Noticias

DreamWorks Television is revving up the most ambitious slate in its five-year history as a pod, fielding 21 projects set up at seven different networks.

"We were able to focus on development, and we made a concerted effort to spread our projects over all networks to have the best show for each network," said Darryl Frank, who runs DreamWorks TV with Justin Falvey.

The company's slate includes three projects based on ideas from DreamWorks co-founder Steven Spielberg as well as shows from such writers as Bruce McCulloch, Cheryl Holliday, Danny Jacobson, Rod Lurie, Walter Parkes, Wesley Strick and Gardner Stern.

"It's a mix of old friends we really respect and new writers whom (DreamWorks TV executive) Jonathan Berry identified," Falvey said.

DWTV's development skews toward comedy, a genre where the company found early success with Spin City and launched one of the first single-camera comedies, The Job.

In addition to previously announced Generations, a pilot for CBS that is now casting, DWTV has another project from Holliday -- an ensemble female comedy focusing on a return to old-fashioned parenting -- set up at NBC.

The two Holliday projects are among the six comedies in development that DWTV is co-producing with NBC Universal TV Studios, where the company is in the last year of a multiyear overall deal.

The other four are:

An untitled comedy from Jason Mulgrew and Eric Weinberg for NBC about a twentysomething New York man who decides to retire while he is still young and can enjoy life.

Big Ed, about a larger-than-life car dealer who must surrender control of his automotive empire to a Japanese businessman, also for NBC. It was created by Jeff Martin.

An untitled comedy from Mark Reisman for NBC about a man who inspires everyone with his outlook on life after he wakes up from a 10-year coma.

Dominique Swain has joined Thora Birch, Jena Malone, Marla Sokoloff and Anna Faris in Richard Zelniker's indie rock 'n' roll drama Vinyl. Shooting starts at the end of next month. Vinyl follows the story of a group of women behind a male rock 'n' roll band that is on the verge of breakout success. Swain will star as a groupie who is hot after the band's lead singer. The male cast members are expected to be announced shortly. Birch is producing along with Bill Bannerman and Tom Rooker. Zelniker is directing from his own script. Swain next stars opposite Dennis Hopper in Out of Season. She recently signed on for representation with Paradigm Talent & Literary and is additionally repped by Leverage Management. Her other credits include Lolita, Tart, Pumpkin and The Job.

Daryl Hannah, who worked with helmer John Sayles on his upcoming Casa de los Babys for IFC Films, will reteam with the director on his next project, Silver City. At the same time, the actress has inked with Writers & Artists Agency. Details of Silver City are being closely guarded, but it's described as a political drama/murder mystery that tells the story of a small town in Colorado and the events leading up to a local election. Among those events is the discovery of a man's body in a local lake and the mystery surrounding his death. Hannah will play a wild girl named Wendy. Maggie Renzi is producing from a script by Sayles. Shooting is due to begin next month. In addition to Writers & Artists, Hannah will continue to be repped by manager Chuck Binder. Hannah has been on a roll lately, starring onscreen in the Polish brothers' Northfork for Paramount Classics. She also has four other projects in the can: She next stars in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, followed by Sayles' Babys, Kenny Golde's The Job and Steve Anderson's The Big Empty.

Eric Mabius has been added to the cast of Showtime's upcoming drama series The L Word (formerly Earthlings). Mabius joins Mia Kirshner, Jennifer Beals, Laurel Holloman and Pam Grier on the show about the lives and loves of a group of West Hollywood women, most of them lesbians. He is replacing Scott Bairstow in the series, set to premiere in January. The L Word centers on a gifted young writer (Kirshner), who moves from Chicago to Los Angeles to live with her boyfriend (Mabius). Getting to know their next-door neighbors, a gay couple (Beals, Holloman), and their friends, the writer starts to question her sexuality. Mabius' credits include the feature Resident Evil and its upcoming sequel. He will next be seen in the indie The Job, recently picked up by Lions Gate Entertainment, opposite William Forsythe, Brad Renfro and Daryl Hannah. Mabius is repped by Innovative Artists, Geordie Frey at his GEF Entertainment and attorney Karl Austen.

Daryl Hannah is teaming with Brad Renfro and William Forsythe to star in the indie film The Job for director Kenny Golde and Platform Entertainment. Shooting is scheduled to start Nov. 6 in Los Angeles. Golde also penned the script, which follows a female hit woman (Hannah) who desperately wants to get out of her job. She's faced with killing a pregnant woman and the woman's husband, only to become haunted by her own past when she also becomes pregnant. Renfro will play the role of Troy, the reluctant drug-dealer husband, while Forsythe will star as Vernon, the head of the hit-man operation.