CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from various wire reports each morning:

ABOUT A BOY (FOX) - Newcomer Max Kirsch will play Marcus in the comedy pilot "About a Boy," based on the recent feature film of the same name. Kirsch takes over for Nicholas Hoult while Patrick Dempsey had previously been cast in place of Hugh Grant's character. Ken Kwapis ("The Bernie Mac Show," "Malcolm in the Middle") has hopped on board to direct the pilot, which also comes from Tribeca and Working Title.

AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL (UPN) - UPN has announced it will debut its eight-week reality series on Tuesday, May 20 at 9:00/8:00c following the series finale of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

AMERICA'S STRANGEST FAMILIES (CBS) - More details have emerged about Gay Rosenthal's reality project at CBS. The series, now titled "America's Strangest Families," will feature three oddball clans each week showing off what makes them so weird. Viewers then get to pick the freakiest of the freaks.

AMERICAN PRINCESS (NBC, New!) - The Peacock has committed to six episodes of the reality project from the U.K.'s Granada TV. The series mixes elements of "Cinderella" and "My Fair Lady" as a group of regular Janes is sent to England for a sort of royalty boot camp.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (FOX) - Anthony and Joe Russo have been tapped to direct the comedy pilot.

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (NBC) - NBC has decided not to go forward with its street-racing series tied to the release of the sequel to the film of the same name. Industry insiders say the Peacock was unable to find a way to translate the energy of the movie into a TV series and the high cost of insuring the project also may have played a role in the decision.

JOAN OF ARCADIA (CBS) - Jason Ritter ("Swimfan") will appear in the drama pilot from Sony Pictures TV and CBS Prods.

KID MAYOR (WB) - Karen Goberman ("Law & Order") is set as Abby, the girlfriend of a high school student who's elected to lead a small New Hampshire town in the comedy pilot from Sony Pictures TV and Happy Madison.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (CBS, New!) - The Eye network has begun casting for a new reality series from producer Phil Gurin ("Weakest Link") that pits neighboring families with longstanding beefs against one another in a series of competitions. Both get their current mortgages paid off, while the winning clan gets a new home.

NICE PACKAGE (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet network has pacted with the BBC to produce a pilot for "Nice Package," a dating show in which potential couples get the chance to live each other's lives for two days before choosing to date them.

SATURDAY NIGHT TAKEAWAY (FOX, New!) - FOX is close to ordering a pilot from Granada TV of a domestic version of the U.K. hit. The variety series is likened to Univision's "Sabado Gigante" and stars the duo known as Ant and Dec.

UNTITLED GILMORE GIRLS PROJECT (WB) - Greg Cipes ("Teen Titans") has been added to the cast of the spin-off as Skinner, the head of a Venice Beach skateboarding crew.

THE WILL (ABC) - ABC is no longer expected to air "The Will" this summer, though the project remains in development for next season.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters