‘The Crown’ Producers Are Already Discussing A Prequel Series With Netflix

Andrew Wallenstein President and Chief Media AnalystWhen Michael Ellenberg worked at HBO developing hit series including “Westworld” and “True Detective,” he was producing in a very difference climate than the one in which he finds himself now.He’s nearly five years into his own production company, Media Res, where he works on the other side of the fence selling series including “Pachinko” and “The Morning Show” to a growing roster of buyers — in sharp contrast to the days when his previous employer had the field to high-end premium entertainment all to itself.“There used to be, as you know, really one buyer for these kinds of shows,” Ellenberg said on the latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business.” “For the really big stuff, there were never that many networks, right? So there’s way more than there used to be.” Ellenberg dishes on what it’s been like to put together buzzed-about programming in the streaming era, including “Pachinko,” which just wrapped up its first season on Apple TV+. No word yet on whether there will be more episodes of the trilingual epic drama in the future, but he says Media Res is more than ready to make more of the critically acclaimed series if Apple gives the greenlight.“We actually only finish a portion of the events of the book in Season 1,” he said of the Min Jin Lee novel.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max has brought Johan Renck onboard to direct the first two episodes.Renck will also serve as an executive producer on the show, currently titled “Dune: The Sisterhood.” It was ordered straight-to-series at HBO Max in June 2019. Previously, “Dune” director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve was attached to direct the pilot for “Dune: The Sisterhood,” but his work on the “Dune” sequel film will prevent him from doing so.The show is set 10,000 years prior to the events of “Dune” and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.Renck won two Emmys for his work on the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Chernobyl” — one as an executive producer when the show won best limited series and another for best directing for a limited series, as he directed all five episodes.

EXCLUSIVE: Steven Pasquale (American Crime Story: The People v OJ Simpson), Stephanie Szostak (A Million Little Things) and Tony Curran (Your Honor) are set for key recurring roles in David E. Kelley’s The Missing, Peacock’s eight-episode series based on Israeli crime writer Dror A. Mishani’s international bestselling novel The Missing File. Details of their characters are being kept under wraps.

Last week, we learned that Netflix was spending $30 million per episode on the fourth season of “Stranger Things,” which is double the costs of the final season of HBO‘s “Game of Thrones” at $15 million per and a huge jump from the $6 million price tag on the first season episodes of “Stranger Things.” That’s not the only high-priced streaming series on the way.

Two business stories converged as Elon Musk took a Twitter kick at Netflix after the streamer’s stock sank on subscribers losses.

Tom Ellis and Lucy Liu are set to star in a new show at Netflix!

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNetflix has ordered an adult animated series based on the card game “Exploding Kittens,” starring “Lucifer” star Tom Ellis and Lucy Liu. A new mobile game adaptation, “Exploding Kittens – The Game,” is being co-developed and will launch via the streamer in May, well ahead of the TV show’s planned 2023 debut.The show, which is executive produced by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, follows the eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell as it reaches epic proportions when both God and the Devil are sent to Earth – in the bodies of chunky house cats.Along with Ellis and Liu, “Exploding Kittens” stars Abraham Lim (“Clickbait,” “The Boys”), Ally Maki (“Wrecked,” “Toy Story 4”), Mark Proksch (“What We Do In The Shadows,” “Better Call Saul”) and Sasheer Zamata (“Woke,” “Home Economics”).

Netflix has ordered an animated series and a mobile game based on the Exploding Kittens card game – the first time that the streamer will launch a videogame and a series from the same franchise.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s Group Effort Initiative has partnered with Netflix on a new initiative that will expand underrepresented communities’ access to below-the-line career opportunities. Participants will secure access to on-set production training, as well as job placements this year on multiple Netflix productions throughout the United States and Canada.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterRyan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s company Group Effort Initiative is working with Netflix to hire people from underrepresented communities in film and television production jobs.The partnership, which focuses on below-the-line career opportunities, aims to create training and entry-level job options for marginalized communities in the U.S. and Canada.

If you’ve been wanting to see the Kings before Elizabeth II on The Crown, you could be in luck.

Get ready to delve even deeper in the “Flowers in the Attic” saga, with Lifetime sharing a new trailer for the upcoming prequel series “Flowers in the Attic: The Origin”.

Variety.While “The Crown” covers Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding in 1947 and her reign from the 1950s to the present day, the new show would look into the earlier events of the family’s tumultuous history.The series would reportedly dive into the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, and then into the dynasties of four British kings: Edward VII (1901-1910), George V (1910-1936), Edward VIII (1936) and George VI (1936-1952).These rulers governed the UK and the country’s Commonwealth realms from the period after Victoria and up to the start of Queen Elizabeth’s monarchy in 1952.The outlet reported that the new show has not been greenlighted nor is it in production as of yet.According to the Daily Mail, though, the prequel would run for about three to five seasons.In earlier seasons of “The Crown,” Jared Harris played King George VI, while Alex Jennings and Derek Jacobi both appeared as King Edward VIII.Jennings, 64, originated the role of the controversial Duke of Windsor for Seasons 1 and 2. Jacobi, 83, took over for Season 3, portraying the royal in his older years.George VI and King Edward VIII famously had a contentious relationship, with the latter abdicating the throne after less than a year in power back in 1936 so he could marry his beloved Wallis Simpson.

Back in 2021, it was announced that streaming giant Netflix had acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in the wake of a whole bunch of projects based on the author’s beloved stories going into development. Among these projects are a series based on the world of “Charlie & The Chocolate Factory” from Taika Waititi, and Wes Anderson‘s new anthology project based on the short story collection “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar & Six More,” with actor Benedict Cumberbatch (“Power of The Dog“) attached.

The Bridgerton universe is expanding quickly!

return for Season 2 over the weekend, there’s more news from that world. Netflix has confirmed the cast for the young Queen Charlotte spinoff series from Shonda Rhimes herself – including the actress who will play the young Charlotte.India Amarteifio (“Line of Duty”) plays the young Queen in the currently untitled series.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterThe Targaryens are returning to HBO.“House of the Dragon,” HBO’s first spin-off series of its record-breaking juggernaut “Game of Thrones,” will premiere on Aug.

HBO Max is slowly turning into the home for projects directly connected to the cinematic side of WarnerMedia. The streaming service hosts multiple feature films set in the DCEU and even two shows directly set in the world of Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman.” Now, HBO Max is setting its sights on a recent billion-dollar horror film property.

Going back in time! Following the success of Netflix’s Bridgerton series, it wasn’t long before creator Shonda Rhimes invested in Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) on a larger scale.