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[05/27/21 - 11:49 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, May 27
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!
DATING THE LOPEZ LADIES (Amazon, New!) - Gloria Calderón Kellett has set up a potential animated series at the streamer from her Amazon Studios-based GloNation Studios. Its logline is as follows: "A half-hour animated comedy series following plus-sized powerhouse Ilana Lopez. She's a 25-year-old artist who runs a wildly successful comic strip about dating called Sharp Curves following the misadventures of her alter-ego Gabby. Gabby becomes all too real and is the devil on Ilana's shoulder in life as well as on the page. When Ilana's mother, the 49-year-old glamorous divorcee, Sofia visits, she points out that fictional Gabby has more fun than real-life Ilana. It makes Ilana and her friends energized to start a date club and take their romantic conquests seriously. Inspired by the young people, Sofia decides to join her daughter and friends in date club! Adventures and hilarity ensue." (Deadline.com)
DEBRIS (NBC) - The network has pulled the plug on the sci-fi drama after one season. Its de facto finale aired this past Monday. (Variety.com)
GLOWING UP (Amazon, New!) - Debby Wolfe and Marcos Luevanos have sold an animated project to the streamer with GloNation Studios' Gloria Calderón Kellett and Field Trip Productions' Will Graham also executive producing for Amazon Studios. Its logline is as follows: "Based on the graphic novel Mismatched (a modern-day adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma), Glowing Up is a half-hour adult animation musical series centered on Evan Horowitz, an out and proud Latino/Jew amateur matchmaker and wannabe makeup influencer. Evan is an old-school romantic who dedicates himself to getting true love to trend at his high school in Queens - through singing, dancing, and contoured cheekbones. A big gay musical comedy that focuses on love and celebrates LGBTQIA+ youth." (Deadline.com)
GREEN LANTERN (HBO Max) - Lee Toland Krieger has been tapped to direct the first two episodes of the DC Comics adaptation, which has locked in Finn Wittrock as Guy Gardner and Jeremy Irvine as Alan Scott. (Deadline.com)
IRON MIKE (Hulu) - Trevante Rhodes has scored the title role in the eight-part series about the life of controversial heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson. (Deadline.com)
JOE EXOTIC (Peacock) - Nat Wolff has been cast as Travis Maldonado, one of Joe's (John Cameron Mitchell) husbands, in the limited series. (Deadline.com)
JOSEP (ABC, New!) - Comedian Jo Koy is attached to star in a new comedy for the Alphabet, which "follows the life of a hardworking Filipino American nurse." Steve Joe is penning the project for 20th Television with Joe Meloche; Imminent Collision's Hieu Ho, Michael Golamco and Randall Park; as well as The Detective Agency's Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar also executive produce alongside Joe and Koy. (Deadline.com)
KINGDOM OF WAKANDA (Disney+) - Danai Gurira will reprise her role of Okoye, general of the Dora Milaje, for an upcoming Marvel Studios series. It's not clear if said report is referring to the previously announced "Kingdom of Wakanda" or a new, separate project. Gurira is already slated to return for the upcoming "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" feature. (THR.com)
LAST OF US, THE (HBO) - Merle Dandridge has been added to the cast of the video game-turned-TV series. She'll reprise her role as Marlene, "the head of the Fireflies, a resistance movement struggling for freedom against an oppressive military regime." (THR.com)
MIRACLE WORKERS (TBS) - Quinta Brunson has been confirmed as recurring on the new season as Trig, "who's tough as nails and completely ruthless. She was found by Benny (Steve Buscemi) when she was a child and eventually taken in as his unofficial adopted daughter who he trained to be an outlaw from a young age. Though he is a father figure to her, she begins to resent him because she thinks he's a deadbeat dad. Trig has a cool toughness and can hold her own, without Benny." (Deadline.com)
MOTHERLAND: FORT SALEM (Freeform) - The show's sophomore season has cast Victor Webster as Blanton Silver, "vice president of the United States"; Mellany Barros as Penelope Silver, "the only child of the vice president who accidentally discovers she is a witch"; Praneet Akilla as Gregorio, "a male witch from the upper echelons of military witch society (like Abigail)"; Ess Hödlmoser as M, "a non-binary second-year soldier in War College"; and Arlen Aguayo as Nicte, "someone from Alder's past who helped shape her into who she is now"; all recurring roles. (Deadline.com)
NOW AND THEN (Apple TV+) - The bilingual thriller has cast Rosie Perez as Flora, "a talented detective obsessed with an unresolved case from 20 years ago, who will stop at nothing to discover the truth"; Marina de Tavira as Ana, "a smart and ambitious woman who put her political career on hold to support her husband's"; José María Yazpik as Pedro, "a complex politician married to Ana, he feels entangled in a life that doesn't belong to him"; Maribel Verdú as Sofia, "a strong self-made lawyer who's life took an unexpected turn 20 years ago and is now hiding too many secrets"; Manolo Cardona as Marcos, "a passionate surgeon who sacrificed his dreams for his family and friends"; Soledad Villamil as Daniela, "an introspective artist who constantly struggles to overcome a traumatic event from her past"; and Željko Ivanek as Sullivan, a "seasoned detective who keeps his partner Flora from getting into too much trouble, always operates based on evidence and logic." (Deadline.com)
OUR KIND OF PEOPLE (FOX) - Newcomer Alana Bright has scored a role on the upcoming drama as Nikki Vaughn, "the 17-year-old daughter and only child of Angela Vaughn. A passionate artist with a gift for spoken-word poetry, Nikki is bold and fearless. She stands up for what she believes and has a strong sense of security in who she is. The recent death of her grandmother has sent her spiraling, but as she starts to form new friendships in Oak Bluffs, she starts to gain her footing again." (Deadline.com)
SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR, THE (FX) - The network's Sam Greenlee's spy novel adaptation, led by Y'lan Noel and Christina Jackson, has also cast Lucas Till as "CIA agent Graham Renfroe;" Nafessa Williams as "high-class working girl Etta Henry"; Nathan Darrow as "CIA Assistant Director Alfred Ames"; and Tom Irwin as "political operative and CIA Director Jack Turner." (Deadline.com)
VERONA (Amazon, New!) - Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman have set up a potential drama at the streaming service with Kelly Younger and Gloria Calderón Kellett also on board to executive produce via the latter's Amazon Studios-based GloNation Studios. Its logline is as follows: "As Shakespeare so famously wrote, all the world's a stage... and never is that truer than as a teenager, when you are performing for yourself, your peers, your parents, and social media. Verona is an hour-long drama series which takes the classic Shakespearean stories you know and love out of the renaissance and into present-day high school. The highs are still high, the lows are still low, but one thing is certain... high school drama is about to get a lot more poetic. We follow the Del Castillo sisters Nico, Delilah, and Inez as they play out familiar stories interweaved together in fair Verona where we lay our scene." (Deadline.com)
WITH LOVE (Amazon, New!) - Gloria Calderón Kellett has booked a new one-hour romantic dramedy to the streamer which "follows the Diaz siblings, Lily and Jorge, who are on a mission to find love and purpose. The Diaz siblings cross paths with seemingly unrelated residents during some of the most heightened days of the year - the holidays." She'll write and executive produce via her Amazon Studios-based GloNation Studios. The holiday series set to begin production in June with Meera Menon directing and likewise executive producing. (Deadline.com)
WU-TANG: AN AMERICAN SAGA (Hulu) - La La Anthony has signed onto the show's second season as Tracey Waples, "a young, vibrant Executive at Def Jam. She's on the pulse of good music and boldly speaks her mind. After seeing Wu-Tang live she's completely invested, but her plan for the group might not align with their own." (Deadline.com)
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[05/06/26 - 02:01 PM]
FOX Hits the Road with Return of Beloved Global Sensation "Highway to Heaven"
Slated to debut during the 2027-28 season, the series will introduce longtime fans and a new generation to the franchise's timeless themes of compassion, humanity, and second chances.
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[05/06/26 - 01:31 PM]
Apple TV Lands "Disavowed," New Action Thriller Starring and Executive Produced by James Marsden
Marsden will play legendary CIA Case Officer Brad Griffin, who is abruptly fired in the middle of a global hunt for an elusive assassin responsible for killing his colleague.
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[05/06/26 - 12:02 PM]
Oscar Isaac Is Hitting the Casino in Martin Scorsese's New Vegas Series
The Netflix series hails from showrunners/executive producers/writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien, who are no strangers to the world of gambling.
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[05/06/26 - 11:34 AM]
FOX Sports, Big Machine Racing Productions and Chassy Media Announce "Bobby Rahal: True American Racer" Premiering May 8 on FS1
The compelling new documentary celebrates the life and legacy of Bobby Rahal, one of American motorsports' most legendary champions.
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[05/06/26 - 11:26 AM]
Video: Official Trailer for New Animated Fantasy Series "Dragon Striker" Revealed
Blending European fantasy with Japanese animation influences, the series follows an underdog hero's journey, brought to life through high-stakes battles, visually stunning action and expansive mythology.
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[05/06/26 - 11:05 AM]
"Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch" - Tune-In to the Season Premiere on Wednesday, May 27 on Discovery Channel
Fueled by clues in a cryptic Mormon journal, an all-new team of treasure hunters, Josh Feldman and his father Ron, take over the search for the Aztec lost gold on Blind Frog Ranch and uncover a series of hidden chambers they believe contain the fortune they have been searching for.
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[05/06/26 - 11:02 AM]
"The Season" Is Exclusively Streaming on Hulu in the US on June 17, 2026
A group of friends in Hong Kong's elite boating scene find their summer getaway descending into betrayal and power plays as hidden agendas surface.
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[05/06/26 - 11:01 AM]
Hallmark's Runaway Hit Series "Hope Valley: 1874" Renewed for Season 2
Exclusively for Hallmark+, the eight-episode series will return for season two in 2027.
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[05/06/26 - 10:10 AM]
Video: Hulu Releases Trailer for "Deli Boys" Season Two Ahead of May 28 Launch
Turns out inheriting a criminal empire was the easy part... and more money really does mean more problems.
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[05/06/26 - 10:01 AM]
Strong Month of Sports Propels ESPN Studio Shows to Record Viewership for April
The entire lineup of ESPN studio shows was up 21% overall in viewership over April of 2025 and up 10% year-over-year (YOY) in the coveted Persons ages 18-49 demographic.
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[05/06/26 - 09:32 AM]
Ken Burns's Film "The American Revolution" to Stream for Free on PBS in Lead Up to 250th Anniversary on July 4, 2026
All six episodes will be available on PBS.org and on the PBS App.
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[05/06/26 - 09:01 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Special "Josh Johnson: Symphony" Debuts May 22
In his debut HBO stand-up special, Emmy-nominated comedian, writer, and actor Josh Johnson performs all new material about our shared experiences as humans.
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[05/06/26 - 09:01 AM]
Final Season of FX's "The Bear" Premieres June 25 on FX and Hulu
All eight episodes will be available to stream at debut.
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[05/06/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Legally Blonde" Prequel "Elle" Drops Exclusive Images and Official Teaser Trailer
The series, produced by Amazon MGM Studios in association with Hello Sunshine, premieres on July 1, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[05/06/26 - 08:01 AM]
HGTV Reboots Popular 72-Hour Renovation Series with "Crashers" Starring NKOTB Bandmate and Home Reno Expert Jonathan Knight
The 13-episode season will follow Jonathan Knight as he ambushes folks anywhere from furniture boutiques to the hardware store or even the local paint shop to offer them a fast-paced reno with a catch.
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