Sarah Jane Morris and Taylor Kinney to Guest-Star on Castle

Sarah Jane Morris, Taylor Kinney Castle is taking a page from fellow ABC drama Once Upon a Time. Sarah Jane Morris and Taylor Kinney have both been tapped to guest-star in an upcoming fairy tale-themed episode, TVLine.com reports. Morris (NCIS/Brothers & Sisters) will portray Leslie Morgan, the sister of a woman who is murdered in Central Park. The twist? Her sister was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and was the victim of an apparent wolf attack. The Vampire Diaries' Kinney has been cast as Leslie's husband. Check out the rest of today's news Both will appear in the episode fittingly titled "Once Upon a Crime," which is slated to air later this winter. Castle airs Mondays at 10/9c on ABC.

Five Reasons To See 'The Grey'

Liam Neeson rejoins his "A-Team" director Joe Carnahan for the man-versus-nature thriller "The Grey," in theaters today (January 27). The ads might have you thinking it's nothing but wolf punching, but there's a lot more going on. Here are our five reasons to brave the winter weather and go see "The Grey." 1. Liam the Badass is Back Neeson seems to specialize in "Tough Guy In Charge" roles, and there aren't many characters more badass than John Ottway, an oil-rig employee who leads a rough band of plane crash survivors through the wilds of Alaska. Neeson is believable as the stern but caring father figure, who tries to keep his co-workers alive, and when he stares down those angry wolves, you dont doubt that he can take them on with his bare hands. 2. The Supporting Cast is Super-Cool Carnahan picked several talented but not quite famous actors to fill out his cast, and the choices pay off. Accompanying Neeson through the wilderness is a sturdy group of actors including Frank Grillo (Warrior), Dallas Roberts (3:10 To Yuma and TVs The Good Wife) and a bearded, bespectacled Dermot Mulroney (J. Edgar and one of my personal faves, My Best Friends Wedding). 3. Theres Stuff to Think About The Grey is not simply a horror/action flick featuring man-eating wolves. The film touches on some very deep, thought-provoking subjects like faith, death, loss and humanitys place in nature. Its a smart movie, as well as an entertaining one. 4. Its Darn Pretty Shot on location in British Columbia, Canada, The Grey is beautiful to behold. Grand mountains, lush forests, clear lakes—if this is what middle-of-nowhere Alaska is truly like, I wouldnt mind hanging out there for a while. Except for the fact that 5. The Snow is Real No matter how uncomfortably cold you are this winter, it cant touch the agonizing experience endured by the cast and crew of The Grey. With temperatures well-below zero and wind speeds up to 90 miles an hour, the conditions on set were unforgiving, to say the least. These dedicated actors and crewmembers suffered for YOU, dear reader, so you owe it to them to see this movie. Are you going to see "The Grey" this weekend? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Ricky Gervais Brings Sharp Tongue For Globes Return

First Published: January 15, 2012 10:54 PM EST Credit: Getty Images, NBC Caption icky Gervais onstage during the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom on January 15, 2012 in Beverly HillsNY, N.Y. -- Three times the charm if thats not the wrong word for Ricky Gervais third year as scathing steward of the Golden Globes. Or maybe the word is f-word which Gervais blurted out, and which was bleeped, as he introduced presenters Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek late in the show Sunday night. Theyre ridiculously gorgeous specimens, theyre extremely talented and probably very interesting, Gervais declared. Im not sure, he went on, as censors instantly bleeped out the rest of his wisecrack, which declared, I couldnt understand a (expletive) word they said. Later, when he came back on stage with wine glass in hand, he said it was great having a job that allowed you to get drunk and say whatever you wished and still get paid. Gervais monologue didnt shock quite the way it did last year, but it had its share of barbs. Nervous? Dont be, he grinned at the room-full of glitterati at the top of the show, aired by NBC on Sunday. Tonight you get Britains biggest comedian, hosting the worlds second-biggest awards show on Americas third-biggest network. He corrected himself: Its fourth. The Golden Globes are to the Oscars, he went on, what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton a bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought allegedly. After last years shindig, when Gervais insulted nearly everyone in sight, an invitation back for the British wag seemed doubtful. But the Globes loves to court outrageous behavior. That meant another turn for Gervais as host. He explained he had been warned by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association that were he to insult anyone on hand, or offend any viewers, or cause any controversy whatsoever theyll definitely invite me back next year as well. Then Gervais went on to praise a nominated HBO series, Boardwalk Empire. I love that show, he said. Its about a load of immigrants who came to America about a hundred years ago, and they got involved in bribery and corruption and worked their way up into high society. But enough about the Hollywood Foreign Press. As the evening progressed, only Madonna dared to challenge Gervais. Introducing her as an awards presenter, he described Madonna as just like a virgin, then erupted with a theatrical cough. Madonna fired back, If Im still just like a virgin, Ricky, then why dont you come over here and do something about it? She paused. I havent kissed a girl in a few years on TV. A camera caught Gervais comedically dashing off stage. Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Movie miracle trumps reality

Rin Container TinCleopatra cost seven occasions its original budget, but Fox offered off its Century City acreage for many some other reasons.Sundance begins Jan. 19, featuring 36 feature-length documentaries. The Tv systems are airing a lot of reality series, including plenty of midseason ones. Apparently Hollywood loves to offer "real existence," but "real" is certainly an elusive concept -- specially when showbiz is talking about itself.Numerous films' most immortal lines -- "Luke, I am your father," "Participate in it again, Mike," "Avarice is niceInch -- were never really spoken. However, these misquotes are actually repeated frequently that lots of people think those are the particular dialogue. And they're frequently a lot better than the particular factor.So it's by utilizing Hollywood occasions. Oftentimes, the particulars are prosaic, as well as the tales tend to be colorful. So myth frequently seems more real than reality.Four good good examples from various decades:Vidgames are tempting young'uns from films and tv.In compliance with a 2011 report within the Entertainment Software Assn., the normal ages of a vidgame player is 37. Women aged 18 and older consider 37% of clients -- when compared with males 17 and under, who constitute a lowly 13%.This provides an unexpected for the half of Hollywood that thinks vidgames will be the domain of teenage boys. (Another half of Hollywood are vidgame enthusiasts themselves.)Primary point here: We'll must find another excuse for declines in B.O. and tv ratings.'Cleopatra' forced Fox to promote land that increased being Century City.Lensing in the film went from 1960 through '62, postponed by weather, a modification of company company directors, Elizabeth Taylor's near-fatal illness, etc. On Jan. 9, 1963, Variety's Abel Eco-friendly pronounced the expansion cost as $35 million, or seven occasions the first budget. Others have put the tally increased.The truth: Fox offered 176 acres before "Cleo" began. On November. 28, 1958, Daily Variety reported the acquisition to William Zeckendorf and also the real-estate company Webb & Knapp the price was thought at $56 million.At dedication occasions for your new Century City (Daily Variety, May 26, 1959), Fox prexy Spyros P. Skouras crowed that movie "attendance may be the finest it's been since the competition of television began."That's an positive spin round the real reason for your acquisition of Fox's acreage: TV. Movie attendance dropped inside the 19 fifties due to television, and fewer films were made (frequently on location, rather than round the lot). The 1959 story found the final outcome the rest of the 80 acres was enough for Fox's production needs.This is not to indicate "Nefertiti" was benign. The studio canceled many planned productions and continued to be afloat due to the mega-success of 1965's "The Appear of Music."Still, the legend continues that cost overruns forced Fox to promote. It's more fun responsible a celebrity plus an overbudget film instead of cite the amorphous alternation in consumer habits.Moviegoing prospered through the Depression.The fad for appear movies -- or "talkers," as Variety known as them, rather than the earlier "wordless" films -- elevated B.O. for just about any few years, nevertheless the Depression needed a toll. A June 21, 1932, Variety story reported that theater operators and entrepreneurs "complain that grosses are off 39% to 40% too as with the identical breath charge that Hollywood does nothing through its art galleries to balance the issue.InchA technology craze temporarily coming up B.O., while participants fight with art galleries! Wow, are you aware the probability of that ever happening again?Oscars will probably the dogs.In Susan Orlean's terrific "Rin Container Container: The Existence as well as the Legend" (Simon & Schuster), she states the Warner Bros. star received most likely probably the most votes for actor within the first Academy awards. "But people in the Academy, anxious to look for the completely new honours as serious and important, made a decision that giving an Oscar with a dog did not serve that finish, and so the votes were recalculated "It's a tasty doggy tale, but Academy government bodies are dubious.Inside the AMPAS archives, Robert Cowan (whose brother Lester was assistant secretary in the Academy in those days) states Warner Bros. topper Jack Warner did really election for your pooch. "Somebody within the Academy told Lester to mail another ballot to Jack Warner, so when he didn't complete it correctly, to mail it back along with his resignation."Contempo AMPAS researchers havelocated Warner's original election, but a lot of the other ballots are (to take advantage of some other Hollywood metaphor) gone while using wind.This canine caper points up a bigger truth in many these tales.Ms. Orlean -- a responsible journalist together with a swell lady, incidentally -- pointedly uses the word "legend" in their book's title. It's appropriate because showbiz has always celebrated the blending of myth and reality.We'll have no idea exactly the amount of votes Rinty got. The Acad's version seems more plausible, but Orlean's is a lot more fun. (As well as the pooches' be employed in "Beginners" and "The Artist" were more nuanced than some human performances this season.)Still, believe what you need to: Do you want particulars or do you want miracle?Nobody could be or disprove religious parables, but people tales were always told less history, but to coach training. And what's Hollywood, otherwise a religion? Contact Timothy M. Gray at tim.gray@variety.com

Tribeca coin to 'Mapplethorpe'

A biopic of Robert Mapplethorpe, with James Franco attached to star, is among the in-development features to snag grants as part of the Tribeca Film Institute's All Access Program. Pic from writer-director Ondi Timoner is among the six narrative films and five docs to make the cut for Tribeca Film Institute's ninth annual edition of the All Access initiative, which supports brewing projects with grants as well as professional development activities held during the Tribeca Film Festival. Also on the roster is "Abigail Harm," scribe Samuel Gray Anderson and helmer Lee Isaac Chung's redux of a Korean folk tale set to star Amanda Plummer, as well as Brenna Sanchez and Tom Putnam's doc "Burn (One Year on the Frontlines of the Battle to Save Detroit)," which counts vets of FX skein "Rescue Me" among its team of producers. Run by Tribeca Film Institute, the year-round nonprofit affiliated with the Tribeca fest, the Tribeca All Access program bestows a grant of $15,000 to each project and brings in the filmmakers for a five-day professional program set to run during the fest. Features are all in the running for TAA's Creative Promise Awards, which sees a jury of pros pick one doc and one narrative film to receive an additional $10,000 each. Also on the list of docus participating in this year's program are an untitled film from Ramin Bahrani about gold and its cultural and monetary value; Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Naqvi's "Two Children of the Red Mosque," centering on the differing paths of a pair of Pakistani girls; "Desert Stars," Raouf Zaki's tale of a monk confronting the Egyptian revolution; and "The New Black," exploring the histories of African American and LGBT civil rights movements. Narrative features include Liliana Greenfield-Sanders' "Bypass," a "Frankenstein"-ish story about an obese young woman who transforms herself through surgery; Leah Meyerhoff's "I Believe in Unicorns," about a teen girl who runs away with an older boy; and "Manchild," Ryan Koo's tale about a young basketball prodigy at a Christian school. Jeff Barnaby's coming-of-age story "Rhymes for a Young Ghoul" will participate in the program through a partnership with the Canadian Film Center. With the Tribeca Film Festival running April 18-29, the TAA career development sessions run April 22-26 and culminate in the Creative Promise Awards on April 26. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

SAG Plans' Dow takes leave of absence

Bruce Dow, the longtime leader in the Screen Stars Guild Producers Pension and Health Plans, has already established a 60-day medical leave of absence. Dow confirmed the leave to Variety on Wednesday, watching he began the request a leave to handle what he known as a "chronic healthcare problem." The professional mentioned he needs revisit his publish. While Dow is absent, day-to-day methods will probably be assumed with the pension plans' chief operating officer Christopher Dowdell. The move by Dow comes 2 days after an analysis into accusations of misconduct and financial problems within the plans would be mostly groundless. In the letter to arrange participants dated 12 ,. 22, this program trustees -- SAG and industry reps -- mentioned that "an extensive and independent analysis" found no validity for the accusations by fired plan professional Craig E. Simmons. "Using the final results from the analysis, we could ensure the fiscal integrity in the SAG-PPHP remains appear along with your benefits feel relaxed,In . the letter mentioned. "In plain British, your monthly pension remains safe and secure your wellness plan's safe." Simmons filed a complaint with the federal government saying he was ended for becoming a whistleblower about alleged embezzlement within the fund. The board of trustees in the plans, operated individually from SAG, declined the accusations in September and maintained outdoors counsel to look at the issue. Simmons alleged in the complaint filed while using U.S. Labor Dept. he was fired in March by Dow due to Simmons' refusal to mislead board trustees and government scientists about embezzlement with the plans' former chief information officer, Nader Karimi. Simmons also alleged inside the complaint that Dow together with other professionals had misused funds web hosting benefit. "The independent investigator discovered that almost all Mr. Simmons' accusations are false, including his claims that Mr. Dow is antigay, he triggered the expects to improperly pay health expenses for his wife, he triggered plan employees to use on his home and perform personal chores for him, he promoted employees who've been unqualified that they instructed staff to mislead U.S. Dept. at the office auditors. These items of information presented with the independent investigator were examined by PricewaterhouseCoopers' forensic auditors." The trustees also addressed embezzlement of $2 million that was discovered three years ago and mentioned they were evaluating whether remedial actions are essential. The SAG health plan covers about 40,000 participants and contains assets more than $2 billion, because the retirement plan pays pensions to have an thought 9,000 devices. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com