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[03/17/14 - 11:50 PM]
Development Update: Monday, March 17
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!
AGATHA (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Tom Donaghy; D: Jace Alexander) - Daniel Henney ("Three Rivers") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Agatha McAuliffe (Bojana Novakovic), a former convict turned big city criminologist who is brought in to help local police - including her estranged chief detective father (Clancy Brown) - crack a case involving a perplexing disappearance. He's on board as Rey Cordoba, her "attentive, doting and loving fiance." Aaron Ashmore, Christian Keyes, Erik Palladino, Jee Young Han and Meta Golding also star. (Deadline.com)
DEAD BOSS (FOX/Warner Bros.; W: Patricia Breen; D: Barry Sonnenfeld) - Rachel Dratch ("Saturday Night Live") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about Helen Stephens (Jane Krakowski), an overachiever who is wrongfully convicted of murdering her boss and forced to rely on Laura (Justine Lupe), her train wreck of a sister to prove her innocence. She's set as Christine, "Helen's cellmate, a sunny but emotionally needy arsonist who will help Helen out of anything, except prison." Amy Sedaris, Cedric Yarborough and Ravi Patel also star. (Deadline.com)
ELLEN MORE OR LESS (NBC/Universal; W: J.J. Philbin; D: Peyton Reed) - Michael Liu has booked a role on the comedy pilot, about Ellen (Stacey McGunnigle), an average-size woman who, after losing 100 pounds, begins reinventing herself in life and love. He's on board as Nicholas, a co-worker of Ellen's in the billing department, who's a combination of hipster glasses, scarf and weird sneakers. Chris Diamantopoulos, Jama Williamson, Joshua Gomez and Tate Ellington also star. (Deadline.com)
EXPOSED (ABC/Universal; W: Charles Randolph; D: TBA) - Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) has booked the male lead on the drama pilot, about Anna Loach (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), an investigative journalist who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth including making questionable alliances. He'll play Stoya, "a mysterious man who develops an intimate relationship with Anna. He claims to be a pilot but is in fact an NSA whistleblower who is being hunted by the U.S. government because he knows too much." Brian F. O'Byrne, Fran Kranz, Sandrine Holt, Pedro Pascal and Peter De Jersey also star. (Deadline.com)
HAND OF GOD (Amazon; W: Ben Watkins; D: Marc Forster) - Alona Tal ("Burn Notice") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about the powerful Judge Harris Pernell (Ron Perlman), a hard-living, law-bending married man with a high-end call girl on the side who has a religious awakening and starts having visions and hearing voices through his ventilator-bound son that could be God speaking to him. She's set as his daughter-in-law Jocelyn in the project, which also stars Julian Morris. (Deadline.com)
IZOMBIE (The CW/Warner Bros.; W: Diane Ruggiero & Rob Thomas; D: TBA) - British actor Rahul Kohli has snagged a role on the drama pilot, about Olivia "Liv" Moore (Rose McIver), a med student-turned-zombie who takes a job in the coroner's office to gain access to the brains she must reluctantly eat to maintain her humanity, but with each brain she consumes, she inherits the corpse's memories. He'll play her friend, partner and only confidant Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti, a high energy, enthusiastic nerd, who has a brilliant mind that isn't equipped with a filter or an off switch. Alexandra Krosney, David Anders, Malcolm Goodwin, Nora Dunn and Robert Buckley also star. (Deadline.com)
KISMET (Amazon, New!) - Feature writer Marc Klein (Mirror Mirror) has sold a potential comedy to the digital distributor billed as "a Sliding Doors-style parallel-reality love story, which follows one couple who meet, date and marry. But what if they hadn't met? Kismet chronicles their lives both as a married couple who've met and as two single people who've never met. As their lives separate and dovetail, we discover that there is no single version of a person's life that is better than any other." Radius Entertainment's Carol Bodie will also serve as an executive producer. (Deadline.com)
LAUGHS UNLIMITED (HBO; W: Anthony Swofford & Oren Moverman; D: TBA) - Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station) has been tapped for the lead role in the long-in-the-works drama, about Billie Crown, an Army medic who returns from serving a tour in Afghanistan only to find that her husband is divorcing her and taking custody of their daughter and must now hide her PTSD from family and colleagues so she can be reinstated as a Sacramento police officer, and so she can reconnect with her daughter. Lauren Shuler Donner, Jennifer Beals, Jack Leslie and Adena Chawke also serve as executive producers on the project, which is awaiting a formal pilot order. (Deadline.com)
LOVE IS RELATIVE (NBC/20th; W: Dan Mazer; D: TBA) - Jason Jones ("The Daily Show with Jon Stewart") has been tapped for a lead role on the comedy pilot, about Nate and Rose (Leslie Bibb), a happy couple who begin to see their marriage in a whole new way after Josh (Barry Rothbart), her newly divorced brother, moves in. He'll play the aforementioned Nate in the project, which also stars Utkarsh Ambudkar. (Deadline.com)
ODD COUPLE, THE (CBS/CTS; W: Joe Keenan & Matthew Perry; D: TBA) - Georgia King ("The New Normal") has snagged the female lead on the comedy pilot, an updated take on Neil Simon's classic play, about two mismatched roommates, the messy Oscar Madison (Matthew Perry) and the neat freak Felix Unger (Thomas Lennon). She'll play Katie, "a model who lives in Oscar and Felix's building." Sarah Baker and Wendell Pierce also star. (Deadline.com)
ONLY HUMAN (CBS/CTS; W: David Marshall Grant; D: TBA) - Ashton Holmes and Anna Brewster have both been cast in the drama pilot, about quadruplets - three brothers and a sister - who grew up on a reality show. He'll play Gary, "possibly the most brilliant of the Lang quadruplets, who left medical school to travel the world and find himself before a near-death experience impels him to head back Stateside to the loved ones he left behind"; with Brewster as his sister, Diana, "a doctor who has dedicated her life to research." Cameron Scoggins and Nick Jandl also star as their fellow siblings with Jamie Lee Curtis as their mother, Caroline. (Deadline.com)
RED ZONE (CBS/CTS/Universal; W: Nikki Toscano; D: James Foley) - Kim Dickens, Kevin Rahm and Samantha Mathis have all been cast in the drama pilot, about Holden Weller (Anthony LaPaglia), a retired CIA operative who, when a terrorist event rocks Washington, D.C., is pulled back into action, forced to investigate closer to home where the next generation of terrorists are being bred. Dickens will play his wife, Helen, "a former CIA shrink who teaches psychology at the same high school as her husband"; with Rahm and Mathis as Paul and Olivia Jordan, "the parents of Jake (Graham Rogers), the second-string QB on Holden's team and a friend of the Wellers' daughter Laney (Shanley Caswell)." Aimee Garcia, David Castro and Sepideh Moafi also star. (Deadline.com)
SALVATION (NBC/Universal; W: Liz Heldens; D: Jeffrey Reiner) - Danny Huston ("American Horror Story") has been tapped for a role on the drama pilot, a family saga set against the backdrop of a Texas mega church where faith, family and corruption are explored in equal measure. He'll play Caleb Bryant, the slick lead pastor at a rival mega-church to the Stricklands. Also starring are Ashley Judd, Emma Dumont, Jake Picking, Meg Steedle, Rob Brown, Ryan McPartlin, Stark Sands and Warren Kole. (Deadline.com)
SAVE THE DATE (CBS/ABC Studios/CTS; W: Jackie Filgo & Jeff Filgo; D: Pamela Fryman) - Jay R. Ferguson ("Mad Men") has scored a role on the comedy pilot, about 35-year-old and newly single Katie (Maggie Lawson), who drunkenly books a wedding venue and now is faced with the task of meeting the right man in time. He's set as Jerry, "the owner of a successful pizza restaurant and a very eligible bachelor - who is determined to stay that way and whose ex-roommate is now living with his fiancee, Hillary (Michelle Trachtenberg), Katie's sister." Brian Howe, Julie White and Tom Bennett also star. (Deadline.com)
SCORPION (CBS/CTS; W: Nick Santora; D: Justin Lin) - Katharine McPhee and Ari Stidham have both scored roles on the drama pilot, about Walter O'Neil (Elyes Gabel), an eccentric genius and his international network of super-geniuses who form the last line of defense against the complex threats of the modern age. She'll play a waitress named Paige Deats, who's capable and strongwilled, damaged but proud, and nobody's fool; while he's set as Sylvester Potts, a neurotic genius slash statistics guru. Eddie Kaye Thomas, Jadyn Wong and Robert Patrick also star. (Deadline.com)
SEX&DRUGS&ROCK&ROLL (FX/FXP; W: Denis Leary; D: TBA) - Elaine Hendrix and Sainty Nelsen have both booked roles on the comedy pilot, Johnny Rock (Denis Leary), the magnificently talented lead singer of a legendary early-'90s band who is trying to get the band together. The former will play Ava, "one of Johnny's three live-in groupies - and 25 years later, she's still his biggest fan. Having never had a child because her life kinda slipped away from her while she was busy chasing rock stars through dressing rooms, Ava realizes that her life has been a mess and that she has nothing to show for all her many, many parties." Nelsen then is set as Becky, "the best friend of 22-year-old aspiring singer Gigi (Elizabeth Gillies)." John Corbett and Robert Kelly also star. (Deadline.com)
STATE OF AFFAIRS (NBC/Universal; W: Alexi Hawley; D: Joe Carnahan) - Sheila Vand and Adam Kaufman are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about Charleston Whitney Tucker (Katherine Heigl), a key CIA attache who counsels the president on high-stakes incidents around the world, all while balancing her intense political responsibilities with a complicated personal life. She'll play Middle East expert Grace Hough, "a tough CIA analyst on the President's daily briefing team, who keeps her private life to herself"; while he's set as Lucas Wright, "a CIA analyst on the President's daily briefing team." Cliff Chamberlain also stars. (Deadline.com)
WINKLERS (ABC/20th; W: Max Winkler, Phil Rosenthal & Rob Reinis; D: Phil Rosenthal) - Judith Light ("Who's the Boss?") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about Jack Conner (Domenick Lombardozzi), an emotionally reserved construction worker who learns about love, life and hugs while unexpectedly living with his in-laws Henry (Henry Winkler) and Tita. She'll play the aforementioned Tita, "the fabulous, fierce momma bear of the family," a role originally conceived for Henry Winkler's real life wife Stacey. Eva Amurri Martino and Josh Sussman also star. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Nick at Nite's "See Dad Run" will wrap its run after its current third season, culiminating in a newly ordered one-hour finale (Deadline.com); Queen Latifah and Ken Jeong are the latest faces bound for "Hot in Cleveland" (TVLine.com); and Brian Baumgartner will guest on "Criminal Minds" as "a man who at an unexpected crossroads in his life goes on a killing spree" (TVLine.com).
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[02/27/26 - 01:28 PM]
Paramount to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery to Form Next-Generation Global Media and Entertainment Company
The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and is expected to close in Q3 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances and approval by WBD shareholders, with a vote expected in the early spring of 2026.
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[02/27/26 - 12:30 PM]
The Jaw-Dropping Fifth and Final Season of Starz's Hit Drama Series, "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" Set to Premiere June 12
To date, the series has accumulated over 21 billion minutes viewed across all episodes and remains one of Starz's top-performing series.
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[02/27/26 - 09:12 AM]
Team USA Hockey Olympic Gold Medalists Hilary Knight, Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes to Appear Together on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Monday, March 2
The episode will also feature guests Nicole Kidman, Luke Thompson and a cooking demo by Chef Mario Carbone.
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[02/27/26 - 08:12 AM]
Paul Wesley Joins Season Three of Hit Apple TV Series "The Buccaneers"
Wesley will play the role as Frank, a mysterious but charming stranger who arrives into Nan and Mrs. St. George's world, turning it upside down.
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[02/27/26 - 07:31 AM]
Peacock to Exclusively Stream Focus Features' "Hamnet" Beginning March 6
Directed by two-time Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao, the film tells the untold story behind one of Shakespeare's most memorable works and celebrates the power of imagination and the creative spirit.
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[02/27/26 - 07:01 AM]
Prime Video Debuts First-Look Image of Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus On Set of New Series "God of War"
The series is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with PlayStation Productions and Tall Ship Productions, and has received a two-season order.
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[02/27/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Netflix and Apple TV Join Forces to Stream Formula 1 Thrills
The entire new season of "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" is now on Netflix globally and Apple TV in the U.S.
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[02/26/26 - 08:46 PM]
"Dandelion": Netflix Adapts "Gintama" Creator Hideaki Sorachi's Debut Work into New Anime Series
Set within the Send-Off Department of the Japanese Angel Federation, Dandelion follows "Angels" Tetsuo Tanba and Misaki Kurogane as they scramble to track down Earthbound spirits - souls unable to move on and find peace - and gently guide them to pass on.
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[02/26/26 - 06:01 PM]
Video: "Still Shining" - Official Trailer - Netflix
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[02/26/26 - 02:46 PM]
Netflix Declines to Raise Offer for Warner Bros.
"The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid," said co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters.
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[02/26/26 - 02:19 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Soars to Season High with Best Audience in Over a Year
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 157 consecutive weeks across all key measures.
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[02/26/26 - 02:08 PM]
Britbox Unveils Spring Slate with "The Lady" Starring Mia McKenna-Bruce; Premieres March 18
Other highlights include the return of "Hope Street" and the debut of "Mudtown."
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[02/26/26 - 01:36 PM]
Paramount Comments on Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Determination of Paramount's Proposal as Superior
David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: "We are pleased WBD's Board has unanimously affirmed the superior value of our offer, which delivers to WBD shareholders superior value, certainty and speed to closing."
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[02/26/26 - 01:16 PM]
Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors Determines Revised Proposal from Paramount Skydance Constitutes a "Company Superior Proposal"
Under the terms of the Netflix merger agreement, this notice triggers a four business day period during which Netflix has the right to propose revisions to the Netflix merger agreement so that the PSKY proposal would cease to constitute a "Company Superior Proposal."
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[02/26/26 - 01:00 PM]
FOX Television Network Renews Hit Joel McHale Series "Animal Control" for Season Five
In addition, the first three seasons of the series are currently streaming on Netflix, and the show has been sold in territories around the world.
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