Robert Greenblatt to Develop ‘Death at Penn State’ Limited Series at Hulu

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Temuera Morrison has joined Jason Momoa in the Apple limited series “Chief of War,” Variety has learned. The role reunites the pair, as they previously played father and son in the DCEU film “Aquaman.” Morrison will also appear alongside Momoa in the sequel “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” due out in theaters in December 2023. “Chief of War” was first reported on in April. Per the official logline, the series “follows the epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view.” Morrison will play King Kahekili, the King of Maui.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Fox has given out an early Season 2 renewal to the Jon Hamm-led animated comedy “Grimsburg” before the show has even premiered. The announcement was made by Michael Thorn, president of entertainment for Fox Entertainment, during a MIPCOM panel moderated by Variety‘s co-editor-in-chief, Cynthia Littleton. “’Grimsburg’ is yet another clear example of our strong commitment to, and intense focus on, upholding the high bar of standards any show must exceed in order to reside under the Animation Domination banner,” Thorn said. “Of course, having Jon Hamm’s talent and star power front and center is a great place to start. Equally important, everything we’re seeing with ‘Grimsburg’ – from the very first scripts and show bible to animatics and preliminary cuts – makes us believe we have a winner on our hands that beautifully complements our animation brand.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Peacock has shared a first look at Joe Pesci in Pete Davidson’s semi-autobiographical comedy series “Bupkis.” It was first reported that Pesci would be joining the series in August. He stars alongside Davidson as well as Edie Falco. The half-hour show is described as “a heightened, fictionalized version of Pete Davidson’s real life.” Pesci stars as Davidson’s grandfather, while Falco will play his mother. It was ordered to series at Peacock in April and is currently in production. “Bupkis” marks just the second regular television role of Pesci’s career. Prior to this, he starred in the short-lived NBC series “Half Nelson” in 1985. Pesci is best known for his film career, in particular his collaborations with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. The trio have worked together on seminal films like “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” and “The Irishman.” Pesci won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his work in “Goodfellas” and was nominated in the same category for both “Raging Bull” and “The Irishman.” Pesci is also known for his roles in films like “My Cousin Vinny,” the “Lethal Weapon” franchise, the first two “Home Alone” films and “JFK.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series at Disney+ has added three new actors to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively. Adam Copeland, Suzanne Cryer, and Jessica Parker Kennedy are the latest additions to the cast of the series based on Rick Riordan Percy Jackson novels. The trio join previously announced series lead Walker Scobell and series regulars Aryan Simhadri and Leah Sava Jeffries. Copeland will appear in a recurring guest star role as Ares, the god of War. Ares is described as “handsome in a wicked way and arrogant, despite not always being the sharpest tool in the shed. He loves conflict and acts as an agent of chaos wherever he goes.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Netflix has given a series order to the Western action drama “The Abandons,” which hails from Kurt Sutter. The show was first reported to be in development at the streaming giant back in November 2021. Netflix has given the show a 10 episode order. The show’s official logline states: “As a group of diverse, outlier families pursue their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, ‘justice’ is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law. The Abandons will explore that fine line between survival and law, the consequences of violence, and the corrosive power of secrets, as this family fights to keep their land.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Village Roadshow Television has acquired the rights to Lana Harper’s novel “Payback’s a Witch” with the intention of developing it onto a TV series, Variety has learned exclusively. The book is the first installment in Harper’s “Witches of Thistle Grove” novel series, with the planned show set to take that name as well. Per the official logline, “Witches of Thistle Grove” is “a show about Emmy Harlow, a young woman with big dreams who abandoned her charming but podunk hometown to prove herself in the big city. When she’s suddenly called home nine years later to fulfill a family obligation — which, okay, happens to be arbitrating a centuries-old gauntlet — she’s forced to confront family rifts, broken friendships, and Gareth Blackmoore — a detestable but Hot AF ex who broke her heart and, it turns out, also screwed her friends: Her childhood bestie Linden Thorn, and the sexy, dangerous Talia Avramov, a bad-ass that Emmy always crushed on from afar. Reframing old friendships, reconciling with family, and enacting revenge are things Emmy used to hide from. But if she can face her fears, she can take her power back. And that’s critical. Because Emmy Harlow is a witch.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “Goosebumps” series at Disney+ has added both Zack Morris and Isa Briones to its cast as series regulars, Variety has learned exclusively. The duo join previously announced cast members Ana Yi Puig, Miles McKenna, and Will Price as well as Justin Long. Per the official logline, “The series follows a group of five high schoolers who unleash supernatural forces upon their town and must all work together — thanks to and in spite of their friendships, rivalries and pasts with each other — in order to save it, learning much about their own parents’ teenage secrets in the process.” According to Disney Branded Television, the series is influenced by five of the most popular “Goosebumps” books.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Boxing great Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez is teaming with Cartuna and Campanario Entertainment to develop an adult animated series inspired by his life and career, Variety has learned exclusively. “I’m excited to see my story and my career brought to TV through this incredible medium,” Álvarez said. “It will give my loyal fans a new way to follow my journey to the top of boxing and can also bring new followers to this beautiful sport.” Erick Galindo (“The Ballad of Chalino Sanchez,” “Out of The Shadows: Children of 86”) will write and executive produce the series. James and Adam Belfer, the co-heads of Cartuna, will executive produce along with along with Mike Flavin, senior vice president of development at Cartuna. Jaime Dávila and Rico Martínez will executive produce for Campanario Entertainment. The project is currently in development and is expected to be taken out to networks and streamers later this year.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter In another blow to Hulu’s series adaptation of “The Devil in the White City,” Todd Field has exited the project on which he was to serve as director and executive producer, Variety has learned exclusively. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, the search is now on for a new director. News of Field’s departure from the show comes just days after Variety also exclusively reported that series star Keanu Reeves had bowed out as well. Field most recently wrote and directed the Cate Blanchett-led drama feature “Tár,” which debuted at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival. The film received rave reviews upon its debut and is being touted as an early Oscar contender. In his review for Variety, Owen Gleiberman wrote, “The movie is breathtaking — in its drama, its high-crafted innovation, its vision. It’s a ruthless but intimate tale of art, lust, obsession, and power.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Peacock is developing a series inspired by the 1996 film “Fear,” Variety has learned exclusively. Jessica Goldberg is set to write and executive produce the adaptation. Brian Grazer, who produced the film, is executive producing along with Ron Howard, Lilly Burns and Kristen Zolner, all via Imagine Television, which is also listed as an executive producer. Imagine Entertainment produced the original film. Universal Television is the studio behind the series, with Universal Pictures having distributed the film. Goldberg is currently under an overall deal at UTV. The official series logline states, “This modern series reinvention finds two young lovers in a psychological game of cat and mouse—but who’s the cat, and who’s the mouse? When David and Nicole first meet in Seattle, it feels like an epic, once-in-a-lifetime romance – but soon it becomes clear that the seemingly perfect couple is anything but. Told from conflicting points of view, the series wrestles with personal demons, hidden agendas and reframes the “he said she said” convention into a twist-filled suspense story about toxic relationships.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Keanu Reeves will no longer star in the Hulu series adaptation of “The Devil in the White City,” Variety has learned exclusively from sources. The show was first put into development at Hulu in 2019 and was officially ordered to series at the streamer in August 2022. It is based on the book of the same name by by Erik Larson. Per the official logline, the show “tells the true story of Daniel H. Burnham, a demanding but visionary architect who races to make his mark on history with the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, America’s first modern serial killer and the man behind the notorious ‘Murder Castle’ built in the Fair’s shadow.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Chris Messina has joined Kaley Cuoco in the Peacock dark comedy thriller series “Based on a True Story,” Variety has learned. Per the official series description, the show “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.” It was previously announced that Cuoco will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett, while Messina will play a character named Nathan. All other character details are under wraps. Messina’s recent TV credits include the Starz Watergate drama “Gaslit” as well as Season 3 of the popular USA Network series “The Sinner” and HBO’s “Sharp Objects.” He is perhaps best known for his role on the comedy series “The Mindy Project,” in which he starred as Danny Castellano. On the feature side, Messina has been in films like “Argo,” “Away We Go,” “Devil,” “I Care A Lot,” and “Birds of Prey.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Matthias Schoenaerts will star opposite Kate Winslet in the upcoming HBO limited series “The Palace,” Variety has learned. The series was picked up at HBO in July. Per the official logline, it “tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of an authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel.” Exact character details are being kept under wraps. Schoenaerts can currently be seen in the David O. Russell film “Amsterdam” in the role of Detective Lem Getweiler. Up next, he will be seen in the Canal+/Sky series “Django” and the feature “The Way of the Wind” from Terrence Malick. He also recently wrapped filming on the Netflix film “The Old Guard 2.” His past credits include films like “Rust and Bone,” “The Danish Girl,” and “Far from the Madding Crowd.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “Goosebumps” live-action series at Disney+ has added three more cast members. Variety has learned exclusively that Ana Yi Puig, Miles McKenna, and Will Price have joined the show as series regulars alongside previously announced cast member Justin Long. Per the official logline, “The series follows a group of five high schoolers who unleash supernatural forces upon their town and must all work together — thanks to and in spite of their friendships, rivalries and pasts with each other — in order to save it, learning much about their own parents’ teenage secrets in the process.” According to Disney Branded Television, the series is influenced by five of the most popular “Goosebumps” books.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Fox has renewed the animated comedy “Krapopolis” for Season 2 before the show’s series premiere. The series, which hails from Dan Harmon, was originally picked up at Fox in February 2021. It is slated to premiere on the broadcaster in 2023, but it does not yet have an official premiere date. Per the official logline, “‘Krapopolis’ is set in mythical ancient Greece and tells the story of a dysfunctional family of humans, gods and monsters that try their hand at running the world’s first cities – without trying to kill each other, that is.” The show show’s voice cast includes stars like Hannah Waddingham, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Pam Murphy, and Duncan Trussell.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “Goosebumps” series in the works at Disney+ has added Justin Long to its cast as a series regular, Variety learned exclusively. The show is based on the R.L. Stine book series of the same name. Variety exclusively reported the show had been ordered at Disney+ back in February. Per the official logline, “The series follows a group of five high schoolers who unleash supernatural forces upon their town and must all work together — thanks to and in spite of their friendships, rivalries and pasts with each other — in order to save it, learning much about their own parents’ teenage secrets in the process.” According to Disney Branded Television, the series is influenced by five of the most popular “Goosebumps” books.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter With the launch of “Alaska Daily” — the new drama series starring Academy Award winner Hillary Swank and hailing from Academy Award winner Tom McCarthy — ABC is shining a spotlight on an important issue: violence against Native women in the U.S. Swank plays an investigative journalist who takes a job at a daily metro paper in Alaska, where she becomes embroiled in a mystery involving murder and a string of unsolved disappearances. Simran Sethi, ABC Enteratinment’s executive vice president of programming and content strategy, said that the show was inspired by a series of articles published by the Anchorage Daily News, and that the lack of media attention around the crises facing Native women helped push ABC into picking up the show.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Dan Levy has set up the mutli-camera comedy “Exit Strategy” for development at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively. The half-hour show would follow “three self involved best friends (Marcus, Dave, and Sara) in their early twenties who all work at the same terrible start up and all f—ing hate their boss,” the official logline says. “This trio needs to start their life and Marcus, the leader of the crew believes the only way to do so is to quit their awful job. However, before Marcus gets his chance, his boss fires him first. Now he really f—ing hates him.” Levy created the series and also serves as executive producer and showrunner. He executive produces via Screaming Elliot Productions.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max from Legendary Television has cast Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson in lead roles, Variety has learned. Officially titled “Dune: The Sisterhood,” the series was ordered at HBO Max in June 2019. The show is set 10,000 years before the events of “Dune” and is based on the novel “Sisterhood of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Per the official logline, the show “follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit” Watson will play Valya Harkonnen and Henderson will play Tula Harkonnen. The character descriptions say the two sisters “have risen to power in the Sisterhood, a secret organization of women who will go on to become the Bene Gesserit.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Coolio recorded lines for the “Futurama” revival at Hulu just weeks before his death at age 59. “Futurama” executive producer David X. Cohen told TMZ that the rapper reprised his role as Kwanzaa-bot for the revival, even recording some new music as the character. Fans of the series will recall that Kwanzaa-bot was the counterpart to Robot Santa and the Chanukah Zombie. Every year he flies around the world distributing a book called “What the Hell is Kwanza [sic]?” He originally appeared in the Season 4 episode “A Tale of Two Santas” and again in the Season 7 episode “The Futurama Holiday Spectacular.” He also made a cameo in the “Futurama” film “Bender’s Big Score.”