There will be a sexual switch-up on True Blood this season, and now we're eager to find out who. Also today: Russell Crowe is moving to a different planet for a while, a deserving actress gets a big role, and the Oscars will never be the same again.

  • Extry, extry! Read all about it! It seems that one of the heretofore "straight" characters on HBO's gay fantasia on irrational themes True Blood will be entering into a same sex relationship this season. ZOMGeigh!! Who could it be?? Maybe this is the origin of that rumor that P*r*z Hilton was spreading about Ryan Kwanten being gay. Jason Stackhouse stackhouses a dude! Or gets stackhoused. Either way, the shivers! It could be verrryy exciting. Of course it's probably not that, though. Of course it's probably boring old Tara and everyone will just get frowny faces and say "Her?" Because nobody likes Tara. (Nobody likes Tara, right?) [TV Line]
  • Brooding telephone thrower Russell Crowe may soon be father to a magic alien. Not in real life, in the movies. Yes, Crowe is considering taking the role of Superman's space dad Jor-El in Man of Steel, Zack Snyder's impending reboot of the Soopahman franchise. That kind of fits. I mean, Russell Crowe and Marlon Brando, who played Christopher Reeve's space dad in the movie from the '70s, are sort of similar, aren't they? Young hot actors who became mean fat old actors. I mean, Russell Crowe isn't fat, but you know what I mean. So really it's only a matter of time before Russell Crowe is wearing a muumuu and talking to mutants in an Island of Dr. Moreau remake. Can't wait! [THR]
  • Akiva Schaffer, the least visible of the Lonely Island comedy trio that also includes Andy Samberg and dreamy little elf Jorma Taccone, is currently in talks to direct the comedy Neighborhood Watch, about a bunch of dudes who form a, um, neighborhood watch as an excuse to get away from their wives and bro out a bit. ('Cause ladies are such a drag, man!) Fox is trying to get Ben Stiller to play the lead in the movie, which was written by Seth Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg. Oh good. Those dudes don't do enough comedies. Comedies these days are too diverse! I wish all the comedies were solely populated by the same slightly rotating group of dudes. Wouldn't that be great? I think it'd be great. [Deadline]
  • You guys. What is wrong with you? Why do you keep watching The Voice? How can you deal with smug Adam Levine and guffawing uselessness machine Blake Shelton? How?? I just don't get why you're watching, but watching you are, as evidenced by the NBC singing competition's continued domination in the old ratings department. Twelve million people an episode! And a good share of the key demographic. I think you all need to get your minds off the swivel chairs and focus on something else. Although it looks like some of you already are focusing on something else, namely Teen Wolf, whose ratings climbed from week two to week three. The only way I will excuse the watching of this show is if you're watching to see if they'll ever make that kid's chin not crooked. It's so crooked! Every time I watch the show (shut up) I can't stop staring at his crooked chin. It's the Shannen Doherty's eye of the new century! [EW]
  • Elizabeth Rodriguez, the Tony nominated spitfire currently tearing up the Broadway stage in The Motherfucker With the Hat, has just been cast as a regular on Prime Suspect, the remake of the Helen Mirren police-cop series that stars Maria Bello. My guess is that Rodriguez will do some tough-talking. Because apparently Latina women are only ever sultry exotics to be fetishized or, y'know fiery spitfires. Sometimes they are both! Just once I'd like to see a meek, nerdy Latina character in something. Do the girls in From Prada to Nada count? Maybe? [Deadline]
  • Ha: "Lifetime Cancels 'Marrying Hef' Special After Hugh Hefner, Crystal Harris Call Off Wedding." Haha. Well, right. Because they're not getting married now. So... did Lifetime really cancel Marrying Hef? Or did Crystal Harris cancel it? I mean, before Lifetime officially canceled it, were they just planning on showing an hour of Hef standing alone in a field, trying to remember where he's supposed to be? I mean, many of us would watch that, but many of us would not. So yeah. Methinks it wasn't Lifetime that canceled the special, it was life. [THR]
  • The Oscars know you have the hiccups so they are trying to surprise you. (I don't even know.) By which I mean, they've changed their nomination rules for next year so that there could be anywhere between five and ten Best Picture nominees. It all depends on like percentage of votes or share of votes or some crazy Hollywood algorithm that they found, Dan Brown-style, embedded in wall paintings inside Jack Valenti's tomb. Basically they're trying to keep all you prediction-happy Oscarheads on your toes. Heads on their toes! [LAT]

[Photo: HBO]