Kelsey Grammer Is No Longer a 'Boss'
Today in showbiz news: Starz has canceled its most star-studded show, Hugh Laurie considers a return to TV, and The Amazing Spider-Man looks for its James Franco.
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Starz, which is some sort of television network I'm told, has announced that it's canceled its critically supported show Boss after two low-rated seasons. Though star Kelsey Grammer won a Golden Globe for his performance as a cruel and calculating Chicago mayor, the show didn't have much traction. And so it is gone. Canceled by Starz. And to get canceled by Starz you have to be pretty, pretty low-rated. So, too bad, Kelsey Grammer. May you, I don't know, play the angry, distant husband on some other reality show. Really this is most sad for the supporting players like Connie Nielsen, Jonathan Groff, and 90210 alumna Kathleen Robertson. Yes, Claire Arnold is now without work. And that is a bad thing. Right this injustice, Starz. Give her something else to do. It's only fair. [Vulture]
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In more positive news, Hugh Laurie, who famously played Dr. House on Fox's hit show Dr. House, is heading back to TV. Yes, NBC is excited that he is considering playing the lead on the network's upcoming pirate drama, Crossbones. Wait. Crossbones? The hell kind of name is that? I thought that was a game that straight dudes played at sleepovers. I get what the title refers to, but it's not a good title. Fox already has a show called The Bones. And it's a big hit, The Bones! Everybody loves The Bones. So don't confuse TV viewers with a show called The Crossbones, NBC. We don't want that. Why not call it Treasure Bay or Dark Water or Arrr Mateys or Cap'n Pegleg's Pirate Petticoat Parade? Anything but The Crossbones. Anyway, Hugh Laurie would be playing Blackbeard, who was a pirate, and he'll wear an eye patch and comically drink rum and have a smart alec parrot and will go around murdering and raping people. So. Um. Should be fun. [Deadline]
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The Amazing Spider-Man sequel needs a Harry Osborne, so producers and casting people and whoever are currently in the search process, and here's who they're looking at. Right now Sam Claflin, who was in Snow White and the Stinksman and will be Finnick in Hunger Games 2: Murder Island, is up for it. As is Les Mis beauty Eddie Redmayne. And then there's Boyd Holbrook and this fella, name'a Douglas Booth. So those are the dudes in the running. All handsome blonds, basically. (Well except for Eddie Red Mane.) See they were going to go for a darker and more pensive Harry Osborne, so they were looking at Dane DeHaan and Brady Corbet and Alden Ehrenreich, but then they changed their minds and "the producers and filmmakers now are seeking actors with characteristics that include athleticism and good looks." Haha. Oh. Right, because Dane DeHaan and Alden Ehrenreich and Brady Corbet are so ugly and unfit. Glad they've given up on those ugmos and are pursuing some real lookers. Phew. [The Hollywood Reporter]
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Chris Meloni has been cast as a lead in Gregg Araki's new movie, which is interesting. What's even more interesting is that the movie also stars Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Shiloh Fernandez, and Gabourey Sidibe. That's an eclectic cast and an oddly high-profile one for a Gregg Araki movie. Maybe he's moving up in the world. Pretty soon he'll be looking for good looking, athletic actors instead of ancient dump Chris Meloni and that beast Shiloh Fernandez. [Deadline]
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Fox's antic and grating sitcom The Mindy Project is having a little cast shakeup, as tends to happen on shows from time to time. Former Gossip Girl actress Amanda Setton has been let go, which is too bad because she was actually surprisingly good on the show, and Anna Camp has been wisely reduced to a recurring role. They weren't using her anyway, so maybe now she can get some other work. In fact, it seems that Camp asked for the change, because she's a busy bee these days. So I guess Setton is really the only one who got the bad news here. Meanwhile the show is trying to cast a new potential regular, a tomboy friend of Mindy's from college. Let's hope they're looking for someone good-looking and athletic! Maybe Hugh Laurie in a wig? If The Crossing Bone doesn't get a series pickup, I mean. It's time for Mindy to think outside the box, and inside the bones. [TV Line]
You'll be happy to know that Oksana Baiul is suing the William Morris Endeavor agency. The figure skater is seeking $1 million in compensatory damages and more than that in punitive. This is a year after her new manager snagged her $9.5 million after noticing some accounting irregularities. Whoa. Ten million bucks? For Oksana Baiul?? In 2011??? I should really take up figure skating. I would have thought she was making about $12,000 a year in figure skating stuff these days. But nope. Ten million dollars. Does that mean Nancy Kerrigan is a billionaire? It must, right? And does it mean that Tonya Harding must someday be able to move out of that forest where she lives? Possibly. Less likely, but it's possible. Anyway, good luck, Oksana. And really, WME, you should just give her the money. She seems like she'd be scary when she's angry. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Here's a trailer for a new animated movie called Epic, which is basically Honey I Shrunk the Kids but dumb and animated and about magic. There is a nerdy dad character and a dog, though. And from the looks of it there will be some teen romance. No word yet on whether Kristine Sutherland will be involved in any capacity, same for Marcia Strassman, but oh well. The kids won't remember the original movie anyway, because it was made a million years ago. Sigh.
