It’s Official: The NBC-Comcast Merger is Complete

Earlier in the month, Screen Rant reported that the Comcast-NBC Universal merger had cleared its last major hurdle when both the FCC and the US Department of Justice approved the deal. Now, the deal is officially done with Comcast announcing the completed merger via a press release on Saturday.

As is typical with press releases, both Comcast and GE (which still retains 49% of NBC Universal in the new deal) were enthusiastic in praising the merger.

In the release, Comcast chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian L. Roberts said, “This transaction brings together the rich traditions of some of the world’s most well known and respected entertainment, news and sports brands at NBC Universal with the technology and consumer reach of Comcast, creating the ideal entertainment and distribution company.”

Together, Comcast and NBC Universal make quite a media powerhouse. Between them, the companies hold a variety of rich assets including broadcast TV stations, cable television channels,  theme parks, a widely used Internet broadband service, and much more. According to a CNET report, the newly merged company is valued at a whopping $37 billion.

Given the sheer size of the new media conglomerate, it’s no wonder competitors were up in arms when plans for the deal were first announced over a year ago. As we explained in our previous report, however, the FCC drafted specific rules that forbid Comcast from withholding NBC programming from its cable and satellite competitors. If you’re a competing cable company, the FCC’s ruling didn’t quite take the sting out of seeing a giant new media company strutting around, but it did provide a bit of security for your business.

In related news, Comcast’s Chief Operating Officer Steve Burke has resigned from his position to become the new CEO of NBC Universal. Burke had originally planned to take on the CEO role, while maintaining his position as COO, but recently changed his mind.

Source: CNET, Comcast Press Release

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Principal Casting for Showtime’s ‘Homeland’ Now Complete

The piecemeal process of casting the principals in Showtime’s new series Homeland is now complete.

On Monday, actor Diego Klattenhoff (Mercy, Men in Trees) became the latest confirmed talent to join the series, which has been among the most talked-about pilot projects of any premium cable network in recent months.

According to a report Monday in The Hollywood Reporter, Klattenhoff has been tapped to play Mike Faber, a Marine colonel and the best friend of Scott Brody, who will be played by Damian Lewis, a British actor best known in the U.S. for his work on NBC’s drama Life and HBO’s Emmy-winning World War II mini-series Band of Brothers.

Homeland centers around an American POW who returns after years of incarceration in Iraq. Mandy Patinkin, who has been largely missing in action  in the world of television since leaving Criminal Minds on CBS in 2007, will star in Homeland opposite Claire Danes. Patinkin will play a CIA chief who sends an agent (Danes) to investigate the returning soldier (Lewis) – who is under suspicion for terrorist collusion.

“It’s a great psychological study like all the best Showtime shows,” said David Nevins, the president of entertainment at Showtime who is believed to have closely overseen the conceptual development of the project. “But it actually is much more than that in the fact that it’s a psychological thriller with a real ticking clock and real edge-of-your seat elements.”

Since casting news about Homeland began to leak in the first week of December, Showtime’s drama pilot has generated substantial buzz. Sporting an impressive cast and crew of veteran television actors and producers, Homeland has been described as Showtime’s attempt to launch a 24-like crime thriller. Homeland, after all, is being executive produced by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, formerly of Fox’s hit terrorism drama 24. Ironically, Klattenhoff – the latest talent confirmed for Homeland – even had a small part in the 2009 season of 24.

The series – planted firmly in the “terrorism drama” genre – is scheduled to begin shooting next week in Charlotte, North Carolina. If picked up for a full season, expect Homeland to debut on Showtime in  the fall of 2011.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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Harry Potter’s ‘Deathly Hallows’ Epilogue Reshoot Complete; Adds ‘Severus’ Child-Actor

[Spoiler Alert!]

Back in June, we brought you images from the movie-epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2. Fan-reaction to the images was universally negative – since the aging make-up used made several franchise-favorite characters look like geriatric versions of the Jersey Shore cast. As a result, David Yates and company decided to reshoot the scene and improve the look.

Those Harry Potter reshoots wrapped this weekend, delivering a festive present for any news-hounds that were around the Leavesden set.

As previously mentioned, this article will contain MAJOR SPOILERS for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2. Please be sure that if you choose to read-on you’re either already familiar with the end of the Harry Potter saga or don’t mind being spoiled.

The original version of the epilogue scene was shot on location at King’s Cross station in London – where the Potters, Weasleys, and Malfoys are waiting to send their own children off to Hogwarts for wizard-schooling. However, the reshoots were performed in a much more controlled environment – on set at Leavesden Studios.

Hopefully the controlled lighting of Leavesden Studios and the improved age-prosthetics the filmmakers turned to for the reshoots will give the Harry Potter franchise a proper send-off when it concludes at King’s Cross (via silver screens around the world) this summer – or 2013 on ABC Family (if you prefer to do your movie-watching in the comfort of your own home).

In addition, ScreenTerrier is reporting the names of two child-actors who we’ll be seeing in the final chapter of the Harry Potter film franchise, Bertie Gilbert, who will be playing Scorpius, the son of Draco Malfoy in the epilogue, as well as Benedict Clarke who, according to ScreenTerrier, will play “Young Snape”.

Bertie Gilbert plays Scorpius Malfoy

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Benedict Clarke plays 'Young Snape'

It’s unclear at this time whether Clarke’s “Young Snape” will be a flashback version of the character played by Alan Rickman – or the future Potter progeny, Albus Severus Potter. A flashback version of Professor Snape wouldn’t be a total surprise – especially considering the elements from The Half-Blood Prince that Yates worked into Deathly Hallows, part 1.

That said, the timing of the news (at the same time as the epilogue wrapped – coupled with the casting mention for Scorpius Malfoy) could mean that Clarke is actually playing Harry’s son. Not to mention, Clarke could certainly pull-off the look of a Potter kid.

Of course, we’ll have to wait for official confirmation to come through the pipeline.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2 opens on July 15th 2011.

Follow us on Twitter @iambenkendrick and @screenrant and let us know what you think.

Source: ScreenTerrier [via /Film]

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