HBO Max & Cartoon Network Team On ‘Home Sweet Rome’ Comedy Series, ‘American Girl: Corinne Tan’ Special

Feeling strange! From Mike and Eleven to Lucas and Max, viewers have watched their favorite Stranger Things characters grow up — and fall in love — right before their eyes.

HBO Max is getting into business with Omar Sy.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterOmar Sy has signed a first-look television deal with HBO Max.Under the deal, the French actor and producer will develop series for the streamer for multiple markets around the globe.“I am very happy to be partnering with HBO Max who share my dreams of developing globally appealing content for audiences around the world, including French speaking Africa, France and the United States,” Sy said.Sy broke out with his starring role in the French film “The Intouchables,” for which he earned a César for best actor. He was the first Black actor to win the award.

EXCLUSIVE: Josh Lucas is set to star opposite Kristen Wiig in Apple TV+ comedy series Mrs. American Pie, executive produced by Laura Dern. Based on Juliet McDaniel’s book, Mrs. American Pie hails from creator Abe Sylvia (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) and director Tate Taylor (Breaking News in Yuba County). Dern also is eyeing a “key role” in the series.

EXCLUSIVE: The single-camera teen comedy Wild Life from Imagine Kids+Family has received a pilot order at HBO Max with rising star Izabella Alvarez (Euphoria, The Casagrandes) set as the show’s lead.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterEdie Falco has been cast opposite Pete Davidson in the upcoming Peacock comedy series “Bupkis,” Variety has learned.The announcement was made during NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation on Monday. “Bupkis” was picked up straight-to-series at Peacock back in April. The show is described as a heightened, fictionalized version of Davidson’s real life.

EXCLUSIVE: Tia Napolitano (Cruel Summer) has joined CBS’ newly picked up drama series Fire Country as executive producer and showrunner. Her hire was already in the works when the network yesterday gave an official series order to the buzzy pilot, executive produced by and starring Max Thieriot.

EXCLUSIVE: Leslie Bibb has been tapped to star alongside Kristen Wiig in in Apple TV+ comedy series Mrs. American Pie, executive produced by Laura Dern. Based on Juliet McDaniel’s book, Mrs. American Pie hails from creator Abe Sylvia (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) and director Tate Taylor (Breaking News in Yuba County). Oscar winner Allison Janney also recently signed on to star in the series, in which Dern is poised for a key role.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIt’s safe to say that although Italian rock quartet Maneskin were pretty huge in their home country and parts of Europe when they took the Eurovision stage last year, their name recognition and popularity exploded when they won the coveted prize with their song “Zitti E Buoni.” Over the past year, the group has seen their streams, sales and tour itineraries soar, appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and at the Coachella festival — and perhaps most impressive of all, began working with Max Martin, the most successful songwriter-producer of the past 25 years (from Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys to Katy Perry to the Weeknd and Taylor Swift), on their next album.Although the group premiere a new, anti-Putin song called “Gasoline” at Coachella last month, the first fruit of the new partnership arrives tonight: the single “Supermodel,” which drops tonight. While Martin started off as a singer in a hard rock band, this is the first time in many years he’s worked with one — and it’s hard not to notice that the song’s riff owes more than a little to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” “Yeeepppp,” bassist Victoria De Angelis acknowledges coyly.

Beloved doll and book line American Girl is getting two new live-action specials. Mattel, Inc.

Selome Hailu HBO Max and Cartoon Network has greenlit and acquired several projects for their kids and family live action slate, Variety has learned exclusively. The slate includes two specials based on Mattel’s American Girl franchise and a supernatural romance starring Peyton List.The first American Girl special has the working title “American Girl: Corinne Tan,” inspired by the doll brand’s 2022 girl of the year and the first doll of Chinese descent.

K-pop star AleXa has triumphed as the winner of the inaugural American Song Contest. 

EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Grandave International’s romantic comedy Divorce Bait, with plans to release it in theaters and on digital platforms this fall.

1. Her First Gig Was Singing Whitney Houston Max may still be introducing herself to millions of future fans all around the world, but she isn’t new to music.

Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez has shared new adorable photos of their baby girl and announced her sweet name. Georgina, 28, welcomed their daughter in April this year, but sadly shared the tragic death of their baby's twin brother as they said at the time: "It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away." They've now shared that her gorgeous moniker is Bella Esmeralda while posting a photo of the tot appearing to smile as she slept, wearing a Moschino babygrow.

Wilson Chapman editorLorna Courtney, Paulo Szot, Betsy Wolfe and Stark Sands will headline the North American premiere cast of the Max Martin jukebox musical “& Juliet,” the production announced on Friday.Currently running on the London’s West End, “& Juliet” is a retelling of the classic William Shakespeare tragedy “Romeo & Juliet.” Featuring a framing device where Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway comment on the original play, the musical explores a scenario in which Juliet doesn’t die at the end of the story, and instead takes a road trip to Paris in search of self-discovery. The musical features a book from David West Read, who is best known for his work writing on Canadian comedy series “Schitt’s Creek,” and music from Grammy-winning songwriter Max Martin, including hits like “I Want It That Way,” “Since U Been Gone” and “Teenage Dream.” An original song “One More Try,” co-written with Jessie J, is also featured.

EXCLUSIVE: James DuMont (The Righteous Gemstones), Christopher James Baker (Ozark), Manny Galan (City on a Hill), Juvian Marquez (Power Book II: Ghost) and Anirudh Pisharody (9-1-1) will round out the cast of the thriller Unit 234, from director Andy Tennant, which is currently in production in the Cayman Islands. The quintet will star alongside previously announced cast members including Isabelle Fuhrman, Don Johnson and Jack Huston.

POTOMAC, Md. -- If Max Homa still had a podcast, he would tell his listeners that everything is fine, thanks for asking.Homa, the son of a Hollywood acting coach and a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, has strong instincts about fan engagement.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Julia” has been renewed for Season 2 at HBO Max.The series is inspired by the life of Julia Childs and her long-running cooking show “The French Chef.” Through Childs’ perspective, the series explores the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity and America’s cultural evolution.Sarah Lancashire stars as Childs. The cast also includes David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz, and Fiona Glascott.