‘She-Ra’ Live-Action Amazon Series Sets Nicole Kassell to Direct (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX is developing a series based on the life of Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki, best known as the founder of the Benihana restaurant chain, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.The series is currently titled “American Hiro” and is based in part on the book “Making It in America: The Life and Times of Rocky Aoki” by Jack McCallum.Representatives for FX and 20th Television declined to comment.The series will delve into Aoki’s colorful life as a mogul and businessman, from founding Benihana to being an Olympic wrestler, professional speed boat racer, hot air balloonist, and nightclub impresario. It will also examine his complicated relationship with his family and his attempts to reconcile his Japanese heritage with his American dreams. Jonathan Abrams created the series and will serve as an executive producer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA new “Ghostbusters” animated series is in development at Netflix, Variety has learned exclusively. The series hails from Sony Pictures Animation, with Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan of Ghost Corps, Inc. onboard as executive producers.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCarol Burnett has joined the cast of the Apple comedy series “Mrs. American Pie,” Variety has learned.Burnett joins previously announced series lead Kristen Wiig in the show, along with cast members Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Josh Lucas and Ricky Martin.The 10-episode comedy follows Maxine Simmons’ (Wiig) attempt to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive table: Palm Beach high society in the early 1970s. As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, “Mrs.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAllison Williams has boarded the upcoming Showtime limited series “Fellow Travelers” alongside Matt Bomer, Variety has learned exclusively.The series was picked up at Showtime back in April with an eight-episode order. It is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon.The show 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.

Wilson Chapman editorThe “A League of Their Own” Amazon series based on Penny Marshall’s popular 1992 comedy film will premiere Aug. 12.Amazon announced the news via a first look teaser, set to the classic Stevie Nicks song “Edge of Seventeen.” The teaser can be seen below.Both the show and film version of “A League of Their Own” take place in 1943, the year that the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was formed.

Six actors will join the Straw Hats on the Going Merry as Netflix expands the cast of its upcoming One Piece live-action series. Joining the series, based on the beloved manga from author Eiichiro Oda, are Langley Kirkwood, Celeste Loots, Alexander Maniatis, Craig Fairbrass, Steven Ward and Chioma Umeala. They will appear opposite stars Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson and Taz Skylar, who will take on the primary Straw Hats.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDanielle Macdonald has been cast in the Natasha Lyonne-led Peacock series “Poker Face,” which hails from creator Rian Johnson.Macdonald is the latest addition to the growing cast. In addition to Lyonne, previously announced cast members include Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Benjamin Bratt, Stephanie Hsu, and David Castañeda.

Tom Hanks transform into Geppetto for his latest role in the live-action Pinocchio film.On Tuesday, May 31, Disney released the official teaser trailer for the film, which is set to release later this year. In the nearly two-minute long clip, the 65-year-old transforms into the famous woodcarver with gray hair, a mustache, and small-framed glasses.

J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot has a lot of plates on the stove right now, from “Star Trek 4” to a live-action “Hotwheels” movie to numerous TV shows in development for HBO Max and AppleTV+.

$43 million domestically on a reported $120 million budget. So maybe Abrams has a new approach that garnered Apple TV+’s attention.Fitzgerald is a veteran of Abrams’ “Westworld” and created the terrific new “Perry Mason” for HBO, which Martinez also worked on.

Apple TV+ is prepping Speed Racer, a high-profile live-action series from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television where the company is under a deal.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA “Speed Racer” live-action series is in the works at Apple with J.J.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“That ’90s Show,” the spinoff of “That ’70s Show” at Netflix, is bringing back Tommy Chong as Leo.Chong made the announcement during an interview with The Dark Mark Show, saying “They gave me a call and I did my part…They never gave me any instructions, so I don’t know if I’m supposed to be talking about it or not. I really don’t give a s— to tell you the truth.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentSony Pictures Classics has nabbed “One Fine Morning,” Mia Hansen-Love’s critically acclaimed drama starring Lea Seydoux at Cannes on the heels of its world premiere at Directors’ Fortnight. Les Films du Losange, the indie film powerhouse, has now sold the film in 50 territories.The deal is for North American, Latin American and Middle East rights to the film.

Amazon isn’t exactly a superhero factory on the level of Disney+, but they do have a few similar, extremely popular adult-focused shows. “The Boys” heads into its third season on June 3, and we’re still waiting for a drop date for the second season of the animated series “Invincible,” based on Robert Kirkman‘s (“The Walking Dead“) hyper-violent comic book published by Image Comics.

After the success of “Godzilla vs. Kong,” released during the pandemic, the Monsterverse continues to chug along.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMatt Shakman has come onboard the live-action Godzilla series at Apple from Legendary Television, Variety has learned exclusively.The show was ordered at Apple back in January. Shakman will direct the first two episodes and serve as an executive producer on the series. The untitled series continues the story of the Legendary Monsterverse established in films like “Kong: Skull Island” and 2014’s “Godzilla.”Shakman most recently directed all of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision” in addition to executive producing.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA new “Daredevil” series is moving forward at Disney+, with Variety having exclusively learned from sources that Matt Corman and Chris Ord are attached to write and executive produce.Rumors have persisted for some time that a Disney+ series about the Man Without Fear was in the works, especially considering that two of the stars of the Netflix “Daredevil” series — Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio — have appeared in recent Marvel projects. Cox played Matt Murdock, the secret identity of Daredevil, in the film “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” while D’Onofrio reprised the role of Wilson Fisk, a.k.a.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe NBC drama pilot “Found” has cast Kelli Williams, Variety has learned exclusively.Williams joins previously announced series lead Shanola Hampton in the project along with fellow cast member Mark-Paul Gosselaar.The show is built around the fact that, in any given year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the U.S. More than half that number are people of color that the country seems to forget about. Public relations specialist Gabi Mosley (Hampton) — who was once herself one of those forgotten ones — and her crisis management team now make sure there is always someone looking out for the forgotten missing people.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNetflix is ready to roast Tom Brady.Variety has learned exclusively that the iconic NFL quarterback is set to be the first subject of what will be a planned series of new Netflix comedy specials called “Greatest Roasts of All Time” or “GROAT.”“To quote my good friend, Marshawn Lynch … ‘I’m just here so I won’t get fined,’” Brady said. Brady will serve as an executive producer on his own and future roasts. His roast will be filmed in 2023 following his next season with the NFL.“We can’t wait to burn three-time Super Bowl-losing quarterback Tom Brady, who only went back to the NFL in order to delay this roast,” said Robbie Praw, Netflix’s vice president of stand-up and comedy formats.