A private detective is hired to find a missing stripper but the job turns complicated when everyone he questions ends up dead. From the mean streets of Los Angeles to the desolate desert of New Mexico, Cruz must contend with a brutal Russian Boxer, three brash LAPD detectives, an aged billionaire looking for the Big Bang, and the billionaire’s stunningly gorgeous wife. The solution to the mystery will cost ten lives, net $30 million and just might explain – well – everything.
So why should you care? Take a look at this cast: Antonio Banderas is the private eye (and who doesn’t like a good murder mystery?) and he’s surrounded by fantastic TV stars like Prison Break‘s William Fichner, No Ordinary Family‘s Autumn Reeser, Lost‘s Rebecca Mader, and Breakout King‘s Jimmi Simpson. James Van Der Beek and Snoop Dogg are thrown in for good measure. Should be a fun ride!
The man known ’round the world for his phenomenal performance as John Locke in Lost is returning to ABC this fall in a drama from Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives) called Hallelujah. Described as “a drama with musical elements,” the show is set in the town of Hallelujah, Tenn., which is being torn apart by the forces of good and evil and whose fortunes change when a stranger comes to town, bringing justice, peace and possibly restoring faith.” The stranger is played by Law & Order’s Jesse L. Martin and O’Quinn is Del, a charming yet wholly corrupt local millionaire who virtually owns the town.
O’Quinn joins Lost partners-in-crime Jorge Garcia and Michael Emerson in the fall pilot pool. Garcia and Emerson was recently cast in projects attached to Lost creator J.J. Abrams–Alcatraz and Person of Interest, respectively. Odd Jobs, the Abrams-backed project that was planning to bring O’Quinn and Emerson back together as suburban hit men, will simply have to wait.
Jim Caviezel, the man who famously played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, has been cast as the lead in Person of Interest, the CBS drama from J.J. Abrams and Jonah Nolan. He joins Lost alum Michael Emerson who was also selected to play a prominent role in the show just last month. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show “centers on a paramilitary CIA officer (Caviezel) who is presumed killed in the line of duty, but resurfaces in New York City where he teams up with an eccentric billionaire (Emerson) to clean up the city’s violent underworld.” With Abrams and Nolan attached to it, it’s something you should be following very closely. Now we wait for a teaser…
This trailer is so impressively epic I’m just going to let it speak for itself. Watch it many times.
X-Men: First Class stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, and Rose Byrne. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass). Opens June 3, 2011.
Synopsis: X-Men: First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.
Back in May it was reported that original creator Haim Saban bought the Power Rangers franchise from Disney and that Nickelodeon would air the eighteenth season of the show this year. Since then so much more detail has surfaced about the upcoming series. The official name of the kids program is Power Rangers Samurai and we’ve got a synopsis:
Power Rangers Samurai follows a new generation of five Rangers who must master the ancient Samurai Symbols of Power which give them control over the elements of Fire, Water, Sky, Forest and Earth. Under the guidance of their all-knowing Samurai mentor, Ji, and with the aid of their devoted animal Zords (Lion, Dragon, Ape, Turtle and Bear), they battle to save Earth from the dark forces of the Netherworld led by the evil Master Xandred.
Get to know the cast: The Samurai Power Rangers are: Jayden (Alex Heartman), the Red Ranger and the team’s leader; Mia (Erika Fong), the Pink Ranger who is the confident and caring “big sister” of the Rangers; Kevin (Najee De-Tiege), the Blue Ranger, is a great swordsman who lives by the code of the Rangers; Emily (Brittany Pirtle), the Yellow Ranger, is the youngest but most optimistic of the group; and Mike (Hector David), the Green Ranger, who is a bit of a rebel and would rather be destroying video monsters than real ones.
Oh and remember the slapstick duo from the original 1993 series run Bulk and Skull? Actor Paul Schrier is returning to the Power Rangers universe and will reprise his role as Bulk in the Samurai premiere and will make guest appearances throughout the season. Neat-o right? Look after the break to watch the 2011 version of Bulk in action. Nothing’s changed.
Nick’s Pete Danielsen promises, “This new season of Power Ranger Samurai will feature all new heroes, villains and special effects while keeping the core messages of friendship, teamwork and empowerment that the series has always exhibited.”
Says Saban Brands president Elie Dekel: “We wanted to get back to the original core DNA of the show that made it so powerful and resonant in the ’90s. We made sure that moving forward we drew on the best possible elements that we knew kids responded to, so we embedded a lot more humor in the show, a lot more charm and fun. Bringing back some of the silliness of the original series was a goal, and now it’s in high-def, which has never been done before, which gives it a really great new look.” Beyond that, Dekel continues, “We really wanted to pay homage to, if you will, the show’s Japanese origins with Samurai.”
The 20-episode 18th season premieres February 7 at 8PM on Nickelodeon. Look after the break for some more sneak peek videos, and hit up EW to watch the brand new intro.
Say hello to the new Superman. 27-year-old British actor Henry Cavill, who is best known in the States for playing Charles Brandon on Showtime’s The Tudors, has been cast to play the Man of Steel in Zack Snyder’s reboot of the franchise. Said Snyder in a press release: “In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen. I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield.” Interestingly enough, Cavill was tapped for the lead role in 2006’s Superman Returns, but as we all know the role went to Brandon Routh and now they’re rebooting it. Cavill’s certainly got the looks to play the part, and we’ll soon find out if he’s got the silver screen talent to captivate audiences when he stars in the fantasy-action film Immortals later this year.
Superman was written by David S. Goyer and its producing team includes talents Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Deborah Snyder. The movie’s on track for a 2012 holiday release.
We’re finally starting to get idea about what Christopher Nolan’s third and final Batman film will be about, now that we know Catwoman and Bane are involved. Anne Hathaway (Love and Other Drugs) has been cast as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman). Cue statement from Nolan: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.” Tom Hardy (Inception) is Bane, or as he’s better known as “the man who broke the Bat”; in the comics Bane is an abnormally strong villain who literally breaks Batman’s back and learns Batman’s secret identity. Another statement from the director: “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”
Movie buff? The last time Catwoman and Bane made it to the big screen was in 1996’s Batman Returns (Michelle Pfeiffer) and 1997’s Batman and Robin (Robert Swenson). I’m trying real hard to forget that 2004’s Catwoman (Halle Berry) was ever made.
Christian Bale, Hathaway, and Hardy are locked in; can’t wait to see who gets called in next. The Dark Knight Rises opens July 20, 2012.
This being Steve Carell’s final season on The Office means big changes and exciting storylines leading up to May. This was supposed to be a surprise for longtime fans of the series but word got out and here we are: Ricky Gervais will reprise David Brent, the UK version of Carell’s Michael Scott, in the January 27 episode. More specifically, Brent will make a brief cameo during the cold open. “It’s a little more than if you blink, you’ll miss it, but if you don’t set your TiVo right, you’ll miss it,” says producer Paul Lieberstein. So how will Gervais, who created the UK Office and serves as an executive producer on the US version, end up crossing paths with his US alter-ego? Lieberstein spills, “We had some issues to work out, like how does David Brent live in the world of Michael Scott. It’s outside of the office, and it’s just the two of them interacting. It’s just a llittle nod to Steve and his final year.”
The Office returns with new episodes this Thursday at 9PM on NBC.
Larisa Oleynik. It took me a few seconds to recognize that name. It’s Alex Mack from the classic Nickelodeon series The Secret World of Alex Mack(1994-1998)! I grew up watching (idolizing and adoring) Oleynik because she wielded the most awesome superpowers including the ability to instantly morph into a puddle of silver liquid. Well, now she’s all grown up and ready to star in the CBS reboot hit Hawaii Five-0. According to TVLine, she will play “Jessica Kaye, an ex-CIA analyst and Harvard graduate with a degree in Political Science and a Masters in Global Security and Intelligence Studies who is fresh off the plane from Langley, Virginia.” She’s joining the Five-0 team led by McGarrett and Danno because she is in hot pursuit of Wo Fat, McGarrett’s nemesis who had a hand in the murder of his mother (but he doesn’t know this yet). Jessica “has a personal stake in the manhunt since Wo Fat was responsible for the murder of her fiancé, a well respected CIA field agent.” Apparently Oleynik’s role will remain recurring for the rest of season one, and there’s an option open for her to potentially become a series regular next season. Welcome back to the ‘waves, Alex Mack.
Season 2 of Spartacus: Blood and Sand is nearly ready to begin production. But there is one gaping hole left to fill: finding a strong replacement for cancer-striken Andy Whitfield. After being diagnosed with early stage Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Whitfield was forced to dropped out of the show shortly after the first season concluded. Last week Starz president Chris Albrecht said that the network is “confident that we will find an actor who can ably step into Spartacus’ sandals.” Though Australian actor Liam McIntyre is rumored to be the selection, the casting call is apparently still open. Prison Break star Dominic Purcell put together a screen test tape and sent it to the show’s producers. Want to know the spark of irony here? It was fellow Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller who initially expressed interest in taking over the role. If you take a look at appearances alone, Purcell fits the bill over Miller due to his more Gladiator-like physique. Anyhow, I’ll keep my ear to the ground and follow up on this story once the producers make their final decision. Blood and Sand is tentatively scheduled for September 2011. And don’t forget about the prequel series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena which premieres Friday, January 21 on Starz.
Good news all around! Back in early OctoberPrison Break producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora shared their interest in reviving Prison‘s ultimate villain Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell for their new fugitive-themed drama Breakout Kings. And guess what? Since 20th Century Fox approved the character crossover, actor Robert Knepper has agreed to bring him back. Not only has he agreed, he’s overly excited to do so. In an interview with Give Me My Remote, he shared his elation about working with Olmstead and Santora again. It’s going to be a pretty wild ride. It’s a very trusting thing I have with these guys,” said Knepper. “We spent four years together. All the writers and I, we always wrote back and called each other and said really positive things to each other in those four years. I have tremendous faith in them and I’m not worried at all about what they’re going to do.” He continued, “It may be career suicide, but I loved playing T-Bag. This is a very, very funny, deep, complex character who really scared the sh– out of people and yet people loved him.” If you’re a Prison Break fan, you should read the entire interview; Knepper goes down memory lane reminiscing about how much he loved playing T-Bag, especially in season one which he describes as “sheer gold.” He also says that he might land a part in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming series Alcatraz–now wouldn’t that be something! He says that T-Bag is locked into at least one episode, but if all goes well I’m hoping that the guest role becomes something more substantial.
Lost fan are you now? According to TV Line, the man who played Island protector Jacob–Mark Pellegrino–has been cast as a “trained assassin” and will appear in episode ten of the series. Pellegrino is Virgil Downing, “a notorious international contract killer who always gets the job done…Although he’s suspected in at least-three dozen other killings, his only conviction was for murdering a police commissioner — six years prior to breaking out of his maximum-security cell.”
Breakout Kings is “a new action-packed ensemble drama following an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run.” Originally pitched to FOX but later picked up by A&E, the series is set to premiere on Sunday, March 14 at 10PM.
So much for my Evangeline Lilly prediction. After scooping up Lost‘s Jorge Garcia for his upcoming FOX pilot based on the infamous prison, J.J. Abrams has cast the lead female role for the show. Sarah Jones has been featured in a number of TV series including House, Justified, and Sons of Anarchy. This (hopefully) will be her breakout role and cement her as Abrams’ latest leading female powerhouse (she follows Felicity‘s Keri Russell, Alias‘ Jennifer Garner, Lost‘s Evangeline Lilly, Fringe‘s Anna Torv, and we must include Undercovers‘ Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Jones will play Rebecca Madsen, “a smart, thoughtful and a little obsessive police officer.” She’s gorgeous–but then again, Abrams’ knows how to pick his leading ladies.
Also joining the show are Jonny Coyne (Undercovers) and Jason Butler Harner (Fringe). Coyne will play Alcatraz Warden Edwin James and Harner is Associate Warden E.B. Tiller “who enjoys and abuses his power.”
Alcatraz “centers on a group of missing Alcatraz prisoners and guards who reappear in the present day. It chronicles the efforts of a team of FBI agents to track them down and unravel the mystery behind their disappearance thirty years prior.” Abrams, Bryan Burk, and Elizabeth Sarnoff are attatched to the Warner Bros. TV/Bad Robot project. Production begins next month.
Update: More cast additions have been made. According to Deadline, Sam Neill (Happy Town) will play Emerson Hauser, “the head of a government agency who radiates authority and piercing intelligence”; Parminder Nagra (ER) is Hauser’s lab technician, Lucy; Robert Forster (Heroes) is Ray Archer, “a retired detective who is now owner/bartender of a cop hangout bar.” Alcatraz characters are getting cast in rapid succession, so exciting!
