Sarah Schechter Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg has played a bookstore manager in New York, a shop clerk in LA and a doting husband in the suburbs in Netflix’s You.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Lukas Gage has joined the cast of the “Dead Boy Detectives” series at HBO Max, Variety has learned. The eight-episode series was ordered at HBO Max back in April. It is based on the DC comics of the same name as well as “The Sandman,” from characters created by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner. The official series description states, “It’s a fresh take on a ghost story that explores loss, grief, and death through the lens of Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), two dead British teenagers, and their very alive friend, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson). So, it’s a lot like a vintage detective series — only darker and on acid.”

EXCLUSIVE: A key Arrowverse villain is heading to Central City. Richard Harmon (The 100) has been been tapped to recur as Owen Mercer (aka Captain Boomerang) in the upcoming ninth season of CW’s The Flash.

Skydance will no longer move forward with a film called “Dallas Sting” meant to star Matthew McConaughey after an investigation into the film’s true story uncovered disturbing allegations, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.The film from director Kari Skogland (Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) was meant to kick off production in six weeks and had nearly completed casting. “Dallas Sting” is the true story of a high school girls soccer team that in 1984 went to China and managed to beat some of the best women’s teams in the world from China, Australia, Japan and finally Italy in a championship game.

The CW has found its Jonathan Kent. Australian actor Michael Bishop has been tapped to play the role in the upcoming third season of the CW’s Superman & Lois in a recasting. He replaces Jordan Elsass, who played Jonathan in the first two seasons and revealed he would not be returning for Season 3. Jonathan Kent is the son of Clark/Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois’ (Elizabeth Tulloch).

Ellise Shafer There’s a new Jonathan Kent in the world of “Superman & Lois.” Warner Bros. announced on Wednesday morning that Michael Bishop, an actor who recently made his American film debut in Disney Channel’s “Spin,” will take over the role of Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s son in the CW drama’s upcoming third season. In August, it was announced that Jordan Elsass, who originated the role of Jonathan, would not be returning. “Jordan Elsass has notified the Studio that he will not be returning to ‘Superman & Lois’ for Season 3 due to personal reasons,” the studio said in a statement at the time. “The role of Jonathan Kent will be recast.”

Carla Gugino is set as a lead opposite Melissa Benoist, Natasha Behnam and Christina Elmore in The Girls On The Bus, HBO Max’s political drama series from Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Prods.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Carla Gugino has been cast in a series regular role in the upcoming HBO Max series “The Girls on the Bus,” Variety has learned. Gugino is the latest addition to the cast, joining previously announced cast members like Melissa Benoist, Natasha Behnam, Christina Elmore, and Brandon Scott. “The Girls on the Bus” is inspired by a chapter in Amy Chozick’s book “Chasing Hillary.” It is described as a comedic character-driven drama that chronicles four female journalists who follow every move of a parade of flawed presidential candidates, while finding friendship, love, and scandal along the way.

William Earl Variety’s annual Showrunners Dinner will return in-person on Sept. 8, to celebrate the year in television ahead of the 74th Emmy Awards. The event will be presented by A+E Studios and will feature opening remarks by Barry Jossen, president and head of A+E Studios.   The Creative Conscience Award will be given to writer and producer David E. Kelley for his prolific career in television. David remains one of the most influential figures in television – having created iconic roles for women in “Ally McBeal,” “Big Little Lies” and “Big Sky.” Kelley is a trailblazer for creating complex female characters on television, especially in his early career when such characters were unknown in primetime television.  

Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown will be starring with Jennifer Lopez in her upcoming movie, Atlas.

EXCLUSIVE: After establishing himself as one of the key pillars of the next phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Simu Liu is ready to show some edginess. Sources tell Deadline that he is set to play the antagonist in Netflix’s Atlas starring Jennifer Lopez. Sterling K. Brown and Abraham Popoola have also landed key roles in the pic, which is being directed by Brad Peyton. Aron Eli Coleite is writing the most recent draft of the script based off Leo Sardarian’s original screenplay.

previously reported, Lopez will play an intelligence analyst who gets stuck on a distant planet and is forced to fight inside a military-grade mech suit in order to save humanity. “San Andreas” filmmaker Brad Peyton will direct, with Aron Eli Coleite building on an original script by Leo Sardarian.Producers include Brad Peyton and Jeff Fierson for ASAP Entertainment; Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell for Safehouse Pictures; Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and Benny Medina for Nuyorican Productions; and Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter for Berlanti/Schechter Films.

Scott Foley, who most recently appeared in Fox’s “The Big Leap,” has joined the cast of HBO Max’s upcoming political dramedy “The Girls on the Bus.” Foley will appear in a recurring role opposite the previously announced cast of Melissa Benoist, Christina Elmore and Natasha Behnam. The series revolves around Sadie McCarthy (Benoist), a journalist who bonds with three female colleagues while covering the ups and downs of a presidential campaign with flawed candidates.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Scott Foley has joined the cast of the upcoming HBO Max series “The Girls on the Bus,” Variety has learned. Foley joins previously announced cast members Melissa Benoist, Christina Elmore, and Natasha Behnam in the show, which was ordered straight-to-series at HBO Max in February after having been set up at both Netflix and The CW. “The Girls on the Bus” is inspired by a chapter in Amy Chozick’s book “Chasing Hillary.” It is described as a comedic character-driven drama that chronicles four female journalists who follow every move of a parade of flawed presidential candidates, while finding friendship, love, and scandal along the way.

Scott Foley (The Big Leap) has been tapped for a key recurring role opposite Melissa Benoist in The Girls On The Bus, HBO Max’s political drama series from Warner Bros. TV.

EXCLUSIVE: Sonay Hoffman has joined NBC’s newly picked up drama series Found as executive producer and co-showrunner. She will work alongside series creator/executive producer/showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll on the series, from Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Flash” will end with its upcoming ninth season at The CW.Production on Season 9 of the beloved DC series is set to begin in September, with the final season slated to debut in 2023. The season will consist of 13 episodes.“Nine seasons! Nine years of saving Central City while taking audiences on an emotional journey full of heart, humor, and spectacle,” said series executive producer and showrunner Eric Wallace. “And now Barry Allen has reached the starting gate for his last race.

EXCLUSIVE: Matthew McConaughey is set to star in Dallas Sting, the fact-based story of how a group of Dallas high school girls headed to China in 1984 as the ultimate underdog and beat some of the best women’s teams from China, Australia and Italy. The film was developed by Skydance and Berlanti Schechter Productions. Apple, which has an overall deal with Skydance, has first bite at the film and I expect a deal to happen before production begins this fall in New Orleans.

EXCLUSIVE: Legacies alum Ben Levin and Kim Rhodes (Supernatural) have joined the upcoming third season of CW’s Kung Fu in heavily recurring roles.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“My Policeman,” a historical drama with Harry Styles,” will have its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The move signals that the Amazon Studios release has some awards season ambitions. Styles is also appearing in “Don’t Worry Darling,” another Oscar hopeful that is hitting theaters this fall after working the festival circuit.

Two Harry Styles movies will be on both sides of the pond this fall. While Venice is getting New Line’s Don’t Worry Darling, which the pop sensation stars in, the Toronto International Film Festival will also be playing the world premiere of Amazon Studios’ My Policeman, in which Styles also stars.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNBC has ordered the drama “Found” to series, Variety has learned. In addition, the network is passing on its pilots “Blank Slate” and “Unbroken.”“Found” hails from writer and executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll with Shanola Hampton set for the lead role. The show is built around the fact that, in any given year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the U.S. More than half that number are people of color that the country seems to forget about.

EXCLUSIVE: Marqui Jackson, who served as co-executive producer on Season 1 of All American: Homecoming, has been promoted to executive producer and co-showrunner for the upcoming second season of the CW series. He will share showrunning duties with series creator/executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll.

Warner Bros. TV’s Leigh London Redman has been tapped as the new president for Berlanti Productions. The executive is expected to start her post in September, where she will be heading up television operations for the company and reporting to partners Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.Redman previously served as the executive vice president of drama development at Warner Bros.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLeigh London Redman has been hired as president of Berlanti Productions, Variety has confirmed.London Redman takes over the role from David Madden, who departed the company in April. She will report to Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter in her new role, which will see her heading up television operations for the company. She was most recently executive vice president of drama development for Warner Bros.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. TV’s Leigh London Redman, has been appointed as President of Berlanti Productions.

EXCLUSIVE: Natasha Behnam is set as a lead opposite Melissa Benoist in The Girls On The Bus, HBO Max’s political drama series from Warner Bros. TV.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMelissa Benoist and her Three Things Productions banner have renewed their overall deal with Warner Bros. Television.In addition, Benoist has officially signed on to star in and produce the upcoming HBO Max-WBTV series “The Girls on the Bus.” She was first reported as being in talks for the series back in February.Under the terms of the overall deal, Benoist and Three Things will continue to develop and produce programming across all platforms for WBTV. Benoist runs three things with Sahar Kashi, the company’s vice president of development.“The Girls on the Bus” is inspired by a chapter in Amy Chozick’s book “Chasing Hillary.” Benoist will play Sadie McCarthy, a journalist who romanticizes the original “Boys on the Bus” and who scrapped her whole life for her own shot at covering a presidential campaign for the paper of record.

Neftlix, and later the CW.Benoist plays Sadie McCarthy, “a journalist who romanticizes the original ‘Boys on the Bus’ and who scrapped her whole life for her own shot at covering a presidential campaign for the paper of record,” per a logline from Warner Bros. TV.

Melissa Benoist and her production banner Three Things Productions has renewed its overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group as the former Supergirl star officially joins HBO Max series The Girls on the Bus.

EXCLUSIVE: Mistresses exec producer Rina Mimoun is joining the campaign trail.

EXCLUSIVE: We’ll be seeing more of Nathaniel Hardin in the second season of All American: Homecoming. Rhoyle Ivy King, who heavily recurred as the character in Season 1, has been promoted to series regular for the upcoming season.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dead Boy Detectives” series at HBO Max has brought on Beth Schwartz to serve as co-showrunner and executive producer, Variety has learned exclusively.Schwartz will now co-showrun the series with Steve Yockey. This is not the first time Schwartz has been at the helm of a show based on a DC property, as she served as the showrunner on the final two seasons of “Arrow” at The CW.

Amazon today unveiled the first stills from its anticipated romantic drama My Policeman, starring pop phenom Harry Styles and The Crown‘s Emma Corrin, which will be released in UK cinemas on October 21st, arriving on Prime Video November 4th.

EXCLUSIVE: Uma Thurman (Super Pumped) will play U.S. President Ellen Claremont in Prime Video’s rom-com, Red, White & Royal Blue, based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Casey McQuiston. She’s set to star alongside the previously announced Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Clifton Collins Jr., Stephen Fry, Sarah Shahi, Rachel Hilson, Ellie Bamber, Aneesh Sheth, Polo Morin, Ahmed Elhaj and Akshay Khanna.

Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine will be starring in a queer rom-com together!