Sarandon Joins The Company You Keep

As does Richard JenkinsHaving just hired some new talent for his latest directing/starring effort The Company You Keep, Robert Redford is now bolstering the ranks of the cast with some experienced hands, as Susan Sarandon, Richard Jenkins and Julie Christie have all agreed to star in the film. Adapted from Neil Gordon's novel by The Limey's Lem Dobbs, Company will see a man who was once a member of militant organisation Weather Underground (Redford) being forced to go on the run when his real identity is exposed by an ambitious young reporter (Shia LaBeouf). Given that Redford has been hiding from the FBI for 30 years, you can imagine he's not best pleased. Sarandon and Christie are on to play other former Weather Underground types who come to light when Redford is exposed. Jenkins, meanwhile, will be a college professor who has links to the radicals. Nick Nolte and, as mentioned above, Brit Marling, are also in the cast. Redford will start shooting (and running) next month.

TCA: 'Gifted Man' Showrunner Addresses Post-Pilot Tweaks

Ray Richmond is contributing to Deadline's coverage of TCA. There have been some changes on CBS' A Gifted Man, starring Patrick Wilson as an ultra-competitive surgeon whose dead ex-wife (Jennifer Ehle) begins appearing to him, since the pilot for the supernatural medical drama written by Susannah Grant and directed by Jonathan Demme was shot. ER and Law & Order: SVU veteran Neal Baer was brought in as showrunner, actress Rachelle Lefevre was cast as a new regular, as a doctor in as part of the effort to beef up the medical procedural element of the show, Pablo Schreiber was upped from guest star to regular while Julie Benz, who plays star Patrick Wilson's sister, renegotiated her deal to change her status from regular to recurring. Despite all the changes, "we didn't retool," Baer, who is a licensed pediatrician, said at the show's TCA panel this afternoon. "It's the same show, the same characters. The pilot sets up the relationship between (Wilson's and Ehle's characters), and the next episode is a week later...So there's no retooling at all. There's medicine in the pilot and there's medicine in the next episode." A Gifted Man executive producer Sarah Timberman explained that Grant's deal was always structured so she wouldn't be working on the series full-time "because she knew going into this that she had a feature commitment beyond the pilot." Referring to Wilson, Baer also admitted that he hasn't been so excited about an actor on a series he's worked on since his time on ER and a fellow named George Clooney broke out. "I worked with Clooney, I worked with Mariska (Hargitay), and now I'm working with Patrick and Jennifer and Margo (Martindale). I see the dailies and it's like, oh my God, I am so lucky."

Work Scoop: James Spader's the Boss, But Who's the Boss?

James Spader With Michael Scott from the Office's paper company, Season 8 might find two new males take control of Dunder Mifflin. Once the NBC comedy returns, we'll learn that James Spader's eccentric Robert California has rapidly moved in the ranks of Dunder Mifflin - now he's Boss. Such as the expect the series to get rid of its awkward and endearing charm. "Spader has a lot of an identical energy to Steve Carell," co-executive producer Mindy Kaling informs TVGuide.com. "Everything he states is funny." James Spader joins Work California brings out both best, and worst, within the Dunder Mifflinites by simply being the large guy on the small campus. "He always feels as though the alpha male within the room, that is really exciting, especially because everybody on our show is funny by having an alpha male," co-executive producer B.J. Novak states. "He's very intelligent, almost too intelligent. He's an intellectual, and we have never had an intellectual within the Scranton office before therefore it is very funny to listen to him speak with people." Fittingly, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) will sense danger through the new boss. "Dwight is very torn around Robert California because, on one side, Dwight really wants to be an alpha male, however, Dwight admires simply an alpha male who'll put him in the place, that is what Michael Scott ended up being to him," Novak states. "So Dwight is torn between loyalty and competition." With Robert set as Boss - although executive producer Paul Lieberstein states they'd enjoy having Robert's former competition, Nellie Bertram, return once Catherine Tate finishes a run inside a play - there it's still a vacancy for that managing slot at Dunder Mifflin. The 3 front-runners? Darryl (Craig Robinson), Dwight and Andy (Erectile dysfunction Helms), Novak states, adding: "Individuals grew to become the 3 leading candidates within our minds if this came time for you to shoot." But how about Jim? "Everybody concurs Jim will be the best manager," he states. "And Jim continues to be offered the manager job before, but Jim is not about his job. Jim works to possess a great existence aware of Pam [Jenna Fischer] and the family." Jenna Fischer's pregnancy to become written in to the Office For whomever needs to fill Scott's footwear, Novak states the cast is onboard using the producers' decision. "The entire cast is rallying for this choice inside a really awesome way," he states. "The truly amazing factor about how exactly it's playing out to date is it triggers everybody. This individual being the boss gives great comedy and drama to each other character." Spader is not the only real new face visiting Work this year, either. On Monday, NBC boss Robert Greenblatt stated more stars could be joining the show this year. Novak revealed to TVGuide.com the producers aspire to feature fresh faces from the field of comedy. "I believe you want to bare this show exciting and up-to-date with people the main thing on comedy, a lot more than you want to achieve to celebrities,Inch he stated, observing that Betty Kemper and Kaling were unknowns prior to the Office demonstrated people the things they could do. "You want to find more and more people like this. We'll possess a couple of large names once they easily fit in very well, the way in which we did within the finale this past year with Ray Romano and Jim Carrey. So we'll perform some of this, however for lengthy-term, we actually want to grow new stars." Work finale: Who ought to be the new boss? Despite all the new changes Season 8 might find, Lieberstein declines feeling pressure to complete anything crazy to maintain audiences tuning in. "I believe that might be detrimental towards the show. We still need to stay in keeping with office existence. What we should do best is small office tales, and so i think we must keep doing that." Still, Lieberstein notes: "We always felt pressure, despite Steve." Work premieres Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9/8c on NBC.

'Glee's' Darren Criss set for 'Succeed'

Criss "Glee" cast member Darren Criss has locked in a short starring stint in Broadway tuner "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," filling in for departing topliner Daniel Radcliffe for three weeks in January.The winter engagement will rep a test of Criss' legit B.O. power, with producers hoping the young thesp's fanbase, both from "Glee" and from his cult-success as the creator of stage tuners including "A Very Potter Musical," can help counteract the chill that traditionally sets in at the Broadway box office in the weeks immediately following the holiday boom.Performer's brief stay in the show is necessitated by Criss' filming sked for "Glee," which is heading into its third season.Radcliffe's gig in the musical revival's starring role has helped make "How to Succeed" one of the stronger selling productions on Broadway, regularly pulling in more than $1 million per week.Producers of "How to Succeed" -- including Broadway Across America (John Gore, Thomas B. McGrath, Beth Williams), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron -- also are on the lookout for actors to follow Criss in the role for a longer run.Radcliffe exits Jan. 1, with Criss coming aboard Jan. 3-22. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com