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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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[07/11/25 - 12:45 PM]
ABC Concludes September to May Season with Top Five Shows Among Adults 18-49 Including "High Potential," "Abbott Elementary," "The Rookie," "Shifting Gears" and "9-1-1"
Continuing to lead among broadcast series, ABC's "High Potential" stood as the No. 1 new drama among Total Viewers (16.41 million) and No. 1 new show among Adults 18-49 (3.85 rating).
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[07/11/25 - 11:28 AM]
"Big Brother: Summer of Mystery" Premiere Up +10% from Last Summer
Last night, season 27 premiered to nearly 3 million viewers.
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[07/11/25 - 10:01 AM]
FX's "Alien: Earth" Takes Fandom to New Heights with Premium Exclusive Content Including a Companion Podcast and Innovative Immersive Experiences
"Alien: Earth," a new drama series from Noah Hawley inspired by the acclaimed feature film franchise, will premiere on Tuesday, August 12.
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[07/11/25 - 10:01 AM]
CBS Unveils Fall Primetime Premiere Dates for the 2025-2026 Season
Highlights include an early return for "Watson" on Monday, October 13 in place of the previously announced "FBI" spin-off "CIA."
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[07/11/25 - 10:00 AM]
The "Outlander" Universe Expands in Hall H, as Starz Returns to San Diego Comic-Con
Look for can't miss panels for "Outlander" and "Outlander: Blood of my Blood" in Hall H on Friday, July 25 and an in-depth preview of the newest saga in the Spartacus franchise, "Spartacus: House of Ashur" on Saturday, July 26 in the Indigo Ballroom.
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[07/11/25 - 10:00 AM]
Adult Swim Returns to San Diego Comic-Con with "Pirate Purrrty on the Green," Must-See Panel Events, and Exclusive First Looks and Giveaways
Adult Swim will bring its famed pirate ship outside the San Diego Convention Center (5th Avenue Landing and Convention Way), this time with a feline twist!
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[07/11/25 - 09:01 AM]
HBO Max to Host Fan Experiences for Upcoming Seasons of "Peacemaker" and "It: Welcome to Derry" in San Diego
The festivities include a panel in Hall H, where showrunner/writer/director and Co-Head of DC Studios James Gunn and the cast of "Peacemaker" will share new details about the upcoming season and premiere the global trailer for season two.
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[07/11/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" - Official Trailer - HBO Max
There's always a message in the music.
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[07/11/25 - 06:00 AM]
"Love Island (UK)" 10th Anniversary Special Date Announcement
The special premieres in the US on Friday, July 11.
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[07/11/25 - 02:01 AM]
Netflix Will Release "Death Inc." Seasons 1, 2 and 3
The series is a comedy centered around a family-run funeral home and the relationships between the eccentric characters who inhabit it.
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[07/11/25 - 12:01 AM]
"Too Hot to Handle: Italy" Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix
A special guest will guide the contestants in the first Italian edition of the reality show.
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[07/10/25 - 07:01 PM]
Video: "The Winning Try" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After his career fell apart, a disgraced rugby star finds purpose coaching his old school's team - driving them and himself toward growth and redemption.
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[07/10/25 - 07:01 PM]
Video: "The Nice Guy" - Teaser Trailer #3 - Disney+
He wants out for good. But the past comes with strings.
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[07/10/25 - 05:03 PM]
Meagan Good Returns to Lifetime to Executive Produce and Star in the Alluring New Thriller "I'll Never Let You Go" Alongside Antonio Cupo and Thomas Cadrot, Premiering August 16 on Lifetime
Good stars as Emily Westover, a poised and successful art gallery director whose life takes a dark turn after a brief, impulsive affair with a magnetic Italian artist, Carlo (Cupo).
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[07/10/25 - 12:01 PM]
"Virgin River" Is Returning for Season 8
"On behalf of myself and the whole 'Virgin River' family, we're eternally grateful to Netflix and to the fans for allowing us to continue on this journey with these beloved characters," said showrunner Patrick Sean Smith.
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