EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Asger Hussain is joining Lee Daniels Entertainment as SVP of Television, overseeing all aspects of development and production.
14.04.2022 - 20:31 / variety.com
Joe Otterson TV ReporterLee Daniels’ long-gestating Sammy Davis Jr. biographical series has been ordered at Hulu, with Elijah Kelley set to play the lead role.The untitled series has received an eight-episode order at the streamer.
Based on the book “In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr.,” the series is described as an exploration of Davis’ life through the lens of his racial identity and his complex relationship with the Black community.Davis rose from childhood stardom on the vaudeville stage to become one of the most famous African American entertainers of the 1950s and ’60s and the only Black member of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack. At the same time, he spent most of his career surrounded by controversy and ridicule — over his affairs with white film stars, his 1960 marriage to Swedish actress May Britt, his conversion to Judaism, his closeness to the Kennedys and later Richard Nixon, and his problems with alcohol and drugs.
Daniels has been developing the project for years, going back to reports in 2013 that he was developing it as a movie for HBO. New reports surfaced in 2019 that he was developing it as a miniseries.Daniels serves as co-writer and executive producer on the series and will also direct the first two episodes.
Thomas Westfall is the other co-writer and co-executive producer. Kelley will produce and collaborate on some of the show’s original music in addition to starring.
Marc Toberoff will executive produce with Haygood producing. 20th Television, where Daniels is under an overall deal, is the studio.Kelley is no stranger to working with Daniels, having previously appeared in the hit feature “The Butler” as well as the Fox music drama “Star.” Kelley is also an accomplished dancer and singer in
.EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Asger Hussain is joining Lee Daniels Entertainment as SVP of Television, overseeing all aspects of development and production.
EXCLUSIVE: Quiver Distribution has acquired North American rights to the dramedy Small Town Wisconsin, starring David Sullivan (Sharp Objects), Bill Heck (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Kristen Johnson (3rd Rock from the Sun), Tanya Fischer (Life on Mars) and Cooper J. Friedman (9-1-1: Lone Star), slating it for wide release in theaters and on digital platforms on June 10th.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterJeff Daniels is set to play the lead role in the upcoming Netflix drama series “A Man in Full,” Variety has learned.The series is based on the Tom Wolfe novel of the same name. Variety exclusively reported the show had received a straight-to-series order at the streamer in November 2021. The show hails from David E. Kelley with Regina King onboard to direct and executive produce.In the series, Atlanta real estate mogul Charlie Croker (Daniels) faces sudden bankruptcy.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterBruce Greenwood is joining “The Fall of the House of Usher” series at Netflix, taking over the role previously held by Frank Langella.Langella exited the series earlier in April after it was reported that he was under investigation for misconduct on the set, which it was later confirmed involved making an inappropriate joke to a female co-star.Greenwood will now star in the series as Roderick Usher, the head of the Usher family in creator Mike Flanagan’s modern re-telling of the Edgar Allan Poe story. The show draws on other Poe works as well.
It has been confirmed that The One Show was hit with more than 100 complaints after Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens' made a savage dig at Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The British actor appeared on the BBC One programme earlier this month to discuss his latest drama.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterDanielle Deadwyler has been cast in the lead role of the J.J. Abrams HBO series “Demimonde,” Variety has learned.The show was first reported to be in development back in 2018, though few details were available at the time. Now, it is known that the series focuses on Olive Reed (Deadwyler), a woman who is torn away from her husband and daughter in a brutal scientific accident.
Lea Michele told her "Spring Awakening" co-star Jonathan Groff that she would happily carry a baby for him should he decide he wants to become a dad. "I'll carry your baby. I will," she told Jonathan, who came out as gay in 2009, in an interview with People.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime has formally greenlit the limited series “Fellow Travelers” starring Matt Bomer.Showtime has given the series an eight episode order. Variety exclusively reported the show was in the works at the premium cabler in September 2021.Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon, the series is described as an epic love story and political thriller, chronicling the volatile romance of two very different men who meet in the shadow of McCarthy-era Washington. Bomer will play handsome, charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who maintains a financially rewarding, behind-the scenes career in politics.
After directing “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday,” Lee Daniels is returning to the world of period biopics with a new dramatic series focused on singer/actor Sammy Davis Jr., one of the most charismatic and accessible black entertainers of the last century.
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Billie Eilish is lending her Grammy-winning voice to a new role. Well, sort of.
The candy man is coming to Hulu! The streamer has ordered eight episodes of a limited series about Sammy Davis, Jr. from Lee Daniels and 20th Television. It’s based on the Wil Haygood book, “In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.”
Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Cleaning Lady” has been renewed for Season 2 at Fox.“This heart-pounding, emotionally driven story has captivated audiences across all platforms with its empowering, suspenseful narrative about an undocumented worker forced to navigate the criminal underworld to save her ailing son’s life,” said Michael Thorn, president of Fox Entertainment. “’The Cleaning Lady’ bravely and unapologetically takes on many of today’s most important social issues — something we’re proud to say is one of Fox long-time calling cards — and it’s all brought into sharp perspective by the powerful performance of our lead, Élodie Yung and the entire cast.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX has ordered a half-hour comedy pilot from Lauren Ludwig.The pilot is described as a metaphysical comedy about a group of queer twenty-somethings forced by the most unlikely source to confront their generational anxieties and unpack their emotional baggage.Ludwig is writing and executive producing the pilot. Chris & Paul Weitz of Depth of Field, Andrew Miano, Dan Balgoyen and Aaron Kogan will also executive produce.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has greenlit the pyschological thriller series “Constellations” with Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks attached to star, Variety has learned.In “Constellation,” Rapace stars as Jo, a woman who returns to Earth after a disaster in space only to discover that key pieces of her life seem to be missing. The series is further described as a space adventure, an exploration of the dark edges of human psychology, and one woman’s desperate quest to expose the truth about the hidden history of space travel and for her to recover all that she has lost.Apple has given the show a 10 episode order.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX has ordered a limited series based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast “The Sterling Affairs” with Laurence Fishburne and Jacki Weaver attached to star, Variety has learned.The six-episode series tells the behind the scenes story of Doc Rivers (Fishburne) and the Los Angeles Clippers’ quest to bring a championship to one of the historically worst franchises in all of sports during the impending downfall of the team’s owner, Donald Sterling, whose notoriously racist behavior is brought to light amid the power struggle between his wife of 60+ years, Shelly Sterling (Weaver), and his mistress, V. Stiviano.Gina Welch serve as writer and executive producer on the series.
Mo'Nique and Lee Daniels are putting their years-long feud to rest! The pair has been at odds since the release of the Academy Award-winning film in 2009.After winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2010 for her critically acclaimed performance as the titular character's abusive mother Mary, the 54-year-old comedian made headlines when she claimed she was «blackballed» from Hollywood, naming Daniels as one of the culprits.Years later, on Saturday, the actress brought the director onstage during her show on Staten Island, New York.«I am so sorry for hurting you in any way that I did. She was my best friend, my best friend.
Lee Daniels and Mo’Nique again demonstrated that they’ve moved on from their longtime feud on Friday night, with the former crashing a New York comedy event put on by his Precious star, and teasing their upcoming collaboration on the Netflix film, Demon House.
Lee Daniels and Mo’Nique have finally ended their feud!