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The female portion of the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s HBO pilot is taking shape. Olivia Munn and Alison Pill are in negotiations for supporting roles in the project, while I hear Marisa Tomei is inching closer to committing to play the female lead. Tentatively titled More As This Story Develops, the project centers on cable news anchor Will McCallister (Jeff Daniels), who has his own show, as well as the show’s female executive producer and staff. Tomei, repped by CAA and Untitled, is poised to play the executive producer, MacKenzie, for whom producing the news is what she does best and everything else is tied for last place. Pill will play Maggie, an associate producer on the assignment desk. Munn, repped by CAA and Mosaic, will play a sexy financial analyst on the same cable network as McCallister.
Oscar winner Tomei has been one of several actresses considered for MacKenzie and the most heavily pursued by the producers. Said to be a big fan of Sorkin’s, she met with him earlier last week and again on Saturday when he attended her off-Broadway play Marie and Bruce. (Among the other contenders for the role, Emily Mortimer had emerged as a frontrunner.) Munn, who stars on NBC’s midseason comedy Perfect Couples, was courted for several broadcast pilots this pilot season but opted not do any. She continues to be a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Showand co-stars in the upcoming Miramax movie I Don’t Know How She Does It. Tony nominee Pill, repped by WME and Joannie Burstein, already has experience as a regular on an HBO series — she co-starred on the second season of In Treatment. She recently co-starred in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
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People can rip on Olivia Munn all they want…I’m a huge snob and Sorkin fan and I actually think her on-screen persona/demeanor could be a good fit for the Sorkin patter. Alison Pill and Marisa Tomei are slam dunks. Shaping up to be a very strong series.
Thanks Mr Munn.
Olivia Munn seriously needs to go away
AMEN! I second that. She is incredibly talentless, annoying, narcissistic, and NOT funny.
I lost respect for Sorkin with this poor casting decision…terrible actress.
Olivia Munn is not sexy and not funny – whyTF do people keep casting her? Marisa Tomei – excellent choice
Why thank you Matt aka Siskel. You now can go back to the couch in the valley. Give it a rest with that idiotic comment.
if this happens, i will need to get hbo…gotta have my munn fix…she’s not on TDS nearly enough…
Have you even read the script? Olivia is PERFECT casting for the role. Shaping up to be a great pilot!
Allison Pill is one of those actresses that will never be a big star but will never have a problem getting work. She is sublime, and can also fill the screen; loved her “In Treatment”.
Hell yeah!!! HBO is exactly where Olivia Munn belongs. Best news I’ve heard about any new tv series this year!
Of course u are.
You’re in her back pocket.
Interesting to see this. His first two behind the scenes dramadies didn’t work but I think for cable this should work. Cable television is surpassing network by leaps and bounds. They are always going to give a series a shot and not cancel something after two episodes if the ratings aren’t great.
Tomei would be a great pickup and I think Munn if the script is right could work. In Perfect Couples the script and the writing were just God awful. Unlike most people on the internet, I can say that Perfect Couples getting the axe was NOT her fault.
When did Ellen Page change her name to Alison Pill?
Anybody? C’mon, look at the picture again.
Congrats, Aaron.
I loved Broadcast News in 1987.
This will be as laughable and cutting edge as “Studio 60.”
I was thinking the exact same thing!
Plus Jeff Daniels has an uncanny resemblance to William Hurt…
Munn’s ego will now get even bigger. You’ve been warned. BE AFRAID!
Great casting news. Love Sorkin shows and I know this will be amazing as well.
Ugh. Olivia Munn is an anti-talent. She’s not content to suck, she actively makes every performer around her seem less interesting, just for putting up with her.
This one gets filed next to Huffman, Felicity in the pantheon of unappealing female Sorkin leads.
Where have you gone, Allison Janney?
not true about Olivia Munn. NBC tried to shove her down different people’s throats but nobody wanted her.
Tomei is a great choice but I seriously question the subject matter–seems like it could be polarizing the same way Studio 60 was. West Wing was lightning in a bottle and nobody, least of all Aaron, should think that can happen again.
As cool as a Daniels-Tomei HBO show sounds I was getting excited about AS writing big important movies again.
Sorkin’s back trying to make a good show. Give him credit. He puts shit out there, and some of it sells.
He recently failed with some guys.
Now, he’s going with the ladies.
Marisa plays well, so “exec prod.” is doable. She’s a sweetie and dependable.
Sorkin knows that to make it sell, the center of the show MUST be an appealing man-with the women circling around him chattering away. But men-as always-must anchor the show. Speaking of anchors…
Daniels can play smug anchor, yet isn’t threatening and won’t eat up the scenery out from under the ladies feet.
Oliva Munn’s the mystery-and Sorkin’s rolling the dice here.
Why does Munn provoke such controversy with supporters and detractors alike?
I’m not concerned about women hating on her-that’s to be expected.
But what makes average guys-see some of these comments here-dislike her with such vehement gusto?
What is it about this average-in-EVERY-respect lady that’s so divisive? Her looks? Her sadly inappropriate attempts at playing sexy? Her minimal acting skills? Her outspokenness on sex (one night stands), men, and fame? Her making nerd ass-kissing her meal ticket?
Sorkin brings out the best in his staff. I like this new show and everyone cast so far-including Munn, who may surprise us all.
This show is limited. It will only last about 2 seasons at most. He’s tried with other shows in this format and they haven’t worked ever. I suspect that we will hear about show being picked up around summer and it will officially start production around winter of next year.
Munn imo has nobody to blame for her detractors but herself.
I don’t have any reason to hate her, but I really dislike what she represents. As far as I’ve seen she isn’t funny on camera, she’s not a very good broadcaster, and she’s a mediocre-at-best actor. And yet… she has quickly moved up the ladder and landed jobs that people with twice her talent are busting their butts for. So no, I can’t think of any reason to hate her, she’s just doing her best and trying to do what she wants to do. I’m mad that she is such a perfect example of a fairly untalented, beautiful woman who somehow coasts into roles she is completely unqualified for. She has an industry bending over backwards to get her into roles she will be bad at, and there are thousands of people out there who would be great. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some starving, bitter actor, it just bugs me that people are so stoked to see a pretty woman acting poorly. The fact that she got plopped into the Daily Show without an audition is absolute madness. But don’t hate on her, hate on the gross system that happily pretends she must be good at everything since she’s so hot.
Nice to see G4 alumn Olivia Munn getting work. I seriously believe she should have been cast as Wonder Woman.
As indifferent as I try to be about Munn’s career, I think your Wonder Woman remark is spot on. The vapid clusterbang that that series will turn out to be could have been saved by her cartoonish yet infectious whimsy. She would have been a mega tv star in the 70′s. Alas, until she unveils some heretofore unknown appeal not based on her “ethnic for tv” good looks I remain enured to her purported charms.
Olivia was offered many roles for pilots this year on networks and turned them all down.
once this show hits the air its going to remind everyone that mr. S created “sports night.” Which all this is-a remake with swearing and skin added in….really people….femaie boss over male anchers, snappy dia, constant pressure characters…why its sports night in a cable news network…oh and throw in some political preaching from west wing disguised as journalistic edit. aruguments…..and u got a one or two season show.
Aaron Sorkin needs to come back home & create a series around Murder Inc.
Not Penelope Cloud!
The casting is sensational, but Sorkin will have to operate at his highest level to invigorate this tired concept. Especially pleased about Tomei and Pill, two of the best actresses out there, on stage and screen, both now working in New York theatre. I still think Alison Pill should have gotten the Lisbeth Salander role in the American version of the Girl/Dragon Tattoo trilogy, and I disagree with Neil that she’ll never be a big star. Well, at least a star. It will take her longer, but, like the equally talented and unique-looking Martha Plimpton, her day will come.
Wow what’s up with all the hating on Olivia Munn??? There’s like more than 8 hatefilled comments about her… All I have to say about that is…get a life Kevin Perrera…it’s over…..she left the show and is not coming back…live it down man…live it down.