Jackson in for sci-fi 'Fringe'

By Nellie Andreeva

Feb 8, 2008, ET

"Dawson's Creek" alum Joshua Jackson is returning to television as the male lead in "Fringe," Fox's high-profile sci-fi drama from J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

The two-hour $10 million pilot, directed by Alex Graves, centers on FBI agent Olivia Warren (Anna Torv) who teams with Peter Bishop (Jackson) and his estranged father, institutionalized scientist Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), to confront the spread of unexplained phenomena.

Jackson was the producers' early choice for the role of Peter Bishop, a high-school dropout with an IQ of 190, and a misfit who is scrambling to erase a gambling debt.

Filming on the Warner Bros. TV/Bad Robot-produced "Fringe" is under way in Toronto. The pilot's cast also includes Blair Brown, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo and Jasika Nicole.

Jackson and Abrams previously crossed paths at WB Network, where "Dawson's" and Abrams' "Felicity" launched in 1998 and helped establish the fledgling network.

Jackson, recently seen in "Bobby," next stars in Fox's "Shutter," which opens March 22.

He is repped by WMA, Waterstreet and attorney Steve Warren.

Jackson in for sci-fi 'Fringe'

By Nellie Andreeva

Feb 8, 2008, ET