I'm calling it now. Summer 2013 will be the summer of Dean Norris. Or that's just my enthusiasm for the man's talent talking. Between the remaining eight episodes of Breaking Bad and the premiere of the Under the Dome adaptation, there will be no shortage of Norris on our TV screens. Those of us familiar with Breaking Bad and Under the Dome should be well aware of the contrast between Norris' characters. In Breaking Bad, he's a DEA agent, who was once a bit puffed up but has been knocked down a peg or two, due in large part to mishaps during his search for the infamous meth-maker Heisenberg. Norris' Under the Dome character's motives are a bit more sinister. Suffice to say, Big Jim isn't the hero of this piece, so if you're thinking he looks like he's up to no good in the above still, you're probably not that far off.
The photo above is one of three new images to make their way online and give us just a bit more to look at from this small-screen adaptation of King's book. Under the Dome's plot is pretty self-explanatory on the surface, as it centers on a small town that finds itself encapsulated under a big dome. But as is the case with all of King's novels, there's a bit more to the story than that. King has a tendency to use major events and horrific circumstances to explore human nature, good and evil and that deliciously intriguing gray area where tragedies and miracles can happen and make-believe thrives. In Under the Dome, Rennie's the big man on the figurative campus that is Chester's Mill. He's not in charge of everything… but he kind of is. And things happen when he's pulling strings.
Julia Shumway is the local media. Rachelle Lefevre plays her in the adaptation, and here she is looking stunning, as all small-town news reporters surely do.
I've commented on Lefevre seeming a bit on the young side for this role already, which isn't so much a complaint as it is an observation. At the very least, she's a bit more age-appropriate for her soon-to-be ally, Dale "Barbie" Barbara, which may play a bit better for TV, depending on how the duo are portrayed in the adaptation.
Next up, we have this photo, which shows us Linda (Natalie Martinez), Joe (Colin Ford), Sheriff Perkins (Jeff Fahey) and Barbie (Mike Vogel).
Judging by the fiery debris on the ground (and one particular character featured), I'm going to guess this is right around when the dome touched down and people are trying to figure out what's going on amidst the devastation the mysterious bubble has caused. Of course, "figuring out what's going on" becomes sort of a recurring theme in this story, so that's no major spoiler.
These photos follow some previously released trailers, as well as the reveal that we should expect a nod to The Simpsons movie, which shared a similar dome-theme.
Under the Dome premieres Monday, June 24 at 10:00 p.m. Et on CBS.
