‘It Takes Two’ Developer Hazelight Studios Teams With dj2 Entertainment to Adapt Game for Film, TV (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFans of “American Crime Story” were perplexed when “Impeachment,” the newest installment of the show, was not available to stream on Hulu after its linear premiere other FX titles these days. Network chairman John Landgraf says that fact may have hurt the show’s standing in the cultural conversation.“I think that not being on a streaming platform played to ‘Impeachment’s’ disadvantage,” Landgraf said in an interview with Variety.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterKarrueche Tran has signed with sister companies M88 and UNCMMN for representation, Variety has learned exclusively.The companies will work in tandem to grow Tran’s work across film, TV, fashion, and in the digital space.Tran currently stars in Peacock’s drama series “Bel-Air,” a reinvention of the beloved sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” She is best known for her starring role in the critically-acclaimed TNT drama “Claws,” appearing in the role of Virginia throughout the show’s four season run. “Claws” officially came to an end with the series finale on Feb.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Billions” has been renewed for Season 7 at Showtime, Variety has learned exclusively. Season 6 of the series debuted on Jan. 23, with new episodes airing every Sunday on Showtime.In season 6 , the dust of season five clears to reveal a world that has evolved.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRay Stevenson has been cast in the upcoming Disney Plus “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka,” Variety has confirmed with sources.He joins previously announced series lead Rosario Dawson, who will star as Ahsoka Tano, as well as cast members Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Natasha Liu Bordizz, and Ivanna Sakhno.Details on who Stevenson will be playing in the series are being kept under wraps, but it is believed that he will be playing a villain in the series, thought not the main villain, Grand Admiral Thrawn.Reps for Lucasfilm did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.This is not the first time Stevenson has been a part of the “Star Wars” universe. He previously lent his voice to the two animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels” as the character Gar Saxon, a Mandalorian commando.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDaniella Pineda has signed on for a role in the AMC anthology series “Tales of the Walking Dead,” Variety has learned exclusively.Pineda joins previously announced cast members Terry Crews, Parker Posey, Poppy Liu, Anthony Edwards, and Jillian Bell. Details on the characters each will play in the series are being kept under wraps.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCary Joji Fukunaga and chef René Redzepi are teaming for a new docuseries at Apple, Variety has learned exclusively.The series is produced by Film 45, Noma Projects, Parliament of Owls and Endeavor Content, with Endeavor serving as the studio. Narrated by Redzepi of the famed restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, the series is titled “Omnivore.”It will look at the world through the lens of food and explores how food binds and defines us, powers politics, shapes our beliefs, explains our past, and forecasts our future .Each episode will take viewers on a journey around the world, exploring the ingredients that have built societies, shaped spirituality, and forever altered the human story. The series was developed by Redzepi, Fukunaga, James Beard, and Matt Goulding, Xan Aranda serves as showrunner and executive producer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA live-action “Blade Runner” sequel series is in development at Amazon, Variety has learned.Titled “Blade Runner 2099,” the series will serve as a follow-up to the “Blade Runner” sequel “Blade Runner 2049.” Silka Luisa will write and executive produce, with Ridley Scott set to executive produce via Scott Free Productions. Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson of Alcon Entertainment are also executive producing along with David W.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLiane Moriarty’s novel “Apples Never Fall” is being adapted into a limited series at Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively.In a competitive situation, Peacock has won the rights to the book, which was published in September 2021, and given it a straight-to-series order. Since its debut, the book has sold over one million copies.The series centers on the Delaneys, who from the outside appear to be an enviably contented family.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFox Entertainment has acquired the rights to the Gumby franchise.The deal was made between Fox and the estate of Joseph Clokey, the son of Gumby creator Art Clokey. It gives Fox all rights to Gumby and associated characters across film, television and streaming, consumer products, licensing, publishing, and all other categories.“Competition for globally recognized intellectual property is fierce,” said Charlie Collier, CEO of Fox Entertainment. “Uncovering this gem, with its built-in awareness and affinity, and bringing it to Fox, adds meaningful value and creative possibilities to the IP itself and to multiple divisions of our company.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has ordered the dark comedy series “Sunny” with Rashida Jones set to star, Variety has confirmed.The 10-episode series is based on the book “Dark Manual” by Colin O’Sullivan. In the half-hour show, Jones stars as Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As “consolation” she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe variety game show “That’s My Jam” has been renewed for Season 2 at NBC, Variety has learned.Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, the hourlong music and comedy variety game show draws inspiration from popular “Tonight Show” games. Each episode features two teams of two celebrities competing for a charity of their choice in a series of music, dance, and trivia-based games and musical performances.Season 1 guests included “The Voice” coaches Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, John Legend and Blake Shelton, along with Terry Crews, Chance The Rapper, Taraji P. Henson, Kate Hudson, Bebe Rexha and more.A special preview episode of the show aired in late November on NBC before moving to its permanent time slot on Jan.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming FX limited series “The Patient” has cast Alex Rich in a recurring role, Variety has learned exclusively.Rich joins previously announced series leads Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson as well as cast members Linda Emond, Laura Niemi, and Andrew Leeds in the series, which hails from “The Americans” duo Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields.In the half-hour series, a psychotherapist (Carell) finds himself held prisoner by a serial killer (Gleeson) with an unusual request: curb his homicidal urges. But unwinding the mind of this man while also dealing with the waves of his own repressed troubles creates a journey perhaps as treacherous as his captivity.Rich previously appeared in the critically-acclaimed Netflix series “GLOW” in the role of Florian, the butler and best friend of Sebastian “Bash” Howard.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe new “Goosebumps” TV series has been picked up by Disney Plus, Variety has learned exclusively.The new series version of the beloved R.L. Stine books was first reported as being in the works in April 2020. Disney Plus has given the show a 10-episode order.The series follows a group of five high schoolers who unleash supernatural forces upon their town and must all work together – thanks to and in spite of their friendships, rivalries, and pasts with each other – in order to save it, learning much about their own parents’ teenage secrets in the process.Nick Stoller and Rob Letterman serve as writers and executive producers on the show, with Stoller executive producing via Stoller Global Solutions.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDisney Branded Television has brought on Charlie Andrews to serve as executive vice president of live-action and alternative series, Variety has learned.Andrews joins Disney Branded TV from Fox Entertainment, where he most recently worked as head of drama development for the broadcaster before exiting in December. Andrews will begin in his new role on Feb.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe new “Orphan Black” series in the works at AMC has found its writer.Variety has learned exclusively that Anna Fishko is onboard to write and executive produce the potential new iteration of the series, which was first reported as being in the works back in 2019. A writers’ room for the project is now open, though exact plot details remain under wraps.It is known, however, that the project is not a reboot of the original show, but rather a new story set in the same world.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “LA Law” sequel series pilot at ABC has added John Harlan Kim to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively.The new iteration of the Emmy-winning series features familiar characters working alongside new ones on the most hot button issues of the day.Kim joins previously announced returning original series cast members Blair Underwood and Corbin Bernsen. Kim will star as Chad Park, an up-and-coming attorney at the firm described as a “shark-in-training” whose ambition sometimes gets ahead of his ethical standards.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“That ’90s Show,” the Netflix spinoff of “That ’70s Show,” has set its cast of new Point Place teenagers, Variety has learned.Callie Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Maxwell Acee Donovan, Reyn Doi, and Sam Morelos have all joined the show as series regulars. They will star alongside previously announced cast members and returning original series stars Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith.As previously announced, the show centers on Leia Forman (Haverda), the daughter of Eric and Donna. She is visiting her grandparents for the summer, where bonds with a new generation of Point Place kids under the watchful eye of Kitt (Rupp) and the stern glare of Red (Smith).Full character descriptions for the new cast members can be found below.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA24 is partnering with Brain Dead Studios to develop a docuseries based on the Sundance short film “You Have Never Been Completely Honest,” Variety has learned exclusively.The docuseries will be titled “Self.” It will be a hybrid-format using archival footage, animation, and reenactments to chronicle the self-help movement throughout history.“You Have Never Been Completely Honest” debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. It featured the first-hand account of Gene Church, a participant in the Leadership Dynamics Institute, a secretive four-day leadership seminar in 1970 in California that was subject to accusations of physical torture and brainwashing.Joey Izzo created and directed the film and is onboard to develop and direct the series.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe climate change anthology series “Extrapolations” at Apple has added eight new cast members, Variety has learned exclusively.Murray Bartlett (“The White Lotus”), Yara Shahidi (“Grown-ish,” “Black-ish”), Diane Lane (“Unfaithful,” “Under the Tuscan Sun”), Heather Graham (“Boogie Nights,” “Wander”), Grammy Award-winner Ben Harper, Judd Hirsch (“Uncut Gems,” “The Goldbergs”), Hari Nef (“Transparent,” “You”), and Neska Rose (“Drama Club”) have all joined the series. This is the second Apple series role announced for Bartlett in recent days, as Variety exclusively reported he would also star in “Physical” Season 2.They join previously announced cast members Meryl Streep, Matthew Rhys, Marion Cotillard, Eiza Gonzalez, Tobey Maguire, Forest Whitaker, Edward Norton, Kit Harrington, Sienna Miller, Gemma Chan, Tahar Rahim, Daveed Diggs, David Schwimmer, Adarsh Gourav, Indira Varma, Keri Russell, Cherry Jones, and Michael Gandolfini.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Santa Clause” series at Disney Plus has brought on Elizabeth Mitchell to reprise her role from the film franchise, Variety has confirmed.The series, which was announced on Jan. 14, will see Tim Allen once again play Santa Claus/Scott Calvin. Mitchell will play Scott’s wife, Carol Calvin, a.k.a.