Ty Burrell joins 'Jackie Brown' prequel

Burrell"Modern Family" star Ty Burrell will expend his first publish-Emmy hiatus co-starring in author-director Serta Schechter's Elmore Leonard adaptation "Switch."Crime drama, that will function as a prequel to Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown," stars John Hawkes and Yasiin Bey ("Dexter") as more youthful versions of Robert P Niro and Samuel L. Jackson's particular figures Louis Gara and Ordell Robbie, who also come in Leonard's novel "Rum Punch."Set fifteen years prior to the occasions in "Jackie Brown," story follows career crooks Ordell and Louis because they synergy to kidnap Mickey Dawson, the wife of the corrupt Detroit property developer. Once the husband will not spend the money for ransom for his wife's return, the ex-cons have to reconceive their plan, and also the angry housewife uses the duo to obtain her revenge.Burrell will have Marshall Taylor, a married country club member who provides hiding for a crush on Mickey and stays the majority of the film inside a moral dilemma after seeing her kidnapping.The Gotham Group's Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Lee Stollman will produce "Switch" with Michael Siegel and Leonard, while Jim Garavente will professional produce. Production is skedded to begin in May.While Burrell is possibly most widely known for his comedy focus on ABC's "Modern Family," which lately gained the star his first Emmy, his feature career features a diverse selection of roles. Additionally to blockbusters for example "The Incredible Hulk" and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," Burrell has made an appearance in challenging dramatic fare for example Steven Shainberg's Diane Arbus pic "Fur" and Doug Liman's "Fair Game." Thesp will next be observed in the comedies "Goat's" and "Butter."Burrell is repped by ICM and attorney Frank Stewart. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com

Exclusive: Bridesmaids' Ben Falcone Heads to Happy Being

Ben Falcone Bridesmaids' Ben Falcone will guest-star within an approaching episode of Happy Being, TVGuide.com has learned solely. The actual-existence husband of Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy, who described John the environment marshal within the hit comedy, will have Darren, Max and Dave's lonely, yet angry landlord. His episode is slated to air at the end of March or early April. Browse the relaxation of present day news Falcone next seems on Up Through The Night. His credits include NBC's Joey and also the approaching feature comedy What to anticipate When You are Expecting, where he'll play Elizabeth Banks' husband. Happy Being airs Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30c on ABC.

Rumour: Harrison Ford in talks for completely new Edge Runner movie?

What is this great story includes a hefty rumour warning attached, but with different study by Twitch, Harrison Ford is at early predicts star in Ridley Scott's new Edge Runner movie.The report doesn't title any sources or offer any verifiable evidence, but this is exactly what they have to say:"Twitch finds that Harrison Ford has became a member of into early predicts join the completely new Edge Runner. Even though this is still very first stages that is quite simple that things won't exercise the apparent implication is always that that which you want at is not a reboot but an instantaneous follow-up for the original."It's tough to visualize Ford returning for the Edge Runner world, even if Scott reaches the helm. Which quote does appear awfully non-committal.Nonetheless, it's tough to consider something which could easily get hardcore sci-fi fans more excited in comparison to reunion from the pair, so you will notice that this story has spread round like the internet like digital wild-fire.That is in line with Scott's previous assertion the film is "liable to become follow-up."If Ford was involved, are you able to expect him to reprise his role in the straightforward follow-up set-up? Or you think Deckard's replicant status will probably be confirmed getting an electronic cameo different color leaves as Arnie's in Terminator Salvation?Expect Mister Ridley being avalanched with queries about the completely new Edge Runner film because he gears up for marketing duties on Alien-sister Prometheus.Prometheus opens on 1 June 2012.[brightcove]1431135008001[/brightcove]

Exclusive Video: Extreme Couponing: Midnight Madness Takes On Black Friday

Extreme Couponing: Midnight Madness And you thought the girl who pepper-sprayed people on Black Friday was intense... TLC's new special Extreme Couponing: Midnight Madness, will follow four super savers who navigate the biggest shopping day of the year: Black Friday. In the exclusive sneak peek below, Washington shopper Angelique lines up hours early... despite being three months pregnant. Now that's intense. Check out the video of Midnight Madness, airing Sunday, January 29 at 10/9c.

Sony's 'Awakening' poised for weekend B.O. win

The new sony Screen Gems' 4th "Underworld" installment, "Awakening," is poised to win the weekend box office by having an believed domestic take of $23 million to $25 million. B.O. experts base time from early Friday grosses, which indicate the film will probably consume $9 million-$ten million today. Last Century Fox's "Red-colored Tails" is angling in the future in second, with B.O. viewers pegging the film within the mid-to-high teens through Sunday. While matinees for that pic have held strong, experts caution the pic continues to be tough to estimate, simply because of the unknown volume of group sales in front of the pic's release. Relativity's "Haywire" also opens a few days ago, with experts putting the pic's weekend earnings within the $8 million-$9 million range. That's based from estimations that Steven Soderbergh's female-driven action pic will gross about $3 million during the day. Meanwhile Warner Bros.' "Very Noisy and extremely Close" grows a few days ago to two,630 theaters. Early estimations indicate a Friday take of $3.5 million-$4 million, at the forefront for any three-day gross of $9 million-$11 million. U's "Contraband," now in the sophomore sesh, is searching to carry well. Box office experts the pic will probably earn between $3.5 million and $4 million today and $11.5 million-$13 million for that weekend. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

Khloe Jams Claims She's not Biological Daughter of Robert Kardashian

Khloe Kardashian Khloe Kardashian - well-known for speaking her mind - isn't holding if this involves her late father Robert Kardashian's other partners in addition to their claims they isn't a real Kardashian.Jan Ashley, the woman who married Robert Kardashian after he split from Kris Jenner, recently told Star Magazine that Khloe wasn't Robert's biological daughter.Kardashian brothers and sisters will probably be Barbies - real Barbies"Khloe is not his kid -- he described any time we have marry,Inch mentioned Ashley, 63. "He just kind of examined me and mentioned [it] appreciate it was determined by fact. He mentioned, 'Well, you will be aware Khloe's not only a Kardashian, not?A Which I mentioned...'OK,' which could it have been.InchEllen Kardashian, 63, who was simply married to Robert throughout time of his dying in 2003, supported Ashley's claims. "Khloe introduced up constantly,Inch she states. "She looked nothing can beat the comfort. She was tall, stood a different shape, light hair, wild hair. Didn't look anything like the other three children."Have a look at photos of Khloe KardashianKhloe fired in the ladies on Twitter Wednesday, writing, "The audacity you have to mention my father's title similar to this! Needs to be embarrassed about urself! I let a number of things slide but that certain is really low. You are DISGUSTING! (you really know what you're)."Khloe's mother, Kris Jenner, condemned the gossips on Thursday's Hello America, calling the claims "garbage." She what Jenner required to say here: video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo playerWhat can you consider Jan Ashley and Ellen Kardashian's claims?

NBC topper acknowledges net's 'bad fall'

GreenblattDespite coming out of a fall in which NBC generated little, if any, must-see viewing, network topper Bob Greenblatt said he will continue to spend vigorously in order to mine hits. Following the NBCUniversal-Comcast merger, Greenblatt was given open purse strings by NBCU CEO Steve Burke to spend whatever it takes to generate hits. "If we had come up with 'Modern Family,' it would have been worth it," said Greenblatt on the disappointing fall. He acknowledged that NBC spent more on programming than in year's past but didn't have much to show for it yet. "It's like gambling," he told scribes at NBC's portion of the Television Critics Assn. tour in Pasadena on Friday. "You don't have any idea what is going to work and what isn't. He later continued: "It's a bit of a crapshoot, but it makes logical sense for us to spend to spend more money than Fox, CBS and ABC. But will we spend less in the future? I hope so." On Burke's ability to keep spending coin after a fallow fall and far from any sure things ahead, Greenblatt said, "He's the calmest most unflappable CEO in this entertainment business. Sure, he'd like to have it happen faster and ahead of schedule, but he's been very patient." Greenblatt also announced "Community," which had been pulled from the midseason sked, would return in the spring. He added that when it comes back, however, the laffer may not be in the difficult 8 p.m. timeslot. "I don't know if it makes sense for it to start off a night again, but we have a tight schedule for comedies and not a lot of place to put them. We have to see where 'Community' makes the most sense," he said. The exec earned points with scribes by not sugarcoating NBC's tough start to the season, opening the Q&A period with a candid admission: "It was a really bad fall and worse than I hoped for but about what I expected." His biggest disappointment was the Maria Bello starrer "Prime Suspect," which Greenblatt felt was a winner creatively but never generated any momentum in the ratings, even after moving it around the schedule. "Was she too (much of a) cable character? Was it too abrasive? Maybe it was the hat? I don't know," he said. "Maybe a hard-hitting cop show with a dead body in the first scene wasn't the best idea." Looking forward, NBC is betting heavily on rookie drama "Smash," which Greenblatt developed when he was running Showtime and took with him to NBC, and the return of musical competition series "The Voice." "I think 'Smash' is going to be very important to us, but I don't believe it's a make-or-break show for us," said Greenblatt of the Debra Messing and Katharine McPhee starrer that will launch Feb. 6, the day after NBC's telecast of the Super Bowl. "It only takes one show (to turn things around) and 'Smash' could be one of those shows." "The Voice" was clearly's NBC's biggest hit last season and much is riding on a successful second season, but Greenblatt was hedging a bit about the possibility of "The Voice" and "Smash" not doing well as some anticipate. "It's not like we'll go into receivership," he joked about the possibility both series not reaching lofty set goals. One topic of discussion was the future of Ryan Seacrest, who has been rumored to take over hosting duties for ayem news program "Today," a big profit center for NBC. Seacrest is already in the corporate family as a host on E! programming and producer of the cabler's hit reality "Kardashian" skeins as well as other shows. His moving over to "Today" has been rumored for months as a possible replacement for Matt Lauer, whose current contract expires at the end of 2012. Greenblatt called the Seacrest transition to "Today" a bit premature. "Our hope and belief is that Matt will stay though end of his contract," said Greenblatt, "We need to figure out how to take Ryan and keep him in the family." Greenblatt said he could see a day when broadcast networks will follow the cable model of 13 episodes per season rather than the traditional 22. "I don't know if every show benefits for having 22 episodes stretched across nine months with repeats," he said. "What cable does well is give you a burst of episodes. The audience is fine watching from January to May and then coming back to January (for a new season)." The benefits of cable's business model came up often at the panel, with Greenblatt -- having turned Showtime into both an awards magnet and profit center for CBS -- saying there were lessons that could be transferred to broadcast. "The beauty of cable is that the ratings don't really correlate to the bottom line," he said "At Showtime, 'Prime Suspect' would have been picked up after the third episode, called a hit and run for four or five seasons." Greenblatt also addressed the changes implemented during the past few months on the production side at the renamed Universal Television production wing. Greenblatt said the studio, which is on a mission to produce shows not only for NBC but outside networks, "could yield nothing but could yield hundreds of millions of dollars" if it generates hits down the road. One of Universal TV's longest-running shows is Fox's "House." Ratings for the Hugh Laurie drama have been on the downtrend in recent years. If the net decides not to renew the show for the 2012-13 season, Greenblatt said it was doubtful he would pick it up for the Peacock because of the high production cost on a show that's already in its eighth season. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com