Leverage

• Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro, and Gael Garcia Bernal are reportedly circling Martin Scorsese's next drama Silence, based on the Shusaku Endo novel. — Variety
• TNT has renewed Leverage for a second 15-episode season, which should air later this year. — TV.com
• Kung Fu Panda swept the Intnl. Animated Film Society's Annie Awards this year, while Wall-E went home empty-handed. — Variety
• Meanwhile, Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle won the top award from the Directors Guild of America this year. — AP
• And speaking of Slumdog Millionaire, star Dev Patel is joining the cast of M. Night Shyamalan's live-action film The Last Airbender. — ComingSoon
• Kristen Johnston is "99.9 percent" going to play Patsy in Fox's Absolutely Fabulous remake pilot, while Kathryn Hahn is on board as Edina. — Entertainment Weekly
• Both Faith Hill and Jennifer Hudson recorded their Super Bowl performances in advance. — New York Times
• ABC Family has renewed Greek, cut Kyle XY, and picked up three new shows, including the series based on 10 Things I Hate About You. — TV Guide

Source

Leverage, TNT's new heist show, starts Sunday night, and it's a pretty good time — there's some Ocean's Eleven flavor mixed with a little bit of The A-Team and some Robin Hood for good measure. Last month, TNT invited me to Los Angeles to interview the cast — including star Timothy Hutton, who plays Nathan Ford, the mastermind who helps a crew of thieves steal from the rich and greedy — and executive producer John Rogers. Here's some of what I learned:

Leverage isn't taking itself too seriously. "[Executive producer Chris Downey] and I were drinking in our garage, which is not as sad as it sounds, and were talking about how heist shows at the time had gotten really grim and gritty — you missed half an episode even and you were lost," Rogers said. "We talked about the shows we liked — Rockford Files, The A-Team, Mission Impossible — and why not do one of those?"

Keeping track of elaborate heists can be tricky. "In the writing room, that can get a little hairy," Rogers said. "We have different colored cards and everything . . . Everything gets spot-welded together, and there are times when we look at the board and are like, where the hell did the bad guy go?"

To see more of what I learned about the series, including what's coming up for Hutton's character, just read more

I have a huge soft spot in my heart for Timothy Hutton (mostly thanks to Beautiful Girls). But while he's what initially attracted me to the new TNT series Leverage, which premieres in December, he might not be the only reason to stick around.

Leverage focuses on a group of criminals who are, essentially, the high-action version of Robin Hood: They use their schemes and skills to take revenge on those who use their power and wealth for evil. Hutton stars as Nate Ford, who once recovered millions of dollars in stolen goods for his corporate employer — and then finds himself wracked with grief and anger when his employer denies his son's insurance claims, allowing the boy to die. Ford assembles a team of henchmen who are experts at hacking, stealing, and lying and who can use their skills to fight against corporate greed and evil.

Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf, and Aldis Hodge (who briefly played Voodoo on Friday Night Lights!) round out the cast. The show will kick off with a commercial-free premiere on Dec. 7 before moving to its regular timeslot, Tuesdays at 10 p.m., on Dec. 9. I'll be interviewing some of the cast and crew this weekend, so to check out some promos and pass along any questions you might have about Leverage, just read more