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[12/05/14 - 11:39 PM]
Development Update: Friday, December 5
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!


IMITATION (NBC, New!) - Heather Hildenbrand's digital novel, which "takes place in a world where human clones exist and the privileged elite use them to maintain their status," is being developed as a drama at the Peacock. Ian Sobel and Matt Morgan ("From Dusk Till Dawn") are penning the adaptation, which centers on a "24-year-old clone who replaces her imperiled human and threatens to bring down everything her creators have built." Alloy Entertainment's Leslie Morgenstein and Cheryl Dolins and Jerry Bruckheimer Television's Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman will executive produce for Warner Bros. Television with Sobel, Morgan and the latter's KristieAnne Reed serving as co-executive producers. (THR.com)


LUMEN (TNT/ABCS; W: Chris Black; D: Joe Johnson) - Wynn Everett ("The Newsroom") has been cast in the drama pilot, about a family of four who finds themselves transported to the mystical alternate world inspired by the work of a missing author's best-selling series of fantasy books. She will play the author, Helen Royce, in the project, which also stars Sam Jaeger. TNT Original Productions, Amblin Television, Full Fathom Five and ABC Signature Studios are all behind the hour, which begins filming next month in New Zealand. (Deadline.com)


MAGICIANS, THE (Syfy/UCP; W: John McNamara & Sera Gamble; D: Mike Cahill) - Summer Bishil ("Lucky 7") has boarded the drama pilot, the television adaptation of Lev Grossman's beloved #1 New York Times best-selling book series. She'll play Margo Hanson, "a brilliant young student at the Brakebill's Academy." Arjun Gupta, Hale Appleman, Jason Ralph, Sosie Bacon and Stella Maeve also star. (Deadline.com)


SHANNARA (MTV; W: Al Gough & Miles Millar; D: Jonathan Liebesman) - Aaron Jakubenko ("Spartacus") is the latest to be cast in the upcoming drama, based on Terry Brooks's best-selling fantasy novels about the Shannara family, whose descendants are empowered with ancient magic and whose adventures continuously reshape the future of the world. He's set as Ander, "Amberle's (Poppy Drayton) uncle, an Elven Prince with the reputation for being the wild party boy who has yet to find his way in the world." (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JONES & BEE PROJECT (TBS; W: Jason Jones & Samantha Bee; D: TBA) - Ashley Gerasimovich (We Need To Talk About Kevin) and Liam Carroll (The Neighbors) have both been cast in the comedy pilot, about hopeful dad Nate (Jason Jones), who hops in the car with his wife Robin (Natalie Zea) and two young kids for a 24-hour adventure to the Keys. Gerasimovich will play Delilah, "Nate's rebellious and strong-willed daughter who speaks an incomprehensible pig Latin language"; with Carroll as Jared, "her fraternal twin brother, an off-beat kid who likes to act knowing and cool, however, he's completely clueless when it comes to matters of sex." (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Afemo Omilami, Chris Kerson, Emily Rios and Ronnie Gene Blevins are among the latest faces bound for "True Detective" (Deadline.com); Annie Potts will guest on the season finale of "Major Crimes" as an "astrologer to the stars, who treats her field as a science" (EW.com); Ana Ortiz has booked a recurring role on "Marry Me" as "the sexy, quippy new love interest of Kay (Tymberlee Hill)" (EW.com); Peri Gilpin has joined NBC's multi-camera incarnation of "Mr. Robinson" as the high school principal, succeeding Jean Smart from the original single-camera pilot (TVLine.com); Annie Wersching will return to "Castle" later this season as ice queen Dr. Kelly Nieman (TVLine.com); and Brian Baumgartner will visit "Melissa & Joey" as "a campaign investor who considers helping Mel (Melissa Joan Hart) run for Congress" (THR.com).






  [december 2014]  
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· CASTLE (ABC)
· DETOUR, THE (TBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FROM DUSK TILL DAWN: THE SERIES (EL REY)
· IMITATION (NBC)
· LUCKY 7 (ABC)
· LUMEN (TNT)
· MAGICIANS, THE (SYFY)
· MAJOR CRIMES (TNT)
· MARRY ME (NBC)
· MELISSA & JOEY (ABC FAMILY)
· MR ROBINSON (NBC)
· NEWSROOM, THE (HBO)
· SHANNARA CHRONICLES, THE (SPIKE TV)
· SPARTACUS (STARZ)
· TRUE DETECTIVE (HBO)





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