Eye on Entertainment
Nathaniel Grey
Entertainment Editor
June 2010
Good news for Gleeks. The cast of your favorites show will be busy
on other projects for you to enjoy while the series is on summer hiatus.
Jane Lynch will host the 2010 Do Something Awards for VH1 on June
8th. Lynch will also opposite Sigourney Weaver (Avatar) and Jason
Bateman in the comedy Paul, about two British comic book geeks who
discover a realy life alien outside Area 51. And I don't mean one fleeing
Arizona. Glee creator/writer Ryan Murphy just finished Eat, Pray,
Love, based on the best selling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert.
It opens in August and stars Julia Roberts, James Franco (Milk)
& Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls). Dianna Agron (Quinn)
will appear opposite Kevin Durand (Lost) in the film I Am Number
Four from Dreamworks. Sounding like a episode of Smallville
the story follows nine aliens who are hiding on Earth after their planet
is destroyed by an enemy species. Cory Monteith (Finn) is off to
Budpest to film Monte Carlo for director Jules Bass. This story
about three young women on a European vacation find themselves whisked
away to Monte Carlo when one is assumed to be a British heiress. Don't
you hate when that happens? The cast includes Katie Cassidy (Melrose
Place), Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), and Catherine Tate (Doctor
Who.) Jayma Mays (Guidance Counselor Emma) is a little
blue, literally when she adds her voice to a new live action/CGI film version
of The Smurfs. Joining her is Alan Cumming as Gutsy Smurf,
Hank Azaria as Gargamel, recent Glee co-star Neil Patrick Harris
as Johann, Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) as Jokey Smurf, and Katy ('I Kissed
a Girl') Perry as Smurfette. Is a Smurfette half the calories of a regular
Smurf? Jonathan Groff, the out actor who plays Rachel's boyfriend,
will play the blind Don Baker with Blythe Danner as his over-protective
mother in a script reading of Butterflies Are Free at Westport
Country Playhouse, Connecticut, on June 7. And lastly, yet most importantly
because I adore her, Idina Menzel is rumored to return as Nancy Tremaine
in the sequel, Enchanted 2. Which is an appropriate name since that
is what I am every time she sings on Glee. Well, that and the fact
she's married to Taye Diggs gives her bonus points. ***
With all the media attention generated by
the recent Gaga focused episode of Glee, one of the Lady's influences,
Christina Aguilera, returns to the limelight with the June 8th release
of her next disc, 'Bionic.' Wow, sounds like it's going to be a "Jaime
Summers,' after all. *** Another originator, Miss Diana Ross appears
at LA Live's Nokia Theatre on June 9th. *** The third CD from Jake Shears
and Scissor Sisters will be released June 29th. *** As June is the traditional
end of the prime time television season, it's time for my annual list of
top ten sexiest prime time hunks, in no specific order - Joseph Fiennes
(Flash Forward), Alex O'Laughlin (Three Rivers), Tim Kang
(The Mentalist), Jared Padalecki (Supernatural), Tahmoh Penikett
(Dollhouse), Zachary Quinto (Heroes), Shemar Moore (Criminal
Minds), Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), T.J. Thyne (Bones), and
Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains). *** From Hunky to horror comes
news that Dreamworks is almost finished, casting the remake of the 1985
horror film Fright Night. A classic for Gay audiences because
the original starred Amanda Bearse (Married with Children), Stephen
Geoffreys (who became a Gay pornstar) and Roddy McDowall. The updated version
has cast Colin Farrell in Chris Sarandon's vampire role, with Anton Yelchin
(Star Trek) as the neighbor boy and Toni Collette (The
United States of Tara) as his mom. Since she played the mother in The
Sixth Sense maybe the catch phrase on this film will be "I see blood suckers!"
This version is directed by Craig Gillespie who is a consulting producer
and director on The United States of Tara. ***
Keir Gilchrist, who plays Tara's gay son on
that series, stars in the upcoming film 'It's Kind of a Funny Story,' about
a troubled teen who checks himself into an adult mental health care facility.
Based on the novel by Ned Vizzini, the picture also features Zach Galifianakis
(The Hangover) and Lauren Graham (Parenthood.) Interesting
note, the film opens September 24, just four days before Gilchrist turns
18. Happy early birthday Marshall. *** Another noteworthy project, set
for wide release on September 24th is Howl from Oscar winning winning
writer/director/producers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Set in
1957, the story portrays the obscenity trial faced by Allen Ginsburg after
the publication of his book Howl, Playing Ginsburg is Milk
alumni James Franco, plus a group of impressive costars including Mary
Louise Parker (Angels in America,) Jon Hamm (Mad Men,) Bob
Balaban (Capote) and Treat Williams (The Ritz.) *** Brothers
& Sisters Executive Producer, Greg Berlanti is both producer and
screenwriter for the currently filming Green Lantern movie. The
ever studly Ryan Reynolds plays the title character for director Martin
Campbell (Casino Royale.) Also in this Warner Brothers
project are Tim Robbins, Angela Bassett, Blake Lively (Gossip Girl)
and Mark Strong (RocknRolla) as Sinestro. *** An audience
favorite at this years LA Asian Pacific Film Festival, the comedy The
People I've Slept With has been acquired for airing on the Logo Network.
Karin Anna Cheumng plays a promiscuous woman who teams with her Gay BFF,
Wilson Cruz (Noah's Arc) to weed through a list of potential fathers.
What I don't get is, why don't they just go on Maury Povich like everybody
else does? Oh, and by the way, I wish someone would tell those baby daddies
in denial - the reason your 3 month old son doesn't look like you is HE'S
THREE MONTHS OLD and looks more like a potato than he resembles anybody.
***
For those who missed it, I just have to share
a favorite quote from Anderson Cooper who was the commencement speaker
at Tulane in New Orleans. Standing at the podium wearing a graduate robe
he said "Does anyone else feel like you are at a Harry Potter convention?"
*** It's back to the hood - and mask when production of Scream 4
begins on June 28th. Kevin Williamson (Vampire Diaries) returns
as producer and writer for horror master director Wes Craven. Already signed
from past Scream incarnations are Courtney Cox, David Arquette and
Neve Campbell plus new faces to the slasher series Hayden Pannetiere (Heroes),
Emma Roberts (Valentine's Day) and Rory Culkin (Signs.) ***
Here's a little something to satiate fans of True Blood, which returns
with new episodes on June 13. Creator Alan Ball has stated that last seasons
story of Bill giving blood to save the life of Sam will establish a strong
and somewhat "erotic" connection between the two. Ball has also reported
that our favorite diner cook and drug dealer, Lafayette will have a boyfriend
named ... Jesus. No, he hasn't found god, but an orderly who takes
care of his elderly mother played by Alfre Woodard (Desperate
Housewives.) Playing Lafayette's new boy toy is Kevin Alejandro,
best known as Justin's father on Ugly Betty. Other new cast
members include another Ugly Betty alum, Grant Bowler, Marshall Allman
(Prison Break,) and Brit Morgan (The Middleman,) ***
It's a Cambination of Cams, as Eric
Stonestreet who plays Cam on Modern Family joins Cameron Diaz on
the comedy Bad Teacher for director Jake Kasdan (Freaks and Geeks).
Written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (both producers on The
Office), the laughs center on a dirty talking teacher who pursues a
colleague after being dumped by her sugar daddy. Talk about being dumped,
funny thing is, Diaz' ex Justin Timberlake also stars in this picture,
along with Jason Segel (I Love You, Man) and Molly Shannon (SNL.)
*** With this month's release of Love Ranch, audiences lucky
enough to find this limited release will be treated to Oscar winner Helen
Mirren in a true story based on the married couple who opened
the first legal brothel in Nevada in the 1970s. Directed by her other half,
Taylor Hackford, it also features Joe Pesci, Bryan Cranston (Breaking
Bad,) Gina Gershon (Showgirls) and Leslie Jodan (Sordid Lives.)
*** If you are a fan of Nurse Jackie then you've already fallen
head over heals for Haaz Sleiman who plays Gay male nurse Mo-Mo on the
series. You can catch the sexy and sultry actor in Parker Posey's
next project Highland Park. The comedy looks at a budget-cut
suffering high school at which the faculty form a lotto to determine who
should lose their job next. The ensemble cast features Michelle Forbes
(True Blood,) Billy Burke (Twilight,) Danny Glover (Lethal
Weapon) and Bo Derek (yes THE Bo Derek). She's just thrown in to prove
that the education profession is no walk on the beach.
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