‘Grown-ish’ Star Yara Shahidi Signs Overall Deal With ABC Studios

Joe Otterson TV ReporterElle Fanning is attached to star in the Universal Content Productions (UCP) series based on the real-life case of Michelle Carter, which has landed at Hulu, Variety has learned.Titled “The Girl From Plainville,” Fanning will star as Carter, who was infamously convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2017 after texting her boyfriend encouragement to commit suicide three years prior.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAMC is expanding its true crime slate with talent deals for four creators.Mona Chalabi, Naomi Ekperigin, Cameron Esposito, and Jena Friedman will all work with the company to develop original true crime series for its linear networks and streaming services.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLizzo has signed a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios.Under the deal, the Grammy-winning musician will work with Amazon Studios to create television projects that will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.“I’m so excited to partner with the amazing team at Amazon,” said Lizzo. “Thank you to Jen Salke and the rest of the team for making this dream come true.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFormer NBA player Baron Davis and his company UWish and MiMO Studio have partnered to launch MiMO Sports.The new division is dedicated to creating sports-themed content for kids and families while inspiring positive family values and diverse storytelling.“MiMO Studio is establishing itself as the creative destination for simple, authentic and diverse kid and family stories,” said Cyma Zarghami, MiMO founder and CEO.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Star Trek: Lower Decks” premieres today on CBS All Access, marking the first true “Star Trek” comedy series to ever air. But series creator Mike McMahan, the franchise has always been rich in comedy.“I don’t even really consider myself to be the first one doing it,” McMahan tells Variety.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterICM Partners is close to signing a franchise agreement with the Writers Guild of America, Variety has learned from sources.Sources say that the agreement between the agency and the guild would be similar to the one recently signed by UTA in July. Under that deal, UTA agreed to end packaging fees in two years as well as agreeing to disclose financial details around deals they broker for writers, but only at the express consent of those clients.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has signed a first-look film and television deal with Appian Way, the production company founded by Leonardo DiCaprio.The multi-year deal between covers television projects and features.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterKerry Washington and her Simpson Street production banner have renewed their overall deal with ABC studios for a further three years.“Since its inception, Simpson Street has focused on using art and entertainment to amplify the human experience and weave narratives that honor our unique differences while connecting us through our shared humanity,” said Washington.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDenis Leary has signed a broadcast development deal with Fox Entertainment.Under the deal, Leary and his production company, Amoeba, will develop and produce series for Fox. Leary may also star in any series developed under the agreement, which encompasses comedy, drama, and animation.“Everyone at Amoeba is excited about this partnership and we look forward to creating new, cutting-edge content at Fox,” Leary said.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNina Dobrev and Bruna Papandrea are teaming to adapt the Greer Macallister novel “Woman 99” for television.Dobrev will star in and executive produce the series, with Papandrea also executive producing under her Made Up Stories banner. Made Up Stories’ Steve Hutensky and Casey Haver will also serve as executive producers with Janice Park serving as producer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterElisabeth Moss is attached to star in and executive produce a series adaptation of the 2013 Lauren Beukes novel “Shining Girls,” which has been ordered to series at Apple.Moss will star as a Chicago reporter who survived a brutal assault only to find her reality shifting as she hunts down her attacker.Silka Luisa will write the adaptation and serve as executive producer and showrunner.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJonathan Majors is on — well, a major roll at the moment. Majors has appeared in a string of high-profile features in a matter of a few short years.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterABC is developing a drama series with both Eva Longoria and Forest Whitaker attached as executive producers.Titled “Chicano,” the series is inspired by the novel of the same name Richard Vasquez. It tells the multi-generational story of the Sandovals, a Mexican-American family that immigrates to Los Angeles in pursuit of the American Dream.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDiego Boneta has signed on to star in a limited series currently in the works at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively.Hailing from Legendary Television, the series is titled “Brujo” and will feature both English and Spanish dialogue. It is inspired by the true story of the infamous Adolfo Constanzo and the power he acquired as his acts of dark magic came to light.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNBC has ordered the unscripted series “Home Sweet Home,” which hails from Ava DuVernay.In the 10-episode hour-long series, two families who lead very different lives go through a full-immersion cultural experiment.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSuper Frog, the production company founded by Hiro Murai and Nate Matteson, has signed first-look deal with FX Productions.Under the deal, the company will develop scripted and unscripted programming for FX and potentially other divisions of Walt Disney Television.“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with FX as we build our company,” Murai and Matteson said.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterViacomCBS is not expecting to bring most of its employees back to its U.S. offices for the remainder of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the country.In a memo sent to staff on Wednesday obtained by Variety, ViacomCBS president and CEO Bob Bakish wrote “While we were hopeful we’d be able to bring a small number of employees back to U.S.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCBS Television Studios and the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) have come to a multi-year content partnership agreement.Under the deal, the two organizations will work together to develop and produce scripted, unscripted, and documentary projects for linear and streaming platforms. The partnership will be aimed toward elevating a diverse range of voices as well as increasing the visibility of Black artists.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMichael Che has set up his own sketch comedy series at HBO Max, Variety has learned.The streamer has given the series a six-episode order. Che will star in the series, with each episode set to tackle a different theme or incident — such as police brutality, unemployment, or falling in love — from a Black vantage point.“I’m really excited to be working on this show with HBO Max” said Che.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIdris Elba and his Green Door Pictures production company have signed a first-look deal at Apple, Variety has learned. Under the deal, Elba and Green Door will produce both series and features for Apple’s streaming platform, Apple TV Plus.Elba is an actor, producer, director, and musician.