If this Monday morning brings a twinge of sadness with your morning coffee at the season finales of “Shameless” and “House of Lies” last night, well, we have to question your perspective on the world. There is hope though, for a wave of fresh TV announcements is coming your way to fill that questionable void.
Fresh off our in-depth examination into “The Killing” and its chances of gaining back its disappointed audience, news that Patty Jenkins, director of the stellar series pilot, is back on-board to direct the Season 2 finale seems a good start. The “Monster” director is one of the few on the show to come off looking well, having earned a DGA award and Emmy nomination for her work, and now she'll gain an opportunity to complete the series' main mystery, the murder of Rosie Larsen, for good. Let's hope Jenkins has already sent a memo to showrunner Seena Vud with the definition of “resolution” and she sticks the landing with grace. “The Killing” season 2 is airing now. [Deadline]
Speaking of promising directors flexing their muscles in the TV pilot format, David Slade has signed on to direct the premiere of “Hannibal,” NBC's 13-episode series featuring the characters from Thomas Harris' novel "Red Dragon." No actor is cast yet for the role of Hannibal Lecter, but Hugh Dancy will play FBI agent Will Graham, a man haunted by his near-death experience with Dr. Lecter, but forced to team up with him to solve crimes. Slade is obviously in good graces with NBC, having directed the pilot for the excellent Jason Isaacs drama, “Awake,” and hopefully he'll be able to wash away the bad taste that “Hannibal Rising” left out of existence. [Deadline]
The boundaries of sex and violence on cable television have essentially evaporated, thanks largely to the services of “Spartacus” and Paz de la Huerta, and with the just announced TV development of his 1990 creature horror film, “Nightbreed,” writer/director Clive Barker could be none the happier. In an interview on his website, Barker offers up some details on his decision, saying, “I don't wish to be immodest, but the general sense is that the movie failed because people didn't want to associate with the monster and I think our culture has changed — I think our culture is now ready to embrace the ambiguity.” Subject matter is key in a film like this, but Barker may also be thinking of special effects, as the creature work in the original film appears shockingly dated today. Details are sparse at the moment, but expect Barker to act on the series in the very near future. [Horror Movies]