Casting Couch: J.J. Abrams' "Fringe" Gets Series Regulars, Moves into Pre-production

While the entire town has been abuzz this week with speculation over the outcome of those in-progress discussions between the DGA and the AMPTP, I was thrilled to see that one of the only high-quality drama pilot projects this (non-existent) development season had finally begin to secure some cast.

Fringe, the two-hour FOX drama pilot from J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci, has locked three actors as series regulars, including Mark Valley, Kirk Acevedo, and Tomas Arana. The pilot, budgeted at $10 million, will be directed by Alex Graves, who recently helmed the pilot for Journeyman and served as that series' executive producer.

Project is still on the lookout for its three leads, including a female character, a tough FBI agent who is assigned to work with a institutionalized experimental researcher and his estranged and rather headstrong son as they investigate the onslaught of paranormal phenomenon currently gripping the world. (Click here for my full review of Fringe's pilot script, from October.)

Kirk Acevedo (The Black Donnellys) and Mark Valley (Boston Legal) will play FBI agents, while Arana (The Bourne Supremacy) will play a Homeland Security agent who heads up the Fringe division, which was set up in the wake of a series of terrorist/paranormal events.

Production on the pilot, from Warner Bros Television and Bad Robot, is slated to begin next month in Toronto.