‘Rap Sh!t’ Renewed for Season 2 at HBO Max

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Jim Gaffigan has joined the cast of the HBO Max limited series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. Along with Gaffigan, the ensemble cast of the six-episode series now includes Zazie Beetz, Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Jharrel Jerome, Sheyi Cole, and CCH Pounder. Per the official description of the series, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Gaffigan is best known for his stand up comedy career, having released specials like “Beyond the Pale,” “King Baby,” “Mr. Universe,” “Obsessed,” “Cinco,” “Noble Ape,” “Quality Time,” “The Pale Tourist,” and “Comedy Monster,” the last of which premiered on Netflix last December. He has received six Grammy nominations over the course of his career. Gaffigan has played many comedic roles as an actor, but has taken on more dramatic roles recently, such as the films “American Dreamer,” “Above the Shadows,” and “Light from Light.” He can currently be seen opposite Ethan Hawke in the IFC Films feature “Tesla.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Chloe Bennet has signed on for a recurring role in Season 3 of “Dave” at FXX, Variety has learned exclusively. Bennet will appear in a multi-episode arc as Robyn, a photographer from Wisconsin whom Dave meets while on tour. Bennet is known for her role in the ABC-Marvel series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” on which she starred as Daisy “Skye” Johnson, a.k.a Quake, throughout the show’s seven-season run. Her other notable roles include the ABC music drama “Nashville” and the animated Dreamworks film “Abominable.” She will reprise her “Abominable” role in the upcoming spinoff series “Abominable and the Invisible City,” which bows in October on Hulu. She is repped by CAA and Robby Koch at Hansen Jacobson.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter CCH Pounder has joined the cast of the upcoming HBO Max limited series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. Pounder is the latest addition to the ensemble cast, joining previously announced stars Zazie Beetz, Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Jharrel Jerome, and Sheyi Cole. Per the official description of the six-episode series, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Pounder is best known for playing Claudette Wyms in the groundbreaking FX cop drama “The Shield.” She earned an Emmy nomination for her work in the show in 2005. Pounder has also received Emmy nominations for roles in the shows “The X-Files,” “ER,” and “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.” She also recently starred in the CBS series “NCIS: New Orleans” for seven seasons. On the film side, she played Mo’at in the James Cameron blockbuster “Avatar,” a role she will reprise in the sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Big Brother” has been renewed for Season 25 at CBS. The announcement was made immediately following the conclusion of Season 24. “A big thank you to all our house guests for an absolutely incredible summer,” series host Julie Chen-Moonves said in a message posted to Twitter. “I know. I’m going to miss watching the show too, but I’ve got a great plan. This fall, spend some time watching other CBS competition shows. We’ve got ‘Survivor,’ we’ve got ‘The Amazing Race,’ and now we’ve got ‘The Real Love Boat.’ That’ll get you prepped for next summer. That’s right! We are coming back for our 25th season of the show.” Watch Chen-Moonves’ full message below.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “Queer as Folk” reboot has been canceled after one season at Peacock, Variety has learned. The entire first season of the show was released on the streamer on June 9. It originally received a straight-to-series order at Peacock in April 2021. The show followed a group of friends in New Orleans who must deal with the aftermath of a shooting at a queer nightclub. The cast included Fin Argus, CG, Jesse James Keitel, Ryan O’Connell, Johnny Sibilly, Devin Way, and Kim Cattrall, among others. Stephen Dunn created the series and served as an executive producer along with Jaclyn Moore, Lee Eisenberg, Emily Brecht, original series creator Russell T. Davies, Nicola Shindler, and Richard Halliwell on behalf of NENT Studios UK, which distributes the format. UCP is the studio.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “True Detective” Season 4 is building out its main cast with the addition of five actors, Variety has learned. John Hawkes (“Deadwood,” “Winter’s Bone”), Christopher Eccleston (“Doctor Who,” “The Leftovers”), Fiona Shaw (“Killing Eve,” “Harry Potter” franchise), Finn Bennett (“Domina,” “The Nevers”), and Anna Lambe (“Three Pines,” “Trickster”) have all joined the new season alongside previously announced leads Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. Officially titled “True Detective: Night Country,” the official description for the new season reads as follows: “When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the six men that operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Sheyi Cole has joined the ensemble cast of the upcoming HBO Max limited series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. The six-episode series hails from writer Ed Solomon and director Steven Soderbergh. Per the official description, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Cole joins previously announced cast members Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Zazie Beetz, Timothy Olyphant, and Jharrel Jerome. Cole made his onscreen debut in the Amazon anthology series “Small Axe,” playing the title role of Wheatle in the fourth episode of the series. He has since gone on to star in the film “Boxing Day” and in an episode of Season 3 of the hit FX series “Atlanta.” Next up, he will be seen in the Netflix film “The Beautiful Game.”

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.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Christian Serratos has been cast in the lead role of the HBO Max drama pilot “More,” Variety has learned exclusively. The project was originally ordered to pilot at HBO Max in September 2020. Serratos joins previously announced cast members Veronica Falcón, Yvette Monreal, Georgie Flores, and Ceci Fernandez. The show is inspired by the reporting of journalist Amy Chozick. Per the official description, “‘More’ follows the Lorenz family, a tight-knit clan of seemingly flawless Latinas led by mom/mastermind Leona (Falcón). The Lorenzes are the Vanderbilts or the Astors of the Instagram era. They pulled their way up from debt and obscurity to reality TV stardom and forged a billion-dollar mega-conglomerate not from oil or steel but from something more elusive and modern: Influence.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Reservation Dogs” has been renewed for Season 3. The FX series airs exclusively on Hulu. The news comes as the critically-acclaimed series is still airing its second season. Season 2 will conclude on Sept. 28. The third season is expected to debut in 2023. “’Reservation Dogs’ continues its remarkable run with critics, fans and awards all recognizing the singular brilliance of the series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi,” said Nick Grad, president of original programming for FX. “FX is proud to join with our partners at Hulu to order a third season featuring the amazing cast and all of the artists who deliver one of the most original, engaging and funny shows on television.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter A series version of the David Cronenberg film “Scanners” is in development at HBO, Variety has confirmed. Per the official description, the series is “set in the mind-bending world of David Cronenberg’s seminal film. Pursued by relentless agents with unimaginable powers, two women living on the fringes of modern society must learn to work together to topple a vast conspiracy determined to bring them to heel.” William Bridges (“Black Mirror,” “Stranger Things”) will serve as writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the series. Yann Demange (“’71,” “Lovecraft Country) will direct and executive produce via Wayward Films. Cronenberg, who wrote and directed the original film, will serve as an executive producer. Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer will executive produce on behalf of Media Res Studio. Meredith Duff and Sarah Sullivan of Wayward Films will also executive produce along with René Malo and Fanny-Laure Malo, Pierre David, Clark Peterson, and Aaron Gilbert. The show is a co-production between HBO, Media Res Studio, and Wayward Films.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter ABC has ordered a drama pilot from Drew Goddard based on the French series “HPI.” The news comes less than a week after it was reported that ABC Signature had acquired the English language adaptation rights to the series. The official series logline reads, “A single mom with three kids and an exceptional mind helps solve an unsolvable crime when she rearranges some evidence during her shift as a cleaner for the police department. When they discover she has a knack for putting things in order because of her high intellectual potential she is brought on as a consultant to work with a by-the-book seasoned detective, and together they form an unusual and unstoppable team.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Jharrel Jerome is the latest addition to the growing ensemble cast of Steven Soderbergh and Ed Solomon’s upcoming HBO Max series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. Other previously announced cast members include Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Zazie Beetz, and Timothy Olyphant. The official logline for the six-episode show reads, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Character details are currently being kept under wraps. Jerome is best known for his starring role in Ava DuVernay’s critically-acclaimed Netflix limited series “When They See Us,” based on the true story of five young men of color in New York City who were falsely accused of rape and spent decades in prison before being exonerated. Jerome won the Emmy Award for best actor in a limited series for the show in 2019.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Demi Moore is joining “Feud” Season 2 at FX, Variety has learned from sources. The second season of the Ryan Murphy anthology series will tell the true story of how Truman Capote was friends with numerous members of New York high society until he published excerpts of his unfinished novel “Answered Prayers,” with the excerpts serving as a tell-all about the city’s elite. According to sources, Moore would star as socialite Ann Woodward, a former showgirl and radio actress who was infamously accused of murdering her husband in 1955. Reps for Moore, FX, and 20th Television declined to comment.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Dennis Quaid is the latest addition to the cast of Steven Soderbergh and Ed Solomon’s HBO Max series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. He joins previously announced cast members Claire Danes, Zazie Beetz, and Timothy Olyphant in the six-episode series. The official logline for the show reads, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Character details are currently being kept under wraps. Quaid’s past TV credits include the shows “Merry Happy Whatever,” “Goliath,” “The Art of More,” and “Vegas.” He is best known for his many films roles, like “Midway,” “American Underdog,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “The Alamo,” and “Any Given Sunday.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Timothy Olyphant is set to star in the upcoming HBO Max series “Full Circle” from Steven Soderbergh and Ed Solomon, Variety has learned. Olyphant is the latest addition to the cast of the six-episode series alongside previously announced cast members Zazie Beetz and Claire Danes. The official logline for the show reads, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Character details are currently being kept under wraps. Olyphant recently wrapped filming on “Justified: City Primeval,” in which he revived the character of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens whom he played for six seasons on the FX series “Justified.” Olyphant’s other TV credits include the Disney+ “Star Wars” shows “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett,” as well as “Fargo” at FX and “Santa Clarita Diet” at Netflix. He is also known for his role in the HBO series “Deadwood,” which was revived as an HBO film in 2019. He has starred in films such as “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Live Free or Die Hard,” “The Crazies,” and “The Girl Next Door.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Jeanine Mason has joined the cast of “Upload” Season 3 at Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively. Season 2 of “Upload” debuted on Amazon back in March, with the show earning a Season 3 pick up in May. The series takes place in a world where people can “upload” themselves into a digital afterlife. Mason joins a cast that includes Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Kevin Bigley, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, Owen Daniels, Josh Banday, and Andrea Rosen. The official Season 2 synopsis says, “Nathan (Amell) is at a crossroads in his (after) life… his ex-girlfriend Ingrid (Edwards) has unexpectedly arrived to Lakeview hoping to strengthen their relationship, but his heart still secretly yearns for his customer service angel Nora (Allo). Meanwhile Nora is off the grid and involved with the anti-tech rebel group ‘The Ludds.'”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Rachel Bloom has joined the cast of “Julia” Season 2 at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively. The series is inspired by the life of Julia Child and her long-running cooking show “The French Chef.” The first season debuted in March 2022 and the show was renewed in May. Bloom will appear in a recurring role as Elaine Levitch. The character is described as “a dynamo who comes to WGBH by way of CBS to work with Julia on ‘The French Chef.'” Bloom will next be seen in the Steve Levitan Hulu comedy series “Reboot,” which premieres Sept. 20. She is best known for her work on the CW musical dramedy series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” which she co-created and executive produced in addition to starring. She received five Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for her work on the series, winning one of each. Her recent credits include the Disney+ film “Chip ‘N’ Dalel: Rescue Rangers” and the upcoming Netflix film “The School for Good and Evil.” She published the book “I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are” in 2020.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter HBO roared back to the top of the Emmy Awards, with the premium cabler and its streaming counterpart, HBO Max, topping the total awards haul for 2022. HBO/HBO Max picked up 38 Emmys in total, doubling their 19 wins in 2021. HBO took home multiple awards in the limited series category thanks to “The White Lotus'” 10 wins, with Mike White winning for both best writing and directing. Those wins were coupled with “The White Lotus” stars Jennifer Coolidge and Murray Bartlett’s wins for best supporting actress and actor in a limited series. To close out the night, “The White Lotus” ultimately won best limited series while “Succession” won best drama series.

Issa Rae! On Monday, HBO Max announced that the  creator's second series, has officially been renewed for a second season. The news dropped less than two weeks after its Sept.