The Weekly Round-Up for June 6 to 10

Here are the entertainment news items for this past week:

TELEVISION NEWS

Looks like actors Aml Ameen and Brittany Snow won’t be returning to the NBC legal drama Harry’s Law when it returns this fall for its second season. While the exact reasons for the split have not been announced it was a “mutual decision” with producers and the actors have been invited to return as guest stars.

Actor Laurence Fishburne has not opted to renew his contract with the long-running CBS drama CSI. The question now is who will replace him?

The BBC has confirmed that actor Matt Smith will return as the Doctor in the hit series Doctor Who when it returns for its 7th season, which will consist of 14 new episodes (the Christmas episode and 13 all-new episodes). It is unclear at this time if co-stars Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will be returning to their roles of Amy Pond and Rory Williams, though, as they are both have signed onto other projects. Time will tell…

TNT has picked up the off-network cable rights to the ABC hit series Castle, which means the popular series will begin to reair episodes from season 1 and season 2 on the cable network next summer.

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Child actor David Mazouz (the Lifetime movie Amish Grace) will play the younger lead opposite Kiefer Sutherland in the Fox drama pilot Touch that is considered a lock for a midseason series order. The project centers on Martin (Sutherland) who discovers that his genius son Jake (Mazouz) is communicating with him through a complex series of numbers and may even be able to predict events before they happen. Jake rarely shows emotion, refuses to be touched, and instead busies himself with cast-off cell phones, able to see the world with something akin to the eye of God, where every action, thought, breath is interconnected. Additionally, actor Danny Glover will play a professor who works with the boy.

MADE FOR TV MOVIE NEWS

The next, new Procter & Gamble and Walmart made-for-TV family movie called Field of Vision will air on Saturday, June 11 at 8 PM on NBC. Through mysterious footage captured on an old malfunctioning video camera, Sinclair High School’s star quarterback, Tyler McFarland (Tony Oller from the TV series Gigantic), learns that some of his teammates have been bullying Cory Walker (Joe Adler from the box office film Prom), a troubled new transfer student. Aware that sharing this information with the coach might get his friends kicked off the team and ultimately cost the school the state championship, Tyler must choose what’s more important: winning or doing what’s right. As these events unfold, the camera also reveals more surprising footage to Tyler’s kid sister Lucy (Alyssa Jordan Shafer from the TV series The Unit). She learns that Cory has a secret past, unknown even to him. Now Lucy must convince her mom (Faith Ford) and family that the camera’s revealing insight is not a product of her imagination as she enlists their help to find the answers Cory so desperately needs.

HBO will team with BBC2 on turning the historical novel I, Claudius by Robert Graves into a mini-series.

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Rami Malek (24 and the upcoming Twilight: Breaking Dawn movie) and Madisen Beaty (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) have joined the cast of the as-yet untitled religious drama film from Paul Thomas Anderson. Malek will play Clark, the son-in-law of Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) the creator of a new faith that closely mirrors Scientology. Beaty’s role is currently unknown. Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Laura Dern and Jesse Plemons [among others] also star.

Actor Jon Tenney (The Closer) has replaced Clark Gregg in the upcoming film called As Cool As I Am. The story follows a Montana teen girl dealing with her self-centered parents trying to recapture the youth they feel they missed. The cast includes Claire Danes, James Marsden, Peter Fonda, Alanis Morissette, Jeremy Sisto and Anika Noni Rose [among others].

Actor Matthew Goode (Watchmen and Leap Year) is in talks to play the male lead in the upcoming movie called Stoker that follows a teenage girl (Mia Wasikowska from Alice in Wonderland) who, while mourning the death of her father, must deal with the unexpected appearance of a mysterious uncle (Goode). Nicole Kidman also stars.

Young actor Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In and The Road) is in discussions to play Romeo’s cousin Benvolio in the latest adaptation of the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet. Benvolio is Romeo’s cousin who futilely tries to keep the peace between Tybalt (Ed Westwick) and Mercutio. Hailee Steinfeld and Holly Hunter have already been cast as Juliet and her nurse respectively.

Filipina singing sensation Charice (Glee) will play the character of Malia Dela Cruz, a musical brainiac student, in the upcoming comedy film called Here Comes The Boom that follows a high school teacher whose school is facing drastic budget cuts. He decides to moonlight as a mixed martial arts fighter to win prize money. Kevin James, Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler also star.

Actor Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope) is set to co-star in the independent film called The Boys of Abu Ghraib, which follows a US soldier at the infamous Iraq prison who befriends a detainee accused of murder.

CASTING SCOOP

Actress Jaimie Alexander, who just appeared in the box office film Thor and has appeared in Nurse Jackie and Kyle XY, will have a recurring role (i.e. three episodes) on the USA Network drama Covert Affairs, playing new tech Reva Kline, who was the youngest person to ever land a project in the CIA’s Directorate of Science & Technology but her inability to socialize with others presents a challenge for CIA agent Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) when the two are forced to work with each other.

Legendary actor William Shatner will guest star on an upcoming episode of Psych, playing the estranged con man/father of Juliet (Maggie Lawson). Viewers will meet Frank when he attempts to mend his broken relationship with Juliet, with a little help from Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill). However, the chance to pull off a dream con will make Frank’s decision to give up his life of crime more complicated. Psych returns in the fall on USA.

Actor Mark Pellegrino (Lost, Supernatural and Being Human) will have a recurring role in the TNT police drama The Closer starting in mid-August. He will play Brenda’s high-powered defense attorney Gavin Baker, who is ruthless in court and still manages to project an air of friendly professionalism. Baker specializes in defending police officers in civil actions. Brenda will require his help after she’s sued by the family of a gang member she placed in harm’s way.

Actors Kelly Lynch, Seymour Cassel and Danny Houston have joined the cast of the upcoming drama series called Magic City that will air on Starz in 2012. The 10-episode drama stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen and Supernatural) as Ike Evans, the cool, visionary force behind Miami Beach’s newest hotel and a man with dangerous secrets; Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) as Ike’s wife Vera, a former showgirl who is deeply loyal to her husband and family and Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), as Ben Diamond, Miami’s most dangerous mobster. The cast also stars Jessica Marais (Legend of the Seeker) as Ben’s beautiful, caged wife, Lily; Steven Strait (10,000 B.C.), as Ike’s eldest son, Stevie; Christian Cooke (Cemetery Junction) as Danny, Ike’s innocent, hard-working younger son; Dominik Garcia Lorido (City Island) as Mercedes, a maid in the Miramar Playa who has grown up with the Evans family in the shadow of the hotel; and Elena Satine (Just Go With It) as Judi, a platinum blonde escort who works out of the Miramar Playa and helps Ike out from time to time.

Twin Peaks alums Madchen Amick and Dana Ashbrook will show up on separate episodes of White Collar. Amick will play Selena Ellis, a sultry femme fatale who is suspected of marrying wealthy men for money. The very next week, Ashbrook will appear as Carlisle, a millionaire playboy who loves to spend big bucks on extravagant, over-the-top objects that label him as a status symbol of wealth. Additionally, Robert John Burke (Gossip Girl) will play an Irish mob boss who is in direct competition with the Deluca family, a Detroit mafia organization who is after Mozzie (Willie Garson).

Actor Cristian de la Fuente (In Plain Sight) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Haven, playing Cornell, a straight-laced, conservative, mild-mannered banker who is hiding a double life.

Actress Molly Parker (Deadwood) is headed to Dexter where she will appear as Lisa Marshall, the sister of Colin Hanks’ mysterious new character, Travis. Hanks will appear in all 12 episodes of Dexter‘s sixth season as a brilliant expert on ancient artifacts who somehow becomes linked to a series of grisly murders in Miami. It remains unclear if Travis will turn out to be a friend or foe of a certain Dark Passenger.

Actress Julie Benz (most recently seen in the short-lived series No Ordinary Family) will appear in an episode of Royal Pains (expected to air on August 3), playing a young mother named Elyse. After an accident on the family farm leaves her with a nasty wound that won’t heal, Dr. Hank (Mark Feuerstein) is called into action by her daughter Libby (Meredith Hagner).

Some great faces from the world of sci-fi will be guest starring in upcoming episodes of Warehouse 13, including actress Jeri Ryan (Star Trek Voyager and currently seen on Body of Proof) will appear as a bride named Amanda while actress Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek Voyager) will have a 4-episode arc as Warehouse protector Jane. It’s said that both characters share a shocking connection to a series regular. Also actor Rene Auberjonois (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) will reprise of computer expert Hugo Miller. And, actor Sasha Roiz and actress Alessandra Torresani (both late of the short-lived series Capria) will appear in upcoming episodes. Roiz will be a mysterious part of the “Big Bad” on the show for this year while Torressani will play a girl in trouble that needs help from Myka (Joanne Kelly) and Claudia (Allison Scagliotti).

Actor Drew Van Acker (Tower Prep and the online series The Lake) will take over the role of Jason DiLaurentis (the brother of the departed Allison) on Pretty Little Liars, which returns for its second season on June 14 at 8 PM on ABC Family.

NOTE: The weekly calendar will appear separately this week.