Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Merlin) will have a major recurring role on Warehouse 13 when the show returns on April 29. He will play a villain named Paracelsus. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Starting on April 30, Grimm will move to Tuesday nights on NBC. (The Futon Critic)

It has been revealed that actor J. August Richards (Angel) will appear as hit man named Mr. Blank on Arrow. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

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

Question: Do you have any scoop on Arrow and the remaining episodes this season? What will happen between Laurel and Tommy? –Karen

Mitovich: Did you hear that in the May 1 episode, “Tommy stuns Laurel with a truth”? Because I did, so I promptly invited EP Andrew Kreisberg to elaborate. “People should be wondering what that truth is…,” he answered, before adding: “Not every truth is about the plot; sometimes these truths are emotional, and they can be just as powerful as the mechanics of what’s happening in the episode.”

Question: Anything you can tease about Defiance‘s Nolan and Amanda? Their scenes during the pilot were so cute and hilarious. –Angel

Mitovich: Agreed, there’s a bit of a Han-and-Leia vibe there. In Episode 2, though Amanda is still recuperating from injuries suffered during the Volge battle (“Battle of the Volge”?), she joins Nolan on a trip to the bowels of what used to be St. Louis. Alas, by episode’s end, a bold if well-meaning act by Nolan’s wild-child ward Irisa will force madam mayor to make a call that agitates not just Datak Tarr but perhaps the entire Castithan race.

Question: Where is Dracula on NBC’s summer schedule? –Bender

Mitovich: Rest assured, production is underway on the Jonathan Rhys Meyers-fronted series — Episode 2 is filming as we speak, I hear – but any details on where/when it will “stake” a claim on NBC’s schedule won’t be revealed until the network’s May 13 Upfront presentation.

Question: Please tell me the names of the guest stars on the April 17 show on NCIS. –Suzan

Mitovich: If by “the April 17 show on NCSI” you mean “the April 30 episode of NCIS,” which has yet to release a guest cast list, I can confirm that that hour marks Oded Fehr’s first episode back as the elusive Ilan Bodnar.

Question: Is it too late to ask for more NCIS scoop? That promo for next week’s episode has me very excited to see the finale arc kick off. –Cheryl

Mitovich: Ever since I broke the news of Marina Sirtis’ casting as new Mossad director Orli Elbaz, several have wondered if Eli David’s successor is familiar with his feisty daughter. “There is a lot of history between Ziva and Orli,” show boss Gary Glasberg confirms. “We discover something at the end of the [April 23] episode, a nice little twist and a surprise that absolutely will inform us moving forward about the two characters. There is more to [their relationship] than meets the eye.”

Question: More scoop on Once Upon a Time! Thank you! –Laurel

Mitovich: No, thank you for this generic request that allows me to plop in whatever nuggets I wish. “We said at the beginning of this season, ‘Magic is coming and it always has a price’ — and we’re going to see that at the end of this season,” series co-creator Eddy Kitsis told me. Leading up to that in these final four episodes, “We’re going to see a new chapter in the Rumple/Belle story that we’ve never seen… we’re going to see an Evil Queen and Snow White story that we’re excited about… and we’re going to get some backstory on Baelfire and Captain Hook. You’re going to see all the core characters front and center.” And just to be crystal clear about Tamara/what I shared in last week’s Spoiler Alert! webisode, here are Eddy’s actual comments on the matter: “She is a person from this world. She is from America. She is not going to be revealed to be someone else,” he attested. “For us what was interesting was, with the curse gone, what happens when the outside world comes? Who has been looking for this place?”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Lee Ann

Have a terrific weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Autumn Reeser (Last Resort) and Garcelle Beauvais (Franklin & Bash) will both be showing up the new season of Necessary Roughness. Reeser will play a rival of Connor McClane (John Stamos), the founder of a global sports/entertainment management conglomerate. She is described as a high-powered partner at a new agency determined to sign TK (Mehcad Brooks), no matter the cost. Meanwhile Beauvais will play Lana Langer, the outrageous mother of a star basketball player who is suddenly choking at the free throw line. The series is back starting on June 12 on the USA Network. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

It has been confirmed this WILL be the last season of Dexter on Showtime. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Keanu Reeves will star in the upcoming sci-fi film Passengers that follows a spacecraft transporting thousands of people to a distant colony planet that has a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers. As a result, a single passenger (Reeves) is awakened 90 years before anyone else. Faced with the prospect of growing old and dying alone, he eventually decides to wake up a second passenger, marking the beginning of what becomes a unique love story. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actor Dylan O’Brien (from the MTV series Teen Wolf) has landed the lead role in the upcoming screen adaptation of The Maze Runner that is based on the James Dashner novel trilogy. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

R.I.P.D. Trailer: Watch Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges Hunt Down Dead Monsters in the Afterlife

Hot Trailer: ‘The Lone Ranger’

Q&A SECTION (with Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: All feels right with the world now that Awkward is back. Any scoop on Jake (Brett Davern) and Tamara (Jillian Rose Reed)? — KB

Sandra: When EW spoke to Davern on the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards, he sounded less-than-certain that Jake and Tamara’s ride will be a smooth one this year, but overall confident that they’d make it work, despite the bumps. “I’m rooting for them. …I hope the fans are rooting for them too,” he says. “They are kind of that couple that has drama every episode but they have a fun banter to their arguing and they usually have a good make-out session at the end of it. It wouldn’t be our show without a good make-up make-out.”

Question: So happy Awkward is back! But it needs more Sadie! Any scoop on my favorite mean girl? – Lo

Sandra: I hear Sadie is going to be one half of a pretty unexpected sleepover that’s coming up later this season. The other half? Someone you would probably never expect to be in the same room with her. “It was an idea I had the first season, and I wasn’t able to make it work the first season. I wasn’t able to make it work the second season, but I was finally able to make it work this season,” showrunner Lauren Iungerich shares. Molly Tarlov adds: “It was super-fun to film. It’s kind of weird, though. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in bed with crew. Every time I got out of bed they would remake my bed, and it felt really weird.”

Question: Thank you on behalf of Teen Wolf fans for all the scoop! — Missy

Sandra: You’re welcome. And here’s one more for you: We all know that Scott’s (Tyler Posey) going to get more action scenes in the upcoming third season but what you may not have known is that it comes at the expense of another type of action. “[Scott hasn’t] had sex this season yet,” Posey lamented. “I got some last season. This season I got a motorcycle instead, which is pretty much like sex. It rumbles. It is between your legs.” I’ll give you a moment to stop LOLing. Ready? Good. Posey adds: “This season has death, near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, bullet wounds, twins, [and] sex between a new character and an old character that isn’t me.”

Question: I can’t STAND Dante on Nashville. Please tell me Deacon kicks his @$$ or something soon. — Nina

Sandra: He gets what’s coming to him. Promise. Meanwhile, though we’ve seen a number of close calls this season (I REALLY thought Lamar was a goner last week!) I can tell you that the cast is going to be a little lighter by the time the end of the season rolls around as one songstress is going to suffer a huge, life-changing loss in an upcoming episode. And I’m not talking about an award…

Question: Scandal fans want to know more about this finale! Help us, Sandra! – Lucy

Sandra: “I think it’s going to be a very long summer,” creator Shonda Rhimes tells me of the final episode. “We’re headed in a very interesting direction…if people think we’re burning through story now, they’re going to be very shocked at what happens in the next few episodes.” Someone hold me…

Question: Any new Castle scoop, Sandra? It’s been a while! — Emily

Sandra: Indeed it has, which is why I’m chatting up EP Andrew Marlowe on Friday. (Yes, that’s a non-subtle call for questions.) Meanwhile, I’ll tease you with this: Beckett is in a solid relationship and one of the best detectives in the city, but is that enough?

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Brad Beyer (Jericho) and actress Alexandra Socha (Damages) will appear in an upcoming episode of Royal Pains, which is set to return to the USA Network on June 12. Beyer will play local police officer Don Barrett who befriends Hank (Mark Feuerstein). A single dad, Don lives with his teenage daughter Molly (Socha). He develops a number of symptoms that he attributes to the stress of dealing with his daughter’s newly rebellious teen attitude — but that Hank believes is caused by a larger medical issue. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Starz has renewed the brand new drama Da Vinci’s Demons for a second season after only one episode. The show’s debut episode earned 2.14 million viewers on April 12. (Jethro Nededog at The Wrap)

TV TRAILER

TV Trailer: Starz’s Pirate Series ‘Black Sails’ Produced By Michael Bay

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Sasha Roiz (Grimm) has joined the cast of the upcoming film Pompeii. He will play Proculus, the bodyguard and right hand man to Senator Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland). The film is expected to hit theatres on February 28, 2014. (Jethro Nededog at The Wrap)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: ‘Man Of Steel’

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

Question: Will we finally see Silas in the prom episode of The Vampire Diaries? – Tanner

Team Watch with Kristin: Silas will take on the form of four different characters throughout Thursday night’s episode, that sneaky little bastard! As for the show’s other big bad (loosely using that term), Klaus? Look for the show to set up The Originals spinoff in a major way by episode’s end.

Question: In desperate need of Teen Wolf spoilers, please and thank you! – Kennedy

Team Watch with Kristin: ‘Tis the season of the Alphas! Not only did the new promo for the third season tease Scott’s Alpha potential, but we can reveal that episode 11 is titled “Alpha Pact.” “What’s cool about them is that they are all unique and they’re all individuals, so they do each have their own agenda,” Tyler Posey tells us of the new Alpha Pack members. “All in all, they’re all here together doing one thing, but they each have their own storylines, which is really cool. It’s really cool.”

Question: I know you just spoke to Beauty and the Beast’s executive producer, so I want some scoop! – Daisy

Team Watch with Kristin: All right, all right! J.T. and Vincent are getting a new bachelor pad! “It took us a long time to find it, we spent a lot of time,” Jennifer Levin teases of the duo’s new digs. “It’s not a warehouse, it’s not a tunnel. We wanted a place that’s inviting, that Cat would want to be in. It’s kind of awesome.” So yes, Cat will be spending a lot of time there.

Question: What can we expect for Castle and Beckett’s relationship as we head to the end of Castle’s season? — Dana

ADAM: The bumps that we’ve hinted at before will be exacerbated by two men who come into Beckett’s life. First, Beckett will be assigned to protect multimillionaire inventor Erik Vaughn (Ioan Gruffudd) — in his private hotel penthouse. “If Castle aspired to be someone, he’d aspire to be this guy,” creator Andrew W. Marlowe says. “Castle’s really determined to solve the case and get his girlfriend away from him.” During their alone time, Erik will ask Beckett some tough questions about where her relationship with Castle is headed. Unfortunately, as Beckett wrestles with those questions in the season’s penultimate episode, she’ll cross paths with a federal investigator (Carlos Bernard) who might offer some different answers. “He opens Beckett’s eyes on other possibilities that might be out there for her,” Marlowe teases.

Question: I have a bad feeling about what’s going to happen to Ziva on NCIS. Can you make me feel any better? — Mandy

ADAM: Not really. Although executive producer Gary Glasberg says Ziva’s upcoming trip to Berlin with Tony features a “tremendous personal story,” Ziva is ultimately out to avenge her father’s murder. “People are going to see a Ziva David that they haven’t seen in a long time,” Glasberg says. “There is a strength and a resolute determination.” But will she go too far? That becomes the very question of the season finale as Colin Hanks’ federal investigator leads a witch hunt that takes a closer look at Gibbs and his team — and heads could roll. “There is a crossroads for NCIS,” Glasberg says. “Boundaries have been pushed and lines have been crossed. At some point, does that catch up to you?”

Question: Do you have any Revenge scoop? — Lisa

ADAM: On the April 28 episode, Nolan will dig for answers about Padma’s death and, in the process, viewers will finally learn the identity of the elusive Falcon. And a showdown is a-comin’… sorta. “Two major computer geeks going head-to-head — you can imagine that one,” Gabriel Mann says with a laugh. “How they [battle] is something that will inspire some laughs.” But things could also turn serious much faster than you think. “I have to question whether [Nolan’s] up on his self-defense kills at this point, but I will say he’s going to need them really bad for things coming up soon,” Mann says. Personally, I’m just hoping Nolan will get to sport his undercover ‘stache again!

Question: I’ll take anything you can share about Supernatural. — Trish

ADAM: If you’re expecting the return of Felicia Day’s Charlie on the April 24 episode to be as much fun as the LARP-ing episode, prepare yourself for something a little different. “We’ve become very familiar with Charlie’s sarcasm, [but] I think [this] really gives us an opportunity to go a bit deeper,” executive producer Jeremy Carver says. “Although there will be some geeky fun as Dean tries to teach Charlie how to be a demon hunter, she’s also carrying a deep secret that could get her killed. “The boys start to uncover many, many layers of Charlie… and it’s ultimately a really rather emotional [episode]. It certainly resonates with the boys.”

Question: Now that it’s been confirmed that Muse Watson is coming back to NCIS as Mike Franks, can you give us some spoilers about why he’s there and what’ll happen with Gibbs? —Marla

Ausiello: Fortunately, Matt Mitovich just got off the horn with show boss Gary Glasberg, who explained that the Season 10 finale, titled “Damned If You Do” and airing May 14, presents “a situation where Gibbs has to really question, ‘How far is too far? How far can you push the boundaries? How far can the team cross the line?’ And in looking at things from a moral stance, in terms of what has happened over the years, things get internalized and we’re very fortunate to have the ‘conscience’ that is Mike Franks there for Gibbs to interact with.”

Question: Do you have anything new on the NCIS front? –Cheryl

Ausiello: If you, as many do, see a resemblance between incoming guest star Colin Hanks and Sean Murray (who plays Agent McGee), Glasberg promises that “absolutely” will be addressed on camera. “There’s a terrific scene in ‘Double Blind,’ which is the penultimate episode, when McGee and Colin (playing a DoD snoop) meet for the first time. And it actually comes up again in the finale as well,” the showrunner shares. “We got a big kick out of it around here!”
Question: Got any scoop on Supernatural? Dying to get some since we’re on hiatus until the 24th! —Ali

Ausiello: Given what a winning introduction the Men of Letters received earlier this year, surely that’s not the last we’ve seen or heard of the secret organization, right? Right… ish. “We will absolutely see the positive and negative effects of being legacies,” says EP Jeremy Carver, adding that MoL “are involved in some capacity” later this season. Hmm, could this bit of casting have anything to do with that?

Question: Anything about Elementary? —Hala

Ausiello: Next Thursday’s episode takes a page straight out of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story — and gives it an Elementary twist. The hour is based on the tale “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton” — but it’s not a retelling. “We looked at it and thought it was a great launch to a story,” says exec producer Rob Doherty. “We took the original ending and made that our teaser. Sherlock is hired to recover some blackmail material, infiltrate [bad guy] Milverton’s home and is present when somebody else breaks in behind him and kills Milverton.” That leaves the investigator in “a bit of a bind in that if he reports the murder [and] comes forward as a witness, Milverton’s accomplice will realize his partner is dead and will release all of the blackmail materials into the world. And yet, it’s wrong to not step forward and tell the police you’ve seen somebody killed. We liked that quandary for Sherlock.”

Question: What’s Nashville going to do with Susan Misner now that she’ll be a regular on The Americans next season? Is there any way she can stay? –Mariel

Ausiello: Series creator Callie Khouri says probably not – and she feels your pain. “I hate it,” she tells TVLine. “She’s been so great, and she and [Charles Esten] have incredible chemistry. She’s just really, really good.” The EP went on to praise Misner for succeeding in the thankless task of being Deacon’s NotRayna: “It’s a testament to her and her acting ability.” On the bright side: At least Deacon will have a new heartbreak to write songs about.

Question: I’d love some scoop on Beauty and the Beast if you have time to find some. –@Ewokgrl

Ausiello: Can I interest you in a pair of episode titles? In the CW drama’s penultimate freshman hour, “Date Night,” “Cat and Vincent get to go on a date that is not in his ‘lair’ or whatever you want to call it but out on an actual date, and it’s super-fun,” EP Jennifer Levin tells us. The season finale meanwhile is titled “Never Turn Back” — and make of that what you will.

Question: I need some Nikita scoop. —Oli

Ausiello: Division may not be long for this world. Asked if the season is building to the end of the covert spy org, EP Craig Silverstein responds with an unequivocal, “Yes,” before cryptically adding, “and maybe sooner than you thought.”

Question: I would love to know if Caroline dances with Klaus at Vampire Diaries‘ prom? It is kind of their thing. —Amy

Ausiello: Although Caroline’s dance card is pretty full in the episode, she doesn’t hit the floor with Klaus. That’s the bad news. The good news is that, prior to the big event, those crazy kids do share a nice moment — during which Klaus actually proves to be a friend! Stop the presses!

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

Legendary actor Joel Grey (Cabaret) as well as actor Steve Valentine (Crossing Jordan) and actress Nora Zehetner (Grey’s Anatomy) will all be making guest appearances on Warehouse 13 when the show returns for the rest of its current season, starting on April 29. Grey will appear in the May 20 episode as Monty the Magnificent, an aging performer who once headlined in Las Vegas; but in recent years has been relegated to those small smoky lounges off the casino floors. Soon enough, though, Monty has just unveiled a new trick that could restore his fame. There’s just one problem. His new levitation stunt results in his volunteers inexplicably shooting up into the sky the following day, never to be seen again. And Pete (Eddie McClintock) may end up being Monty’s next rocket. This episode will also feature Valentine as Val Preston, a glitzy David Copperfield-like main stage magician who took Monty’s place and is now trying to steal his new act. Zehetner will co-star as Monty’s pretty young assistant. (William Keck at TV Guide)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Ashley Judd (Missing) and actor Tony Goldwyn (Scandal) have joined the cast of the much-buzzed about box office adaptation of the Veronica Roth novel Divergent that will also star Shailene Woodley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) in the lead role of Tris. Reportedly, Judd will play Tris’s mother, Natalie Prior while Goldwyn will play Tris’s father, Andrew Prior. The film is expected in theatres next March. (Alexis L. Loinaz at E! Online)

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online)

Question: Loved the Defiance premiere last night! Any chance for spoilers on what’s coming up? – Tyler in Pittsburgh

Team Watch with Kristin: Stephanie Leonidas, who plays Irisa, tells us that her character will not be mysterious for much longer. “We will figure out more about Irisa’s past,” Leonidas says about upcoming episodes. But don’t expect any emotional connection between her and any other characters any time soon. “[She’s] not good with emotions, but she is good with a knife!”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

AMC is moving Hell on Wheels to Saturday nights with the third season premiere set for August 3 at 9 PM. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor John M. Jackson will reprise his JAG role of A.J. Chegwidden in the season finale of spin-off series NCIS, which finds a federal witch hunt threatening the future of Gibbs’ gang. Chegwidden is now retired from the Navy, but he will step away from his powerful D.C. law firm to help Gibbs & Co. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

The Kickstarter campaign for the Veronica Mars movie has ended, earning an astonishing $5.7 million and a record breaker 91,585 backers. (The Deadline Team)

Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past weekend courtesy of Deadline:

1. 42 – 27.3 million
2. Scary Movie 5 – 15.1 million
3. The Croods – 13.2 million
4. GI Joe: Retaliation – 10.8 million
5. Evil Dead – 9.5 million
6. Jurassic Park 3D – 8.8 million
7. Olympus Has Fallen – 7.3 million
8. Oz The Great and Powerful – 4.8 million
9. Tyler Perry’s Temptation – 4.5 million
10. Place Beyond the Pines – 4 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Jennifer Ferrin (The Cape and The Following) has joined the cast of the AMC western Hell on Wheels for its third season. She will play Louise Ellison, a smart, witty and flirtatious journalist hired by the New York Sun to cover the “story of the century”, the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Louise imbues her work with an element of human emotion as well as thorough, blunt, truthful fact-finding. She is strong and independent and demands to be treated with the same respect that any man in her position would be given. The 10-episode third season of Hell on Wheels will air this summer on AMC. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

The History Channel is at it again. They are also developing a mini-series set around the American Revolution (yesterday it was Harry Houdini). The mini called Sons of Liberty will follow a defiant and radical group of young men, including Samuel Adams, John Hancock, John Adams, Paul Revere, Patrick Henry and Benedict Arnold, as they band together in secrecy to change the course of history and make America a nation. Together, they called themselves the Sons of Liberty and lit the spark of what would become a revolution: the American Revolution. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley and Jim Sturgess will join Kate Beckinsale in the upcoming film called Eliza Graves that is based on an Edgar Allan Poe short story. It will be set at the turn of the century, focusing on a young doctor who comes to apprentice at a remote mental institution. He meets a beautiful patient, with whom he falls in love under circumstances which may be much more complicated than they seem. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actress Rachel McAdams will join Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone in Cameron Crowe’s next film, which is currently untitled, and few details on storyline are known as well. (First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Hot Trailer: ‘Summer In February’

First Trailer for ‘Romeo & Juliet’ with Hailee Steinfeld & Douglas Booth

Clive Owen & Gillian Anderson in First Trailer for ‘Shadow Dancer’

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online)

Question: GOT! GOT! GOT! (That would be Game of Thrones, folks) – Bryan

Team Watch with Kristin: We’re confused, do you want scoop on Game of Thrones? We’re hoping so ‘cause Nikolaj Coster-Waldau teases that the end of Sunday’s episode is not to be missed. “I can’t wait to hear the reaction at the end of this Sunday’s episode,” he says. “It’s very dramatic.” While we won’t say what happens, we will spoil that Jaime is involved. You’ll get no more out of us!

Question: I am going through Once Upon a Time withdrawals. Got any scoop on what to expect? – Dina

Team Watch with Kristin: A trip to a new land…possibly a permanent one! “They sort of set up that we are maybe heading to another land. They’ve teased that at the end of season two,” Jennifer Morrison teases of season three. “I will be interested to see how we are all impacted by that new land. I think whenever we’re in a place where everyone’s relationships are impacted by their environment and it heightens the stakes for everyone, it becomes very interesting drama.”

Question: Bummed that Arrow didn’t consult with me first before taking a week off! Do you have any spoilers on Roy Harper that will fill the void? – Fiona

Team Watch with Kristin: Prepare to see a much bigger Roy in season two! “I have to gain another 25 pounds of muscle,” Colton Haynes teases, “so I have a feeling that I’m going to have to possible be wearing a suit of some sort.” Two words: Hell! Yes!

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Alfre Woodard will guest star in an upcoming episode of Copper on the BBC America. The period piece series will return for its second season on June 23 with Woodard playing Hattie Lemaster, a former slave who has recently arrived to the Five Points to start anew. Jarred by raucous city life, Hattie must reconcile her past against hope for a future. (Press Release)

Actor Carter MacIntyre will not be back as a series regular on Drop Dead Diva when it returns for its resurrected 5th season. He will, however, appear in a “limited capacity” during the new season. Casting is underway now for a replacement guardian angel for Jane Bingum. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actress Patricia Arquette (Medium) will have a major recurring role in Boardwalk Empire, playing Sally Wheet, a tough-as-nails Tampa speakeasy owner with connections to local gangsters. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Ned Bellamy (Justified) will have a recurring role on the summer series Under the Dome that will debut on CBS on June 24. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Relative newcomer Matt Kane has landed a recurring role on Switched at Birth, playing Jace, a brilliant and intense coffee shop barista and potential love interest for Daphne (Katie Leclerc). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos) will reprise her role of Wendy (Jax’s baby momma) on Sons of Anarchy. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Lifetime has given the greenlight to a new two-hour original movie called Babysellers, a follow-up to the networks’ 2005 movie Human Trafficking. This made-for-TV movie will star Kirstie Alley (Cheers) as Carla Hughes, a well-respected, influential owner of a major U.S.-based adoption agency that helps prospective parents fulfill their dream of having a family. While presenting an innocent veneer of kindness and good intentions to her trusting clients, behind-the-scenes Hughes functions as a ruthless international kingpin, controlling an expansive syndicate spanning the world and manned by subordinates authorized to use any means necessary to procure children for her business. It will also star Jennifer Finnigan (Monday Mornings) as Nic Kingman, the dedicated, tough-as-nails Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who believes Hughes is fueling a global business that stops at nothing to find the right child for the right owner — at the right price – and goes undercover to bring her sordid operation down. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

The History Channel is developing a multi-hour project based on the life of Harry Houdini with Adrien Brody set to play the lead role. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica and Monday Mornings) will play the lead in the UK eight-part series called The Smoke. He will play a firefighter in the drama about the lives of a crew in a London fire station. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) is set to star in the upcoming box office film The Homesman opposite Tommy Lee Jones. This period piece western will also star Meryl Streep, Hilary Swank, James Spader and John Lithgow. The film is about a man (Jones) who teams up with a pioneer woman (Swank) to escort three insane women across the prairie back to civilization. Steinfeld will play a poor, simple, and barefooted teenager named Tabitha Hutchinson. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Jerky Steve Carell & Cool Sam Rockwell in ‘Way, Way Back’ Trailer

Q&A SECTION (With Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online and Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: Loving Nashville! Any scoop on Rayna and Deacon? I hope they get together for real soon! – Gwen

Team Watch with Kristin: Well, things are about to get real messy in Rayna and Teddy’s divorce because of, you guessed it, Deacon! It seems like Teddy will be trying to change their custody agreement in order to keep the girls away from Rayna whenever she’s around Deacon.

Question: Any Revolution finale scoop? — Sara

Sandra: There’s a cliffhanger! Before you pelt me with tomatoes of dissatisfaction let co-executive producer David Rambo elaborate: “It’s a very unsafe world. It’s a very dangerous place. No one is safe, and I would expect that there will be some losses and some gains,” he says. As far as whether any of the new people we’ll be meeting later this season will pop up in season 2, Rambo says we’ll “definitely meet some people beyond the borders of the Monroe Republic that we’ll get to know in the second half of the season and maybe into season 2.”

Question: There’s been NO love for Hawaii Five-0. PLEASE change that. — Maria

Sandra: Finale intel: We’re used to seeing the team chase after the bad guys, but in the final episode of the season, I’m hearing someone on the team is going to be running from the good guys.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood and Arrow) will guest star in the May 9 episode of Scandal, but there are no details on what role he will play. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Colin Hanks (Dexter and Roswell) will appear in the final two episodes of NCIS as Department of Defense Investigator Richard Parsons. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

The CW has pulled the new drama Cult (that sounds like an early cancellation), being replaced by the reality series Oh Sit and repeats of The Carrie Diaries. (TV By the Numbers)

Syfy has renewed Being Human for a 13-episode fourth season. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck) will return for a multi-episode arc on the 8th season of Dexter, reprising her role of Hannah McKay. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Syfy is developing a new project called No Place, based on the Top Cow comic book “The Test” by Matt Hawkins and Joshua Hale Fialkov that is about residents of a high-tech gated community awaken one morning to find themselves alone and cut off from the rest of reality – nothing exists beyond the community’s walls. Only one man has contact with the powers responsible for what is known as ‘The Rift’, and he must lead his fellow residents beyond the void to discover the truth. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Syfy is also developing seven other projects, according to Lacey Rose at The Hollywood Reporter, including the following:

Dominion (formerly known as Legion), which tells the story of what happens twenty years after evil angels descended from heaven to lay waste to the human souls they felt God had favored over them. A reluctant “savior” must arise to protect Vega, the last remaining stronghold of humanity. The savior has more to fear than just angels, as the elites of this new society conspire to gain power for themselves.

Orion, which is a space opera that centers on Orion, an adventurous female relic hunter who tracks down valuable artifacts while trying to piece together her past.

Sojourn is about the first detective ever in space, who is tasked with investigating a murder on a starship that is headed to colonize another planet, but instead becomes embroiled in a vast conspiracy involving a mysterious terrible crime dating back to the original launch of the ship 50 years ago.

Clandestine is about what happens after a clan of bandits are nearly destroyed and left for dead by Coalition forces. They take refuge in the nearest safe haven, a derelict Coalition starship floating in space. Once onboard, they masquerade as Coalition officers while continuing their criminal ways ¬- until they stumble upon a shocking realization about the true nature of the Coalition.

Infinity tells the story of what happens when an alien armada is sighted in the region of Pluto, causing the Earth government to turn to a young billionaire industrialist, who has the only ship ready for interstellar travel, to greet the aliens and avoid a catastrophe. Powered by secret alien technology discovered on Earth in the 1960s, the ship engages in a firefight that sends them spinning through a wormhole into an uncharted region of space. Lost in the universe, the team struggles to survive as they encounter new planets and alien species, searching for a way back home.

Silver Shields is about what happens when farm boy Caymer’s father is slain by assassins connected to the government of the large nearby city of Pont Royal. He journeys there to continue his father’s legacy as a member of the local police force and to solve the mystery of his father¹s death. He discovers that his simple country view on life is at odds with the big city, filled with orcs and other magical creatures.

Shelter is about what happens when a massive meteorite is headed toward Earth, forcing 30,000 hand-picked humans to live underground in a government funded shelter in order to start a new society. What begins as a Utopia quickly succumbs to the old human faults and jealousies as certain members of society create alliances to gain favor and power. Meanwhile, things on the surface are not what they seem. Humans slowly realize that this event may have been fated and the survivors meant for a greater purpose in rebooting life on Earth.

MINI-SERIES NEWS

Syfy is also working on two new mini-series: Ringworld based on the book by Larry Niven and Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. Ringworld will be a four-hour mini that follows a team of explorers who travel to the farthest reaches of space to investigate an alien artifact called Ringworld, an artificial habitat the size of one million Earths. As they crash land on this enormous structure, they discover the remnants of ancient civilizations, technology beyond their wildest dreams, mysteries that shed light on the very origins of man and, most importantly, a possible salvation for a doomed Earth. Meanwhile, Childhood’s End follows a peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival ends all war and turns the planet into a near-utopia. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Noah Emmerich (The Americans) will star alongside Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper and Joel Edgerton in the upcoming box office film Jane Got A Gun. He will play the outlaw husband of the title character (Portman) who is trying to keep her farm from going under. Knowing that his gang–led by a desperado played by Cooper–will come to kill her husband and destroy her farm, Jane hires her ex-lover (Edgerton) to stop them. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actors Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) and actress Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) will lend their voices along with Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and other original cast members for Kung Fu Panda 3. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: ‘Elysium’

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

Question: Zoe and George scoop would be really, really, really, really, really nice! – ampdalejr89

Team Watch with Kristin: Prepare for your ship to set sail again! “George is in a happy relationship for the first time in a long time and in comes Zoe Hart to try to ruin it all once again,” Scott Porter teases. “So, things are going to get bumpy for George. And there’s some more singing in the future and there might be a couple of kisses with people who aren’t Tansy.” Woah! So can we expect a juicy moment between George and Zoe? “I would say we’re heading that way, yes!”

Question: I love Person of Interest. Will the Stanton Virus wreak havoc on the Machine? — James

ADAM: Finch pretty much confirmed in the last episode that the virus was most likely behind the Machine’s glitchy behavior in recent episodes. But it sounds like the Machine will fight back in the run-up to this year’s finale. “What’s really interesting about the Machine is whether or not you believe it is an evolving organism,” executive producer Greg Plageman says. “What happens when an organism like that comes under attack? The question to ask is: Have we seen all the facets of the Machine and its true power?” Anyone else hoping to see Terminators in Season 3?

Question: Got any scoop on The Vampire Diaries spin-off episode? — Jorge

NATALIE: After Klaus and Haley’s hookup, Phoebe Tonkin’s casting on the spin-off makes a little more sense, but in the backdoor-pilot episode, we’ll discover why they’ll always be connected — and why Elijah is so damn happy about it.

Question: Do you know if there any big deaths coming up on The Vampire Diaries? —Audrey

Ausiello: Nope, but I can tell you that next Thursday’s episode features another big return (in addition to Steven R. McQueen coming back), as well as a passing glimpse of Silas’ real face — rumor has it he looks a lot like an actor out of Atlanta named Scott Parks. However, don’t get too used to seeing Silas’ authentic self. According to sources, the erstwhile warlock will continue to do most of his dirty work in disguise.

Question: When will Vampire Diaries start addressing the fact almost all of the core characters will be graduating high school in a few weeks? —Matt

Ausiello: The G-word will soon become a big topic of conversation in Mystic Falls. “There’s going to be a lot of questions about, ‘Who am I? What am I going to do with my life? What am I meant to be? Where am I meant to go?’” previews exec producer Julie Plec. “All of our characters will be faced with that question as they make decisions about whether to stay or go, go to college, travel the world, break up, stay together. A lot of big, important life decisions as we say goodbye to the high school chapter of the show.”

Question: I’m obsessed with Nashville and I’m so happy new episodes have returned! Any scoop? —Jill

Ausiello: The apparent heart attack/stroke that Lamar suffered at the end of last week’s episode will prove to be fatal. Just joshing. He survives, but for how long? “He’s one tough customer,” acknowledges series creator Callie Khouri. “But there’s also the oh-how-the-mighty-have-fallen aspect to deal with. It’s a different place than we’ve seen him throughout the whole season. He seems very strong and a kind of invincible person. And then suddenly you realize: Everybody’s mortal.”

Question: Please, Scandal withdrawal is killing me. Anything related to the show is greatly appreciated. —Mateo

Ausiello: How about some new intel on the mysterious character Jasika Nicole is playing? TVLine previously scooped that the Fringe vet’s alter ego has “a deep connection to an existing character.” Well, the preview snippet ABC just released for her episode — airing April 25 — includes this telltale line: “Secrets from Huck’s life before Pope and Associates are revealed.” You thinking what I’m thinking?!

Question: Any word on a renewal for Nikita? It seems to have stayed pretty steady since moving back to 8pm? —Jared

Ausiello: Good news: Buoyed in part by a report in Deadline that said the show might be renewed for a shortened final season, Nikita has been upgraded to a “safe bet” on TVLine’s Renewal Scorecard. Also brightening the show’s renewal prospects is word that the show’s May 17 closer features a cliffhanger-ish ending. Basically, if they ended the series that way, people would be very unhappy.

Question: Nikita scoop, please! Preferably anything on Alex and Owen? I love the dynamic that has been set up between them. —Steph

Ausiello: Lyndsy Fonseca hints that there’s a “really cool twist” coming with regard to Owen’s relationship with not only Alex but everyone. “Owen as a character changes a lot by the end of the season,” she teases. “All I’m going to say is that Amanda’s influence on — and what she’s done to — Alex and Nikita and Owen and eventually another character is going to become apparent.” Bonus Scoop: The aforementioned finale? Per Fonseca, Amanda has a “big part” in it.

Question: I loved the Justified finale. Is that the end of the Detroit mob plot, or will it continue in Season 5? —Keith

Ausiello: Much like Nicky Augustine, it’s dead. “It’s our intent to move off of it, to a certain extent,” confirmed exec producer Graham Yost, before nothing that we may see Max Perlich’s mafia heir Sammy Tonin again. “We really like [him]. There could be fun stuff there, but that’s not something we’re driving toward. [But] if something materialized, it would be a good story.”

Question: Do you have any Grimm news? —JP

Ausiello: Nick’s heightened abilities in the wake of being attacked by that fly Wesen won’t turn him into Superman, maintains exec producer David Greenwalt. “You’ll see some cool fighting for sure,” he adds, “but he won’t be able to leap off tall buildings in a single bound or anything like that.” Adds fellow EP James Kouf with a laugh: “It’ll take at least two bounds.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

A&E has ordered another new scripted drama that will debut next year. The series is called Those Who Kill and is based on a Danish format that was inspired by the books of Elsebeth Egholm. The drama will star Chloë Sevigny and James D’Arcy, who will play a detective and forensic psychiatrist, respectively. They work together to track down serial killers — and investigate the ongoing mystery of Sevigny’s character’s stepfather, whom she believes to be a killer as well. (Michael O’Connell at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Natalie Dormer (The Tudors and Game of Thrones) will guest star as legendary character Irene Adler in the CBS drama Elementary. She will appear in a three-episode arc that starts on May 9 and ends with the two-hour season finale on May 16. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Reid Scoot (Veep and The Big C) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Perception that will start its second season on TNT on June 18. He will play a brain surgeon who helps determine the mental stability of a self-proclaimed murderer. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actresses Anna Paquin (True Blood) and Maggie Grace (Lost) will star in the online web series presented on the YouTube channel WIGS called Susanna. They will play two sisters, Katie (Paquin), the mother of a newborn, and her younger sister, Susanna (Grace), an investment banker on the rise who has no interest in becoming a mother. When Katie develops acute postpartum depression and is hospitalized, Susanna must take care of her sister and her sister’s child while trying to keep the biggest business opportunity of her life from being derailed by her sister’s illness. Virginia Madsen and Rob Benedict co-star. (The Deadline Team)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Starz is developing a new drama from TV writer Gideon Yago (Newsroom). The project is called Airborne and is a coming of age story set at the dawn of the Vietnam War. The series, should it be picked up, would follow a young helicopter crew as they fight for survival, sanity, their souls, and each other in a country – and war – that are descending into chaos. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Mekhi Phifer (ER and Torchwood) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film called Divergent that is based on the first novel of the same name by Veronica Roth. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago divided into five factions and stars Shailene Woodley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Theo James (Golden Boy), Kate Winslet (Titanic), Jai Courtney (Jack Reacher), Zoe Kravitz (X-Men: First Class), and Maggie Q (Nikita). (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Luke Evans (Immortals) will play the title role of Dracula in yet another adaption of the legendary character. In this version the story will center around the life of the young Transylvanian Prince Vlad, better known as Vlad the Impaler; the story has the young prince leading the charge to fend off the Ottoman Empire’s attempts to use Romania as a foothold to conquer the rest of Europe. In a moment of desperation, he ascends a mountain where a dark magical power resides in the hope of finding something to keep the Turkish hordes at bay. That power helps him defeat the Turks, but comes at the price of him changing into a creature of the night. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin from E! Online)

Question: Teen Wolf scoop right now. – Clare

Team Watch with Kristin: Shiz is about to get real serious in Beacon Hills this season. How do we know this? The FBI is coming! Towards the end of the first half of season three, fans will meet the handsome and tough Jack Keller, a field agent, who comes to town on official business and we’re hearing his presence will have a profound impact on Beacon Hills.

Question: So bummed that Scandal isn’t on this week! Make me feel better with some scoop? – Tristan

Team Watch with Kristin: Fans that have been less than pleased with Fitz in the last couple of episodes will probably be a little happy to hear the president will be in a bit of a pickle when it comes time to deal with the whole “saying someone was the mole when he really wasn’t” thing. Cyrus and his team will be working overtime to find an explanation for an “oversight” in the mole investigation and aren’t above Fitz’s recent troubles (Verna’s death, the assassination attempt, etc.) to do it.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Laura Benanti (Go On and The Playboy Club) will have a recurring role on Royal Pains when the show returns for its new season this summer. She will play Shelby Shackelford, the dynamic new Senior VP of Acquisitions at Symphony Health Systems, a health care company trying to buy Hamptons Heritage Hospital. An out-of-towner, Shelby comes to the Hamptons and brings an unexpected vision for the hospital — one that may mean new competition for HankMed. Royal Pains will return with new episodes on the USA Network starting on June 12. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

A&E has renewed the new thriller series Bates Motel for a second season. (TV By the Numbers)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past weekend courtesy of Deadline:

1. Evil Dead – $26 million
2. (TIE) G.I Joe: Retaliation 3D AND The Croods – $21.1 million
4. Jurassic Park 3D – $18.2 million
5. (TIE) Olympus Has Fallen AND Tyler Perry’s Temptation – 10 million
7. Oz The Great And Powerful – $8.1 million
8. The Host – $5.2 million
9. The Call – $3.5 million
10. Admission – $2 million

Actor Bradley Cooper has taken over for Jude Law in the upcoming movie called Jane Got A Gun that will also star Natalie Portman and Joel Edgerton. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

First Trailer for Ron Howard’s F1 Movie ‘Rush’ with Chris Hemsworth

MOVIE TO STAGE NEWS

Stage legend Andrew Lloyd Webber (Phantom of the Opera) is reportedly developing the box office film School of Rock for the stage. (Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Roush from TV Guide)

Question: Is Sarah Shahi going to join the cast of Person of Interest next season? There was the POI episode about Agent Shaw (Shahi) with very little Reese and Finch. Then Shaw makes another appearance last Thursday. POI fans on Facebook like the idea, while some others do not like it. They like it as a two-man show, with help from Detectives Carter and Fusco of course. — Hiram

Matt Roush: She may recur next season, in much the way that Paige Turco’s similarly appealing character, Zoe, reappears from time to time, but I doubt she’d become a full-time regular. It’s all part of expanding the universe that Reese, Finch and their cop colleagues inhabit, keeping POI from being altogether formulaic. Which is part of what makes it such fun.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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