ABC Passes on Three Drama Pilots, Including Kevin Costner’s ‘National Parks Investigation’

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe legal drama “Reasonable Doubt” is moving to Onyx Collective on Hulu for development after previously being set up at ABC in 2019, Variety has learned.Andrew Eccles for VarietyThe series will be executive produced by Kerry Washington and Pilar Savone for Simpson Street and Larry Wilmore via Wilmore Films. The show has opened a writers room with an all-Black staff.

EXCLUSIVE: Brian Morewitz is leaving ABC after almost 17 years, the last five as SVP and head of drama development for the Disney network. There is no immediate replacement for him.

Amandla Stenberg, Laura Dern, Donald Sutherland, Djimon Hounsou, RuPaul and Dean-Charles Chapman are set join the ensemble cast of the upcoming animated pic Ozi. Stenberg will voice the film’s title character, Dern will voice her mother, Sutherland will voice and albino crocodile, Hounsou voices Ozi’s father, Chapman voices Chance, Ozi’s guide and RuPaul voices Gurd, Mr Smiley’s son and heir.

Sure, we’re still in the middle of the Cannes Film Festival, but it’s also time to look ahead to the fall festivals, as it appears the Venice Film Festival has added yet another high-profile film to its lineup. So far, we have a Venice that is going to include the sci-fi epic, “Dune,” the horror sequel, “Halloween Kills,” a family drama, “The Power of the Dog,” and now, a highly-anticipated biopic.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorAudible has landed another big Hollywood talent deal: The Amazon-owned premium audio service announced a multi-project development and first-look deal with Laura Dern and Jayme Lemons through their Jaywalker Pictures banner.Under the pact, Dern, an award-winning producer, actor and activist, and producing partner Lemons are set to executive produce audio projects exclusively for Audible.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“Spencer,” Pablo Larraín’s high-anticipated drama starring Kristen Stewart as Lady Diana, will world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival, Variety has learned.Written by “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight, the film centers on a weekend in the early 1990s when Diana decided to separate from Prince Charles amid rumours of affairs.

Love Island’s Hugo Hammond is being defended by fans after the girls of the villa "turned their nose up" at the suggestion he looks like Jamie Dornan. On Saturday’s episode of Unseen Bits, the boys of the show spoke about who they’ve been compared to in the past.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterUzo Aduba and Matthew Broderick are set for two of the lead roles in the Netflix drama series “Painkiller,” Variety has learned.The six-episode limited series is about the origins of the opioid crisis in America. Along with Aduba and Broderick, the series will also star West Duchovny, Dina Shihabi, and John Rothman.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the U.S. rights to “The Son,” the next film from “The Father” director Florian Zeller that stars Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern and Vanessa Kirby.

Presenter Darren Kennedy has said he is determined to call out homophobic abuse he suffered at the hands of a group of strangers.

HELLO! Magazine, The Overtones singer Darren Everest and his fiancée, actress Rhea Bailey, reveal they are expecting their first child together after a whirlwind few months that has seen them get engaged and buy a new home."We know we're very lucky," Darren tells HELLO!.

Revenge is worth the wait, as Season 4 of Paramount Network’s hit drama “Yellowstone” is eyeing an early November debut, according to Deadline.

Mark Wahlberg is proud of his "total smokeshow" wife Rhea Durham. On Thursday, the actor took to Facebook where he revealed a heartfelt photo of the pair sharing a loving embrace, along with selfies of their children.

Ethan Shanfeld Madison Taylor Baez, Kevin Carroll, Jacob Buster and Ian Foreman have joined the cast of the Showtime drama pilot “Let the Right One In.”The project also stars Demián Bichir, who plays Mark, a husband and father whose perfect life is thrown into disarray when his daughter Eleanor (Baez) is bitten by a mysterious creature who vanishes into a night.

Mark Wahlberg is showering his wife with all the birthday love.

ABC has made decisions on three of its five outstanding drama pilots, passing on Triage, Dark Horse and the Kevin Costner-executive produced National Parks Investigation. Meanwhile, Epic and Promised Land, whose final cuts are still being locked in, remain in consideration for midseason. They come from ABC Signature, has options on the casts until September I hear.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNetflix has ordered a series based on the Ali Novak YA novel “My Life With the Walter Boys,” Variety has learned exclusively.The streamer has given the drama series a 10-episode order, with episodes set to be approximately 50 minutes each. In the coming of age show, following the loss of her family in a tragic accident, 16-year old Manhattanite Jackie Howard has to learn to adapt to a new life in rural Colorado with her guardian – and 12 very rowdy kids.