‘Witcher: Blood Origin’ Prequel Series at Netflix Casts Laurence O’Fuarain

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMcKenna Grace and Lexi Underwood will star in their own standalone episodes of the upcoming Disney Plus anthology series “Just Beyond,” with Nasim Pedrad set to join Grace in a guest starring role.The horror-comedy series is based on the RL Stine graphic novels of the same name. Disney Plus ordered eight episodes of the show last year.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime has ordered the anthology series “Cinema Toast” from creator Jeff Baena and executive producers the Duplass brothers.The series is described as a post-modernist reinvention of older movies that turns pre-existing imagery from the public domain on its head to tell brand new unique stories. It will feature the voices of actors like Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Fred Armisen, John Early, Christina Ricci, Megan Mullally, Chloe Fineman and Chris Meloni.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMichael Cera will star opposite Amy Schumer in the upcoming Hulu comedy series “Life & Beth.”Formerly known as “Love, Beth,” the show received a 10-episode order in July 2019 as part of a first-look deal Schumer signed with Hulu. She will serve as the writer, director, executive producer, and star of the series.In the show, Beth’s (Schumer) life looks pretty great on paper.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNikolaj Coster-Waldau will star in and executive produce a series adaptation of the Christina Clancy novel “The Second Home” currently in the works at Sony’s TriStar TV, Variety has learned.The story follows the Gordon and Shaw families beyond a fateful summer on Cape Cod. Told through two generations, the story explores how a devastating secret can derail young love, tear apart families, and change the fate of countless individuals forever if they let it.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRenée Elise Goldsberry is in talks to star in the “She-Hulk” series at Disney Plus, Variety has confirmed with sources.She joines previously announced series lead Tatiana Maslany and Ginger Gonzaga. The series centers on lawyer Jennifer Walters (Maslany), cousin of Bruce Banner, who inherits his Hulk powers after she receives a blood transfusion from him.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAdepero Oduye has been cast in the upcoming Apple series “Five Days at Memorial.”Oduye joins previously announced cast member Vera Farmiga. The series is based on the Sheri Fink novel of the same name.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterTom Holland is set to star in “The Crowded Room,” an anthology series from Akiva Goldsman that has been ordered at Apple.The first season of the series will be based on the biography “The Minds of Billy Milligan” by Daniel Keyes. It tells the story of Billy Milligan (Holland), the first person ever acquitted of a crime because of Multiple Personality Disorder (now known as Dissociative Identity Disorder).

Joe Otterson TV ReporterTyler Perry is developing a drama prequel series about the early life of his iconic character Madea for Showtime, Variety has learned.Showtime has ordered multiple scripts for the projects, which is titled “Mabel.” Per the official description of the project, long before she was the force of nature known as Madea she was a smart, fierce, irresistible, dangerous, crazy 20-something black woman named Mabel Simmons.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNick Offerman will star alongside Lily James, Sebastian Stan, and Seth Rogen in the Hulu limited series about the theft and release of Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee’s sex tape, Variety has learned.The eight-episode series is currently titled “Pam and Tommy.” Stan will play Lee while James will play Anderson. Offerman will star as Uncle Miltie.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Apple drama series “The Essex Serpent” has added four actors to its cast.Frank Dillane, Hayley Squires, Clémence Poésy, and Jamael Westman will join series leads Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston in the show, which is an adaptation of the Sarah Perry novel of the same name.The one-hour drama series follows newly widowed Cora (Danes) who, having being released from an abusive marriage, relocates from Victorian London to the small village of Aldwinter in Essex, intrigued

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSamantha Morton has been cast in the lead role of the Starz drama series “The Serpent Queen.”Morton will star as Catherine de Medici. Based on the book “Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France” by Leonie Frieda, the eight-episode series is described as an account of one of the most influential women ever to wear a crown.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHBO Max has given a series order to the half-hour comedy “Minx.”The streamer has given the show a 10-episode order. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, “Minx” on around an earnest young feminist (Ophelia Lovibond) who joins forces with a low-rent publisher (Jake Johnson) to create the first erotic magazine for women.In addition to Lovibond and Johnson, the show also stars Idara Victor, Jessica Lowe, Lennon Parham, Michael Angarano, and Oscar Montoya.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Station Eleven” series currently in the works at HBO Max is rounding out its cast.Lori Petty and Daniel Zovatto have been cast as series regulars, while Andy McQueen, David Cross, Enrico Colantoni And Julian Obradors will recur. They join previously announced cast members including Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, David Wilmot, Nabhaan Rizwan, and Philippine Velge.Based on the book of the same name by Emily St.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRachael Leigh Cook will star in the Netflix original film “A Tourist’s Guide to Love,” Variety has learned exclusively.The film is based on an original idea of Cook’s with Eirene Donohue set to write the screenplay. In the film, after an unexpected break up, a travel executive (Cook) accepts an assignment to go undercover and learn about the tourist industry in Vietnam.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDan Stevens has been cast in the Starz series “Gaslit,” which will tell the story of the Watergate scandal, Variety has learned from sources.Stevens joins previously announced cast members Julia Roberts and Sean Penn.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNBC has given a series order to the drama “Ordinary Joe.”The show was originally picked up to pilot at NBC last pilot season, but was held until this year due to the production shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.The series explores the three parallel lives of the show’s main character (James Wolk) after he makes a pivotal choice at a crossroads in his life.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCBS has given a series order to “CSI: Vegas,” a sequel series to the network’s hit forensics procedural “CSI.”Original series stars William Petersen and Jorja Fox will reprise the roles of Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle. The series opens a brand new chapter in Las Vegas, the city where it all began.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “4400” reboot at The CW has cast Joseph David-Jones and Khaliah Johnson, Variety has learned.The reboot was ordered to series at The CW in February. In the show, 4400 overlooked, undervalued, or otherwise marginalized people who vanished without a trace over the last hundred years are all returned in an instant, having not aged a day and with no memory of what happened to them.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDonald Faison has joined “The Powerpuff Girls” live-action pilot at The CW in the role of Professor Drake Utonium.The series, now titled simply “Powerpuff,” was first announced as being in development back in August. Based on the Cartoon Network series created by Craig McCracken, the new series sees the pint-sized superheroes as disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime fighting.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterChristina Ochoa has been cast in a major role of the ABC drama pilot “Promised Land,” Variety has learned.The show is described as an epic, generation-spanning drama about two Latinx families vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley.Ochoa will star as Veronica Sandoval, the eldest daughter of the Sandoval family, a wealthy vineyard-owning family in the Sonoma Valley.