Emmy Predictions: Directing (Drama Series) – Hwang Dong-hyuk and Ben Stiller Become Challengers to the ‘Succession’ Nominated Trio

In what is often the case, a group of actors known perhaps more for their work on the big screen than on the small screen managed to land most of the six Emmy nomination slots in the Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology or TV Movie category. Featuring a past Spider-Man, a past Batman and a past denizen of the Star Wars galaxy, not to mention a Best Actor Oscar winner, we have a lot of big names who also spent time in some unique television projects that called upon other acting skills. Only two of them are in Limited Series that also landed a nomination for the show itself in the main category, so voters clearly did a lot of sampling. Four of them got their first Emmy nomination ever, and none have ever won.

EXCLUSIVE: Demetrius Grosse, coming off playing one of the leads in ABC’s untitled Kay Oyegun drama pilot, has been cast by the network as a lead opposite Neve Campbell in another drama project, Avalon. The series, based on Michael Connelly’s short story, comes from David E. Kelley, A+E Studios and 20th Television.

This is a choice category this year that leans, like its male counterpart, to some heavyweight names playing other heavyweight names. It has clearly been a great year for female roles in Limited Series if you simply consider some of the women who didn’t make the cut, including Julia Roberts who was sensational as Martha Mitchell in Gaslight, Jessica Biel as the murderous Texas housewife in Candy, Elle Fanning as the conflicted Michelle Carter who talked her boyfriend into suicide in The Girl From Plainville, Oscar winners Anne Hathaway, Renée Zellweger, and on and on. But let’s now take the contest to those still standing in this highly competitive category.

Serena Williams won her first set Monday against Danka Kovinic, and there are plenty of celebrities in the stands enjoying the games. Rafael Nadal has his first set in the tournament Tuesday against Australian Rinky Hijikata.

following Len Amato’s departure.Orsi has been with HBO since 2003, when she began as an executive assistant. She eventually rose through the ranks to co-run the drama series development and programming department in 2016 with David Levine, who ran point on “Westworld” and “True Detective.” The role was president of HBO programming Casey Bloys’ first appointment.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer HBO drama chief Francesca Orsi has extended her contract with the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned pay TV channel through 2026, Variety has confirmed. As part of Orsi’s re-upped pact, she has been given the new title of executive vice president of HBO programming, head of HBO drama series and films. Orsi first joined HBO in 2003 as an executive assistant. She has been the solo head of drama series development and programming since her former co-head David Levine exited in February 2019. They were both appointed to the position originally in 2016. News that Orsi, a direct report to HBO and HBO Max content chief Casey Bloys, will be continuing her tenure at HBO comes on the heels of the enormous launch success for “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon,” a series Orsi has played a big part in developing and marketing.

After struggling the past couple of years with Emmy campaigning in virtual lockdown, and with no in-person events or Q&As allowed by the Television Academy, things have gone back to ‘normal’. The pandemic protocol meant the 20,000-some voters in the Academy were relegated to participating in virtual online sessions where the opportunity for networking and word-of-mouth was greatly reduced.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Dania Ramirez is poised to take the lead role in the upcoming Fox drama series “Alert,” Variety has learned. The show was ordered to series at the broadcast network in May as part of Fox’ s upfronts presentation to advertisers. Ramirez will star as Nikki, described as a salt-of-the-earth woman whose life was ripped apart six years ago by the disappearance of her 11-year-old son. She found her calling as the head of the Missing Person’s Unit. Her zeal and personal connection to the victims and their families infuses each and every case, and she helps others find their loved ones even as she couldn’t find her own.

Here’s a first look at Emily Blunt in Hugo Blick’s BBC and Prime Video drama The English.

Paramount+ has rounded out the cast for its upcoming YA drama series School Spirits as production gets underway in Vancouver. Kristian Flores (Reboot), Spencer MacPherson (Reign), Kiara Pichardo (The Society), Sarah Yarkin (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Nick Pugliese (Dramarama) and Rainbow Wedell (The Wilds) join previously announced Peyton List in the series based on the upcoming graphic novel by Nate & Megan Trinrud and Maria Nguyen. The streamer also confirmed the casting of Milo Manheim, which we previously reported, as a lead opposite List.

Back in 2008, Hwang Dong-hyuk never imagined that his feature script, about a group of desperate people playing a game of life or death, would see the light of day. But a decade later, his idea for Squid Game was pitched as a series to Netflix, and much to his surprise, the thriller quickly turned into a global phenomenon with 1.65 billion views only four weeks after its launch. The milestones continue as Squid Game has crossed over successfully into awards season, culminating with a record 14 Emmy nominations, making it the first non-English language series up for Outstanding Drama Series.

It’s a little over a month since Ben Stiller returned from Ukraine. It was there, as part of his work representing the UN Refugee Agency, that Stiller was granted an audience with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, currently defending his country from a war of Russian aggression. It isn’t often that Ben Stiller is starstruck, but he marveled at Zelenskyy’s path, from comic actor to unflinching war premier. “I was really taken by the resilience of the people of Ukraine, and of the President,” he says now. “His incredible sense of how he has risen to the moment and offered his people leadership and true resolve to get through this awful situation.”

EXCLUSIVE: The Wilds’ Sarah Pidgeon and newcomer Tanzyn Crawford have been cast as series regulars alongside Kathryn Hahn and Quentin Plair in Hulu’s Tiny Beautiful Things, based on Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling book, from ABC Signature and Hello Sunshine. Additionally, Rachel Goldenberg has been tapped to direct the first two episodes.

Rebel Wilson turns heads in a bright pink look while arriving at the celebration for Apple TV+’s Severance at Nobu on Sunday (August 7) in Malibu, Calif.

Jessica Derschowitz No one had to get a chip implanted in their brain to enjoy “Severance,” but fans of the show experienced their own version of Innies and Outies this year: The moment before they tuned in for the mind-bending Apple TV+ series, and everything that came after.Executive producer and director Ben Stiller, who helmed the majority of Season 1, found a way to nail down the show’s complex tone and life inside the its Lumon corporation. So what’s on his mind as the show moves beyond that shocker of a finale?The show has such a unique tone to it — there’s this commentary on workplace culture, elements of mystery and all these different parts that are weird and funny and sad.What were your conversations like with series creator Dan Erickson about making sure all of that was represented fully? Dan and I talked about the reality level of the show a lot, in terms of being able to believe this world that they were in.

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.

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.

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.

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.