Jeremy Piven speaks out on mercury pollution after avoiding union censure

The Associated Press reports that a panel of Actors' Equity and Broadway League members failed to reach a unanimous decision today regarding Jeremy Piven's abrupt departure from the Broadway production of Speed-the-Plow. Producers filed a grievance after the 43-year-old actor left the play in December, citing a diagnosis of mercury poisoning. The producers now have the right to proceed to arbitration.

In a statement, Piven's rep says, "Mr. Piven is hopeful that the Producers will ultimately recognize that he did the right thing by listening to the instructions from his doctors during his hospitalization, who told him to stop the play immediately and undergo enforced rest, rather than continuing to perform and risk dire health consequences." The statement goes on to say, "Although Mr. Piven’s forced withdrawal from the show was an enormous personal disappointment since it was his life-long dream to perform on Broadway, he is glad that his illness has helped raise public awareness of the serious health risks caused by Mercury exposure. He is also pleased that the Obama administration is seeking an international treaty to reduce Mercury pollution, which it has recognized as the world's gravest chemical problem."

Antonio Banderas joins Woody Allen's next film

Antonio Banderas has been added to the cast of Woody Allen's as-yet-untitled next film, which is due to start filming in London this summer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Banderas joins a star-studded international cast that includes Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, and Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto.

'Survivor' renewed for two more seasons

CBS has ordered a 19th and 20th season of Survivor, which is currently airing its 18th installment. The ur-reality series, which debuted in 2000, continues to be a top-20 show, pulling in more than 13 million viewers a week.

'The Simpsons' get two more seasons

Exxxx-cellent. Fox has ordered two more seasons of The Simpsons, already the longest-running show in primetime television history. The 44-episode renewal ensures the series, currently in its 20th season, will eventually reach an astounding 493 episodes. How much more punitive chalkboard writing can Bart endure? Not bad for a primitive cartoon that debuted as a gap-filler on The Tracy Ullman Show back in 1987.

Ed Helms, Steve Carell team up for Civil War movie

First there was The Daily Show, now there's The Office, and soon, Ed Helms and Steve Carell will be working together on a Civil War–set movie. Helms has written and will star in the film, and Carell is producing. The still-untitled project centers on three dedicated Civil War re-enactors and an African American professor who "are accidentally transported back in time and awaken in the actual Civil War," according to Variety. "Once there, they have find there way home without altering history or permanently breaking America in half." [Variety]

Russell Brand tapped for 'Arthur' remake

British comedian Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) will star in a remake of 1981's Arthur, which earned Dudley Moore an Oscar nomination for playing the titular lush, Variety reports. Peter Baynham, one of Sacha Baron Cohen's cowriters on Borat, will pen the script.

Total Recall remake in the works: This is not a dream

Producer Neal Moritz (I Am Legend) and Columbia are in final negotiations to remake Total Recall, Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi classic, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Based on the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," that smash, in which Arnold played a futuristic Average Joe who may or may not be a secret agent determined to free Mars from its draconian leaders, grossed $261 million worldwide. As Quaid, Arnold slayed Sharon Stone, flirted with three-breasted women, and tracked down a creepy freedom-fighter named Kuato. After 19 years, Moritz is hoping the advancements in technology and state-of-the-art visual effects will help refresh the story.

Harvey and Bob Weinstein had once hoped to develop a remake (or sequel) when they still ran Miramax, but Columbia secured the rights when the Weinsteins left to start their own company.

Dollhouse Star to Produce Mapplethorpe Biopic

Eliza Dushku, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Fox's new Dollhouse, will produce a film based on the life of 1970s photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, whose daring and controversial celebrity portraits made him famous, before dying at age 42 from complications related to AIDS.

Variety reports that Dushku has recruited indie documentarian Ondi Timoner (DiG!) to direct the film, which is currently titled The Perfect Moment, but did not mention who might star as the acclaimed shutterbug.  Dushku told E! last month at Sundance that she imagined her older brother Nate in the lead role. "Nate physically has an uncanny resemblance to Robert," Dushku said. "Some pictures are really eerie."

Warner Bros. to continue 'NeverEnding Story'

Leonardo DiCaprio's production company, Appian Way, and The Kennedy/Marshall Co. (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) are in talks with Warner Bros. to reboot the fantasy franchise The NeverEnding Story. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new film would "examine the more nuanced details of the book [by Michael Ende] that were glossed over in the first pic." DiCaprio's Appain Way is also working on a live-action version of 1988's Akira.

Jerry Seinfeld doing marriage-themed reality show for NBC

Jerry Seinfeld is reuniting with NBC for his first full-time TV project since his sitcom went off the air in 1998. Seinfeld is partnering with The Oprah Winfrey Show's Ellen Rakieten to launch The Marriage Ref, a reality series featuring celebrities, comedians, and athletes who will judge couples in the midst of marital disputes while recommending various strategies to resolve their problems, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "This is not a therapy show, it's a comedy show," Seinfeld told Variety. "After nine years of marriage, I have discovered that the comedic potential of this subject is quite rich."

Seinfeld will serve as executive producer and creator, though it seems quite possible he'll also appear on-screen from time to time alongside celebrity guests. NBC has ordered six one-hour episodes, set to air this fall.