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Exclusive: FX Networks has landed the rights to turn Don Winslow’s acclaimed Cartel Trilogy into a TV series. The series will encompass Winslow’s 2005 novel The Power of the Dog, the 2015 followup The Cartel, and the just published conclusion, The Border. Latter book, which The New York Times called “a hybrid of The Godfather and War and Peace,” and “this generation’s defining work of American mass-culture storytelling on the border,” just debuted on the Nyt bestseller lists in the number three slot. The deal was made by John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions.

Winslow and Shane Salerno will be Executive Producers. Salerno will co-write the pilot with a writer/showrunner to be set shortly. FX is producing with The Story Factory. Ridley Scott will also serve as an Executive Producer. While Winslow and Salerno will not be day-to-day showrunners, they will be closely involved in shaping and sustaining the series.

Before she became a big-time movie star in films like “The Departed” and “Safe House”, Vera Farmiga spent her fair share of time on TV. Most people won’t remember this, but she was the female lead in the U.S. version of “Touching Evil”, which co-starred “Burn Notice’s” Jeffrey Donovan before both of them made it big. She went on to join the NBC action show “Uc: Undercover”, another personal favorite of mind that got the shaft. I guess both her shows getting canceled was the best thing to ever happened to Farmiga, who went on to the movies. She even recently made her directorial debut on the indie drama “Higher Ground”. But it appears Farmiga is missing TV, because she’s now signed to return to TVland as the female lead in A&E’s original TV series “Bates Motel”, the cable net’s prequel series to...

Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga will be returning to the small screen, where in the past she's starred in USA Network procedural "Touching Evil," NBC action series "Uc: Undercover" and Fox fantasy show "Roar" (alongside a young Heath Ledger), to play the pre-mummified Mrs. Norma Bates, mother of Norman, in A&E's "Bates Motel." Announced last month, "Bates Motel" got a straight-to-series order from A&E for a project that will serve as a prequel to the story told in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho," one that will explore that dysfunctional relationship between Norman and his mother that resulted in the twisted killer moviegoers know so well. According to the Hollywood Reporter: Farmiga will play Norma Louise Bates, described as a complicated, passionate and compelling woman who's a smart, multidimensional character always capable of surprising people. "Bates Motel," which is...

In her return to television, Vera Farmiga is set for the plum female lead in A&E’s upcoming series Bates Motel, which serves as a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock horror classic Psycho and examines the twisted relationship between serial killer-to-be Norman Bates and his mother Norma. Farmiga will play Norma Louise Bates who is described as passionate, and compelling, a smart, multidimensional character who is always capable of surprising us. The Universal TV-produced Bates Motel has a 10-episode straight-to-series order for a 2013 premiere. Former Lost co-showrunner Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin (Parenthood) serve as writers-executive producers. “We are delighted to welcome Vera Farmiga to Bates Motel,” Cuse said. “She is a phenomenal talent who has demonstrated incredible range and intelligence in a number of landmark film roles, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her join our project.” Bates Motel had been developed as a miniseries when...

Deadline is reporting actor Aaron Johnson received offers from high-profiled upcoming projects of “Savages” and “Anna Karenina.” Johnson has appeared in numerous films including “Kick-Ass,” “Nowhere Boy,” and “The Greatest.” In the Oliver Stone-directed “Savages,” he would play one of the two male leads in the drama about two best friends growing marijuana and share a good looking female friend. The Mexican cartel discovers about their good pot and kidnapped their female friend to force them to work for the cartel. Actress Jennifer Lawrence (“Winter’s Bone,” “X-Men: First Class”) was reportedly in talks for the role of the girlfriend named “O,” the kidnapped sexpot. With the recent announcement of her signing on as Katniss in “Hunger Games,” she may need to drop this project since both films will begin to film over this summer. The script is written by Shane Salerno (“Shaft,” “Armageddon”) and Don Winslow (“Full Ride,...

On January 20, USA Network will premiere the second season continuation of Royal Pains at 9/8c. This show will be the launching pad for USA’s new series Fairly Legal, 10/9c, starring Sarah Shahi. Last season’s cliffhanger involved Hank and Evan’s father Eddie R. Lawson (Henry Winkler) suffering a heart attack after his sons discovered some startling secrets.

About Royal Pains:

Royal Pains stars Mark Feuerstein as Hank Lawson who, after becoming blacklisted from the medical community, revives his career as a “doctor for hire” to the rich and famous in the Hamptons. In addition to treating this select group of the East End elite, Hank also caters to the town’s less fortunate by donating his time at the local clinic. He finds himself walking the line between doing well for himself and doing good for others. The show also stars Paulo Costanzo (“Road Trip”), Reshma Shetty...

It’s interesting to see Vera Farmiga’s career blossom in Hollywood. I first saw her on the crime TV show “Uc: Undercover” co-starring alongside Jon Seda, who has since gone to star in HBO’s “The Pacific”. She parlayed that into another fantastic TV crime show, the American remake of “Touching Evil” with current “Burn Notice” star Jeffrey Donovan. But like “Undercover”, the American public didn’t appreciate “Evil”, and it was canceled after only one year. Since then, Farmiga has carved out a fantastic career on the big screen in big-budget Hollywood actioners like “The Departed” and “Running Scared”, as well as low-budget indies you’ve never heard of like “Never Forever” and “Quid Pro Quo”. Her latest is the indie Western “A Thousand Guns”, where she’ll play the wife of a preacher who goes on a journey of revenge. The movie will be directed by Spaniard...

"The Pacific" star Jon Seda and "Sopranos" Emmy winner Michael Imperioli have both landed leads in ABC drama pilots.   According to The Hollywood Reporter, Seda will join Roselyn Sanchez in "Cutthroats," about a Beverly Hills soccer mom and widow who becomes the leader of an international drug cartel. Seda is set as her cousin and second-in-command.   Seda is about to bask in the glow of HBO's ambitious "The Pacific," in which he plays John Basilone. One of the most familiar faces in the WWII epic, Seda's series credits include "Close to Home," "Kevin Hill," "Uc: Undercover" and "Homicide: Life...

On June 4, USA Network premieres their latest series: Royal Pains. Royal Pains stars Mark Feuerstein ("What Women Want," “The West Wing,” “Good Morning, Miami”) as “Dr. Hank Lawson,” who, after being wrongly blamed for a patient's death, moves to the Hampton’s and becomes the reluctant "doctor for hire" to the rich and famous. When the attractive administrator of the local hospital asks him to treat the town’s less fortunate, he finds himself walking the line between doing well for himself and doing good for others. The Royal Pains pilot was written by Andrew Lenchewski ("Uc: Undercover"), who also co-executive produced the series, as well as executive producer Michael Rauch ("Love Monkey"). To mark the event, BuzzFocus and USA Network are teaming up to giveaway (1) Royal Pains Prize Package. A perfect bag is a perfect prescription for fun! Filled with all the essentials for a lazy summer weekend, ...

The indie matrimonial comedy "The Big Question" will be helmed by "30 Rock" Emmy nominee Michael Engler who will make his feature-length directorial debut. This also marks the big screen debut for TV writer Andrew Lenchewski. Apparently, the a man plans to propose to a woman on New Year's Eve but her deadline is Christmas Day. The film focuses on the mind games involved.Producers Morris S. Levy, Martin E. Caan and Peter Sussman are developing the project to shart shooting sometime either in summer or fall next year.  Andrew Lenchewski wrote a single episode of "Uc: Undercover" back in 2002.

Variety reports that Israeli Oded Fehr, who played the dashing Ardeth Bay in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, has been signed to take over a top slot in the upcoming NBC series, Undercover (or UC). Fehr will come in to replace departing star Grant Show and lead the undercover unit that is the show's focus. While Fehr has done TV series work in the UK, his American television work has been limited to TV movies and miniseries, so series creator Shane Salerno consider's landing one of the stars of such high-grossing movies to be a "pretty cool thing." Salerno adds, though, that luring Fehr back to series TV wasn't easy, saying "it was a very long seduction process." Show has filmed a one-hour premiere already and producers plan to use it. Currently under consideration is whether to extend that into a two-hour TV movie and introduce Fehr's character, Donovan, in the second hour or wait until the second episode. (This story was compiled by IMDb staff)...