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[06/13/08 - 05:14 PM]
Development Update: Friday, June 13
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!
24 (FOX) - Jon Voight has been tapped for his first series role in nearly 40 years. He'll play the show's seventh season "big bad" that's introduced in the upcoming prequel event and subsequently turns up later in the actual season. Details about his character however remain under wraps. Production is underway in South Africa on the prequel, which is set to air on November 23. Voight's last TV series role was a three-episode arc on "Gunsmoke" in the late 1960s.
FOURPLAY (ABC) - Ayda Field ("Back to You") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about two men - Derek (Josh Cooke), who is straight, and Drew (Alan Tudyk), who is gay - who are lifelong best friends and business partners. She'll take over for Sarah Lafleur as Audrey, Derek's stylish but emotionally messy girlfriend. Said recasting was made following the pilot's table read. It's understood Lafleur will move onto another ABC project as a result of her talent deal with the network. Rizwan Manji and fellow "Back to You" alum Ty Burrell also star in the half-hour, which comes from Warner Bros. Television and co-creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick.
LAPD (NBC, New!) - John Wells has booked his first post-"ER" project, a drama centering on the Los Angeles Police Department. "ER" veteran Christopher Chulack is set to direct the project - which has a put pilot commitment from the network - from a script by feature writer Ann Biderman ("Primal Fear"). Wells, Biderman and Chulack then will executive produce via Wells's Warner Bros. Television-based banner.
SIT DOWN, SHUT UP (FOX) - The writers of the upcoming animated series have walked off the show in pursuit of WGA representation. Said event was reportedly the result of Sony Pictures Television informing them they were covered by the Writers Guild when if fact they had made arrangements with another union, IATSE. The news marks the latest spat over which union should cover primetime animation. Under IATSE, writers do not receive get new-media revenues or residuals of any kind - a key strike point for the WGA earlier this year. Nevertheless with Sony's animation division, Adelaide Productions, having a deal with the IATSE in place for the past 10 years, industry insiders suggest the "Sit Down" staff doesn't have much leverage. Nevertheless their rallying cry is that all the other FOX-aired/20th Century Fox Television-produced animated shows fall under the WGA umbrella. ("Sit Down" is a co-production with 20th however Sony is the production lead.) It's not clear how long production will be delayed on the series, which is being targeted for midseason, as the result of the walkout.
UNTITLED OFFICE SPIN-OFF PROJECT (NBC) - Aziz Ansari (MTV's "Human Giant") is the first to be cast on the much-ballyhooed spin-off. No details about his character however were released other than he'll be part of a larger ensemble. Greg Daniels and Michael Schur are shepherding the project, which remains a hot topic of speculation. It's not clear if any of the parent show's characters will be part of the spin-off or if the sibling characters will initially be planted in the mothership before heading to the new show. In any case, Ansari has inked a one-year talent deal with producer Universal Media Studios as part of his involvement while Tucker Cawley, Dan Goor, Paul Feig, Charlie Grandy and Alan Yang have been tapped to be part of the writing staff. And separately, "Office" alum Rashida Jones has likewise inked a talent holding deal with the studio - leading many to speculate about her involvement with the show - while Paul Lieberstein, who doubles as Toby on the show, has been upped to executive producer on "The Office" proper.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[06/19/26 - 06:01 AM]
New Updates on Three Upcoming Netflix Anime Titles Revealed at MAPPA's 15th Anniversary Presentation
"Jimoto Saiko!" (wt) and "Beat & Motion" will join the previously announced third season of "Ranma1/2."
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[06/19/26 - 05:01 AM]
Netflix Announces Two New Samay Raina Titles: "India's Got Latent" Season 2 and an All-New Comedy Special in the Works
Raina's all-new comedy special, exclusive to Netflix, which is currently in development, will showcase Samay's signature observational humor, sharp storytelling, and unique perspective that have made him one of the most influential voices in contemporary Indian comedy.
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[06/18/26 - 03:01 PM]
"Bet" Season 2 Sets Additional Cast and Starts Production in Toronto
Season 1 reached the global top 10 on Netflix in 77 countries and spent three weeks on the list with over 10 million views during that time.
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[06/18/26 - 03:00 PM]
AMC Global Media's Critically Acclaimed Drama, "The Audacity," Commences Season 2 Production
Production of the eight-episode second season is underway in Vancouver, Canada, with the series returning to AMC and AMC+ in 2027.
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[06/18/26 - 02:47 PM]
Stars Shine Bright on FOX as Strong FIFA World Cup 2026 Viewership Continues
9,082,000 viewers witnessed Lionel Messi's hat trick with Argentina defeating Algeria 3-0 Tuesday on FOX.
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[06/18/26 - 02:34 PM]
UFC Freedom 250 Reaches 17M Total Viewers in U.S. and Latin America on Paramount+
Since the beginning of the year, 16 million subscriber households have watched more than 180 million hours of UFC programming on Paramount+ - delivering viewership more than 20x the average pay-per-view event over the past two years.
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[06/18/26 - 01:56 PM]
"Rulers of Fortune": Netflix Gathers Cast to Celebrate the Start of Season 2 Production
Season 1 was a massive success, reaching Netflix's Global Top 10 and spending six weeks among the platform's most-watched non-English-language titles worldwide.
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[06/18/26 - 12:30 PM]
Wonder Project Unveils First-Ever Line-Up of Six Stand-Up Comedy Specials - "Wonder Presents: The Stand-Ups" - Beginning July 2
From award-winning comedy studio, New Metric Media, each of the six specials will debut weekly, starring comedians Caroline Rhea, K. Trevor Wilson, Sterling Scott, Ola Dada, Zabrina Douglas, and Erica Sigurdson.
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[06/18/26 - 12:05 PM]
Lacey Chabert Brings a Beloved Romantic Story to Life in the Limited Series "Paris Is Always a Good Idea," Premiering Thursday, July 30 Exclusively on Hallmark+
Based on the bestselling novel by Jenn McKinlay, the six-episode globe-trotting romance takes viewers on a heartfelt journey through Paris, Ireland and Spain filled with love, self-discovery and second chances.
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[06/18/26 - 11:11 AM]
Prime Video Announces Season Three of "Fallout" Adds Emily Mortimer, Manny Jacinto, and Thomasin McKenzie to Cast
The critically acclaimed global hit series, from Kilter Films, returns to Los Angeles this month to begin filming season three.
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[06/18/26 - 11:01 AM]
Apple Original Films to Bring Beloved Children's Book "Little Santa" to the Screen
How did Santa become Santa? The answer is in the evergreen musical comedy adventure, "Little Santa."
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[06/18/26 - 11:00 AM]
FOX Creator Studios Expands Roster with New Wave of Creator Partners, Original Formats and Premium IP
Now joining the FCS roster, which already ranges from culinary icon Gordon Ramsay to renowned comedian Tom Segura, are popular creators including Josh Richards, Emelia Hartford, Speeed Co, Sorted Food, MyHealthyDish, Mad Realities, and Christina Richardson.
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[06/18/26 - 10:31 AM]
Netflix's "The God of the Woods" Rounds Out Cast with Tracy Letts, John Gallagher Jr. Lola Kirke, Colton Ryan and More
The multi-generational drama series explores the Van Laar family's dark secrets, class tensions, and the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of 13 year old Barbara Van Laar from her family's summer camp - in the wake of an earlier family tragedy that may be related.
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[06/18/26 - 10:31 AM]
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" Announces a Strong Lineup of Summer Guest Hosts
Tiffany Haddish will lead things off, hosting the week of July 6, followed throughout the summer by Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Colman Domingo and Jelly Roll.
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[06/18/26 - 10:12 AM]
Missing Woman, Endless Questions: David Morrissey Stars in "Gone" - BritBox's Latest Gripping Crime Thriller
Packed with twists and emotional stakes, the series premieres July 23 on BritBox.
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