Entertainment Update for June 19

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Music impresario T Bone Burnett will not be returning as the executive music producer on the second season of Nashville. He will, however, be replaced by his number two man Buddy Miller. (Liz Raftery at TV Guide)

Actor Doug Savant (Desperate Housewives) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Rizzoli & Isles. He will play Roger Thorson, a mock trial adviser whose colleague dies suddenly during a competition. Rizzoli & Isles will air its season premiere on TNT on June 25. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Actresses Loretta Devine (The Client List) and Peggy Lipton (the original The Mod Squad) will both guest star in an upcoming episode of Psych when the series returns for its 8th season on the USA Network. Devine will play Melba Birdson, a former back-up singer for 1960s sensation Myles Valour Jr. Lassie (series regular Timothy Omundson) tracks her down in a desperate attempt to gain information on a cold case from 1967 and finds her still performing after all these years. Meanwhile, Lipton will portray Scarlet Jones, reliving her days as the main squeeze of notorious mob boss Rodney Caruso. As Lassie begins to dig around a cold case involving the late Archie Baxter, he turns to Scarlett for information on Archie’s supper club, where Myles’ songs were regular fixtures and the line between cops and criminals were blurred. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Liv Tyler (The Lord of the Rings franchise) will star opposite Justin Theorux in the HBO drama pilot called The Leftovers from Damon Lindelof. The project, based on the Tom Perrotta book, takes place after the Rapture happens, but not quite like it’s supposed to. It is the story of the people who didn’t make the cut and a world that will never be the same. Tyler will play Meg, a young woman on the verge of getting married, but needing an escape. As a result, she becomes a target for recruitment by members of an enigmatic cult. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) has joined the cast of the Cinemax drama pilot called Quarry. She will play Joni, wife of Quarry (Logan Marshall Green), who is one of the few who stands by her husband after he returns from the Vietnam War. The character now earns a living as a cold, remorseless hitman. (The Wrap and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Patricia Clarkson (Easy A) is set to join the cast of the film adaptation of the James Dasher young adult sci-fi novel The Maze Runner that will star Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf) as a young man who awakens in a giant hedge labyrinth with no memory. He soon comes upon other boys his own age who start their own makeshift society. Clarkson will play the enigmatic Chancellor Ava Paige, the woman who is testing children in this dystopian world to find the strongest warriors. (Entertainment Weekly and Dark Horizons)

Actress Anna Kendrick (the Twilight Franchise and Pitch Perfect) will star alongside Jeremy Jordan (Smash) in the box office film called The Last 5 Years, that will be told through emotionally powerful and comic songs from their individual perspectives. The musical is a deconstruction of the love affair and marriage of Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress, and Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist. (The Deadline Team)

Actor Max Greenfield (New Girl) will be back playing Deputy Leo in the much-anticipated fan-supported Veronica Mars movie. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line and Gold Derby)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Must Watch: First Trailer for James Ponsoldt’s ‘The Spectacular Now’

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams and Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

Question: Thanks for the Once Upon a Time scoop! Got anything on those left behind in Storybrooke or Neal? — Monica

NATALIE: How about both? “Fear not, the characters left behind in Storybrooke are not forgotten and what’s happening to them is important,” executive producer Adam Horowitz promises. “Hopefully all the story lines will coalesce in a way the audience will enjoy.” Among them is the fate of Neal, who landed back in fairy-tale land. Unfortunately, though, “Emma is on that ship believing Neal is dead and then there’s Neal, who just said, ‘I love you,’” executive producer Edward Kitsis laments. Anyone else thinking Emma may find solace in Hook’s, um, arms?

Question: Really excited for Under the Dome. Any chance you can give us a little tease? — Laura

NATALIE: If you’ve read anything about CBS’ new summer drama, then you’ll know that Secret Circle alum Britt Robertson is playing Angie, who isn’t long for the world in the Stephen King novel on which the series is based. But in a nice twist from the book, she’ll be sticking around for quite a while — she’ll just be in a somewhat familiar position that could make some Under the Dome viewers feel claustrophobic. Ruh-roh.

Question: I loved Michael and Fi’s flashback on Burn Notice last week! Will there be more? — Britney

ADAM: Yes! But not with Fi. In an upcoming episode, Michael will endure some actual (not emotional) torture, during which he’ll flash-back to his childhood, in a particular unusual manner. “The adult Michael is actually in those flashbacks with the child Michael, so he’s seeing himself as a little boy,” Jeffrey Donovan tells us. “He’s hallucinating and it’s crazy!”

Question: More Longmire scoop, please! — Dylan

NATALIE: With Walt and Branch’s campaign posters plastered all over town, you would think it would be difficult for Branch to go undercover, right? Well, yeah, you’re right. That won’t work out too well for him when they’re investigating a murder at a rodeo — but really, things aren’t working out for Branch on many fronts, especially when it comes to Cady.

Question: Can you please tell me what’s in the file Henry gave Annie on Covert Affairs? — Lisa

ADAM: Of course not! But we can tell you that it’s about not one, but two people you know very well, one of whom will make a drastic move by the end of the episode after another secret gets out. Gulp!

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Entertainment Update for June 18

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

INTERNATIONAL TV NEWS

Actress Jenna-Louise Coleman (Doctor Who) has joined the cast of the three-part made-for-TV movie Death Comes To Pemberley (based on the book of the same name) for BBC One (one of the major networks in the UK), appearing as Lydia Wickham. Also part of the cast is Matthew Rhys (The Americans and Brothers and Sisters) who will play Darcy, Anna Maxwell Martin, who will play Lizzie Bennet and Mathew Goode who will play George Wickham. The story picks up six years into Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage as they prepare for their annual ball. When Lydia arrives, she brings a shocking halt to the proceedings and a murder investigation unfolds. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Legendary actor John Hurt has joined the cast of the FX pilot The Strain, which is based on the best-selling vampire novel trilogy from Guillermo del Toro and author Chuck Hogan. He will play Professor Abraham Setrakian, a holocaust survivor who immigrated to the United States after World War II and now runs a pawn shop in Spanish Harlem. As the outbreak spreads, he may be the only one with answers – if anyone will listen. The project is a high concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. When Eph realizes that this isn’t some new bio-terror weapon, but something much older, something outside the reach of science, he teams with Abraham to fight back. As a plague of hungry and intelligent predators overwhelms New York, Eph, Abraham and a motley crew of everyday New Yorkers form a ragtag resistance – fighting monsters in the streets and in their homes, waging a war for the fate of humanity itself. The cast includes Kevin Durand (Lost), Mia Maestro (Alias) and Lauren Lee Smith (Mutant X) among others. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Michael Gaston (Jericho) has joined the cast of the HBO drama pilot called The Leftovers from Damon Lindelof and abased on the book by Tom Perrotta that takes place after the Rapture happens, but not quite like it’s supposed to. It is the story of the people who didn’t make the cut… and a world that will never be the same. Gaston will play Dean, a man who seems to understand that times have changed and addresses it head on — often violently. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ONLINE NEWS

Amazon Studios has planning on launching a drama series called Bosch, a police procedural based on the novels by Michael Connelly that focuses on Harry Bosch, a veteran police homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. Amazon Studios already has two comedies and three kids shows as part of its original programming slate. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Entertainment Update for June 17

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Scott Foley has been promoted to series regular on Scandal for the show’s upcoming third season. Throughout season two he appeared as Jake Ballard, friend of the President of the United States and would-be-protector sans lover of Olivia Pope (series lead Kerry Washington). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

There were also promotions made over at Grey’s Anatomy with actress Camilla Luddington, Jerrika Hinton and Tessa Ferrer as well as actor Gaius Charles all becoming series regulars for the show’s upcoming 10th season. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Jorge Garcia (Lost) will be making a guest appearance on an episode of Hawaii Five-0 this fall, playing a brilliant conspiracy theorist. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Erin Cummings (Spartacus: War of the Damned) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Unforgettable, playing Eve Steele, an elite thief-for-hire who happens to bear a resemblance to NYPD detective Carrie Wells (series lead Poppy Montgomery). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Annet Mahendru (The Americans) and actor Mike Dopud (Mistresses) will both guest star in an upcoming fall episode of White Collar. Manhendru will play Katya, a talented Russian figure skater who shows Olympic promise while Dopud will play Sergei, a Russian gangster. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Man of Steel – $129 million
2. This is the End – $20.5 million
3. Now You See Me – $10.3 million
4. Fast & Furious 6 – $9.4 million
5. The Purge – $8.2 million
6. The Internship – $7 million
7. Epic – $6 million
8. Star Trek Into Darkness – $5.7 million
9. After Earth – $3.8 million
10 Iron Man 3 – $2.9 million

Actress Marie Avgeropoulos (Cult and the upcoming mid-season CW series The 100) has landed a role opposite Taylor Lautner (the Twilight franchise) in the box office film Tracers, an action thriller about the dangerous world of parkour. She will play Nikki, a skater girl who runs with a gang of street criminals, who bike messenger Cam (Lautner) and pulls him into her world and into a love triangle with a member of her crew. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

Actor Iain De Caestecker (The Fades and the upcoming Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) has landed a role in the Ryan Gosling directorial debut film How To Catch A Monster. He will play the son of Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), a loner with an active imagination who is the catalyst for this film. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Entertainment Update for June 14

Hey All,

Here are the news items today:

TELEVISION

Actor Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope) will reprise his role of Simon Escher (the man for whom his crimes were blamed on Michael, causing our favorite spy to be burned) on Burn Notice this summer. But it is unclear how his return will affect Michael and his team. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Joseph Morgan (The Vampire Diaries and this fall’s spin-off The Originals) will join actors Walton Goggins (Justified) and Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy) in the film adaptation of the Craig Clevenger novel Dermaphoria. The story centers on a brilliant chemist (Morgan) who wakes up in jail after a drug-lab explosion and is suffering from amnesia. Trapped between cops who want to arrest him and heavies who will stop at nothing to get the formula buried deep inside his head, he must piece together memories fragmented by a powerful new drug and find his missing girlfriend. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Actress Emily VanCamp (Revenge) and actor Michael Nyqvist (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) will star in the independent flick The Girl in the Book that centers on the daughter of a powerful New York City literary agent (VanCamp) who is forced to confront painful events in her past when asked to work on the re-release of the best-selling novel of her father’s star client (Nyqvist). Forced to face difficult memories, she ultimately overcomes her demons and rediscovers her creative voice. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actor Billy Campbell (The Killing) and Clea Duvall (Carnivale) have joined Christina Ricci in the Lifetime made-for-TV movie about Lizzie Borden. Campbell will play Borden’s attorney, Andrew Jennings, while Duvall will play Lizzie’s sister Emma. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: Is it too soon to ask if you have any spoilers on NCIS: LA‘s 100th episode? –Emma

Mitovich: Not only is it not premature to ask about No. 100 (aka the fourth episode of Season 5), show boss Shane Brennan teases, “I already know what the last episode is for next year!” But let’s not get that ahead of ourselves. Brennan says that while the aforementioned milestone hour “may play with the show’s format a little,” it will for certain “kick off an arc that runs right through the end of the season,” which he also said will be a “watershed” one for both Deeks and Callen.

Question: Does Once Upon a Time plan on telling the current stories of the characters in Storybrooke, or will Season 3 focus on Neverland and the Enchanted Forest? –Ellie

Mitovich: In case my previous scoop on this subject did not reassure you that, as the headline said, “Storybrooke will not be forgotten,” I just confirmed that Emilie de Ravin is still a series regular for Season 3. Thus, it sounds like Belle will certainly have Maine events of her own to deal with back home.

Question: Will Once Upon a Time explain how Mulan and Aurora helped Phillip get his soul back from the wraith? –JJ

Mitovich: Series co-creator Adam Horowitz confirms that yes, that burning question will be addressed during Season 3 — and likely on the sooner side, I reckon, since Jamie Chung and Sarah Bolger have midseason pilots (NBC’s Believe, ABC’s Mixology) to get to!

Question: How is the Covert Affairs premiere?! Can you give us any scoop on it, pretty please? — Rachael

Mitovich: As Christopher Gorham previously shared, Auggie and Annie are very much a couple now — as the opening sequence makes “nakedly” clear. Likewise, when Kari Matchett told me there are “interesting things” on tap for Joan and Arthur, my lord, she was not kidding. All told, while I didn’t 100 percent follow the case at hand — Annie and Auggie “vacation” in Colombia to covertly dig into Arthur’s past while dodging the local CIA station chief (played by new series regular/CSI: NY alum Hill Harper) — the episode is chock-a-block with exposed secrets (one of which I did not see coming at all) and a final scene that promises to shake up the pecking order.

Question: Defiance‘s Stahma and Kenya…. I have no words. So, do you have scoop? — Julia

Mitovich: Right? And people thought H.G. Wells/Myka would be Syfy’s Sapphic supercouple. There’s a passing moment in the wedding episode (airing June 24) where Stahma comments to someone about the Need/Want proprietor’s “amazing touch.” Elsewhere in that hour, you’ll lay witness to a Castithan bachelor party (which frankly varies little from anything you see at Scores), get some movement on the Irisa/Tommy front, discover that [SPOILER] saved Datak’s life some years ago and learn that someone in town is concealing a massive, shocking secret. There’s also the death of two characters who’ve been with us from the start.

Question: I love ABC’s new show Motive. What is its future? When will it be back on after basketball and for how many episodes? –Judy

Mitovich: The 10 remaining episodes will begin to unspool June 27, running through early September.

Question: Does the abbreviated final-season order for Warehouse 13 mean we won’t see another Christmas special again? –Lisa

Mitovich: Sorry to hand you a lump of coal in June, but yes.

Question: I’m dying for some Suits scoop — especially about Rachel and Mike! — Meghan

Sandra: SO much goes down between these two in the July 16 premiere, and as a result, I don’t even know where to start. So let’s play a game: One or more of these things will take place in the premiere. Can you guess which one(s)? (A) Rachel will out Mike. (B) They will sleep together again. (C) One of them learns a third party saw them getting it on.

Question: Wednesday night’s Royal Pains premiere was great! I can’t believe Divya’s pregnant! And I’m worried about Hank. Need any scoop on what’s going on in the Hamptons. — Leslie

Sandra: Divya’s pregnancy twist was cool, wasn’t it? Well, next week, the sexy PA reveals to Paige the surprising reason she never anticipated having a child, but also learns that all might not be well with the baby-to-be.

Question: Teen Wolf has been PHENOMENAL this season. I’d love anything you got on Isaac, the Alpha pack or Stiles! — Josh

Sandra: Sooner rather than later, we’re going to get a little more back-story on exactly how the Alpha pack got to be so powerful (and it’s quite disturbing!). Meanwhile, Isaac and Allison are going to share an über-intense scene in a closet in the fourth episode this season … and we’re not talking about a seven-minutes-in-heaven situation.

Question: Sorry to bother you with this, Sandra, but I have to ask…can we get a Copper recap this year?
PLEASE! This show is really good and dark and gory. I think you’d have fun doing it! — Katie

Sandra: I’ll ask. If nothing else, keep an eye here for plenty of Copper scoop. Meanwhile, since you mentioned gore, I have to warn you that your stomach MAY churn during the upcoming June 23 premiere. The scene of which I speak involved Madame Eva (Franka Potente) getting a knife in the back … literally. I wish that’s as bad as it got …

Question: My Summer TV must-watch is definitely Rizzoli & Isles. I’d love some info on these kick-ass ladies. — J.L.

Sandra: I can tell you that by the end of this pair’s big return June 25, which picks up at the tail end of Maura’s recovery from surgery, two couples will rekindle their flame with some hanky-panky. (Do people under 50 use that term any more?) Guesses on the couples?

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!!

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Entertainment Update for June 13

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Erin Krakow (Army Wives) and actor Daniel Lissing (Last Resort) have joined the cast of the Hallmark Channel one-hour original scripted series When Calls The Heart, based on the Janette Oke series of best-selling books set in the Canadian West, that will debut in January 2014. The two-hour original movie that will kick things off for the series is set to debut on October 5 and will actually star Maggie Grace (Lost) and Stephen Amell (Arrow), chronicling the story of Elizabeth Thatcher, a young teacher accustomed to high society life, who receives her first classroom post in a small coal-mining town in the Western frontier lead by two strong coal-miner widows, Abigail Stanton (Lori Loughlin) and Frances Tunnecliffe (Jean Smart). (Deadline)

Actor Greg Finley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) will have a guest appearance on Necessary Roughness, playing a high school baseball coach who Dani (series lead Callie Thorne) mistakenly enlists to help with another patient. Finley will next be seen in the mid-season CW drama Star-Crossed. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

Actress Beth Riesgraf (Leverage) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Perception, as Daisy Brannen, a fiercely loyal woman who is startled when Pierce and Moretti (series leads Eric McCormack and Rachael Leigh Cook) catch her at her boyfriend’s motel room. Daisy is terrified but protective of her mysterious beau. Perception will be back with its new season on TNT starting on June 25. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Lauren Lee Smith (CSI and Mutant X) has landed a regular ole on the high-profile drama pilot The Strain at FX that is being eyed for a 13-episode pick-up. The thriller tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll from House of Lies), the head of the Centers for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. Smith will play Ephraim’s ex-wife Kelly Goodweather, who after winning a bitter custody battle, she embarks on a new life with her boyfriend, but when she fails to heed her husband’s warning about the contagion spreading in Manhattan, she pays the ultimate price. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Stellan Skarsgard (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) has joined the cast of the Cinemax drama pilot Quarry that is loosely based on a series of books by Max Allen Collins. The project centers on a Marine marksman (Logan Marshall-Green) who returns home from Vietnam in 1973 only to find himself shunned and demonized. The disillusioned vet is quickly recruited into a network of contract killers and immersed in corruption along the Mississippi River. Skarsgård will play The Broker, a shadowy figure who lures Green’s character into his criminal ranks. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Emma Watson (The Perks of Being a Wallflower and the soon to be released The Bling Ring as well as the Harry Potter franchise) has landed the lead role in the upcoming box office movie (possible franchise) that is based on a trilogy of fantasy-based novels that won’t be released until 2014 called Queen of the Tearling written by Erika Johansen. The story is set three centuries after an environmental catastrophe when a malevolent Red Queen holds considerable power. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE MOVIE TRAILER

Watch: First Trailer for the Charming Sundance Comedy ‘In a World…’

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Entertainment Update for June 12

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Ed Burns (Alex Cross) will play notorious mobster Bugsy Siegel in a recurring role on the upcoming TNT series Lost Angels and actor Robert Knepper (Prison Break and Cult), originally set as recurring on the series, has been promoted to a series regular. Lost Angels is based on the John Buntin book “L.A. Noir”, which follows the turmoil surrounding the LAPD and ruthless criminal activities led by gangster Mickey Cohen (Jeremy Luke). After moving from the East Coast to California, Siegel quickly established himself as the Los Angeles mob leader in the late 1930s and early 1940s, with Cohen as his chief lieutenant. Siegel also was a Hollywood fixture, throwing lavish parties for Tinseltown’s biggest names. Knepper will play Sid Rothman, a rank-and-file mobster working for Cohen. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Roger Howarth (General Hospital and One Life to Live) will appear in a multi-episode arc on Californication, playing a yoga teacher in the class of Karen (Natascha McElhone), Hank’s (David Duchovny) longtime, on-again/off-again girlfriend and mother of his daughter. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jordan Wall (The Glades) and Josh Randall (Ed) will both guest star in an upcoming episode of Drop Dead Diva. Randall will play Stuart Kane, a world-renowned L.A.-based chemistry professor who has recently fallen in love with a beautiful model. But both his flourishing career and budding romance are threatened when he’s arrested at LAX for attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country. Wall is set to play Brad Pines, a grad student in chemistry and protégé of Kane. Brad is an ambitious young researcher who puts his work on hold to support his mentor following the shocking arrest. Drop Dead Diva will be back on Lifetime starting on June 23. (Kimberly Nordyke and Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Justin Bruening (All My Children) will be heading back to Switched at Birth for a guest appearance on the ABC Family series where he played Chef Jeff who had a fling with Daphne (series lead Katie Leclerc). Also, actor Larry Sullivan (CSI) will guest star in an episode of the series playing Leo, who may be the adopted father of Angelo’s (Gilles Marini) baby. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The cable network Starz is developing a post-Civil War drama called Monsters of God that will be set in 1867 Texas during the Comanche Wars, following two powerful ex-Cavalry men — a war-hungry colonel and his seemingly by the-book executive officer — as they struggle to maintain order over the men in their command as they’re faced with the challenges of an uncivilized territory and their own inner-demons. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

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

Question: Deeks and Kensi: What happens after the kiss on NCIS: Los Angeles? — Moni, via Twitter

ADAM: Well, you’re assuming that Deeks makes it out of Sidorov’s torture trap alive. (Just kidding, that’s a pretty safe bet.) But executive producer Shane Brennan cautions viewers not to make too much of the liplock. “It wasn’t a candlelit dinner,” he says. “It was almost a challenge that he threw down to her. I think it surprised both of them.” But Deeks may feel differently about the kiss after his brush with death.

Question: Any scoop on Haley and Klaus’ future on The Originals? I need my Klaroline! — Liz

NATALIE: Yes, Haley and Klaus are having a vamp/hybrid/were-baby together, but their connection pretty much ends there. “Hayley is, by no means, the Cinderella in the Klaus love story,” executive producer Julie Plec says. “Hayley is a girl who’s pretty tough, fiery, an independent spirit, a survivor in her own right who got drunk, had sex and got knocked up. She’s going to have her own journey. She’s not really meant to be a threat to Klaus’ love life. If anything, she’s the portal into his redemption.”

Question: Do you have any scoop on the “home office” on Once Upon a Time? — Jennie

NATALIE: The home office wanted to destroy magic in our world, but that doesn’t mean that Peter Pan isn’t part of it. Speaking of the mysterious organization, executive producer Adam Horowitz promises pay-off. “We’re going to explain pretty quickly what it is and how, as we showed in the finale, Greg and Tamara were unwittingly working for Peter Pan, and how that all connects.” It was curious that they were so against magic, right?

Question: I need some Rizzoli & Isles scoop! — Andrea

ADAM: As the murder trial of Maura’s mob boss dad Paddy Doyle (John Doman) draws near, Maura finds out that her birth mom Hope (Sharon Lawrence), contrary to her previous claims, might have been in contact with Paddy while he was doing his dirty dealings. How does she find out? With some unwitting help from her half-sis Cailin (Emilee Wallace).

Question: Now that Jack knows Emily’s real identity on Revenge, will they finally get together? — Robert

NATALIE: Not so fast. We asked (OK, begged) Nick Wechsler about the possibility. “I don’t think they will have them get together romantically, and if it happens, it’ll be further into the season,” he says. Instead, expect Jack to focus on his own plan for revenge. “This poor [guy] lost his dad, his dog, his wife, now his brother … it’s going to be the fire under his vengeful a–.”

Question: What’s up with Ali’s mom returning in the Pretty Little Liars premiere? — Jennie

ADAM: She’s a woman of secrets, that’s for sure. Executive producer Marlene King says that her return to Rosewood will spark even more debate amongst the girls about whether they really did see Alison during the fire last season. “She [was] redoing Alison’s room,” King notes. “Is she crazy or [is she] getting ready for Ali to come back?”

Question: Do you have any scoop on Longmire? — Joe

NATALIE: The race between Walt and Branch is heating up. Look for Cady to stump them both during a debate in which Branch definitely has the upper hand. But there will also be a more tangible test of their mettle: When gunshots ring out during the event, which candidate will come to the rescue?

Question: What’s going on with Mike and Rachel on Suits? — Linda

ADAM: Rachel still needs time to process his lie. In the meantime, look for Mike to have nightmares in which she exposes him. While those fears remain unfounded (for now), Rachel does give Mike an equally scary ultimatum: quit or suffer the consequences.

Question: Thrilled about Tatiana Maslany’s Critics Choice win! Any chance you coaxed some Orphan Black scoop out of her (and don’t tell me you didn’t speak to her — I’m armed with evidence that says you did.) —Missy

Ausiello: TVLine’s Vlada Gelman grilled the native Canadian on the red carpet (of the Critics’ Choice Awards) about one of Orphan Black‘s most enduring mysteries: Why the heck did Sarah abandon Kira in the first place? “I think she left because she didn’t know how to be a mother,” explains Maslany. “She just can’t handle that responsibility. For her, she’s always hustled and manipulated. That’s what she knows. And to have a little baby who’s reliant on her is the scariest thing that could ever happen to Sarah. I think she was in a relationship that led her down a road she wanted to get away from.” Speaking of which, who’s the daddy? Teases the actress: “[That] is a mystery still to be solved.”

Question: Please tell me Bunheads will be back for a second season. The pins and needles are starting to hurt. —Amanda

Ausiello: Breaking news directly from consulting producer Dan Palladino: The show’s still on the bubble. “There’s no official word,” AS-P’s other half tells me. “But if Bunheads is not renewed, Amy and I are going to force Sutton Foster to work with us again, at gunpoint if necessary.”

Question: Is there anything concrete yet about Hilarie Burton returning to White Collar? Not that I don’t love the idea of Bridget Regan wooing Neal, too! —Lanie

Ausiello: A White Collar source tells me “there’s discussion about bringing Sara back” but nothing is 100 percent official just yet. My gut says there will be something official in the next couple weeks.

Question: Klaroline shipper here. Please assure me that we’re not going to be forced to endure a full-fledged Klaus-Hayley romance on The Originals. —Kim

Ausiello: Why don’t I let exec producer Julie Plec assure you instead: “Hayley is, by no means, the Cinderella in the Klaus love story. Hayley is a girl who’s pretty tough, fiery, independent … a survivor in her own right who got drunk, had sex and got knocked up. She’s going to have her own journey. She’s not really meant to be a threat to Klaus’ love life.”

Question: Switched at Birth! Scoop! Go! —Val

Ausiello: Sounds like Daphne’s new love interest, Barista Jace, is going to be a bit of a slow burn. “They start off a little hesitant,” Katie Leclerc tells us. “We haven’t fully developed our relationship yet. There’s just been sort of a, ‘Oh, you’re cute.’ ‘Oh, you’re cute.’ Sparks fly.” As for Noah, he hasn’t popped up in the summer vacation episodes yet, but as Vanessa Marano points out, “He still goes to [Carlton High],” so a return is possible once class is back in session.

Question: I’d love anything you have on Pretty Little Liars. —Estee

Ausiello: Expect to see a lot more of the ‘rents this season. As exec producer Marlene King previews, “‘A’ decides that he or she has not been able to divide and conquer the Liars as desired. So, in addition to targeting them, ‘A’ is really going to put targets on the backs of their parents. They’re all under A’s thumb because of it. A big part of the mystery revolves around the Marin family.” Bonus PLL Scoop: The show is casting the recurring role of Travis, a high school-aged gas station employee who possesses a “reserved and rugged” quality and a “solid and moral” center. Which gal do you think will ding his bell?

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Entertainment Update for June 11

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

GENERAL

Congrats to the winners of last night’s Critics’ Choice Awards, including (but not limited to): Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston, Tatiana Maslany, Michael Cudlitz, Monica Potter, The Big Bang Theory, Elizabeth Moss and Patton Oswalt (E! Entertainment).

TELEVISION

DirecTV has given a second season order to its first original scripted drama Rogue that starred Thandie Newton as morally and emotionally conflicted undercover detective name Grace Travis. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actors Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games) and Linus Roache (Law & Order) have joined the cast of the History Channel drama Vikings for the show’s second season. Ludwig will portray Bjorn, the intelligent and bold warrior son of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) while Roache will play Ecbert, King of Wessex. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIES NEWS

Actor Will Rothhaar (Last Resort) has joined the cast of the National Geographic two-hour original drama Killing Kennedy that will begin in 1959, following the paths of Kennedy (Rob Lowe), a member of one of the United States’ most wealthy and powerful families and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald (Rothhaar), a disillusioned former Marine and Marxist, until they collide in Dallas four years later. The cast also includes Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time), Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy and Gossip Girl) [among others]. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

British actor Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter franchise) has joined the cast of the TNT drama pilot Murder In The First as a series regular. The series will center on San Francisco PD homicide detectives Terry Seagrave (Taye Diggs) and Hildy Mulligan (Kathleen Robertson), as they take on a case that seems more like a maze. Felton will play Erich Blunt, the cocky, spectacularly wealthy CEO of Applicon, a tech genius. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Sarah Jane Morris (NCIS and Brothers & Sisters) has joined the cast of the A&E pilot Occult that will star Josh Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama) as FBI Agent Dolan, who is returning from leave after going off the deep end while investigating his wife Rebekah’s disappearance. Now back on the job, Dolan is paired with Noa Blair (Lynn Collins from True Blood), an agent who, perhaps because of her own “complicated” past, specializes in the occult. Together, they will solve cases for a newly formed occult crimes task force. Morris will play said missing wife. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE MOVIE NEWS

Actress Holliday Grainger (The Borgias) has joined the cast the live-action adaptation of Cinderella, where she will play one of Cinderella’s beautiful but mean stepsisters. Actress Lily James (Downton Abbey) plays Cinderella while actor Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) will play her handsome prince, and actress Cate Blanchett will play her wicked stepmother. (The Wrap and Dark Horizons)

More casting news for the Veronica Mars movie: Francis Capra, who played Eli “Weevil” Navarro on all three seasons of the TV series, will be in the movie!! (Kickstarter Update)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Entertainment Update for June 10

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Natalie Zea (Justified and The Following) will be showing up in the CBS summer series Under the Dome, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starting with episode 9 and in a reversal she will be playing someone who will cause some serious trouble for the residents of Chester’s Mill (Maine) where an invisible force field has cut the entire town off from the outside world. Under the Dome is set to debut on June 24. (William Keck at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

HBO is working on a drama project from Karl Gajdusek, who created the short-lived TV series Last Resort and was the co-writer of the recent box office film Oblivion. This new project called The Spark is set in a world undergoing a technological/industrial revolution in the near future when contacted by a signal from beyond the solar system. It centers on the human reaction to a mystery still spiritually and technologically out of reach and follows a female protagonist as she works on the cusp of the Earth’s effort to discover the origin of the signal. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who) [among others] have joined the cast of the HBO drama pilot The Leftovers (from Damon Lindelof) that will star Justin Theroux. This project is based on the Tom Perrotta novel that takes place after the Rapture happens, focusing on the people who didn’t make the cut. Eccleston, will play Matt Jamison, former Reverend and current editor of his self-published tabloid. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

THEATRE NEWS (WITH TIE-IN TO MOVIE NEWS)

Do any of you remember the independent film Waitress that starred Keri Russell (Felicity and The Americans) and Nathan Fillion (Castle)? Well if you do, you might be interested to know that award-winning producers of the Broadway play Pippin are planning to mount a musical version of the film for the stage with singer Sara Bareilles to compose the music. (Erin Strecker at Entertainment Weekly)

INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION

The UK/Ireland TV channel Sky 1 is planning to make a two-part adaptation of the John Meade Falkner adventure novel called Moonfleet into a made-for-TV movie with actor Ray Winstone set to play Elzevir Block, the leader of a band of smugglers in 18th century Dorset, England. Joining him in the cast is actor Aneurin Barnard (who will be seen in the Starz mini-series The White Queen starting in August), who will play a young newcomer to the smuggling crew as they embark on the hunt for a lost diamond. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

TV TRAILER

BBC Unveil “Luther” Third Series Trailer

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actress Christina Ricci will play legendary Lizzie Borden in a Lifetime original movie about the woman tried and acquitted in the 1892 ax murders of her mother and stepmother. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. The Purge – $36.4 million
2. Fast & Furious 6 – $19.8 million
3. Now You See Me – $19.5 million
4. The Internship – $18.1 million
5. Epic – $12.1 million
6. Star Trek Into Darkness – $11.7 million
7. After Earth – $8 million
8. The Hangover Part III – $7.4 million
9. Iron Man 3 – $5.8 million
10. The Great Gatsby – $4.2 million

Actors Chris Lowell (Private Practice) and Percy Daggs III have officially joined the cast of the much-anticipated Veronica Mars movie. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and Kickstarter Updates)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Entertainment Update for June 7

Hey All,

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

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC is finalizing a deal on a 13-episode straight-to-series order for a new drama called The Black Box from writer Amy Holden Jones, who will be executive producing with Ilene Chaiken (creator of The L Word) and X-Men director Bryan Singer. The project will center on Elizabeth Black, world renowned neuroscientist who appears to have it all but is constantly haunted by her own struggle with mental illness. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actresses Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies) and Melissa Leo (The Fighter) will star in the upcoming box office film The End of Love, a touching and genuine story examining the relationship a struggling actor and father has with his son in the wake of losing the child’s mother. (Variety and First Showing)

Actor Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) will star in the upcoming movie The Outsider that follows the life of a former American G.I. who becomes part of the infamous Yakuza criminal organization in Japan shortly after World War II. (First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

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Entertainment Update for June 6

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Josh Stamberg will not be returning to Drop Dead Diva for its fifth season, but the show will have a number of female guest stars, including Natalie Hall (Pretty Little Liars) who will appear in two episodes as a character named Britney; Annie Ilonzeh (Arrow and Switched at Birth) who will play Kim’s new assistant in a recurring role; Brigid Brannagh (Army Wives) will play Molly Hagen, a woman whose deadbeat husband wins a fortune at a casino, only to hide it from her while filing for a quickie divorce; and Reika Aylesworth (Hawaii Five-0 and 24) who will play June Frazier, a brilliant graphic designer who enlists Kim legal help as she battles to protect her dead boyfriend’s legacy from his estranged parents. Drop Dead Diva is back on June 29 at 9 PM on Lifetime. (The Wrap and Kimberly Nordyke at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Emmy Rossum (Shameless) and Justin Long (Live Free and Die Hard) will appear in the independent romantic comedy called Comet that will bounce back and forth over the course of an unlikely but perfectly paired couple’s six-year relationship. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actors James Franco, Jeff Bridges, Benicio Del Toro and Paul Giamatti as well as actresses , Rachel McAdams and Marion Cotillard will lend their voices to the box office animated film The Little Prince. The story centers on a pilot (Bridges) who crash-lands in the Sahara desert and comes across a little boy who says he is a prince fallen to Earth from his home on an asteroid. As the pilot repairs his plane, the little prince regales him with stories about his home and the foolish inhabitants of nearby asteroids. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: Harrison Ford Versus Gary Oldman in First ‘Paranoia’ Trailer

Nokia Releases Final “Man of Steel” Trailer

INSIDE LINE (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: I know Gary Glasberg has mentioned we will see the events that led up to the cliffhanger with Gibbs in the NCIS finale. But will we also get to see what McGee, Tony and Ziva have been doing in their four-month absence? I’m eager to see how they adapted to life outside NCIS and without Gibbs’s rules (particularly Rule No. 12). –Cheryl

Mitovich: If I’m any good at reading between Glasberg’s lines, viewers will be made privy to at least some of that when Season 11 arrives. “The season opener is going to take us from where we left off all the way up to the point where we’re seeing Gibbs [behind a rifle],” he says, As for Tony, Ziva and McGee in particular, “There will be a portion in which they’re still resigned, and then it’ll develop from there. I don’t want to give too much away about the opener yet, but we’ll learn what happened with Tony and Ziva and McGee, I promise.”

Question: I’m curious as to your thoughts on NCIS‘ baiting of “Tiva” fans without delivering. This season, especially, saw the showrunner pushing the notion of the couple becoming a reality, yet once again it did not happen. Even worse, [the finale] found them calling each other “friends,” the same label they applied to each other in Season 9′s “A Desperate Man.” Do you as a reporter find it difficult to see these things teased, when they never come fruition? Or do you think it’s just part of the game and “business as usual”? In addition, do you feel that at some point this bait-and-switch will impact viewership? –Dee

Mitovich: A very sound question, because as you note, I have long witnessed this to-and-fro as well. Quite honestly, I think NCIS and show boss Gary Glasberg face a tremendously difficult juggling act with this (would-be) couple because it is TV’s most watched program, and like a game of Jenga, you can’t be quite sure which slight move could send things toppling. Is NCIS No. 1 because it metes out exactly 25 milligrams of romance every third episode, and never a bit more? Is there a fear that going all-in with Tiva will soap up the show too much? Look at the comments sure to populate below; if one out of three is against the coupling, does that confirm the show would risk disenfranchising some 5 million viewers? (And if you do put them together, will the outcry nonetheless continue if “not enough” intimacy is displayed, a la Castle, presenting a no-win scenario?) All I can do on my end is press for some semblance of concrete evidence behind any loaded quotes (about any topic), then trust the show will follow through to some degree.

Question: Have we seen the last of Eion Bailey (Ben) and Anne Dudek (Danielle) on Covert Affairs? I really loved the chemistry that both of them had with Piper Perabo. –Johnny

Mitovich:Most likely not. As EPs Matt Corman and Chris Ord tell the Inside Line, “Both Ben and Danielle are extremely important figures in Annie’s life. We definitely haven’t seen the last of them.”

Question: Do you know something about Castle or Scandal? This hiatus is killing me! –Martina

Mitovich: I’ll, um, play it safe and go with…. Scandal. If you suspect that, given the roller coaster events of the season finale, newly minted U.S. Attorney David Rosen has turned in his Gladiator card, you’d be right. Sharing his “personal theory” on the matter, Joshua Malina says, “Having spent the time he has with [Pope & Associates], he has newfound respect for them… and he went to school on them. Because he learned that if you really want to be effective – and that’s the sad story of his for the year – pure white hat-edness only gets you so far.” So although Rosen discovered that “getting down in the gutter and fighting dirtier” can get the job done, “I think he considers himself apart from — and possibly above” — Olivia, Abby et al. (Dem’s fighting words, right?)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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