spinoff casting news

[dysfunkshunell1.livejournal.com]

According to The Hollywood Reporter...

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker is in final negotiations to star on CBS' potential "Criminal Minds" spinoff.

The project, which revolves around a new group of profilers who work outside the FBI bureaucracy, will be introduced on an episode of "Criminal Minds" in the spring.

Whitaker will play Cooper, the squad leader. Described as dynamic, mysterious, charming and a father figure to the rest of the team, he is a former star profiler in the Behavioral Unit who has been off the radar for the past eight years.

"Minds" executive producer Chris Mundy wrote the planted spinoff, from a story by him and "Minds" executive producer/showrunner Ed Bernero. Richard Shepard is directing.

Like the original series, the potential spinoff is being produced by ABC Studios, the Mark Gordon Co. and CBS Studios.

Producers of the new show zeroed in on Whitaker early and finally moved close to locking him in Monday night after lengthy on- and off- negotiations.

As part of the deal, Whitaker is expected to get a producing credit.

On TV, the WME-repped Whitaker, who won an Oscar in 2007 for "The Last King of Scotland," most recently had arcs on FX's "The Shield" and NBC's "ER."

Thoughts?

Comments

[pink-siamese.livejournal.com]

How many "former star profilers who have been off the radar for X years" can there be?

[procedurals.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly!

[coffeeem.livejournal.com]

Well, Gideon wasn't off the radar--he was teaching at Quantico. And Max Ryan wasn't off the radar, either; he was a celebrity true crime writer. Have we seen anyone else who might fit the description?

[dysfunkshunell1.livejournal.com]

Rossi?

[coffeeem.livejournal.com]

Again, not off the radar; Rossi was out there making a fortune writing popular non-fiction about serial killers (and probably consulting with Hollywood. "Mr. Rossi, we'd like to option your life story..." *g*)

I read "off the radar" as, "Whatthehell ever happened to So-and-So? He was gonna be the next big thing. Now he's not even a police radio dispatcher in East Podunk. You think he's maybe living in one of those refrigerator boxes under the interstate? Become a Buddhist monk? Joined a terrorist cell in Nicaragua? Because he got pretty weird there at the end..."