FX Orders Limited Series Adaptation of Taffy Brodesser-Akner Novel ‘Fleishman Is in Trouble’

Joe Otterson TV ReporterEugenio Derbez’s upcoming Apple comedy series “Acapulco” has added four new cast members, with Richard Shepard now onboard to direct the pilot.Enrique Arrizon, Damian Alcázar, Camila Perez, and Raphael Alejandro will all star alongside Derbez in the half-hour series.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJack Reynor has been cast in a lead role of the Amazon series adaptation of the William Gibson novel “The Peripheral,” Variety has learned.Reynor will star as Burton. He joins previously announced cast members Chloë Grace Moretz and Gary Carr, with Moretz set to play Flynne and Carr set to play Wilf.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNaveen Andrews has been cast alongside Amanda Seyfried in the Hulu drama series “The Dropout,” which will tell the story of Elizabeth Holmes.Holmes, the enigmatic Stanford dropout, founded medical testing start-up Theranos. She was lauded as a Steve Jobs for the next tech generation.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmanda Seyfried has signed on to play Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in the Hulu series “The Dropout.”Seyfried takes over the role from Kate McKinnon, whose exit from the project was reported in February. The series tells the story of Holmes, the enigmatic Stanford dropout who founded medical testing start-up Theranos.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series at Disney Plus is preparing to begin production, with the series also adding several new cast members.Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie have all joined series lead Ewan McGregor, who will reprise the role of Kenobi from the “Star Wars” prequel films.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Witcher: Blood Origin,” the “Witcher” prequel series currently in the works at Netflix, has cast Laurence O’Fuarain in a lead role.Set in an elven world 1200 years before the events of “The Witcher,” “Blood Origin” will tell a story lost to time – the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.O’Fuarain will star as Fjall.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJason Segel has been cast as Paul Westhead in the HBO series about the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s.The untitled series was ordered at HBO in December 2019.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBo Burnham has been cast as Boston Celtics star Larry Bird in HBO’s upcoming series about the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s.The untitled series was ordered at HBO in December 2019. It is described as chronicling the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties, in what came to be called the Showtime Era.Bird is widely regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNaomie Harris has signed on for a lead role in “The Man Who Fell to Earth” series at Showtime, Variety has learned.Harris joins previously announced series lead Chiwetel Ejiofor. The show is based on Walter Tevis’ 1963 novel and the 1976 Nicolas Roeg film that starred David Bowie, both of the same name.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHulu has ordered the animated comedy “Koala Man” to series.The series hails creator and executive producer Michael Cusack, with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez onboard as executive producers and showrunners. “Rick and Morty” and “Solar Opposites” co-creator Justin Roiland will also executive produce along with Princess Pictures and Bento Box.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBen Hardy has been cast in the upcoming BBC One, HBO Max series “The Girl Before,” Variety has learned exclusively.Hardy joins previously announced cast members David Oyelowo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jessica Plummer. The four-episode series is based on the book of the same name by J.P.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJamie Foxx will play boxing great Mike Tyson in a new biographical limited series, Variety has learned.The series, titled simply “Tyson,” is not currently set up at a network or streaming service, but will no doubt find one quickly given the names attached to it already.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX has ordered a half-hour pilot from Christopher Storer, Variety has learned.“The Bear,” as the show is called, is about a young chef who returns to Chicago to run the family restaurant. Storer will write, direct, and executive produce the pilot.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime is developing a limited series about the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime has ordered a drama series about Zulu king Shaka, with Antoine Fuqua onboard to direct and executive produce, Variety has learned.“Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation” hails from writers and executive producers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime has ordered a pilot inspired by the hit Swedish novel and film “Let the Right One In,” Variety has learned.Demián Bichir is attached to star in the series, with Andrew Hinderaker onboard as showrunner and executive producer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA series adaptation of the Victoria Schwab novel “City of Ghosts” is in the works at ABC Signature and Searchlight Television, Variety has learned exclusively.David Lowery and Sehaj Sethi are attached to write the adaptation, with Lowery also onboard to direct. Schwab will executive produce along with with Sailor Bear’s Toby Halbrooks and James M.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX has ordered a pilot based on the Octavia E. Butler novel “Kindred.”The pilot will be written and executive produced by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDavid Simon and George Pelecanos are returning to HBO — and Baltimore — with a limited series based on the true story of the infamous Baltimore Gun Trace Task Force, Variety has learned from sources.Simon and Pelecanos will write and executive produce the drama, which is titled “We Own This City.” It is based on the book of the same name by journalist Justin Fenton.HBO declined to comment.The series brings Simon and Pelecanos back to the streets of Baltimore, with the

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has ordered a live-action series adaptation of the Korean webtoon “Dr. Brain.” The series will be the first completely Korean-language project at the streamer.Kim Jee-Woon will write and direct, with “Parasite” star Lee Sun-Kyun set to star.