Synanon Documentary Set at HBO From Director Rory Kennedy (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming CIA drama series “Lioness” at Paramount+ has added three new actors to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively. James Jordan, LaMonica Garrett, and Dave Annable have all joined the show. All three have previously worked with Sheridan — Jordan and Annable on the hit Paramount Network series “Yellowstone” and Garrett in the “Yellowstone” prequel series “1883.” Jordan also appeared in “1883” as well as Sheridan’s Paramount+ series “Mayor of Kingstown” and in his features “Wind River” and “Those Who Wish Me Dead.” The three join previously announced cast members Zoe Saldaña and Laysla De Oliveira.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “History of a Pleasure Seeker” pilot is not moving forward and will not be be picked up to series at Hulu, Variety has learned exclusively. The show was first ordered to pilot at the streaming service back in March 2022. It was based on the Richard Mason novel of the same name. Per the official logline, the show was a musical drama “set in Amsterdam in 1907, a tale of a charismatic young man’s explosive adventures through all the temptations of the Belle Époque.” The cast for the pilot included Carla Woodcock, Callum Kerr, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Olumide Olorunfemi, and Bebe Bettencourt. “History of a Pleasure Seeker” was based on the Richard Mason novel of the same name. Mason adapted the novel for the screen and also served as an executive producer. Julie Anne Robinson directed and executive produced the pilot. Christopher Read executive produced in addition to serving as composer. Fremantle executive produced along with Jimmy Mulville of Hat Trick Productions and Michael Gracey. ABC Signature was the studio behind the pilot.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Everything’s Trash” at Freeform has cast Anand Desai-Barochia in a guest star role, Variety has learned exclusively. The series is based on Phoebe Robinson’s book “Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay.” Robinson stars in the series as Phoebe, described as a “30-something outspoken podcast star making her professional mark while living a broke and delightfully messy life in Brooklyn. When her ‘perfect’ older brother launches a political campaign, she’s forced to start her adulting journ-journ.” Desai-Barochia will play Gael, the CEO of Limelight Media, which is a major podcast venture. The official character description says he is “charismatic and globetrotting. He is a fan of Phoebe and Malika’s work and wants to be in business with them. Gael and Phoebe spark to each other almost immediately…their chemistry is natural and undeniable.”

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.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter WME has promoted both Andrea Blatt and Florence Dodd to agent within the books department, Variety has learned exclusively. In 2021 alone, WME books debuted on the New York Times bestseller list 85 times, with 18 hitting the number one spot. The department is led by Jay Mandel.Blatt is based in WME’s New York office.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The upcoming “Spiderwick Chronicles” TV series at Disney+ has cast Joy Bryant, Variety has learned exclusively. Bryant joins previously announced cast members Lyon Daniels and Noah Cottrell as well as Christian Slater. The show is based on the popular book series of the same name by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. In the show, upon leaving New York and moving to Michigan and into their run-down ancestral home—The Spiderwick Estate—with their mother, twin brothers Jared (Daniels) and Simon Grace (Cottrell), along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate, fantastical world.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBen Kingsley is poised to reprise the role of Trevor Slattery in the upcoming Wonder Man series from Marvel Studios at Disney+, Variety has learned exclusively from sources. The show was first revealed to be in the works back in June. It will focus on the Marvel character Simon Williams, a.k.a. Wonder Man. In the comics, Williams is the son of a wealthy industrialist whose company falls on hard times due to competition from Tony Stark’s Stark Industries. Williams then accepts an offer from villain Baron Zemo that gives him ionic superpowers including super strength and durability. After fighting the Avengers several times, Wonder Man ultimately joined their ranks. Kingsley returning as Slattery lends credence to reports that the show is intended to be a Hollywood satire, as it has been established that Slattery is a failed actor and Wonder Man has been an actor and a stuntman in the comics. Exactly how Kingsley would factor into the plot of the series and how many episodes he would appear in is being kept under wraps, but sources say he will play a major role.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter WWE superstar Bianca Belair has signed with WME for representation in all areas, Variety has learned exclusively. With the signing, the powerhouse Hollywood agency will work to build her business across podcasting, acting, marketing, and more. Belair was originally a track and field standout at the University of Tennessee, where she earned All-SEC and All-American Honors. She first signed with WWE in 2016, joining the sports entertainment giant’s developmental brand, NXT. During her time there, she challenged for the NXT Women’s Championship on multiple occasions and went on a winning streak that lasted just over a year.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Warner Bros. Television has optioned Coco Mellors’ debut novel “Cleopatra and Frankenstein” to develop as a series, Variety has learned exclusively from sources. Mellors is onboard to adapt her book for the screen with Maggie Kiley attached to direct and executive produce via her overall deal with WBTV. WBTV declined to comment. In the book, twenty-four-year-old British painter Cleo has escaped from England to New York and is still finding her place in the sleepless city when, a few months before her student visa ends, she meets Frank. Twenty years older and a self-made success, Frank’s life is full of all the excesses Cleo’s lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint, and the opportunity to apply for a green card. But their impulsive marriage irreversibly changes both their lives, and the lives of those close to them, in ways they never could’ve predicted.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Scott Foley has joined the cast of the upcoming HBO Max series “The Girls on the Bus,” Variety has learned. Foley joins previously announced cast members Melissa Benoist, Christina Elmore, and Natasha Behnam in the show, which was ordered straight-to-series at HBO Max in February after having been set up at both Netflix and The CW. “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.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has been renewed for Season 12 at HBO. Season 11 of the critically-acclaimed comedy series began airing on HBO in October 2021. That season picked up four Emmy nominations, including best comedy series and best guest actor in a comedy series for Bill Hader. The show has received 51 Emmy nominations in total to date. “Playing the role of Larry David has been the greatest honor of my life,” Larry David said. “In researching this multi-faceted, multi-talented man, I discovered that there’s more to him than I ever could have imagined: He speaks six languages, brines his own pickles, and spearheads a national movement to install a bidet in every home. I’ve also been told from numerous sources that he is the most generous of lovers. I am so excited to once again transform into this force of nature. I only pray that I can do him justice.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “The Villains of Valley View” has been renewed for Season 2 at the Disney Channel, Variety has learned exclusively. The multi-cam comedy show, which hails from Disney Branded Television, follows a family of supervillains forced to hide their powers and adopt “normalcy” in suburbia. Season 2 will begin production this fall in Los Angeles. New episodes from Season 1 will resume airing on Oct. 7 “It isn’t hard to see why audiences have fallen in love with the villainous Madden family,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “Despite a penchant for utilizing their superpowers in everyday life, Amy and family ultimately care about and support one another. Even though life can be messy, ridiculous, and sometimes frightening, the Maddens demonstrate the (super)power of family and togetherness.”

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowrunner, playwright, and performer Rick Cleveland has signed with APA for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. Cleveland will continue to be represented by Rain as well as attorney Ken Richman at Hansen Jacobson TellerCleveland is a six-time Emmy nominee, winning the award for best writing for a drama series alongside Aaron Sorkin for the first season episode of “The West Wing” titled “In Excelsis Deo.” Cleveland was then nominated three times as part of the producing time on the hit HBO series “Six Feet Under” and again as part of the producing teams behind the Showtime series “Nurse Jackie” and the Netflix series “House of Cards.”Cleveland has also worked on a number of other critically-acclaimed shows.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Feud” Season 2 at FX has added Tom Hollander, Diane Lane, and Calista Flockhart to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.The trio join previously announced series stars Naomi Watts and Chloë Sevigny. The second season of the Ryan Murphy anthology series will tell the true story of how Truman Capote was friends with numerous members of New York high society until he published excerpts of his unfinished novel “Answered Prayers,” with the excerpts serving as a tell-all about the city’s elite.It was previously announced that Watts will play famed socialite Barbara “Babe” Paley, while Sevigny will play C.Z.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMarc Guggenheim has signed with CAA for representation, Variety has learned exclusively.Guggenheim continues to be represented by attorney Wendy Kirk at Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole LLP as well as by manager Cliff Roberts at Syndicate Entertainment.Guggenheim is perhaps best known for his work in The CW’s so-called Arrowverse — its collection of shows based on DC Comics characters. He co-created the first of those shows, “Arrow,” along with Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRon Perlman, Nick Nolte, Charles Melton, and Tim Blake Nelson have all joined the cast of the upcoming Peacock series “Poker Face,” Variety has learned exclusively.Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy,” “Hellboy”), Nolte (“Warrior,” “Graves”), Melton (“Riverdale,” “American Horror Stories”), and Nelson (“Watchmen,” “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”) join the show’s already expansive cast. Natasha Lyonne will lead the series, with previously announced cast members including: Adrien Brody, Audrey Corsa, Benjamin Bratt, Chloe Sevigny, Danielle MacDonald, Dascha Polanco, Ellen Barkin, Jameela Jamil, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Judith Light, Lil Rel Howery, Niall Cunningham, Nicholas Cirillo, S. Epatha Merkerson, Simon Helberg and Tim Meadows.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLucy Liu is the latest addition to the cast of the upcoming Netflix limited series “A Man in Full,” Variety has learned exclusively.Liu will star in the series alongside previously announced leads Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane as well as cast members William Jackson Harper, Aml Ameen, Tom Pelphrey, Sarah Jones, Jon Michael Hill, and Chanté Adams.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. It hails from David E.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLil Rel Howery has lined up his second HBO stand up comedy special, Variety has learned exclusively.This will be Howery’s second HBO stand up special after 2019’s “Lil Rel Howery: Live in Crenshaw.” The new special will tape in Howery’s hometown of Chicago in the coming weeks. It will then be available on both HBO and HBO Max.“Getting the opportunity to do another comedy special with HBO is a dream come true, but even more so this time around because I’m excited for the world to see what happens when I go back to my roots,” Howery said.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterGreg Berlanti’s DC series “Strange Adventures” is not moving forward at HBO Max, Variety has confirmed.The planned anthology series was first announced as being in development at the streamer in 2019. Kevin Smith discussed the fate of the series on his “Hollywood Babble-On” podcast, saying he was working on an episode with “Supergirl” writer Eric Carrasco.“I got a call the other day from Eric before all of this story broke and he was just like ‘Strange Adventures is officially dead,’ and I was like ‘What the f–k, are you serious?!'” Smith said.“I thought ‘Strange Adventures’ being a causality kind of made sense to me,” he continued.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMarlon Wayans is moving his semi-autobiographical comedy series “Book of Marlon” to Starz.The premium cabler has put the show into development after it was previously set up at HBO Max. It was originally set up at HBO Max in 2020 as part of an overall deal Wayans had signed there.In the half-hour show, Wayans would play a fictionalized version of himself, exploring his professional life as a comedian and actor, as well as his personal life as he attempts to reconcile being a good person and loving father with being Marlon.