Hey All,
Here are the news items from this past week:
RENEWALS
The Chi has been renewed for a 6th season by Showtime. (TV Line)
NOT HAPPENING (AFTER ALL)
The proposed reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was to feature a black actress as the titular heroine and has been in development since 2018, is now “on pause”. (The Hollywood Reporter and TV Line)
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
It looks like Nexstar, the TV station group giant has acquired a 75% stake in The CW; and with that announcement it appears the network won’t be “a hub for broadcast-TV’s teen dramas anymore, as it was revealed that the average age of the network’s viewers is 57.4 years of age. Tom Carter, the COO and President of Nexstar, stated that the network “will add more cost-effective unscripted programming and high-quality syndicated programming to its lineup.” The network’s co-owners – Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global – will continue to produce original scripted content, primarily for the 2022-23 broadcast season. Beyond that, Nexstar will extend its creative partnership with the two companies “if mutually agreeable.” (TV Line)
MOVING
The John Wick prequel series will move from Starz over to Peacock. The 3-part “special event” will premiere sometime in 2023. The event series will be told from the perspective of hotel manager, a young Winston Scott (played by Colin Woodell and based on Ian McShane’s character in the John Wick films), who is dragged through 1975 New York to face a past he thought he’d left behind. In an attempt to seize control of the iconic hotel, which serves as a meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals, Winston charts a deadly course through the mysterious underworld of New York City. (TV Line)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Viola Davis has joined the cast of The Hunger Games prequel movie The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, playing Volumnia Gaul, the mastermind of the diabolical teen death-match. (Variety)
Black-ish creator Kenya Barris will write and direct a reimagining of Wizard of Oz. Specifics about the film are being kept under wraps. (Variety)
It looks like Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie may be working together again (they are currently filming a live-action version of Ken and Barbie). It is being reported the well-known actors will appear in a reboot of the Ocean’s Eleven franchise. (Variety)
The creators of Cobra Kai are working on their next project. Sam and Victor’s Day Off, a spin-off of the box office film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, is their latest project. Based on unnamed characters from the original movie, Sam and Victor were valets who took Cameron’s father’s red Ferrari on a joy-ride. (Variety)
TV CASTING NEWS
The Lord of the Rings alum Elijah Wood will have a season-long guest arc in season two of Yellowjackets, playing Walter, a dedicated Citizen Detective who will challenge Misty (series regular Christina Ricci) in ways she won’t see coming. Also, Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi) has joined the cast of Yellowjackets, playing the adult version of Lottie. (TV Line)
Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Sandman and season 4 of Veronica Mars), Colin Farrell and Amy Ryan will star in the upcoming Apple series Sugar. Details on the show are scarce, but it is to be a genre-bending contemporary take on the private detective story set in Los Angeles. (Variety)
Neve Campbell (Lincoln Lawyer and Party of Five) and Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me) will star in the upcoming ABC series Avalon from David E. Kelley and Michael Connelly. The series takes place in the main city of Avalon on Catalina Island, where LA Sheriff Department Detective Nicole “Nic” Searcy (Campbell) heads up a small office. Meanwhile, Pasquale will play Detective William Claypool, a Los Angeles County Sheriff detective. (Variety)
The following cast members will return for season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Jr., Kevin McKidd, Kim Raver, Kelly McCreary, Anthony Hill, Caterina Scorsone, Camilla Luddington, Chris Carmack and Jake Borelli. Series regular Scott Speedman, will now appear in a recurring capacity. (TV Line)
Jordan Elsass is leaving Superman & Lois, where he plays twin Jonathan Kent, for the show’s upcoming 3rd season. The exact nature of his departure is unknown, but it’s being reported that it is not the result of a “workplace-related issue.” The role will be recast. (Variety and TV Line)
The 2nd season of FX’s Feud will star Tom Hollander, Diane Lane and Calista Flockart, who are joining Naomi Watts and Chloe Sevigny. This season of the 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.” Watts will play famed socialite Barbara “Babe” Paley, while Sevigny will play C.Z. Guest. Hollander will star as Capote, with Lane playing Nancy “Slim” Keith and Flockhart playing Lee Radziwill. (Variety)
A DIFFERENT ADAPTATION
While The Time Traveler’s Wife was cancelled by HBO after only one season, the story will continue in a different adaptation. It will now take the shape of a musical to premiere at the Chester Storyhouse (in England) this autumn, before it takes on a West End run. David Hunter will play the titular time traveller, Henry DeTamble while Joanna Woodward will play Clare Abshire. Grammy Award-winning composers Joss Stone and Dave Stewart are in charge of the score. (Radio Times)
STREAMING ORIGINAL FILMS NEWS
Jason Momoa and producer Peter Safran are teaming up to develop a feature biopic about Duke Kahanamoku, the legendary Hawaiian Olympic swimmer who is widely credited with popularizing surfing as a sport. (Variety)
That’s it. Enjoy!
Rueben's Ramblings 
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