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[03/29/21 - 11:09 PM]
Development Update: Monday, March 29
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!


ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING (The CW) - Peyton Alex Smith, Cory Hadrict, Kelly Jenrette, Sylverser Powell, Netta Walker and Camille Hyde are set to star in the Geffri Maya-led backdoor pilot spin-off, which follows "Simone Hicks (Maya) and an elite baseball player from Chicago, Damons Sims (Smith) as they contend with the high stakes of college sports, while also navigating the highs, lows and sexiness of unsupervised early adulthood at a prestigious Historically Black College." Smith plays Damon Sims, "a nationally ranked high school baseball prodigy, Damon is originally from the south side of Chicago, but his family moved to an affluent neighborhood shortly after his Little League team was involved in a controversial national scandal"; with Hardrict as Coach Marcus Turner, "who played baseball at Bringston University and was drafted into pro ball, only to have an injury sideline his career"; Jenrette as Amara Patterson, "a successful journalist-turned-journalism professor, Amara is Simone's aunt and the most popular professor on campus"; Powell as Jessie Raymond, Jr., "an Atlanta native and varsity baseball player, Jessie became friends with Damon as teen ballplayers on the national scene"; Walker as Keisha McCalla, "having grown up on campus with her dad, an administrator at the University, Keisha is the life of the party and the unofficial mayor of Bringston University - knowing everyone and everything, despite only being a freshman"; and Hyde as Thea Mays, "a queen-bee sophomore that gives off slight mean girl tendencies." (Deadline.com)
AMERICAN GODS (Starz) - The pay channel has pulled the plug on the Neil Gaiman adaptation after three seasons. "Everyone at Starz is grateful to the dedicated cast and crew, and our partners at Fremantle who brought author and executive producer Neil Gaiman's ever-relevant story to life that speaks to the cultural climate of our country," the network said in a statement. (Deadline.com)
BACKSTAGE WITH KATHERINE RYAN (Amazon, New!) - Comedian Katherine Ryan is slated to topline a new comedy project for the streamer. Peter Fincham and Tim Hincks's Expectation Entertainment is reportedly producing. (Deadline.com)
DROPOUT, THE (Hulu) - Oscar nominee Amanda Seyfried is set to star in the streamer's limited drama series about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos. She'll play the aforementioned Elizabeth Holmes, taking over from Kate McKinnon, who bowed out of the role last month. (Deadline.com)
HOT ZONE, THE (NGC) - Enrico Colantoni and Morgan Kelly have both landed roles on the anthology's second season. Colantoni will guest star as Mayor Rudy Giuliani: "After shepherding New York City through the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Giuliani has emerged as a bold advocate for the residents of his great city, with the whole world watching. Helping NYC heal is paramount as he faces difficult decisions when new dangers emerge, threatening a second wave of panic." Kelly then is FBI Agent Eric Sykes, "a cocky FBI agent with the jaw and attitude of an Annapolis grad. He delights in mocking Ryker for his hunt for elusive bio-weapons." (Deadline.com)
MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, THE (Showtime) - Clarke Peters is bound for the Chiwetel Ejiofor-led drama series as Josiah Falls, "patriarch of the Falls family, father of Justin Falls (Naomie Harris) and a gifted scientist and engineer whose surprising relationship with Ejiofor's alien brings about the next step in human evolution." (Deadline.com)
MASTERS OF THE AIR (Apple) - Nate Mann has been cast in the WWII drama as Major Rosie Rosenthal. Austin Butler, Anthony Boyle and Callum Turner also star in the project, character details of which have yet to be released. (Deadline.com)
PROMISED LAND (ABC) - Christina Ochoa is the first to be cast in the drama pilot as Veronica Sandoval, "the eldest daughter of the Sandovals, a wealthy vineyard-owning family in the Sonoma Valley. Veronica is the highly capable heir to the Heritage Wines empire and her father Joe's trusted Number Two. But her drive and ambition have left her with some glaring personal blindspots, and Veronica's seemingly perfect life soon starts to unravel." (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED BLUMHOUSE FILM SERIES (EPIX) - Lia McHugh is set to star in "A House on the Bayou," the first of said films at the pay channel, which "follows a troubled couple and their teenage daughter who go on vacation to an isolated house in the Louisiana bayou to reconnect as a family. But when unexpected visitors arrive, their façade of family unity starts to unravel, as terrifying secrets come to light." McHugh will play Anna, "the 14-year-old daughter of Jessica and John, who becomes increasingly unnerved by the tension she feels rising within her family. Though not exactly thrilled about spending a week with her parents in a remote bayou house, Anna becomes dangerously intrigued by the attention of a handsome, and older, local boy." Alex McAulay is writing and directing. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED DOLGEN & MAND PROJECT (Netflix) - Olivia Macklin, Michael Hsu Rosen and Cinthya Carmona have been cast opposite Emily Osment and Gregg Sulkin in the multi-camera comedy series. Macklin will play Claire, "scatterbrained optimist and the world's worst waitress (although the customers love her)"; with Rosen as Jayden, "a former child-model who now makes his living as a social media influencer"; and Carmona as Solana, "a former lawyer turned unqualified health guru." (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED TOM SMALLWOOD PROJECT (CBS) - Comedian Pete Holmes is set to star in the multi-camera comedy pilot, in which after being laid off from the assembly line at the GM factory, a seemingly ordinary man, Tom (Holmes), makes the extraordinary decision to provide for his family by following his dream of becoming a professional bowler. Holmes's Tom is "a family man through and through. He is an emblematic Midwest husband and dad who gets laid off after working a car assembly line all his life, and decides to do something he never thought he'd do - take a chance - and shoot for the moon." (Deadline.com)
UPLOAD (Amazon) - Mackenzie Cardwell will recur on the upcoming season as Tinsley, "a new temp customer service angel at the Horizen "Lakeview" center in Brooklyn." (Deadline.com)





  [march 2021]  
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· ALL AMERICAN (CW)
· ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING (CW)
· AMERICAN GODS (STARZ)
· BACKSTAGE WITH KATHERINE RYAN (AMAZON)
· BLUMHOUSE FILM SERIES (EPIX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DROPOUT, THE (HULU)
· HOT ZONE, THE (NGC)
· HOW WE ROLL (CBS)
· MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, THE (SHOWTIME)
· MASTERS OF THE AIR (APPLE TV PLUS)
· PRETTY SMART (NETFLIX)
· PROMISED LAND (HULU)
· UPLOAD (AMAZON)





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