Zach Braff Retires His “Scrubs”: This upcoming season of “Scrubs” will be Zach Braff’s last, said showrunner Bill Lawrence at Wednesday’s Television Critics Assn. press tour panel. The ABC Studios series arrives this season after seven seasons on NBC. There was no announcement whether this would be the last season of the show, but it will be Braff’s. The actor said he would be open to returning as a guest star, and could possibly also direct. “The end of the show will be about J.D. leaving the hospital,” Lawrence said. “When you leave, it’s about holding on to your relationships.” [Variety]
Woo Goes for Arthur Comic: John Woo will direct comicbook adaptation “Caliber,” to be unveiled at next week’s Comic-Con in San Diego. Radical Comics’ hit story sets King Arthur and his knights as 19th century gunslingers in the Pacific Northwest. [Variety]
Gems Picks Up Colombian Hostage Pic: Screen Gems is gunning to be the first out of the gate with a film based on the recent headline-making Colombian hostage rescue. Operation Checkmate will be told from the point of view of the Colombian military rescuers, who infiltrated the intelligence network of FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and freed Ingrid Betancourt and 14 others. The final 22 minutes of the film will unfold in real time, depicting the dramatic release as the rescuers tricked the kidnappers into thinking they were a humanitarian group. L.A.-based Colombian helmer Simon Brand is in negotiations to direct. The film will receive the cooperation of the Colombian government and have access to RCN footage that was never made public. A writer is currently being sought after. [Variety]
Ferrell Attached to 2-Face: Will Ferrell is attached to star in the comedy 2-Face from Hancock scripter Vince Gilligan for Columbia Pictures. Gilligan’s script, which has had a long gestation period at the studio but had not been reported, is a concept comedy involving a character with a split personality: One part of him is a racist, and the other is a bleeding-heart liberal. [THR]
Trip Tapped for Crazy Heart: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall have signed on to star in the music-based drama Crazy Heart for CMT Films and Informant Media. Scott Cooper wrote and will helm the film, which is based on the debut novel by Thomas Cobb. Story centers on a down-on-his-luck, alcoholic country music singer (Bridges) who is able to get his life and career back on track through his relationship and experiences with a female reporter (Gyllenhaal). Shooting is scheduled to start next month in and around Santa Fe, N.M. [Variety]
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