Sundance LUV Duo Lands At Gersh

EXCLUSIVE: Gersh has signed Sheldon Candis and Justin Wilson. They co-wrote and Candis made his directorial debut on LUV, which premiered at Sundance in the US Dramatic Competition and was acquired by Indomina and BET in a 7-figure deal for North American theatrical and broadcast rights. The film, which stars Common, Michael Rainey Jr, Dennis Haysbert and Danny Glover, premieres in the fall. Candis & Wilson are developing film and TV projects through their Cinephile Academy banner, and they continue to be managed by Jeremy Platt and Jelani Johnson at Generate.

Degrassi: Where We Left Off and What to Expect

Dustin Clare, Spartacus: Vengeance Gannicus! Gannicus! Gannicus! The original Champion of Capua returns to Spartacus: Vengeance on Friday (10/9c, Starz), and like the last time he entered that arena, many will die. But will they perish at his hand? It's been five years since he left a free man, no longer a gladiator for the House of Batiatus. "He's definitely matured," Dustin Clare, who plays Gannicus, tells TVGuide.com. "He's been a journeyman with the rolling sea and that pack on his back. Since philosophy was a big part of that period of time and men were challenging thinking, I'd like to think that he'd had experience with someone like that along his journey, with families, different cultures, different races." From Game of Thrones to Spartacus: TV's unsexiest sex scenes His altered appearance reflects the mishmash of cultures that he's encountered. "We really tried to incorporate that and worked quite closely with the costume designer, who really wanted to play with different textures, fabrics and metals," says Clare. "It was in terms of looking at maps and what cultures were in the vicinity of where he would have been at the time and different accoutrements he would have collected. We just wanted to see a man who's experienced a lot." But don't expect a kinder, gentler or less debauched Gannicus. "I think his obvious weakness is alcohol," Clare says. "He uses it like he did in the past, to distract himself from realities, in the same way he's used sexual gratification." And even though he's no longer required to enter the arena, Gannicus has kept in fighting form. "He does a lot of walking and sometimes he has to swim," Clare jokes, before clarifying, "It's not that he hasn't been fighting at all... I mean, he's the kind of guy who wouldn't back down from a fight." Check out Gannicus prepping for his next fight in this promo for Friday's episode, "Libertus": Somehow, Gannicus has become the Romans' chosen executioner of Spartacus' three captured men. And considering he once wronged his best friend Oenomaus (Peter Mensah) by sleeping with his wife Melitta (Marisa Ramirez), who later died, he should be trying to make it up to Oenomaus, not kill him. "It's a long time passing, but there's definitely going to be guilt there," Clare says. "The circumstances that bring him back to Capua, it's a calling, it's something he has to do to right wrongs in his past." Allegiances will be uncertain this season. Although Gannicus is a former slave and gladiator, that doesn't mean he'll automatically side with Spartacus (Liam McIntyre) and the rebels. "He probably has stronger ideals than he did before and that is really where he clashes with Spartacus when they finally do meet," he says. "They have different ways of seeing what they feel is right and what they feel is just in the world. I don't think that either of them are wrong; they're just different opinions." From Spartacus to Shameless: Winter TV's sexiest eye candy Both men struggled to win their freedom. Spartacus overthrew the House of Batiatus in a bloody massacre, while Gannicus won the Primus and was awarded the rudis -- a wooden dagger etched with the names of the men he's defeated in the arena -- that represents his hard-earned status. "It's his ticket that he can show and prove his freedom," Clare explains. "It means a lot to him, and he keeps it close to him." Spartacus: Vengeance airs on Fridays at 10/9c on Starz. Are you glad Gannicus is back? Why do you think he's facing Oenomaus in the arena? Should Gannicus team up with Spartacus?

Rankings: The Voice Stays Strong, Hawaii Five- Tops Smash

Christine Forest Former FlashForward star Christine Forest has reserved a guest role with an approaching episode of Castle, TVGuide.com is familiar with solely.Have more scoop in your favorite shows within our Winter TV previewWoods, who most lately starred around the short-resided NBC sitcom Perfect Couples, will have Leann Peach, an ambitious youthful reporter. Leann lands the storyline a person can have whenever a explosive device chimes in an anti-Wall Street protest rally throughout her live broadcast. Will Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic) have the ability to connect the explosion towards the protesters or perhaps is something a lot more harmful afoot? (You realize, like World War III.)Take a look at our listing of TV's most sexy crime martial artists!Woods' other small-screen credits include roles on CSI: Miami, House, NCIS and also the Closer. She lately arrived charge on NBC's comedy pilot Daddy's Women.Castle airs Mondays at 10/9c on ABC. Woods' episode, entitled "47 Seconds," is slated to air at the end of March.

Rob Golenberg Joins Evolution, Launches Company With Alon Aranya

EXCLUSIVE: Rob Golenberg, former Gersh Head of TV Literary and Packaging who left the agency in November amid a restructuring, is moving to the management side, joining Evolution Entertainment as a manager and producer. Additionally, Golenberg has teamed with longtime client Alon Aranya to launch a new production company, Scripted World. This season, Golenberg and writer-producer Aranya, who specializes in getting rights to international formats and bringing them to the U.S., sold 5 projects, three of them based on Israeli formats, and two on European ones. Two of them, ABC’s Penoza, based on a Dutch format, and NBC’s Midnight Sun, based on an Israeli series, were recently ordered to pilot with Aranya executive producing. The new company will focus on scripted foreign formats. While the U.K. has been America’s biggest source of scripted formats over the years, Aranya sees the rest of Europe as the next hotbed. “In the past few years we’ve been seeing a tremendous creative growth in European scripted shows resulting in outstanding drama series such as (Danish) The Killing and Penoza which have been set up for remakes in the US,” Aranya said. I believe that following the success of Penoza at ABC we will see more European TV drama adapted for US remakes. At Evolution, Golenberg re-teams the company president Michael Menchel with whom he worked at AMG. Save for the 4-month stint at the ill-fated AMG, Gelenberg spent the last 22 years as an agent at Triad, Paradigm, WMA and most recently at Gersh where she was for 9.5 years. He brings with him about a dozen of his clients, including Charlie Craig (exec producer showrunner of Eureka), Scott Williams (co-executive producer of NCIS), Melissa Carter (Jane By Design). “For the past few years, I saw the Agency business becoming mainly about Market share, and am much more interested in new business models, and working in a creative position with my clients,” Golenberg said.

Weekend TV Reviews: Simpsons' 500th, Downton Finale, a brand new Race and much more

Miss Piggy and Kermit The Muppets might not be carrying out in the Academy awards or hosting, but we are obtaining the next best factor: Kermit and Miss Piggy will show.This can mark the 5th time the longtime energy couple has made an appearance in the Academy awards. They join such formerly introduced presenters as Chris Rock, Halle Berry, Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, and Cameron Diaz.Chris Rock to provide at OscarsKermit and Miss Piggy - who'll without doubt support their film's Best Original Song jerk for "Guy or Muppet" - first made an appearance in the Academy awards 32 years back when "Rainbow Connection" was nominated within the same category. (It strangely lost to Norma Rae's "It Is Going Enjoy It Goes.") Take a look at Miss Piggy's banter with host Johnny Carson below: The 84th Oscars, located by Billy Very, airs Sunday, February. 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET/ 5:30 p.m. PT on ABC.

Akerman, Smart cast in 'Smart One' pilot

SmartJean Smart and Malin Akerman have been added to the cast of ABC pilot "The Smart One." From writer Donald Todd, who exec produces with former Comedy Central exec Lauren Corrao and Ellen DeGeneres, "The Smart One" stars Portia de Rossi. She plays Jude, a successful woman who begrudgingly goes to work for her less-brainy but more popular sister and a former beauty queen (Ackerman), who is now a big-city mayor. Smart will play Helen, the mother of the two sisters. She has been a TV staple in recent years, playing parts in "Harry's Law," "Hawaii Five-0" and "Bleep My Dad Says." De Rossi's most recent small-screen work came in ABC's "Better Off Ted." She's probably best known for her role in Fox's "Arrested Development." Multicam comedy is from Warner Bros. Television and a Very Good Production. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Fringe Exclusive Video: Find Out What Happens After Peter and Olivia's Big Kiss

Josh Jackson, Anna Torv Peter and Olivia kissed! No, Peter (Joshua Jackson) hasn't magically traveled back to his timeline on Fringe. It seems instead that parts of the Olivia (Anna Torv) he once knew and loved are seeping into the consciousness of the new timeline Olivia. Could the smooch at the end of last week's episode have magically brought back her full memories? Find out what happens right after the kiss in this exclusive clip below: Fringe airs Fridays at 9/8c on Fox.

Lost's Henry Ian Cusick to Guest-Star on Fox's Fringe

Henry Ian Cusick Lost's Henry Ian Cusick cannot seem to escape J.J. Abrams. Cusick, who carried out Desmond round the ABC island mystery series, has showed up a guest-role on Fox's Fringe, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Exclusive: Michael Massee attracted on as Fringe's best theif As first reported by TVLine, Cusick may have an FBI Agent who helps the Fringe Division getting a scenario in Episode 19. The 44-year-old actor will next star in Shonda Rhimes' new ABC drama Scandal, premiering Thursday, April 11 at 10/9c on ABC. Fringe airs Fridays at 9/8c on Fox.

The 31st Oscar nominess 'class photo'

Inside the more fun traditions of honours season, the Academy of motion Picture Arts and Sciences held its 31st annual Nominees Lunch on Monday within the Beverly Hilton. The democratic seating arrangement gives first-time nominees the chance to rub elbows with AMPAS governors and Oscar veterans. "This really is really the before you will be rooting for each other," Academy prexy Tom Sherak joked within the opening remarks. "In this particular room, all the nominees are equal (and) all of the films are equal." Show producers John Grazer and Don Mischer, who mentioned this year's ceremony will recall the design of a classic movie house, made the conventional attract potential individuals who win to supply short, memorable acceptance speeches. Academy governor Tom Hanks increased the plea with advice via tape, mentioning the crowd desires to start to see the pleasure in winners' eyes. "If you are searching inside a piece of paper, all the audience are able to see may be the bald place," Hanks mentioned. The 84th Academy awards is going to be provided Feb. 26 within the Kodak Theater and public live and eat ABC. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com