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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!
BLINDSPOT (NBC/WBT; W: Martin Gero; D: Mark Pellington) - Ashley Johnson has booked a role on the drama pilot, about Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander), a beautiful woman, with no memories of her past, who is found naked in Times Square with her body fully covered in intricate tattoos. Her discovery sets off a vast and complex mystery that immediately ignites the attention of the FBI who begin to follow the road map on her body to reveal a larger conspiracy of crime while bringing her closer to discovering the truth about her identity. She'll play Patterson Leung, "the resident tech expert on Mayfair's (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) team." Audrey Esparza, Rob Brown, Sullivan Stapleton and Ukweli Roach also star. (Deadline.com)
BREED (TNT; W: John Scott Shepherd; D: Scott Winant) - Callie Thorne ("Necessary Roughness") has snagged a role on the pilot, a supernatural drama centering on a volatile race of creatures who are committing brutal murders in the Pacific Northwest, and the reluctant FBI investigator who pairs with a female assassin to track them. She'll play Emme Haladjian, "the beautiful, charismatic, highly-accomplished prosecutor whose appearance hides her vicious secrets, and the danger she poses to Cooper and the city." Aisha Hinds, Amber Clayton, Justin Chatwin, Nadia Hilker and Shaun Majumder also star. (Deadline.com)
CORDON (The CW/WBT; W: Julie Plec; D: David Nutter) - George Young and Trevor St. John are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about when a deadly epidemic breaks out in Atlanta, a large city quarantine is quickly enforced, leaving those stuck on the inside to fight for their lives. The former will play Dr. Victor Cannerts, "Director of the CDC who gets quarantined in the city hospital within the Cordon and cut off from his resources"; while St. John is set as Leo, "a once-celebrated personality in the world of journalism. When he starts to receive intel from a mysterious anonymous source about the particulars of the epidemic and the government's response, Leo must dust off his investigative instincts in order to uncover the machinations he believes lie at the heart of the outbreak." Chris Wood, Christina Moses, Claudia Black, David Gyasi, Hanna Mangan Lawrence and Kristen Gutoskie also star. (Deadline.com)
CUCKOO (NBC/Lionsgate; W: Kieron Quirke & Robin French; D: TBA) - Rachel DiPillo ("Jane the Virgin") has been tapped for the female lead of the comedy pilot, based on the British series about a daughter comes back from a summer abroad married to a charming but infuriating eccentric named Cuckoo (Flula Borg), much to her father's annoyance. She'll play said girl, Rachel, "a recent college grad who just spent a semester in Thailand where she met and married Cuckoo. She has a big heart, which has led to her acceptance of all of Cuckoo's quirks." Griffin Gluck also stars. (Deadline.com)
DEAD PEOPLE (The CW/WBT; W: Tom Kapinos; D: TBA) - Echo Kellum ("Sean Saves the World") has been cast in the drama pilot, about Floyd Hale (Andrew J. West), a down-on-his-luck, semi-alcoholic but roguishly charming cab driver who after a near-death experience, he suddenly has the ability to interact with ghosts, including his late ex-wife (Alexandra Chando) who he has never gotten over. He'll play his best friend Doug, "a successful attorney who lives with his wife and two children, worries about Floyd and wants to help him in any way he can." (Deadline.com)
FLESH & BLOOD (ABC/ABCS; W: Jenna Bans; D: Paul McGuigan) - Andrew McCarthy has signed on for a role in the drama pilot, about Claire Warren (Joan Allen), the Mayor of Red Pines, California, whose young son, Adam Warren (Liam James), returns after being presumed dead after disappearing over a decade earlier, sending shockwaves throughout their tight knit community. He's set as Hank Asher, "Claire's former neighbor who spent 12 years in prison for Adam's murder." Alison Pill, Floriana Lima, Margot Bingham and Zach Gilford also star. (Deadline.com)
FRANKENSTEIN (FOX/20th; W: Rand Ravich; D: Michael Cuesta) - Tim DeKay ("While Collar") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Ray Pritchard (Rob Kazinsky), a morally corrupt retired cop, who is given a second chance at life when he is brought back from the dead. He'll play Duval Pritchard, Ray's FBI agent son, in the project, which has also added Philip Baker Hall as Ray prior to said transformation. Adhir Kalyan also stars. (Deadline.com)
GAME OF SILENCE (NBC/Sony; W: David Hudgins; D: Niels Arden Oplev) - Claire van der Boom ("Hawaii Five-0") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about Jackson Pogue (David Lyons), a rising attorney on the brink of success who could lose his perfectly crafted life when his long lost childhood friends threaten to expose a dark secret from their violent past. She'll play Marina Nagle, "the beautiful, intelligent partner of her law firm who is engaged to Jackson." Bre Blair, Conor O'Farrell, Demetrius Grosse, Larenz Tate and Michael Raymond-James also star. (Deadline.com)
HEART MATTERS (NBC/Universal; W: Jill Gordon; D: Robert Duncan McNeill) - Don Hany (Serangoon Road) has joined the cast of the drama pilot, a medical soap that follows the outspoken Alex Panttiere (Melissa George), one of the rare female heart transplant surgeons. Alex brings an innovative eye to treating patients week to week while also balancing the complications of her professional and romantic life. He'll play Jessie Shane, "the hospital's new Chief of Surgery. Alex (George) and Jessie (Hany) had a passionate, unforgettable affair when she was an intern, and now ten years later, they are working together." Dave Annable and Shelley Conn also star. (Deadline.com)
IMPACT (A&E, New!) - The cable channel is developing a small screen take on Matthew Graham and Nigel McCrery's 2002 film, "a fast-pace thriller that begins immediately following the downing of a major commercial flight near the nation's capital. When the country's best airline investigator learns that her son may have been on the flight, everyone she once trusted will become a suspect." Writer Jason George and director Kimberly Peirce are behind the A+E Studios-based project, which will also be executive produced by Eli Holzman, Eric Lehrman, Stephen Lambert and John Yorke of All3Media America. Richard Ruiz and Nigel McCrery are the producers. (Deadline.com)
LUCIFER (FOX/WBT; W: Tom Kapinos; D: Len Wiseman) - Lauren German ("Chicago Fire") is set to star opposite Tom Ellis in the drama pilot, about Lucifer (Ellis) who, bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals. She'll play Chloe Dancer, "an LAPD homicide detective who finds herself both repulsed and fascinated by Lucifer. As they work together to solve a murder, Lucifer is struck by Chloe's inherent goodness. Used to dealing with the absolute worst of humanity, Lucifer begins to wonder if there's hope yet." Lina Esco also stars. (Deadline.com)
MIX (ABC/WBT; W: Jennifer Cecil; D: Daniel Barnz) - Sharon Lawrence has snagged a role on the drama pilot, about the realities of modern-day families - multi-cultural and multi-generational, built through divorces, affairs and adoptions - set against the backdrop of a revered family restaurant at a crossroads. She'll play Stella Ruiz, "the ex-wife of Ray (Joaquim de Almeida), who owns her own successful restaurant, Mix Plus, which is right next door to Mix, but can't refuse helping her charming ex-husband get his restaurant back in the black - and their family stable." Britne Oldford, Camille Guaty, Sam Page and Walter Perez also star. (Deadline.com)
OF KINGS AND PROPHETS (ABC/ABCS; W: Adam Cooper & Bill Collage; D: Jeffrey Nachmanoff) - Oliver Rix and Simone Kessell have both scored roles on the drama pilot, billed as an epic biblical saga of faith, ambition and betrayal as told through the eyes of a battle-weary king (Ray Winstone), a powerful and resentful prophet and a resourceful young shepherd on a collision course with destiny. Rix will play David, "the second king of Israel"; and Kessell is set as Anohim, "the queen of Israel, wife of Saul (Winstone) and a top adviser to the throne." Maisie Richardson-Sellers also stars. (Deadline.com)
ROSEWOOD (FOX/20th; W: Todd Harthan; D: Richard Shepard) - Anna Konkle has been tapped for a role on the drama pilot, about Dr. Beaumont Rosewood, Jr. (Morris Chestnut), the top private pathologist in all of Miami. She'll play Kathy Fern Clyde, aka "KFC," "a hyper-neurotic DNA specialist who works in the lab." Jaina Lee Ortiz and Maggie Elizabeth Jones also star. (Variety.com)
SHARING (NBC/Universal; W: Jeremy Bronson; D: TBA) - Christine Taylor and Jerry Minor have both joined the cast of the pilot, a workplace comedy about the different groups of people working side by side in a shared office space. She will play Polly, "who co-owns Open Spaces with her husband Mike (Minor). She's effervescent, type-A and no nonsense and wishes her husband would stand up for himself and to the people in the office." Greta Lee, Jack Carpenter and Stephen Schneider also star. (Deadline.com)
SNEAKY PETE (CBS/Sony; W: Bryan Cranston & David Shore; D: Seth Gordon) - Shane McRae ("The Following") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Marius Josipovic (Giovanni Ribisi), a con man who, upon leaving prison, takes cover from his past by assuming the identity of a cellmate, Peter Murphy, hiding out from his debtors while working for his new "family's" bail bond business. He'll play Taylor, "a small-town cop thrilled to be reunited with his long-absent cousin Pete." Libe Barer, Margo Martindale, Marin Ireland and Peter Gerety also star. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED ASEEM BATRA PROJECT (NBC/Universal; W: Aseem Batra; D: Betsy Thomas) - Rizwan Manji ("Backstrom") is the latest to board the multi-camera comedy pilot, about best friends Dale (Michael Cassidy) and Georgie (Christine Woods) whose relationship is upended when he starts dating the "perfect" woman. He's set as "Dale's workplace confidant and right-hand man." (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED BATTLE OF THE SEXES PROJECT (HBO, New!) - Elizabeth Banks is set to play Billie Jean King with Paul Giamatti as Bobby Riggs in a new movie at the pay channel which details "the 1973 Battle of the Sexes tennis match in which the 29-year-old No. 2-ranked female star beat the 55-year-old retired former Wimbledon champ." David Auburn (Proof) will pen the script with Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman executive producing alongside Brownstone Productions' Banks and Max Handelman. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED DANA KLEIN PROJECT (FOX/20th; W: Dana Klein; D: Pamela Fryman) - Bret Harrison ("Breaking In") has signed onto the multi-camera comedy pilot, about Ellen (Jenna Elfman), a working mom who is in constant competition with her perfect, stay-at-home sister-in-law, Amy (Liza Lapira). He'll play Jack Stanley, "taking over for Brian Austin Green who originally was cast in the role but had to pull out for medical reasons." Izzy Watts, Matt Letscher, Nancy Lenehan and Peter Riegert also star. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Syfy has passed on a second season of its event series "Ascension" (Deadline.com); Mark Goffman has inked a two-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios, a pact which will end his run as showrunner of 20th Century Fox Television's "Sleepy Hollow" (Deadline.com); Nasim Pedrad is the latest addition to FOX's upcoming anthology "Scream Queens" (Deadline.com); Vince Nappo and Rachel Skarsten are both bound for "Reign" as General Renaude and Queen Elizabeth, respectively (Deadline.com);
"Homeland" executive producer Chip Johannessen has signed a new two-year overall deal with producer 20th Century Fox Television (Deadline.com); Tim Bagley has been upped to regular on NBC's "Mr. Robinson" as Supervisor Dalton, "a County School Supervisor who oversees the ever-dwindling budget at Studs Terkel High and Mr. Robinson's biggest fan" (Deadline.com); and Marsha Mason will guest on "Madam Secretary" as "a strong-minded therapist for highly placed government officials" (TVLine.com).
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