TV Show Casting

TV Casting: WATCHMEN, COUNTERPART, John Malkovich in THE ABC MURDERS, & More

John Malkovich

Watchmen, Counterpart, The ABC Murders, and other TV Show Casting

Watchmen, Counterpart, The ABC Murders, and other TV productions have made recent TV show casting, TV movie casting, and TV directing news. These shows and movies air on: BBC, Starz, CBS All Access, BYUtv, HBO, and Amazon. Beware of spoilers in these casting announcements.

The ABC Murders (BBC)

John Malkovich has been cast as Detective Hercule Poirot.

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Rupert Grint has been cast as Inspector Crome.

These two actors join already cast: Andrew Buchan, Eamon Farren, Tara Fitzgerald, Bronwyn James, and Freya Mavor.

Sarah Phelps is writing the screenplay for the mini-series, which is based on a Agatha Christie story.

Alex Gabassi is directing the mini-series.

The ABC Murders‘ plot synopsis: “The ABC Murders is set in the 1930s, a time when Britain is dangerously divided and suspicion and hatred are on the rise. In this story, we see Poirot face a serial killer known only as A.B.C. As the body count rises, the only clue is a copy of The ABC Railway Guide at each crime scene. Poirot’s investigations are continuously thwarted by an enemy determined to outsmart him. If Poirot is to match his nemesis, then everything about him will be called into question: his authority, his integrity, his past and his identity.”

Counterpart (Starz)

James Cromwell has been cast as Yanek, “the enigmatic warden of Echo, an underground facility where Howard (J.K. Simmons) finds himself fighting for his life.”

This actor joins already cast: J.K. Simmons, Olivia Williams, Harry Lloyd, Nicholas Pinnock, Nazanin Boniadi, and Sara Serraiocco.

Counterpart‘s plot synopsis: “Counterpart is about a mysterious world hidden beneath the surface of our everyday existence. Howard Silk (J.K. Simmons) is a lowly cog in the bureaucratic machinery of a Berlin-based United Nations spy agency. When Howard discovers that his organization safeguards the secret of a crossing into a parallel dimension, he is thrust into a shadow world of intrigue, danger and double-cross… where the only man he can trust is his near-identical counterpart from this parallel world. The show explores themes of identity, fate and lost love, posing the eternal question, ‘what if our lives could have been different?'”

Tell Me a Story (CBS All Access)

Kim Cattrall has been cast as Colleen, “an unlikely and very nontraditional grandmother. When her son moves back home, bringing with him a troubled teenager, Kayla, this former chorus girl is going to have to grow up finally and take on the parental duties to protect her family against a very dark and sinister threat.”

This actress joins already cast Billy Magnussen.

Tell Me a Story‘s plot synopsis: “Tell Me a Story takes the world’s most beloved fairy tales and reimagines them as a dark and twisted psychological thriller. Set in modern-day New York City, the first season of this serialized drama interweaves The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel into an epic and subversive tale of love, loss, greed, revenge, and murder.”

Kevin Williamson, Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor, and Liz Friedlander are writing the screenplays for the TV series.

Friedlander will direct the first two episodes of the series.

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Dwight in Shining Armor (BYUtv)

Caitlin Carmichael has been cast as Gretta, “a young warrior princess who has been sleeping for a thousand years and wakes up in the 21st century with no understanding of the world around her.”

This actress joins already cast Sloane Morgan Siegel and Joel McCrary.

Dwight in Shining Armor‘s plot synopsis: the “adventure comedy series takes place in a suburban town where Dwight, a 21st century teen, falls into an ancient, underground chamber and lands lip-to-lip with Gretta, a gothic princess who has been magically sleeping for a thousand years. Dwight’s “kiss” awakens Gretta, her court magician, Baldric, as well as scores of medieval villains, and makes Dwight her de facto champion until her hordes of enemies are defeated.

In this story of two worlds colliding, Gretta and Baldric come from a rough and tough gothic war zone. They have no way of understanding 21st century manners or political climate. And they’re not really interested in adapting – they’ve got bigger concerns because all the problems from their world have followed them here. Dwight, on the other hand, fits perfectly in the 21st century. He’s the model Generation Z kid: sensitive, open-minded, health-conscious, responsible, non-confrontational – all the qualities that Gretta’s world associates with sniveling weakness. He seems like the least-equipped person to fight off Gretta’s hordes of enemies, and he’s not really interested in becoming a rough and tough champion. If he has to do this job, he’s going to do it his way.”

The first episode will be directed by Timothy Kendall. Future episodes will be directed by Paul Hoen and Jeff Hunt.

LeeAnne H. Adams and Brian J. Adams are writing the screenplays for the series.

Watchmen (HBO)

Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Adelaide Clemens, and Andrew Howard have all been cast in unspecified roles.

Damon Lindelof is writing the screenplays for the series.

Nicole Kassell is directing the pilot episode.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Zachary Levi has been cast as “an eclectic Manhattan doctor who suddenly starts orbiting the Weissman/Maisel world.”

This actor joins: Rachel Brosnahan, Tony Shalhoub, Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen, and Marin Hinkle.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s plot synopsis: “Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a 1958 New York City woman who has everything she’s ever wanted — the perfect husband, two kids, and an elegant Upper West Side apartment perfect for hosting Yom Kippur dinner. But her perfect life suddenly takes an unexpected turn and Midge discovers a previously unknown talent — one that changes her life forever.”

The series is written and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino.

Leave your thoughts on this Watchmen, Counterpart, The ABC Murders, and other TV Casting (via VarietyDeadline, and ComingSoon) below in the comments section. Readers seeking more TV show news can visit our TV Show News Page, our TV Show News Google+ Page, and our TV Show News Facebook. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook.

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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