Brian Morewitz Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

EXCLUSIVE: Birthright, a soapy family drama project from Women of the Movement and Black Cake creator Marissa Jo Cerar, has landed at Netflix in a competitive situation with a significant development deal, Deadline has learned. Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, where Cerar is under an overall deal, is the studio.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter CBS has given a straight to series order to a drama series that will see Morris Chestnut star as the iconic literary character Dr. John Watson, the companion of master detective Sherlock Holmes. The show, titled “Watson,” is a contemporary story set one year after the death of Holmes at the hands of his archnemesis Moriarty.

EXCLUSIVE: Tony winner Adrienne Warren is set to star in and executive produce Dreamland, a period drama series in development at Peacock from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

NBC has canceled “Grand Crew” after two seasons and “Young Rock” after three seasons. “Grand Crew,” which comes from Phil Augusta Jackson and Dan Goor (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), followed friends Noah, Nicky, Sherm, Anthony, Wyatt and Fay as they navigated the ups and downs of life and unpacked it all at their favorite wine bar.

EXCLUSIVE: Peacock is headed to Ancient Egypt with Cleo, a one-hour dramedy in development from writer Jessica Runck (Man With A Plan), Jane the Virgin developer/showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, TrillTV and CBS Studios, where Urman is under an overall deal.

EXCLUSIVE: Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment has hired longtime Turner casting executive Alexis Booth as head of casting. Her first day is today.

EXCLUSIVE: In Kapital Entertainment’s first foray into features, Aaron Kaplan’s indie studio has received a green light for One Mile and a sequel, starring and produced by Ryan Phillippe. Shot back-to-back, both films will be distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

EXCLUSIVE: Sidekick no more. CBS is going for a fresh take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic mystery franchise with Watson, from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment and CBS Studios. The medical drama with detective elements, in development at the broadcast network, is written by Craig Sweeny, who spent five years on CBS’ Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson procedural Elementary, most of them as executive producer.

EXCLUSIVE: Mia Isaac (Don’t Make Me Go) has been cast as the lead in Hulu drama series Black Cake, from Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. Up-and-comer Isaac is joining Tony winner Adrienne Warren in the project, written by Cerar based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson.

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has taken in for development Confessions (working title), a drama series starring and executive produced by The Vampire Diaries alum Paul Wesley, I have learned. Written and executive produced by TVD co-developer, executive  and showrunner Julie Plec and Bradley Paul (Better Call Saul), the project, which is in early stages, is based on Jason Smith’s non-fiction 2015 article The Confessions Of a Drug-Addicted High School Teacher.

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran journalist and news executive James Goldston, former President of ABC News, has signed a producing deal with Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment to develop and produce companion scripted series and docuseries based on true events.

EXCLUSIVE: CBS is accelerating development of HSI: Puerto Rico, a drama from Roselyn Sanchez and Eric Winter’s Two for the Road Entertainment and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, where Two for the Road is under a deal. The network has set up a writers room led by the project’s writer/executive producer Lisa Morales (Queen Sugar), which will be generating five scripts and a season one bible for a potential scripts-to-series order.

EXCLUSIVE: Roselyn Sanchez and Eric Winter’s Two for the Road Entertainment has signed a deal with Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. The pact is strictly for producing as the husband-and-wife duo both are series regulars on ongoing shows, ABC’s The Rookie and Fox’s Fantasy Island, respectively.

EXCLUSIVE: Former ABC head of drama Brian Morewitz and former ABC Signature head of comedy Melanie Frankel have joined Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment as Heads Of Creative. Morewitz and Frankel will both run the creative and work across comedy and drama, spearheading projects from inception through on-air run as executive producers.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBrianna Bennett has been named senior vice president of network drama for ABC Entertainment, Variety has learned.Bennett comes to ABC from CBS Studios, where she served as vice president of drama development since 2014. She takes over heading up drama for the broadcaster from Brian Morewitz, whose exit was announced back in July.

Brianna Bennett is moving from CBS TV Studios to ABC Entertainment to head up drama for the Disney-owned network.

Brothers and Sisters, Revenge, Big Sky, The Good Doctor, The Rookie, A Million Little Things, Castle, Nashville, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the critically acclaimed and Emmy-winning limited series American Crime. He is an extraordinarily creative and dedicated executive whose contributions are appreciated by all who work with him.

EXCLUSIVE: Brian Morewitz is leaving ABC after almost 17 years, the last five as SVP and head of drama development for the Disney network. There is no immediate replacement for him.