), who will play the Holograms. (Rebecca Ford and Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Trailer: The Immigrant

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TV TRAILER

Hot TV Trailer: NBC’s ‘Crossbones’

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Bravo Media is development a drama-mystery series called All The Pretty Faces that will be executive produced by Jennifer Garner. The potential series is set in the bucolic beach town of Half Moon Bay, California, centering on two warring families engaged in an epic, decades-long feud. The death of one of their own brings both families together in search of the secret to the affliction that has plagued them for generations: immortality. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

HBO and the BBC will adapt J.K. Rowling’s novel “The Casual Vacancy” into a three-hour mini-series. The book was about a seemingly idyllic English village where various factions are at war: rich vs. poor, teenagers vs. parents, wives vs. husbands etc. Production will begin this summer in south west England. (Variety)

Actors Jeremy Davies (Justified) and Robert Knepper (Prison Break) have joined the cast of the History Channel’s mini-series Texas Rising that will detail the Texas Revolution against Mexico and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers. Davies will play Sgt. Ephraim Knowles, a shifty rogue whose only thought is for his own survival who reluctantly joins the Rangers to avoid being executed for desertion; while Knepper will play Empresario Buckley, an unshaven bombastic slob, who is the only law in the town of Victoria, and he abuses his position to further his own agenda and make himself rich in the process. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

It looks like another Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie will be made as Alloy Entertainment is developing the fifth and final novel by Ann Brashares for the big screen. The book “Sisterhood Everlasting” picks up ten years later, after the Sisterhood friends have grown apart. It centers on Tibby who tries to bridge the distance by reuniting the girls for a trip that will change their lives forever. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Hot Cannes Trailer: Ken Loach’s ‘Jimmy’s Hall’

Hot Trailer: Emma Thompson & Pierce Brosnan In ‘The Love Punch’

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams at TV Guide, Michael Ausiello at TV Line and TV Scoop Team at E! Online)

Question: Jack is back! Please spoil the return of 24! — David

Natalie: Although he’s been on the lam for four years, Jack comes out of hiding to stop the assassination of the U.S. president in London. And as you might guess, he’s promptly captured the minute he shows his face. But Jack’s not that rusty. In fact, there’s a very specific reason Jack allows himself to get caught — and it involves a familiar face. Unfortunately, Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski from Chuck), a Bauer-esque CIA operative looking to prove her worth, wastes little time standing in the way of the blessed reunion.

Question: Please tell me Cobie Smulders is going to stay on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. full-time! — Cara

Natalie: The good news: Producers are hoping to find a more permanent position for her next season. The bad: Agent Hill’s future on the show, including her return in the April 29 episode, will be highly contentious. For starters, she was last seen applying for a job at Stark Industries at the end of Winter Soldier. “It would appear that she’s moving on. Coulson clearly has not,” executive producer Jeph Loeb says. “And let’s not forget that Hill hid the truth about T.A.H.I.T.I. “I don’t know how much Coulson trusts her opinion on anything, frankly,” executive producer Jeffrey Bell says.

Question: Do you have any more scoop on the Castle wedding? — Jeanine

Natalie: You can’t have a wedding without a best man, right? Expect a ridiculous competition between Ryan and Esposito as they try to win the job. “Ryan [wants] to have nice time at the bachelor party,” Seamus Dever teases of his character’s approach. “He knows a great place with a great wine list. He’s going to be a classy best man where Esposito is going to be like, ‘Yeah, I’m your frat boy!'” Unfortunately for both men, Castle may (unintentionally) be hard to woo. “The whole time they’re jockeying for favor, all of their efforts are wasted because he’s not even aware of what they’re trying to do,” Dever says.

Question: What’s going to happen to Scarlett after her onstage meltdown on Nashville? — Chinta

Natalie: She’s going to take a long, hard look in the mirror. “Scarlett has to really look at some of the choices that she’s made and [decide] whether or not it’s something she can really dedicate her life to,” executive producer Callie Khouri says. Could she really walk away from her burgeoning career? “She found herself succeeding in a business that she never had any interest really in being in,” Khouri says. “She starts really looking at whether or not she’s in the right place, made the right decisions, doing the right thing.”

Question: What’s the plan for Donna and Harvey now that Scottie’s gone on Suits? — Connor

Natalie: What do you think Donna is, a rebound? Unfortunately, there will be no movement on the romance front for them, as Donna’s focus is helping Harvey get acclimated to the post-Mike world in Season 4. “I still don’t think it’s the right time [for them to get together],” creator Aaron Korsh says. “And Donna knows they are not meant to be at this time too. If they got together now, it would ruin their friendship.” But will either get any lovin’ next season? There are no plans as of yet, but don’t expect to see Scottie back.

Question: Any update on whether Elisha Cuthbert will be back as Kim in 24: Live Another Day? —Jennifer

Ausiello: My sources insist the 12-episode revival will be Kim-free, but there’s reason to believe those insiders are spinning tall tales. Keep in mind, executive producer Manny Coto told us back in January that there “might be” a place for Jack’s cougar-bait daughter in this brand new day, but “it would be later in the season, and it would mean giving away a plot point.” In the meantime, I can confirm that Kim does play an off-screen role in the two-hour May 5 opener, which I’ve seen and found immensely entertaining. If you were a fan of 24, you’re going to love 24: LAD. Chloe acolytes, in particular, will be very happy. BONUS SCOOP: A returning character is keeping a big secret and it’s of the medical variety.

Question: Hart of Dixie fan not-so-patiently waiting for George and Zoe scoop. —Ma’ayan

Ausiello: All I’ll say is that at least six entries in our May Sweeps Scorecard are earmarked for Dixie. Interpret as you like.

Question: On Once Upon a Time, who is ruling over Oz while Walsh is absent? –Marko

Ausiello: “That’s a great question,” series co-creator Adam Horowitz responded when we hand-delivered your query — and it’s one that comes with an answer. The May 4 episode, which is titled “Kansas” and revisits the land of Oz, “will address that pretty directly,” the EP shares.

Question: Any information on whether Nashville‘s Luke is secretly working with Jeff to sabotage Rayna? –Christine

Ausiello: We took that exact query to series creator Callie Khouri, who shut the rumor down quickly. “No,” she said, adding that Rayna’s relationship with the superstar “is entirely personal” and that Luke’s frustration stems from Deacon’s enduring involvement with Ms. Jaymes. “It’s just a really rough place for another guy to be when the person you’re involved with has this very complicated, long history with another man, and that man is still in her life.”

Question: Any Under the Dome spoilers you might have gathered so far? —Babar

Ausiello: Season 2’s eighth episode will introduce us to Hunter, a tech-savvy teen who, per the casting breakdown, “doesn’t subscribe to any programmer stereotypes or labels.” (Although he’s fine if you want to refer to him as a hacktivist.) He’s a free-thinking foster kid who speaks his mind. He’s also set to recur. The role calls for an actor in his mid-to-late teens.

Question: Any Orphan Black tidbits, especially on Alison? She is so wound up and fussy, I love her. –Leia

Ausiello: As you might have already surmised, Alison’s community theater production will turn out to be quite a show, as her anxieties build with no Team Clone pals available to calm her down. I also leave you to ponder the context of this upcoming line: “I don’t believe I’ve ever done ‘the nasty.’”

Question: Burning Arrow question: What can you tease about Oliver’s next move now that it’s clear that Slade is building a super-powered army? —Sam

Ausiello: First and foremost, Oliver is focused on one particular recruit to said army — Roy. In tonight’s episode, “We see the devastating toll the Mirakuru injection has taken on Roy,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg tells us. “He goes through a pretty surprising arc,” as most everyone debates if he’s too wild a card to let live. “That is the question of the hour, and it’s not just our team that’s asking it, but also Thea and Sin,” Kreisberg previews. “And where everybody comes out on that issue, I think, will be surprising.”

Question: Anything on Devious Maids? —Claire

Ausiello: I’ve got good news for you, Claire, especially if you’re worried about Rosie’s future with Spence. Executive producer Sabrina Wind assures TVLine that Peri’s plan to keep them apart “will not come full-term,” so to speak. The truth about her fake pregnancy will be revealed – and sooner than you might think.

Question: Is NCIS ending the season with a major cliffhanger? —Donna

Ausiello: As Matt Mitovich shared on Twitter the other day, there will be “no whiff of a cliff” — in part because the season will end with a solemn goodbye to Ralph Waite’s Jackson Gibbs, and not the Tony-centric episode which got moved to May 6. As show boss Gary Glasberg explains, “Because the season was as complicated as it was, we just didn’t feel like we needed to do a traditional cliffhanger. We wanted to ground everything and get things back to ‘normal.’”

Question: I’m in desperate need of more season two spoilers for Sleepy Hollow! The wait is killing me. – Melissa

TV Scoop Team: Prepare to meet another one of the Founding Fathers! The Fox hit is set to welcome Benjamin Franklin in season two. Franklin will appear alongside Ichabod in a flashback to 1775 and show off his scathing sense of humor. (The character was briefly seen in season one, but a recast is going down.)

Question: Anything on Supernatural’s season finale? – Tyler

TV Scoop Team: Jeremy Carver told us this about the season nine ender: “All bets are off when Sam, Dean and Castiel take the fight to Metatron. Uneasy alliances and brutal choices await all culminating in shocking consequences.”

Question: The Blacklist is on fire right now. What can we expect to see leading up to the finale? – Ronan

TV Scoop Team: Oh, you thought the showdown between Tom and Liz was intense in the last episode? Just. You. Wait. We can tease that one of their next encounters involves a gun. And it’s not pretty. Oh, and yet another major character’s life will be in jeopardy in the penultimate episode. This show is insane and we love every single second of it.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items covering Friday, Monday and today:

TELEVISION

Actor Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) will be making a guest appearance on The CW period drama Reign, playing John, a sexy nobleman visiting the French Court. (Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

Actor Eion Bailey (Once Upon a Time) will have a recurring role on the Showtime series Ray Donovan, playing a charismatic motivational speaker/self-help guru who needs Ray’s (series lead Liev Schreiber) help. Ray Donovan will be back starting July 13. (The Deadline Team)

Actor Stephen Lang (Avatar and Terra Nova) has landed a recurring role on the WGN America thriller Salem that is set in 17th century Massachusetts, exploring what really fueled the town’s infamous witch trials. It centers on Mary Sibley (series lead Janet Montgomery), the beautiful, ruthless but vulnerable wife of the ancient, ailing but very wealthy George Sibley, one of Salem’s town Selectmen. Lang will play Increase Mather, an old-line, hard-core Puritan who led the way across the ocean to the Promised Land in the late 1600s. Intellectually, spiritually and politically, he’s the most influential man in the country — and the most feared. Salem airs on WGN America on Sunday nights at 10 PM. (The Deadline Team)

Actor Colin Egglesfield (The Client List and Rizzoli & Isles) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the CBS procedural Unforgettable, playing Charles Sewell, a hard-charging agent with the Coast Guard Investigative Services who helps Carrie (series lead Poppy Montgomery) and Al (series regular Dylan Walsh) in their investigation of a boat explosion in New York Harbor. (Joyce Eng at TV Guide)

Actor Nestor Carbonell (Lost and Bates Motel) will guest star in an upcoming episode of CBS drama The Good Wife, playing Daniel Irwin, a charming entrepreneur who catches Alicia’s (series lead Julianna Margulies) eye. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

TV SHOW VIDEOS

Witches of East End Season 2 Promo

Exclusive First Look: Syfy’s Dominion

Falling Skies Season 4 Trailer

WGN America’s Manhattan Teaser

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC Family has made a pilot order for the drama called Stitchers that follows a young woman who is recruited into a covert government agency to be “stitched” into the minds of the recently deceased, using their memories to investigate murders and decipher mysteries that otherwise would have gone to the grave. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE VIDEO

‘Petals on the Wind’ Trailer

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actors Rhys Coiro (Hostages and A Gifted Man) and Joe Egender (Alcatraz) have joined the cast of the upcoming History Channel mini-series Texas Rising, which will detail the Texas Revolution against Mexico and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers. Coiro will play Vern Elwood will Egender will play Beans Wilkins, a Ranger who is always hungry and looking for his next meal. The cast of this mini-series already includes Bill Paxton, Ray Liotta, Brendan Fraser and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE MOVIE NEWS

Actor Reiley McClendon (The Fosters) will appear in the independent film called Shangri-La Suite that will star actor Luke Grimes (True Blood and Brothers & Sisters) and actress Emily Browning (Sucker Punch). The film is set in 1974, focusing on two troubled 20-year-olds who set out to kill Elvis Presley. McClendon will play young Elvis. (The Deadline Team)

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

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – 26.6 million
2. Rio 2 – 22.5 million
3. Heave is for Real – 21.5 million
4. Transcendence – 11.1 million
5. A Haunted House 2 – 9.1 million
6. Draft Day – 5.9 million
7. Divergent – 5.75 million
8. Oculus – 5.2 million
9. Noah – 5 million
10. God’s Not Dead – 4.8 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Brendan Gleeson & Taylor Kitsch in New Trailer for ‘Grand Seduction’

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online and Matt Roush at TV Guide)

Question: I’m in a serious slump in between Teen Wolf seasons. I will literally take any scoop you have on season 4. – Elizabeth M.

TV Scoop Team: Get ready to meet a new hired gun, named Fahey. He’s in his late 30’s and he’s described as “frightened, yet masculine.” As for who hired him as a gun, we don’t know yet. However, we do know that apparently Fahey has got some explaining to do, Lucy-style, and you’ll meet him in episode six!

Question: I’m dying without my weekly dose of Pretty Little Liars! I need a Rosewood update ASAP! – McKenna G.

TV Scoop Team: We all know that PLL fans want to end the series with a jaw-dropping, mystery-filled movie, and guess what? So does creator Marlene King! “That’s always been the ultimate goal, is that it ends its life in one medium and starts another life on film. I love that.” And the showrunner exclusively spilled to E! that she doesn’t want this to be a made-for-TV movie. We’re talking the silver screen, people! “Oh we want an in-theaters film! Big, big, big opening weekend, with all those Pretty Little Liars fans are coming out. It would be so much fun. And we’d get to do so much like big stuff too,” she smiled. Let’s make it happen, little liars!

Question: I miss Sleepy Hollow so much. Got any season 2 scoop? – Lauren P.

TV Scoop Team: There’s a new sheriff in town, and she’s kind of a far cry from Corbin. Described as “smart, forceful, highly trained and commanding but also has a warm and maternal side,” Sheriff Vasquez apparently used to live in Sleepy Hollow before moving to Texas to work for the U.S. Border Patrol. We hear that’s not a very chill job, so we’re thinking she’s not going to be very tolerant of the headless time-traveling supernatural nonsense that’s taken over the town as of late. We’ll see how that goes.

Question: I’ve been pretty impressed with how Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has managed to fold in the plot line from the new Captain America movie without giving away too much from the film. It seems like a really difficult balance, and given that this is the only time I can think of where a TV show has run concurrent with a film series, I give a lot of credit to the writers for walking that fine line. If only there was something they could do about the mostly bland acting. All the characters seem so “blah” that I’m half-hoping that the resulting fall-out from this arc is that half the team gets replaced with people who are, you know, interesting. Unfortunately, that also includes Clark Gregg, who is a fun actor but just doesn’t seem strong enough to carry a show and is so one-note that when he tries to show emotion of any kind it comes off as really forced. — Chip

Matt Roush: We covered some of this ground in last week’s Q&A, but you’re right that even though the current storyline is S.H.I.E.L.D. at its best to date, a show is only as good as its characters, and this conflict gives the producers a perfect opportunity to make some bold moves in resetting the board and refreshing the ensemble. I can’t imagine S.H.I.E.L.D. without Coulson, and for the most part I still enjoy Clark Gregg’s stoic irony, but I can see how the limited palette with which he’s working could come off as monotonous. Now’s the time for everyone on this show to raise their game, and I’ll be curious where it takes them in what seems an inevitable second season.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

TELEVISION

Actor Gary Dourdan (CSI) has landed a recurring role on the BET hour-long comedy Being Mary Jane where he will play Sheldon Armstrong, a smoothly charming and casually handsome retired civil trial attorney who made a fortune suing corrupt corporations. He’s coming out of retirement to pursue his charitable outreach. He’s famous for never having given an interview in his life — but when Mary Jane (series lead Gabrielle Union) sets out to interview him, he is quite taken with her and just might change his mind. Dourdan will also appear in an upcoming episode of Glee, playing D’Shon, Mercedes’ (Amber Riley) record producer. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Sammi Hanratty (best known for playing young Chuck on Pushing Daisies) has landed a recurring role on the WGN America thriller Salem where she will play Dottie, a leader among her peers whom Mercy (series regular Elise Eberle) knows a little from school. She’s a confident young girl who brings her classmates over to talk with Mercy. She’s in awe of Mercy’s power and wants her to put it to particular use. (The Deadline Team)

Actor Coby Ryan McLaughlin (The Secret Life of the American Teenager and The Glades) has landed a recurring role on the USA Network drama Graceland, playing Archie, a mainstay in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Gang Task Force, who is sharp as a tack and loyal to a fault. The members of Graceland hope he’ll be an ally in their mission to destroy a cartel. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) has landed a role in the upcoming independent feature film called The Paper Store. She will star opposite Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl) in a revenge tale about a former college student who forges essays for cash, the client who becomes her lover, and their professor. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

PS: I’m heading to WonderCon tomorrow so there won’t be any news updates until either Monday or Tuesday of next week.

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

WGN America is working on another potential drama called Radiant Doors that follows a camp filled with refugees who arrive through portals from a mysterious, dystopian future. The story is framed around a present day woman named Virginia, who works in the camp and is given a future device that she attempts to hide from the corrupt bureaucrats above her, for fear she’ll help that evil future come to pass. (Variety and Blastr)

FX has given a third season 13-episode order to The Americans. (TV By the Numbers)

The cable network Pivot has picked up the 12-episode drama series Fortitude that Starz had, at one time, planned on airing. The series will follow the residents of the Arctic town of Fortitude, a place unlike any other place on Earth. Surrounded by the savage beauty of the polar landscape, Fortitude is a close-knit community whose future sparkles with the promise of Arctic opportunity, development, wealth, and discovery. There has never been a violent crime in Fortitude but the town is shaken to its core by the brutal murder of a research scientist. Above-average temperatures lead to a record ice melt revealing secrets long since hidden beneath the frozen landscape. As the endless nights give way to the cold Arctic darkness of winter, the police find reasons to suspect and mistrust each other – and the community struggles to make sense of the terror that has been unleashed among its residents. (Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV-MOVIE NEWS

Actor Jake Busey (From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series) has joined the cast of the upcoming History Channel mini-series Texas Rising that will detail the Texas Revolution against Mexico and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers. Busey will play the older brother of “Big Foot Wallace”, Samuel Wallace, who recites the legendary admonition “Remember the Alamo”. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Colton Haynes (Teen Wolf and Arrow) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film San Andreas that will star Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino in a story about an ex-Special Ops firefighter pilot (Johnson) who searches a devastated California for his estranged daughter after the Big One hits. There are no details on what role Haynes will play, however. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Hot Trailer: ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’

http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/hot-trailer-x-men-days-of-future-past-2/

Hot Trailer: ‘If I Stay’

http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/video-if-i-stay-trailer-chloe-moretz/

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online, Natalie Abrams at TV Guide and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: The Blacklist is the best new show this season! I’m hooked. What’s going down in the last episodes? – Greg A.

TV Scoop Team: Break out the tissues because a major death goes down before the finale. The person most impacted by the death? Ressler. Can’t this guy catch a break?!

Question: Keep it coming with all these Orphan Black spoilers please. – Alicia

TV Scoop Team: Confession: We’re obsessed with Felix. He’s snarky, hilarious and blunt, but most importantly, he’s always there for our girls in the Clone Club. However, we think it’s about time that Felix gets a little lovin’, and so does his off-screen counterpart, Jordan Gavaris! The Orphan Black actor teased that fans will be pleased with Felix’s new beau. “There is a particular connection this season that I think they’ll find interesting and satisfying and it’s the right thing for the characters,” he spilled. “It may not be what he expects but he certainly deserves it.”

Question: I loved the “Blue Butterfly” episode of Castle. How will the show handle the ’70s? — Kristen

Natalie: While the gang will again be delightfully costumed, “That ’70s Show” is more grounded in reality. In fact, Castle, Beckett & Co. only dress up in disco-era garb to pry the truth from a witness who still believes it’s 1978. Unfortunately for Beckett, the witness shares Archie Bunker’s views on women, which forces Castle to take the lead on the case — and in turning back the clock on the 12th Precinct. (Just wait until you see Esposito’s reaction to Lanie’s Foxy Brown get-up!)

Question: Do you know who’s going to die on Under the Dome? — Dina

Natalie: For now, the best I can do is narrow down the choices. The two goners are among these eight Chester’s Mill residents: Junior, Phil, Linda, Norrie, Angie, Barbie, Carolyn and/or Big Jim. Some of those are major players, no? “No one is safe Under the Dome,” a CBS rep teases.

Question: Now that Kensi’s back from Afghanistan on NCIS: Los Angeles, will she and Deeks finally get together? — Kylie

Natalie: Although executive producer Shane Brennan doesn’t plan to fully explore that relationship until next season, there is one thing ‘shippers should look forward to: the reveal of what’s inside the box Kensi gave Deeks back in Season 4. “That box gets opened,” Brennan says. “It’s a lovely moment between the two of them.” Alas, that moment could quickly be ruined by the return of DEA Agent Talia in the season finale.

Question: Pretty please give us scoop on the Reign season finale! — Julius

Ausiello: Brace yourself, Julius, because it sounds like French Court will never be the same after next month’s finale. “There will be an incredible payoff and a shocking ending for Mary and Francis, as well as Bash and Kenna,” executive producer Laurie McCarthy teases. “The king’s madness will also escalate in a shocking way. All of those events will come together in a very surprising and dramatic end.”

Question: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has gotten so good. I was wondering if you have any scoop on whether or not Victoria Hand could still be alive? —Joseph

Ausiello: Exec producer Maurissa Tancharoen at first answers, “She sure looked dead to us!” — but then notes, “This is the Marvel universe, and our show is based on the fact that a guy we thought was dead is not [dead] at all.”

Question: How about some Arrow news? –DJ

Ausiello: As part of our upcoming May Sweeps Preview Extravaganza, EP Andrew Kreisberg said that before the season has wrapped — and in addition to the action-packed “roller coaster” ride taking place in the current timeline — “there are a couple of flashbacks that are going to blow people’s minds.”

Question: Got any Revolution scoop to hold us over until it comes back on April 30? —Stacie

Ausiello: How about this finale teaser from series star Tracy Spiridakos: “There’s a battle with the Patriots. They step up their efforts in trying to take out Miles and Monroe, and they’re trying to start a war between Texas and California. We’re in this place where we’re trying to do what we can to stop that.”

Question: Can you please give me some scoop about Dawson and Casey on Chicago Fire? Will they be getting engaged before the season finale? —Emma

Ausiello: Their future looks “hopeful because, at the core, they care deeply about each other,” says executive producer Matt Olmstead of the couple, who, if the promos for this week’s episode showing Casey checking out rings are any indication, may be marriage-bound. Or… not. “That impulse [to settle down] is coming at the wrong time really with Dawson,” notes Olmstead. “When she decided to become a firefighter, it all came together for her in terms of, ‘Wow, this is really what I wanted to do all along without even knowing it.’ It’s definitely a conflict between the two of them, and it’s a bit heartbreaking because they do love each other. But are they going to be able to overcome this obstacle?”

Question: Got anything on Mistresses? —Jeri

Ausiello: Whereas Season 1 found Alyssa Milano’s Savi wondering who was the father of her unborn baby, Season 2 will explore a different set of daddy issues. Episode 2.9 of ABC’s addictive sudser will introduce us to Savi’s dad Bruce Sappire, a painfully awkward accountant in his late 50s to mid-60s who decades ago walked out on Savi and her mom Janet (JoBeth Williams) and “cut them both out of his life like an abscess.” When Savi unexpectedly shows up on daddy dearest’s doorstep in Paso Robles, CA, though, it won’t be a case of absence having made the heart grow fonder. In fact, Bruce will wind up blurting out a cruel fact of their relationship that he should have kept to himself.

Question: Any chance I could get a Grimm spoiler? Like, will we get to see Nick’s mom again this season? –Sarah

Ausiello: While the Woman in Black won’t return for the rest of this season, “We will get her back in Season 4,” series co-creator James Kouf promises TVLine.

Question: What about Jessica on Suits? —@bonobochick:

Ausiello: Pearson Specter’s boss lady is getting some romance next season! “There is talk of adding a love interest for Jessica and we are heavily exploring that,” reveals executive producer Aaron Korsh. And it sounds like she’s not the only one getting lucky. “We are attempting…to give Donna a story of her own that is not law-firm based, and I think we’ll try to do that a little bit more as the season goes,” teases Korsh. “But [the arc of Season 4 is] a little bit of a firm story and it’s Jessica’s love interest. So we’re not going to focus too much on Donna’s love interest in the first half of the season.”

Question: How about some dirt on Season 2 of Devious Maids? Now that Marisol has revealed that she’s not actually a maid, what sort of connection will she maintain with the rest of her new friends? — Sean

Ausiello: Fear not, Sean! Marisol will remain close to her former crew, and given the latest developments in her life, she might find herself leaning on them for support more than ever. “Marisol has a whole new life this season,” explains executive producer Sabrina Wind. “She has found true love for the first time, but with that comes dark stories of its own … and a great new haircut, though [Ana Ortiz] did that herself.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today, all two of them:

ONLINE NEWS

NBC is expanding their original programming, moving into online content. In conjunction with the return of Heroes under the moniker of Heroes Reborn, the network will have an online prequel called Heroes Reborn: Digital Series that will be among the first series to debut on NBC.com. Among the other online series will be an interactive series called Saturday Night Line, which will be about the super fans who wait in the Saturday Night Live standby line. NBC plans to have more than a dozen original projects including Tesla and Twain, a comical modern day look at the real life relationship between the author or inventor and Last Single Girl, which will chronicle the struggles of one woman dealing with growing up as all her best friends get married. (Jake Perlman at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER AND POSTER

Trailer & Poster: David Fincher’s Gone Girl

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Syfy has picked up a 10-episode order of a new series called The Expanse, a space opera in the tradition of Battlestar Galactica that follows the case of a missing young woman who brings a hardened detective and a rogue ship’s captain together in a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Emily Bergl (Southland and Shameless) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Elementary, playing Marion West, an alternative tattoo artist who becomes a suspect in her ex-husband’s murder. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Meaghan Rath (Being Human) will recur on the Cinemax series Banshee, playing Aimee King, the sole deputy in the corrupt Kinaho Reservation Police Department. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Veteran actress Carol Burnett will guest star in the upcoming new Hallmark Channel series Signed Sealed Delivered, playing the grandmother of Norman Dorman (Geoff Gustafson), a core member of the quartet of untraditional mail detectives. The series will debut on April 20. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Dominique McElligott (Hell on Wheels) has joined the cast of the upcoming ABC drama The Astronaut Wives Club that is based on the Lily Koppel book of the same name that tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history during the height of the space race. McElligott will play Louise Shepard, a real life “Sabrina” whose father was the head of maintenance at a luxury estate. She struggles to uphold her “perfect” image and her complicated marriage once her husband Alan becomes the first American in space. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Bruce Greenwood and veteran actress Jane Fonda have joined the cast of the upcoming box office film Fathers And Daughters that will star Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Aaron Paul, Diane Kruger, Quvenzhane Wallis and Octavia Spencer. The film is a love story between a troubled father and his daughter who lives in New York 25 years after him. Crowe plays a famous novelist suffering from depression as he tries to raise his 5-year-old daughter. Seyfried plays the girl as an adult, who has struggles of her own, shrapnel from that childhood. Fonda will play the novelist’s longtime friend and literary agent while Greenwood will play the writer’s brother-in-law, who with his wife (Kruger) wages a legal battle to forcibly adopt the young daughter (Kylie Rogers). (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

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

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – 41.4 million
2. Rio 2 – 39 million
3. Oculus – 12 million
4. Draft Day – 9.7 million
5. Divergent – 7.5 million
6. Noah – 7.4 million
7. God’s Not Dead – 5.5 million
8. The Grand Budapest Hotel – 4 million
9. Muppets Most Wanted – 2.2 million
10. Mr. Peabody & Sherman – 1.8 million

Q&A SECTION (with Leanne Aguilera at E! Online and Matt Roush at TV Guide)

Question: Reign is without a doubt, the best drama on the CW right now. Will Mary get a happy ending this season? – Talia

Leanne: We agree, we’re addicted to the royal new series and after chatting with its star actress, Adelaide Kane, we’re waiting on pins and needles for the final few episodes. “There’s blood and guts and dying and fights and everything. Our last couple of episodes have these amazing battles,” the brunette beauty promised us. “There’s going to be returning heroes. There’s going to be a couple of deaths, it’s all going to happen. We have some really, really big stuff coming up. I guess the best I can tell you is just stay tuned.”

Question: What do you think of the “Uprising” arc in the second half of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s first season? I think it is miles better than the first half of this season, which was pretty so-so at times. [Spoilers ahead] The tie-in with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, with Hydra infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Garrett being revealed as the Clairvoyant working for Hydra, were very good plot twists, along with Agent Ward being a turncoat to work for Agent Garrett and Hydra — or could Ward be going undercover for Agent Coulson to help S.H.I.E.L.D. bring down Hydra? I really hope this show gets renewed for a second season by ABC, so that it will continue to improve and be a better show that everyone can enjoy to watch! – Chris

Matt Roush: I wouldn’t worry about S.H.I.E.L.D.’s chances for renewal. ABC has plenty of more pressing problems than this show’s slow build, and there are good corporate if not creative reasons to ensure its survival. But there’s no doubt that S.H.I.E.L.D. has stepped up its game with the twists and the action in the ongoing “Uprising” arc and its intersection with the events in the latest Captain America movie — which I haven’t seen, and I wasn’t all that confused by what was going on last week (which if you missed it will be repeated Tuesday in front of a new episode). The show is certainly more focused and entertaining now — it could hardly have gotten worse (I bailed a few months ago, but came back for the last few episodes) — so if this is the jumpstart the show needed, I’m all for it. Even the wooden Agent Ward is suddenly interesting. I’ve also been asked if it’s wise to tie the mythologies of the Marvel movies and this series so closely, risking alienating those who aren’t keeping up (like me), but I don’t see any other way for S.H.I.E.L.D. to be relevant to even the casual genre fan.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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