Seth MacFarlane, Chadwick Boseman to Produce Little Rock Nine Series in Development at UCP

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA reboot of the Freeform series “Pretty Little Liars” is in the early stages of development at Warner Bros. Television, Variety has confirmed.Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who previously developed “Riverdale” for television, is developing the potential reboot.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNetflix has ordered a comedy series starring Jamie Foxx titled “Dad Stop Embarrassing Me,” Variety has learned.The multi-camera series is inspired by Foxx’s relationship with his daughter, Corinne Foxx. The series will also star David Alan Grier, Kyla-Drew, Porscha Coleman, and Jonathan Kite.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterEmma Roberts and her Belletrist TV banner have signed a first-look TV deal with Hulu.The deal will focus on literary adaptations, as Belletrist was originally founded by Roberts and Karah Preiss as a book club.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJohn Ridley and Carlton Cuse are set to adapt Sheri Fink’s novel “Five Days at Memorial” for Apple as a limited series, Variety has learned.The book chronicles the first five days in a New Orleans, LA, hospital after Hurricane Katrina made landfall.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNetflix has ordered a drama series based on the award-winning Chinese book series “The Three-Body Problem” with David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo set to write and executive produce.The series order covers all three books in the trilogy — “The Three-Body Problem,” “The Dark Forest,” and “Death’s End,” all of which were written by Liu Cixin.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmazon is developing a series about human rights lawyer Jared Genser with Orlando Bloom attached to executive produce, Variety has learned.The untitled series is inspired by Genser and his firm. He and his team work to free prisoners of conscience (Human Rights prisoners) in high-risk areas throughout the world’s most difficult Hot Zones.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAn animated “X-Files” comedy series is in the works at Fox, Variety has confirmed.The project is currently titled “The X-Files: Albuquerque.” It has received a script and presentation commitment at the broadcaster. The show would revolve around an office full of misfit agents who investigate X-Files cases too wacky, ridiculous or downright dopey for Mulder and Scully to bother with.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe CW is developing a drama series that hails from Damon Wayans Jr.’s Two Shakes Entertainment, Variety has learned exclusively.The project is titled “The Pretenders.” In the show, a seemingly normal suburban family is hiding a big secret: they’re actually individual assets in the Witness Protection Program, placed together to provide safe cover for three of the assets who are unrelated minors.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterABC has given a series order to the limited anthology series “Women of the Movement,” which will tell the story of key female figures in the Civil Rights Movement.The show was first announced as being in development in August 2019. The first six-episode season is slated to debut in 2021.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNicolas Cage is attached to voice the lead character of and executive produce a series adaptation of “Artemis Fowl” author Eoin Colfer’s novel “Highfire” in development at Amazon, Variety has confirmed.Cage will play the titular Highfire, described as a vodka-drinking, “Flashdance”-loving dragon who lives an isolated existence in the bayous of Louisiana.In the series, dragons once ruled the earth and Lord Highfire ruled the dragons from his eyrie.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJohn Harlan Kim has been upped to series regular on the upcoming fourth season of “9-1-1-” at Fox, Variety has learned exclusively.Kim recurred last season as Albert Kim, the younger half-brother of firefighter Howie “Chimney” Kim (Kenneth Choi). The brothers had never met until Albert surprised Chimey by showing up on his doorstep from Korea.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA live-action “Resident Evil” series has been picked up at Netflix.The streamer has given an eight episode order to the one-hour series, which is based on the Capcom video game franchise of the same name. Constantin Films, which produced the six-film franchise based on the games, will serve as the studio behind the series.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHBO has added nine more actors and actresses to the cast of the adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me.”Additional cast will include: Jharrel Jerome, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Janet Mock, Jason Moran, Wendell Pierce, Mj Rodriguez, Kendrick Sampson, Yara Shahidi and Michelle Wilson. They join previously announced cast members Angela Bassett, Alicia Garza, Joe Morton, Phylicia Rashad, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Courtney B.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCBS All Access is developing a series about former NYPD detective Derrick Parker with Tip “T.I.” Harris attached to star and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson onboard as an executive producer, Variety has learned.The project is currently titled “Twenty Four Seven.” It is based on the book “Notorious C.O.P.: The Inside Story of the Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay Investigations from NYPD’s First ‘Hip-Hop Cop'” by Parker and Matt Diehl.During his time with the NYPD, Parker worked

Joe Otterson TV ReporterOWN has given a straight-to-series order to the drama series “Delilah,” which hails from “Greenleaf” creator Craig Wright, Variety has learned.The series will star Maahra Hill as Delilah Connolly, a headstrong, highly principled lawyer living in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFox is developing a one-hour music anthology series, Variety has confirmed.The series is currently titled “Icon.” Each season would focus on the true stories of the music legends we think we know.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Kate McKinnon-led series about Carole Baskin and the “Tiger King” Joe Exotic has received a multi-platform series order at NBCUniversal Television, Variety has learned.The limited series, currently titled “Joe Exotic,” is now set to air on NBC, Peacock, and USA Network. In addition, Etan Frankel has boarded the project as writer and executive producer under his overall deal with series producer Universal Content Productions (UCP).

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Powerpuff Girls” could soon fly again. Variety has learned that a live-action version of the classic Cartoon Network series is in development at The CW.In the updated version of the series, the titular superheroes are now disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime fighting.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSusan Lewis is joining ABC Signature as senior vice president and head of drama development.Lewis will officially join the studio on Aug. 31 and will report to Tracy Underwood.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterTanya Saracho has signed an overall deal with Universal Content Productions (UCP).Under the deal, Saracho will develop original television projects for UCP as well as podcasts via the studio’s UCP Audio division. She will also establish a lab and incubator program aimed to nurture, amplify, guide, and empower intersectional Latinx voices.