With the clock now running down on AMC's "Breaking Bad" with one season (split into two) left to go, the future for actor Aaron Paul is a bit uncertain. Will he make the leap to the big screen? Earlier this year he earned very strong notices for his turn in the alcoholism drama "Smashed" which was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, but aside from that, the actor hasn't been making too many big moves, though he has roles in indies "Decoding Annie Parker" and "Quad" coming up. But HBO is hoping they'll be able to snare him for a new series that will certainly be something a bit different for the actor, who until now we mostly associate with dealing meth and being able to say "bitch" rather colorfully.
Deadline reports that Paul is in talks to star in "The Missionary" a Cold War drama HBO's recently ordered up for a pilot. Penned by Charles Randolph ("The Interpreter," "Love And Other Drugs"), the 1960s-set show will center on an American missionary who gets involved with the CIA. The show has some powerhouse talent behind it with Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg and author Malcolm Gladwell all producing. Levinson and Wahlberg are the pair behind HBO hits "Boardwalk Empire," "Entourage," "In Treatment" and "How To Make It In America" so the odds of this going to series are probably pretty good. But we'll have to wait and see how that pilot turns out. No word yet on who will direct.
Meanwhile, as one show begins, another ends, as EW reports that the eighth season of Showtime's "Weeds" will be its last. The show, which followed the pot dealing Mary-Louise Parker, earned a strong following, and while the show's creators don't quite know yet how they'll end it, they promise something big: “We wrack our brains every year for crazy cliffhangers and we’re trying to figure out how to top ourselves,” creator Jenji Kohan said. No exact details yet, but the the assassination attempt plot line will apparently be resolved in a narrative arc that will feature a "time jump" that will take the show back to its suburban roots. Hmm. "Weeds" returns on July 1st.