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[07/04/25 - 11:14 PM]
Development Update: Week of June 30-July 4
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!
BACHELOR, THE (ABC) - Scott Teti has been tapped as showrunner of the series, which has formally been renewed for a landmark 30th installment. He replaces Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner, "who exited in March following "toxic" workplace allegations." (Deadline.com, 6/30)
BATTLE ON THE BEACH (HGTV) - Alison Victoria revealed on her Pap Smear podcast the series has been canceled after four seasons. (Deadline.com, 7/4)
BEST OFFER WINS (Hulu, New!) - The streamer has landed the series rights to Marisa Kashino's debut novel with Greta Lee expected to star in the drama adaptation: "Described as a sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis, the Best Offer Wins book centers on Margo, a 37-year-old publicist who, after a year and a half of failed bids in her house hunting, becomes obsessed with a perfect off-market house, resorting to stalking, transposing and scheming to land the home she believes would save her marriage." Suzanne Heathcote is penning the project and will executive produce alongside Kashino, Lee, Chelsea McKinnies and Mackenzie Roussos for Entertainment 360 and 20th Television. (Deadline.com, 7/1)
DO YOU WANT KIDS? (ABC) - Rachel Bloom's comedy is under "serious pilot consideration" according to a report. (Deadline.com, 7/2)
EARTHQUAKE (FOX, New!) - Comedian Earthquake is set to star in a multi-camera comedy at the network based on his life as part of a script-to-series development track for the 2026-27 season. No writer is currently attached. Bill Burr, Mike Bertolina, Dave Becky, Jermaine Smith, and Earthquake are the executive producers for North Hill Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, and FOX Entertainment Studios. In 2004, Earthquake toplined a similarly self-titled comedy pilot at ABC which didn't move forward to series. (Deadline.com, 6/30)
EMILY IN PARIS (Netflix) - Bryan Greenberg and Michèle Laroque will both recur on the show's upcoming fifth season. The former will play Jake, "an American living in Paris"; with the latter as Yvette, "an old friend of Sylvie's (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu)." (Deadline.com, 7/2)
FIVE-STAR WEEKEND, THE (Peacock) - The Elin Hilderbrand adaptation has tapped Judy Greer, West Duchovny, and Tory Devon Smith for the recurring roles of Electra, Aubrey, and John Mark, respectively. No other details were given. (Variety.com, 7/2)
FOURTH WING (Amazon) - Jac Schaeffer is "in discussions to board the high-profile romantic fantasy series project as writer, executive producer and showrunner." She'll succeed Moira Walley-Beckett "who recently left after being tapped to pen the adaptation last July." (Deadline.com, 7/1)
FREE BERT (Netflix) - The Bert Kreischer-led comedy series has cast Chris Witaske, Christine Horn, and Sophia Reid-Gantzert in unspecified recurring roles. (Deadline.com, 7/3)
FRIENDS & FAMILY (ABC) - The comedy, starring Cobie Smulders and written by Morgan Murphy, is "no longer in the running" at the network. (Deadline.com, 7/2)
LAST OF US, THE (HBO) - Co-creator Neil Druckmann and fellow executive producer Halley Gross have both announced their departures as creatives from the series. (Deadline.com, 7/2)
MAN ON THE INSIDE, A (Netflix) - Emmy winner Jackée Harry is bound for the show's sophomore run in a yet-to-be-revealed role. (Deadline.com, 7/3)
MITTENS (ABC, New!) - Victor Quinaz has sold a comedy to the Alphabet "described as a contemporary family comedy told from the POV of Mittens, a neighborhood cat who, unbeknownst to the community, lives at all three houses on a cul-de-sac." Courtney Lilly, Warren Littlefield, Lisa Harrison and Ann Johnson are also among the executive producers for 20th Television and The Littlefield Co. (Deadline.com, 7/2)
MONOPOLY (Hulu) - Jacob Scipio, Leslie Grace, Mariana di Girolamo, Liz Caribel Sierra, and Armando Rivera are set to star in the drama pilot. Scipio will play Abe Alonso, "a wildly ambitious, charismatic up-and-coming real estate developer from the outer boroughs of New York City"; with Grace as Val Alonso-Rivera, "a passionate architect on a mission to create beautiful, affordable housing amid an industry driven by quick production and cost-cutting at every turn"; Di Girolamo as Gloria Saladín, "a cunning businesswoman married to Moises Saladín (Ramírez), the heir-apparent to a multibillion-dollar real estate empire"; Sierra as Adela Rivera, "Val's sarcastic, willful younger sister who's never seen a rule she didn't want to break, which is perhaps her strongest qualification as Abe's promising development associate"; and Rivera as Diego Saladín, "the unpredictable bachelor and black sheep of the Saladín family who harbors ambitions beyond real estate and has a colorful anarcho-capitalist streak." (Deadline.com, 7/2)
MR. & MRS. SMITH (Amazon) - The anthology's second season will relocate to California as part of the state's "recently approved $750M in funding for the state's Film & TV Tax Credit Program." The show's sophomore run was based out of "New York with a few locations in Italy, including Lake Como and the Italian Dolomites." (Deadline.com, 7/2)
NO GOOD DEED/PULSE/RESIDENCE, THE (Netflix) - The streamer has nixed all three of the aforementioned series. "The Residence" and "Pulse" have been canceled while there are "no current plans" for a second season of the anthology "No Good Deed." (Deadline.com, 7/2)
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (New!) - Producer Paul Zaentz, the nephew of the film's original producer Saul Zaentz, told the podcast CK Café: "Just now, I've signed an agreement with Ken Kesey's widow to develop a TV series which we'll make through the point of view of the Chief for the first season. Following the first season, we'll see what happens to the Chief after he escapes [from the psychiatric hospital]." No other auspices were given. (Deadline.com, 7/4)
OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT (Disney+) - Amy Sedaris will star in Jon Favreau's upcoming Walt Disney Studios series alongside Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Mykal-Michelle Harris, and Ryder Allen. Cabot-Conyers will play Jake, "a hardworking middle school student with a big heart"; with Harris as Jen, "an artistic middle schooler who is always ahead of the game"; and Allen as Taylor, "a middle school student who is cautious but avoids turning down his friends." Sedaris then is believed to be playing the mother of Allen's character, Taylor. (Deadline.com, 6/30; Variety.com, 7/2)
ROBIN HOOD (MGM+) - The upcoming drama has added the following actors to recur: Graeme Thomas King as Prince John, "younger brother to Richard, son of King Henry, and a dangerous pretender to the throne"; Tom Mison as Hugh, "Rob's father, a proud Saxon with deep ties to the land"; Anastasia Griffith as Joan, "the wife of Hugh Locksley and mother of Rob"; Matija Gredić as Drew, "the middle sibling in the Miller family"; Mihailo Lazić as Henry, "mute since birth, Henry is intelligent, perceptive, and humorous, relying on his siblings as his intermediaries to help navigate the world"; Boban Marjanović as Drogo, "Guy of Gisborne's towering right hand, Drogo is a silent executioner whose sheer size and stillness intimidate more than most men's fury"; and Jelena Gavrilović as Godda, "a mythological Saxon goddess, Godda is the beating heart of the supernatural world in this version of Robin Hood." (Deadline.com, 7/1)
ROOKIE NORTH, THE (A.K.A. UNTITLED ROOKIE SPIN-OFF PROJECT) (ABC) - The proposed spin-off series "has been gaining momentum for a pilot order." (Deadline.com, 7/2)
SANDWICH, THE (ABC) - The comedy, written by and starring Jessica St. Clair and Kyle Bornheimer, is likewise "no longer in the running" at the network. (Deadline.com, 7/2)
SCRAMBLED UP (Syndication, New!) - Playing Field Entertainment, Keller/Noll and Crazy Legs Productions have cleared a new game show strip on local stations covering 80% of the country for a September 8 launch: "In Scrambled Up, four contestants solve jumbled-up words and phrases that unscramble before their eyes. As the tiles unscramble, the clues get easier. The first player to buzz in with the right answer has a shot at walking away with the $10,000 grand prize." Michael Yo hosts the 160-episode series with Dave Noll, Cleve Keller, Ross Babbit, David Bulhack, Gary Apple, Tom Cappello and Scott Thigpen serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com, 7/1)
SCRUBS (REBOOT SERIES) (ABC) - The Alphabet's revival series is under "serious pilot consideration" according to a report. (Deadline.com, 7/2)
STAR CITY (Apple TV+) - Priya Kansara has been cast in the "For All Mankind" spin-off series as Lakshmi, "a gifted scientist." (Deadline.com, 7/1)
UNTITLED CHASE & FIDELL PROJECT (FX) - Alison Brie has scored the lead role of the drama pilot for FX Productions: "In the Untitled Witness Protection pilot, a violent confrontation drives a high-end D.C. madam to turn on her partner and enter witness protection in seaside Maine with her adolescent daughter." Additionally, Gina Welch has joined as co-showrunner alongside Hannah Fidell where she'll succeed David Chase who "has stepped back because he is prepping to shoot a new movie at the top of next year." Nicole Lambert of Riverain Pictures will also executive produce. (Deadline.com, 7/1)
UNTITLED LARS KEPLER SERIES (Apple TV+) - Rory Culkin has scored a role on the upcoming series as Karl, "a nervous young idealist who joins the staff of a high-security psychiatric Institute with good intentions, when he is assigned to care for one of its most dangerous inmates." (Deadline.com, 6/30)
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[08/29/25 - 10:46 AM]
National Geographic Documentary Films Announces Global Acquisition of Streaming Rights to Werner Herzog Documentary "Ghost Elephants" Following Venice World Premiere
The documentary will make its U.S. premiere at the Telluride Film Festival this weekend.
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[08/29/25 - 10:08 AM]
"Prison Break" Turns 20: Executive Producer Dawn Olmstead Curates Episode Collections on Hulu
It's been 20 years since Michael Scofield entered Fox River State Penitentiary on a mission: break brother Lincoln out.
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[08/29/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "French Lover" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a jaded actor meets a down-on-her-luck waitress in Paris, their unexpected love story begins - but will it survive the glare of the spotlight?
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[08/29/25 - 08:02 AM]
Video: Prime Video Unveils Paris Trailer and New Cast for the Final Episodes of "The Summer I Turned Pretty"
Joining the series in recurring roles are Corinna Brown, Fernando Cattori, Isaline Prevost Radeff, and Jahz Armando.
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[08/29/25 - 05:43 AM]
"Sounds of Summer" - Feel-Good, Music-Packed Movie About Swedish Pop Icons Gyllene Tider Makes Exclusive US Debut Thursday, September 18, 2025 on Viaplay
Directed by Per Simonsson and named after the band's most enduring hit, "Sounds of Summer" is a breezy, very inspiring 97-minute ride that follows Gessle from small-town outsider to pop trailblazer.
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[08/29/25 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "RIV4LRIES" - Official Trailer - Netflix
At a middle school in Pisa, no one has ever challenged the cool kids - until new girl Terry arrives with bold ideas and the rivalries begin.
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[08/29/25 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind: UK" Season 2 - The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Who's saying "I still do?" Emma and Matt host this season's couples and special guests as tea is spilled and secrets are revealed in a fiery reunion.
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[08/28/25 - 02:03 PM]
Wonder Project Announces October 5 Streaming Subscription Launch Date on Prime Video and Premiere Date for "House of David" Season Two; Unveils First Look Images of the Hit Drama Series
Season Two of the biblical drama series House of David from Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios follows the aftermath of the battle between David and Goliath and David's rise to the throne.
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[08/28/25 - 12:12 PM]
Video: "The Hospital" - A Comedy Improv Sketch Show - Premieres Wednesday, September 10
The Hospital offers a "behind-the-scenes" look at what happens when you mix improv comedy with total medical negligence.
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[08/28/25 - 11:02 AM]
Shudder Launches Biggest Ever Programming Event "Season of Screams" - Featuring a Monster Lineup of New Films, Series and Live Watch Parties on Shudder TV - From September 1 Through December 31
Shudder's "Season of Screams" features highly anticipated films such as the acclaimed Dangerous Animals, a new installment in the popular "V/H/S" franchise - "V/H/S/Halloween" - and the found footage breakout hits "House on Eden" and "Hell House LLC: Lineage."
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[08/28/25 - 11:01 AM]
MGM+ Greenlights "Words + Music," Inspired by the Critically Hailed Audible Original Series, Featuring Grammy Winners Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, John Legend and Alanis Morissette
"Words + Music" is set to premiere this fall on MGM+ in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
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[08/28/25 - 10:06 AM]
ESPN Unveils Deep Roster of NBA Game Commentators for 2025-26 Season
Veteran analyst Tim Legler will join ESPN's lead NBA broadcast team, which includes Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Breen, analyst and NBA Champion Richard Jefferson and reporter Lisa Salters.
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[08/28/25 - 10:05 AM]
HBO Original Two-Part Documentary "Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television" Debuts September 9
The project takes audiences on a two-part journey through the history of Black representation on television, showcasing how Black artists and creators both shaped and revolutionized the medium while confronting the systemic challenges that have often undermined their contributions.
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[08/28/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: National Geographic Documentary Films Unveils Trailer for "Lost in the Jungle," the Unbelievable Story of Four Indigenous Children Who Survived a Plane Crash in the Amazon, Ahead of World Premiere at Telluride Film Festival
For the first time ever, the four Indigenous children who survived the Colombian plane crash on May 1, 2023 - and then endured 40 days alone in the jungle - share their extraordinary story of survival, told in their own words.
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[08/28/25 - 09:38 AM]
Video: Tubi Debuts Trailer for Stand-Up Comedy Special "Rel Talk" from Lil Rel Howery
"It feels amazing to bring this special to my city, my people, and now to the millions of folks watching on Tubi," said Howery.
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