TV Casting: DOUBT, ASH VS EVIL DEAD, James Franco in 11/22/63

Doubt, Ash vs Evil Dead, 11/22/63, and other TV productions have made recent TV show casting, TV movie casting, and TV directing news. These shows and movies air on CBS, Starz, and Hulu.

Ash vs Evil Dead (Starz)

Ray Santiago (“Touch”) and Dana DeLorenzo (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) have been cast opposite Bruce Campbell in Starz’s 10-episode series “Ash Vs Evil Dead”

Santiago, pictured here, will play Pablo Simon Bolivar, an idealistic immigrant who becomes Ash’s loyal sidekick – a Sancho Panza to Ash’s Don Quixote. Pablo believes in Ash’s heroism even if Ash himself doesn’t.

DeLorenzo, on the other hand, is Kelly Maxwell, a moody wild child trying to outrun her past. Reluctantly dragged into the fight against Evil with Ash and Pablo, Kelly finds a different kind of family with her fellow Deadite slayers.

LFE (CBS)

David Slade is set to direct and executive produce CBS’ medical drama pilot LFE.

Written/co-executive produced by young playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo, LFE is described as a high-octane medical procedural centering on second-year residents at New York City’s top hospital as they attempt to balance their god complexes with their humanity.

Criminal Minds spin-off (CBS)

Daniel Henney (Wolverine, NBC’s Revolution) has joined the cast of CBS’ Criminal Minds planted spinoff

Henney will play charming family man Matt Simmons, an army brat who grew up abroad and really embraces the opportunity to explore different cultures. But first and foremost, he is the kind of guy you would follow into battle, and his split second profiling skills honed on the battlefield make him a crucial part of the team.

Doubt (CBS)

Laverne Cox…is set to co-star in Doubt, from longtime Grey’s Anatomy executive producers Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, Timberman/Beverly and CBS TV Studios. It centers on a smart, chic, successful defense lawyer at a boutique firm who shockingly gets involved romantically with one of her clients who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime. Cox will play Cameron Wirth, a fierce and funny, competitive and compassionate transgender Ivy League-educated attorney. The fact that she’s experienced injustice first hand makes her fight all the harder for her clients.

Rush Hour (CBS)

Jon Turteltaub has signed on to direct and executive produce the hourlong CBS pilot Rush Hour, based on New Line’s buddy movies.

Advertisement

 

Written by Cougar Town co-creator Bill Lawrence…Rush Hour centers on a stoic, by-the-book Hong Kong police officer (played in the features by Jackie Chan) assigned to a case in Los Angeles, where he’s forced to work with a cocky black LAPD officer (originally played by Chris Tucker) who has no interest in a partner.

Life in Pieces (CBS)

Betsy Brandt is set as a lead opposite Colin Hanks in Life in Pieces

Written on spec by Justin Adler, the project is about one family as told through the separate stories of its different family members. Brandt plays the eldest of the three siblings, Heather, a mother of three who is struggling to come to grips with how quickly her children are growing up. Hanks plays the youngest sibling.

11/22/63 (Hulu)

James Franco is returning to his TV roots with a starring role in the 9-episode Hulu Original Series 11/22/63

The thriller, based on the best-selling 2011 novel written by King, is described as an event series, but the streaming service is open to additional seasons, possibly focused on other historic events. Adapted for television by Bridget Carpenter (The Red Road), 11/22/63 centers on Jake Epping (Franco), an unassuming divorced English teacher who stumbles upon a time portal that leads to 9/9/1958 and goes on a quest to try and prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy, which occurred on November 22, 1963. But his mission is threatened by Lee Harvey Oswald, his falling in love and the past itself … which doesn’t want to be changed.

Game Of Silence (NBC)

David Lyons is returning to NBC as the lead in the network’s drama pilot Game Of Silence

Written by Hudgins based on a Turkish format and directed by Niels Arden Oplev, Game Of Silence centers on Jackson (Lyons), a rising attorney on the brink of success who could lose his perfectly crafted life when his long-lost childhood friends threaten to expose a dark secret from their violent past.

Devious Maids (Lifetime)

Nathan Owen [has] been cast as a regular in the upcoming third season of Marc Cherry’s Lifetime series Devious Maids. Owens will play Jesse, a handsome military vet who returns stateside to settle back into civilian life. He is repped by TalentWorks, Mosaic and attorney Jeremy Tenser.

Apocalypse Slough (Sky)

Lloyd Owen (Apollo 18) has booked a five-episode arc on end-of-world drama Apocalypse Slough…Owen…will play U.S. President Farrell, who is trying to come to terms with the end of the world approaching.

The King Of 7B (ABC)

David Frankel is set to direct ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot The King Of 7B from ABC Studios.

Written by Howard Franklin, the ensemble comedy focuses on an agoraphobic recluse who ventures outside for the first time in 11 years when he spies what could be his soul-mate moving into the building across the street.

Fantasy Life (Fox)

Vanessa Williams is set to star opposite Kevin Connolly in Fox’s multi-camera/hybrid pilot Fantasy Life, written by Tim McAuliffe based on the memoir by one of U.S.’ top fantasy experts, ESPN’s Matthew Berry. When a hard-working guy, Mitch (Connolly) lands his ultimate dream job hosting a fantasy football show, he’s forced to navigate office politics while becoming the star he never thought he could be. Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives alumna Williams will play Terry, the bold, pragmatic, unapologetically caustic and apologetically compassionate SVP of Programming at a major sports network, and Mitch’s (Connolly) new boss.

Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)

Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos) is the latest to join the cast of Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. She will play Karla Gaye Gideo, a Gifted woman with a grudge to bear against S.H.I.E.L.D. Her character joins forces with Skye’s father, Cal, Marvel announced today.

Studio City (Fox)

Eric McCormack [is] the male lead in Fox’s family dramedy pilot Studio City, written by Krista Vernoff and directed by Sanaa Hamri.

Inspired by Vernoff’s real-life experience growing up as the daughter of a drug dealer to the stars, Studio City is set in present-day Studio City, CA and tells the story of a young singer’s path to stardom, as she comes of age living with her songwriter father (McCormack) — who turns out to be a drug dealer to the stars.

Blindspot (NBC)

Mark Pellington (Arlington Road) is set to direct and executive produce the NBC pilot Blindspot…In Blindspot, written by Martin Gero, a beautiful woman with no memories of her past is found naked in Times Square with her body fully covered in intricate tattoos. Her discovery sets off a vast and complex mystery that immediately ignites the attention of the FBI who begin to follow the road map on her body to reveal a larger conspiracy of crime while bringing her closer to discovering the truth about her identity.

Heroes Reborn (NBC)

Matt Shakman will helm the opening episode of NBC miniseries Heroes Reborn.

People Are Talking (NBC)

Bresha Webb is set as a lead opposite Tone Bell in NBC’s multi-camera comedy pilot People Are Talking, written by DJ Nash and directed by Pam Fryman. The project…is about a white and a black couple and examines sex, race and everything else your parents told you never to talk about. Webb and Bell play the black couple, Angie and Russell. Webb’s Angie is practical and good at what she does, which includes handling her stand-up comedian husband.

Breed (TNT)

Shaun Majumder (Detroit 187) has been cast opposite Justin Chatwin in TNT pilot Breed, from writer/novelist John Scott Shepherd, director Scott Winant…Majumder…will play Teddy, Cooper’s (Chatwin) new partner at the Tacoma Police Department. Their relationship takes a sharp turn when Cooper realizes that Teddy is hiding an unnerving secret.

The Grinder (NBC)

Rob Lowe…has been tapped to star in and executive produce the new Fox comedy The Grinder

The Grinder stars Lowe as beloved TV lawyer Dean Sanderson (aka the Grinder). When his long-running hit series comes to an end, Sanderson finds himself at a crossroads in his life and decides to move back to his small hometown, thinking he has the experience to take over his family’s law firm.

Jarrad Paul (Yes Man, Liar Liar) and Andrew Mogel will pen the script…Jake Kasdan will executive produce and direct the single-camera pilot.

Lowe, always in demand, was also attached to star in a family comedy developed at NBC that did not move to pilot. Last season, he was set for tennis comedy The Pro for NBC, that came packaged with Lowe attached to star.

Leave your thoughts on this TV show casting news below in the comments section. For more TV show news, visit our TV Show News Page, our TV Show News Google+ Page, our TV Show News Facebook, and consider subscribing to us by Email, “follow” us on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, or “like” on Facebook for quick updates.

Source: Deadline, Bloody-disgusting