Sci-Fi Storm

Syfy today announced that Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (24), David Hewlett (Stargate Atlantis) and Ian Tracey (Wayward Pines) have joined the cast of the channel’s new futuristic espionage thriller pilot Incorporated from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Pearl Street Films, CBS Television Studios and Universal Cable Productions.

Set in a world where companies have unlimited power, executive Ben Larson (Sean Teale, Reign) is forced to change his identity in order to infiltrate a cut-throat corporate world at SPIGA and save the woman he loves. In the process, he will take on the entire system — with deadly consequences.

Dennis Haysbert plays series regular Julian, Head of Security and probably the most feared person at SPIGA headquarters. Part detective and part grand inquisitor, Julian is a tenacious investigator with an uncanny ability to sniff out moles and traitors in the company. Haysbert’s numerous credits include Major League, The Unit, Absolute Power, Jarhead and Ted 2.

David Hewlett has joined the cast of the pilot as Chad, a high-level executive at SPIGA, the all-powerful company in Incorporated, who has reached his position by appeasing his superiors and taking credit for the achievements of his subordinates. Hewlett has appeared in SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, Dark Matter and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Ian Tracey has joined the cast of the pilot as Terrence, a corrupt businessman who quickly becomes a benefactor to Theo (Eddie Ramos, Parenthood), but could also become a threat to Ben’s plans for SPIGA. Tracey has starred in Intelligence, Rogue and Bates Motel.

The pilot will also star Georgina Haig (Once Upon a Time), Eddie Ramos (Teen Wolf) and Julia Ormond (Mad Men).

Incorporated is created by David and Alex Pastor (Selfless, The Last Days), who wrote and will direct the pilot. Ted Humphrey (The Good Wife) will serve as executive producer/showrunner, with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Todd also executive producing. Pearl Street Film’s Margaret Chernin will serve as associate producer.

Actress Yvonne Craig, best known for her pioneering role of Batgirl in the original Batman TV series, died on Monday in her home at the age of 78 after a two year long battle with breast cancer.

Craig’s foray into acting came quite accidentally. While working as a dancer, she had dinner with a producer who wanted to get her into films, but she was uninterested. But another man passed by her table and asked if she was an actress. The producer said, “Yes she is, and I’m her manager…” The man was Patrick Ford, the son of director John Ford, and was looking for a new leading lady to star opposite Patrick Wayne (John Wayne’s son) in The Young Land. And thus the dancer became the actress.

But it was when ABC wanted them to add the Batgirl character to Batman‘s third season that she was forever enshrined in genre fan’s memories. The purple-suited, motorcycle-riding female superhero (one of the first such live action roles), who’s real identity was a mystery even to Batman himself but was in reality Commissioner Gordon’s daughter Barbara, the librarian, helped ABC’s decision to pick up the show for a third (and final) season.

Star Trek fans will also remember Craig as the beautiful (but insane) green-skinned Orion slave girl Marta in the episode “Whom Gods Destroy”.

Private services are planned but not set. Her family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the cancer research and treatment center, the Angeles Clinic Foundation.