Elizabeth Banks to Produce, Direct, Appear in Series Adaptation of Victoria Aveyard’s ‘Red Queen’ at Peacock

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Resident Evil” live-action series at Netflix has set its main cast, with Lance Reddick set to star as Albert Wesker.Along with Reddick, the series will also star Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph, and Paola Nuñez. Details on which characters the others will be playing are being kept under wraps.“Resident Evil” was originally ordered at Netflix back in August.

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 ReporterThe “She-Hulk” series at Disney Plus has cast Jameela Jamil in a major role, Variety has confirmed with sources.The series centers on lawyer Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), cousin of Bruce Banner, who inherits his Hulk powers after she receives a blood transfusion from him. Unlike Bruce, however, when she hulks out Jennifer is able to retain most of her personality, intelligence, and emotional control.

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 ReporterThe Hulu series “The Dropout,” which will tell the story of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, has locked in an impressive lineup of guest stars.William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, Elizabeth Marvel, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Kate Burton, Stephen Fry, Michel Gill, Michael Ironside, Bill Irwin, and Josh Pais have all joined the show.

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 ReporterParamount Plus is building out the cast of the upcoming series “The Offer,” which tells the story of the making of “The Godfather,” with the additions of  Giovanni Ribisi, Colin Hanks, and Dan Fogler.The trio join previously announced stars Miles Teller and Matthew Goode. “The Offer” is based on the experience of Oscar-winning producer Albert S.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMike Myers’ new Netflix comedy series has officially been titled “The Pentaverate,” with the show adding six new cast members.Ken Jeong (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “Community”), Keegan-Michael Key (“Schmigadoon,” “The Prom,” “Lion King”), Debi Mazar (“Goodfellas,” “Younger”), Richard McCabe (“The Audience,” “Eye in the Sky”), Jennifer Saunders (“Absolutely Fabulous,” “Death on the Nile”), and Lydia West (“Years and Years,” “It’s a Sin”) will all appear alongside Myers in the

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAMC Studios and See-Saw Films have partnered to co-produce the original series “Firebite,” which will debut exclusively on AMC Plus.The series will be filmed in Australia this summer for a planned debut on AMC Plus later this year. The series is set in a remote desert mining town, a hive for the last vampire stronghold shipped from Britain to Australia in 1788 by the colonial superpower to eradicate the Indigenous populations.

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 Reporter“The Good Doctor” star Antonia Thomas is departing the series, Variety has confirmed.Thomas has been with the ABC medical drama since it began in the role of Dr. Claire Browne, but will not return for the fifth season.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNetflix has released the cast of “Jupiter’s Legacy,” effectively bringing the show to an end after one season. At the same time, the streamer has ordered a live-action adaptation of Mark Millar’s “Supercrooks” to series.“Super Crooks” is set within the same world as “Jupiter’s Legacy” and will follow supervillains just as “Jupiter’s Legacy” followed superheroes, with Netflix positioning the new show as the next installment in an anthology series.

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 ReporterSophie Turner has joined the cast of the HBO Max series “The Staircase.”Turner joins previously announced cast members Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, and Rosemarie DeWitt.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 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 ReporterThe Netflix vampire romance series “First Kill” has rounded out its main cast.Eleven actors have joined the cast of the series alongside previously announced leads Imani Lewis and Sarah Catherine Hook.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe popular mobile game “Temple Run” could soon be coming to TV, with unscripted juggernaut A. Smith & Co.

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.