Auriel Rudnick Signs Overall Deal With Paramount Television Studios (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Showtime anthology “Super Pumped,” the first season of which will chart the rise of Uber, has cast Bridget Gao-Hollitt, Variety has learned exclusively.Gao-Hollitt joins previously announced cast members Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kyle Chandler, Kerry Bishé, Babak Tafti, Mousa Hussein Kraish, Jon Bass, and Hank Azaria.Planned as anthology, the first season of “Super Pumped” is based on Mike Isaac’s book of the same name.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHBO Max has ordered a pilot for a potential “Dead Boy Detectives” series, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.Based on the DC Comics characters created by Neil Gaiman, the one-hour series would follow the Dead Boy Detectives — Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine — who decided not to enter the afterlife in order to stay on earth and investigate crimes involving the supernatural.Sebastian Croft and Ty Tennant are set to play Rowland and Paine respectively in the

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming Netflix drama series “Breathe” has cast Austin Stowell, Variety has learned exclusively.In the series, Melissa Barrera stars as Liv, a razor-sharp Manhattan attorney who finds herself profoundly out of her comfort zone when her small plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness and she must battle for survival.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNkechi Okoro Carroll has renewed her overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group, where she has been based since 2018.In addition, Okoro Carroll has formed a new production company called Rock My Soul Productions.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dead Ringers” series at Amazon has added both Jennifer Ehle and Emily Meade in recurring roles, Variety has learned.They join previously announced series lead Rachel Weisz as well as cast members Michael Chernus, Poppy Liu, Britne Oldford and Jeremy Shamos.The series was announced at the streaming service in August 2020 with a straight-to-series order. It is a modern update of the 1988 David Cronenberg film of the same name.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs have signed an overall deal with Warner Bros.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“American Vandal” creators Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault have landed a series order at Paramount Plus for an eSports mockumentary series called “Players,” Variety has learned.“Players” follows a fictional pro “League of Legends” team as they pursue their first championship after years of close calls and heartache.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock is developing a one-hour drama series about millennial nuns from “The Thing About Pam” creator Jessika Borsiczky, Variety has learned exclusively.The series is titled “Called” and is based on the Huffington Post article “Behold, The Millennial Nuns” by Eve Fairbanks.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSteven Soderbergh and Ed Solomon have landed a series order at HBO Max for the drama “Full Circle,” Variety has learned exclusively.The series reunites the pair after they worked together on the film “No Sudden Move,” which was released on HBO Max in July. Casey Silver, who was a producer on “No Sudden Move,” will be an executive producer on the series.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime’s co-presidents of entertainment, Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, addressed moving the “Halo” series to Paramount Plus during a virtual TCA session on Tuesday.“The truth is that [“Halo”] was always a bit of an outlier for us in terms of its fit in the Showtime universe,” Winograde said. “And we did an amazing job of imbuing into the series, the character drama that we’re so well known for.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDr. Ibram X.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Witcher” showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has signed a multi-year overall deal with Netflix.Under the deal, Schmidt Hissrich will write and produce scripted series content and other creative projects for the streaming service.“I am so thrilled to have found my home at Netflix, and can’t wait to continue what’s been an incredibly fulfilling creative partnership,” Schmidt Hissrich said.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe AMC sci-fi series “Moonhaven” has enlisted Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy to direct the first two episodes, Variety has learned exclusively.The series is focused on a utopian colony on the Moon that may hold the keys to preserving life on Earth, which has become increasingly perilous.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLongtime development executive Steven Prinz has signed an overall television deal and a first-look film deal with Amazon, Variety has learned.Prinz most recently served as global series executive for Amazon Studios, overseeing the development of projects from creators with first look and overall deals with the studio. Those included Plan B Entertainment, Michael B.

“King of the Hill,” has his first two projects in active development at the studios: an animated longform movie and an adult animated series. He is also assisting on other various series development.Cenac is the second creator to sign an overall cross-studio deal with WBA and CNS, following the pact “Looney Tunes Cartoons”executive producer and showrunner Pete Browngard made with the WarnerMedia entities.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeComedian, producer and writer Wyatt Cenac (“Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas”) has sealed a new multi-year exclusive overall deal spanning across both Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.Cenac, who got his start in animation as a writer on “King of the Hill,” will develop and produce original animated programming at both shingles for preschool, kids, adult and family.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJeremy Shada has signed with A3 Artists Agency, Variety has learned exclusively. He continues to be represented by Scale Management.Shada is an actor, voice actor, and artist.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRJ Cyler has been cast in a series regular role in the upcoming Issa Rae HBO Max comedy series “Rap Sh*t,” Variety has learned.The series follows two estranged high school friends from Miami, Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion), who reunite to form a rap group. Cyler will play Lamont, an aspiring music producer with a sharp ear for talent.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNina L. Diaz will now head up unscripted and adult animation for Paramount Plus, Variety has learned exclusively.The promotion was announced by Chris McCarthy in a memo to MTV Entertainment Group staffers on Thursday, which can be read in full below.Diaz will now serve as chief creative officer for unscripted entertainment and adult animation at Paramount Plus, while remaining CCO and president of content for MTV Entertainment Group.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRobert Rodríguez and his Troublemaker Studios have signed a first-look deal with HBO and HBO Max.Under the deal, Rodríguez will bring projects to HBO Max and HBO for potential development as original series. Racer Rodríguez, Rodríguez’s son, will serve as lead development executive under the pact.