Idris Elba Signs First-Look Deal With Apple

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 ReporterJonathan Levine has signed on to direct all eight episodes of the upcoming Hulu series adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s “Nine Perfect Strangers.”Levine will also executive produce the series, which features an all-star cast including Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Samara Weaving, Luke Evans, Melvin Gregg, Grace Van Patten, and Tiffany Boone.Levine most recently directed the feature comedy “Long Shot” starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterOprah Winfrey has set up an interview series at Apple.“The Oprah Conversation” will debut on the streaming service on July 30. Filmed remotely, the show will feature Winfrey engaging in dialogues with thought leaders and newsmakers from all over the world.In the debut episode, “How to Be an Antiracist,” Winfrey and bestselling author Professor Ibram X.

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 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 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.

Also Read: Joey King to Star in Limited Series Based on Jodi Picoult Novel 'A Spark of Light'On the TV side, King is attached to star in and executive produce a limited series adaptation of Jodi Picoult’s “A Spark of Light” at Sony Pictures Television.

Also Read: Game-Changer: 'Trolls World Tour' Digital Success Pits Universal Against Movie Theaters“For over ten years, Walt has been a key part of the DreamWorks family,” said DreamWorks Animation President Margie Cohn in a statement.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“grown-ish” star and executive producer Yara Shahidi has signed an overall deal with ABC Studios.As part of the deal, Shahidi is forming a production company with her business partner and mother, Keri Shahidi. The company is called 7th Sun.

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 ReporterApple has ordered an action-thriller series from Mark Boal straight to series, Variety has learned.The 10-episode series is titled “Echo 3,” based on the Israeli series “When Heroes Fly” created by Omri Givon and based on the novel of the same name by Amir Gutfreund.In the series, Amber Chesborough, a brilliant young scientist, is the emotional center of a small American family.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe creators of “Glee” released a statement on Tuesday regarding the death of series star Naya Rivera.Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan paid tribute to Rivera, who drowned at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California last week.“Naya wasn’t a series regular when we cast her on ‘Glee,'” they wrote. “She didn’t have more than a few lines in the pilot.

Idris Elba is set to produce TV shows and films as part of a first-look deal with bosses at Apple Tv+.The actor will develop original content under his production company, Green Door Pictures.He joins a long list of celebrities who have partnered with executives at the new streaming service, including Oprah Winfrey, Alfonso Cuaron, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Simon Kinberg.Elba has been busy as of late – the Hobbs & Shaw star recently completed production on Ricky Staub’s Concrete Cowboy, The Long

Peter White Television EditorLuther star Idris Elba is to produce series and films for Apple TV+ after striking a first-look deal with the streaming service.The actor and producer will produce global series and features for the service via his Green Door Pictures production company.Elba, who broke through as Stringer Bell in The Wire, has been ramping up his production activities in recent years.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCate Blanchett and her Dirty Films production company have signed a first-look TV deal with FX Productions.Dirty Films is headed by Blanchett along with Andrew Upton and Coco Francini. News of the deal comes after Blanchett and Francini served as executive producers on the FX on Hulu limited series “Mrs.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPamela Adlon has signed an overall deal with FX Productions. In addition, Adlon’s critically-acclaimed FX series “Better Things” has been renewed for a fifth season.Adlon’s new deal covers all scripted and unscripted programming.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJuVee Productions, the production company of Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, has set an expanded first-look deal with Amazon. The deal will now include television in addition to extending their film deal.JuVee previously had a TV overall deal at ABC Studios.“We are excited to continue our partnership with Amazon Studios, bringing our TV division along with Film,” Davis and Tennon said.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmazon has landed the rights to develop the 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist New York Times story and podcast “The Jungle Prince of Delhi” as a drama series, Variety has learned.The story, written by Ellen Barry, delved into the history of the royal family of Oudh, deposed aristocrats living in a ruined palace in the Indian capital claiming to be the heirs to a fallen kingdom.Mira Nair is attached to direct the project and will also executive produce.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX and Hulu have partnered to launch the documentary series “The New York Times Presents.”The show hails from the team behind FX’s “The Weekly.” The new show will present standalone documentaries on major stories via the journalists at the New York Times.“The New York Times Presents” will feature 10 individual documentaries that will air on FX and on Hulu on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeter Lenkov’s relationship with CBS has been terminated due to accusations the producer and showrunner created a toxic work environment on his sets, Variety has confirmed.Lenkov was the showrunner on the CBS revivals of “Magnum P.I.” and “MacGyver,” but has been fired from those shows. In addition, his overall deal with CBS Television Studios has been ended.