...Here Are The Grey's Anatomy spinoff details
By this point, it's one of the worst kept secrets in TV land.
But if you haven't already heard, the medical staff at Seattle Grace will be short one redhead come the fall.
That's because ABC plans to launch a spinoff series from Grey's Anatomy, one of the sole bright lights in the network's historically dim Thursday night lineup.
While little is known about the series (at this point, not even a name has been confirmed, although Private Practice seems to be the tentative fave), we can tell you the show will focus on Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd (Kate Walsh), ex-wife of one Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) -- or McDreamy, as he's better known to the rest of the world.
The show's creators are playing their hand pretty close to their vest, opting not to do any advance press, nor even let critics see in advance the two-hour Grey's Anatomy episode that will set the stage for Addison's departure this coming Thursday night. But our friends at CTV were kind enough to share a few details, confirming that this week's instalment will see Addison take a road trip to Los Angeles, ostensibly to visit with a few old friends from med school.
Also, the show boasts a host of guest stars, among them Taye Diggs (Chicago), Tim Daly (The Nine), Paul Adelstein (Prison Break), and Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy).
A recent piece in the Los Angeles Times helped fill in a few more blanks -- namely, that two of Addison's pals (Diggs and Merrin Dungey) work at a successful oceanside health co-op with a staff that's just quirky enough -- widowed holistic-med expert, self-doubting therapist, male gyno who's clueless with the ladies -- to provide years of sexy, soap-opera fodder.
Addison, still reeling from her own disastrous romantic encounters, concludes that while her new cohorts' personal lives may be a mess, their professional standards are exemplary, leading her to ditch Seattle's rain-streaked vistas for the far sunnier environs of Santa Monica.
So will the show find an audience, especially in a TV landscape that's already cluttered with quip-prone doctors who can't keep their hands off each other?
Well, spinoffs are always a gamble, which probably explains why there are so few of them these days (and, no, we don't count the myriad permutations of either the CSI or Law & Order franchises). For every well-received Frasier there's a disastrous dud such as Joey, which means only time will tell whether audiences will respond warmly to a sexy neo-natal surgeon and her dating peccadilloes.
OUR PICKS: MINI & MEGA!
Summer movies are all about wallowing in great, gooey gobs of excess. This is the season for the big (“Shrek the Third”), the loud (“Transformers”), and the uncomplicated (“Fantastic Four”) - stuff that goes perfectly with arctic air conditioning and extra-large troughs of buttery popcorn. Still, there will be times when you want some subtlety - more Zach Braff, less Michael Bay.
So rather than giving you a rundown of absolutely everything being released in the next four months (and excluding any film that is a third in a franchise) this summer movie calendar offers one marquee-topping flick and one indie alternative for each of the 17 weeks. Happy viewing!
MAY 11
The Smash: “28 Weeks Later . . . ” In a sequel to “28 Days Later,” London’s declared free of the virus that turned its citizens into zombies - then one last carrier surfaces.
Why we care: Panders to our worst avian-flu imaginings.
The Sleeper: “Provoked: A True Story” Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai in a true story of an Indian woman who killed her abusive husband (Naveen Andrews) and was sentenced to life in prison.
Why we care: Might be good enough to wipe out memory of similarly themed J.Lo flick, “Enough.”
MAY 18
The Smash: “Captivity” Hot guy and girl (Daniel Gillies and Elisha Cuthbert) are kidnapped, held prisoner in a basement and tortured.
Why we care: Firestorm about overly torture-y billboards has predictably piqued our interest.
The sleeper: “The Wendell Baker Story” Luke Wilson’s the writer, co-director and star of this ’70s-throwback comedy about an ex-con; brother Owen co-stars, brother Andrew co-directs.
Why we care: You can never have too many Wilsons.
MAY 25
The Smash: OK, there’s “Bug” with Ashley Judd playing a bartender who becomes convinced she has parasites under her skin. But let’s just face facts: You’re going to see “Pirates of the Caribbean” and nothing else this week has much of a chance.
The sleeper: “Paprika” Trippy anime feature about a machine that lets you enter someone else’s dreams. Inevitably, it falls into the wrong hands.
Why we care: Perfect plot for sophisticated animators to really go nuts on the visuals.
JUNE 1
The Smash: “Knocked Up” Seth Rogen’s the lead in this comedy, from the director of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” about a schlub who impregnates a one-night stand (Katherine Heigl).
Why we care: It’s a “Freaks and Geeks” reunion: director Judd Apatow, Rogen, Jason Segel and Martin Starr.
The sleeper: “Day Watch” The Russian sequel to 2006’s “Night Watch” is the follow-up in a trilogy of sprawling, high-octane Russian vampire movies.
Why we care: Takes every conceivable American action-film technique and throws it in a blender with some Russian actors.
JUNE 8
The Smash: “Surf’s Up” “It” boy Shia LaBeouf voices the lead in this animated story about a penguin who wants to be a surfer.
Why we care: If you can get past the penguin fatigue, it looks more promising than a lot of last year’s animated animal flicks.
The sleeper: “La Vie En Rose” French biopic about legendary singer Edith Piaf (Marion Cotillard), a cabaret sensation who died at 47.
Why we care: Cotillard reportedly knocks it out of the park as the long-suffering but charismatic Piaf.
JUNE 15
The Smash: “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis & Co. return as the superhero foursome, this time to battle not only Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon), but also the mysterious Silver Surfer.
Why we care: Ever since “X2,” we keep hoping another superhero sequel will surpass the original.
The sleeper: “Eagle vs. Shark” Socially awkward New Zealand woman (Loren Horsley) falls for even more socially awkward guy (Jemaine Clement, of comedy duo “Flight of the Conchords”).
Why we care: It’s the Kiwi “Napoleon Dynamite,” which will likely work both for and against it.
JUNE 22
The Smash: “Evan Almighty” Steve Carell reprises his character from “Bruce Almighty,” who’s called by God (Morgan Freeman) to build an ark.
Why we care: Anything Carell touches turns to funny.
The sleeper: “A Mighty Heart” Michael Winterbottom tells the story of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter murdered in Pakistan in 2002. Angelina Jolie stars as his widow.
Why we care: Winterbottom brings the serious-film cred; Jolie brings the spectacle.
JUNE 29
The Smash: “Ratatouille” Pixar takes on French restaurants through the eyes of a Parisian rat (Patton Oswalt) who wants to become a chef.
Why we care: It’s Pixar. Resistance is futile.
The sleeper: “You Kill Me” (June 27) Ben Kingsley stars as a hit man who’s trying to change his life.
Why we care: Directed by John Dahl, who one day will craft a worthy follow-up to 1994’s “The Last Seduction.”
JULY 4
The Smash: “Transformers” The Deceptacons and the Autobots battle it out on planet Earth, Michael Bay- style!
Why we care: Doesn’t seem possible to take the concept of kiddie toys as scary alien invaders seriously - but you never know.
The sleeper: “Joshua” (July 6) New twist on the “Bad Seed” story, with Vera Farmiga and Sam Rockwell as parents of creepy 9-year-old boy.
Why we care: Farmiga and Rockwelboth have the chops to carry any film.
JULY 13
The Smash: “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” Fifth installment of the J.K. Rowling saga sees Hogwarts overtaken by a fascistic leader.
Why we care: Each successive Potter pic gets a little farther afield from being just a kids’ movie.
The sleeper: “Talk to Me” Don Cheadle stars as rabble-rousing ’60s radio DJ and ex-con Ralph Waldo “Petey” Green.
Why we care: Three reasons - Martin Sheen, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Cheadle.
JULY 20
The Smash: “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” Adam Sandler and Kevin James are fireman buddies who marry to get health benefits.
Why we care: Can Sandler play gay without turning it into Mr. Roper-style caricature?
The sleeper: “Hairspray” Film version of the Broadway musical, stars John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken and Amanda Bynes.
Why we care: Travolta in a fat-lady suit!
JULY 27
The Smash: “The Simpsons Movie” Feature version of the insanely long-running show sees Homer tasked with saving the world . . . from himself, as usual.
Why we care: Penned by the original writers, this could be a return to original, impeccable comedy.
The sleeper: “No Reservations” Catherine Zeta-Jones’ type-A chef becomes the guardian of her young niece, softens up and falls for fellow chef Aaron Eckhart.
Why we care: Eckhart, never the soft-and-cuddly type, is a good bet for a non-mushy romantic comedy.
AUG. 3
The Smash: “Hot Rod” Stuntman Andy Samberg attempts the ultimate jump to raise money to cure his abusive stepdad - so he can beat him up.
Why we care: Produced by Will Ferrell, this looks like “Talladega Nights Lite” - and that’s just fine by us.
The sleeper: “The Ten” David Wain (“Wet Hot American Summer”) directs series of comic vignettes based (loosely, one presumes) on the Ten Commandments.
Why we care: All-star cast includes Adam Brody, Paul Rudd, Jessica Alba, Famke Janssen, Winona Ryder, Liev Shreiber, Gretchen Mol, Oliver Platt.
AUG. 10
The Smash: “Stardust” Epic fantasy about young man trying to find his way back from a magical world. Stars Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Why we care: Based on a novel by acclaimed “Sandman” comic creator Neil Gaiman.
The sleeper: “Rocket Science” A teenage boy with a major stuttering problem tries to get the girl by joining the debate team.
Why we care: Won director award at Sundance.
AUG. 17
The Smash: “The Invasion” Update of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” stars Nicole Kidman as a psychiatrist who discovers what’s causing an alien plague.
Why we care: Kidman can clearly do creepy well, as in “The Others.”
The sleeper: “King of Kong” Old-school video game champions battle to be the best Donkey Kong player.
Why we care: Every so often, a documentary gets us totally engrossed in a random subculture - could “Kong” be this year’s?
AUG. 24
The Smash: “Virgin Territory” Hayden Christensen and Mischa Barton as Florentines in the Middle Ages who escape to the countryside during the Black Plague.
Why we care: This is why Barton left “The O.C.” Was it worth it?
The sleeper: “The Hottest State” Ethan Hawke writes, directs and appears in this adaptation of his novel about a Texan who moves to New York to make it as an actor.
Why we care: Hawke’s proven he can direct (“Chelsea Walls”) and write screenplays (“Before Sunset”) as well as act - can he juggle all three?
AUG. 31
The Smash: “Halloween” Rob Zombie’s remake of John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic ups the gore ante but leaves the William Shatner mask pretty much intact.
Why we care: Zombie’s already proven himself a horror virtuoso with “House of 1000 Corpses,” its sequel and a “Grindhouse” trailer.
The sleeper: “Atonement” Keira Knightley and James McAvoy star in this adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel.
Why we care: Director Joe Wright did great things with Knightley in “Pride and Prejudice.”
'Disturbia' earns $9.1M as Spidey looms
LOS ANGELES - Movie-goers continued to keep their eyes on the Peeping Tom thriller "Disturbia," which fended off a weak batch of newcomers to remain No. 1 for the third straight weekend with $9.1 million.
The movie business seemed to be on hold in anticipation of a huge summer that begins this week with Sony's "Spider-Man 3." The top-12 movies took in an anemic $62.9 million, down 30 percent from the same weekend last year, when "RV" was the No. 1 movie with $16.4 million.
DreamWorks and Paramount's "Disturbia," starring Shia LaBeouf as a house-bound teen whose surveillance of neighbors uncovers a killer, raised its total to $52.2 million after three weekends, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Disney's supernatural thriller "The Invisible" turned in the best performance among the weekend's ho-hum debuts, taking in $7.6 million to open at No. 2. The movie centers on a teen trying to solve his own murder while trapped in a nether zone between life and death.
Paramount's "Next," starring Nicolas Cage as a man whose ability to see into the future is exploited by federal agents trying to stop a terrorist nuclear attack, premiered at No. 3 with $7.2 million.
Lionsgate's "The Condemned," with wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin as one of 10 Death Row inmates dropped on an island to fight to the death for an Internet reality show, debuted in ninth-place with $4 million.
Yari Film Group's comedy "Kickin' It Old Skool," starring Jamie Kennedy as a man who wakes from a 20-year coma and tries to revive his break-dancing career, opened at No. 11 with $2.8 million.
Though movie attendance is up 1.2 percent so far this year compared to last, Hollywood has been in a lull in recent weeks as a huge crop of summer films looms, including Friday's premiere of "Spider-Man 3," followed closely by DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek the Third" and Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."
"I think people are just absolutely ready for a big summer movie," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "You can see by the box office over the last few weekends, they're ready, and it's been a long time coming. I do anticipate it's going to be an incredible weekend for us."
"Spider-Man" took in $114.8 million in its first weekend in 2002, a three-day opening that remained an all-time high until "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" set a new record last summer with $132 million.
In 2004, "Spider-Man 2" opened on a Wednesday before a long four-day Fourth of July weekend and took in a record $180.1 million in its first six days.
"This was an incredibly slow weekend. To have a top movie come in under $10 million just shows how the marketplace is in a holding pattern," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "It'll all be made up next weekend with `Spider-Man 3.'"
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Disturbia," $9.1 million.
2. "The Invisible," $7.6 million.
3. "Next," $7.2 million.
4. "Fracture," $7.1 million.
5. "Blades of Glory," $5.2 million.
6. "Meet the Robinsons," $4.84 million.
7. "Hot Fuzz," $4.8 million.
8. "Vacancy," $4.2 million.
9. "The Condemned," $4 million.
10. "Are We Done Yet?", $3.4 million.