Sudeikis Has Some Advice: Jason Sudeikis is in talks to join Going the Distance, the Justin Long–Drew Barrymore romantic comedy. He’ll play Box, a friend of Long’s character that advises him against maintaining a long-distance relationship with Barrymore. This is the second romantic comedy Sudeikis has signed on for in a month — does someone have car payments to make? [HR]
Predating: Robert Rodriguez, previously announced as the director of Predators, will only produce the sequel; Nimrod Antal, who broke out with 2004 Hungarian drama Kontroll and moved over to Hollywood with the horror flick Vacancy, will direct. The movie, the fifth in the series, is slated to hit theaters exactly a year from tomorrow. Schwarzenegger’s term doesn’t end until 2011, but since he’ll be a lame-duck governor at that point anyway, maybe we can get more than a CGI’d cameo this time? [HR]
No Lie: Lie to Me, the Fox procedural featuring Tim Roth as a lie-detection specialist, will return September 28 with two new regulars: Mekhi Phifer, who was featured on two episodes in the first season, will reprise his role as FBI agent Reynolds, a liaison between the agency and the lie-detector folks; Jennifer Beals, who also appeared on two episodes, will have a recurring part as Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Landau, Roth’s character’s ex-wife and mother of their teenage daughter. [HR]
Hooking Again: T.J. Hooker, the eighties cop show featuring William Shatner as an all-business patrol sergeant and co-starring Heather Locklear as a member of the force, is coming to the big screen. Series creator Rick Husky is co-producing, with Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson writing the screenplay and Chuck Russell (The Scorpion King) in talks to direct. Shatner, you can start lobbying for a part … now. [HR]
Timmy: Tim Meadows has joined Adam Sandler’s reunion-comedy/actual-reunion Grown Ups. Also on hand are Sandler buddies Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Norm McDonald, and Maya Rudolph. Maya Rudolph is buddies with Sandler, you ask? Yes, they go ice-fishing in Montana every couple of years. [Variety]
Remembered: Christian Slater is in talks for ABC’s The Forgotten, a mystery drama from Jerry Bruckenheimer featuring a group of amateur detectives and an ex-cop (Slater) whose 11-year-old daughter went missing three years earlier. British actor Rupert Penry-Jones played the Slater part in the pilot, but then the producers figured, why have cheeseburger when you can have steak? [HR]