Christopher Lloyd Among Pilot Additions

Veteran Christpher Lloyd has been tapped to star opposite John Leguizamo and Dustin Ybarra in ABCs multicamera comedy pilot Only Fools And Horses. Based on the British format, the multicamera comedy chronicles the misadventures of two streetwise brothers, Del (Leguizamo) and Rodney (Ybarra), and their aging grandfather (Lloyd) as they concoct outrageous, morally questionable get-rich-quick schemes in their quest to become millionaires. Also cast in the pilot isBJ Bales (Happy Endings) as Trigger, a ghetto-talking con man who is Del and Rodney’s perpetual enemy. Lloyd is with Gersh and Freedman Management; Bales is with APA and Principato-Young, Majandra Delfino (The Great State Of Georgia) has been cast in ABC’s single-camera pilot starring Mandy Moore and directed by Shawn Levy. The project, written by Bob Fisher and Stacy Traub, centers on newlyweds Annie (Moore) and Ben, who get the opportunity of a lifetime to run a hip, new restaurant in Annies hometown bringing her closer to her needy and high-maintenance family. APA-repped Delfino will play one of Annie’s sisters, who is divorced and living at home. 20th Century Fox TV is producing with Shawn Levy and Marty Adelsteins studio-based banner. Nikita alumna Tiffany Hines has been added to ABCs drama pilot Americana, a soap about a famous fashion industry clan. It centers on iconic fashion designer Robert Soulter (Anthony LaPaglia), the patriarch of a sprawling family who just welcomed a new member, Alice Clarke (Ashley Greene), a young designer whose shocking arrival turns the family and the legendary label inside out. Hines, repped by Medavoy Management and the Corsa Agency, will play Shane, a beautiful medical student and Alices best friend. Recruited by Alice to model in a fashion show, Shanediscovers that her life is about to changeand not necessarily for the better. Actress-writer Liz Cackowski (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) has joined CBS single-camera comedy pilot from feature writer-director Nick Stoller. The twentysomething ensemble comedy centers on Jake (Michael Angarano), a commitment-phobic ad agency exec who, after getting dumped by his longtime girlfriend Laura (Brie Larson), realizes he has to continue working with her one cubicle away. Cackowski, repped by UTA and 3 Arts, will play Ingrid. Chernin Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV are producing.

The Avengers Will get A Brand New, Longer Title

Marvel Avengers Assemble, it seemsIts only two several weeks until release, however the Avengers just received a title change, a minimum of so far as the UKis concerned. We'll certainly be queuing on April 26 to determine Marvel Avengers Assemble. And there is a new poster to prove the modification.The eleventh hour alteration is to prevent United kingdom audiences confusing the film with the sixties TVseries of the identical title or its less-than-stellar 1998 film adaptation. Most probably the studio has been doing marketing showing that theres bewilderment available about this, and definitely for any slightly elderly the title still calls up JohnSteed and Emma Peel rather thanIron Guy,Thor, Hulk and all sorts of.Nevertheless, could it be us, or does the brand new film title cry out for added punctuation? Wouldnt it's awesomer whether it were Marvel!Avengers Assemble?In the end, thats the response theyre wishing for. Additionally, it reminds us of the blog we authored about movie game titles a couple of in the past.Regardless, the film still arrives on April 26, continues to be directed by Joss Whedon but still stars Robert Downey Junior, Chris Evans,Chris Hemsworth,Mark Ruffalo, JeremyRenner, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L.Jackson,ClarkGregg and Tom Hiddleston.Theyre all pretty awesome. Were sure they wont mind when we keep mentioning into it because the Avengers in casual conversation once in a while. As the problem of Empire with this exclusive set-visit coverage has disappeared from newsagents, you are able to still get hold of it within the iTunes store if you are lucky enough to get come with an iPad.

HBO Picks Up Documentary Series Witness From Michael Mann And David Frankham

Filmmaker Michael Mann, already in business with HBO on the drama series Luck, is also behind a new limited documentary series ordered by the premium cable network. Witness, which will follow a new generation of young combat photographers into conflict zones in Mexico, Brazil, Uganda and Libya, is a collaboration between Mann and documentary director David Frankham. David Frankham and I share an admiration for combat photography that captures the universal — and sometimes the indescribable — in a single frame in the midst of chaos and danger, Mann said. The first episode of Witness was shot in Juarez, Mexico. The next three are currently in production.

Loving that Lorax

Erection dysfunction Helms and Adam Fogelson Producer Jesse Healy and director Chris Renaud Kelly Meyer and Chris Meledandri garden for your American Heart Assn. at "The Lorax" preem. Danny DeVito meets his movie doppelganger. Taylor Fast and Zac Efron chat as Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment present the earth Premiere of "The Lorax" at Universal City Walk in Universal City, CA on Sunday, February 19, 2012. (Alex J. Berliner/abimages) Although Danny DeVito voiced the famous Dr. Seuss character, it absolutely was his co-stars who could barely ensure it is into Sunday's preem of "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax."Zac Efron and Taylor Quick walked carpeting, as well as when they became a member of the Amphitheater at Universal City, a celebration of fans both youthful and old swarmed them. Clearly, the unspooling in the Universal pic did not occur until its stars made their belated, grand entrance.Producer Chris Meledandri introduced "The Lorax" and thanked a sizable internet of folks that aided allow it to be, like the Universal chairman: "Adam Fogelson's passion for 'The Lorax' can be a large reason this film got made."

Oprah Winfrey to Join Jimmy Kimmel on Post-Oscars Show

Beverly Kim After re-entering the competition following her Last Chance Kitchen victory and earning a spot in the final four, Beverly Kim's second Top Chef stint came to a quick end when she lost all three rounds in the Olympics-inspired tasks. "I was eliminated twice! How many people can say that? I think it was easier to watch this time, but it was still very heartbreaking for me," she tells TVGuide.com. "I really did want to win and I definitely wanted to go all the way. I wasn't ready to go so early the first time. I think this time was OK. I hoped for more, but given the circumstances, I gave my best. I'm really glad that I made it far enough to show my cooking, so now people can see who I am." But the Chicago-based chef couldn't show off her culinary style completely in the challenges that were more Top Athlete than Top Chef. Does she think the challenges were unfair? And does she hold any grudges toward Sarah, Lindsay and Heather? Find out below.Top Chef's Ed: What's the point of Last Chance Kitchen?Did you think standing up there that it was going to be you going home?Beverly: I was definitely thinking to myself, "There's a good chance it's going to be me because the flavors were good, but they weren't my usual flavors that make my food punch." I didn't have ingredients that I wanted. However, as a great chef, you have to work with what you have. Tom mentioned it was a little overcooked and I knew that was going to be a really big reason to send me home, so I was really nervous at that point. The first time I checked the arctic char, it was undercooked and the second time, it was overcooked, so at that point, I couldn't do anything about it. Sarah did a great job. Her flavors really worked and I'm very happy for her.I think most fans were rooting for you, particularly to take down Lindsay and Sarah. Even Padma seemed sad eliminating you. Did you feel that support, especially coming back to film the finale after a break?Beverly: I definitely felt the fan support. I think there was a lot that even Padma could relate to with me, being a working mom and also being an Asian-American woman. Sometimes you get misunderstood, coming from another culture. Even though I was born here, growing up, people just totally didn't understand certain things. My lunch was always a little bit different than everyone else's lunch or my mom wasn't involved in PTA. Why was I going to church on the weekends instead of partying with everyone? It was all these cultural things that were hard to explain and the pressure - you bring home an A, and [the response is] "Why isn't it an A+?" [Laughs] Then going home and trying to explain to my parents what happened at school, they wouldn't understand it either. I think that stuck-in-between-two-cultures thing pushes you to prove to your parents and the world around you who you really are, and that's why I feel like Padma had some connection to me. That being said, it's a cooking competition and it comes down to the last dish.You got along with mostly everyone, except for Sarah, Lindsay and of course Heather. Having come back, could you pinpoint why they had such a problem with you? Was it really just your personality?Beverly: I just think girls definitely work differently than men. I grew up with three older sisters, so I know what it's like being misunderstood and being underestimated. There's definitely a lot of competition. I think it's a sociological study about women together and how we compete. We're very competitive toward each other, but I think we always want to stand out, not as the best woman chef, but as the best chef. In my personal experience, working with men in the kitchen, they have an easier time letting go of things. You get in a fight with them and the next day they're fine. I don't know if that's part of their DNA to not think that deeply [Laughs], whereas women overanalyze everything. Maybe that has something to do with it. I was cringing watching how they treated you. I can't imagine what it was like going through it.Beverly: It definitely wasn't fun. [Laughs] But I was never mad at them. I always tried to focus on myself and my food. For me, it's all water under the bridge. I don't hold any grudges or anything against them. It's over.Top Chef's Grayson: I wasn't excited about Last Chance KitchenDid you feel any more or less animosity coming back for the finale? Sarah vowed to be a nicer person and then she cuts you off in the car.Beverly: [Laughs] It was a lot better. We had come back from time away from the competition and time heals. And we were coming back from having seen the episodes, so I think there was a lot of reflection for sure. For me at that point, I wasn't there for them; I was there for my family. Watching what they did on their end, I totally respect them. I hope they feel the same way about me.What did you think of the challenges? I love the Olympics, but I'd much rather see you cook than almost kill yourself trying to compete in a biathlon. Beverly: [Laughs] Obviously it makes for great TV. I can't get into the producers' heads, but it was definitely more extreme than I had seen before. Is it fair? I mean, I signed up for everything. I signed up for anything! The part that you have to accept is that there are things that are out of your control and you have to overcome them. It was hard. The ice-pick challenge - I think they did research and tested how long it would take to get the ice broken. I think that day was colder than they had expected and it was just really hard to get through it. Psychologically it plays a number on you. But I had fun at the same time. I wish I had gone further and worked with ingredients that showcased my style.Obviously you are a fan of Last Chance Kitchen, but some people don't think it's fair because you guys don't compete in the same challenges as the chefs who are still on the show do. What's your take on it, if you can be impartial?Beverly: If I could be impartial, the only thing I would say is that Ed should've also had a second chance. He's the only one who didn't get to do it. I was actually thinking about that before the finale, like maybe there might be another twist and he was going to be part of this too. It was a surprise to all of us, but I think that's when I thrive - when I'm open and just get down to it. For me, it was awesome. It was a different kind of test. It tested your psychology after you were eliminated. Are you going to crumble after you totally thought you were out of it or are you going to rise to the occasion? I definitely understand them thinking they went through more physically with the challenges, like the Pee Wee Herman one. It was a great concept, I think. Nyesha went home for something that wasn't her fault. It gave people an opportunity to see what else a chef had to offer. Coming back last week, I definitely had to fight again to earn my spot in the final. I think the concept needs a little tweaking, but I think it works. Top Chef's Chris Jones: I had a bad feeling about everythingDo you still have that piece of paper saying you're going to win Top Chef?Beverly: I do actually. I really do feel like it's going to come back to me in a different way. I think you have dreams and you can map it, but it doesn't always work out that way. ... Maybe it wasn't meant to be for me that way. But that ambition and drive to win Top Chef, I still have that in me. I'm going to show the world what I've got. Maybe it's a good thing. It makes me want to work harder and prove and earn it. I think that it's going to go a huge way in my career. And maybe you'll come back for All-Stars.Beverly: [Laughs] Maybe! I'm open to everything. Every opportunity, I would take it and seize it.

Scorsese: 'Hugo' shares helmer's passion

Martin Scorsese does not have trouble recalling the formative filmgoing encounters of his existence. "The initial emotional and mental bond which i've is talking about these films with my father,Inch the director states, explaining what sort of situation of severe bronchial bronchial asthma forced him to stay inside. "Then, just for fun on saturday, my father needed me for the movies, which we had from Westerns to 'Sunset Blvd.' to 'The Finest Show on Earth' to 'The Heiress.' In some manner, the emotional bond that really connected me with him was dealing with people together."With "Hugo," Scorsese wanted not just in imbue future audiences concentrating on the same thrill such pictures acquired in him becoming an adult, but furthermore to capture the emotional reference to talking about films with a special someone. While elaborate sets, a lively story and taking advantage of 3d will definitely impress youthful eyes, the director recognized it could possess a poignant dramatic scene to give the latter goal, as when Hugo and also the bookish friend Isabelle sneak in to a theater to check out Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last."Immediately, Scorsese was drawn to "the movie character in the book itself" and "the resolution in the whole story using the very roots in the moving image." The project also allowed him to celebrate among his cinema heroes, Georges Melies, credited with a lot of the medium's "firsts," from narrative storytelling to pioneering effects. Not only was Melies one of the primary filmmakers being destroyed by film piracy, but, according to Scorsese, "He appeared to become the initial filmmaker being censored. His film 'The Dreyfus Affair' was banned with the French government."Scorsese also felt strongly attached to the story from the isolated youthful boy whose world is extended with the discovery of movies. Asked for whether he thinks the level of smoothness goes onto be considered a director, Scorsese doesn't hesitate: "I imagine him used in the outer reaches, like Jean Vigo inside the '30s. And he or she will finish up a author.InchAttention round the Oscars: The DirectorIt's determined by 'life' and mirthAnd the nominees are:Woodsy Allen Michel Hazanavicius Terrence Malick Alexander Payne Martin Scorsese Contact Peter Debruge at peter.debruge@variety.com

Viola Davis books two feature roles

DavisWith an Oscar nomination and SAG Award in hands, Viola Davis has found her next two projects, landing supporting roles in Summit Entertainment's "Ender's Game" as well as in Warner Bros. and Alcon's "Beautiful Animals.""Beautiful Animals" is going to be helmed by Richard LaGravenese. Erwin Stoff, Alcon cake toppers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Manley and Molly Cruz are creating. The LaGravenese-composed adaptation from the Margaret Stohl-Kami Garcia tome follows two teens who must confront a curse which has haunted the girl's family for decades. Davis plays a librarian and friend from the teenage boy's deceased mother who loves him just like a boy and is going to do whatever she will to safeguard him.Alcon's also acquired privileges to another two books within the Stohl-Garcia trilogy, "Beautiful Darkness" and "Beautiful Chaos."Summit will sell foreign privileges to "Beautiful Animals" at Berlin. Lensing will begin in April in New Orleans.Gavin Hood is helming "Ender's Game," starring Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford.Hood composed the variation of Orson Scott Card's novel. Occur Earth's future, story follows a genius strategist employed through the government to assist destroy a bug-like alien race.Davis will have a military psychiatrist who runs the emotional welfare of youthful students. She likewise helps design the games that test their abilities and resilience.OddLot, K/O Paper Items and Digital Domain are production partners on "Ender's Game." OddLot's Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough are creating with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman via their K/O Paper Items banner, in addition to Lynn Hendee, Robert Chartoff and Card. OddLot's Bill Lischak and K/O's Mandy Safavi will professional produce with Digital Domain's High cliff Plumer and Erectile dysfunction Ulbrich. Sierra/Affinity is handling foreign sales for that pic.The program is perfect for Davis to shoot "Ender's Game" first, with "Beautiful Animals" following later around.Davis may be the second actress nominee now to secure a brand new project -- on Monday, Rooney Mara arrived the feminine lead in Steven Soderbergh's "Unwanted Effects."Davis can also be developing an untitled skein for Cinemax with "Pariah" helmer Dee Rees.She's repped by APA, Principal Entertainment and Michael Adler. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com