Damon Lindelof, ‘Young Sheldon’ Writer Tara Hernandez Set Drama ‘Mrs. Davis’ at Peacock

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJeff WIlbusch has been cast in the Netflix drama series “Breathe,” Variety has learned exclusively.Wilbusch joins previously announced lead Melissa Barrera, who will star 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.According to sources, Wilbusch will play recurring guest star Danny, Liv’s love interest.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Girls5Eva” has been renewed for Season 2 at Peacock.News of the renewal comes a little over a month after the series dropped its eight-episode first season on Peacock, which debuted on May 6.“We are so excited to continue ‘Girls5eva’ alongside this incredibly talented group of cast and producers,” said Lisa Katz, president of scripted content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNetflix and Ubisoft Film & Television are expanding their relationship, with the streamer ordering a “Far Cry” adult anime series as well as ordering the adult anime series “Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.”The “Far Cry” series is based on the first-person shooter game franchise of the same name, with each game revolving around the main character working against a fearsome dictator that controls a particular island or isolated region.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJaboukie Young-White is set to develop the book “The Gang’s All Queer: The Lives of Gay Gang Members” by Vanessa R. Panfil at HBO with Issa Rae attached as an executive producer.In the half-hour series, a closeted twenty-something in Chicago, grieving a gang-related death, ditches college to find reckless closure.Young-White will write and executive produce the project.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA live-action series adaptation of the “Ted” movies has been ordered straight-to-series at Peacock, Variety has learned.Seth MacFarlane is currently in negotiations to reprise the voice role of Ted, a foul-mouthed, pot-smoking teddy bear brought to life by the magic of a little boy’s wish.MacFarlane will also write executive produce the series, with Erica Huggins also executive producing under her and MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door Productions banner.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “MacGruber” series at Peacock has added Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne and Mickey Rourke to its cast.The trio of acting legends joins previously announced cast members Will Forte, Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe. In the eight-episode series, after rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (Forte) is finally released.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Staircase” series at HBO Max has cast Odessa Young, Variety has learned.She joins previously announced cast members Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Sophie Turner.The eight-episode series is based on the docuseries of the same name as well as various books and reports about the case of Michael Peterson (Firth), who was accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen (Collette), in 2001.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock has ordered the series “The Resort” from writer Andy Siara with Sam Esmail set to executive produce.Titled “The Resort,” the eight-episode series is described as a darkly comic multi-generational exploration of love, marriage, and family vacations, set amidst one of the Mayan Riviera’s most bizarre unsolved mysteries“Andy and Esmail Corp have a distinct point of view exploring off-kilter, genre-bending storytelling that is infused with humanity and compelling

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMelissa Barrera has been cast in the lead role of the Netflix drama series “Breathe.”Variety exclusively reported that the series had been ordered at the streamer back in February.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSam Keeley will play John Finlay in the upcoming Peacock series “Joe Exotic.”Finlay was one of Joe Exotic’s husbands famously profiled in the hit Netflix docuseries “Tiger King.” It was announced last week that Nat Wolff would star as Travis Maldonado, another of Exotic’s husbands. Finlay joins previously announced series leads Kate McKinnon, who will play Carole Baskin, and John Cameron Mitchell, who will play Joe Exotic.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Spook Who Sat by the Door” pilot at FX has rounded out its main cast with four new additions.Lucas Till, Nafessa Williams, Nathan Darrow and Tom Irwin have all joined the drama pilot alongside previously announced leads Y’lan Noel and Christina Jackson.The story follows Dan Freeman (Noel), the fictional first African American CIA officer hired by the agency in the late 1960s.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“WandaVision” head writer Jac Schaeffer has signed a three-year overall deal TV deal with Marvel Studios and 20th Television.Under the deal, Schaeffer will develop projects for both Marvel Studios and 20th Television. Projects for Marvel Studios will go to Disney Plus, while projects for 20th TV will be developed for all platforms.Schaeffer created “WandaVision” for television and also served as head writer and executive producer.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Expats,” the Amazon series adaptation of Janice Y.K. Lee’s novel “The Expatriates,” has found its first cast member in Ji-young Yoo.Set against the fabric of Hong Kong, “Expats” is the story of an international community whose lives are bound together forever after a sudden family tragedy.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe CW has commissioned three new TV specials for late 2021: “The Scooby-Doo Reunion Special,” “The Waltons: Homecoming,” and “Beebo Saves Christmas.”In “The Scooby-Doo Reunion Special,” the Mystery Inc. gang reunites at Warner Bros.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock is developing a series adaptation of the Victoria Aveyard novel “Red Queen” with Elizabeth Banks attached to executive produce, direct and appear in a major supporting role.Beth Schwartz and Aveyard co-wrote the pilot and will executive produce the project, with Schwartz also serving as showrunner. Banks and Max Handelman executive produce via Brownstone Productions.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAngela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s Bassett Vance Productions is teaming with MTV Entertainment Studios and writer Nathan Alan Davis on a limited series about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, Variety has learned exclusively.News of the series comes just before the 100 year anniversary of the massacre, which left hundreds of Black people dead and entire homes and businesses destroyed.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA series adaptation of the “Vampire Academy” novels by Richelle Mead has been ordered to series at Peacock, with Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre attached to write, Variety has learned.The book series is a personal favorite of Plec’s, who is best known for co-developing the CW series adaptation of “The Vampire Diaries.”“Julie Plec created one of the biggest fan-favorite universes with ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and its spin-off series ‘The Originals’ and ‘Legacies,’ and we

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA new Batman animated series has been ordered at HBO Max and Cartoon Network, with “Batman: The Animated Series” co-creator Bruce Timm attached as an executive producer.“Batman: Caped Crusader” will be executive produced by Timm along with J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMorris Chestnut has been cast in a lead role of the Fox drama series “Our Kind of People,” Variety has learned.Chestnut currently appears in the Fox medical drama “The Resident.” According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Chestnut would continue on “The Resident” in addition to starring in “Our Kind of People,” with “The Resident” expected to be renewed as part of Fox’s upfront presentation.Chestnut joins previously announced “Our Kind of People” cast

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA “Bridgerton” spinoff about a young Queen Charlotte has been ordered to series at Netflix.Along with delving into the origin story of Queen Charlotte, the limited series will also follow young Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury.