Lost TV Series News and Theories

Jeff Jensen of EW.com posted an interview with Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse, one that was specifically focused on the new characters that we will be seeing in Season 4, it’s definitely worth a read and here are the highlights:

*All of the characters will be appearing in more than one episode, and it sounds like most will be appearing at least throughout Season 4 and into Season’s 5 & 6; so some of them will be of importance to the overall story arc for the final 3 seasons

*The descriptions we have seen to date are not necessarily accurate:

CARLTON CUSE: We actually [have] the actors read fake [scenes] and give them fake character names because those casting [pages] travel so widely, there’s no way to maintain secrecy. So we basically have to come up with fake but analogous scenes that will show us qualities of an actor but won’t give away what the role is. So yes, the stuff out there is not totally accurate.
DL: In fact, only one of the character names that has gotten out there is literally accurate.

*Rebecca Mader’s character will be of English descent:

DL: What was really cool about Rebecca’s [audition] read was, she did it on tape, but the producer who was with her asked her, ”All these things on your résumé are from the BBC — are you British?” She said yes, and we asked her to read it again, this time as a Brit, and it opened up another dimension we hadn’t foreseen. Now she’s English.

So her Lost character is English?
DL: Now she is.

*Finally, regarding Fahey and his beard:

Amazing. Something to follow up on. On a slightly more superficial front, the most recent pics of Fahey have him sporting a very bushy beard. Are you going to have him shave?
CC: Honestly, we don’t know. We’re meeting him for lunch this week, and our understanding is that yes, he has a beard. But we have no idea if the beard is on the table — and frankly, I want to see it. Because given the character we have in mind for him, a beard just might work.

So, in summary, very little information that has leaked at this point can be trusted, but of these characters it would seem that Fahey could perhaps end up being the most important. Some of the other parts were written with the specific actors in mind, and in the case of Lance Reddick, they had actually evaluated him for the part of Eko initially, so there could be a potential connection with his new character.

Enjoy!

A little more activity this week related to new characters in Season 4 and a few other interesting items to note:

*Jeff Jensen of EW.com reported this week that Jeff Fahey (of Lawnmower Man fame) has joined the cast for Season 4, so that makes 5 new characters that will be introduced during the story arc for the season.

Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse tell EW.com that Jeff Fahey — a cult-pop fave most famous for The Lawnmower Man and most recently seen in Grindhouse — has been added to the show, joining previously announced newcomers Jeremy Davies (Saving Private Ryan), Lance Reddick (The Wire), Ken Leung (The Sopranos), and British actress Rebecca Mader (The Devil Wears Prada, Love Monkey).

Given the lengthy beard that Fahey is sporting these days, there is a ton of speculation about the character he could have been hired to portray.

*Kristin from E! Online had a few snippets related to Lost on her blog this week:

Thomas in Dallas: Any word on Lost? I can’t wait to see new episodes!

We still don’t get new eps until February (a little fact that makes me sob uncontrollably every time I hear it). However! The coolest cast around just went back to work last week in Oahu, and I’m hearing very good things about the new season! Michael is back, the Losties we love are front and center and the storylines are tighter than, well, I’d say Josh Holloway’s backside but, sheesh, I’m a married woman.

Ginny in Ipswich, Massachusetts: Will there be any cast changes this season on Lost?

Aside from the newbies we announced last week (much thanks to Korbi for that scoop!), Entertainment Weekly is now reporting that Grindhouse’s Jeff Fahey will join the island crew this year. I can also tell you that although I’d heard a while back we’d be seeing a little less of Matthew Fox this season, so far there are no signs of any “Jack-off” days on the production schedule (sorry, I couldn’t resist, I’m 12). So, we’ll see.

So, even though we are still months away, at least we know they are shooting Season 4, that our favorite characters are front and center, and that we will have at least 5 new characters this year that somehow fit into this ever-growing puzzle!

Michael Ausiello of TVGuide.com confirmed two new characters and the actors that will be playing them in Season 4:

Sources confirm that The Wire’s Lance Reddick has been cast in the recurring role of Arthur Stevens, the intimidating corporate-recruiter character I first told you about in last week’s Ask Ausiello. Reddick also had a lengthy arc on HBO’s Oz, where he starred opposite returning Lostie Harold Perrineau.

Ausiello reported earlier this week that former Sopranos actor Ken Leung will also be joining the cast, fulfilling the role of a brilliant mathematician. Leung previously starred in Rush Hour and more recently in X Men: The Last Stand.

The rumor is that Leung will be playing the recurring role of Russell*, a brilliant mathematician who is capable of great insights and has a tremendous knowledge across various scientific fields. He’s expected to first turn up in February’s season premiere.

Further, Kristin at E! Online is also reporting that Jeremy Davies and Rebecca Mader will be joining the cast as well:

Oh, new Lost news makes me so ridonkulously happy. We’re hearing that creepmaster Jeremy Davies (Saving Private Ryan) is doing eight eps of Lost this season, and one Rebecca Mader will have a major recurring role as well…perhaps as the much discussed Charlotte?

Four new characters for Season 4! What are your thoughts about the newest additions?

A few interesting stories this week related to Lost:

*Michael Ausiello of TVGuide.com is reporting that there is currently a casting call for a new character:

Question: Still six months of hiatus before Lost comes back. Can you help us survive the waiting with some scoop?— Fran

Ausiello: New character alert! The show has started casting the recurring role of Arthur Stevens, a very tall and thin corporate recruiter who is smart, capable and ruthless. “He may smile and his words may sound soothing,” reads the casting notice, “but their effect can send chills up your spine.”

Corporate recruiter… Could be DHARMA related or perhaps have something to do with the people coming to “save” the Losties? Ausiello reported earlier this month these new character descriptions:

First up is the recurring character of Russell, described as a brilliant mathematician in his late thirties who is “capable of great insights and has a tremendous knowledge across various scientific fields.” Well, won’t that be helpful. Unfortunately, he tends to be too direct for his own good, and as a result, his personal relationships don’t always add up. Russell is scheduled to turn up in Episode 1.

Also recurring is Charlotte, a hot twentysomething who is said to be “precocious, loquacious and funny… a very successful academic who also knows how to handle herself in the real world.” Interestingly, she, too, has a tough time relating to people. Beneath the surface, there’s “lots of repressed and pent-up emotions.”

*On a related note, Kristen Bell of “Veronica Mars” fame has turned the aforementioned role of “Charlotte” down for the upcoming season – Her loss!

*Season 4 filming should begin next Wednesday or Thursday, according to Dark UFO and courtesy of Jorge Garcia

A couple of “Lost” newsworthy items to provide some interesting reading this week:

Entertainment Weekly’s Q & A with Harold Perrineau: Nothing groundbreaking here, but it is compelling to get Perrineau’s thoughts about the secrecy regarding the show:

Have you ever worked on another project with this level of secrecy?
Never. And while it was really fun in the beginning, it gets a little like, Uhh, what am I doing? You really have to stay on your feet creatively, so when the scripts come you can find some way to make it as interesting and current and filled with as much stuff as you can, having just read it a week earlier. So, because I’ve been gone for a year and have no idea what has happened, I’m already gearing up to make a bunch of choices so I can fit all of that into whatever they have him do. You have to be really creative, and that’s kind of fun, figuring stuff out.

Chicago Magazine Article on Jeffrey Lieber: This article is interesting and just basically goes to show you that there are a ton of people out there making money off the hardwork of others. Lieber receives onscreen credit (and $$$) basically because he came up with the archetypes for some of the characters on the show. Beyond that, Lieber’s initial concept for Lost could not have been more different than what Abrams ultimately created and ran with.

I am all for contributors receiving credit (both artistically and monetarily), but this article gives the vibe that Lieber is somehow jaded by that particular experience. I cannot speak for everyone, but I would probably not be watching Lost if it were just some ramped up version of Castaway or Lord of the Flies (which is where Lieber planned to take it). The mythology of the show is what intrigues me most and keeps me tuned in. What about you?

Enjoy!

The latest Official Lost Podcast is out. It’s the audio from Damon and Carlton’s panel at Comic Con. While there’s nothing new here, and we’ve linked to a few video versions of the panel already, it’s worth noting here.

08.02.07 – Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse preview season 4 and take fan questions at Comic Con 2007! Go to ABC.com to see more.

Listen to the Official Lost Podcast at abc.com