‘Speed Racer’ Live-Action Series in the Works at Apple, J.J. Abrams Executive Producing

Nickelodeon’s Shauna Phelan and Zack Olin have been promoted to EVPs and Co-Heads, Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Live-Action Series and Films. The news was announced today by Brian Robbins, Paramount President & Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, and Chief Content Officer, Movies and Kids & Family, Paramount+.

very close to having his entire performance in “The Lego Movie” — along with all live-action scenes — end up on the cutting room floor, the film’s producer, Dan Lin, said Saturday at PGA’s Produced By Conference.Lin recalled the uphill battle that went into the building blocks of the hybrid animated and live-action movie, revealing that Warner Bros. initially wanted to cut the latter chunk of the film that included scenes featuring Ferrell.During a conversation with Chris Miller, who penned the screenplay for the 2014 hit along with writing-producing partner Phil Lord, Lin said the budget demands from the studio forced him to treat the family comedy as an “indie movie.” The Rideback Ranch founder even had to pre-sell the basement set, which featured the human characters, to Legoland as an exhibit to partially fund the movie.

Apple TV+ has a sweet update to share about its big acquisition from 2021: The streamer has greenlit Sugar to series. It stars Colin Farrell and is from creator Mark Protosevich (The Cell, I Am Legend).

A Ghostbusters animated series is in development at Netflix, Deadline has confirmed. The project, based on the Ghostbusters IP, hails from Ghostbusters: Afterlife co-writers Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan (Ghost Corps) and Sony Pictures Animation.

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.

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.

EXCLUSIVE: Screen Media has acquired North American TV rights to Salvage Marines, a sci-fi action series starring Starship Troopers alum Casper Van Dien that will stream on Crackle Plus next month.

Will they or won’t they? Deepti Vempti refused to label her relationship status with Kyle Abrams after sparking dating speculation earlier this year.

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.

EXCLUSIVE: Jolie Jenkins (Alexa & Katie) Eva Carlton (Where’s Waldo?) and Annaka Fourneret (Loot) round out the series regular cast of The Loud House, Nickelodeon’s new live-action series based on the Emmy-winning animated show for Paramount+. Production on the 10-episode series begins in June in Albuquerque, NM, with premiere slated later this year on the streaming service.

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.

EXCLUSIVE: Phil Abraham has been tapped to direct and executive produce the pilot episode of Netflix’s untitled spy adventure series that will star Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first major foray into scripted television.

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.

Carson Burton Amazon Prime Video has released the first teaser trailer for the new Chris Pratt action-thriller series “The Terminal List.”Based on the best-selling novel by Jack Carr, the series follows James Reece (Pratt) after his platoon of Navy SEALs is wiped out during a covert mission. Reece’s situation worsens when he returns home to his family and conflicting memories and questions about his culpability arise.

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.

A new Daredevil series is in development at Disney+, with Covert Affairs creators Matt Corman and Chris Ord attached to write and executive produce, sources confirmed to Deadline.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “She-Ra” live-action series in development at Amazon has brought on Nicole Kassell to direct, Variety has learned exclusively.Variety previously reported that the show was in early development at the streamer in September 2021. Kassell will direct and executive produce the pilot episode should it go forward.