...Men In Black director Barry Sonnenfeld has signed on to helm the pilot of a new single-camera comedy, Funny In Farsi, for ABC. The show is based on a memoir about a girl growing up in Newport Beach after her father moves the family there from Iran. So it's kind of like that show Aliens In America. Look how many show titles have three words with "in" in the middle! [THR]
...Laconic stoner-4-eva Matthew McConaughey is exec-producing a new comedy based on his brother's life. Rooster Tales is about a wild-'n-crazy Texas sheriff who marries a young Mexican lady and thus acquires a whole huge Mexican family. The thing'll be animated, and perhaps will feature an actual rooster. Though, I doubt that. [Variety]
...Premium cable channel Epix (yeah, I've never heard of it either) is putting together the cast for their first original series. Tough Trade is about a powerful Nashville music family led by patriarch Sam Shepard and thwarted by black sheep son Lucas Black. The always-welcome Cary Elwes will play Black's father. In other news, acting workhorse Garrett Dillahunt (srsly, the guy is in everything) has joined the cast of Keep Hope Alive, Greg Garcia's new comedy. Dillahunt will play the main character's ornery father. [THR]
...The BBC is putting together a new John Lennon biopic called Naked Lennon, about the early days of his marriage to Yoko Ono and the dissolution of The Beatles. Christopher Eccleston (Jude the Obscure, 28 Days Later) will play the titular character, with Torchwood actress Naoko Mori playing the famous weirdo Ono. Must be funny to be the biggest Japanese-British actress currently working, because when a part like Yoko Ono in a BBC movie comes up you're like "Oh, yup, that's all sewn up." [Variety]
...Sorta newcomer Aunjanue Ellis is joining the cast of The Mentalist, as the new chief of the California Bureau of Investigation. She's replacing Gregory Itzin, who is leaving to reprise his role on 24. [THR]
...Oh this is sort of old news, but we were on vacation, so here it is anyway: Norfin-faced Twinklight: New Werewolves actor Taylor Lautner will host an episode of Saturday Night Live on December 12th. In related news, the December 12th episode of Saturday Night Live is already the highest-rated in the show's history. Bedtimes be damned! [Variety]
Comments (5)
Get Sharkboy away from my late-night comedy.
I can just see the many parents trying to force their Twilight crazed teenage girls to go to bed before SNL comes on. They are going to fail horribly.
Funny how they say that Naoko is from Torchwood by co-star Christopher Eccleston's credits lack the Doctor Who and Heroes roles (his biggest 2 besides GI Joe). Odd since Torchwood is a spinoff of Doctor Who. You can even rearrange the letters in Doctor Who and spell Torchwood!
Sounds like a potential trainwreck
another terrible boring post. slow news day. tsk tsk