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[12/18/19 - 11:29 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, December 18
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!


BEACH, THE (HBO Max, New!) - Erin Cardillo and Richard Keith have sold a new drama to the streaming service based on Melissa de la Cruz's book, about "three local teens who work in the Hamptons' lavish estates, exclusive beach clubs, and breath-taking boats over one magical summer as their lives and hearts become increasingly intertwined with wealthy families who swoop in from the city for the summer season." Said duo will executive produce via their In Good Company banner alongside My So-Called Company's Julie Plec, Alloy Entertainment's Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo, and Everheart Productions' Jenna Dewan for Warner Bros. Television. Jean Song is a co-producer. (Deadline.com)
BLACKLIST, THE (NBC) - Joely Richardson will drop by an upcoming episode as Cassandra Bianchi, "a shrewd criminal who is on the verge of the score of a lifetime." (TVLine.com)
DEAD SPOTS (Quibi, New!) - Jen Braeden is bringing Melissa F. Olson's novel to the small screen at the streaming service. The project is billed as "an urban fantasy dramedy about a lowly janitor for Los Angeles' supernatural community who cleans up their messes in order to keep the Old World hidden from humanity. She's completely under-appreciated and under-paid until... she embraces her ability to turn the powerful, powerless." K&L Productions' Kay Cannon and Laverne McKinnon will also executive produce for Sony Pictures Television. (Deadline.com)
FARGO (FX) - Karen Aldridge is the latest addition to the anthology's fourth season. She'll play Zelmare Roulette, additional details of which were not given. (Deadline.com)
HOLLYWOOD (Netflix) - Ryan Murphy's limited series has tapped Rob Reiner as Ace Amberg; Mira Sorvino as Jeanne Crandall; Michelle Krusiec as Anna May Wong; and Katie McGuinness as Vivian Leigh; all guest roles. (Deadline.com)
I HOPE YOU GET THIS MESSAGE (Amazon, New!) - Farah Naz Rishi's debut novel is being developed for television by Amazon Studios and Glasstown Entertainment. The project "tells the stirring tale of three teens - Cate, Jesse, and Adeem - who find themselves on a collision course with fate in the aftermath of a message from an alien race granting humans seven remaining days to live." Rishi will pen the script and executive produce alongside Lauren Oliver. (Deadline.com)
SHADOW & BONE (Netflix) - The streaming service's Leigh Bardugo adaptation will round out its cast with Calahan Skogman as Matthias, "a Fjerdan witch hunter raised to despise the Grisha and their magic"; Zoë Wanamaker as Baghra, "a ruthless teacher and trainer, determined to hone the power of each of her charges"; Kevin Eldon as Apparat, "the mysterious spiritual adviser to Ravka's royal family"; Julian Kostov as Fedyor, "a free-spirited Heartrender and loyal follower of General Kirigan;" Luke Pasqualino as David, "a brilliant Fabrikator who feels most at ease with his nose buried in a scientific treatise"; Jasmine Blackborow as Marie, "an Inferni who tries to teach Alina the social rules of the Little Palace"; and Gabrielle Brooks as Nadia, "a Squaller who befriends Alina despite opposition from Zoya". (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED BRANDON SCOTT JONES PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Comedian Brandon Scott Jones has sold a new comedy to the Peacock network in which "when a hilariously struggling playwright is hired to help an oddball group of tech geniuses create the personality of a first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence, the process unexpectedly forces them to explore analytically, emotionally and creatively what it means to be human." Universal Television is behind the half-hour with Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions' Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker as well as Aseem Batra also executive producing. Jason Carden is a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED KASSIA MILLER PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Kassia Miller has likewise set up a new comedy at said network in which "when golden-child Vera's cutting-edge environmental start-up turns out to be a fraud, she escapes the national spotlight by moving to New York and crashing with her younger sister, Jo, much to Jo's dismay. Now that they're roommates, Vera and Jo are forced to rebuild their stale sisterly relationship as Vera rebuilds her life." Universal Television is behind the half-hour with Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions' Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker as well as Jen Statsky also executive producing. Jason Carden is a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)
VEGAS HIGH (HBO Max) - Jordana Spiro and Josh Andrés Rivera are the first to be cast in the drama pilot, "a 1990s-set coming-of-age story about Laura (yet to be cast), a girl who's caught between two worlds: the fast-paced lifestyle of Las Vegas and her strong Mormon faith and community." Spiro plays Laura's mom, Diane: "The epitome of a Mormon housewife, Diane is compassionate, complicated and funny. But as a young mother of four, she struggles with the repetitive efforts to keep her family, home and church duties up and running." Rivera is Josh, "Diane's reckless, charismatic son and Laura's brother who lives unapologetically. Inappropriate but hilarious, troubled but never a brute, Josh is mysteriously complicated with an "it" factor no one can quite explain." (Deadline.com)
YELLOWJACKETS (Showtime) - The survival drama pilot has cast Ava Allan as "the adult teenaged daughter of Shauna (Melanie Lynskey)"; Courtney Eaton as Lottie, "the Yellowjackets' resident rich girl, whose ambitions and polish belie a personal struggle she keeps hidden from her teammates"; Briana Venskus as Jessica Cruz, "a reporter digging into the survivors' past and trying to separate fact from fiction"; and Liv Hewson as Vanessa "Van" Palmer, "the Yellowjackets goalie whose infectious enthusiasm makes her the unofficial mascot of the team." (Variety.com)





  [december 2019]  
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· BEACH, THE (HBO MAX)
· BLACKLIST, THE (NBC)
· DEAD SPOTS (QUIBI)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FARGO (FX)
· HOLLYWOOD (NETFLIX)
· I HOPE YOU GET THIS MESSAGE (AMAZON)
· SHADOW AND BONE (NETFLIX)
· UNTITLED BRANDON SCOTT JONES PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED KASSIA MILLER PROJECT (NBC)
· VEGAS HIGH (HBO MAX)
· YELLOWJACKETS (SHOWTIME)





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