Casting News Fox pilots Fall 2012-2013

Paul Greengrass Joins Fox CIA Drama As EP



EXCLUSIVE: Feature director Paul Greengrass has joined Fox’s untitled CIA drama project from writer Joe Weisberg (Falling Skies), Imagine TV and 20th Century Fox TV. This marks the first foray into U.S. television for British director-writer Greengrass, who will serve as an executive producer on the CIA drama alongside Brian Grazer and Weisberg. I hear Grazer was instrumental in bringing the Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum helmer on board. Greengrass’ deal is limited to producing, but I hear that he may also direct the potential pilot subject to availability. Penned by CIA officer-turned-writer Weisberg, the project, which was sold without Greengrass last month, is described as a high-stakes character-based drama centering on the young assistants of high-ranking officers in the U.S. Intelligence community. The show takes place within the walls of the CIA, as well as the DIA, NSA, FBI and the intelligence components at the White House. Greengrass was nominated for an Oscar for his 9/11-themed 2006 movie Flight 93.

T.J. Miller Lands Lead In Fox’s Comedy Pilot ‘Little Brother’, Lifts Project’s Contingency



EXCLUSIVE: Actor-comedian T.J. Miller (ABC’s Carpoolers) has landed the lead in Fox’s comedy pilot Little Brother, lifting the contingency on the project written by Mike Royce, which will now proceed with production. Little Brother, a multi-camera comedy from 20th TV, 21 Laps/Adelstein Prods. and Hat Trick, is about a man who finds out that he has a half-brother (Miller) he never knew about who also happens to be an ex-con. The project was originally written by British scribe Fintan Ryan and rolled by Fox for the past 2 seasons until Everybody Loves Raymond alum Royce was brought in in September to write a new script, which netted a cast-contingent pilot order. Royce is executive producing with Adelstein, Michael Thorn, Becky Clements and Jimmy Mulville, while Ryan is co-executive producing. Miller, whose feature credits include Cloverfield, Our Idiot Brother and Yogi Bear, recently released comedy hip-hop album The Extended Play E.P. His stand-up special No Real Reason premiered 10 days ago on Comedy Central, with the accompanying DVD released last week. Here is a viral comedy video posted online earlier this month in conjunction with Miller’s stand-up special. He is with WME and 3 Arts.

TV Castings: Fox’s ‘Little Brother’ Add Actress



Rosa Salazar has been added to Fox’s comedy pilot Little Brother, about a man who finds out that he has a half-brother (T.J. Miller) he never knew about who also happens to be an ex-con. She will play the cashier/clerk at the other brother’s music store. Salazar, repped by Seven Summits & TalentWorks, came out from New York in January for the CBS Diversity Showcase and has since recurred on NBC’s Parenthood and FX’s American Horror Story.

Fox Buys Single Dad Comedy Produced By Chelsea Handler, Mary McCormack & Spike Feresten And Starring Comedian Josh Wolf



EXCLUSIVE: Fox has bought a single-camera comedy project starring comedian Josh Wolf, regular panelist on Chelsea Handler’s E! late-night talk show Chelsea Lately. Wolf will co-write the show with Seinfeld alum Spike Feresten and Michael Morris (Brothers & Sisters), with Chelsea Handler and her friend, In Plain Sight star Mary McCormack, who is married to Morris, executive producing. Also executive producing are Feresten and Handler’s producing partner at Borderline Amazing Tom Brunelle. Morris, Wolf and Brad Wollack will co-executive produce. The comedy, set up at 20th Century Fox TV, is based on Wolf’s early years as a single father of three and a full-time stand-up comic. Wolf is with Parallel Entertainment, Feresten with 3 Arts, Handler, Brunelle & Wollack with CAA, and Morris & McCormack with Gersh.

Fox Taps Into Latin American Talent Pool With Two Talent Holding Deals



EXCLUSIVE: Fox has signed talent holding deals with Mexican actors Martha Higareda and Adan Canto as part of an initiative to find untapped Latin American talent for its series. It was launched last year when Fox’s new head of casting Tess Sanchez, herself of Latino descent, met Mexican casting director Yolanda Guillen at a Latin filmmakers convention. Guillen was retained to conduct a four-week search for Fox in November and December. The network received tapes of a number of actors, many of them established TV performers south of the border, and flew in several that it felt had potential to cross over to U.S. television. Two of them, Higareda and Canto, were signed in talent deals and will be exposed to producers and directors of Fox’s current crop of pilots.

While Canto is an up-and-comer in Mexico and new to Hollywood, Higareda is established in her native country, where she is dubbed “the Mexican Sandra Bullock” and has had a presence in the U.S. for the past few years. She is repped by ICM and Untitled and has had roles in the films Smokin’ Aces 2 and Street Kings, the CBS pilot Skip Tracer and most recently a guest stint on CSI: Miami. She was also in the miniseries Carlos and the Lifetime movie Lies In Plain Sight and received a Mexican Academy Award nomination for her role in 2007′s Fuega Del Cielo. It is too early to tell what Fox pilot(s) Higareda and Canto will be cast in. Fox has a Latino-themed project in contention for a pickup: Silvio Horta’s Latino family dramedy centered on 3 sisters, which is executive produced by Fox’s biggest Latina star, American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez. There has been increased interest in Latin American talent among the broadcast networks. I hear Fox and ABC were both interested in Higareda, and ABC recently signed a talent deal with Gina Rodriguez, star of the Sundance movie Filly Brown. CBS has a new Latino family comedy on the air, Rob, whose cast includes top Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez in his first U.S. TV role. And Colombia-born Sofia Vergara stars in the top U.S. comedy series, ABC’s Modern Family. Canto is managed by Aida Bernal.

‘Office’s Mindy Kaling Moves To Fox With Comedy Pilot



Mindy Kaling is moving to another office. Fox has given the green light to two medical pilots, a comedy from Office co-executive producer/co-star Kaling and a drama from the Drop Dead Diva duo of creator Josh Berman and producer Rob Wright. Additionally, the network has picked up to pilot the half-hour El Jefe from comedy veterans Moses Port and David Guarascio (Aliens In America).

Kaling wrote the single-camera comedy, in which she stars as a young Bridget Jones-type Ob/Gyn doctor balancing personal and professional life, surrounded by quirky co-workers in a small office. The project, which she executive produces with Howard Klein, has a personal element — Kaling herself is the daughter of an ob/gyn mother and an architect father. If the project goes to series, Kaling won’t be able to return to The Office next season. Like most core cast members, her contract is up at the end of this season. Universal TV is producing the pilot, originally developed for NBC. When the peacock network passed on the script, the studio took it to Fox, which immediately jumped on it. This marks the second outside pilot order for Universal TV this season, following CBS’ pickup over the weekend of a Spike Feresten/Louis CK comedy. This is also the studio’s consecutive medical pilot at Fox. Last year, Universal TV’s predecessor UMS was behind drama Weekends At Bellevue.

John Stamos Circling Fox Comedy Pilot ‘Little Brother’



EXCLUSIVE: John Stamos is in preliminary talks to star in the Fox comedy pilot Little Brother. I hear Stamos’ decision hinges largely on a rewrite, which is now being done by the project’s scribe, Everybody Loves Raymond alum Mike Royce. The project was originally ordered as an off-cycle pilot in September. It cast actor-comedian T.J. Miller (ABC’s Carpoolers) as one of the two leads in November but had been having difficulties finding the right actor for the other lead. The single-camera comedy, from 20th TV, 21 Laps/Adelstein Prods. and Hat Trick, is about a man, the role Stamos is eyed for, who finds out that he has a half-brother (Miller) he never knew about who also happens to be an ex-con. The project has a long history. It was originally written by British scribe Fintan Ryan and rolled by Fox for the past 2 seasons until Royce was brought in in September to write a new script, which quickly netted a cast-contingent pilot order. The pilot already has an A-list director attached, 21 Laps/Adelstein principal and project’s exec producer Shawn Levy, should Stamos agree to do it. Stamos, who is being sought after for multiple pilots this season, is generating buzz with his upcoming commercial for Dannon Yogurt’s Oikos brand, which will premiere during the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Kevin Bacon To Star In Kevin Williamson’s Serial Killer Fox Pilot




EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Bacon is headed to primetime. In a big casting coup, I’ve learned that the feature actor is set to topline Kevin Williamson’s Fox drama pilot. This marks the first major series role for Bacon who had been heavily pursued by broadcast and cable networks for years. But in a twist, I hear that Bacon has committed to doing 15 episodes a season vs. the standard 22 for a broadcast series. That lightens the load on the actor who can continue to do multiple features a year and spend time with his family. It also plays into Fox’s strategy of exploring new ways for airing shows, something Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly talked about at TCA last month. The high quality of many cable drama series is being attributed in part to shorter seasons that allows for tighter, more compelling storytelling.

The untitled Kevin Williamson project, from Warner Bros TV and Williamson’s studio-based Outerbanks Entertainment, is described as an edge-of-the-seat thriller about a diabolical serial killer who uses technology to create a cult of serial killers, and a retired FBI profiler (Bacon) who finds himself in the middle of it. The genre of the project and the casting of Bacon is reminiscent of Fox’s signature thriller 24, which also tapped a feature actor, Kiefer Sutherland, for its lead. Marcos Siega recently signed on to direct the pilot, written and executive produced by Williamson, creator of Dawson’s Creek, the hit Scream horror movie franchise and co-creator/executive producer of the CW’s Vampire Diaries and Secret Circle.

After a handful of TV jobs very early in his career, Bacon quickly segued to features. His only TV acting gig over the past 3 decades was his starring role in the HBO movie Taking Chance, which earned him a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination. He just wrapped R.I.P.D and will next be seen in the Billy Bob Thornton-directed Jayne Mansfield’s Car, which premieres at the Berlin Film Festival. Bacon, repped by WME and the Schiff Co., was most recently seen in X-Men: First Class last summer. While firmly planted in features, Bacon knows a thing or two about playing a cop on a crime series — his wife Kyra Sedgwick has done it on the TNT hit Closer for 7 seasons. That series also is produced by Warner Bros. TV.

‘Ben Fox Is My Manny’ Set Actor



In the awww department, eight-year-old Maggie Jones has landed a lead in the Fox comedy Ben Fox Is My Manny. The 20th TV/Chernin Entertainment project, created by Dana Fox, centers on an uptight single mother whose aimless brother moves in to help raise her daughter (Jones). This actually is not Jones’ first Fox pilot, she also co-starred in the 2010 comedy Most Likely To Succeed. Jones, repped by Osbrink, Caliber Media Co and Morris Yorn in Los Angeles and J Pervis Talent Agency in Atlanta, is best known for her role as Matt Damon’s daughter in We Bought A Zoo and also appeared in last year’s Footloose remake.