More info on Edie Falco’s new Showtime series
Remember back in February when we told you that Edie Falco was signed for a new dark situation comedy from Showtime about a harried nurse?
Well, they’ve started filming the show in New York and given it a tentative title, Nurse Jackie. What’s more, the cast surrounding Edie includes some familiar faces.
Nurse Jackie will have a boyfriend and he will be played by Paul Schulze. The name may not be familiar, but the face sure is. Paul was Father Phil on The Sopranos, the priest who spent a lot of time with Carmella and had her thinking they were going to replay The Thornebirds.
On this Showtime series, he’s Eddie and he works in the hospital in the pharmacy. That’s important because reportedly Edie’s character has a problem with drugs.
What’s this, she’s a female House? Could she be popping Vicodin as prodigiously as he does? Could anyone?
Other actors in the pilot are West Wing veteran Anna Deavere Smith as a hospital administrator, Mrs. Akalitus, Merritt Wever (NCIS) as Zoey, a young nurse working with Jackie, and Haaz Sleiman (Veronica Mars) a gay Muslim nurse.
The original scoop compared this comedy to Weeds, in particular, the way it’s going to be filmed and the satiric tone. The latest bit also includes more about Jackie’s character, saying that she “has an almost-clairvoyant ability to figure out what’s wrong with her patients even before doctors can — making her a much-sought-after commodity in the ER.”
Caryn Mandabach, an experienced, Emmy-award winning showrunner, is executive producing. Her credits include Grounded for Life, 3rd Rock from the Sun, That ’70s Show and The Cosby Show.
If Showtime likes what they produce, Nurse Jackie — or whatever it’s finally called — could be on the air in Spring 2009, maybe sooner. Considering the quality of the talent, I think we’ll see it sooner rather than later.
Orlando Bloom cast in Superman Returns Sequel? Say it isn’t So!
Elizabethtown actor Orlando Bloom was spotted discussing roles in the upcoming Superman Returns sequel (tentative title, Superman: The Man of Steel) with director Bryan Singer and producers Mindy and Jon Peters. Bloom’s ex-girlfriend Kate Bosworth played Lois Lane in the first film. So speculation has already begun over Bloom playing the Man of Steel.
But Brandon Routh is already signed on for the sequels, so I somehow doubt (and hope) they don’t replace him with Bloom. I could see the Pirates of the Caribbean star as either Brainiac or General Zod, but why?
Bryan Singer’s WWII Movie Gets a Title
Last week we learned that Tom Cruise would star in Bryan Singer’s World War II drama (you know, the one that absolutely won’t push back Superman Returns 2). Well now the untitled drama has a name.
According to The Guardian, the codename (or tentative title) of the project is Valkyrie, named after the Richard Wagner opera.
Based on true events, Valkyrie tells the story of a scheme hatched by German Generals to assassinate Adolph Hitler at the height of World War II.”
It turns out the film has already sparked criticism from the would be assassin’s family.
“Descendants of Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg object to the choice of Tom Cruise for the lead role, fearing that the story will be turned into “propaganda” for the actor’s Scientology beliefs.”
Now that’s funny.
Usual Suspects screenwriter Chris McQuarrie wrote the script with Nathan Alexander. The film will be shot in Berlin and in eastern Europe this Summer.
The Incredible Hulk, The Mummy 3, Mamma Mia!, Hellboy 2 Release Dates Announced
Universal Pictures has announced the release dates of it’s 2008 tent-pole line-up.
February 29, 2008: Babylon A.D. - A sci-fi thriller starring Vin Diesel (Previously announced).
March 28, 2008: Wanted - Based on the graphic novel, starring James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman.
May 22, 2008: Indiana Jones 4 (Tentative Title) - The fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford. (Previously Announced)
June 20, 2008: The Love Guru - Starring Mike Myers (Previously Announced)
June 13, 2008: The Incredible Hulk - A Do-over of the classic Marvel comic. The film was originally scheduled to go head-to-head with Disney/Pixar’s WALL-E, but has now been moved up two weeks to avoid the competition.
July 11, 2008: The Mummy 3 - The third film in the series hopes to occupy this date (let’s see if they can get their apples together), Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are expected to return.
July 18, 2008: Mamma Mia! - A big screen version of the popular musical which will star Meryl Streep. Note: Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Dark Knight is also scheduled for release on this date.
August 1, 2008: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - Again, the studio hopes to have the film ready for this date (this could change as pre-production develops).
November 14, 2008: The Wolfman - An Adaptation of the classic horror film, starring Benicio Del Toro.