The Weekly Round-Up for July 11 to July 15

Here are the entertainment news items for this past week:

NEWS

Congrats to all the Emmy nominees for whom their names were announced this morning.

TELEVISION

ABC has renewed summer cop drama Rookie Blue for a third season.

Even though a 4th season has not yet been guaranteed by FOX, Glee regulars Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Chris Colfer will not be back for the presumed fourth season. Series co-creator Ryan Murphy said that the three regulars will be among the characters who graduate at the end of the fall’s upcoming third season.

The new MTV series Teen Wolf has been renewed for a second season.

Merlin has been renewed for a fourth season on Syfy. Those new episodes will air in 2012. Season four will follow Merlin as he looks to ensure that Arthur “fulfils his destiny as the Once and Future King.” Joining the show in season four are Nathaniel Parker as Agravaine, as well as guest stars Gemma Jones as Cailleach and Phil Davis as a sinister Circus master.

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Harry Lennix (Dollhouse) has closed a deal to play General Swanwick in the box office film Man of Steel (the Superman reboot).

Actress Elizabeth Banks has joined the likes of Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Chris Rock and Rodrigo Santoro in the upcoming box office film What To Expect When You’re Expecting, which is the film adaptation of the pregnancy self-help book by Heidi Murkoff. The film’s story follows four couples on the path to having a baby. Banks will play a baby-crazy children’s book author and owner of The Breast Choice boutique who thinks she knows what all the ingredients are in being a perfect Mom—until she becomes pregnant with her first child. Meanwhile, actor Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl) will play Marco, the ex-boyfriend of Kendrick’s character who reunites with her after their food trucks get into a turf war. Their lives are changed quite drastically after a romantic encounter leads to a surprise pregnancy. Also, actor Matthew Morrison (Glee) has been added to the ever-growing cast where he will play Evan, who is paired with Jules (played by Diaz) on a celebrity dance show. The two, of course, fall in love. With Jules’s pregnancy, the two have to figure out how to make their bi-coastal lives work.

Actor Michael Chiklis (The Shield) will play the nemesis to Jason in the upcoming box office thriller called Parker, which is based on the novel series by Donald Westlake. The story revolves around a thief who lives by a code of honor that includes never stealing money from people who need it. His word is his bond, and if he is crossed he will strike back relentlessly and has no hesitancy about taking a life if needs be.

Actor Walton Goggins (Justified) will appear in the Steven Spielberg film Lincoln where he will play Ohio Congressman Wells A. Hutchins, a progressive Democrat who goes against his party and votes in favor of the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery. He will co-star alongside Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln, Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln and David Strathairn as Secretary of State William Seward.

Actor Edward Norton is “in negotiations” to play the villain in the upcoming box office movie The Bourne Legacy opposite Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz. There are no details, right now, on the character or the story.

Actress Ruth Wilson (Luther and Jane Eyre) is in negotiations to play the female lead in the upcoming box office film The Lone Ranger. The film will star actor Armie Hammer as the Masked Man and Johnny Depp as Tonto.

Producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl) are set to produce the box office film The Luxe, which is based on the Anna Godbersen book series that tracks four teens set in 19th century New York and features conflicts between old money and new money, the upper class and lower class, and star-crossed lovers.

Actor Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood) will star – and also produce – the box office film called The Vanguard, which will be a Viking adventure flick. The film centers on a pair of Viking warrior brothers who attempt to return to Sweden after being banished to North America.

Actor Holt McCallany (Lights Out) will appear in the box office movie Gangster Squad, playing the bodyguard and main enforcer to Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). The cost also includes Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Michael Pena and Giovanni Ribisi.

Actresses Julia Stiles (The Prince and Me) and America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) are to star in the upcoming box office comedy called It’s A Disaster that tells the story of four couples who meet for Sunday Brunch only to discover they are stuck in a house together as the world may be about to end.

Actresses Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) and Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) and actor Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding) have joined the cast of the coming-of-age box office comedy called Struck by Lightning, which stars Chris Colfer (Glee) as a student who is struck and killed by a bolt of lightning at the beginning of the movie and through flashbacks it is shown how he blackmailed his fellow senior classmates into contributing to a literary magazine he’s publishing.

CONDOLENCES

Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford and founder of the drug and alcohol center in her name, passed away this week. She was 93.

Legendary TV producer and series creator Sherwood Schwartz passed away this week. He was the creator of Gilligan’s Island and The Brady Bunch. He was 94 years old.

ME: RIP, Mr. Schwartz and Mrs. Ford. Sympathies are extended to their family, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

CASTING SCOOP

Actor Charles Mesure (V) is joining Desperate Housewives as a series regular this fall, playing Ben, a sexy, charming, and occasionally ruthless contractor who has the kind of grit and drive that comes from being a self-made man. He’s also the new love interest for Vanessa Williams’ Renee. The show kicks off its eighth season on September 25.

Actress Jewel Staite (Firefly and Stargate Atlantis) will appear on Supernatural, as a childhood friend of Sam’s (Jared Padalecki) who he encounters on a hunt. The story will involve flashbacks and is being directed by series star Jensen Ackles.

Broadway actress Karen Olivo has been added as a regular to the NBC legal drama Harry’s Law. She will play a new hotshot lawyer. Also actor Christopher McDonald has been promoted to series regular on the NBC legal drama Harry’s Law, which will be back with new episodes starting on September 21 at 9 PM. Additionally, actor Mark Valley (Human Target) has landed a series regular role on the show where he will play one of two new attorneys at the law firm run by Harriett and actress Jean Smart has signed on for an early-season arc in the series as well.

Actress Jennifer Finnigan (Close to Home) and actor Jason Priestley (90210) will guest star on Psych, playing Barbie, a comely con woman who with partner in crime Clive (Priestley) set their sights on a spa resort, the same one where Shawn and Juliet are enjoying a weekend getaway.

ABC Family has picked up the comedy Melissa & Joey for a second season. It will return for its 2nd season in 2012.

Actor Callum Keith Rennie (best known for his work on Battlestar Galactica and most recently seen in The Killing) has been booked as a series regular on the NBC midseason drama The Firm, starring opposite Josh Lucas and Juliette Lewis. Rennie will play Ray McDeere, the older brother to Mitch (Lucas).

Actress Mariana Klaveno (True Blood) has booked a recurring role on Dexter, playing Carissa Morris, a professor at Florida University.

Actor David Andrews (Terminator 3) has been set to recur on the USA Network spy drama Covert Affairs.

Actor Brian J. Smith (Stargate Universe) is joining the cast of Gossip Girl as a chef named Max in Los Angeles, which is where Serena (Blake Lively) was spending the summer.

Actress Lauren German (Happy Town) has joined the cast of Hawaii Five-0 in what could potentially be a new love interest for Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin). She will play a former Homeland Security officer who has been hand-picked by the new Governor to be a part of the team.

Actor David Gallagher (7th Heaven) will appear as a werewolf named Ray Sutton on the first two episodes of The Vampire Diaries this fall.

Actor Ted Danson has joined CSI as the Las Vegas crime lab’s new graveyard-shift supervisor. He will, of course, continue to co-star with Jason Schwartzmann and Zach Galifianakis on the HBO comedy Bored to Death, which returns for a third season later this year.

Actress Penny Johnson Jerald (24 and NCIS) has joined the cast of Castle, taking over as the new Captain – in the wake of the fatal shooting of Captain Montgomery (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) in the season finale. She will play Victoria Gates, a career-minded cop who has a background in Internal Affairs.

Actress Rebecca Mader (Lost and No Ordinary Family) will show up on an episode of the new Syfy series Alphas, playing a mysterious Alpha.

Actress Emma Caulfield (Buffy and Life Unexpected) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Leverage. Details on her role are unavailable at this time, though.

NOTE: The weekly calendar will appear separately this week.