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[01/15/21 - 11:29 PM]
Development Update: Friday, January 15
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!


BLACK MAFIA FAMILY (Starz) - Michole Briana White, Ajiona Alexus, Eric Kofi-Abrefa and Myles Truitt are the latest bound for the upcoming drama series. White will play Lucille, "the strong-willed, dignified mother of Demetrius and Terry Flenory"; with Alexus as Kato, "the fierce and ambitious corner girl in Meech and Terry's crew"; Kofi-Abrefa as Lamar, "a cross between a serial killer and a court jester"; and Truitt as B-Mickie, "the third OG in Meech and Terry's drug crew." (Deadline.com)
CHI, THE (Showtime) - Luke James's Victor "Trig" Taylor is being promoted to regular for the series' fourth season. (Deadline.com)
DOOGIE KAMEĀLOHA, M.D. (Disney+) - Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman has been cast in the "Doogie Howser" reboot series as Charles, "a Midwest transplant to the islands. He is a fellow resident at the hospital where Lahela works and is part of the cool adult world that looks so awesome to her." (Variety.com)
I RUN HOT (Peacock) - Eliot Glazer and Colton Haynes are set to star in a pilot presentation at the streamer which "follows the unlikely friendship between Eliot (Eliot Glazer), a gay curmudgeon who never quite fit in with the community, and Colton (Haynes), a famous #instagay who can't help but exemplify it." Glazer is penning the project, which was originally set up at AMC, with his real-life sister Ilana Glazer directing. Both will executive produce alongside Pete Aronson for Radical Media, Universal Television and AMC Studios. Haynes will co-executive produce. (Variety.com)
KIM SPA (ABC, New!) - Peter Kim and Bobby Lee are attached to star in a multi-camera comedy at the Alphabet in which "a pragmatic young man (Kim) returns home to work with his brother (Lee) and their lovable group of misfit relatives after their father dies in the hot tub of their family-owned Korean spa." Kim is penning the semi-autobiographical project for CBS Studios with Artists First's Peter Principato, Brooke Shoemaker and Casey Neumeier as executive producers; Kim and Lee as co-executive producers; and Brian Gallivan supervising. (Deadline.com)
LAST OF US, THE (HBO) - Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov has signed on to helm the show's debut installment. He replaces Johan Renck, who had to drop out because of a scheduling conflict. (THR.com)
MOON KNIGHT (Disney+) - Ethan Hawke has been tapped to play the Marvel Studios series' lead villain. No other specifics were given about the role. Filming is being targeted to begin in March in Budapest. (THR.com)
NANCY DREW (The CW) - Director/co-executive producer Larry Teng has signed a new three-year overall deal with the show's producer CBS Studios where he'll develop new series projects and helm pilots for the company. (Deadline.com)
PROVIDENCE (Peacock, New!) - Sera Gamble and Neil Reynolds are set to team for a small screen take on Caroline Kepnes's novel of the same name, which "tells the story of 12-year-old Jon Bronson, who, ten years ago, vanished, along with five of his classmates. Reappearing as a grown man with no recollection of his adolescence, he attempts to re-enter life and to connect with his childhood crush, Chloe Sayers, who never lost hope that Jon was out there and would one day return. But unbeknownst to him, his time away has granted him - and the others that vanished - horrific supernatural abilities." Man Sewing Dinosaur, Berlanti Productions, Alloy Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television are all behind the hour with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo likewise executive producing. (Deadline.com)
REPUBLIC OF SARAH, THE (The CW) - Xander Berkeley will recur on the newcomer as Paul, "Sarah (Stella Baker) and Danny's (Luke Mitchell) father. Long absent from the lives of his family, Paul returns to Greylock in search of redemption for his past mistakes. Or so it seems. Brilliant but imperfect, Paul's innate distrust of authority - so that's who Sarah got it from - often causes him to act impulsively and selfishly." (Deadline.com)
SWAGGER (Apple TV+) - The Kevin Durant-produced basketball drama has cast Isaiah Hill as Jace, "a basketball phenomenon who is one of the top ranked youth basketball players in the country"; Shinelle Azoroh as Jenna, "Jace's mother who is determined to chart NBA success for her son"; Tristan Mack Wilds as Alonzo Powers, "the grassroots division leader at a major shoe company"; Caleel Harris as Musa, "the team's glue and point guard"; Tessa Ferrer as Meg Bailey, "a former basketball player and coach for the rival team"; Jason Rivera as Nick, "a player from Puerto Rico with the drive to become the best player in the country"; Solomon Irama as Phil Marksby, "the enforcer for a rival team"; Ozie Nzeribe as Royale, "a sub-par player with a wealthy dad"; and James Bingham as Drew Murphy, "a player from a much more affluent part of town." (Deadline.com)
VALENTINE (HBO, New!) - Elizabeth Wetmore's novel is being developed as a limited series at the pay channel by Jennifer Schuur. The book "begins on Valentine's Day, 1976 in the West Texas oilfield town of Odessa. It is told through a network of women whose lives all change when a 14-year-old Mexican girl is beaten and raped by a white oil-worker." Schuur will pen the project and executive produce alongside Wetmore and Ventanarosa Productions' Salma Hayek and Jose Tamez. (Deadline.com)
YOUNG ROCK (NBC) - Taj Cross and Lexie Duncan has both scored roles on the newcomer. Cross will play Gabe, "15-year-old Dwayne's (Bradley Constant) best friend and partner in crime. But unlike Dwayne, Gabe actually looks 15. He's enthusiastic, quick with an opinion, and ready for any adventure, although he prefers ones that involve cars, beers or girls." And Duncan is Karen, "a popular, charismatic, high-school girl with dreams of attending Barbizon beauty school. Constant's character catches her eye, and they begin dating in the idyllic town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania." (Deadline.com, Variety.com)





  [january 2021]  
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· BMF (STARZ)
· CHI, THE (SHOWTIME)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DOOGIE KAMEALOHA, M.D. (DISNEY PLUS)
· I RUN HOT (PEACOCK)
· KIM SPA (ABC)
· LAST OF US, THE (HBO)
· MOON KNIGHT (DISNEY PLUS)
· NANCY DREW (CW)
· PROVIDENCE (PEACOCK)
· REPUBLIC OF SARAH, THE (CW)
· SWAGGER (APPLE TV PLUS)
· VALENTINE (HBO)
· YOUNG ROCK (NBC)





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