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[05/18/07 - 05:15 PM]
Development Update: Week of May 14-18
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!
THE ANATOMY OF HOPE (A.K.A. UNTITLED TOM SCHULMAN/RAFAEL YGLESIAS PROJECT) (HBO) - Chris Messina, John Ortiz, Simon Callow, Valerie Pettiford, Matt Craven, Deepti Daryanani, Daryl Edwards, Diego Klattenhoff, Kerry Condon and Sarah Knowlton have all been cast in the pilot, a hospital drama that explores cancer battles from the patients' point of view. In addition, executive producer J.J. Abrams has confirmed he'll direct the hour from a script by Tom Schulman and Rafael Yglesias. As for specifics, Messina will play an oncologist who goes between being overly friendly and aloof; Ortiz will play a recent cancer survivor; Callow is set as one of the top oncologists in the U.S.; Pettiford is playing a terminally ill cancer patient; Craven will play a hyper guy who may have prostate cancer; Edwards will play a patient with advanced cancer; Klattenhoff is playing a recently engaged young man with bone cancer in his leg with Condon as his fiancee; Daryanani is set as a beautiful young doctor; and Knowlton will play a nurse who runs the chemo ward. Abrams, Schulman and Yglesias then are executive producing alongside Bad Robot's Bryan Burk via the company's overall deal with Warner Bros. Television.
BIG LOVE (HBO) - The pay channel has commissioned a trio of three-to-five minute mini-episodes of the series collectively dubbed "Big Love: In the Beginning." All three installments will feature the regular cast and crew as well as fill in various elements of the backstory of the Henricksons. The first, "Post-Partum," is set five years ago when Bill's wife Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) suffers a breakdown after her child is born; the second "Meet the Babysitter," takes place three years ago when youngest wife Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) comes into the picture; and the last, "Moving Day," focuses on an incident set a little over a year ago when the family considers a move to the suburbs. HBO on Demand subscribers will have access to the episodes starting Monday, June 4 before they're actually broadcast on the channel itself on Sunday, June 24 at 7:45/6:45c.
FAMILY MAN (TNT, New!) - William H. Macy ("The Wool Cap") has been tapped to star in a potential new drama series for the cable channel, about a man who organizes charity drives by day and cracks the safes of major corporations by night. Macy himself will co-write the script with longtime collaborator Steven Schachter (who will also direct) as well as executive produce alongside Craig Zadan and Neil Meron via their Sony Pictures Television-based Storyline Entertainment. As for specifics, it's understood the story will be told with the use of flash forwards, with Macy's character seen in prison in the future.
JOURNEYMAN (NBC) - Alex Graves, who helmed the drama pilot to the series, has inked a one-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. The pact calls for Graves to continue on as an executive producer for the first 13 episodes of the project as well as develop new series projects for the studio.
JUDGMENT DAY (Lifetime) - Graham Norton ("The Graham Norton Show") has been tapped to host the pilot, which is described as an in-studio popularity contest where seven women are voted off one by one by a female audience based on how they handle a series of questions and challenges, demonstrating how people all too often judge a book by its cover. Production on the hourlong project, from Simon Andreae ("Ebaum's World") and Fox Television Studios, is set to begin next month in Los Angeles.
MR. & MRS. SMITH (ABC) - Regency Television reportedly is set to begin shopping the pilot to other networks as early as next week. The project, which was co-produced by Doug Liman's Dutch Oven banner, didn't make the cut for ABC's 2007-2008 schedule this week. It's understood creator Simon Kinberg and co-stars Jordana Brewster and Martin Henderson are all still attached to the pilot, however no option length was given.
UGLY BETTY (ABC) - Executive producers Salma Hayek and Jose Tamez have signed a new two-year overall deal with the show's producer ABC Studios. The pact sets up their Ventanarosa Productions at the studio where they'll develop new series projects as well as continue with their duties on "Betty."
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[06/13/25 - 11:00 AM]
Nick Cannon to Host Season Six of FOX's Bricktastic Competition Series "LEGO Masters"
Season six will air on FOX during the 2025-26 season.
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[06/13/25 - 10:01 AM]
Scripps Reaches Multi-Year Agreement with the WNBA to Continue Friday Night Games on ION
This season, ION is broadcasting the most regular season games, 50 in total, as part of its WNBA Friday Night Spotlight series.
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[06/13/25 - 09:31 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "The Woman in the Yard" Beginning June 27
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Sam Stefanak, the film stars Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Peyton Jackson and Russell Hornsby.
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[06/13/25 - 09:00 AM]
"A Minecraft Movie" Begins Streaming Exclusively on Max June 20
Starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, the film, directed by Jared Hess, is the first-ever big screen, live-action adaptation of Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time.
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[06/13/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Rivalry Ignites in the Music Video for New Single "Don't Mess with Us" from "Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires"
The latest installment of the music-fueled franchise premieres Thursday, July 10 at 7 p.m. EDT/PDT on Disney Channel and streams the next day, Friday, July 11, on Disney+ and Disney Channel On Demand.
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[06/13/25 - 08:28 AM]
Peacock Reveals New All-Star Cast for Season 4 of Emmy Award-Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors"
Peacock's Emmy Award-winning competition reality series The Traitors will return for a fourth season with an all-new lineup of pop-culture powerhouses, hosted once again by the devastatingly witty Emmy Award winner Alan Cumming who also serves as executive producer.
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[06/13/25 - 08:16 AM]
Prime Video Announces Jay Baruchel, Sydelle Noel, AGNEZ MO, Anggun, Kevin Weisman, Marc Blucas, Kevin Corrigan, and Kathleen Robertson Will Join Star Alan Ritchson for "Reacher" Season Four
The fourth season of the action-packed drama series starring Alan Ritchson is based on the 13th book in Lee Child's global best-selling series, "Gone Tomorrow."
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[06/13/25 - 07:49 AM]
Starz Greenlights Propulsive Crime Drama "Fightland"
The high-octane scripted drama is set in the cutthroat, high-stakes, cash-rich, world of British boxing.
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[06/13/25 - 06:00 AM]
"Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League" Streams Exclusively on Max on July 3
A sequel to the globally celebrated 2018 anime film "Batman Ninja," this original feature once again reimagines DC's legendary Dark Knight through the lens of Japanese anime, blending iconic characters with bold storytelling and visually stunning animation.
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[06/13/25 - 06:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Unveils Teaser Trailer for "Hotel Costiera," the New Original Series Starring Jesse Williams, Launching September 24
Filmed in Italy, "Hotel Costiera" is a clever action-drama directed by Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein and by Giacomo Martelli.
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[06/12/25 - 03:50 PM]
CBS Program Advisory: "A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys"
To honor the life of Brian Wilson, the late visionary leader of the Beach Boys, the two-hour special will rebroadcast this Sunday, June 15 at 9:00/8:00c.
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[06/12/25 - 02:00 PM]
Adult Swim Reveals New and Returning Series and a Forthcoming Special Featuring Top Industry Creators at Annecy International Animation Film Festival
Adult Swim also announced that the new quarter-hour comedy "Women Wearing Shoulder Pads" will premiere globally beginning Sunday, August 17 at midnight ET/PT.
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[06/12/25 - 12:43 PM]
Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe Developing "Hit Squad" Animated Series Based on Gerry Anderson's Imaginative and Groundbreaking World
Set in 1990s London, the series follows an international team of talented spies hellbent on putting death before dishonour as they battle the murky world of hidden foes and dangerous villains.
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[06/12/25 - 12:01 PM]
The History Channel and A+E Factual Studios Announce a Sweeping Nonfiction Event Series Building on the Legacy of History's Blockbuster Hit with "The Bible Revealed" (wt)
The 10-hour series represents a bold return to one of the network's most successful and influential properties, "The Bible," which remains one of the highest-rated titles ever for The History Channel.
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[06/12/25 - 12:00 PM]
We TV Unveils All-Star Lineup of Celebrity Guest Judges for Season 2 of "Deb's House"
This season, Ms. Deb will be backed by an all-star lineup of famed artists who know what it takes to make it to the top.
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