Trio searching for 'Percy Jackson'

Birdsong"The Descendants" thesp Mary Birdsong, "Community" star Yvette Nicole Brown and Missi Pyle are actually cast since the three Fates in Fox 2000's "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: Sea of Monsters."Thor Fredenthal is pointing the pic in the script by Scott Alexander and Ray Karaszewski. Chris Columbus, who directed the initial film, will produce with Karen Rosenfelt and Michael Barnathan. Follow-up, that's skedded for release on March 27, 2013, finds Jackson and also the pals visiting the Sea of Monsters to get the mythical Golden Fleece.Logan Lerman is returning since the title character, while Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson, Mike Abel and Melina Kanakaredes may even reprise their roles within the first pic, which made $226.5 million worldwide this year. The Three Fates will probably be referred to as taxi-driving brothers and sisters who bicker inside the single eye they share."Large Love" thesp Douglas Cruz is yet another newcomer for the franchise, playing the protag's half-brother, a Cyclops.Birdsong, who recently carried out Zach Galifianakis' ex-girlfriend in Focus' "It's Kind of a fascinating Story," next stars in John O'Connell's indie comedy "Angry White-colored Guy." Thesp is repped by UTA and Abrams Entertainment. Contact Rob Sneider at rob.sneider@variety.com

Forex functions to secure 'Valor'

'Act of Valor'FX has sealed an offer with Relativity Media for broadcast privileges to "Act of Valor," the actioner that brought the B.O. earlier this weekend.Deal continues FX's streak of nipping in the broadcast window for brand new theatricals, following handles Universal for "Safe House" and "Contraband" with The new sony for "The Vow" and "Underworld: Awakening" with Fox for "Chronicle."The cabler's other recent pick-ups include Relativity's "Immortals," Fox's "What This Means Is War" and "Red-colored Tails," Sony's "Ghost Driver: Spirit of Vengeance" and U's "Wanderlust.""Act of Valor," which opened up to $24.7 million in the domestic box office, is going to be open to Forex in mid-2014. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

VIDEO: Being employed as an additional on 'Game of Thrones'

Spend each day within the existence of the extra around the group of "Bet on Thrones" inside a new behind the curtain video in the Cinemax series' approaching second season. The hour-lengthy fantasy series, shot on location in Northern Ireland and Iceland, employs local people to populate the skills of their intricate imaginary world.Within the video, Crowd Assistant Director Colin Azzopardi, Wardrobe Supervisor Tara Van Zyl, and Assistant Crowd Costumer Claire Snoddy describe the difficulties of matching crowd control, wardrobe fixtures, and hair and makeup for 1000's of extra supplies on each lengthy shooting day.Season a couple of "Bet on Thrones" premieres Sunday, April 1 on Cinemax.

VIDEO: Stephen Colbert Explains His Absence, Sends "Confidential" Message to a "Lovely Lady"

The Voice, Angie Johnson and Cee Lo Green The Voice is still a smash. Smash? Not so much.The singing competition show won Monday night for NBC, with 15.7 million viewers and a 5.8 rating in the adults 18-to-49 demo. It dropped a tad from last week's numbers (16.1 million, 5.9), but handily trumped all its competition over its two hours.Check out our recap of The VoiceSmash, on the other hand, fell again, nabbing 6.5 million eyeballs and a 2.3 (down 20 and 18 percent, respectively). Hawaii Five-0 overtook the musical drama in both measures for the first time, rising slightly to win the 10 o'clock hour with 10.2 million and a 2.8. CBS enjoyed a good night overall, as its comedy block - all of which saw season lows last week - rose this week.Fellow midseason newbie Alcatraz continue to drop as well, hitting series lows of 5.96 million and a 1.8.8 p.m.CBS: How I Met Your Mother 9.81 million viewers (3.8 demo rating); 2 Broke Girls 11.28 million (4.0)ABC: The Bachelor 8.15 million (2.4) [8-10 p.m.]Fox: House 6.97 million (2.3)NBC: The Voice 15.7 million (5.8) [8-10 p.m.]CW: Gossip Girl 1.01 million (0.5)9 p.m.CBS: Two and a Half Men 13.24 million (4.1); Mike & Molly 11.26 million (3.4)Fox: Alcatraz 5.96 million (1.8)CW: Hart of Dixie 1.48 million (0.6)10 p.m.CBS: Hawaii Five-0 10.2million (2.8)ABC: Castle 9.66 million (2.1)NBC: Smash 6.5 million (2.3)

Five journos arrested in hacking scandal

LONDON -- Another five journalists at News Intl.'s best-selling U.K. tabloid, the sun's sun rays, are actually arrested over alleged obligations to police together with other public servants. The developments escalate the phone hacking and police corruption scandal that has already forced Rupert Murdoch to seal his lucrative Sunday tabloid, what is the news around the world, and conned the mogul of his once considerable U.K. political clout. Following current day busts, News Intl.'s new Boss Tom Mockeridge launched a disagreement to Sun staff proclaiming that Murdoch ongoing to become dedicated to the paper. 5 are deputy editor Geoff Webster, picture editor John Edwards, chief reporter John Kay, chief foreign correspondent Nick Parker and deputy news editor John Sturgis. This follows the arrest of four current and former Sun journalists on friday. Murdoch is predicted to visit the sun's sun rays london inside a couple of days among speculation when criminality is seen to be common it'll suffer the identical fate since the News around the world and be shuttered. Mockeridge nixed the rumor, ensuring staff inside an email, "The Sun's Sun rays features a proud good status for delivering ground-breaking journalism. I have had a person assurance today from Rupert Murdoch about his total persistence for still own and publish the sun's sun rays newspaper." News Corp. mentioned its Management and Standards Committee (MSC), controlled from NY and produced within this summer time when the hacking scandal went toxic, had given information for the police inquiry inducing the newest busts. Others arrested add a officer, area of the British military together with a civil servant employed by the Secretary of condition for Defence. The business mentioned in the statement, "News Corp. remains dedicated to making sure that unacceptable news-gathering practices by people formerly will not be repeated." The U.K.'s National Union of Journalists condemned the newest busts. General secretary Michelle Stanistreet mentioned, "Journalists are spinning at seeing five really their co-employees thrown for the baby baby wolves using what many sense to become witch search. They are furious at whatever they see just like a monumental disloyality for News Intl." Media analyst Claire Enders, a chronicler in the phone hacking saga, mentioned the Sun's future should not be uncertain since it "hasn't experienced any kind of insufficient sales consequently in the busts that happened earlier around.Inch But Clive Hollick, the U.K. businessman who once controlled part of terrestrial web ITV, tweeted the busts will intensify the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act probe into News Corp. and "can result in fines, director oustings and resource sales." More youthful crowd suggested it could impact Murdoch's 39% stake in U.K. pay box BSkyB. Hollick tweeted: "Will Ofcom (the U.K. media regulator) conclude that Sun busts on top of hacking render NI unfit and proper to help keep Sky license which makes them sell shareholding?" Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Pilot Season: Ryan Phillippe to Star in Greg Berlanti's CBS Drama

Ryan Phillippe Ryan Phillippe has arrived the key role in CBS' untitled pilot from Greg Berlanti. Formerly referred to as Golden Boy, the main one-hour drama stories one cop's meteoric rise from officer to detective to Police Commissioner. The Crash and Cruel Intentions actor, who'll next show up on Damages, will have the youthful and ambitious new officer. Pilot Season: Greg Berlanti's CBS cop drama pilot collars Kevin Alejandro As formerly introduced, True Blood's Kevin Alejandro will have the very best detective who's disturbed through the new man's arrival and plots to derail his career while Pushing Daisies' Chi McBride will portray the brand new officer's partner. Nicholas Wootton will write and executive-make the project alongside Berlanti, who also provides drama aircraft pilots at Fox (Guilty) and also the CW (Arrow).

Strand signs on for Gallic photos

L.A.-based outfit Strand Delivering has snapped up a set of Gallic arthouse photos for U.S. distribution: Cesar-nommed "17 Women," Delphine and Muriel Coulin's directorial debut repped by Paris-based Films Distribution and French vet Andre Techine's "Impardonnables" (Unforgivable) offered by TF1 Intl."Unforgivable" is really a drama focusing on a writer's daughter who gets lost around the island of Sant Erasmo. Pic, which opened at Cannes' Directors' Week, was created by Stated Ben Said's SBS Films. It had been composed by Techine and Mehdi Ben Attia, modified from Philippe Djian's novel.A dramedy located in Brittany, "17 Women" is dependant on the real story of several American senior high school women who made the decision to conceive simultaneously. Pic continues to be selected at numerous worldwide fests since premiering at Cannes' Experts Week to warm reviews, and gained a Cesar nomination for the best first film. Pic was created by Denis Freyd at Archipel 35.Strand Delivering has acquired films by French auteurs including Gaspar Noe, Jacques Audiard, Benoit Jacquot and Francois Ozon.Strand will host U.S. premieres of "Unforgivable" and "17 Women" at Unifrance's N.Y. Rendez-Vous. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com