The breakout comedy New Girl, from show creator/writer Liz Meriwether, returns for its sophomore season with all-new exploits from the smart, spirited and single Jess (Zooey Deschanel), her three male roommates and her beautiful best friend.  This season, after Jess gets laid off from her teaching job, she re-evaluates her life and career, and immediately makes some dubious choices along the way.  The show also stars Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris and Hannah Simone.

During this recent interview to promote the Season 2 premiere, actress Zooey Deschanel talked about what fans can expect for this season, how excited she is to have Rob Reiner and Jamie Lee Curtis playing her parents, that Jess and Nick (Johnson) won’t be getting together anytime soon, how much she would enjoy a cross-over episode with The Mindy Project, and how much she enjoys doing voice work on The Simpsons.  Check out what she had to say after the jump.

Zooey Deschanel is going time traveling. Variety reports that Deschanel and Harry Potter star Domhnall Gleeson are in talks to lead Love Actually director Richard Curtis’ time travel dramedy About Time. Gleeson will star as a young man who comes from a family of time travelers who uses his ability in order to change situations for the better when he learns of his gift. Should Deschanel sign on, she’ll be playing Gleeson’s love interest. The actress is currently mulling over which project to shoot during her hiatus from the swell Fox series New Girl (seriously, it’s good. Give it a whirl). Apparently she’s deciding between the comedy He’s Fuckin’ Perfect and About Time, but Variety notes that she’s leaning toward the latter.

Sci-fi is a strange choice of genre for Curtis given his background, but I was a big fan of Pirate Radio so I’m open to what About Time has in store. I like Gleeson quite a bit (he had turns in True Grit and Never Let Me Go in addition to Potter) and Deschanel is beyond charming, so if the two sign on I think Curtis will have a fine cast here.

This past Monday, the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour went on location to the set of Fox’s hit freshman comedy New Girl, where the cast and creative team behind the series talked about what goes into making the show as adorable, funny and loved by fans as it is. When talking to the show’s star, Zooey Deschanel, and its creator, Liz Meriwether, it’s easy to see how their strong working relationship translates on screen.

During the interview, they talked about how the idea for the show came about, that the actors influence their characters, the amount of input they get to have, upcoming guest stars (including Lizzy Caplan, Dermot Mulroney and True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten), their reaction to the Golden Globe nominations, and working in such a relaxed and creative environment. Check out what they had to say after the jump.

Audiences currently have the chance to see Channing Tatum in a hard-hitting fight with Gina Carano in Haywire, but in March the buff actor will flex his comedy chops again alongside Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street. But between that, NBC has just revealed that Tatum will make his debut as the host of Saturday Night Live on February 4th along with fantastic musical guest Bon Iver. Normally I’m not a fan of Tatum in the least, but glimpses of his comedic work in the trailer for 21 Jump Street and his supporting performance in The Dilemma shows comedy might be where he fits best, even if he does look like an action figure.

In addition, NBC has also revealed that the charming and lovely Zooey Deschanel will make her hosting debut the following week on February 11th along with musical guest Karmin. New Girl has become a surprise hit on Fox, and that’s mostly due to the charismatic and hilarious work done by Deschanel as the quirky titular character Jess. It’s amazing it’s taken this long for Deschanel to hit SNL, but I can’t wait to see how both of these episodes turn out next month.

After a premiere that resulted in Fox’s highest rated fall sitcom debut in 10 years, the network has decided to order another 11 episodes of the comedy New Girl starring Zooey Deschanel—the series now has a full 24-episode season order. The publicity fluff that came along with the announcement has President of Entertainment at Fox Broadcasting, Kevin Reilly, saying. “We love the charming Zooey Deschanel and the entire cast, we’re knocked out with the work that Liz Meriwether and the whole staff is doing and we are really psyched about the upcoming episodes in the pipeline.” Honestly, I don’t think the show would work nearly as well without Deschanel in the lead role, but I’m glad to see the show has found an audience so quickly. Hit the jump for the full press release.

The comedy series New Girl, premiering September 20^th on Fox, follows the life of Jess Day (Zooey Deschanel), an offbeat woman in her late 20′s who moves into a loft with three single guys, following a traumatic break-up. Goofy, positive, vulnerable and honest to a fault, Jess has faith in people, even when she shouldn’t. With the help of her new roommates (played by Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield and Lamorne Morris) and her childhood best friend (Hannah Simone), Jess sings and dances her way through the rough times, navigating life with her charmingly dysfunctional family.

During an interview to promote her TV show, actress Zooey Deschanel talked about how Jess was a role that was too charming and exciting to pass up, how she felt like this character was written specifically for her when she read it, the challenges of finding out how to most effectively play a long-term role, and how happy she is to share a home at Fox with her sister Emily, who is on Bones. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

Four clips from Our Idiot Brother have gone online.  I dug the film when I saw it at Sundance (back when it was called “My Idiot Brother”–to hell with you, Possessive Singular!) and it’s a great showcase for Rudd who is too often stuck playing the straight man.  The film’s also got a terrific supporting cast that includes Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott, Emily Mortimer, Steve Coogan, Kathryn Hahn, and T.J. Miller (who steals almost every scene he’s in).

Hit the jump to check out the clips.  Our Idiot Brother opens August 26th.

Your Highness, set in the medieval days of knights, dragons and sorcerers tells the story of two brothers.  Fabious (James Franco) is the quintessential debonair prince, prone to victory in innumerable death-defying quests and feats.  His brother Thadeous (Danny McBride) is an out-of-shape, lazy slob who excels at toking herb and chasing sheep.  But when Fabious’ bride-to-be Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) is kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), Fabious sets out on a mission to rescue her.  And by order of their father (Charles Dance), Thadeous is told he must help his brother on his quest.  My review of the DVD after the jump.

The Weinstein Company has released a new trailer for the Paul Rudd comedy Our Idiot Brother (formerly titled My Idiot Brother).  Rudd stars as a sweet but overly-naive guy who has an unfortunate run-in with the law, his ex-girlfriend won’t let him have his dog Willie Nelson back, and his sisters (Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer, and Zooey Deschanel) reluctantly take him in only to have his naiveity accidentally reveal the hypocrisies and shortcomings of their own lives.  I enjoyed the film when I saw it at Sundance and it’s worth checking out when it hits theaters on August 26th.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Our Idiot Brother also stars Rashida Jones, Adam Scott, and Steve Coogan.

Upfronts are next week, which means every broadcast network has a day set aside to announce new series and renewal decisions.  Fox is getting an early start with a series order for the comedy pilot The New Girl (formerly titled Chicks and Dicks).  Zooey Deschanel stars as “a quirky teacher who moves in with three guys — the cynic, the player and the man-child — after being dumped.”  Jake M. Johnson, Max Greenfield, and Damon Wayans Jr. play the three guys; Hannah Simone also stars.  Wayans Jr. currently stars in the ABC sitcom Happy Endings, which is on the bubble.  If ABC renews the series, Fox will have to recast Wayans’ role.  No Strings Attached writer Liz Meriwether created the series.  Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard) directed the single-camera pilot.

[Update: A new report suggests Fox is near a deal to pick up the J.J. Abrams-produced drama Alcatraz.  Details after the break.]

[Update 2: Click here for more Fox scheduling news, including the cancellation of Breaking In, Traffic Light, The Chicago Code, and Human Target]

Hit the jump for more on the shape of Fox in the coming television year.

The first trailer for the comedy Our Idiot Brother has been released. The film first premiered at Sundance and boasts a wildly impressive cast that includes Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer and Rashida Jones. Directed by Jesse Peretz (The Chateau), the film tells the story of a ne’er-do-well brother who successively barges into the lives of his three sisters.

The trailer hits all the right notes, with the pitch-perfect Rudd coming off as equal parts lovable and pathetic. The supporting cast looks fantastic as well. Hit the jump to check the trailer out for yourself, and click here to read Matt’s review of the film from Sundance. Our Idiot Brother hits theaters on August 26^th.

Your Highness plays like an adolescent’s adventure through every sword and sorcery staple possible, and for some, that’s exactly what they want. Rife with penis jokes, pot smoking, foul language, and other giggle-inducing gags, director David Gordon Green and his ensemble cast are comfortable with maintaining that course throughout the entire film. This is a hard-R adventure comedy that falters in its attempts at grand set pieces but succeeds at making you laugh. Of course, how much you laugh all depends on what you like in your comedies. If you feel like this might be the film for you, hit the jump for my full review.

Universal has released 7 clips for their upcoming hard-R comedy Your Highness.  The film stars Danny McBride as a lazy prince who is forced to go on a quest with his brother (James Franco) to rescue his brother’s fiancée (Zooey Deschanel) from an evil wizard (Justin Theroux).  I haven’t seen the film yet but I’ve heard it’s hilarious and that folks are amazed with what director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) and writers McBride and Ben Best (Eastbound & Down) got away with.

Hit the jump to check out the clips.  The film also stars Natalie Portman, Rasmus Hardiker, Toby Jones, Charles Dance, and Damian Lewis.  Your Highness opens April 8th.

Universal has released a new red-band trailer for David Gordon Green’s Your Highness.  While it’s not as long as the previous red-band trailer, almost all of the footage is new and there are many great jokes to be had.  Rather than recite them to you, you should just hit jump and check out the not-safe-for-work trailer even if you are at work.  Live dangerously.

Your Highness stars Danny McBride, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel, and Natalie Portman.  It opens April 8th.

Her sister Emily Deschanel has had a comfortable home on Fox Television with the crime comedy series Bones, but now Zooey Deschanel looks to be making a move to TV as well. Deadline reports the (500) Days of Summer actress is in talks to star in a new comedy series from writer/producer Liz Meriwether (No Strings Attached). Originally titled Chicks and Dicks, the currently untitled series is described as a young ensemble comedy about the sexual politics of men and women. Deschanel is looking at taking the roe of Jessica, an optimistic but unlucky in love elementary school teacher who, after her most recent break-up, moves out of her apartment with her ex and moves in with 3 juvenile guys. Yep, that sounds like the start of a sitcom to me.

This would be Ms. Deschanel’s first regular TV role (she previously had guest spots on Weeds and Bones). The actress was previously reported to be attached to an HBO pilot based on groupie extraordinaire Pamela Des Barres’ book I’m With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie, but the project apparently isn’t moving forward. Her jump to television seems somewhat surprising considering her regular work in feature films, so I guess the script must be pretty damn good.