19th October 2018
Female FBI Drama from Former Queen Sugar Showrunner Monica Macer in Development at FOX
Fox has given a script commitment plus penalty to an hour-long female-focused FBI drama from former Queen Sugar showrunner Monica Macer, Thruline and 20th Century Fox TV.
Written by Macer, the Untitled FBI Women Project (aka The Tribe) is inspired by journalist and author Doug Stanton’s interviews of women in law enforcement. It is a character-driven drama set inside the New York City field office of the FBI featuring the stories of three female agents as they struggle to balance their professional and personal lives. The series explores the personal lives of our heroines juxtaposed with the demands of protecting America from its greatest threats.
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Emergence - Mystery Conspiracy Drama from Agent Carter/Kevin Probably Creators Receives Put Pilot Commitment at NBC
NBC has given a put pilot commitment to Emergence, a mystery drama from Kevin (Probably) Saves The World creators/executive producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, director Paul McGuigan and ABC Studios.
Written by Fazekas and Butters, Emergence centers around a sheriff who takes in a young child that she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation draws her into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, and the child’s identity is at the center of it all.
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Jill At Her Worst - Comedy from The Middle Producers in Development at FOX
Coming off a long run on ABC’s The Middle, Tim Hobert is taking on another single-camera family comedy about a harried mom. Fox has bough Jill At Her Worst, a single-camera comedy project from former The Middle executive producer Hobert and The Middle producer Warner Bros TV.
Written and executive produced by Hobert, Jill At Her Worst centers on devoted mother Jill, who puts her family’s needs before her own, making her a flawed, funny mess – as narrated by her husband, who loves her dearly.
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Surveillance - Catalina Sandino Moreno Joins Sophia Bush's CBS Pilot; Exits The Affair
Oscar-nominated actress Catalina Sandino Moreno has been cast is set for a leading role opposite Sophia Bush in CBS’ drama pilot Surveillance. Sandino Moreno will exit The Affair but could potentially guest star on the upcoming fifth and final season subject to availability.
Written by White, with Riggen set to direct, Surveillance is described as a complex and timely spy thriller centered around the head of communications for the NSA (Bush), a charming operative who finds her loyalties torn between protecting the government’s secrets and her own.
Sandino Moreno will play Natalie, who oversees all active operations at the NSA, the first woman to do so – and she’s excellent at her job. She is fiercely loyal to Maddy (Bush), her close colleague and longtime friend, and the two are like sisters.
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Will & Grace - Season 10 - Molly Shannon Returning; Matt Bomer Returning for Three Additional Episodes
Molly Shannon is returning to Will & Grace this season, reprising her Emmy-nominated role as Valerie Bassett on NBC’s revival. Matt Bomer, who was cast for one episode this season, will be returning for three additional episodes as Will’s (Eric McCormack) suitor McCoy Whitman.
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18th October 2018
MOVIES: The Curse of La Llorona - Teaser Trailer feat Linda Cardellini
Murphy Brown - Season 11 - Bette Midler, Brooke Shields, John Larroquette, Katie Couric & Peter Gallagher to Guest
BETTE MIDLER, BROOKE SHIELDS, JOHN LARROQUETTE, KATIE COURIC AND PETER GALLAGHER TO GUEST STAR IN THE CBS/WARNER BROS. TELEVISION COMEDY "MURPHY BROWN"
BURBANK, Calif. (October 18, 2018) - Emmy(R), Grammy(R) and Tony(R) Award winner Bette Midler (Hello, Dolly!; Beaches; First Wives Club), Golden Globe nominee Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan, Jane The Virgin, Law & Order SVU), Emmy(R) and Tony(R) Award winner John Larroquette (Night Court, The Librarians) Emmy(R) Award winning news anchor Katie Couric, and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Peter Gallagher (The O.C., Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) are all set to guest star in upcoming episodes of the revival of the CBS/Warner Bros. Television comedy Murphy Brown during its first season. The series airs Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c on CBS.
· Bette Midler reprises her role 20 years later as Caprice Morton, previously known as Caprice Feldman, Murphy's former secretary. Though now Caprice has a surprising new connection to Murphy, making her, if possible, even more entitled and unbearable. Midler will appear in the Thursday, November 8, episode.
· Brooke Shields will play the role of Holly Mackin Lynne, a woman who has been in a coma for years and finally wakes up. One of Corky's (Faith Ford) good friends from her beauty pageant days, Holly's ordeal was dubbed The Sleeping Beauty Case 10 years ago, but was never resolved. Shields will appear in the Thursday, November 15, episode.
· John Larroquette plays Judge Nate Campbell, a kindred spirit to Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen). Larroquette will appear in the Thursday, November 8, episode.
· Katie Couric will re-appear on Murphy Brown as herself. Last viewers saw her in 1992, she was attending Murphy's baby shower. In the Thursday, November 8, episode, Couric will be seen hosting a Lifetime Achievement event and running into her old friends, Murphy (Bergen) and Corky (Ford).
· Peter Gallagher will play the role of a conservative right-wing news anchor John Haggerty for the WOLF Network, covering an election with Avery Brown (Jake McDorman). He is also a notorious manspreader. He will appear in the Thursday, November 1, episode.
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All About the Washingtons - Cancelled by Netflix
Netflix has opted not to renew for a second season All About the Washingtons, its multi-camera comedy series starring Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons & Justine Simmons. The decision comes two months after the release of the series’ 10-episode first season, which didn’t seem to get a lot of traction.
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The Hypnotist's Love Story - Drama Based on Liane Moriarty's Novel Co-Starring Heather Graham in Development at ABC
ABC is developing The Hypnotist’s Love Story, a drama series based on the bestselling book by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty, from Heather Graham (Half Magic), who co-stars and executive produces, writer Katie Wech (Jane the Virgin), ABC Studios and studio-based Mandeville Television. It is unclear yet which role Graham would be playing though it is not expected to be Ellen.
Written by Wech, The Hypnotist’s Love Story centers on successful hypnotherapist Ellen, who after a string of failed romances, is optimistic about her current boyfriend, until he reveals a disturbing truth: a stalker ex-girlfriend who has been following him for years. Ellen finds herself intrigued, and oddly thrilled by the stalker, entirely unaware that they’ve already met.
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The Baker and the Beauty - Hourlong Romantic Comedy from The Brave Creator Based on Israeli Series Receives Put Pilot Commitment at ABC
ABC has given a put pilot commitment to The Baker and the Beauty a one-hour romantic comedy based on the successful Israeli series. The adaptation hails from The Brave creator Dean Georgaris (Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life), David Frankel (Manifest), Keshet Studios and Universal TV where the company is under a deal.
Written by Georgaris and to be directed by Frankel, The Baker and the Beauty follows the impossible Miami love story between a simple baker and an international superstar. Noa Hollander has it all: she’s the most famous woman in the country, the beautiful daughter of a real estate magnate, a successful model with an international career and – up until now – one half of a Hollywood power couple. The son of Cuban immigrants, Daniel is a simple guy who still lives with his parents and works at the family bakery. A chance encounter at a fancy restaurant — where Daniel may or may not propose to his eager girlfriend of 8 years, Vanessa, and where Noa is avoiding public speculation about a break-up from her Hollywood lover – leads to unexpected sparks and an even more unlikely love story. Can their love survive her jet-setting lifestyle, her overbearing agent, his unworldly family, both their exes and the media?
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Constance - Kevin Dunn to Co-Star in TNT Pilot
Kevin Dunn (Veep) will play Dale Fogerty, the City Manager at City Hall, and Constance’s (Elisabeth Shue) boss. “Glowing with entitlement,” he tries to be sensitive to his employees, but even in his most genuine of moments and with the best of intentions, he still operates from a place of clueless privilege.
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17th October 2018
High School Musical: The Musical - Joshua Bassett to Star as Ricky in Upcoming Disney Streaming Service Series
JOSHUA BASSETT LANDS THE LEAD ROLE IN 'HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL,' A SERIES FOR DISNEY'S DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER STREAMING SERVICE
Joshua Bassett has been cast in the lead role of the highly anticipated "High School Musical: The Musical," a series for Disney's upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service, which is set to launch in late 2019. It is based on the iconic Emmy(R) Award-winning "High School Musical" franchise. The series will be filmed in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a single camera documentary style.
Bassett will play Ricky, a cynical but charming high school junior who launches a bold plan to win back his ex-girlfriend Nini - by auditioning to star opposite her in the school's production of "High School Musical."
"Joshua's interpretation of the Ricky character was brilliant - funny, winning and, at the same time, uniquely vulnerable. The audience is going to love watching this charismatic young actor put his stamp on this next chapter of the 'High School Musical' franchise" said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide.
The 10-episode story follows as a group of high school students who stage a performance of "High School Musical" for their fall theater production, only to realize that as much drama happens offstage as onstage. Every episode will include a new rendition of a beloved song from "High School Musical" as well as an original song.
Bassett said, "As someone whose childhood was shaped by the cultural phenomenon that is 'High School Musical,' I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to tell this story. Go Wildcats!"
A native of Oceanside, California, 17-year-old Bassett is an actor, singer, dancer and guitarist. Since age seven, he has performed in over 30 musical theater productions and had roles in several commercials and television series, including a recurring role in Disney Channel's "Stuck in the Middle" and a guest starring role in the upcoming crime anthology "Dirty John" for Bravo.
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Roswell, New Mexico - Sherri Saum Joins Cast
E! News can exclusively reveal that The Fosters star Sherri Saum, who played Lena Adams Foster on the Freeform series for all five seasons, has joined the CW's upcoming alien series as Mimi, the mother of Maria DeLuca (Heather Hemmens), former best friend to Liz (Jeanine Mason).
While Maria is described as an alien-oblivious socialite, her mother Mimi is "effervescent" and "charming."
"As a young single mom—and part of very few black families in Roswell—her focus has always been on raising her daughter to embrace everything that makes them "weird" to the small-town folks, be it the color of their skin, their unique dance moves, or their connection to spirituality. As both bartender and 'psychic,' Mimi is a vault of Roswell's deepest secrets," reads the official description.
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Sarah Chalke to Star in Adoption/Legal Dramedy in Development at ABC
Former Scrubs star Sarah Chalke has reunited with Scrubs creator/executive producer Bill Lawrence for a dramedy series, which has been set at ABC for development.
Chalke will star and co-executive produce the untitled project, written by Emily Fox (Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce), which hails from Lawrence’s Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television where the company is based.
Inspired by Chalke’s life, the family dramedy is about two very different sisters who take over the adoption agency that their parents, a lawyer and a social worker, have run out of their home for the last 30 years.
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Tails - Comedy Starring Riki Lindhome in Development at FOX
Fox has given a script commitment plus penalty to Tails, a single camera comedy from Another Period co-creator Riki Lindhome, who also stars, writer Monica Padrick (Community), Amy Poehler and Universal TV, where Poehler is under a deal.
Written by Lindhome and Padrick, Tails follows Erika, played by Lindhome, a woman in her late 30s, who despite the pressure she feels from the world around her, refuses to settle in any area of her life.
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Twelfth Night - Shakespeare Inspired Musical Series from Spring Awakening's Steven Sater & Insatiable Creator Lauren Gussis in Development at Amazon
Amazon is developing a contemporary musical television series inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. It comes from Spring Awakening‘s Steven Sater, Insatiable creator Lauren Gussis, My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend executive producer Marc Webb and Ryan Seacrest Prods.
Written by Sater and Gussis with Webb set to direct, the untitled series tells the complicated love story between a young man and biological young woman who, over the course of the series, begins to identify as gender-fluid. In order to hold onto the love of his life, our young male hero writes an original musical version of Twelfth Night for his beloved to star in and perform over winter break. But they’re not alone — a group of college kids find themselves sequestered on an empty snowbound campus — and when the magic of the play kicks in, everyone involved ends up exploring every manner of sexuality and gender identity.
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DramaFever - Streaming Platform Shuts Down
"According to a source familiar with DramaFever, licensing costs for U.S. distribution commanded by top K-dramas have rapidly increased in recent years, bid up by larger SVOD players like Netflix and Amazon — making the genre-focused over-the-top video business unsustainable. A show that used to cost $800,000 to license for streaming now goes for around $1 million per season, according to the source."
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Chaplain - Faith Based Medical Drama & Melanie - Legal Drama from Dr. Phil in Development at CBS
Dr. Phil and Jay McGraw have sold two hourlong projects to CBS via their Stage 29 Productions, faith-themed medical drama Chaplain with Nick Weiss (Drunk Wedding), Isaac Laskin and Reign co-creator/executive producer Laurie McCarthy; and legal drama Melanie, with Scott Prendergast (Silicon Valley). Both projects hail from CBS TV Studios.
Written by Weiss and Laskin, Chaplain centers around a talented, scientifically minded ICU doctor and her free-thinking, faith-oriented brother clash over the best approach to the business of saving lives when he is hired as chaplain at her hospital.
Written/executive produced by Prendergast, Melanie centers on a scattered but astute criminal defense attorney who uses her seemingly inept methods to disarm judges, charm juries, and win cases returns home to join her brother’s white-shoe law firm and help her family of outsiders get back on their feet.
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It Takes Two - Comedy Inspired by the Propery Brothers in Development at FOX
The story of HGTV stars Drew & Jonathan Scott of Property Brothers fame is coming to television. Fox has given a script commitment plus penalty to It Takes Two, a single-camera comedy inspired by the memoir by the identical twins. It will be written by another set of identical twin brothers, Jon & Josh Silberman (Living Biblically). The project hails from Eric and Kim Tannenbaum’s The Tannenbaum Company (Two and a Half Men) in association with Lionsgate Television, where the company is under a deal, and Drew and Jonathan Scott’s Scott Brothers Entertainment.
Inspired by the Scotts’ bestselling memoir It Takes Two: Our Story, the show follows two entrepreneurial twin brothers who decide to join forces in the real estate business when they realize they are stronger together than apart.
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MOVIES: The Kid Who Would Be King - Trailer feat Ashbourne Serkis, Rebecca Ferguson, Patrick Stewart & More
MOVIES: Destroyer - Trailer feat Nicole Kidman, Sebastian Stan & More
Family Reunion - Comedy Starring Loretta Devine & Tia Mowry Ordered to Series by Netflix
NETFLIX ANNOUNCES MULTI-GENERATIONAL LIVE ACTION FAMILY COMEDY SERIES FAMILY REUNION, CO-STARRING LORETTA DEVINE AND TIA MOWRY
Hollywood, Calif. — October 17, 2018 — Netflix today announced that Emmy Award winner Loretta Devine (Grey’s Anatomy, The Carmichael Show) and Tia Mowry (Sister, Sister, Instant Mom) are headlining the all-new, multi-generational live action comedy series Family Reunion, which recently kicked off production in Los Angeles. Family Reunion is executive produced and created by Meg DeLoatch (Fuller House, Eve) and directed by Eric Dean Seaton (Prince of Peoria, Modern Family).
In the Netflix original series, Mowry plays Cocoa McKellan, a free spirited mother from Seattle. When she and her former football-playing husband Moz and their four children travel from their home in the big city to the small town of Columbus, Georgia for the McKellan Family Reunion, they get to know an extended family they didn’t even realize they were missing. Devine plays the loving but strict matriarch of the family, M’Dear.
“We look forward to bringing families together to enjoy the hilarious and heartwarming stories of this multi-generational family living together and discovering the importance of connecting with their roots,” said Melissa Cobb, Vice President of Kids and Family at Netflix. “Meg DeLoatch has created a warm, funny and memorable extended family that we believe will resonate with audiences around the world and she has assembled an incredibly talented all-black writers room to authentically portray these characters and their journey.”
“I am so blessed to be part of this new and exciting moment in time that will touch and bring laughter, smiles, and joy to everyone who sees it. That is Family Reunion for me right now. When you see it, I think you are gonna love it, because it is all about family … The core of everything,” added Loretta Devine.
“I’m so excited to return to television, especially working with Netflix, and I can’t wait for everyone to see Family Reunion,” commented Mowry. “I know my fans are going to love it!”
“I have a dream cast and thanks to my incredibly talented group of executives at Netflix, I am having the most supportive and creatively fulfilling experience of my career,” added DeLoatch.
Anthony Alabi (Raven's Home, Insecure) plays Mowry’s husband. Rounding out the cast as the McKellan children are Talia Jackson as 14-year old Jade, Isaiah Russell-Bailey as 12-year old Shaka, Cameron J. “CJ” Wright as 10-year old Mazzi, and Jordyn James as 8-year old Ami.
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Elite - Spanish Teen Murder Drama Renewed for a 2nd Season by Netflix
#Elite has been renewed for for Season 2! pic.twitter.com/8Z928ta1GY
— See What's Next (@seewhatsnext) October 17, 2018
16th October 2018
Alice - 1974 Comedy Reboot from Diablo Cody & Liz Astrof Receives Put Pilot Commitment at FOX
Another classic sitcom is eying a reboot. Fox has given a put pilot commitment to Alice, a multi-camera comedy based on the 1976 CBS TV series starring Linda Lavin. It comes from Diablo Cody (One Mississippi), Liz Astrof (2 Broke Girls) and Warner Bros. TV, which produced the original series and where Cody and her Vita Vera Films are based.
Written and executive produced by Cody and Astrof, Alice is based on the TV series Alice, which in turn was based on the 1974 feature film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, directed by Martin Scorsese. The Fox reboot centers on Long Island housewife Alice Hyatt, who has finally worked up the courage to leave her cheating husband. She drives cross-country to Arizona with her teenage son Tommy, and gets a job as a waitress at a roadside diner where the staff becomes their new surrogate family.
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Blood Ties - Cop Drama from The Mentalist EP & Jennifer Lopez in Development at NBC
On the heels of Shades of Blue ending its run after three seasons, star/executive producer Jennifer Lopez has teamed with co-star Vincent Laresca for a new cop drama, which has been put in development by NBC. The project, Blood Ties, hails from former The Mentalist executive producer Tom Szentgyorgyi, Lopez and Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas’ Nuyorican Productions, Appian Way and Universal TV, where Nuyorican is based.
Written by Szentgyorgyi, Blood Ties is a procedural crime show in the vein of NYPD Blue, which isbased on an idea by Laresca. When convicted homicide detective Steve Horvath is exonerated, he’s given his job back but finds he now has unconventional insight about the criminals he faces. Teaming up with an unexpected rookie who has a secret agenda of his own, Horvath must learn to adapt to life outside of prison while trying to figure out who framed him and why.
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Family History - Family Drama Receives Put Pilot Commitment at ABC
In a competitive situation, ABC has landed Family History, giving a put pilot commitment to the drama project from writer Deborah Schoeneman (Girls, The Newsroom,), ABC Studios and studio-based Mandeville Television.
Penned by Schoeneman, the hour-long family drama is inspired by the recent explosion in genetic genealogy testing. It follows a young tech reporter in the Bay area whose life changes when she discovers a family secret via a DNA-testing web site. The show explores nature versus nurture and how technology has caught up to our secrets. We may be the last generation to have secrets.
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AJ And The Queen - Izzy G (Izzy Gaspersz) to Star in RuPaul's Netflix Comedy Series
Written by Michael Patrick King (2 Broke Girls) and RuPaul Charles, the series stars RuPaul as Ruby Red, a bigger-than-life but down-on-her-luck drag queen who travels across America from club to club in a rundown 1990s R/V with her unlikely sidekick AJ (Izzy G), a recently orphaned, tough-talking, scrappy 9-year-old stowaway. As these two misfits, one tall, one small, travel from city to city, Ruby’s message of love and acceptance winds up touching people and changing their lives for the better. Oh, and RuPaul performs a killer musical number in every drag club.
Izzy G plays AJ, cocky and confident on the outside, while hiding all the vibrant emotions and feelings of a confused, angry and, sometimes, very scared 9-year-old.
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MOVIES: Miss Bala - Trailer feat Gina Rodriguez
Black Monday - Bruce Dern, Melissa Rauch, Horatio Sanz, Julie Hagerty, Vanessa Bell Calloway & More to Guest in Showtime Comedy
OSCAR NOMINEE BRUCE DERN, MELISSA RAUCH AND HORATIO SANZ JOIN NEW SHOWTIME COMEDY SERIES BLACK MONDAY
Julie Hagerty And Vanessa Bell Calloway Also To Guest Star On Comedy Series Premiering In January
NEW YORK – October 16, 2018 – The new SHOWTIME comedy BLACK MONDAY is adding to its guest star lineup with Emmy® and two-time Oscar® nominee Bruce Dern (Big Love), Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) and Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live, Glow) signing on, along with Julie Hagerty (Airplane, Instant Family), Vanessa Bell Calloway (SHAMELESS, Saints & Sinners), Tim Russ (iCarly) and Jason Michael Snow (Book of Mormon). The 10-episode series is executive produced and stars Emmy® nominated and Golden Globe® winning actor Don Cheadle and stars two-time Tony® Award nominee and Grammy® winner Andrew Rannells (Girls) and Regina Hall (Girls Trip). Paul Scheer (The League) also stars. Creators David Caspe (Happy Endings) and Jordan Cahan (My Best Friend’s Girl) serve as executive producers and showrunners. Emmy nominees Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Preacher, Superbad) are executive producers and directed the pilot. Currently in production, BLACK MONDAY will premiere in January.
Dern will play Rod, a legendary trader, while Sanz will play Wayne, a Wall Street wild man who works at Mo’s (Cheadle) Jammer Group. Rauch will play Shira, the loving wife of trader Keith (Scheer). Hagerty is Jackie Georgina, the matriarch of a designer denim empire. Bell Calloway and Russ will play Dawn’s (Hall) artist mother Ruth and professor father Walter. Finally, Snow is playing Mike, a Broadway actor. Previously announced guest star Kadeem Hardison (A Different World) will play Spencer, Dawn’s husband.
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MOVIES: Annabelle 3 - Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga to Reprise Conjuring Roles
EXCLUSIVE: For the first time ever in The Conjuring universe, Ed and Lorraine Warren will appear in one of the film series’ spinoff titles, Gary Dauberman’s untitled Annabelle project.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will respectively return to their characters Ed and Lorraine, but as we understand it, they’ll be in a supporting capacity in the Annabelle threequel.
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Move - Dance Drama from Ugly Betty Creator & Mary J. Blige in Development at FOX
Fox has given a script commitment plus penalty to Move, a one-hour dance drama from Ugly Betty creator Silvio Horta, Mary J. Blige and Gail Berman’s The Jackal Group.
Written by Horta, Move is inspired by the life of famed choreographer and creative director Laurieann Gibson. Move is a music-fueled dramedy that follows an accomplished choreographer who, in order to redeem her damaged reputation in the cutthroat music/dance world, sets her sights on creating a flawless tour for a diva pop singer. To get the coveted gig, though, she’ll have to fend off competition from her arch rival…who happens to be her former assistant. At the same time, she must act as mother hen to her talented, but often difficult, team of dancers who depend on her.
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Friends In Low Places - Comedy from The Mayor Creator Receives Put Pilot Commitment at ABC
ABC has given a put pilot commitment to Friends In Low Places, a comedy from The Mayor and All About the Washingtons creator Jeremy Bronson, Todd Holland (The Real O’Neals) and ABC Studios, where Bronson and Holland have been under overall deals.
Written by Bronson, Friends in Low Places is a relationship comedy about a group of thirtysomethings trying to overcome the mess they made as twentysomethings.
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MOVIES: The Aftermath - Trailer feat Keira Knightley, Alexander Skarsgård & Jason Clarke
15th October 2018
MOVIES: Tom and Jerry - Live-Action Adaptation Announced; New Scooby-Doo Animated Feature Announced
Sources tell Variety that Warners and Warner Animation Group (WAG) are in negotiations with “Shaft” helmer Tim Story to direct the new “Tom and Jerry” live-action/animated hybrid. The studio has also brought on Chris Columbus as creative producer on the new “Scooby-Doo” animated movie.
The studio understands how much of its history is rooted in these iconic characters, and wants to give them as much attention as DC and Harry Potter projects. “Tom and Jerry” is expected to be the first live-action hybrid to shoot in 2019 .
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Her Body and Other Parties - Anthology Series Based on Carmen Maria Machado's Novel in Development at FX
In a competitive situation, FX has landed for development Her Body and Other Parties, an anthology series based on Carmen Maria Machado’s lauded short story collection. The project comes from writer Gina Welch, Imagine Television and FX Productions.
Written by Welch, Her Body is an anthological series staging psychologically vivid tales of women’s fears and desires on landscapes of horror, fabulism, and wild-haired absurdity. It’s described as a feminist Black Mirror with fairy tale themes, its hours threaded together with a recurring ensemble of female characters.
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Deputy - Police Drama from Suicide Squad Director David Ayer and Gangster Squad Writer in Development at FOX
Fox has given a script commitment with significant penalty to Deputy, an hourlong police procedural from Bright helmer David Ayer, Gangster Squad writer Will Beall and eOne, where Ayer and Chris Long’s Cedar Park Entertainment is under an overall deal.
Written by Beall with Ayer set to direct, Deputy centers on Deputy Bill Hollister, a career lawman who’s very comfortable kicking down doors and utterly lost in a staff meeting. But when the LA County Sheriff drops dead, Bill becomes acting sheriff of Los Angeles County, in charge of 10,000 sworn deputies policing a modern Wild West. The ensemble procedural has the full cooperation of the LA Sheriff’s Department.
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Council of Dads & Trust - Dramas from Doubt Creators in Development at NBC
Doubt creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan have sold two dramas to NBC, Council of Dads, inspired by Bruce Feiler’s book, with Jerry Bruckheimer Television producing, and Trust, based on an European format Banking District, with Keshet Studios producing. Both projects hail from Universal TV where Rater and Phelan have an overall deal and Keshet Studios is based.
Written by Rater and Phelan, Council of Dads is inspired by Feiler’s bestselling memoir The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness and the Men Who Could Be Me. It is the story of Scott Perry, who assembles a unique group of carefully chosen male friends to help his family adjust to a new normal after receiving a potentially terminal diagnosis.
Written by Rater and Phelan, Trust, based on the French-language format Banking District, is described as part thriller, part family drama. It follows psychology professor Michaela Murphy as she unexpectedly takes over her family’s banking business when her brother suspiciously falls into a coma. In order to save her brother’s life, the bank and her family’s legacy, Michaela must contend with her estranged family and in doing so begins to uncover a host of long-buried secrets.
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Ranger - Police Drama Inspired By James Patterson Novel from American Sniper Writer & Peter Lenkov in Development at CBS
CBS has put in development cop drama Ranger, inspired by James Patterson’s recently released best-selling novel Texas Ranger. The project hails from American Sniper writer Jason Hall, Shooter co-executive producers TJ Brady and Rasheed Newson, Peter Lenkov’s 101st Street Entertainment, James Patterson Entertainment and CBS TV Studios, where Lenkov and Patterson’s companies are based.
Written by Hall, Brady and Newson, Ranger centers on a Texas Ranger and his cantankerous father move to South Florida where the Ranger becomes a homicide detective and searches for his
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Bodyguard - Trailer
Set in and around the corridors of power, Bodyguard tells the story of David Budd (Richard Madden), a heroic, but volatile war veteran now working as a Specialist Protection Officer for London’s Metropolitan Police Service. When he is assigned to protect the ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), Budd finds himself torn between his duty and his beliefs. Responsible for her safety, could he become her biggest threat? Bodyguard arrives on Netflix on October 24.
Pennyworth - Jack Bannon to Star as Alfred Pennyworth in Upcoming EPIX DC Batman Prequel Series
JACK BANNON SET TO STAR IN TITLE ROLE OF "PENNYWORTH" FOR EPIX AND WARNER HORIZON SCRIPTED TELEVISION, BASED ON THE CHARACTERS FROM DC
Drama from Executive Producers Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon to Begin Production Monday, October 22, 2018, at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK
· Jack Bannon (The Imitation Game, Ripper Street) has been cast in the lead role of Alfred Pennyworth in the upcoming EPIX drama series PENNYWORTH, from Warner Horizon Scripted Television and based on the characters from DC.
· The 10-episode, one-hour drama series is based on DC characters created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger. It follows Bruce Wayne's legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth, a former British SAS soldier in his 20s, who forms a security company and goes to work with a young billionaire Thomas Wayne, who's not yet Bruce's father, in 1960s London.
· Alfred Pennyworth is a boyishly handsome, cheerful, charming, clever young man from London. Honest, open-faced and witty; you'd never take him for an SAS killer. Alfred doesn't know how to reconcile the kind-hearted boy he used to be with the cold, calculated killer he was forced to become. He's a man on the make, who doesn't know what to make of himself yet.
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Pennyworth - Ben Aldridge to Star as Thomas Wayne in Upcoming EPIX DC Batman Prequel Series
BEN ALDRIDGE SET TO STAR IN "PENNYWORTH" FOR EPIX AND WARNER HORIZON SCRIPTED TELEVISION, BASED ON THE CHARACTERS FROM DC
Drama from Executive Producers Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon to Begin Production Monday, October 22, 2018 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, in the UK
· Ben Aldridge (Fleabag, Skinny Dip) has been cast in the lead role of Thomas Wayne in the upcoming EPIX drama series PENNYWORTH, from Warner Horizon Scripted Television and based on the characters from DC.
· Thomas Wayne is a young, fresh-faced billionaire hailing from the east coast of the United States. Confident and extremely disciplined, this young aristocrat meets an unlikely business partner in Alfred Pennyworth.
· PENNYWORTH is from executive producer/writer Bruno Heller (Gotham, The Mentalist, Rome) and executive producer/director Danny Cannon (Gotham, CSI series)
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Siblings - Comedy from David Hornsby & The Ranch Co-Executive Producer in Development at CBS
CBS has put in development multi-camera comedy Siblings, from David Hornsby (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) and The Ranch co-executive producer Brian Keith Etheridge, and CBS Television Studios.
Written and executive produced by Hornsby and Etheridge, Siblings centers on two very different siblings who decide to live together and raise their kids after one of them gets divorced.
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The Middle Spinoff - Finesse Mitchell Joins ABC's Untitled Sue Heck Pilot
Finesse Mitchell (Saturday Night Live) will play Hudson, a bartender with a big heart who works at the hotel.
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The Middle Spinoff - Chris Diamantopoulos & Aaron Branch Joins ABC's Untitled Sue Heck Pilot
Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley, The Dangerous Book for Boys) will play Nick, the owner of the hotel where Sue (Sher) takes a new job. Newcomer Aaron Branch will plays Otis, the hotel’s naïve but endearing bellhop/concierge.
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Star Trek: Discovery - Season 2 - Javier Botet to Guest as Old Alien
Thanks to Darthlocke4 for the heads up.
A bit of casting news was broken by Bloody Disgusting in an interview with actor Javier Botet, best known for his work playing creatures in horror movies, including 2018’s It and the titular villain in Slender Man. Botet confirmed he will be working on a role in Discovery:
Botet said he was in one episode in a guest alien role for the second season, but would only tease the part saying:
It's an old creature but I'm not going to tell you what creature.
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12th October 2018
Harley Quinn - Rahul Kohli Joins DC Universe Animated Series
Thanks to 90s for the heads up.
Well I’ve been given the go ahead to let you guys know one of the new projects I’ve been working on! Mans is the voice of SCARECROW! #HarleyQuinn pic.twitter.com/LHpURZrbnl
— Rahul Kohli (@RahulKohli13) October 11, 2018
Food & Familia - Latinx Family Comedy Starring Danny Trejo in Development at ABC
ABC has put in development Food & Familia, a multi-camera multi-generational Latinx family comedy starring Danny Trejo, from sitcom veteran Peter Murrieta, Will Smith and James Lassiter’s Overbrook Entertainment and ABC Studios.
Written by Murrieta, Food & Familia is a comedy about second chances, inspired by Trejo’s life. When the matriarch of the family passes away, she leaves her restaurant to her son, Danny — who’s about to get out of prison — and her granddaughter, Michelle, who hates her father for abandoning her. This gift from beyond the grave might heal the father and daughter and get them back together but, it’s gonna be rocky as the two of them work their differences out while trying to operate a restaurant, live together, and become a real family again.
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Americanized - Undocumented Iranian Family Comedy from Sara Saedi & Reese Witherspoon in Development at ABC
ABC has handed out a script commitment to half-hour comedy Americanized, from Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine banner and ABC Studios and based on author Sara Saedi's memoir of the same name. Saedi (iZombie, The Goodwin Games) will pen the script and exec produce the comedy for ABC Studios alongside Hello Sunshine's Witherspoon and Lauren Levy Neustadter.
Americanized tells the story of a loving and off-beat Iranian family who has been living with a huge secret: they’re undocumented immigrants. Told through an irreverent, heartfelt and apolitical lens, the series will give viewers a window into the life of a Middle-Eastern household while exploring the universal truths that bond every type of "American" family.
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NOS4A2 - Rarmian Newton & Darby Camp to Recur in AMC Horror Series
Rarmian Newton (Rise) will play Drew, Vic’s (Cummings) prep-school friend with a hidden sensitive side. He is inspired by Vic and rebels against his parents to pursue art school.
Darby Camp (Big Little Lies) will portray Haley Smith, a tough kid with an adventurous spirit and a good sense of humor. She’s brave for a 10-year-old but sometimes too confident for her own good. She wants to be an artist just like Vic, her teenage neighbor and pseudo big sister.
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Trailblazer - Basketball Drama in Development at ABC
ABC has put in development Trailblazer, a one-hour drama from former Quantico writer Joe Webb, Michael Seitzman and Christina Davis’ Maniac Productions and ABC Studios, where Maniac is based.
Penned by Webb, Trailblazer centers on Jordan Cruz, the gifted men’s basketball coach at a small D3 college in South Dakota who rises to fame when she’s recruited by UCLA to become the first female coach of a Division 1 men’s team. While she quickly wins over the school’s female President and shares an undeniable spark with the scout who discovered her, Jordan faces more enemies than friends as she disrupts the Old Boys’ clubhouse of big-time college hoops. The drama is about the strength it takes to achieve greatness, and the wisdom to realize we can’t do it alone.
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11th October 2018
Remedy - Medical Drama in Development at FOX
Fox has given a script commitment plus penalty to Remedy, a medical drama from writer Katie Lovejoy (Dracula), Sheldon Turner and Jennifer Klein’s Vendetta Productions and 20th Century Fox TV, where Vendetta is based.
Written by Lovejoy, Remedy is an aspirational drama about Remedy Shaw, a young female medical professional with a rare neurological condition that allows her to literally feel her patient’s pain. As she enters the impersonal, evidence-based medical system for the first time, she discovers that her unique ability to empathize with patients allows her to do more than cure sickness; it heals people. And in the process, she may even heal herself.
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The Neighborhood - Marilu Henner Joins Cast
EW has learned exclusively that Marilu Henner (Taxi) will join the new CBS comedy The Neighborhood. She will take over the role of Paula Johnson, the Midwestern mother of Dave (Greenfield) who apparently has a strong opinions about everything. Yes, she likes to share them.
Legal Drama Based on Isaac Wright, Jr from The Last Ship Co-Creator & 50 Cent in Development at ABC
The remarkable story of Isaac Wright, Jr., the wrongfully convicted drug kingpin who got his conviction overturned and became a licensed attorney, is the subject of a drama series in development at ABC. It hails from The Last Ship co-creator/executive producer Hank Steinberg, Power executive producer Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, The Goldbergs executive producer Doug Robinson and Sony Pictures TV.
Written by Steinberg, the untitled project is based on Isaac Wright, Jr., once wrongfully convicted as the kingpin behind one of the largest drug distribution networks in New Jersey, who now practices law in the same courtroom where he was sentenced to life behind bars. In prison, Wright studied the law and worked as a proxy-lawyer, writing briefs and motions to overturn the convictions of over 20 fellow inmates and ultimately to exonerate himself. He now works as a lawyer defending the wrongly accused and going after corrupt institutions.
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MOVIES: The Best of Enemies - Trailer feat Taraji P. Henson & Sam Rockwell
Murphy Brown - Season 11 - Merle Dandridge to Recur
Merle Dandridge (Greenleaf) will play Diana Macomber, the team’s arrogant CRC network boss, a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails career woman who is proud to have worked her way up to where she is today. Her character will be introduced in the October 18 episode.
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MOVIES: Glass - Trailer 2 feat James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy & More
MOVIES: Ben Is Back - Trailer feat Lucas Hedges & Julia Roberts
Splitting Up Together - Season 2 - Ali Larter to Recur
Ali Larter (Pitch, Heroes) will play no-nonsense Paige, who Martin finds attractive and Lena finds intimidating. Using her own “normal” divorce as a reference, Paige is unafraid to speak her mind, and she makes her feelings known about Lena and Martin’s unconventional arrangement.
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Dana McClintock Named Chief Communications Officer, CBS Corporation
NEW YORK – Oct. 11, 2018 – Dana McClintock will become Executive Vice President, Chief Communications Officer, CBS Corporation, it was announced today by Joe Ianniello, President and Acting Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation. McClintock, who previously served as the Company’s Executive Vice President of Communications, succeeds Gil Schwartz, who recently announced he would be retiring. McClintock’s appointment will be effective on Schwartz’s last day, Nov. 1.
“Handing the reins from Gil to Dana will be a natural transition,” said Ianniello. “I have been relying on Dana’s expertise for many years now, and I am extremely pleased to have him as a senior member of my management team. I am confident that he and the very strong bench we have in CBS Communications will continue to operate at the top of their field.”
“The role of communications in this complex and challenging media world has never been more crucial,” said Schwartz. “That is why CBS is so fortunate to have Dana McClintock to assume leadership of the department. Dana’s honesty, intelligence, coolness under fire and overall positive spirit have already distinguished him in our business. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with him all these years. I know that, working with the incomparable Chris Ender, he will lead CBS Communications to continued achievement in the years to come.”
“We have an outstanding opportunity ahead to communicate CBS Corporation’s bright future,” said McClintock. “I am very motivated by all the remarkable people I get to work with at this Company every day, beginning, of course, with Joe. In addition, I join all of my CBS Communications colleagues in thanking Gil for being such a terrific leader over the many years. There will never be another like him. Going forward, it gives me great pleasure to know I will be continuing my partnership with Chris Ender and Kelli Raftery, as together we lead a tremendous group of professionals who stay ready to communicate all that CBS has to offer.”
In his new role, McClintock will have oversight of the communications group that incorporates public relations, media relations and corporate and internal communications functions for all divisions of the Company. He will continue to be based in New York.
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