
When last we reported on the female lead casting of director Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables, we told you that Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!) had been offered the role of Cosette and Taylor Swift (Valentine’s Day) had been asked to play Eponine. While Seyfried has accepted, Deadline is reporting that stage performer Samantha Barks has bested Swift for the role of Eponine. She previously performed the role in 2010’s London production of Les Miserables as well as the 25th anniversary concert last year. Barks will join Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit and Seyfried for the December 7th release. Click here to see all of our previous coverage on Les Miserables. Hit the jump for more casting news concerning Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly) joining the David Hackl (Saw II) thriller, Red Machine.

In a bit of early morning casting news, Variety is confirming that Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo (USA’s Covert Affairs), and Noah Segan (The Brothers Bloom) have joined Rian Johnson’s (also of The Brothers Bloom) sci-fi/action film Looper. The three join a cast that already includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, and Paul Dano.
While the details of their newly acquired roles are currently unspecified, we do know that Looper is set to go in front of cameras later this month and that Primer writer/director Shane Carruth is working on some of the film’s time-travel effects. For those unaware, Looper is set in the near future and tells the story of an organized group of killers (known as “Loopers”) who go back in time, take out pre-determined targets, and then dispose of them as if they never existed. The film, which I’m eagerly anticipating, is currently looking at a 2012 release.

On the new USA Network action thriller Covert Affairs, actress Piper Perabo is Annie Walker, a young woman new to the government’s most secretive branch, the CIA. With the instincts, tenacity and persistence to become a lethal weapon, Annie dedicates herself to her new job, but soon realizes it means having to lead a double life, whether it’s lying to her family or facing down ruthless terrorists around the world. Former CIA special operative, Auggie Anderson (Christopher Gorham), who went blind during a mission, quickly takes Annie under his wing to help her navigate the system, and she learns that he is the one guy she can trust.
During a recent phone interview, co-stars Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham talked about working together, being part of the successful USA Network family and developing characters for television. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

In the new USA Network drama Covert Affairs (which premieres July 13th), Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) is a young CIA trainee who is thrust into the inner sanctum of the Agency when she is unexpectedly promoted to field operative. Although she has been plucked from obscurity for her exceptional linguistic skills, there may be bigger reasons why her CIA bosses (Peter Gallagher and Kari Matchett) have taken an interest in her. With her new job, Annie has to hide her life from her family and friends, including her intrusive older sister (Anne Dudek), but CIA military agent Auggie Anderson (Christopher Gorham), blinded while on assignment, does his best to make her life at the Agency a little smoother.
During a recent interview, executive producer Doug Liman talked about developing a story for the small screen versus the big screen and explained why the USA Network was the perfect fit for this project. He also gave an update on the status of All You Need is Kill and Nick Tungsten, Nightmare Hunter. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

By far, the biggest story in television right now is the possible removal of Leno from NBC’s schedule after the Olympics, but there is plenty of other newsworthy movement in TV Land at the moment. Showtime has ordered The Big C, which stars Laura Linney as a wife and mother whose life is shaken when she is diagnosed with cancer. USA has picked up Covert Spaces, which stars Piper Perabo as a young CIA trainee. And FOX has pulled quiz show Our Little Genius from the schedule less than a week before its intended January 13th premiere date for reshoots.
To learn what lured film stars Linney and Perabo to the small screen and why Burnett delayed his own show, hit the jump.

After years of sitting on Paramount Vantage’s shelf collecting dust, “Carriers” is finally getting a theatrical release this September. You may be wondering what motivated the studio. I’ve got two words for you…Chris Pine.
You see, years ago, before he was cast as the new James Tiberius Kirk, Chris Pine made “Carriers” along with Lou Taylor Pucci, Piper Perabo and Emily VanCamp. With the skyrocketing success of “Star Trek”, Paramount Vantage is clearly trying to capitalize of his new found fame with this release. And you know what, it’s probably going to work. If you’d like to learn more about the movie and see the first trailer, it’s after the jump:
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES Casts Emma Thompson; Jenna Fischer and Rita Wilson Join KISS ME
SPACE: 1999 to be Revamped for TV as SPACE: 2099
PUSHER Remake Picked Up by Weinstein Co.’s VOD Label, Radius-TWC
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