Latest on who’s doing what with whom

July 22
Michael Vartan and David Cross will play bitter tire store rivals in the comedy “Demoted.”

Vartan will play Rodney McAdams, a hotshot Treadline Tires sales associate who delights in tormenting his less-than-cool colleague, Ken (Cross). But when their boss suddenly dies, Ken is promoted and assigns Rodney to a secretarial job as payback, giving the male chauvinist a taste of his own medicine.

J.B. Rogers (“American Pie 2”) will direct from a screenplay by Dan Callahan. The feature is a production of Parallel Media’s new genre arm, Parallel Zide.

Vartan (“One Hour Photo,” “Alias”) next stars opposite Dermot Mulroney in director Dan Ireland’s drama “Jolene: My Life.” Cross, whose credits include “The Colbert Report,” ”Freak Show” and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” can next be seen in Harold Ramis’ adventure comedy “Year One.”

July 22
TNT has given the green light to “Night and Day,” a drama pilot from “24” co-creator Joel Surnow and Todd Robinson.

The fast-paced, gritty drama about the life of an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms marks Surnow’s first series project since he departed “24” in February after seven years.

“Night and Day” was one of six drama projects on TNT’s development slate announced in May.

On the feature side, Surnow has romantic comedy “That Face” in the works at Morgan Creek Prods. and Universal Pictures.

Robinson, whose feature credits include “Lonely Hearts” and ”White Squall,” recently wrote and directed “The Last Full Measure,” which stars Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis and Laurence Fishburne.

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July 21
British actor James Purefoy is in negotiations to play the lead in “The Philanthropist,” a midseason NBC drama series.

“Philanthropist” centers on a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need no matter the risks or costs.

NBC brass had courted Purefoy for some time, including flying the “Rome” star from the United Kingdom to Los Angeles for a meeting.

The casting of the lead comes nearly a year after NBC gave the project a 13-episode series order and three months after the network put it on its 2008-09 schedule.

It also follows the recent change at the helm of “Philanthropist,” with David Eick taking over after the departure of original writer/executive producer Tom Fontana and executive producer Barry Levinson.

The series is slated to premiere in the Monday 10 p.m. slot in midseason

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July 17
Will Ferrell is attached to star in “2-Face,” a comedy involving a character with a split personality: One part of him is a racist, and the other is a bleeding-heart liberal.

The project is set up at Columbia, which will release his next comedy, “Step Brothers,” on July 25.

It comes from “Hancock” writer Vince Gilligan, whose script has had a lengthy, low-profile gestation period at the studio. The search for a director is under way.

While “2-Face” is described as a comedy with mainstream appeal — familiar terrain for Ferrell — Gilligan’s credits and the story’s socially relevant hook might give the role added heft. Ferrell has tried his hand at more serious roles, most notably in Marc Forster’s 2006 drama “Stranger Than Fiction.”

Gilligan has a diverse pedigree in Hollywood. In addition to “Hancock,” he helped create and wrote for the “X-Files” TV series and is the exec producer on AMC’s dark drama “Breaking Bad.”

But he also has penned lighter fare, writing the screenplay for the Drew Barrymore screwball comedy “Home Fries,” an absurdist look at murder, family and the military set in a fast-food restaurant.

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