LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our signature "Devwatch" section. There visitors can view our listings by network, genre, studio and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!
AN AMERICAN EDUCATION (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Alex Gregory, Ben Cavey, Jack Whitehall & Peter Huyck; D: TBA) - Oscar-nominee Rosie Perez (Fearless) has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about British transplant Alfie Wickers (Jack Whitehall), an unorthodox young teacher in the San Diego public school system. She'll play Rita Gomez, "the school's hard-assed Vice Principal, a terrifying force that grew up in a bad neighborhood who intimidates Alfie by her no-nonsense, bullish, self-righteous, by-the-numbers approach to ruling the school, or how she sees it, her kingdom." Said effort is based on the BBC Three series "Bad Education." (Deadline.com)
BRADDOCK & JACKSON (FX/Lionsgate; W: Bob Boyett & Robert Horn; D: TBA) - Telma Hopkins ("Are We There Yet?") has joined the cast of the comedy series, about two Chicago lawyers - Pete Braddock (Kelsey Grammer) and Phillip Jackson (Martin Lawrence) - from vastly different backgrounds who unexpectedly meet in court on the worst day of their lives. Brought together by fate and greed, they develop a partnership and friendship, forcing each other to find the balance between the ethical and the unscrupulous in both their professional and personal lives. She'll play Ruth Jackson, the outspoken mother to Lawrence's character, who "has lived with him through his 22-year marriage and continues to do so following his recent separation from his wife." Also starring are Daniele Watts, Edi Patterson and McKaley Miller. (THR.com)
GRACEPOINT (FOX; W: Chris Chibnall; D: James Strong) - Kevin Zegers ("Titanic: Blood and Steel") has been cast in the upcoming event series, a gripping crime drama which follows the tragic and mysterious death of a young boy found dead on an idyllic beach surrounded by rocks and a jutting cliff-face, from where he may have fallen. He will play Owen Burke, "a handsome, clever and extremely laid back young reporter on the local town newspaper. With the arrival of a big city journalist, his dormant ambitions are awakened - getting both himself and his aunt Ellie (Anna Gunn) in big trouble." David Tennant, Jacki Weaver, Kevin Rankin and Virginia Kull also star. (Deadline.com)
PUBLIC MORALS (TNT; W/D: Ed Burns) - Wass Stevens ("House of Cards") has joined the Ed Burns-led drama pilot, about "the Public Morals Division in New York City circa 1967, where cops walk the line between morality and criminality as the temptations that come from dealing with all kinds of vices can get the best of them." Stevens will play Vince Latucci, "a tough and mean senior on the force, who grew up on the streets of Little Italy. He looks more like a wise guy than a cop and is partnered with the yet-to-be cast Shea." (THR.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Jonas Pate has been tapped as the latest showrunner for NBC's "Believe," where he'll succeed Dave Erickson who in turn replaced co-creator Mark Friedman (Deadline.com); Dominic Adams has joined the cast of "Devious Maids" as Tony, "a dark, handsome and athletic bodyguard/chauffeur who is ex-Special Forces" (Deadline.com); "Good Will Hunting" and "Flirting With Disaster" are among the latest titles Miramax and The Weinstein Company are mulling as potential TV series (Deadline.com);
Amy Gumenick will recur on AMC's "Turn" as Philomena, "who is quite taken with British Spymaster John Andre (JJ Feild) and is recruited by him for some undercover work of her own" (Deadline.com); Linda Cardellini has been cast as Abby, the out-of-control sister of Jess (Zooey Deschanel), on "New Girl" (EW.com); and Jane Seymour, Ed Asner and Alanna Masterson are among the faces bound for the new season of "Men at Work" (TVGuide.com).
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