Molina to Star in the Judy Wood Biopic “Saint Judy”

Alfred Molina has found a saintly project…

The 63-year-old half-Spanish actor has signed on to star in Saint Judythe biopic about Los Angeles immigration attorney Judy Wood who argued a landmark case that changed the asylum laws for women coming into the U.S.

Alfred Molina

Sean Hanish is directing, and the project is set to go before the cameras on May 10.

The story follows Wood, a single mother in her mid-30s who moved to Los Angeles and committed herself to immigration law, particularly asylum cases. She entered into law after having a vision about it. She would end up representing an Afghani immigrant woman who had been persecuted for opening up a school for girls in her home country.

Wood fought a tenacious battle in and out of court against established law, and the case ended up before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The result of many years of fighting for the schoolteacher resulted in Wood single-handedly changing the law of asylum nationwide, allowing women to be designated a protected class. She not only saved the life of her client but thousands of other female refugees who would have been sent back to their home countries where they faced certain death.

Helmer Hanish and Cannonball ProductionsJaconi-Biery are producing Saint Judy with Molina, who was also in their last production Sister Cities.

Molina is currently starring in a great showcase role as director Robert Aldrich on FX’s ratings giant Feud: Bette and JoanHe plays opposite Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis, Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford, Judy Davis as Hedda Hopper and Stanley Tucci as Jack Warner for series creator Ryan Murphy.

First Teaser Trailer Released for “24: Live Another Day,” with Bratt Joining the Cast

He may not appear in the just-released first teaser trailer, but expect to see Benjamin Bratt bring extra heat to 24: Live Another Day.

During the Super Bowl, Fox unveiled the first trailer for the event series, which sees the return of Kiefer Sutherland’s beloved action hero Jack Bauer, with the 50-year-old half-Peruvian American actor joining the cast.

Benjamin Bratt

There’s still no word on what role Bratt will play, but we do know the next chapter in the 24 franchise picks up the story four years after the series finale, which left Jack Bauer as a fugitive from justice, this time in London.

Along with Bratt and Sutherland, the cast includes Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kim Raver, William Devane, Yvonne Strahovski, Judy Davis and Tate Donovan.

24: Live Another Day will premiere May 5.

Bonham Carter to Star in the “Page Eight” Follow-Up TV Movie “Turks & Caicos”

Helena Bonham Carter is Turks & Caicos bound…

The 46-year-old part-Spanish actress has signed on to star in Turks & Caicos, the second television movie based on David Hare’s The Worricker Trilogy.

Helena Bonham Carter

From Carnival Films and BBC Two, Turks & Caicos is the follow-up to the first installment Page Eight, which aired in 2011 on BBC Two and PBS and starred Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes and Judy Davis.

Nighy will reprise his role as British intelligence officer Johnny Worricker for part two Turks & Caicos and part three Salting The Battlefield. Fiennes also returns for both.

In addition to Bonham Carter, Turks & Caicos will also star Christopher Walken, Winona Ryder, Dylan Baker and Zach Grenier.

Davis, who was nominated for a supporting actress Emmy for Page Eight, will return for Salting The Battlefield, as will Bonham Carter, along with Saskia Reeves, Kate Burdette and Malcolm Sinclair.

Page Eight, which closed the Toronto Film Festival in 2011, saw Worricker uncover a plot to turn control of MI5 directly over to the prime minister after the head of the organization’s death. Part two will pick up after Worricker leaves his MI5 post and heads to Turks & Caicos where the CIA forces him to deal with a group of ambiguous Americans who are on the islands for a high-level conference. At the same time, an old girlfriend is being asked to betray her boss in London in order to establish an illicit connection between the prime minister and dark goings-on in the war on terror. Salting The Battlefield sees Worricker and the girlfriend on the run from MI5 until Worricker returns home to confront the prime minister in a duel of wits.

A start date has yet to be confirmed.