The Vengeful Return of Rosie O'Donnell
She's baaaaack. Plus: Christian Slater keeps on keepin' on, Starz continues its campaign for respect, the MTV Movie Awards find a funny host, and lots of casting news.
Once the lupine young star of big movies like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Kuffs, Christian Slater is now busily hustling his trade in the dingy open-air market of television. My Own Worst Enemy did itself in. the forgotten was, y'know. And now he's joining the pilot of a comedy about young whizzes who crack security systems. He'll play their grizzled boss. Yes, he's graduated finally to grizzled boss territory. [THR]
Hey guyysssss. Guess who's coming back to daytime........... It's your favorite! Rosie O'Donnell! She's planning a new talk show to fill the void when Oprah signs off. What? Hey, now. I thought you'd be happy. Put— Hey put that down. It's not my fault! I didn't make it happen! Come on now! It's still in development! Nothing's set in stone yet! Aarrrghhhhhh...... [Variety]
Chris Albrecht, former HBO mastermind, is really putting the pedal to the metal over at Starz. He's already got Spartacus: Blood and Sand doing well and Party Down lasting past the first season, and now he's adding a modern retelling of Camelot. It'll be a "romantic adventure" series produced by four different countries. Hopefully it'll be good, but, um, has anyone seen that Spartacus show? It's on Netflix Instant Watch and... damn. It sort of makes 300 look like Titus Andronicus. [THR]
Swiftly rising comedian Aziz Ansari is supposedly in final talks to host the MTV Movie Awards. So, there's a reason to watch them. Sort of? Maybe? I don't know. [LAT]
Delightful British actress Rebecca Hall (frankly the best thing about Vicky Cristina Barcelona) has signed on to star opposite Will Ferrell in an indie drama called Everything Must Go. It's based on a Raymond Carver story and is about a drunk guy living on his front lawn, so there is some potential for comedy, it would seem. But there will be crying, too. And whimsy. [Variety]
Other casting news! Thomas Haden Church will play a brash Hollywood exec in that Matt LeBlanc Showtime/BBC show Episodes. [Variety] Jennifer Connelly and Greg Kinnear have joined the cast of the busy-sounding Salvation Boulevard. [Variety] And Tate Donovan has been cast in a pilot about a superhero family or some such shit. Who else is just so profoundly sick of superheroes? [THR]