Jay Ellis Sets True-Crime Podcast ‘Freeway Phantom’ & Plans Scripted Series

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “The Penguin” series at HBO Max has cast Carmen Ejogo, François Chau, and David H. Holmes in recurring roles, Variety has learned exclusively. The trio join a cast that includes series lead Colin Farrell, who will reprise the role of Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot from “The Batman, as well as Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, and Clancy Brown. Character details for Ejogo, Chau, and Holmes are being kept under wraps. Ejogo’s recent TV credits include “Your Honor,” “I’m a Virgo,” and “True Detective” Season 3. In film, she has starred in features such as the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, “Alien: Covenant,” and “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” She is repped by WME and Peikoff Mahan.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary on 4 April, and the powerhouse couple are nothing if not honest when it comes to talking about the highs and lows of their relationship. Given that they met in 2000 when Beyoncé was 18, and 12 years Jay-Z’s junior, the odds of their relationship lasting so long were stacked against them.They might be two of the most successful recording artists of all time, but they’ve faced multiple challenges, from Jay-Z’s infidelity to family fallouts and their struggle to have children.

Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Pratt and Charlie Day pay tribute to their characters in The Super Mario Bros. Movie while attending a special screening of the soon-to-be-released movie at Regal LA Live on Saturday (April 1) in Los Angeles.

Ellie Spence has voiced her cosmetic surgery plans after soaring to fame on Love Island earlier this year. Ellie starred on the most recent series of the ITV2 show and entered the villa as a bombshell. Her time in the villa was short lived however, with the blonde beauty being dumped from the South African villa in week four alongside Jordan Odofin.

Netflix has ordered Man On Fire, a drama series adaptation based on A.J. Quinnell’s Man On Fire and The Perfect Kill, the first two books in Quinnell’s five-book series. The project hails from writer/executive producer Kyle Killen (Fear Street: Part One – 1994, Halo), New Regency Productions, producer of Tony Scott’s classic 2004 film starring Denzel Washington, and Chernin Entertainment.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter A series adaptation of “Man on Fire” has been ordered straight-to-series at Netflix, Variety has confirmed. The series is based on the first two novels to feature the former French Foreign Legion soldier Creasy by A. J. Quinnell, specifically “Man on Fire” and “The Perfect Kill.” The first book was originally published in 1981, while the second was published in 1992. Netflix has given the show an eight-episode order. The logline states that the show “tells the story of John Creasy, a broken ex-mercenary on a mission to avenge the death of his only friend, while protecting his fallen comrade’s daughter from the forces that destroyed her family.”

EXCLUSIVE: How Long Gone, the culture podcast from Jason Stewart and Chris Black, has signed with the Talkhouse podcast network.

HBO is developing the new comedy series Disengagement from writer and executive producer Robin Thede (A Black Lady Sketch Show).

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid series in the works at Amazon has found its showrunners. Variety has learned that Alex Metcalf has boarded the show, currently titled “Butch & Sundance,” as showrunner and executive producer. Series creators Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers alongside Metcalf. The Firpos most recently wrote the screenplay for the Marvel film “Eternals.” Amazon has ordered the show straight-to-series. The show was first reported as being in development in September, with Regé-Jean Page attached to play Cassidy and Glen Powell playing Sundance. At that time, it was reported that deals for the show were not yet closed and discussions were ongoing.

Amazon has set the creative team for its Butch & Sundance series.

Amber Dowling Cineflix Productions has confirmed it is in development with comedian Bonnie McFarlane on a scripted comedy series based on her 2016 memoir, “You’re Better Than Me.” The project is inspired by McFarlane’s time as a high schooler in Cold Lake, Alberta, in the mid-1980s. McFarlane serves as the creator and writer for the half-hour series, which takes place on a farm “294 kilometres outside the nearest pizza delivery zone.” There, a 16-year-old Bonnie flexes her smart mouth, hangs out with her BFF bovine, and recognizes that she’s not the easiest person to get along with.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter HBO Max is developing a drama series based on the life of Heidi Fleiss, Variety has learned exclusively. The untitled series hails from writer and executive producer Maggie Cohn, who most recently served as the co-showrunner on HBO Max’s critically acclaimed limited series “The Staircase.” Fleiss will serve as a consultant on the project. Emma Tillinger Koskoff (“Joker,” The Irishman”) of First Love Films will also executive produce, along with Alex Goldstone (“Dickinson”) for Anonymous Content, Bill Gerber (“Muhammed Ali,” “A Star Is Born”) of Gerber Pictures, and David Bernon, Paul Bernon, and Sam Slater of Burn Later Productions (“Support the Girls,” “Mile 22,” “Drinking Buddies”).

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Amazon has ordered a series version of the E. Lockhart novel “We Were Liars” from Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie. “We’ve been obsessed with this beloved story for years and for a while it seemed like it might be the one that got away from us,” Plec and MacKenzie said. “But finally, we are elated to be bringing it to life with everyone at Prime Video and UTV, who are just as passionate about this twisty tale as we are. We‘re also incredibly grateful that the author has joined our creative team behind the scenes. As die-hard book fans ourselves, we have one message to the many loyal readers out there: if anyone asks you how it ends… just lie.”

J. Kim Murphy AFC Richmond is going to D.C. The cast of “Ted Lasso” will visit the White House on Monday to participate in a discussion with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on “the importance of mental health to promote overall wellbeing. Apple announced the meeting Sunday afternoon. President Biden teased the appearance minutes before Apple’s confirmation, posting a reference to the Apple TV+ hit comedy: “Tomorrow.”Tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/XPNAfqnzEj “‘Ted Lasso’ has inspired the world through its universal themes around optimism, kindness, and determination and the Lasso philosophy to ‘believe,'” reads Apple’s announcement of the meeting of the minds.

EXCLUSIVE: Roku has quickly found its new scripted boss.

EXCLUSIVE: The Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews, held in northern Scotland, has set the lineup for its second edition, running April 14 – 16.

Charna Flam The so-called “crackberry” is back. IFC Films has released the first official trailer for the upcoming comedy-drama film, “BlackBerry,” which provides a peek into exactly how the handheld device revolutionized the cell phone industry. Director Matt Johnson, along with co-screenwriter Matthew Miller, adapted Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry” for the big screen. Johnsonplays BlackBerry co-founder Douglas Fregin in the film, alongside Glenn Howerton as chair and co-CEO Jim Balsillie, Jay Baruchel as co-founder Mike Lazaridis and Cary Elwes as Palm CEO Carl Yankowski. The cast also includes Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer, Michelle Giroux, Mark Critch and SungWon Cho.

The upcoming Broadway revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical Merrily We Roll Along starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez will play its first performance at the Hudson Theatre on Tuesday, September 19, producers announced today.

Judy Greer is set as a lead opposite Ellie Kemper in ABC’s Drop-Off (working title), a comedy pilot based on the British series Motherland, from writer Julieanne Smolinski, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s Merman Television, Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment, Lionsgate and ABC Signature. Karan Soni also stars.

Bonded for life! While celebrating Top Gun: Maverick‘s success at the 2023 Oscars, Jay Ellis reflected on the time he got to spend with costar Tom Cruise.