Teen heartthrob turned real actor (or at least he's in the process of turning into a real actor) Zac Efron has signed on to star in his first true romantic comedy. (New Year's Eve does not count, as it was an ensemble movie, and actually doesn't even really count as a movie at all.) He'll play the lead in Are We Officially Dating? (yes, yup, remember, Zac? Remember that we're dating?), which is about "three friends in New York City who make a pact to remain single just as they each start to fall in love." Wait, what? Why would they make that pact? That's a stupid pact to make. It also represents an embarrassment of riches. "Sure there's a million people we could be in committed, satisfying relationships, but nah." Jerks. Not you, Zac. The other ones. [Deadline]

Oooh. Bryan Cranston and the great Catherine O'Hara have just been cast in guest-starring roles on the upcoming final season of 30 Rock. O'Hara will play Kenneth the Page's backcountry mama, while Cranston will be her special friend. That is exciting casting! Basically Catherine O'Hara should be in everything, and it's been a while since we've seen Bryan Cranston be funny, so this is good news. Sad in a way that 30 Rock is shuffling off this mortal coil, but at least it'll go out well. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Sigh. Julia Ormond, a great actress who hasn't had the fairest career, has been cast in the lead role on a new show about witches that's going to be on Lifetime. Yup. A witch show, on Lifetime. That just... well, it doesn't bode well. Poor Ormond will be playing the witch mother of two grown witch daughters, who don't know they're witches. So it's basically Charmed, with Julia Ormond. Pray for Julia Ormond. [Deadline]

Here is a first-look photo of Chris Pine as Jack Ryan, the Tom Clancy hero most memorably played by Harrison Ford in two films. Mostly the pictures go to prove that pretty much no one looks good on a motorcycle. At least not that kind of motorcycle. Definitely not that kind of motorcycle. [Entertainment Weekly]

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Richard Lawson