Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

Syfy has ordered a 5th season of Haven, giving it a 26 episode order. The first 13 episodes will air this fall with the remaining 13 scheduled to air at some point in 2015. (TV By the Numbers)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Austin Stowell (Dolphin Tale) has joined the cast of the TNT pilot called Public Morals from actor Ed Burns and Steven Spielberg. The pilot is set in 1967 in New York City’s Public Morals Division, where cops walk the line between morality and criminality as the temptations that come from dealing with all kinds of vice can get the better of them. It will center on cop Terry Muldoon (Burns), who knows the line between the good guys and bad guys is thin, and he is determined to raise his sons to be honest and hardworking as he deals with the dark underbelly of the vice world. Stowell will play Muldoon’s cousin Sean O’Bannon, a handsome, tough Irish cop who tries to keep his friends out of trouble. (The Deadline Team)

WEB SERIES NEWS

ABC Family’s new drama The Fosters is getting its own web series. The Fosters: Girls United, a five-part original web series, will follow the residents of the Girls United group home. The entire series will debut Monday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET immediately following an original episode of the series on ABC Family, providing additional content to supplement The Fosters universe. The Fosters airs Monday nights at 9 PM. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

GENERAL NEWS

Congrats are extended to all those artists and musicians who won Grammy Awards last night, including (but not limited to) Lorde, Michael Buble, Cyndi Lauper, The Civil Wars, Kacey Musgraves, Dave Grohl, Daft Punk, Imagine Dragons, Vampire Weekend, Darius Rucker and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

TELEVISION

Actor Christopher Heyerdahl (Hell on Wheels, Supernatural, Sanctuary and Stargate: Atlantis) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Beauty And the Beast, playing Dr. Nicholas Markus, a respected physician and medical mentor to Vincent Keller (series lead Jay Ryan). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Kathryn Prescott (the British original series Skins) will appear in an upcoming episode of Reign, playing Penelope, a kitchen servant who, as part of an annual castle tradition, finds a bean in her slice of cake and becomes queen for a day. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Actress Charlotte Ross (Hit the Floor) will guest star in a March episode of Nashville, playing a sober alcoholic who formerly worked as a back-up singer on Rayna’s (series lead Connie Britton) tours. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Stephen Fry (Bones and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) will recur on 24: Live Another Day as Prime Minister Trevor Davies. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Rose McGowan will reprise her role as Young Cora on Once Upon a Time, appearing in the 18th episode in an assumed flashback. Once Upon a Time will be back starting on March 9 on ABC. (Sabrina Gruneberg at TV Guide)

Starz has given a series order to Flesh and Bone, a new drama series that will follow a young ballet dancer, Claire (Sarah Hay from Black Swan), who has a distinctly troubled past, as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Mira Sorvino (Mimic) will star opposite John Simm (Doctor Who) in the BBC America 8-episode drama called Intruders that is about a secret society devoted to chasing immortality by seeking refuge in the bodies of others. The series will center on ex-cop Jack Whalen (Simms), who has escaped a dark, violent past for a seemingly quiet life with his wife, Amy (Sorvino, who will play two characters in the same body). When she goes missing, Jack starts an investigation that forces him to confront his past. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Jessica De Gouw (Dracula) will reprise her role of the Huntress on Arrow in an episode entitled “Birds of Prey” that is expected to air on March 26. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Carey Lowell (Law & Order) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Blue Bloods, playing Joyce, who is co-chaperoning a class field trip with Frank (series lead Tom Selleck). The two will clash over matters great and small while touring the American Museum of Natural History. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Jennifer Ehle (A Gifted Man) and Zach Grenier (The Good Wife) will both guest star in upcoming episodes of The Blacklist. Grenier will play Novak, who works under the front of a taxidermy workshop but actually deals with an underworld of rare and exotic antiques while Ehle will play Madeline Pratt, the second female “Blacklister”. (Philiana Ng and Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Rick Cosnett (The Vampire Diaries) and Danielle Panabaker (Shark and Necessary Roughness) have joined the cast of the CW pilot (and Arrow spin-off) The Flash that will be an origin story about Barry Allen aka The Flash (Grant Gustin from Glee), a Central City assistant police forensics investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past. Cosnett will play star Detective Eddie Thawne, a recent transfer to the Central City Police Department, whose past is a mystery and who harbors a dark secret. Panabaker will play Caitlin Snow, a highly intelligent bioengineering expert who lost her fiancé during an explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Sharon Stone will star in the TNT action-drama pilot Agent X that centers on America’s first female Vice President, Maccabee (Stone), a woman with brains, beauty, and a cool composure that belies a restless mind. After the death of her husband, a Senate candidate, Natalie opted to run in his place, and after a rapid political rise, she now finds herself the newly elected Vice President of the United States. Initially apprehensive that her job will be ceremonial in nature, she soon learns that it comes with a top secret duty: protecting the Constitution in times of great crisis with the aid of her Chief Steward and a secret operative designated “Agent X.” (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Ride Along – $21.2 million
2. Lone Survivor – $12.6 million
3. The Nut Job – $12.3 million
4. Frozen – $9 million
5. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit – $8.8 million
6. I, Frankenstein – $8.3 million
7. American Hustle – $7.1 million
8. August: Osage County – $5.04 million
9. The Wolf of Wall Street – $5 million
10. Devil’s Due – $2.75 million

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

Question: I need some Once Upon a Time scoop! Is Storybrooke really gone?

TV Scoop Team: We’re still trying to process all of the magical mayhem that happened in December’s jaw-dropping midseason finale, so to help get some answers, we caught up with everyone favorite little mermaid, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, to get some answers about what’s ahead when the series returns in March. “Storybrooke is gone,” she teased. Not to worry though, we’ll still get to see the ravenous redhead. “Ariel’s coming back, and I may have found my prince charming, but I think that you might need a little naïve mermaid to come back in town, maybe stir up some business.” Take a look at our full interview with JoAnna below to learn even more spellbinding secrets.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

Actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio will return to Grimm, reprising her role as Kelly Burkhardt, Nick’s (series lead David Giuntoli) mom. She will appear in multiple episodes this spring. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbage (Lost) will appear in the NBC drama pilot Odyssey that is a Traffic-like global conspiracy thriller that will center on three families whose lives are torn apart when a stranded female soldier (Anna Friel from Pushing Daisies), a disillusioned corporate attorney, and a disrespected political activist are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy. Akinnuoye-Agbaje will play the commanding officer of a private military operator working with the U.S. Army. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Hugh Jackman will play the pirate Blackbeard in the upcoming movie Pan that will star Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) as Hook. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Ron Glass (Barney Miller and Firefly) will show up in an upcoming episode of CSI, who will play the mentor of Greg Sanders (series regular Eric Szmanda). (William Keck at TV Guide)

Actress Nicole Ari Parker (Soul Food and more recently seen on Revolution) has joined the cast of the upcoming TNT drama Murder in the First that will revolve around two seemingly unrelated high-profile murder cases and the subsequent police investigation, arrest and trial. The series will star. Taye Diggs (Private Practice) and Kathleen Robertson (Boss) as two homicide detectives who partner on the case. Parker will play Sonia Perez, a brilliant and tough district attorney whose career hedges on a high-profile murder case. The cast already includes Tom Felton (Harry Potter franchise), Raphael Sbarge (Once Upon a Time), Ian Anthony Dale (The Event) and Steven Weber (Wings). The show will debut on TNT sometime this summer. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Syfy has decided to switch timeslots for two of their Monday night programs: Lost Girl and Bitten. Lost Girl will now air at 10 PM and Bitten will move to 8 PM (with Being Human remaining at 9 PM) starting on January 27. (The Futon Critic)

Most people know, or have at least heard of, the box office film franchise Transporter. Well back in 2011 Cinemax picked up the TV adaptation Transporter The Series, but due to several setbacks the show never went anywhere on the cable network. But now, TNT has stepped up and will air both the first and second seasons of the international series that stars Chris Vance (Prison Break and Rizzoli & Isles) in the lead role of Frank Martin, a professional transporter, who can always be counted on to get the job done. No official airdate has been announced, though. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Charlotte Grayson (series regular Christa B. Allen) will be moving on from her grieving of boyfriend Declan Porter on Revenge with a new boyfriend. Newcomer Henri Esteve will play Javier, a guy from the wrong side of the tracks who is accomplished in the world of hacking. Won’t mommy Victoria be so proud? (William Keck at TV Guide)

Actor Sam Witwer (Syfy’s Being Human) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Grimm, playing a tortured soul named Maximillian, who is the main attraction at a carnival. (Michael Ausiello and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

TV TRAILER

Hot TV Trailer: WGN America’s ‘Salem’

http://www.deadline.com/2014/01/salem-trailer-wgn-america-series-video/

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC has given a greenlight to a new project that will be overseen by director David O. Russell (American Hustle) and writer-producer Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich). The project is currently unnamed, but is being described as an upstairs-downstairs soap set at a tony country club. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy and Country Strong) has landed the lead role of Hook in the upcoming movie called Pan, yet another new take on the J.M. Barrie classic. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

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

Question: I really miss badass Beckett on Castle — might she show up again soon? –Stephanie

Mitovich: Oh yes. I’m hearing you’ll want to keep an eye out for Episode 17, “In the Belly of the Beast,” to be directed by Rob Bowman.

Question: This NCIS: LA fan needs something good on the Densi front. Anything you can share? –Monica

Mitovich: I have good… and not-so-good. Showrunner Shane Brennan confirmed for me that the timing of Daniela Ruah’s maternity leave “worked out perfectly,” in that the show had already pre-shot enough Kensi scenes to keep her in every episode, without missing a single beat. Thing is, when Kensi eventually returns from her Afghanistan op — during which something “totally unexpected” and calamitous happens, leaving her understandably shell-shocked — being back in Deeks’ orbit “doesn’t work out the way she thinks it’s going to work out.”

Question: With the new team dynamic on NCIS, Tony really looks overqualified for his job. He’s been there forever. As part of his promised “growth” are we going to see him get a promotion? –Sandra

Mitovich: OK, so I brought to showrunner Gary Glasberg everyone’s concern about Tony’s “growth,” especially as Ziva’s exit grows farther and farther away. He avowed, “It’s really important to all of us — it’s important to me, it’s important to Michael Weatherly — that the character of Tony DiNozzo continues to grow.” But outgrowing Gibbs’ team likely will never be a part of that. “That’s something that we at one point or another talk about…. But at the end of the day, as I have learned from real agents that I’ve spoken to, once you find a team that you feel comfortable with, that’s just where you stay,” Glasberg explained. “You become a part of the family, and that’s just what it is.”

Question: Revenge is on their winter hiatus, and I need something just to get me by until it returns. Got anything good? –Drew

Mitovich: In the winter finale we got a first look at Conrad’s ex-wife Stevie (played by Gail O’Grady), but just you wait until she starts mixing and mingling with others. “Needless to say, she and Victoria are at odds, because Victoria came in just as Stevie was on the way out,” Henry Czerny told me. “But yeah, she’s a firecracker, and the electricity that you’ll see between Stevie and Jack — yes, Stevie and Jack — and between Stevie and Victoria will be fantastic.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Tate Donovan (Damages and Hostages) has joined the cast of 24: Live Another Day where he will play Mark Boudreau, the White House Chief of Staff. The new version of 24 will debut on FOX on May 5. (The Futon Critic)

Actresses Malese Jow (The Vampire Diaries and the upcoming Star-Crossed) and Hannah Marks (Necessary Roughness) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Castle in a Mean Girls-meets-Cruel Intentions-meets-Firestarter episode that is set to air on February 5. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Pedro Pascal (Graceland and Red Widow) will have a recurring role on The Mentalist, playing FBI Special Agent Marcus Pike, who will be a possible love interest for Teresa Lisbon (series regular Robyn Lively). The Mentalist will be back with new episodes starting on March 9. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) will co-star opposite Grant Gustin in The CW’s plot The Flash (the spin-off of Arrow) that will be an origin story about Barry Allen aka The Flash (Gustin), a Central City assistant police forensics investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past. Martin will play Detective West, an honest, blue-collar cop who is a surrogate father to Allen. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC has decided to nix the Murder, She Wrote reboot that was to star award-winning actress Octavia Spencer. (Chris Harnick at E! Online)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises) will co-star alongside Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) in the as-yet untitled Netflix 13-episode psychological thriller that will center on a family of adult siblings whose secrets and scars are revealed when the black sheep oldest brother, Danny (Mendesohn), returns home. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

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

Question: Is Quinn really no longer a Gladiator on Scandal? —Jonas

Natalie: Well, for now. But wait until Olivia finds out that Huck ousted her from the group! Prepare for one Huck of a fight! “He doesn’t feel bad about what he did to Quinn,” Guillermo Diaz says. “He only feels bad that Olivia is upset at him for doing what he did. [But] he’s not apologizing for it and he’s standing his ground.”

Question: Is Rumplestiltskin really dead on Once Upon a Time? —Tamryn

Natalie: “He’s definitely dead,” executive producer Edward Kitsis says. But I mean, come on, this is a show about magic! “He went into that knife, it looked like death to me, but he’s the Dark One,” he adds. Sounds like he’s not totally dead just yet.

Question: NCIS scoop, please! I can’t believe Delilah is paralyzed! —Charlie

Natalie: I know, right? Naturally, Delilah’s recovery will strain her relationship with McGee, but executive producer Gary Glasberg promises that they won’t break up. “It’s going to be a bumpy road for them, but I think you’ll see how it brings them closer together,” he says.

Question: Does Skye know she’s an 0-8-4 on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? —Dan

Natalie: Yes! Chloe Bennet tells me that Coulson told Skye the truth about her parents’ deaths and her potential to have special powers. But don’t fit her for a cape yet. “I have no birth certificate,” she reminds me. “I could still be a human. I could be something else.” Get ready for a very dark episode that deals with the fallout from the ultimate reveal.

Question: I’ll take any Nashville scoop you’re willing to throw my way. —Michelle

Ausiello: Another major character — more major than Peggy, I would argue — is about to bite the dust.

Question: Really loved seeing some sparks flying between Rayna and Deacon again on Nashville. Any chance it could lead to something more, or is that just too much to ask? —Sheila

Ausiello: It’s pretty much now or never, says exec producer Dee Johnson. “It’s more possible now than it ever was over the course of the last 20 years,” she notes. “Deacon went through something and came out the other side of it; the [Maddie] secret is now all out in the open; Rayna is not married anymore; they’ve both evolved.” The one fairly substantial hiccup? Neither one of them is single. “As with life, you’re always dating someone when the person you really want is available,” Johnson adds. “It’s all about timing.” For her part, Connie Britton is ready for those two crazy kids to get their crap together. “I’m a big believer in Rayna and Deacon,” she tells me. “I always feel that people can work these things out, which is probably silly and idealistic of me. But I’m a silly and idealistic person.” (And don’t you dare change — not ever!)

Question: I’m officially ready for Angry Closeted Will to start transitioning into Confident Out-and-Proud Will on Nashville. Any idea when I can expect that shift to start? —Danny

Ausiello: I’d love to be able to tell you the metamorphosis begins this week, but that would be a lie. “The struggle will continue for him,” confirms Johnson. “He still has a certain thing in mind for himself in terms of country stardom, and he still doesn’t think it’s possible to embrace himself in that way. He’s going to try very hard to focus on [his career] solely and remove temptation from his life.” However, eventually, “his secret is going to come out,” the EP adds. “That’s not something that can stay underground forever, despite anybody’s best efforts. The question is, How will he handle it? And where will he be in his career path when it does come out?”

Question: I was so happy to see Victor Garber in the Sleepy Hollow finale. Please tell me he’ll be back next season. –Kristin

Ausiello: Garber’s role as Ichabod’s dad “is a crucial part to Crane himself,” says series co-creator/executive producer Len Wiseman. “We’ve talked about how his character works in the second [season].” My interpretation: It’s almost a sure thing the Alias alum will don a powdered wig again. Plus, don’t forget that we can also expect to see John Noble’s Henry (I’m not going to put his other name, out of courtesy for those who haven’t yet seen last night’s episode) when the Fox drama returns in the fall.

Question: Castle is my very favorite show and I would like any information you have for the 2014 season! –Donna

Ausiello: Previewing for Matt Mitovich her Jan. 27 turn on the ABC drama, Titanic mom Frances Fisher says that her ”high-powered” Anna Wintour-like fashion magazine editrix is quite surprised to come face-to-face again with one Kate Beckett, whom she first met years ago as a model. And it’s not the warmest of reunions, either. Teasing how things left off for the two back then, Fisher says, “There was an ‘employment issue,’ where I ended up not very happy about her decision [to quit modeling].”

Question: Any scoop on what’s next for Tony on NCIS? –Laura

Ausiello: If you’re among those concerned that DiNozzo will rush into a grand new romance, with Bishop’s pop culture-savvy NSA pal Sofia Martinez, you needn’t be. “I don’t think his next relationship is going to happen anytime soon,” show boss Gary Glasberg tells us. “Part of letting Tony be Tony and letting him be flirtatious and talk to women is that these women don’t really matter. They’re quick encounters that he’s having; it’s not Ziva. They’re not ones that count. Eventually, will there be another [great love]? Maybe.”

Question: As much as I’m loving Sherlock‘s third season so far, I’m bummed about the lack of Irene Adler. Any chance she’ll resurface in Season 4? —Brandon

Ausiello: “It’s not impossible, because she’s still alive and out there,” responds exec producer Steven Moffat. “But I was really, really pleased with [Season 2’s Irene-centric] ‘A Scandal in Belgravia,’ and that sense of longing between those two characters. The question is, can you do it again without making it less good? Are sequels ever as good? Do you really make more money or do you debase the coinage? If we had as good a story as ‘Scandal’ and somewhere else to take them, we’d do it again. But, in the meantime, we’re thrilled with that episode and wary of touching it again. There are many other stories tell.” Gotta admire his quality control.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

Actor Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) will appear in the 200th episode of Criminal Minds, playing Michael Hastings, someone who JJ Jareau (A.J. Cook) worked with during her off-camera season 6 time at the Department of Defense. It should be noted that JJ won’t be none-too-happy to see him. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

Actors Patrick J. Adams (Suits) and Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter franchise) have joined the cast of the four-hour mini-series Rosemary’s Baby, the NBC adaptation of the 1967 best-selling suspense novel by Ira Levin. The story centers on Rosemary Woodhouse (Zoe Saldana from Avatar), a young wife and would-be mother who, with her husband Guy (Adams), moves into a Paris apartment that has a dark past. After finally getting pregnant, she becomes increasingly suspicious that both her husband and their mysterious neighbors have ulterior motives about the future of her child. Isaacs will play warlock/coven-leader Roman Castevet. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Teaser: Disney’s Maleficent

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

GENERAL NEWS

Congrats are extended to the winners at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last night, including (but not limited to): Lupita Nyong’o, Jared Leto, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Maggie Smith, Cate Blanchett and Matthew McConaughey.

TELEVISION

Actor Colin Egglesfield (Rizzoli & Isles and The Client List) will guest star on an upcoming episode of Drop Dead Diva. There are no details on what character he will play, however. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

NBC has given a 10-episode straight-to-series order for a new drama series called Emerald City, a reimagining of the Frank L. Baum classic book series. This version will be a dramatic and modern reimagining of the tales that include lethal warriors, competing kingdoms and the infamous wizard as we’ve never seen him before. A head-strong 20-year-old Dorothy Gale is unwittingly sent on an eye-opening journey that thrusts her into the center of an epic and bloody battle for the control of Oz. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Mary Steenburgen will recur on the FX drama Justified as Katherine Hale, a beautiful, southern belle who was the wife of Wynn Duffy’s (series regular Jere Burns) mentor in crime. (FX and The Futon Critic)

Actress Katharine Isabelle (Being Human) will joined the cast of Hannibal for its second season, playing Margot, a potential romantic interest for Will (series lead Hugh Dancy) who also happens to be a patient of Dr. Lechter. Hannibal returns to NBC on February 28. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Katherine Heigl is coming back to TV (possibly) in the NBC pilot called State of Affairs that revolves around a CIA officer (Heigl), who becomes the president’s daily briefer. (Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

NBC has ordered an 8-episode mini-series called The Slap, which is based on the Australian series of the same name that aired back in 2011. The mini is a complex family drama that explodes from one small incident where a man slaps another couple’s misbehaving child. This seemingly minor domestic dispute pulls the family apart, begins to expose long-held secrets, and ignites a lawsuit that challenges the core American values of all who are pulled into it. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now and Footloose) will play legendary actor Dan Akyroyd opposite Emile Hirsch as John Belushi in the upcoming Belushi biopic. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

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

1. Ride Along – $41.2 million
2. Lone Survivor – $23.2 million
3. The Nut Job – $20.6 million
4. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit – $17.2 million
5. Frozen – $11.97 million
6. American Hustle – $10.6 million
7. Devil’s Due – $8.5 million
8. August: Osage County – $7.6 million
9. The Wolf of Wall Street – $7.5 million
10. Saving Mr. Banks – $4.1 million

Up-and-coming Australia actress Margot Robbie (Pan Am and The Wolf Of Wall Street) will play the female lead in the upcoming box office film Z For Zachariah that will be an adaptation Robert C. O’Brien post-apocalyptic novel that focuses on a young small-town girl who survives a nuclear war. Robbie will co-star with Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

GENERAL NEWS

Congrats to the winners of last night’s Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, including (but not limited to): 12 Years A Slave, Cate Blanchett, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Jared Leto, Frozen, Lone Survivor, Adele Exarchopoulos, Sandra Bullock, Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, Gravity, Her, American Hustle, Forest Whitaker and Alfonso Cuaron.

TELEVISION

Actor Olivier Martinez (Unfaithful) will appear in Revenge as Pascal LeMarchal, the media mogul father of Daniel’s business partner Margaux (played by Karine Vanasse, who was recently promoted to series regular). (Tierney Bricker at E! Online and Deadline)

Actor Jamie McShane (Southland) will appear in a recurring role on the new ABC Family drama The Fosters, playing the father of Callie (series regular Maia Mitchell) and her brother Jude. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Jaimie Alexander will reprise her role of Lady Sif from the Thor movies in the small screen series Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. She is expected to appear in the 15th episode. (Eric Goldman at IGN)

The new ABC drama Killer Women that comes from executive producer Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) [among others] and stars Battlestar Galactica alum Tricia Helfer as one of only two female Texas Rangers has had its 8-episode order reduced by two. The show has been struggling in the ratings, but unlike the other mid-season limited event series The Assets, ABC is keeping Killer Women around albeit with only 6 episodes in total. (Jethro Nededog at The Wrap)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

It looks like ABC is moving forward with the small screen adaptation of Agent Carter, based on a “one-shot” that was featured on the Blu-ray release of Iron Man 3 with executive producers Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas (Reaper and the upcoming Resurrection) at the helm. The drama project will focus on Captain America’s girlfriend Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), chronicling her life as a budding secret agent after her boyfriend is stranded in ice. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

A&E is developing a contemporary remake of the acclaimed late-1980’s Michael Landon drama Highway to Heaven with (of all people) Mark Wahlberg on board as an executive producer. The project (like the original) will center on an angel sent down to earth to help troubled souls. (Lacey Rose at The Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has given a greenlight to a high-concept drama pilot called Clementine from box office writer Dean Georgaris (Paycheck) and ABC Studios that will center on a habitual criminal who digs into the mystery of her origins after she becomes the target of a group of zealots who fear she possesses latent supernatural abilities that she will one day harness for either profound good or monstrous evil. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC is developing a pilot with Liz Heldens (the creator of the 2009 medical drama Mercy and last year’s mystery drama Deception) called Salvation that is a family saga set against the backdrop of a Texas mega church where faith, family and corruption are explored in equal measure. The pilot will center on Jennifer Strickland, who has to defend her children, church and religious beliefs after her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) will star in the untitled Netflix 13-episode psychological thriller that centers on a family of adult siblings whose secrets and scars are revealed when the black sheep oldest brother returns home. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Q&ASECTION (with the TV Scoop Team at E! Online and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: Revenge me, please? – Sasha

TV Scoop Team: Nolan (Gabriel Mann) is getting a new houseguest. Look for Javier, a young lad who just happens to be an accomplished hacker, to move into Nolan’s pad for quite a while…he’s under house arrest there.

Question:  This season of Teen Wolf is the best yet! I’ll take any scoop you’ve got on what’s ahead. – Beth

TV Scoop Team: Danger, danger! Starting halfway through the season, one of our beloved characters will be booking a permanent stay on the chopping block. Star Holland Roden tells us that a “very good friend” of Lydia’s will be in a vulnerable position, and warns fans, “Brace yourselves, kids.” Gulp.

Question: Do you have any final Sleepy Hollow teasers, maybe about the George Washington twist? –Gianna

Mitovich: I asked the gorgeous Nicole Beharie about the discovery that the premiere POTUS apparently lived beyond his official expiration date, and all she would say is that many characters “find themselves intimately involved, somehow, in the season finale” airing Monday. “They’re interconnected in a very complex way — and that includes George Washington. That reveal that he wrote this letter to Ichabod after he died? The finale is the culmination of them trying to figure out where he was and what it all means.”

Question: I am really into Reign on The CW. Any scoop? –Niki

Mitovich: A new queen is coming! Casting is underway for the recurring role of Penelope, a twentysomething kitchen servant who becomes “queen for a day” when she finds a bean in a slice of cake – as part of a yearly tradition at the castle. When Catherine assigns Penelope a little “job” in exchange for better treatment, the 24-hour royal uses that opportunity to get what she wants.

Question: I am needing/obsessing over/wanting scoop on Justified‘s Raylan and Winona, please! –Marisa

Mitovich: I asked series boss Graham Yost to confirm why Raylan didn’t pay his baby momma a visit while in Florida — even with everyone urging him to! — and he explained, “I think he’s afraid, and he doesn’t know why he’s afraid. And that’s something we’ll get into over the season, as much as Raylan’s willing to get into anything like that. But the simple answer is: Look at who his father was. That brings up a lot of concerns about what kind of father you will be.” As for whether we’ll see Winona and child again this season, Yost said that is TBD. “The plan was yes, but plans change.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!!!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

MULTI-PLATFORM NEWS

Evergreen Studios is moving forward with plans for a multi-platform adaptation of the literary sci-fi character Honor Harrington. The plan is to develop comic books, digital games, webisodes, a TV series and even a feature film for the story that is set two millennia into the future in an age where hyperspace travel has allowed colonization of the universe’s most far reaches, and humanity is largely gender blind. The action follows a brilliant genetically engineered female spaceship captain leading a crew on political, military, and personal adventures. The character appeared in at least twenty-eight books, which will serve as content for various storylines, and the tone is said to be gritty and heavily grounded in real science. (Superhero Hype and Dark Horizons)

TELEVISION

Actress Keke Palmer (Akeela and the Bee and Joyful Noise) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Grey’s Anatomy, playing a pregnant teen who seeks help from the Grey Sloan Memorial doctors. She is expected to appear in March. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order) will appear in FOX’s upcoming 24: Live Another Day that will air its two-hour premiere on May 5. He will play Steve Harris, who commands the CIA operation in London that is pursuing Jack, now an exile and a fugitive from justice. The cast also includes Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kim Raver (“Revolution”) and William Devane (“The Dark Knight Rises”). (The Futon Critic)

Actor Nathan Parsons (Bunheads and General Hospital) seems to be in demand right now. Not only will he appear in a recurring role on The Originals but he has also taken over for actor Luke Grimes on True Blood. On The Originals, Parsons will play Jackson, one of Haley’s (series regular Phoebe Tonkin) werewolf acquaintances. And on True Blood, he takes over the role of James, the brooding, soulful vampire. (Jean Bentley at Zap2It and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Showtime has picked up a new original drama called The Affair for a 10-episode run. The drama will explore the emotional and psychological effects of an extramarital affair. The cast of The Affair will include Dominic West (The Wire), Ruth Wilson (Luther), Maura Tierney (ER) and Joshua Jackson (Fringe). (The Futon Critic)

Legendary actress Jane Alexander will make a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of Elementary, playing C, a pen pal of Sherlock’s (series lead Jonny Lee Miller) whom he turns to for help with a case. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Veronica Mars is going to live on (so to speak) beyond the fan-funded box office film that will hit cineplexs on March 14. The CW announced they will launch an accompanying digital spin-off series. And which character will this spin-off focus on? None other than Ryan Hansen himself. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Actress Joan Allen (the Bourne franchise) has joined the cast of The Killing, which will be moving over to Netflix for its final season after two difficult seasons airing on AMC. This new installment will follow a new murder investigation led by homicide detectives Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman). Allen will play Margaret O’Neal, the head of an all-boys military academy based outside of Seattle. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The CW has acquired the four-hour event series Labyrinth that will jump back and forth between modern and medieval France, following the lives of two women separated by centuries but united in their search for the Holy Grail. The project will star John Hurt (Doctor Who and Merlin), Sebastian Stan (Political Animals and Once Upon a Time), Jessica Brown-Findlay (Downton Abbey) and Tom Felton (the Harry Potter franchise). The story will be set not only in Carcassonne in the year 1209, where 17-year-old Alaïs (Brown-Findlay), is given a mysterious book by her father, who claims it contains the secret of the true Grail. Alaïs realizes that her destiny lies in keeping the secret of the labyrinth safe. Eight centuries later, at an archeological dig in the French Pyrenees, a young volunteer named Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons in a forgotten cave. Puzzled by the labyrinth symbol carved into the rock, she realizes she’s disturbed something that was meant to remain hidden. Somehow, a link to a horrific past –and Alice’s own past – has been revealed. (Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy! 

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actors Michael Trucco (Killer Women and Battlestar Galactica) and Peter Coyote (ET and A Walk to Remember) will both guest star on the new CBS drama Intelligence. Trucco will play the ex-boyfriend of Riley (series regular Meghan Ory) who has taken over as the detail leader of a Secret Service unit while Coyote will play Leland Strand, the father of Lillian Strand (series regular Marg Helgenberger). (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has been promoted to series regular for the new drama Backstrom that will air on FOX. He will play Gregory Valentine, a whip-smart young gay man, who’s an ex-hustler-turned-entrepreneurial crook who is Backstrom’s (series lead Rainn Wilson from The Office) tenant and uses Backstrom’s apartment to store his high-end ill-gotten goods. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Anne Dudek (House and Covert Affairs) and Keith David (Enlisted and The Cape) will be guest-starring in the NBC fairytale drama Grimm. Dudek will play Professor Vera Gates, a bright young archeology professor excited to begin studying a 3,000-year-old sarcophagus while David will play Hedig, the ringmaster for a unique traveling carnival. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC has given an order for a pilot called American Crime from John Ridley, the writer of the box office film 12 Years A Slave. The pilot will center on a racially charged murder and the subsequent trial, which are examined through the personal lives of the players involved. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Thomas Kretschmann (Dracula) will play a major villain in the upcoming sequel film The Avengers: Age of Ultron, but no details are available on just who he will be playing. (Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Harrison Ford has joined the cast of the upcoming romantic drama called The Age of Adaline that will star Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) and Ellen Burstyn (the upcoming small screen adaption of Flowers in the Attic). The film will follow the miraculous life of 29-year old Adaline (Lively), who stops aging after recovering from a near-fatal accident. Over the course of the 20th century she embarks on an epic, but isolated worldwide journey, keeping her secret, until she meets a man who forever alters her life. There are no specifics on what role Ford will play in the film, though. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Annette Bening, Ed Harris &Robin Williams in ‘The Face of Love’ Trailer

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/annette-bening-ed-harris-robin-williams-in-the-face-of-love-trailer/

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams from TV Guide and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: What’s coming up on Castle? — Ginger

NATALIE: The “September” wedding is still a long way off. In the meantime, on this coming Monday’s episode, the death of a Miley Cyrus-like pop star will remind Beckett that she is marrying someone in the public eye. “What happens when stories about him appear in the press that aren’t true? How does she feel?” executive producer Andrew Marlowe asks. “She’s kind of private person.”

Question: Will there be a wedding on Downton Abbey this season? — Ellen

Natalie: Would it surprise you to learn that three Downton ladies will receive marriage proposals this season? Well, maybe not, since people love to propose on this show. Making it down the aisle, however, is another matter altogether. In possibly related news, Downton’s first black character will make his debut next week.

Question: Can you share anything about Laurel on Arrow? — Jessica

Natalie: Laurel’s spiral into drug and alcohol abuse will worsen after she learns a dangerous secret. But there’s some optimism on the horizon. “Laurel will be learning that her sister is alive,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim says.

Question: Do you know anything that’s coming up for Scandal? — Mel

Natalie: It’s Election Day, and Mellie remains focused on her husband’s re-election. “We’re going to spend a lot of time with the campaign, so it’s the machinations of trying to get us back in the White House for another four years,” Bellamy Young says. So how does Mellie’s rumored love interest (Major Crimes’ Jon Tenney) fit into Fitz’s strategy? “[He’ll] throw a wrench in the works in the very best of ways,” she says.

Question: I’m really enjoying Intelligence. What can you tease? — Donna

Natalie: We haven’t seen the last of Mei Chen, the woman who got a chip implanted in her head. The chip-for-hire is actually set up as a rival for Gabriel. “She’s Gabriel without the conscience,” executive producer Michael Seitzman says. “She seems to feel that she and Gabriel are the only ones on the planet. I think she loves him in her own way. She thinks they’re Adam and Eve.”

Question: Any Watson-related Elementary scoop? Please? —Henry

Ausiello: Keep your eyes peeled for Episode 15. “A small-ish case that Joan picks up on the side forces her to share with Sherlock a little bit more of her family history and life,” shares EP Rob Doherty. “It’s an episode with a few quieter scenes in the brownstone, and it brings a few things to the surface.” Can we get a few examples? “We’ll find out where the name Watson came from,” teases Doherty, “and we will learn a little bit more about her father.”

Question: Got any Patrick/Nolan-related Revenge scoop? —Tommy

Ausiello: A guy from Nolan’s past will turn up later this season, and he sounds like trouble with a capital T that rhymes with P that stands for Prison. His name is Javier, he’s an accomplished hacker just like Nolan, and he’s on parole from the clink. He also needs a place to crash, and wouldn’t you know, he lists Nolan’s killer crib as his house-arrest address. Casting for the recurring, twentysomething role is underway.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »