Apple Orders Huey P. Newton Limited Series With André Holland in Talks to Star, Don Cheadle to Direct

EXCLUSIVE: Y’Lan Noel (The First Purge), Mikey Madison (Better Things) and Brett Gelman (Stranger Things) are set as leads opposite Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o in Lady In The Lake, Apple TV+’s limited series adaptation of Laura Lippman’s book, created and directed by Alma Har’el (Honey Boy) and produced by Endeavor Content.

Clayton Davis Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

Matt Bomer has signed on to star in a brand new Showtime series.

Matt Bomer is set to star in the upcoming Showtime limited series “Fellow Travelers,” Showtime announced Wednesday.The series is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon and tells the love story story of two men who meet in the shadow of McCarthy-era Washington. Bomer, who is also an executive producer on the show, will play Hawkins Fuller, who has a lucrative career in politics while keeping behind the scenes.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime has formally greenlit the limited series “Fellow Travelers” starring Matt Bomer.Showtime has given the series an eight episode order. Variety exclusively reported the show was in the works at the premium cabler in September 2021.Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon, the series is described as an epic love story and political thriller, chronicling the volatile romance of two very different men who meet in the shadow of McCarthy-era Washington. Bomer will play handsome, charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who maintains a financially rewarding, behind-the scenes career in politics.

Apple TV+ announced on Wednesday it has ordered “Sago Mini Friends,” a new kids animated series based on the award-winning Sago Mini World app. The series for preschoolers is produced by Spin Master Entertainment and animated by Brown Bag Films, based on the characters developed by Sago Mini, including Harvey the floppy-eared dog and his best friends, Jinja the cat, Jack the rabbit, and Robin the bird.

An L.A. icon is born.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNetflix has ordered an adult animated series based on the card game “Exploding Kittens,” starring “Lucifer” star Tom Ellis and Lucy Liu. A new mobile game adaptation, “Exploding Kittens – The Game,” is being co-developed and will launch via the streamer in May, well ahead of the TV show’s planned 2023 debut.The show, which is executive produced by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, follows the eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell as it reaches epic proportions when both God and the Devil are sent to Earth – in the bodies of chunky house cats.Along with Ellis and Liu, “Exploding Kittens” stars Abraham Lim (“Clickbait,” “The Boys”), Ally Maki (“Wrecked,” “Toy Story 4”), Mark Proksch (“What We Do In The Shadows,” “Better Call Saul”) and Sasheer Zamata (“Woke,” “Home Economics”).

HBO Max is expanding its DC Comics footprint with a series order for “Detective Dead Boys,” based on characters created by writer Neil Gaiman and illustrators Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones. The show follows a pair of ghostly detectives as they investigate murders related to the supernatural.

The candy man is coming to Hulu! The streamer has ordered eight episodes of a limited series about Sammy Davis, Jr. from Lee Daniels and 20th Television. It’s based on the Wil Haygood book, “In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.”

EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Newman (Where the Crawdads Sing) has been tapped to direct and co-executive produce Apple limited series The Last Thing He Told Me, based on Laura Dave’s bestselling novel of the same name, starring and executive produced by Jennifer Garner. Angourie Rice also stars.

Bel Powley (The Morning Show) has been tapped as the lead and Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) and Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders) as the co-leads in Disney+’s A Small Light, a National Geographic limited series that tells the remarkable story of a Dutch woman who risked her life to shelter Anne Frank’s family from the Nazis for more than two years and then preserved Anne’s diary. The project comes from Grey’s Anatomy alums Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, Susanna Fogel, ABC Signature and Keshet Studios.

If you thought the Drama and Comedy Series races were insane, boy do we have news for you. The Emmys are about to be hit with the most competitive Limited Series field in history.

Loki is heading into The White Darkness for Apple.

While Apple TV+ still has an uphill battle to compete with the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ for subscription numbers and viewership, they keep attracting high-profile projects. Many creatives are gravitating towards the streaming service, and a new show focusing on The Black Panthers only highlights this.

The wild story of how Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton was able to elude a nationwide manhunt and escape to Cuba while being pursued into exile by the FBI is being turned into a TV series for Apple.

EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Olson (Our Flag Means Death) and Britian Seibert (The Knick) have been cast in heavily recurring roles on Retreat, a limited series from The OA creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, starring Emma Corrin.

Apple TV+ has given a formal green light to Constellation, a conspiracy-based psychological thriller drama series starring Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul). The project was created and written by Peter Harness (The War of the Worlds), with Michelle MacLaren (Breaking Bad) set to direct the series from Turbine Studios and Haut et Court TV.

Peacock’s limited drama series A Friend Of The Family continues to build its cast, adding Austin Stowell (The Hating Game), Patrick Fischler (American Crime Story: Impeachment), Bree Elrod (Red Rocket) and Philip Ettinger (First Reformed). They will join previously announced stars Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey. A Friend Of The Family comes from Nick Antosca, who serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer.

EXCLUSIVE: Angourie Rice (Spider-Man, Mare of Easttown) will star opposite Jennifer Garner in Apple’s The Last Thing He Told Me, based on Laura Dave’s best-selling novel of the same name.