‘Clarice’ Co-Creator Jenny Lumet Sets CBS Studios Overall Deal

Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios have teamed up to sign their first joint overall deal – with Pete Browngardt, exec producer of HBO Max’s Looney Tunes Cartoons

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDulé Hill and Laura Kariuki have been cast in “The Wonder Years” reboot pilot at ABC, Variety has learned.They join previously announced cast members Elisha Williams, who will play main character Dean, and Saycon Sengbloh, who will play family matriarch Lillian.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe CW has cast the lead for “Naomi,” the pilot based on the DC Comics character of the same name. In addition, the pilot has added three series regulars.The pilot hails from from Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship. Kaci Walfall will star in the title role as Naomi, described as an effortlessly cool and confident high school student who is the adopted daughter of doting parents.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNatalie Portman and Sophie Mas’ MountainA production company has set a first-look TV deal at Apple.News of the deal comes a week after it was reported that Portman had signed on to star in the Apple series “Lady in the Lake” with Lupita Nyong’o. Portman is also an executive producer on the series, as is Mas via MountainA.

EXCLUSIVE: In just two short years, Davita Scarlett has emerged as one of Robert and Michelle King’s MVP writer-producers, simultaneously serving as a co-executive producer on two of the duo’s series, The Good Fight for Paramount+ and Evil for CBS. Scarlett is now joining the talent roster of CBS Studios, which is behind The Good Fight and Evil, signing a multi-year overall deal to develop new projects for the studio targeting all platforms.

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy Award-winning animation writer/producers Kevin and Dan Hageman, creators, executive producers and showrunners of the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy, have signed an exclusive overall deal with CBS Studios, the studio behind the Paramount+/Nickelodeon animated series. Under the significant, multi-year pact, the Hagemans will continue on Star Trek: Prodigy and exclusively create and develop new television content for the studio.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAnnie Murphy has been cast in “Russian Doll” Season 2 at Netflix.News of Murphy’s casting comes as the series recently began production on its second season. The details of Murphy’s character are being kept under wraps.Murphy is best known for her role as Alexis Rose in the hit comedy series “Schitt’s Creek.” The role won her an Emmy Award for best supporting actress in a comedy in 2020, part of the show’s historic sweep of the comedy categories at the Emmys.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMalala Yousafzai has signed a multi-year programming partnership with Apple TV Plus.Under the deal. her original programming for the streamer will cover dramas, comedies, documentaries, animation, and children’s series.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAfter a multi-studio bidding war, Paramount Television Studios has landed the thriller series “Grace” from writer Joseph Sousa with Scott Derrickson onboard as an executive producer, Variety has learned exclusively.According to sources, the project generated interest from around a dozen major studios and production companies when it was taken to market. The story focuses on a man on death row for killing his wife who is set free when she resurfaces.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Impeachment: American Crime Story” has found its Hillary Clinton in Emmy Award-winning actress Edie Falco.She is the latest high-profile star to join the series, which will detail the events surrounding the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. It was previously announced that Beanie Feldstein will star as Monica Lewinsky, with Clive Owen as Bill Clinton, Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp, Margo Martindale as Lucianne Goldberg and Annaleigh Ashford as Paula Jones.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDakota and Elle Fanning have formed their own production company, Lewellen Pictures.

Over the past four years, Jenny Lumet established herself as one of CBS Studios’ most prolific creators/showrunners. Now the studio has secured Lumet’s exclusive services for four more years with a rich overall production deal, said to be in the eight-figure range.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterKeke Palmer as signed an overall television deal with Entertainment One (eOne), Variety has learned exclusively.“I am thrilled to be partnering with eOne to create entertaining, meaningful, fun television experiences that will deeply connect with audiences and be reflective of our current world,” Palmer said.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCBS has given out a pair of pilot orders to comedy projects from Sarah Cooper and Mark Gross.Cooper’s untitled single-camera project is inspired by her book, “How to be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings.” It follows three women at different stages in their careers at a male-dominated company who help each other navigate modern gender politics in their professional and personal lives.Cooper will serve as co-writer and executive producer, with Cindy Chupack also

Writer-producer Soo Hugh is getting into business with UCP. Hugh has signed a multi-year overall deal to develop, write and produce projects for the studio, a division of Universal Studio Group. As part of the deal, Hugh will launch an incubator program with the mandate of helping new Asian voices create shows and establish careers in the industry.

Lena Horne lives on. Music icon Dionne Warwick and Horne's granddaughter, Jenny Lumet, are opening up to ET about the stage and screen star's indelible mark on show business.«Lena Horne was one of my major mentors,» Warwick told ET's Kevin Frazier during a recent interview via video chat. «I called her Mama, she called me daughter.

Jenny Lumet, is developing a series based on the stage and screen legend's life, and she's taking the weight and responsibility of the challenge to heart.«I'm the luckiest person in the entire world to have these people in my life,» Lumet told ET's Kevin Frazier while reflecting on her grandmother's indelible legacy.

EXCLUSIVE: Fear The Walking Dead co-creator Dave Erickson has closed an overall deal with MRC Television. Under the multi-year pact, Erickson will exclusively work with the indie studio on the creation and development of television series on which he will serve as writer-showrunner or supervise other writers.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJon Stewart has lined up the key creative team for his upcoming Apple current events series.Brinda Adhikari, Chelsea Devantez and Lorrie Baranek have all joined the untitled show.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterABC has given out a pilot order to the drama project “Promised Land.”The show is described as an epic, generation-spanning drama about two Latinx families vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley.Matt Lopez is set to write and executive produce the pilot, with Adam Kolbrenner also executive producing. ABC Signature will serve as the studio.Lopez has developed a number of projects with ABC and other broadcasters in the past.