Four new actors have been cast in roles in A&E’s upcoming “The Andromeda Strain” miniseries. Joining the previously announced Benjamin Bratt are Rick Schroder, Eric McCormack, Andre Braugher and Christa Miller, according to a report in Variety.
The four-hour mini-series is being produced by Ridley and Tony Scott and directed by Mikael Salomon.
The mini-series is an update of the classic movie from director Robert Wise and based on the best-selling Michael Crichton novel. The screenplay for the mini-series is by Robert Schenkkan.
The story is a thriller about a deadly virus unleashed when a satellite returning from deep space crashes near a Utah town. A group of scientists try to contain the lethal bacteria before it spreads throughout the Southwest.
Filming on the mini-series has begun in Vancouver.
Thanks to the box-office power of “Transformers,” Paramount pictures has passed the $1 billion (that’s with a b) in domestic box-office sales for the year. Even more astounding is that Paramount crossed the billion dollar mark earlier than it has in any previous year, according to Variety.
“Transformers” was produced as a joint-partnership with DreamWorks production. The success of the film has also been good news for the DreamWorks pocket book giving it four films in a row to open in the top spot at the box-office this year. (Others were “Norbit”, “Blades of Glory” and the surprise-hit “Disturbia”).
Paramount is on pace to have a record-setting year, according to industry reports.
“Transformers” faces heavy competition in its second weekend from a certain boy-wizard. Expect these two films to slug it out for box-office dominance not only this week but for several more weeks.
And just think–Paramount has done all of this without a new “Star Trek” feature on the horizon this year. Imagine what it could be like next year when the J.J. Abrams directed “Star Trek” relaunch hits theaters and Trek fans, suffering a withdrawal of new on-screen adventures, flock to the theaters.
Another week, another box-office record shattered.
This time, it’s the box-office record for the biggest midnight opening for a film. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” took in a record-shattering $12 million at the box-office for late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning showings of the fifth installment in the franchise, according to Variety. The haul for the young wizard was well above the previous record for a midnight showing by “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” which took in $8 million in 2003.
With the record-setting box-office for the midnight opening, “Order of the Phoenix” has a good chance at equalling or bettering the Wednesday box-office record set in 2002 by “Spider-Man 2.” Spidey and Doc Ock took in $40.4 million on its opening day. “Potter” has a good chance of beating it because it opened on a record number of screens–4,285.
The midnight take for the previous film in the franchise, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” was $6 million, and that was on a Friday. Opening day take for “Goblet,” released in November 2005, was $40.1 million.
The cast of “Supernatural” is expanding this fall.
Last month, TV Guide reported that the series regular cast would expand with two new females who would be series regulars.
The first of these new series leads has been cast. Katie Cassidy, daughter of 70’s icon David Cassidy, has been tapped to play the role of Ruby, a fellow demon hunter that Sam and Dean meet in the third-season premiere. The casting breakdown of the Ruby describes her as “sexy, brutal and ruthless.”
The other new mercanary, Bela, has yet to be cast. Producres are looking for someone who is “beautiful, funny and confident” and hint that Bela also lacks a consience. An announcement of the actress tapped for this role is expected in the next several days.
Cassidy, who is 20, has an a long list of acting credits on her resume including movie roles in “Click” and “Black Christmas” as well as recurring roles on television in the long-running drama “Seventh Heaven.”
“Supernatural” returns to the CW later in the fall and the second-season is projected to be released on DVD later this year.
A panel of critics at TV Week have named the best and worst shows from the recently concluded television season. Among the genre shows in the top ten are “Lost” at number three and “Heroes” at number seven. The only show that was close to a genre show in the bottom ten was the much-maligned sixth season of “24” which came in as the second worst show on TV.
Here’s the best and worst shows on TV as determined by the critics.
Best:
1. The Sopranos (HBO)
2. Lost (ABC)
3. Friday Night Lights (NBC)
4. The Office (NBC)
5. Ugly Betty (ABC)
6. Heroes (NBC)
7. 30 Rock (NBC)
8. The Shield (FX)
9. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
10. The Tudors (Showtime)
Worst:
1. October Road (ABC)
2. 24 (FOX)
3. The Real Wedding Crashers (NBC)
4. The Black Donnellys (NBC)
5. The Pussycat Dolls Present (The CW)
6. Tyler Perry’s House of Payne (TBS)
7. Nancy Grace (CNN Headline News)
8. Sons of Hollywood (A&E)
9. On The Lot (FOX)
10. The Wedding Bells (FOX)
Looking at the list, I have only one big question–why the heck isn’t “Battlestar Galactica” in the top ten? It’s worlds better than just about all of the shows numbered five to ten on this list and in my mind, it should be on the list over “Heroes.”
The role of Clark Kent’s Kryptonian cousin Kara (aka Supergirl) has been filled.
Twenty-two year old actress Laura Vandervoort has been cast for the recurring role on the seventh (and possibly final) season of the CW’s hit series “Smallville.” Vandervoort’s previous televison credits include the role of Sadie on the N’s “Instant Star.”
“Smallville” producer Al Gough to TV Guide that Kara may have the ability to fly and she will definitely be a pain in the posterior to her cousin, Clark.
“We’ve wanted a character who could shake things up,” Gough said. “She may be Clark Kent’s cousin, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to be the obedient one.”
Kara is expected to make her debut in the seventh-season premier of “Smallville” later this year.
