... Not wanting to be left out of the superhero genre now that Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has taken over the airwaves, FOX has decided to get in on the genre action with a Batman-adjacent project titled Gotham that will explore Commissioner James Gordon and the bad guys who made the fake city famous.
.. NBC is also jumping on the Comic Book trend with a Constantine series. Based on the DC comics which was adapted some years ago into a Keanu Reeves starrer.
... A&E has secured the rights to the French supernatural drama Les Revenants (which translates to The Returned). The series is set in a small town where people start coming back from the dead without having aged at all, and with no recollection of actually dying. There's a rumor that Carlton Cuse (Lost, Bates Motel) is in talks to adapt the project. But Sundance Channel recently acquired the rights to broadcast the original series, which will air in the U.S. beginning October 31.
... Damon Wayans Jr. (Second Generation Wayans) is teaming up with FOX for his next project. Man/Child is about two single dads who move in together and struggle to strike a balance being a responsible adult and living a life of debauchery.
... Spartacus vets Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing are developing a new series for Starz about an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent who infiltrates a Mexican drug cartel. The project, titled Gringo, was inspired by the nonfiction book "The Shadow Catcher" by Hipolito Acosta.
... Bones creator Hart Hanson, along with The Secret Circle creator Andrew Miller, will adapt Chris Ewan's book series "The Good Thief’s Guide" for ABC. The story follows Charlie Howard, a charming fellow who travels the world while blogging about his adventures. Oh yeah, and he steals stuff for funsies (and sometimes profit). Each season will be set in a new exotic location and focus on one particular heist
CASTING NEWS
... Scott Wolf (Perception) is heading to NBC's midseason drama The Night Shift as a day shift trauma surgeon engaged to Jill Flint's doctor character.
... Laura Benanti (Go On), who can next be seen on NBC's upcoming live Sound of Music special, is dropping by Elementary! She'll play a nanny who quickly becomes the main suspect in her employer's death
... Hey, Game of Thrones book fans, the role of Hizdahr zo Loraq has finally been cast for the upcoming fourth season of the TV show. This means nothing to those of us who are still trying to finish Book 1, but the role has gone to British actor Joel Fry (10,000 BC). Hizdahr plays a role in Daenerys Targaryen's story.
... David Milch's new project, The Money, has scored another big-name actor in Nathan Lane. He'll join Brendan Gleeson in the series about an American media mogul's dynastic family, playing Gordon McCarren, a reporter for the New York Herald who hasn't had a byline in weeks and is desperate for a good story to come along.
... Jack Coleman (remember Heroes?, Castle, Burn Notice), has landed a recurring role on ABC's Scandal. The details of his character, however, are being safely guarded by Shonda Rhimes' minions. But we can tell you that his first appearance will happen sometime in October.
... The casting for Syfy's new pilot Dominion has really gotten under way. Anthony Stewart Head, who played Rupert Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has been cast as David Weel, the power-hungry president of the Senate of Vega. Also new to the project are Roxanne McKee (Game of Thrones) as Claire Rysen, the closest thing Vega has to a princess; Luke Allen-Gale (Ripper Street), who'll play William Weel, the son of David and the Head of the Church of the Savior; and Shivani Ghai (Bride & Prejudice) as Arika, a lead diplomat sent from Helena, a mysterious and militant matriarchal society. They join the previously announced Christopher Egan and Tom Wisdom.
... Lucy, the socially awkward lady friend of Raj's who dumped him in The Big Bang Theory's May finale, might be experiencing a change of heart with regard to Koothrappali. Actress Kate Micucci will reprise her role in the November 14 episode.
... Warehouse 13 vet Joanne Kelly has booked a major recurring role on CBS's thriller Hostages. She'll play Vanessa, an ambassador and the sister of the first lady.
