Pixar focuses on sequels: “Here’s what we know: ‘Monsters University,’ a prequel to 2001′s ‘Monsters Inc.’ is coming in June 2013. Here’s what we think we know: ‘Finding Nemo’ director Andrew Stanton has signed on to direct ‘Finding Nemo 2.’ And here’s what we hope we know: based on a year-old comment from Tom Hanks to a BBC reporter, there may—just may—be a ‘Toy Story 4’ already in the works. Has Pixar gone sequel-crazy? If so, it would be an easy financial decision: ‘Toy Story 3’ alone grossed more than $1 billion since its 2010 release and the franchise, which launched in 1995, has earned almost $2 billion in gross box office receipts. And while ‘Toy Story 3’ was Pixar’s top box-office success, 2003′s ‘Finding Nemo’ still holds the runner-up slot for the company, bringing in $867 million so far (not yet counting a 3-D release planned for this September).” TIME
Jennifer Jason Leigh cast in pivotal “Revenge” role: “Acclaimed actress Jennifer Jason Leigh joined season 2. She’s landed the much-anticipated recurring role of Emily Thorne’s mysterious mom. Who will play Emily’s not-actually-dead mom has been a big guessing game among fans for months. Back in May, creator Mike Kelley told EW.com: ‘What we really want to do is find the perfect actor for the role. It would be really great for her to be as formidable as Madeleine [Stowe], but it’s a completely different part.'” EW.COM
“Downton Abbey” previewed for the Television Critics Association: “The TCA panel session on ‘Downton Abbey’ is ongoing, but a Season 3 trailer just screened for journalists contains some shockers: While who knows how it will all unfold, the Right Honourable Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham (Emmy nominee Hugh Bonneville) is seen tearfully confessing to wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) that he has lost all the family money (!) including hers … And it seems that Mary (Emmy nominee Michelle Dockery) and Matthew (Dan Stevens) are not quite settled in their planned marriage after all.” DEADLINE
Emily Yoshida bemoans the sad state of Emmy’s Reality-Competition Category: “In theory, Reality Competition should be a really cool category, but the problem is that nobody cares. At the time of its inception, it was mostly seen as a way to acknowledge this new crop of these phenomenally popular competition programs that were accounting for a large portion of America’s television diet, and the fact that it would seem a little odd to have a telecast whose sole purpose is to recognize achievements in TV ignore it completely. But if the original intent was to throw a bone to these network juggernauts, the end result is a category whose criteria are almost purely technical; the business of creating a game.” GRANTLAND
Aaron Sorkin fires majority of “The Newsroom” writing staff: “There’s plenty of precedent for this sort of inter-season housecleaning, of course, even on high-rated shows. But this particular instance is curious for a number of reasons, the most glaring being: ‘The Newsroom’ had a writing staff? Sorkin, like ‘Mad Men’s’ equally loved and feared Matt Weiner, is notoriously domineering, writing or re-writing nearly every word that makes it to air … The real question is whether this was a par-for-the-course power move from a controlling showrunner or the first sign that the very noisy drumbeat of criticism (this site alone has provided a near constant dumbek circle of opprobrium) has reached Sorkin’s well-tanned ears.” GRANTLAND
