Josh Hartnett News

British actress Billie Piper (Doctor Who,Secret Diary of a Call Girl) has just signed on to star in the highly anticipated SHOWTIME drama series PENNY DREADFUL, which will begin filming this fall for a 2014 premiere on the network.

Reeve Carney (Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark), Rory Kinnear (Skyfall) and Harry Treadaway (The Lone Ranger) are the latest stars to join the cast of the highly anticipated Showtime drama series, PENNY DREADFUL, which will begin filming this fall for a 2014 premiere on the network. They join recently announced Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton and Eva Green. Reeve Carney will play Dorian Grey in a reprisal of Oscar Wilde's supernaturally attractive and decadent young hero. Rory Kinnear will play a mysterious character of haunting intensity. In an exciting new version of Mary Shelley's inspired and obsessed genius, Harry Treadaway will take on the role of Dr. Victor Frankenstein.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the original 'Peter Parker' in Broadway's SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK has landed a series regular role in the John Logan-Sam Mendes drama PENNY DREAFUL. Carney will Exit SPIDER-MAN on Sept. 15 in order to begin filming later this fall.

Renowned film and television star Timothy Dalton (“James Bond” in The Living Daylights and License to Kill) has been cast in the new SHOWTIME drama series PENNY DREADFUL

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two have officially signed on to lead the series created, written and executive produced by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan (HUGO, THE AVIATOR, GLADIATOR) and executive produced by Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty,Skyfall) and Neal Street's Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road, Call The Midwife). PENNY DREADFUL, a psychosexual horror series, features some of literature's most iconic figures, and will begin production in London this fall.

Benaroya Pictures has announced today that international production veteran Prashant Shah has joined the company as Vice President and Head of Physical Production.

Tickets are currently on sale for UP Comedy Club's roster of stand-up and sketch shows, and newly added special engagements including: Summer in The Second City (June 21-August 31), a panel presentation and question and answer session with original members of The Playwrights Theatre Club (which later became The Second City) and several appearances as part of TBS Just For Laughs Festival (June 11-June 16). Tickets can be purchased by calling 312-662-4562 or visiting UPComedyClub.com. UP Comedy Club is located at 230 W. North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper's Alley in Chicago.

Tickets are currently on sale for UP Comedy Club's roster of new shows including special one-time engagements including Jim Gaffigan book signing (May 10), The TOMKAT Project (June 20); stand-ups Dave Foley (September 5-7) and Tony Rock (September 19-22), and UP's special summer sketch show Summer In The Second City (June 21 - August 31). Tickets can be purchased for these and previously announced events and one-night only shows by calling 312-662-4562 or visiting UPComedyClub.com. UP Comedy Club is located at 230 W. North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper's Alley in Chicago.

Monty Python's Spamalot is back to taunt Minneapolis for a second time at the Orpheum Theatre in a limited engagement, March 15-16.

GOSSIP GIRL's Penn Badgley and former GILMORE GIRL Alexis Bledel have reportedly signed on to the upcoming ensemble drama PARTS PER BILLION, Deadline announced this afternoon. Along with the two stars, CSI:NY's Hill Harper and Teresa Palmer have joined the cast as well.

AKA and Bow Street Films announced today that they will merge into a new production outfit that will be named AKA/Bow Street Films (AKA/BSF). The new entity will allow filmmakers at the company to make high quality films for under $3 million. The slate at AKA/Bow Street Films will consist of two primary tranches of films, all with budgets between $500k and $3 million: genre films such as suspense, thriller, horror and contained action and, second, dramatic features of upcoming directors with strong casts that are made for a sensible price.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company, in association with Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, and Invictus Theater Company, with MURDER IN THE FIRST, written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva. MURDER IN THE FIRST begins performances tonight, Friday, May 25, for a limited engagement through Sunday, July 1. Check out photos of Chris Kimball, Guy Burnet, Larisa Polonsky and more on stage below!

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company, in association with Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, and Invictus Theater Company, with MURDER IN THE FIRST, written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva. The production is led by Tony nominee Chad Kimball (MEMPHIS) as Willie. Additional cast members include: Joe Adams, Guy Burnet, Richard Fiske, Anthoula Katsimatides, Darren Kelly, Joe Lawless, Larisa Polonsky, Thomas Ryan and John Stanisci. The show opens tonight,5/25

Starz Chief Executive Officer Chris Albrecht announced the straight-to-series greenlight of BLACK SAILS (working title) from executive producer Michael Bay. The new STARZ Original series is expected to air in 2014.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company, in association with Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, and Invictus Theater Company, with MURDER IN THE FIRST, written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva. The production will be led by Tony nominee Chad Kimball Kimball as Willie.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company, in association with Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, and Invictus Theater Company, with MURDER IN THE FIRST, written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva.

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced full casting for the upcoming world premiere of REGRETS by Matt Charman, directed by Carolyn Cantor.

Now in its eighth year The 24 Hour Plays Celebrity Gala is one of the most exhilarating and glamorous evenings in London's theatre calendar. Set to participate in this year's event are: Jane Asher, Nancy Carroll, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Lily Cole, Brendan Coyle, Mackenzie Crook, Lisa Dillon Freddie Fox, Robert Glenister, Anthony Head, Ruthie Henshall, Mathew Horne, David Horovitch, Gina McKee, Sophia Myles, Katherine Parkinson, Julian Sands, Rachael Stirling, Isy Suttie, and Indira Varma.

Now in its eighth year The 24 Hour Plays Celebrity Gala is one of the most exhilarating and glamorous evenings in London's theatre calendar. Set to participate in this year's event are: Jane Asher, Nancy Carroll, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Lily Cole, Brendan Coyle, Mackenzie Crook, Lisa Dillon Freddie Fox, Robert Glenister, Anthony Head, Ruthie Henshall, Mathew Horne, David Horovitch, Gina McKee, Sophia Myles, Katherine Parkinson, Julian Sands, Rachael Stirling, Isy Suttie, and Indira Varma.

Front Row Productions has announced that the world-renowned film composer and trumpet player Terence Blanchard will compose the original musical soundscape for the upcoming Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Emily Mann, starring Blair Underwood and opening in the spring of 2012.