‘Gattaca’ TV Series in Development at Showtime

When it was announced that HBO was looking to expand the “Game of Thrones” franchise past the original series, people were skeptical. However, after the false start of “The Long Night” pilot that was scrapped, the network hit it big (bigger than people were probably expecting) with “House of the Dragon.” Now, fans (and investors) are anxious to find out what HBO has up its sleeve for the next spinoff.

J. Kim Murphy Warner Bros. Discovery is looking to close a deal to produce a “Harry Potter” television series. According to Bloomberg, which was first to report news of recent talks surrounding the project, the project would be directly based on J.K. Rowling’s best-selling book series, rather than an in-universe spinoff such as the “Fantastic Beasts” film series. Each season would reportedly draw from one of the books, suggesting an ongoing franchise that would stretch for years for the studio. Sources close to the situation suggest that talks between Warner Bros. Discovery and Rowling’s camp remain in a preliminary state. The studio is looking to house the series under its streaming banner HBO Max, soon to be combined with Discovery+ and rebranded under a new name.

found a new home at Starz, and “Ripley,” which landed at Netflix.Charles Babalola stars as the titular Zulu king in the series, which was originally ordered in 2021, alongside additional cast members Thapelo Mokoenaas, Warren Masemola, Aïssa Maïga, Thando DIomo, Charmaine Bingwa and Nkeki Obi-Melekwe.Originally titled “Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation,” the series, billed as an “epic drama centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king,” centers on “the story of the Zulu Empire chief Shaka and his unlikely rise to power, uniting multiple tribes across vast stretches of Africa in the early 19th century to transform his power into legend, on par with history’s most seminal figures,” per Showtime. Hailing from CBS Studios, Propagate and Fuqua Films, “King Shaka” is executive produced by Antoine Fuqua, Odebunmi, Awosika, Ben Silverman, Howard T.

EXCLUSIVE: Showtime has axed King Shaka, its upcoming epic drama series, executive produced by Antoine Fuqua, which tells the sweeping story of the Zulu Empire founder.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The Showtime limited series “King Shaka” is no longer moving forward at the premium cabler, Variety has confirmed. The series tells the story of the titular Zulu king, who will be played by Charles Babalola. According to an individual with knowledge of the production, filming had been mostly completed on the historical epic series and Showtime and producer CBS Studios plan to shop it to other outlets. This marks the latest completed series to be moved off Showtime as the network prepares to be merged with Paramount+. The drama “Three Women” recently left Showtime only to be picked up by Starz. Likewise, “Ripley” starring Andrew Scott moved to Netflix after originally being ordered at Showtime.

EXCLUSIVE: The ongoing changes at Showtime have reached the network’s development slate which has been cut down significantly, with a slew of projects getting a pass, I hear.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios has secured rights to Aaron Foley’s debut novel Boys Come First, with plans to develop the property for television, tapping Chuck Hayward (Ted Lasso) to pen the pilot and exec produce the series.

If you’re a person of a certain age, you are probably well aware of the cultural impact that “The X-Files” had during the ‘90s. Everywhere you looked, there was Mulder and Scully and the phrase, “The truth is out there.” Well, it appears that “The X-Files” might be making a return thanks to none other than Ryan Coogler.

EXCLUSIVE: Gina Rodriguez is developing a series adaptation of Sonoro podcast series Princess of South Beach for Netflix.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taiwan has become a go-to destination for Chinese language series production over the past few years, as international streamers have taken the initiative and as the local content trend has become entrenched in Asia. While some of Taiwan’s advantage may have been handed to it as a result of regional political factors, the movement has led to greater interest in Taiwan stories, both historical and modern.Five Taiwan TV projects are being pitched at Series Mania, that are deemed to have international appeal according to Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), a government-backed agency that has become noticeably proactive over roughly the same period.

Ellise Shafer “The L Word: Generation Q” has been canceled at Showtime after three seasons, but a reboot of the original series is in the works, Variety has confirmed. More to come…

Selome Hailu Robin Thede, creator and star of “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” has set a new comedy series for development at HBO. The half-hour project is titled “Disengagement,” and centers on the prestigious Cole family after a very public and embarrassing business implosion shatters their perfect Midwest image. Per the logline, it was just an image, because behind closed doors, even their dysfunction has dysfunction, proving family is the ultimate pyramid scheme. Thede serves as writer and executive producer of the series, which she is developing via the overall deal she signed with HBO in 2022. Meghan Cheek produces on behalf of For Better or Words, Inc.

HBO is developing the new comedy series Disengagement from writer and executive producer Robin Thede (A Black Lady Sketch Show).

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent While she retired prematurely at the age of 39, Brigitte Bardot has left an indelible mark on France’s popular culture in the 1960’s and 1970’s. With her wild blonde mane, smoky eyes and pouty lips, Bardot became a symbol of a modern and effortlessly sexy French woman, and a style emblem that continues to inspire current trends. The event series “Bardot,” which is penned and directed by Daniele Thompson (“The Queen Margot”) and Christopher Thompson (“La bûche”), world premiered at Series Mania Festival to unanimous praise and has been pre-sold by Federation nearly worldwide. “‘Bardot’ is like the French ‘The Crown’ because Bardot embodied France, and through her journey we reminisce about many parts of France’s history and popular culture in the 1950’s and 1960’s,” Federation’s boss and “Bardot” producer Pascal Breton told Variety.

Ethan Shanfeld Fifth Season, the production house behind “Severance,” “Tokyo Vice” and “80 for Brady,” is developing series based on Jean Kwok’s 2014 novel “Mambo in Chinatown,” as well as her upcoming book “The Leftover Woman,” which hits shelves later this year. According to its official description, “The Leftover Woman” is “an evocative family drama and riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood for two very different women.” Published by William Morrow, the novel will be released on Oct. 10, 2023. “Mambo in Chinatown,” which landed on various year-end lists in 2014, is “about a young woman torn between her family duties in Chinatown and her escape into the world of ballroom dancing.”

Amazon is moving forward with its series adaptation of E. Lockhart’s novel We Were Liars.

EXCLUSIVE: The cast is coming together on Paramount+ and Showtime’s upcoming limited series A Gentleman in Moscow.

EXCLUSIVE: Ilkkas’ Creative Studio (ICS), the Nordic creative hub launched last year, is planning to shake up Finland’s approach to international scripted content.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Series Mania has always been about discovery: Of drama series as an art form, in its early days from launch in 2009; then of key players on a burgeoning international premium TV scene. Series Mania’s International Panorama now catches a new wave of creatives transitioning from film to scripted TV – Israel’s Yaron Shani with “Innermost,” Spain’s Isaki Lacuesta and Isa Campo with episodes of “Apagón”; and highlights notable emerging auteurs: Denmark’s Kasper Møller Rask, Canada’s Alexis Durand-Brault, Spain’s Fran Araujo, Pakistan’s Assim Abassi and Germany’s Jakob and Jonas Weydemann.  But for having already bowed at national festivals, some of the 12 titles below could well have been in the running for a Competition berth. 

Andrew Niccol‘s 1997 directorial debut “Gattaca” is low-key one of the best sci-fi films of the ’90s. Now, Variety reports that Showtime will test the movie’s cultural cache as it has a series adaptation in development.