Ilana Glazer Eyed to Star in Amazon Comedy Series ‘The Suck’ From Ally Israelson (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson TV ReporterStephanie Hsu is set for a guest starring role in Disney+ series “American Born Chinese,” Variety has learned exclusively.The role reunites Hsu with previously announced cast member Michelle Yeoh, with whom Hsu starred in the hit film “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, the series follows Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a teenager juggling his high school social life with his immigrant home life. When Jin meets foreign exchange student Wei-Chen (Jim Liu) on the first day of school, their worlds collide as Jin becomes entangled in a battle of Chinese mythological gods.

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“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 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 ReporterLouis Partridge has joined the cast of the upcoming Apple psychological thriller series “Disclaimer,” Variety has learned exclusively.Partridge joins previously announced series leads Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline and cast members Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Hoyeon.Based on the novel of the same name by Renee Knight, “Disclaimer” will star Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful and respected television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. When an intriguing novel written by a widower (Kline) appears on her bedside table, she is horrified to realize she is a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past.

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 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 Reporter“Succession” breakout Nicholas Braun and Chris Buongiorno are developing a series together at HBO, Variety has learned exclusively.The half-hour series is titled “One for the Road.” It is described as candid and intimate story of a talented but dysfunctional band struggling to survive the rapidly changing landscape of independent music in the early 2000s. Braun and Buongiorno will co-write the series in addition to serving as executive producers.Braun has received widespread acclaim for his role on the hit HBO series “Succession,” on which he has played Cousin Greg in each of the show’s three seasons to date.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“It Takes Two” is getting the movie treatment, with the project now set up at Amazon for priority development, Variety has learned exclusively.Variety reported in January that the game was being adapted for the screen. As previously reported, dj2 Entertainment will produce the film, with Seven Bucks Productions now boarding the project along with Amazon Studios. Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia will produce on behalf of Seven Bucks.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDavid Castañeda is the latest addition to the cast of the Natasha Lyonne & Rian Johnson series “Poker Face” at Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively.Lyonne will lead the drama series, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Stephanie Hsu also set to appear along with Castañeda. Plot and character details for the series are being kept largely under wraps, though sources say the show will follow a procedural format and see Lyonne’s character working to solve different murders in each episode.Castañeda is best known for his role in the hit Netflix series “The Umbrella Academy,” on which he plays Diego. The third season of the show is due out on June 22.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDominique Fishback has been cast in the lead role of Donald Glover and Janine Naber’s upcoming Amazon series.Plot details for the show are being kept under wraps, though it has previously been reported that it will focus on a “Beyonce-like figure,” presumably played by Fishback. Glover had previously spoken to Variety about the project during the “Atlanta” premiere red carpet, which can be seen below.Fishback has been on a hot streak of late, currently starring in the Apple series “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” alongside Samuel L.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLee Daniels’ long-gestating Sammy Davis Jr. biographical series has been ordered at Hulu, with Elijah Kelley set to play the lead role.The untitled series has received an eight-episode order at the streamer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmazon has commissioned a new Canadian original comedy series titled “The Sticky,” Variety has learned.The series is inspired by the true story of “The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.” The English language half-hour series will be set in Quebec.It revolves around Ruth Clarke, a tough, supremely competent middle-aged Canadian maple syrup farmer who’s had it with being hemmed in by the polite, bureaucratic conventions native to her country’s identity. Especially now that that very bureaucracy is threatening to take away everything she loves: Her farm, her comatose husband, and her right to manifest destiny.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBel Powley, Liev Schreiber, and Joe Cole are set to lead the limited drama series “A Small Light” at Disney Plus, Variety has learned.The eight-episode National Geographic series tells the true story of Miep Gies (Powley), who played a critical role in hiding Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis.20-something secretary Gies didn’t hesitate when her boss Otto Frank (Schreiber) asked her to hide him and his family during World War II. For the next two years, Miep, her husband Jan (Cole) and several other everyday heroes watched over the eight souls hiding in the secret annex.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe action series “The Ledger” starring Xolo Maridueña has been set up at HBO Max for development, Variety has learned exclusively.The half-hour series was first reported as being shopped to networks and streamers back in October. It follows the trials and travels of Gabriel (Maridueña), a young man who sets out into the world to right the wrongs of the deadly man who trained him.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNetflix has given a series order to the drama “Glamorous,” which was previously set up as a pilot at The CW.The show has received a 10-episode order, with Miss Benny set to star. It tells the story of Marco Mejia (Miss Benny), a young gender non-conforming queer man whose life seems to be stuck in place until he lands a job working for legendary makeup mogul Madolyn Addison. It’s Marco’s first chance to figure out what he wants out of life, who he actually is, and what it really means for him to be queer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series at Disney Plus has cast Walker Scobell in the lead role, Variety has learned exclusively.The series adaptation of the Rick Riordan book series was ordered at the streamer back in January. The live-action show tells the fantastical tale of the titular 12-year-old modern demigod (Scobell), who’s just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. Now Percy must trek across America to find it and restore order to Olympus.Percy is described as a smart and compassionate kid with a sharp sense of humor.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJessica Alba will star in a series adaptation of the book “Confessions On the 7:45,” which is currently in development at Netflix.The show will be based on the Lisa Unger book of the same name. It is described as a psychological thriller about a working mom (Alba) who meets a stranger on a train as she is commuting home who upends her life.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterTom Hiddleston is set to star in the Apple limited series “The White Darkness,” Variety has learned.The series is based on the nonfiction book of the same name by David Grann. It is inspired by the true life account of Henry Worsley (Hiddleston), a devoted husband and father, a former soldier, a man of deep honor and sacrifice, but also a man deeply obsessed with adventure, manifesting in an epic journey crossing Antarctica on foot.Soo Hugh, who most recently created and showran the Apple series “Pachinko,” will serve as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner on “The White Darkness.” Mark Heyman will executive produce and co-showrun. “Pachinko” executive producer Theresa Kang-Lowe and Caroline Garity of Blue Marble Pictures will also executive produce.