HBO to Develop Series Adaptation of Dave Eggers Novel ‘The Every’

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “True Lies” series adaptation has been ordered at CBS for the 2022-2023 broadcast season.The series order comes after the show was originally ordered to pilot at CBS in February 2021 before it was pushed off-cycle for consideration during this year’s pilot season.In the series, an unfulfilled suburban housewife (Ginger Gonzaga) is shocked to discover that her bland and unremarkable computer consultant husband (Steve Howey) is a skilled international spy. She is propelled into a life of danger and adventure when she’s recruited to work alongside him to save the world as they try to revitalize their passionless marriage.Along with Howey and Gonzaga, the cast includes Erica Hernandez, Omar Miller, Mike O’Gorman, Annabella Didion, and Lucas Jaye.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSkydance Television, Concord Originals, and Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions are teaming to develop a limited series based on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.”Rachel Shukert will write the adaptation in addition to serving as executive producer and showrunner. Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and Benny Medina will executive produce for Nuyorican.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterGarrett Hedlund has joined the cast of the Sylverster Stallone-led Paramount+ series “Tulsa King,” Variety has learned exclusively.The series follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone) just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, OK. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a “crew” from a group of unlikely characters, to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.Hedlund will appear in the series regular role of Mitch Keller, an Oklahoma native and ex bull-rider who retired prematurely after injuries led to addiction.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming Paramount+ drama series “Tulsa King” has added A.C. Peterson to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively.Sylvester Stallone will lead the series, with Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza and Jay Will also starring.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Last Thing He Told Me” series adaptation at Apple has added three new cast members, Variety has learned exclusively.Geoff Stults (“Little Fires Everywhere,” “Guilty Party”), John Harlan Kim (“LA Law,” “9-1-1”), and Augusto Aguilera (“Made for Love,” “Promised Land”) will all appear in the series. Jennifer Garner will star along with previously announced cast members including Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Angourie Rice, and Aisha Tyler.The series is based on the Laura Dave novel of the same name. The show follows Hannah (Garner), a woman who forms an unexpected relationship with her sixteen-year-old stepdaughter Bailey (Rice) while searching for the truth about why her husband Owen (Coster-Waldau) has mysteriously disappeared.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterEd O’Neill is set to play Donald Sterling in the upcoming FX limited series “The Sterling Affairs,” Variety has learned.The show was picked up to series at FX back in April. It is based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast of the same name. O’Neill joins previously announced stars Laurence Fishburne and Jacki Weaver.The six-episode series tells the behind the scenes story of Doc Rivers (Fishburne) and the Los Angeles Clippers’ quest to bring a championship to one of the historically worst franchises in all of sports during the impending downfall of the team’s owner, Donald Sterling (O’Neill), whose notoriously racist behavior is brought to light amid the power struggle between his wife of 60+ years, Shelly Sterling (Weaver), and his mistress, V.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series at Disney+ has found its Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase.Variety has learned exclusively that Aryan Simhadri will star as Grover with Leah Sava Jeffries set to play Annabeth. They join previously announced series lead Walker Scobell, who will play Percy.The series adaptation of the Rick Riordan book series was ordered at the streamer back in January.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Minx” has been renewed for Season 2 at HBO Max.The first season of the comedy series began airing in March and concluded on April 14. HBO Max released two episodes of the half-hour show per week.“All of us at ‘Minx’ have been blown away by the passionate response from audiences across the world, who have mashed-up, TikTok-ed and fanfic-ed us into a renewal,” said series creator Ellen Rapoport. “We are so grateful to our partners at HBO Max and Lionsgate for being true champions of the show, and for the opportunity to continue on this journey.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” breaks new ground among the more recent “Trek” shows by going back to the old ways — that is to say that the show is much more episodic as compared to the heavily serialized “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Picard.”In an interview with Variety, series star Anson Mount said that the idea of the show following that format was always the intention of its creators and allowed the cast to “get ourselves out of the way a little bit.”“I like to think that Pike is not the star of the show,” said Mount, who plays Captain Christopher Pike. “The star of the show is the Enterprise.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNikolaj Coster-Waldau has signed on to star opposite Jennifer Garner in the Apple limited series “The Last Thing He Told Me,” Variety has learned.The series is based on the Laura Dave novel of the same name. It was previously announced that Angourie Rice will also star in the series.The show follows Hannah (Garner), a woman who forms an unexpected relationship with her sixteen-year-old stepdaughter Bailey (Rice) while searching for the truth about why her husband has mysteriously disappeared.

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.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDerek Kolstad is teaming with Magic Machine and animation company Titmouse to write an animated series based on the NFT fantasy property “Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult,” Variety has learned exclusively.Kolstad will write and executive produce the eight-episode series, with each episode being one hour. Titmouse’s Chris Prynoski as well as Magic Machine’s @ElfJTrul, @Dotta and @BearSnake will also executive produce.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterViola Davis is eyeing a return to the role of Amanda Waller in her own spinoff series currently in the works at HBO Max, Variety has learned from sources.Exact plot details are mostly under wraps at this point, but sources say the show will build off of Waller’s appearance at the end of the “Suicide Squad” spinoff series “Peacemaker.”SPOILER ALERT: In the Season 1 finale of “Peacemaker,” Waller’s daughter and spy Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) outs her mother publicly for her work with Task Force X and the Suicide Squad. Davis made brief cameo appearances in the first and last episodes of the show.Davis would executive produce the series in addition to starring.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMost of the cast of “That ’70s Show” is coming back for “That ’90s Show” at Netflix, Variety has learned.Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Wilmer Valderrama are all set to make guest appearances in the spinoff series, once again playing their characters from the original series. The only main cast member not returning is Danny Masterson, who played Hyde, as he is preparing to stand trial on multiple sexual assault allegations.As previously announced, Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp are set to star in “That ’90s Show,” reprising the roles of Red and Kitty Forman.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHulu has ordered a limited series adaptation of the Georgia Hunter novel “We Were the Lucky Ones” with Joey King attached to star, Variety has learned.Hulu has given the show an eight episode order. It is inspired by the true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite.Erica Lipez is adapting the book for the screen and will executive produce. Thomas Kail will direct and executive produce via Old 320 Sycamore.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMelissa McBride is no longer going to star in a Daryl-Carol “Walking Dead” spinoff at AMC, Variety has confirmed with sources.The show was originally announced in September 2020 with McBride and Norman Reedus set to star. The pair have long been praised for their characters’ onscreen chemistry, with Reedus and McBride currently being the only two cast members of the flagship show who have been onboard since Season 1.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max has brought Johan Renck onboard to direct the first two episodes.Renck will also serve as an executive producer on the show, currently titled “Dune: The Sisterhood.” It was ordered straight-to-series at HBO Max in June 2019. Previously, “Dune” director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve was attached to direct the pilot for “Dune: The Sisterhood,” but his work on the “Dune” sequel film will prevent him from doing so.The show is set 10,000 years prior to the events of “Dune” and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.Renck won two Emmys for his work on the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Chernobyl” — one as an executive producer when the show won best limited series and another for best directing for a limited series, as he directed all five episodes.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA “Harley Quinn” spinoff series titled “Noonan’s” has officially been ordered at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively.The series will focus on lovable loser Kite Man and his new squeeze, Golden Glider, as they moonlight as criminals to support their foolish purchase of Noonan’s, Gotham’s seediest dive bar. Matt Oberg will reprise the role of Kite Man, whom he voiced on “Harley Quinn.” HBO Max has given the show a 10 episode order.The show is executive produced by “Harley Quinn” co-creators Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey, as well as “Harley Quinn” star Kaley Cuoco via Yes, Norman Productions.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock has given a straight-to-series order to a semi-autobiographical comedy series starring Pete Davidson, Variety has learned.The series, title “Bupkis,” was first reported as being on the market back in March, with Peacock acquiring it in a competitive situation. Davidson serves as a writer and executive producer on the show in addition to starring. The half-hour comedy is described as a heightened, fictionalized version of Davidson’s real life.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDanielle Deadwyler has been cast in the lead role of the J.J. Abrams HBO series “Demimonde,” Variety has learned.The show was first reported to be in development back in 2018, though few details were available at the time. Now, it is known that the series focuses on Olive Reed (Deadwyler), a woman who is torn away from her husband and daughter in a brutal scientific accident.