[09/02/11 - 11:02 PM] Development Update: Friday, September 2 By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)
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!
COMMUNITY (NBC) - Current "Fast and the Furious" franchise steward Justin Lin has inked a first-look deal with producer Sony Pictures Television. The pact gives the studio first crack at the director's development offerings as well as calls for him to direct a pilot during the upcoming development cycle. Lin has helmed three episodes of the Peacock series, who also comes from Sony. (Deadline.com)THE CORRECTIONS (HBO, New!) - Jonathan Franzen's bestselling novel, about "a Midwestern clan whose children have moved to the East Coast to begin a life of their own," is being developed as a drama at the pay channel. Noah Baumbach and Scott Rudin are spearheading the adaptation with Baumbach co-writing the script alongside Franzen. Rudin then will executive produce alongside the duo. (NYMag.com,Variety.com)MODERN LOVE (Lifetime) - Cara Buono, Ally Sheedy and Samantha Futerman have all joined the cast of the drama pilot, about newspaper science editor Simon McElvane (Eric Stoltz) as he faces a deteriorating marriage, the ramifications of potentially starting over and balancing his relationship with his adopted 15-year-old daughter. Futerman will play said daughter with Buono as "the ambitious Styles Editor at Simon's paper who is torn between her career and her family" and Sheedy as "the paper's ballsy and no-nonsense Assistant Managing Editor." Likewise landing roles are Alice Ripley as Simon's wife and Charlie Semine as a NYC fireman. Alan Poul is directing from a script by Jenny Bicks for BermanBraun and Sony Pictures Television. (Deadline.com)MUSKETEERS 3.0 (The CW, New!) - Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson have booked a potential drama at the netlet about "three outstanding but out-of-control New York detectives who meet their match when a sexy, young rookie is assigned to their team." Fontana penned the hour, which he'll executive produce alongside his The Levinson/Fontana Co. partner Levinson. Warner Bros. Television is producing. (Deadline.com)STORAGE WARS: DALLAS (A&E) - The cable channel has pushed the premiere of the "Storage Wars" spin-off by at least one week. A&E will instead air the franchise's one-hour "Unlocked: Sell High" special - a follow up to this week's "Unlocked: Buy Low" - on Wednesday, September 14 at 10:30/9:30c.
UNTITLED JOSH BERMAN/ROB WRIGHT PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Josh Berman and Rob Wright have booked a potential drama at the network about "a female doctor working for the mob." Said hour comes from Sony Pictures Television with Michael Dinner executive producing alongside the duo. (Variety.com)AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Erin Cummings has landed a three-episode arc on ABC's "Pan Am" as an airline executive's brassy, quirky fun mistress (EW.com); Katie Leclerc will turn up on "The Big Bang Theory's" fourth episode back as a deaf friend of Penny's who hits it off with Raj (EW.com); Chrishell Stause is bound for "Body of Proof" as a party planner whose boyfriend is the victim of a murder in the show's sixth episode (TVLine.com); Katie Cassidy will guest on FOX's "New Girl" as a love interest for Max Greenfield's Schmidt (EOnline.com); plus David Cross will turn up on "Modern Family" as a city councilman who goes toe-to-toe with Julie Bowen's Claire (THR.com).
