Jan Broberg Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Emily Longeretta As someone who “makes documentaries as a side hustle,” Colin Hanks is used to telling true stories. That said, he wasn’t aware of Jan Broberg’s abduction and assault before he received the scripts for Peacock’s “A Friend of the Family.” And when he did, he still wasn’t sold. “I was just instantly judging a book by its cover, saying, ‘I don’t want to play a super nice Mormon that goes through a bunch of stuff.’ There’s so much about it that just made me, at first, say ‘No, thank you,'” Hanks tells Variety. But after reading the first three scripts, he watched Netflix’s 2017 documentary, “Abducted in Plain Sight.” “I just could not get their story out of my head — I talked about it with so many people. It ended up dragging me in. And coming out of the pandemic, two years of sitting around, I really wanted to do work that scared me and pushed me in a new direction, and made me challenge myself,” says Hanks. “I really looked at the story as that challenge, and so I just jumped off the cliff and got to work.”

A Friend of the Family showrunner-creator Nick Antosca, stars Lio Tipton and Colin Hanks and activist and producer Jan Broberg, on whose life the series is based, joined Deadline’s Contenders Television to spotlight sexual-abuse awareness. 

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Alison Brie and Jake Lacy have joined the cast of Peacock’s upcoming limited series adaptation of the Liane Moriarty novel “Apples Never Fall,” Variety has learned. The pair join previously announced cast members Annette Bening and Sam Neill in the series. The show was originally ordered at Peacock in February 2022. Per the official logline, the series “centers on the Delaneys, who from the outside appear to be an enviably contented family. Former tennis coaches Joy (Bening) and Stan (Neill) are parents to four adult children. After decades of marriage, they have finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. But after Joy disappears, her children are forced to re-examine their parents’ marriage and their family history with fresh eyes.”

Abducted in Plain Sight,” told the story of their victimization by Berchtold, a charismatic sociopath who — despite pleading guilty to kidnapping Jan and eventually being convicted for the rape of another child — never spent more than a year in prison.The Brobergs’ story is now explored in a new book, “The Jan Broberg Story: The True Crime Story of a Young Girl Abducted and Brainwashed by a Friend of the Family,” co-written by Jan and her mother MaryAnn Broberg, and in the new TV drama “A Friend of the Family” on Peacock. Starring Mckenna Grace as Jan and Jake Lacy as her neighbor, it tells the bizarre story of the Brobergs’ torment at the hands of Berchtold, who ultimately killed himself in 2005.According to Jan, now 60, the Brobergs were unprepared for the attacks that came their way after the 2019 Netflix documentary went viral.

is the star-studded true-crime saga depicting the unbelievably real story about what happened to the Brobergs when the neighbor of their dreams turned out to be a living nightmare and drove their family apart. “It’s truly something else,” says Mckenna Grace, who portrays Jan Broberg, who was 12 years old when she was first kidnapped and brainwashed by Robert “B” Berchtold (Jake Lacy) in 1974. Despite her safe return, it wasn’t the last time she would be abducted by Berchtold, who also manipulated and seduced both of her unassuming parents, Bob and Mary Ann (Colin Hanks and Anna Paquin).

Emily Longeretta Jan Broberg is telling her story again, with hope that this time, she’ll be able to help others. In 2019, she was the subject of Netflix’s documentary “Abducted In Plain Sight,” which told the story of how she was abducted twice in the 70s — first at age 12, and again at 14 — by Bob “B” Berchtold, a close family friend. At the time, he brought her to Mexico and brainwashed her into believing that she had been kidnapped by aliens and had to have sex with him in order to save her family. Her parents, Bob and Mary Ann Broberg, also had sexual experiences with “B,” as they were both groomed as well. (For clarity, Variety will refer to the Brobergs by their first names.)

Anna Paquin and Colin Hanks sandwich in their co-stars at the premiere of Peacock’s A Friend of the Family in New York City on Wednesday (September 28).

74th Primetime Emmy Awards, nominee Jake Lacy introduced the full-length trailer for, Peacock’s upcoming true-crime saga about the Broberg family kidnappings starring the actor as the friendly-yet-dubious neighbor Robert Berchtold.The latest look at the limited series shows how Berchtold charmed and manipulated his way into the Brobergs family before upending their lives multiple times, most notably by kidnapping their daughter, Jan (Hendrix Yancey and Mckenna Grace), twice over several years. He also created a wedge between Jan’s parents, Mary Ann (Anna Paquin) and Bob (Colin Hanks), who were both enchanted by their neighbor. “No one thinks that their best friend is a monster. But he has all the hallmarks of a psychopathic personality,” says FBI Agent Peter Walsh, who is portrayed here by Austin Stowell.

continues to build, Peacock released the official teaser for the harrowing true-crime saga about the Brobergs. The creepy clip gives audiences a closer look at the unbelievable story about a family manipulated by a friendly neighbor, who ended up kidnapping their daughter, Jan, not once twice. The series stars Jake Lacy, fresh off his Emmy-nominated performance in, as Robert Berchtold, a charismatic friend who grew close to various members of the Broberg family, including mother Mary Ann (Anna Paquin), father Bob (Colin Hanks) and Jan (Mckenna Grace).

Selome Hailu Kaley Cuoco has been cast in a leading role in “Based on a True Story,” Peacock’s upcoming comedic thriller series from Craig Rosenberg.Inspired by an actual event, “Based on a True Story” is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.Cuoco will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett. All other details are being kept under wraps.Most recently, Cuoco has starred in HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant,” earning an Emmy nomination for lead comedy actress for Season 2, which concluded in May.

Sasha Urban editorPeacock announced on Wednesday the premiere dates for its scripted originals for the rest of the year, including Matthew Fox’s “Last Light,” “Vampire Academy,” the “Pitch Perfect” spinoff series “Bumper in Berlin” and the TV adaptation of “The Best Man.”Original series set to premiere in July (and have been previously announced) include six-part drama thriller “Trigger Point” from Jed Mercurio’s HTM Television on July 8, starring Vicky McClure and Adrian Lester; “Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem,” a spin-off of the legendary NBC soap that stars cast members Kristian Alfonso, Peter Reckell and Eileen Davidson on July 11; and comedic thriller series “The Resort” with William Jackson Harper and Cristin Milioti, from writer and executive producer Andy Siara premieres on July 28. In August, Peacock will premiere “The Undeclared War,” a series from BAFTA winner Peter Kominsky that tracks a team of analysts at GCHQ as they combat cyber warfare and premieres on Aug. 18, as well as “Everything I Know About Love,” based on Dolly Alderton’s bestselling memoir, which premieres on Aug.

EXCLUSIVE: Joe Chrest (Stranger Things) has been tapped for a heavily recurring role in A Friend of the Family, Peacock’s limited series From Nick Antosca and UCP.

Peacock’s limited drama series A Friend Of The Family continues to build its cast, adding Austin Stowell (The Hating Game), Patrick Fischler (American Crime Story: Impeachment), Bree Elrod (Red Rocket) and Philip Ettinger (First Reformed). They will join previously announced stars Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey. A Friend Of The Family comes from Nick Antosca, who serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHendrix Yancey has been cast in a main role of the Peacock true crime series “A Friend of the Family.”She joins previously announced cast members Mckenna Grace, Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton. The series is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.”Yancey will play Jan Broberg in the early years. Jan is the oldest daughter of Bob (Hanks) and Mary Ann Broberg (Paquin) and leads a happy, traditional life in an idyllic American city.

Mckenna Grace (The Handmaid’s Tale)  is set to star alongside Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks and Lio Tipton in A Friend of the Family, Peacock’s limited drama series about the Jan Broberg kidnapping case.

 chronicled the stranger-than-fiction story about the multiple kidnappings of Jan Broberg, the story is being revisited as a scripted, true-crime series starring Anna Paquin and Jake Lacy.Adapted by showrunner and executive producer Nick Antosca and directed by executive producer Eliza Hittman, will recount the real story of the teenage girl who was abducted not once, but twice by the same man in several years. That man was the Broberg family’s trusted neighbor, Robert Berchtold, who ended up manipulating and exploiting the parents before turning their daughter against them. “Nick Antosca has created a compelling series in that explores one family’s unimaginable experience with great insight and sensitivity,” said Lisa Katz, president scripted content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to A Friend of the Family, a true-crime limited drama about the Jan Broberg kidnapping case, from Nick Antosca (The Act, Channel Zero) and UCP, with Oscar winner Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks and Lio Tipton attached to star. Eliza Hittman (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) is set to direct and executive produce multiple episodes, including the pilot.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock has given a straight-to-series order to the true crime series “A Friend of the Family,” which tells the story of the multiple kidnappings of Jan Broberg.Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton will all star in the series, which hails from “The Act” co-creator Nick Antosca. The show was originally announced as being in development back in May 2020.“A Friend of the Family” is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them.

Jan Broberg's unbelievable true story is becoming a TV series. The Act's Nick Antosca will script the limited series from UCP based on the life of Broberg, an actress who recurred on Everwood, who was abducted and sexually abused as a child by a family friend.

By Denise Petski

By Will Thorne

Everyone was glued to Netflix’s bizarre documentary, Abducted in Plain Sight.

By Peter White