There Will Be Three Names: Paul Thomas Anderson has lined up his next film, a period drama about the founding of a new religion. Philip Seymour Hoffman will play the “The Master,†a charismatic intellectual who starts up a new religion in 1952. In time, he finds a young drifter named Freddie who eventually becomes his right-hand man. The film focuses on the relationship between the two as Freddie starts questioning the religion. Universal is withholding the final go-ahead until it sees a finished script. Apparently they really want a line that looks good on a T-shirt. [Variety]
Music City Miracle: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, and Leighton Meester will all star in Love Don’t Let Me Down, a Shana Feste–written drama about a crew of country-music misfits. Hudland will star as a young singer-songwriter who gets involved with a fallen country legend (Paltrow). Together, they embark on a tour to get her career back on track. McGraw will play Paltrow’s husband/manager, Meester will play a beauty queen turned singer, and Ford F-150 will play the pickup truck. [HR]
Truly, Madly, Creepy: True Blood is adding two new characters to its cast for next season. Theo Alexander (Ugly Betty) is coming on to play Talbot, an “intensely beautiful†vampire with a love of cooking and the boyfriend of the vampire king of Mississippi. Grant Bowler (also Ugly Betty) has also joined to play Coot, a werewolf leader of a biker gang. That’s right, werewolf bikers. [HR]
Found: Harold Perrineau will star alongside Nicolas Cage, January Jones, and Guy Pearce in Hungry Rabbit Jumps, the story of a high-school teacher (Cage) who joins an underground vigilante group after his wife is brutally attacked. Perrineau will play an ex-cop turned principal who can’t decide which side he’s on. Hopefully this time he chooses the side that doesn’t leave him on an exploding boat. [Variety]
Just a Sketch: Fox has lined up a new sketch-comedy pilot from Merv Griffin Entertainment with Entourage’s Kevin Connolly set to produce. Inside Jokes will be a half hour and aim to cram in more than a sketch a minute. The show will be hosted by Cameron Bender and feature Mary Scheer, Jay Phillips, Carrie Wiita, Paul Schackman, and Lauren Rose Lewis. “It’s pure comedy, straight jokes. Imagine cutting up a sitcom into a million different pieces. It’s like a clip show,†says Merv Griffin Entertainment TV president Roy Bank. Couldn’t be any worse than Mad TV! [HR]