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[05/01/14 - 11:28 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, May 1
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
BESSIE (HBO, New!) - Queen Latifah is set to play iconic blues singer Bessie Smith in a proposed biopic at the pay channel, which "chronicles how Smith overcame her tempestuous personal life to become one of the most acclaimed performing and recording artists of the 1920s and '30s, earning the nickname Empress of the Blues." Dee Rees (Pariah) wrote and will direct the project, which is based on the biography "Bessie" written by Chris Albertson. Latifah will also executive produce alongside Shakim Compere, Lili Fini Zanuck, Richard Zanuck, Shelby Stone and Randi Michel with Hallie Foote as co-executive producer and Ron Schmidt as producer for Flavor Unit Entertainment and the Zanuck Company. (Deadline.com)
DIG (USA/UCP; W: Gideon Raff & Tim Kring; D: S.J. Clarkson) - Regina Taylor and Omar Metwally have both booked roles on the event series, about an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem (Jason Isaacs) who, while investigating a murder of a young female archeologist, uncovers a conspiracy 2000 years in the making. She'll play Ruth Ridell, "the U.S. ambassador to Israel who has little time for problems that Peter creates for her with the local authorities"; while he's set as Yussef Khalid, "an American who disappeared after being accused of murder." Alison Loren Sudol, Anne Heche and David Costabile also star. (THR.com)
HOW AND WHY (FX/FXP; W/D: Charlie Kaufman) - Marcella Plunkett (Dark Touch) has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, the story of a man, Goodman Hesselman (John Hawkes), who can explain how and why a nuclear reactor works, but is clueless about life. She'll play two roles, "Cynthia, a photographer at Goodman's new TV station in Murfreesboro, and Magda, Mendelson's (Michael Cera) secretary, whose day is spent in a cramped, tiny room, not much bigger than her desk." Sally Hawkins and Catherine Keener also star. (Deadline.com)
UNSTRUNG (ABC Family; W: Emily Whitesell; D: TBA) - Chanel Celaya and Sofia Mattsson are the first to be cast in the drama pilot, which explores the sexy, cutthroat, and emotional stakes of the professional world tour of tennis as brother and sister Luke and Ellie Holt compete to move up the ranks. Celaya will play the aforementioned Ellie, "an athletic, spunky beauty with great talent but not-so-great discipline"; with Mattsson as Ninotchka Andropov, "a diva ranked 3rd in the world but first in looks." (THR.com)
UNTITLED ANDY ST. CLAIR/PAUL O'TOOLE PROJECT (MTV, New!) - Andy St. Clair and Paul O'Toole have scored a cast-contingent pilot order from the network for a new comedy about "22-year-old Andy, who after he catches his girlfriend cheating, accidentally rear-ends a celebrity. Taking pity on Andy, the celebrity takes it upon himself to teach him how to man up." Odenkirk Provissiero's Marc Provissiero will executive produce the project with St. Clair and O'Toole serving as co-executive producers. (THR.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Brian Percival has bowed out of helming the AMC drama pilot "Knifeman" for personal reasons (Deadline.com); "Nashville" executive producer R.J. Cutler has signed a first-look development deal with CBS Television Studios for scripted projects, ending his run at Lionsgate Television (Deadline.com); Kristin Chenoweth has been cast as Maleficent in Disney Channel's "Descendants," "who butts horns with her daughter Mal (Dove Cameron)" (Deadline.com); Nestor Serrano and Brit Morgan will both recur on the new season of "Graceland" (TVLine.com); and Tyler Hilton is bound for the upcoming CBS drama "Extant" as "the chief coder on the Humanichs Project at the center of the story" (THR.com).
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[02/28/25 - 03:35 PM]
NBC Records Its Most-Watched Sunday of Entertainment Series Programming in Nearly Six Years
Including NBC, Peacock and the NBCUniversal cable networks - Bravo, E!, Syfy, USA and CNBC - the premiere episode of "The Americas" amassed 6.7 million viewers (L3) and stands as the most-watched nature documentary on linear television in more than 15 years.
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[02/28/25 - 01:31 PM]
Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for "Side Quest," New "Mythic Quest" Expansion Series
Set to premiere globally on Wednesday, March 26 on Apple TV+, all four episodes of "Side Quest" will debut alongside the season four finale of "Mythic Quest."
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[02/28/25 - 01:00 PM]
ABC News Announces Special Coverage of President Donald J. Trump's Address to the Joint Session of Congress and the Democratic Response on ABC, ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu
"World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir will lead comprehensive coverage, including previewing remarks, reporting on the highlights and providing analysis following the speeches.
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[02/28/25 - 12:45 PM]
HBO Inks Two-Year First-Look Deal with Sharon Horgan and Merman, Orders New Original Comedy Series
HBO has also given a straight-to-series order for a new original comedy series, the first project under this deal, from Horgan and produced by Merman, with Horgan serving as writer, star, and executive producer.
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[02/28/25 - 12:32 PM]
Hulu Celebrates Oscar-Nominated Films
"A Real Pain," "Alien: Romulus," "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," and "Sugarcane" are already available to stream while "Anora" is due on Monday, March 17.
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[02/28/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "The Parenting" - Official Trailer - Max
There is something really bad happening in this house...
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[02/28/25 - 09:09 AM]
A&E Announces the Return of "Accused: Guilty or Innocent?" Followed by the Premiere of New Series "Accused: Did I Do It?
Unlike the original series, "Accused: Did I Do It?" will focus on cases that have already been fully adjudicated, following the high-stakes stories of individuals who stood trial and are facing charges for serious offenses such as first-degree murder, manslaughter, domestic terrorism, and aggravated assault.
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[02/28/25 - 08:53 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights New Unscripted Series "A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush" from Vice Studios
Each one-hour episode will follow along during the most high-stakes time in a college-bound girl's life, Sorority Rush.
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[02/28/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" - Season 7 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Familiar faces make a comeback, team stalwarts defect to arch rivals, and new champions emerge in one of Formula One's most tumultuous seasons yet.
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[02/28/25 - 07:32 AM]
"Agatha Christie's Towards Zero" Starring Anjelica Huston and Matthew Rhys Premieres April 16
The series, led by Anjelica Huston and Matthew Rhys, features a stellar ensemble cast including Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ella Lily Hyland, Mimi Keene, Anjana Vasan and Clarke Peters.
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[02/28/25 - 07:05 AM]
"First to the Finish" - a New Docuseries Focused on the Relentless Pursuit of the MX-5 Cup Championship - Will Premiere March 25 on Prime Video
This high-stakes docuseries takes viewers inside the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship for the triumphs and challenges that go along with getting started in racing, as seen through the unique prism of three inspiring protagonists - two drivers and a team owner.
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[02/28/25 - 05:31 AM]
Paramount+ Reveals First-Look Photos for "MobLand" - Guy Ritchie's New Global Crime Series Set to Premiere on Sunday, March 30
The series stars Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan as the head of an organized crime family, fighting for power within a global crime syndicate.
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[02/27/25 - 12:01 PM]
Sharon Stone Joins the Cast of "Euphoria" Season 3
"There is little more exciting than going to work with this team of thrilling talent," said Stone. "From the genius of Sam Levinson to the raw sophistication of this profoundly moving cast and tight crew. I am honored to be Euphoric."
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[02/27/25 - 11:57 AM]
Discovery Channel March Programming Highlights
The previously announced "Filthy Fortunes" and "Naked and Afraid" will be joined by the new special "Constables on Patrol."
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[02/27/25 - 11:06 AM]
A&E Announces New Series "Stadium Lockup" Following Law Enforcement & Security Teams at the Cleveland Browns Stadium in Ohio
With so much excitement comes plenty of action and the security team must stay on high alert as rule breaking and bad behavior won't be tolerated.
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