ComingSoon.net reports that Lena Headey, of 300 and Fox's The Sarah Connor Chronicles, has just signed on to play opposite Josh Lucas in Tell-Tale. The movie is inspired by the famous Edgar Allen Poe story, but doesn't seem to have much in common with it other than the titular heart. Lucas plays a single father who is the recipient of a heart transplant, only to discover that his donor met a grisly fate.

If Lucas is the single father, I imagine Headey is either the transplant surgeon or a police officer who helps him -- and naturally, the love interest. The movie is being produced by Ridley and Tony Scott, and will be directed by Michael Cuesta.

I'm happy to see Headey land a nice big movie part again. She's a fine actress and one I have an admitted girl crush on after 300. I was really surprised her career didn't skyrocket after playing Queen Gorgo -- her memorable "You will not enjoy this!" received enormous cheers in theatres around the world. As Connor is still up for renewal, I hope Tell-Tale will keep her in the Hollywood consciousness.

In a new interview over at 213.net, director McG spoke about his plans to bring the Terminator back to the big screen in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. We already know that Christian Bale has been cast as an older John Connor -- the John Connor from the future who helps lead the resistance against the robots. McG spoke about his vision for Terminator Salvation, where this film fits into the confusing timeline (thanks Sarah Connor Chronicles for jamming us all up!), and -- most importantly -- who he wants to take over for Arnold Schwarzenegger as the new (and improved) Terminator.

When pressed to answer who they're looking at to play the new Terminator, McG noted, " ... it's very difficult to say because it's a decidedly masculine role and I think we're living in a time where a lot of actors are very effeminate and they're sort of skinny, heroine chic and there's really a masculine component to the role. And there's guys out there like Russell Crowe and Eric Bana, bring a good physicality, they do what they do, but I don't know if they're exactly right at the end of the day. (Smiles) Josh Brolin is a very exciting actor - we'll see." Hmm, does that mean Brolin is one the guys up for the role? Certainly seems like McG is championing him -- whaddya think?

McG also spoke about long conversations he had with James Cameron, and how Cameron reassured him that he felt the same sort of nervous when he had to take over for Ridley Scott on the second Alien picture. When asked whether this film would take place after Terminator 2 or Terminator 3, McG replied, "This is the space between; this is post Judgment day. So there really is no continuation, you know what I mean? Its sort of a different animal, whereas the first two pictures on this thing are Terminators from the future, this picture takes place in 2019." He later added, "We speak to the idea of one version of a future, which is clearly articulated by Michael Biehn in the first picture." Check out the full interview over here; Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins is due out in June of 2009.

[via IGN]

OK, we're skirting dangerously close to TV Squad's turf here, but hey, it's not every day you get a new TV series based on one of the most popular science fiction series of the modern age! Click right here to check out the brand-new promotional trailer for Fox's The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which not only delivers the seriously sexy Lena Headey as the titular character, but also Firefly's Summer Glau as a sexy robotic butt-kicker sent back from the future to keep our young hero safe! Cool! (Oh, and the young man looks like he could be potentially "dreamy." His name's Thomas Dekker and he can presently be seen as Zach on Heroes.)

Created by genre veteran David Nutter (he's worked on geek-shows as cool as The X-Files, Roswell and Smallville) and written by War of the Worlds co-penner Josh Friedman, The Sarah Connor Chronicles will take place between the action of Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the deliciously dark ending of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Won't that placement kind of spoil some of the surprises since those of us who saw T3 already know what happens to these characters? Well, maybe. But I'm pretty sure that Nutter and Friedman have considered that angle. Plus we can always use another GOOD sci-fi series on television, so color me suitably psyched to see Sarah this fall. (Just in case you forgot: Lena Headey was the woman in 300. The only woman.)

TV Squad will probably cover this news more thoroughly than I can, mainly because I've been up all night watching Ken Russell movies, but I'll give it a go: Various interested parties are turning the Terminator movie series into a TV program called The Sarah Connor Chronicles, some of whom are director David Nutter and screenwriter Josh Friedman.

The announcement was made a while back, but nothing screams "done deal" like the announcement of a leading lady. And if we're judging the "Chronicles" based solely on one casting decision, well I like where this new series is going already. Previously played by Linda Hamilton in The Terminator and T2, the "mother of the future" will soon be played by one Lena Headey.

What's that? You're only vaguely familiar with that name? I'll clarify: The Bermuda-born babe played "that really beautiful lesbian" in Imagine Me & You, "that really hot spelunkerette" in The Cave and "that really sexy medieval gal" in The Brothers Grimm -- plus she'll soon be seen in the inevitably ass-kick-tastic 300. Combine those credits with the lead role in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and you're looking at the sexiest fanboy femme since Carrie-Anne Moss cracked The Matrix.

Anyway, she's not only hot, but a solid character actor-type as well. And if the Chronicles scripts are even half as clever as Friedman's own blog, then this series might be a big fat hit.