‘Women Of The Movement’: Gil Bellows Joins ABC Limited Series

Hedwig and the Angry Inch‘s John Cameron Mitchell has been tapped to play the title character opposite Kate McKinnon in Joe Exotic (working title), UCP’s limited series based on the Wondery podcast, which is set to air across NBCU’s Television and Streaming Entertainment portfolio, including NBC, USA Network and Peacock.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJohn Ortiz has been cast in a leading 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. Ortiz joins previously announced cast members Christina Ochoa and Mariel Molino.Ortiz will star as Joe Sandoval, the patriarch of the Sandoval family, a wealthy vineyard-owning family in the Sonoma Valley.

EXCLUSIVE: Pepi Sonuga (9-1-1, Thriller) and Andrew Dice Clay (Blue Jasmine, A Star is Born) are set for recurring roles opposite Lily James, Sebastian Stan and Seth Rogen in Pam & Tommy, Hulu’s limited series based on the true story behind the release of the first ever viral video in history — the sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Nick Offerman also stars.

EXCLUSIVE: ABC is rounding out the recurring cast for its limited series Women of the Movement, from creator-writer Marissa Jo Cerar and a producing team that includes Jay-Z, Will Smith and Aaron Kaplan. Joining the cast are Leslie Silva as Ruby Hurley, Chris Butler as Rayfield Mooty, Alex Désert as Dr. Howard, Miles Fowler as Simeon Booker, Tongayi Chirisa as Medgar Evers, Jason Turner as James Hicks, and Daniel Abeles as Chet Packton.

It seems Netflix continues to be in the business of making new adaptations of books that were turned into classic thriller movies by Alfred Hitchcock. Last year saw the release of the disappointing new adaptation of “Rebecca,” and now, the streaming is developing a new adaptation of “The 39 Steps” as a limited series, with Benedict Cumberbatch starring.

Benedict Cumberbatch is filling up his roster with another limited series project.

EXCLUSIVE: The story of pool phenom Danny Basavich (aka Kid Delicious) is in the works for the small screen. Emmy-winning writer Todd Robinson (White Squall) and producer Rocky Lang have acquired Basavich’s life rights  to develop an eight-episode limited series.

EXCLUSIVE: Scandal alum Cornelius Smith Jr. has been tapped as a lead opposite Vera Farmiga and Adepero Oduye in Five Days at Memorial, Apple TV+’s limited series from John Ridley, Carlton Cuse and ABC Signature.

EXCLUSIVE: Andres Velez (Coyote Lake) has been cast as a lead alongside Christina Ochoa and Mariel Molino in ABC’s drama pilot Promised Land.

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterNetflix has ordered “The 39 Steps,” a limited series based on the 1915 John Buchan novel that will star Benedict Cumberbatch, with Edward Berger at the helm and Mark L.

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has landed The 39 Steps, a limited series star vehicle for Benedict Cumberbatch. Edward Berger, who previously teamed with Cumberbatch on Patrick Melrose, will direct and The Revenant scribe Mark L. Smith will write the series. It’s an update of the classic thriller novel by John Buchan that was famously turned into the 1935 film classic by Alfred Hitchcock.

The Comedy and Drama Series categories are filled with questions about what programs will fill out the eight slots allotted for each, but the Limited Series race is a battle royale for just five nominees. It’s so competitive there are arguably only two locks, “The Queen’s Gambit” and “WandaVision.” And there are two “should be” locks in “I May Destroy You” and “Small Axe,” but, sadly, neither is guaranteed to make the five.

Adepero Oduye (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Pariah) has been tapped as a lead opposite Vera Farmiga in Five Days At Memorial, Apple TV+’s limited series from John Ridley, Carlton Cuse and ABC Signature. The project reunites 12 Years a Slave co-star Oduye with the Oscar-winning movie’s writer Ridley.

EXCLUSIVE: Jodie Turner-Smith has departed Netflix’s six-part, live-action limited series The Witcher: Blood Origin. She was to play a lead, Éile, in the prequel to the streamer’s hit series The Witcher.

Nick Offerman has been tapped to co-star opposite Lily James, Sebastian Stan and Seth Rogen in Pam & Tommy, Hulu’s limited series based on the true story behind the release of the first ever viral video in history — the sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.

EXCLUSIVE: Workaholics and I’m Dying Up Here alum Erik Griffin is set as a lead opposite Shannon Woodward, Jane Lynch and Nicole Richie in ABC comedy pilot Bucktown, from The Conners‘ Emily Wilson, Tom Werner and Sara Gilbert and ABC Signature.

The Comedy and Drama Series categories are filled with questions about what programs will fill out the eight slots allotted for each, but the Limited Series race is a battle royale for just five nominees. It’s so competitive there are arguably only two locks, “The Queen’s Gambit” and “WandaVision.” And there are two “should be” locks in “I May Destroy You” and “Small Axe,” but, sadly, neither is guaranteed to make the five.

Daniel Zovatto (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels) and Lori Petty (Orange Is the New Black) are set as series regulars in HBO Max’s Station Eleven, a 10-episode post-apocalyptic limited drama series based on the international bestseller by Emily St. John Mandel. Andy McQueen (Books of Blood), David Cross (Arrested Development), Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars) and Julian Obradors (Mayans, M.C.) will recur on the series, from Maniac creator Patrick Somerville and Paramount TV Studios.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterColin Firth will play Michael Peterson in a series adaptation of “The Staircase,” which has been ordered to series at HBO Max.HBO Max has ordered eight episodes of the limited series, which is based on the docuseries of the same name and various books and reports on the Peterson case. Peterson was accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen, in 2001.

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) is set to direct multiple episodes of Hulu’s limited drama series The Dropout based on ABC News/ABC Radio’s podcast about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes. Showalter also will executive produce the series, from Disney Television Studios’ 20th Television and Searchlight, along with his Semi-Formal Productions producing partner Jordana Mollick.