‘Harry Potter’ TV Series in Early Development at HBO Max

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIssa Rae has landed an eight-episode series order at HBO Max for the half-hour comedy “Rap Sh*t.”The project was first announced as being in development in October 2019. It follows two estranged high school friends from Miami who reunite to form a rap group.Rae is writing the pilot for the series and will executive produce under her Hoorae production banner, with Montrel McKay of Hoorae also executive producing.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming “The Last of Us” series adaptation at HBO has cast Bella Ramsey in the lead role of Ellie, Variety has confirmed.Ramsey is best known for her role as Lyanna Mormont in fellow HBO series “Game of Thrones.” The character Ellie is a 14-year old orphan who has never known anything but a ravaged planet.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHBO Max has given a two-season order to a reboot of adult animated series “Clone High,” as well as a series order to a standalone series about “Scooby-Doo” character Velma Dinkley, who will be voiced by Mindy Kaling.The announcements were part of a larger adult animation slate revealed by HBO Max on Wednesday.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe HBO Max comedy series being led by Jean Smart is rounding out its main cast.Variety has learned that the show has cast two series regulars and eight recurring guest star roles. The single-camera comedy series explores a dark mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance (Smart), a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old (Hannah Einbinder).Einbinder has been cast as Ava, the young writer that Deborah is forced to hire.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA scripted GameStop film is in development at HBO.The project hails from executive producers Andrew Ross Sorkin of TBTF Productions, Len Amato of Crash&Salvage, and Jason Blum of Blumhouse Television.The film is described as exploring how a populist uprising of social media day traders beat Wall Street at their own game, turning the stock market upside down and shaking the financial world to its core.This is the latest onscreen project set up to detail the ongoing stock

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe CW is renewing 12 of its scripted series, including an early Season 2 pick up for its freshman drama “Walker” starring Jared Padalecki.The other shows are: “All American” (renewed for Season 4), “Batwoman” (renewed for Season 3), “Charmed” (Season 4), “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” (Season 7), “Dynasty” (Season 5) “The Flash” (Season 8), “In The Dark” (Season 4), “Legacies” (Season 4), “Nancy Drew” (Season 3), “Riverdale” (Season 6), and “Roswell, New Mexico” (Season 4).

Joe Otterson TV ReporterTwo new streaming players made their presence known at the 2021 Golden Globe nominations on Wednesday morning.Both Disney Plus and HBO Max scored their first nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Disney Plus picked up a nod for “The Mandalorian” in the best drama series category.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe HBO Max pilot “Verbatim” is rounding out its cast.Sara Gilbert, Rob Huebel, Leland Orser, Lyiq Bent, Tate Donovan, J.R. Cacia, and Kevin Dunn have all joined the project.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Sandman” series at Netflix has set its main cast. Tom Sturridge is officially set to star as Dream, with the show also adding Gwendoline Christie, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Asim Chaudhry, and Sanjeev Bhaskar.The series is based on “The Sandman” comic book series created for DC by Neil Gaiman.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterKatie Beth Hall has been cast in the “Head of the Class” reboot pilot at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively.She joins previously announced series lead Isabella Gomez as well as cast members Jorge Diaz, Dior Goodjohn, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Brandon Severs, and Christa Miller.The rebooted series revolves around a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a teacher Alicia Adams (Gomez), who wants them to focus less on grades and

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAn animated “Game of Thrones” series is in the very early development stages at HBO Max, Variety has confirmed with sources.There are no details available about what the focus of the potential series would be and no writers or talent are currently attached to the project.HBO Max declined to comment.Variety exclusively reported last week that a series based on George R.R. Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” is in the works at HBO.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“State of the Union” has been renewed for Season 2 at SundanceTV.The second season of the short form series will star Brendan Gleeson, Patricia Clarkson, and Esco Jouléy.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJamie Dornan has been cast in the lead role of the upcoming limited series “The Tourist.” In addition, HBO Max has boarded the project and will co-produce along with Two Brothers Pictures as well as serve as the show’s streaming home in the U.S.Alongside Dornan, the six-episode series will star Danielle Macdonald, Shalom Brune-Franklin, and Hugo Weaving. Filming is set to begin soon in Australia.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHBO is developing the third season of the hit podcast “Serial” as a limited series, with LeBron James onboard the project as an executive producer.The potential series will examine the criminal justice system at work in Cleveland, Ohio.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple is nearing an order for the limited series “In with the Devil,” with Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser onboard to star, Variety has learned.The six-episode series would be based on the 2010 novel “In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption” by James Keene and Hillel Levin.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterABC is developing a series adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s “Paradise” novel trilogy, with “Grey’s Anatomy” star Ellen Pompeo set to executive produce.The project is titled “Winter in Paradise,” named after the first book in the trilogy. The series focuses on Irene Steele, who shares her idyllic life in a beautiful Iowa City Victorian house with a husband who loves her to an extreme.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCraig Mazin has extended his overall deal with HBO and HBO Max for an additional three years.The news comes as little surprise, given the success Mazin has had at HBO. He previously created the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Chernobyl,” which detailed the aftermath of the titular Soviet nuclear disaster in 1986.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBrie Larson is set to star in and executive produce the drama series “Lessons in Chemistry,” which has landed a straight-to-series order at Apple in a competitive situation, Variety has learned exclusively.The series is based on the upcoming debut novel from author, science editor, and copywriter Bonnie Garmus.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMichelle Pfeiffer has signed on to star as Betty Ford in the upcoming Showtime series “The First Lady,” Variety has learned. In addition, Susanne Bier has signed on to direct and executive produce the anthology series.Formerly known as “First Ladies,” the show is described as a reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA series adaptation of “Tales of Dunk and Egg,” a prequel to the events of “Game of Thrones,” is in early development at HBO, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.The one-hour show would be based on the series of fantasy novellas by George R. R.