Mira Sorvino to star in 'Trooper'

SorvinoMira Sorvino has formally kept in charge role in CBS drama pilot "Trooper." Sorvino will have a commonsensical mother-switched-NY condition trooper within the pilot from professional producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and Aron Coleite (who scripted). Craig Gillespie is professional creating and pointing the pilot, which co-stars Jay Hernandez. Sorvino makes significant guest looks on tv, including a chapter of "House" that came a crowd in excess of 29 million following the Super Bowl in 2008, but this is her first series regular role since winning the 1995 supporting actress Oscar for "Mighty Aphrodite." Jerry Bruckheimer Television is creating "Trooper" in colaboration with Warner Bros. Television. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

Shine Encourages MasterChef Steward Paula Warwick To Mind Of Intl Productions

LONDON, Feb 27 2012: Shine Network, the Shine Group division accountable for the worldwide development, acceleration and editorial stewardship of formats which include MasterChef, The Greatest Loser, One Born Every Minute, Reached Dance and also the Masters of magic, has marketed Paula Warwick to Mind of Worldwide Productions, it had been introduced today. Warwick is presently Creative Director at Shine Network. Her promotion, which happens with immediate effect, might find her still work with all the Shine Group companies and worldwide production partners, creating formats for various marketplaces and serving as an advisor executive producer on formats licensed to 3rd-party producers. Warwicks promotion reflects the functional development of they she now handles and also the additional responsibility involved. Additionally, it recognises the truth that under her stewardship, group format MasterChef is continuing to grow its local production all over the world from 2 areas on her behalf arrival in '09 to a maximum of 34 this year. Up to now, MasterChef continues to be created and broadcast in 26 areas, with 8 additional areas either signed off or perhaps in production. Areas it's been created and broadcast in include United kingdom, Australia, USA, France, Germany, Nz, Hungary, Norwegian, Belgium, Netherlands, A holiday in greece, Israel, India, Sweden, Finland, Poultry, Croatia, Indonesia, Portugal, Peru, Ukraine, The Philippines, Ireland, Italia, Denmark and Malaysia. Highlights from the format throughout Warwicks tenure have incorporated this year's series finale of MasterChef to be the most viewed show ever in Israel, delivering 1.4 million audiences along with a share of the market of 59% and MasterChef USA becoming the greatest rating network premiere in summer time 2010. Rankings for MasterChef (USA) were also up series-on-series, using the final episode achieving a crowd of seven.a million audiences. Ben Hall, MD Shine Network stated: Paula does a really outstanding project for Shine controlling our major programme brands which well- deserved promotion is supposed to reflect that success as well as the proven fact that she now handles a quick growing team of worldwide producers. Paula became a member of Shine Group in '09 being an Executive Producer from ITV where she would be a commissioning editor for entertainment.

'Steel' thesp Traure begets 'Seventh Son'

Traue With production on "Guy of Steel" overall, relative newcomer Antje Traue is remaining running a business with Legendary Pictures, because the German thesp is joining the cast of "The Seventh Boy."Formerly referred to as "The Spook's Apprentice," tale is modified from Frederick Delaney's youthful adult series in regards to a teen who's the seventh boy of the seventh boy, and discovers about wizardry from the forbidding spook. Shaun Bridges, Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander are going to star, with Sergey Bodrov helming.Legendary's Thomas Tull, Thunder Road's Tulsi Iwanyk and Lionel Wigram will produce. Jon Jashni and former Legendary professional Alysia Cotter will professional produce.Traue would be a surprise pick because the female villain within the latest reboot from the Superman series. This latest move by Legendary shows they loved the things they saw. "Guy of Steel" bows on June 14, 2013.Traue is repped by UTA and Troika. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Heads For Oblivion

He'll join Tom Cruise and coThe casting for Tron Legacy director Ernest Kosinski's next large sci-fi project Oblivion is really starting to warm-up. Just the other day there's news that Morgan Freeman might be getting his legendary gravelly tones (as well as the relaxation of him) for the film now Nikolaj Coster-Waldau may also be aboard.He's joining Freeman, Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko inside the movie, which was birthed from Kosinski's own idea. Because he couldn't get it initially converted to a film, he switched it in to a graphic novel. Ever since then it has been setup at Disney which is now an attempt at Universal.Oblivion's plot finds a scorched, destroyed Earth where basically a few people remain. Nearly all humanity has moved due to its very own safety to bases inside the clouds, but a few folk are essential to maintain the drones that deal with the dangerous alien scavengers that haunt the very best. Cruise is among people, a soldier who discovers a girl in the crash-showed up pod and who eventually eventually ends up challenging everything he thinks they are fully aware.Coster-Waldau, that's been trading nearly all his time recently playing the speaking, delicately lethal Jamie Lannister on Wager on Thrones, look as Sykes, a battle-hardened, intelligent military weapons expert.Kosinski's film (supposing it keeps that title) will begin shooting in Louisiana later. Wager On Thrones has came back on April 2.

Keck's Exclusives: Ringer Gets Romantic

Ringer Ever since her wooden-stake-wielding Buffy days, Sarah Michelle Gellar has been the embodiment of the Madonna/whore fantasy. She'll be displaying this enticing duality again in two not-to-be-missed episodes of The CW's Ringer, wearing white... and nearly nothing at all. In the February 28 episode, Bridget (still posing as her twin sis, Siobhan), receives a marriage re-proposal from Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd), prompting her to try on wedding gowns. But will a wedding actually take place before season's end? "We're writing the last episode now," says executive producer Pam Veasey. "And it's very possible." Then the March 6 episode includes a steamy flashback to Bridget's Wyoming strip-club years, as she solicits a customer for a lap dance. "It's very seductive," adds Veasey. And revealing in more ways than one: "You're going to finally get the answer to how Bridget ended up first going on the run." Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Gimenez: Profile rises with each film

Role model: Roger DeakinsFilm or digital: "It depends on the project and the texture you want."Favorite tool: "I'm not a very technical d.p. so I don't use a lot of toys."Representation: Sheldon Prosnit AgencyWith a gift for dramatic lighting and inventive composition, Spanish cinemato-grapher Xavi Gimenez has quickly become a much-in-demand collaborator for such varied directors as Brad Anderson (for whom he shot "The Machinist" and "Trans-Siberian"), Alejandro Amenabar ("Agora") and Jaume Balaguero (three feature films including "Fragile")."I've shot a lot of thrillers and horror films, because you can experiment a lot, and I love working with a director like Brad or Jaume because they're very free and intuitive," he says. "You never know what might happen on the set, which can make it complicated, but also magical."The d.p.'s latest thriller is "Red Lights," written and directed by Rodrigo Cortes and starring Robert De Niro and Sigourney Weaver, which played at Sundance. "It was a challenge as everyone wanted to make a big movie with a low budget," he reports, "but I got to shoot it in my hometown, Barcelona."Born in the Catalonian capital in 1970, Gimenez originally went to film school to study sound, but within the first month, he experienced an epiphany: "I discovered the power of images and just fell in love with the idea of creating them and how they can transform you," he recalls.After starting as a camera operator and shooting shorts, he graduated to features in the late '90s, shooting Balaguero's 1999 thriller "The Nameless," and has worked steadily ever since -- "sometimes in Barcelona, where we did 'The Machinist,' but usually all over Europe, so it's always an adventure with new things to see and inspire you."In 2010 he made his debut as a director with his feature "Cruzando el limite," "a story for teenagers that was really crazy and complicated to shoot, and which I wanted to do more as a d.p. than a director," he admits."So I don't know if I'll direct again soon, as I need to learn more about directing first." In the meantime, Gimenez is focusing on cinematography and recently returned from Venezuela, where he's been scouting and prepping "a big historical biopic" that will be shot there. "That's all I can say," he adds. "It's a big secret."Trailer: "Red Lights"Return to 10 Cinematographers to Watch Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Takayanagi: Japanese transplant captures extreme conditions

'Warrior'TakayanagiRole model: Rodrigo Prieto. "I learned many important lessons from him -- most importantly, to be a nice human being."Camera and film preferred: "On 'The Grey,' we tested several film stocks and processes and ended up choosing Kodak 5229 forced processed. We used Panavision XL2 and Platinum cameras."Favorite tool: "I don't have any favorite equipment or tools. I like to adjust myself to each story and project."Representation: ICMMasanobu Takayanagi's decision to pursue his chosen profession tells a lot about a man who insists on getting things right. "My interest grew out of the mistakes I made the first time I took photographs as a 12-year-old," he recalls. "I still remember my mistakes!"Takayanagi, who emigrated from his native Japan about 16 years ago, photographed Nick Nolte's Oscar-nominated turn in helmer Gavin O'Connor' "Warrior," and was director of photography on Joe Carnahan's "The Grey," produced by Tony and Ridley Scott, both known for a sharp eye for talented visual storytellers.A student at Cal State Long Beach and at the American Film Institute, Takayanagi quickly earned plaudits from the American Society of Cinematographers, taking home the John F. Seitz Heritage Award for cinematography in a student film."As a cinematographer, my role is to be a visual storyteller," Takayanagi says. "On 'Warrior,' Gavin was very specific about what he wanted to deliver emotionally in each scene. The performances of the cast were incredible, and I just tried to capture each moment with honesty.""The Grey" stars Liam Neeson in a harrowing tale of survival in the Alaskan wilderness."It's a story about life and death," says Takayanagi. "Joe and I had deep discussions about visualizing the emotion and the state of mind of characters in the extreme conditions. The severe conditions required passion and patience from the crew, but also helped achieve the right look."Among Takayanagi's upcoming projects is "Silver Linings Playbook," which stars Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence, directed by David O. Russell ("The Fighter").Trailer: "Warrior"Return to 10 Cinematographers to Watch Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Katy Perry and Russell Brand Finalize Divorce

Katy Perry and Russell Brand Katy Perry and Russell Brand's divorce continues to be completed. The pair, who married in October 2010 and declared divorce last December, have arrived at a "comprehensive written settlement of issues," based on a filing Tuesday in La Superior Court. Russell Brand files for divorce from Katy Perry A legal court documents were signed Wednesday by La Superior Court Judge Marc Marmaro, additionally to Logo and Perry, who'll restore her maiden title, Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. Perry, 27, and Brand, 36, won't be considered legally split until This summer 14, as California law states that couples must wait a minimum of six several weeks after filing before their divorce is technically completed.Katy Perry wins large at Individuals Choice Honours - but does not attend Perry signed the documents having a heart and smiley face following her surname.

'Love, Loss' to seal

"Love, Loss and A Few Things I Used" will finish its abnormally extended Off Broadway run within the finish of March, immediately after the expansion hits its 1,000th perf. The play, composed by Nora and Delia Ephron and completed having a rotating roster of stars, already has produced a national tour -- now playing in Detroit -- additionally to worldwide incarnations. Effective commercial productions are becoming a rarity Off Broadway, with a lot of producers lamenting the inhospitable overall costs of keeping a show in Off Broadway's smaller sized venues. Arrange for "Love, Loss" was saved in sign simply having a scaly lower, staged-reading through through style production which aided limit actor prep and testing needs. Furthermore, the subject matter is specific squarely within the prime theatergoing demo of older women. With various book by Ilene Beckerman, "Love, Loss" is an amount of tales organized across the stages from the woman's existence as well as the clothes worn throughout each phase. Stars who've carried out stints inside the Off Broadway staging include Kristin Chenoweth, Carol Kane, Jane Lynch, Brooke Shields and Cobie Smulders. Helmed by Karen Contractor and produced by Daryl Roth, "Love, Loss" opened up up March. 1, 2009 and retrieved its $500,000 capital in the quick 11 days. If the wooden wooden shutters March 25, the show might have carried out 1,013 perfs. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com