Scott Foley Joins Julie Plec, Amy Chozick Series ‘Girls on the Bus’ at HBO Max

EXCLUSIVE: Picnic star Olivia Scott Welch has been tapped as a lead opposite Bob Odenkirk and Mireille Enos in Straight Man, AMC’s series adaptation of Richard Russo’s novel, from former The Killing writer-producer Aaron Zelman and The Office alum Paul Lieberstein.

Ever the workhorse, Steven Soderbergh has made the most of the three-year overall deal he signed with HBO Max in January 2020. The director has already supplied HBO subscribers with three films, “Let Them All Talk,” “No Sudden Move,” and “Kimi,” with “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” on the way soon.

Steven Soderbergh is returning to the world of TV, and for his next project, “Full Circle,” the filmmaker is bringing along an actor he has previously worked with.  According to Deadline, Zazie Beetz has been cast in the upcoming six-episode limited series, “Full Circle,” from filmmaker Steven Soderbergh. In the series, Beetz is expected to play an agent for the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterVince Staples is heading to Netflix with his own scripted comedy show, Variety has learned.The streaming giant has given out a series order for “The Vince Staples Show,” loosely based on the real life of the rapper and actor. Staples will star in the show as himself. The show will be set in Long Beach, CA, where Staples grew up.Staples will executive produce in addition to starring. Kenya Barris is also executive producing via Khalabo Ink Society. Ian Edelman, Maurice Williams, Corey Smyth and Calmatic also executive produce. Edelman and Williams are co-showrunners on the series. Barris, Edelman, and Williams also executive produced Kid Cudi’s animated Netflix show “Entergalactic.” Calmatic will direct the first two episodes of “The Vince Staples Show.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Eiza González has joined Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal in the Hulu limited series “La Máquina.” The Spanish-language series was picked up at Hulu in July. Per the official logline, “‘La Máquina’ follows an aging boxer (García Bernal) whose crafty manager (Luna) secures him one last shot at a title. But to make it to fight night, they must navigate a mysterious underworld force.” González will star as Irasema. Her character descriptions says she is “an aspiring sports journalist who approaches boxing as more of an art form. She’s the ex-wife of Esteban (García Bernal), who she still deeply cares for, and mother to their two children. She’s known Esteban and Andy (Luna) since they were teenagers.”

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.

“Elvis” biopic officially has a HBO Max streaming date.The Austin Butler-led film will be streaming on HBO Max next Friday, Sept. 2, 70 days after the film’s opening in theaters on June 24.

Kate Aurthur editor The Aug. 6 address before the assembly at Remnant Fellowship — delivered to an in-person gathering in Brentwood, TN, and via webcast to anyone who might want to watch — began typically enough, with congregants watching an old video sermon from Gwen Shamblin Lara, the church’s late founder who died in a plane crash on May 29, 2021. What happened after the video portion ended, though, was unusual. In a portion of the sermon, obtained by Variety, Elizabeth Hannah, Lara’s daughter and a leader at Remnant, called in, as she sometimes does. But instead of her usual teachings for Saturday service, Hannah delivered a homily of schadenfreude aimed directly at HBO Max, the enemy of Remnant and the Shamblin family.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Netflix has ordered a limited series adaptation of the Elin Hilderbrand novel “The Perfect Couple.” Jenna Lamia (“Good Girls,” “My Best Friend’s Exorcism”) will adapt the book for the screen and serve as executive producer and showrunner. 21 Laps will produce via the company’s overall deal with Netflix, with The Jackal Group also onboard to produce. Netflix has given the series a six-episode order. In the show, which is described as a soapy mystery, it’s Fourth of July weekend and Celeste Otis is about to marry the perfect man, who just so happens to be from the wealthiest family on Nantucket. But when a body is discovered floating in the harbor on the morning of what was to be the wedding of the year, suddenly everyone at the party is a suspect.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Discovery is letting go of 29 staff in Europe, including key programming execs, as it moves to phase out HBO Max European originals and shift towards a new local commissioning model, Deadline can reveal.

EXCLUSIVE: About 70 people, or 14% of the programming operation overseen by HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys, were laid off last week as part of cost-cutting across Warner Bros. Discovery. At the time, only the departures of the heads of departments that were worst hit — all of them on the HBO Max side — were made public, including Jennifer O’Connell EVP, Non-Fiction & Live-Action Family Originals. Now names of other executives who are leaving as part of the restructuring and staff reductions are starting to trickle out.

200 “Sesame Street” episodes and feature film “Batgirl,” which was slated to be released this year. On Monday, the service also axed six animated projects that were earmarked for HBO Max, including “Batman: The Caped Crusader,” from “The Batman” director Matt Reeves, J.J.

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.

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.

Batman: Caped Crusader, an animated series from executive producers Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, will not be moving forward at HBO Max, sources have confirmed to Deadline. It is among six animated projects, along with family action comedy Merry Little Batman, The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Toons Movie,  Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Toons Musical, Did I Do That To The Holidays: A Steve Urkel Story and The Amazing World Of Gumball: The Movie (working title) that will no longer be produced by HBO Max, but will be shopped, sources say.

HBO Max launched a new limited-time deal for new and returning customers. The streaming service is offering 30% off a one-year subscription when signing up and prepaying the full year. If you've been waiting for an opportunity to catch up on HBO Max's Emmy-winning show  and the new prequel series , then this might be it. With the HBO Max deal, you can sign up for a year of the ad-free plan for  $104.99 (regularly $149.99) or get HBO Max with ads for $69.99 (regularly $99.99). Compared with the streamer's regular month-to-month pricing, the discount represents a 42% savings. HBO Max’s latest offer is good for a single year’s subscription and after the 12-month discount period, subscriptions will auto-renew at the regular subscription price. Don't miss out on this limited-time deal to sign up for a discounted HBO Max yearly subscription before the promotion ends on October 30, 2022. When you sign up for 12 months of HBO Max, you save over 40% compared to a month-by-month plan.

“House of the Dragon” on Sunday evening — but some viewers were in for an infuriating night when the much-anticipated 10-episode series finally dropped after months of hype.So many fans were trying to stream the show simultaneously — that HBO Max actually crashed. This led to thousands of users not being able to watch the first episode.Many subscribers reportedly fell victim to the streamer’s app fizzling out, with the website outage service Down Detector reporting that there were at about 3,000 blackouts between 8:40 p.m. and 9:25 p,.m.

The upcoming 53rd season will be available on the streaming service, the outlet reported.HBO and “Sesame Street” joined forces in 2015, which gave the streaming service priority to air all new episodes first, before it can be seen on the show’s longtime home, PBS. This agreement is effective until The “Sesame Street” cut comes after HBO made an announcement on Wednesday saying that at least 36 additional shows will be leaving the platform this week. That includes 20 HBO original shows, as well as “Generation,” “Infinity Train,” and earlier this month, all eight of the “Harry Potter” films were axed.Warner Bros.