Hi everyone, below you'll find all the casting announcements for the new pilot season. We'll try our best to keep this updated with all new casting as quickly if possible. If you find any that aren't posted, please do submit them in.
The latest pilot castings will be posted at the top.
Future Man - Derek Wilson to Co-Star in Hulu Comedy Pilot
Derek Wilson (Preacher) is set to co-star opposite Josh Hutcherson and Eliza Coupe in Future Man, Hulu’s half-hour comedy pilot from Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg & Sony TV, who also are behind Preacher. Wilson, who is a regular in the pilot, also is a regular on the first season of the upcoming AMC series, so the filming schedules for both projects had to be synched up.
Written by Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir, Future Man is a high-concept comedy that centers on Josh Futterman (Hutcherson), a janitor by day, world-ranked gamer by night, who is tasked with preventing the extinction of humans after mysterious visitors from the future proclaim him the key to defeating the imminent super-race invasion. Wilson will play Wolf, a futuristic soldier, another character in the Cybergeddon video game, Wolf is a grizzled, deadly, action hero. After years of fighting, he’s desensitized to violence and human emotion. He’s basically an animal; he’s destructive and lacks hygiene and interpersonal skills but is fiercely loyal to Tiger. Wolf has no respect for Josh and no faith in his ability to carry out the mission.
Jack Ryan - John Krasinski Cast in the Lead Role in Amazon Pilot
EXCLUSIVE: John Krasinski is the next Jack Ryan. The Office alum has closed a deal for the title role in Jack Ryan, the TV series project based on Tom Clancy’s popular CIA hero, which is set at Amazon through Paramount TV. In a competitive situation, the package, which includes the former Lost duo of co-showrunner Carlton Cuse and writer Graham Roland, Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and Skydance Media, landed at Amazon with a series commitment and the intention to go straight-to-series. While there is no official green light yet, the casting of Krasinski, who had been highly sought after by TV casting directors, would likely tip the scales and help net a series order. The project reunites Krasinski with Bay who recently directed him in the 13 Hours feature.
Conceived by Cuse and Roland, a former U.S. marine, based on Clancy’s novels, the show is not a direct adaptation of the books as were the first Jack Ryan movies but a new contemporary take on the character in his prime as a CIA analyst/operative using the novels as source material. Roland executive produces with Cuse and Lindsey Springer of Carlton Cuse Prods. as well as Platinum Dunes’ Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form and the movie franchise’s producer Mace Neufeld.
Stephen Root has been cast as a regular opposite Bill Hader and Henry Winkler in Hader’s HBO comedy pilot Barry.
The project, co-written and directed by Hader, centers on an ex-Marine (Hader) who works as a low-rent hitman in the Midwest. Lonely and dissatisfied in his life he begrudgingly travels to Los Angeles to kill someone and ends up finding an accepting in a group of eager hopefuls within the L.A. theater scene.
Root will play Fuches, a lawyer who arranges Barry’s hits. Also co-starring in the pilot are Sarah Goldberg, Glenn Fleshler and Anthony Carrigan.
Still Star-Crossed - Lucien Laviscount Cast as Romeo
Young British actor Lucien Laviscount (Scream Queens) has been cast as Romeo opposite Clara Rugaard’s Juliet in ABC drama pilot Still Star-Crossed, from Shondaland and ABC Studios.
Written by Heather Mitchell based on the book by Melinda Taub, Still Star-Crossed is set in 16th century Verona and picks up where William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet left off. Because of the premise, both Romeo and Juliet are guest-starring roles in the pilot, which charts the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.
I Love Dick - Kevin Bacon to Star in Amazon Comedy Pilot
Kevin Bacon (The Following) is set to star opposite Kathryn Hahn in Jill Soloway’s Amazon comedy pilot I Love Dick. Bacon had been in negotiations for the role for over a month, with the streaming service not confirming his casting until today.
Written by playwright Sarah Gubbins based on Chris Kraus’ 1997 novel and directed by Soloway, I Love Dick is set in a colorful academic community in Marfa, Texas. It centers on a struggling married couple, failing wife and independent filmmaker Chris (Hahn) and Sylvere, and their mutual obsession with an off-putting but charismatic professor, Dick (Bacon). Through that obsession, Chris goes on a journey of self-discovery and eventually transformative power. Told in Rashomon-style shifts of POV, I Love Dick charts the unraveling of a marriage, the awakening of an artist and the reluctant deification of a man named Dick.
Danish actress Clara Rugaard has been cast as Romeo’s Juliet in ABC drama pilot Still Star-Crossed, from Shondaland and ABC Studios.
Written by Heather Mitchell based on the book by Melinda Taub, Still Star-Crossed is set in 16th century Verona and picks up where William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet left off. Because of the premise, both Romeo and Juliet are guest-starring roles in the pilot, which charts the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.
Jean-Claude Van Johnson - Phylicia Rashad, Kat Foster and Moises Arias Join Amazon Pilot
Amazon is setting the cast for its upcoming Jean-Claude Van Damme comedy series.
Phylicia Rashad, Kat Foster and Moises Arias have boarded action comedy Jean-Claude Van Johnson, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The series stars Van Damme as a heightened version of himself — an action movie actor who comes out of retirement to resume his alter-ego, undercover private contractor Jean-Claude Johnson. Johnson's cover as the lead role in a re-imagined action film version of Huckleberry Finn lands him right back in the midst of the danger he secretly always craves — but most importantly, back in the orbit of Vanessa, his fellow operative and the woman he loves.
Foster ('Til Death, Your Family or Mine, Rebirth) will play Vanessa, an international undercover operative whose cover is working as a hair and makeup artist for film shoots. She spent years as his right-hand woman and fell in love with him on their last assignments together. She's now determined to keep him at arm's length when he deliberately gets himself assigned to her new mission in Bulgaria.
Rashad will take on the role of Jane Hardy, Jean-Claude's agent who doubles as the head of the secret-ops group for which he and Vanessa work. Arias (Hannah Montana, The Kings of Summer) will portray Luis, a young secret agent who works with Vanessa.
Chad: An America Boy - Paul Chahidi and Christine Tawfik Join Cast + Production Pushed to May; Remains In Midseason Consideration
Nasim Pedrad’s Fox comedy pilot Chad: An American Boy will not film in time to be considered for the fall schedule, but will be in the running for midseason.
Chad — a single-camera Middle Eastern family comedy co-created by and starring the Saturday Night Live alumna and directed by Jason Winer — was a late order, getting the pilot greenlight on February 10. It has been casting the other roles ever since, a process that took awhile. The two adult co-starring roles opposite Pedrad in the pilot have now been filled, with British actor Paul Chahidi and Christine Tawfik landing the parts of Hamid and Naz in the 20th TV-produced pilot, which will shoot in late May, after the upfronts.
“Because of our commitment to authenticity, we conducted a worldwide casting search for several roles in this pilot which meant that we wouldn’t have been able to get visas in time to shoot within the traditional pilot window,” 20th TV said in a statement.
Casting a family comedy that represents a specific ethnicity is hard because it involves finding actors that have chemistry, but also look and sound authentic. Nedrad is Iranian American, and Chad, Hamid and Naz were written as Iranian Americans. Chahidi is of Iranian descent while Tawfik was born in Egypt. (Similarly, on 20th TV, successful ABC family comedy Fresh Off the Boat, about a Taiwanese American family, Constance Wu is of Taiwanese descent, Randall Park is Korean American).
Written by Pedrad & Rob Rosell, Chad centers on a 14-year-old boy (Pedrad), who in the throes of adolescence is tasked with being the man of the house, which leaves him with all the responsibilities of being an adult without any of the perks. Chahidi plays Hamid, Naz’s sweet older cousin. Tawfik plays Naz, the witty long-divorced mom raising her two kids in Delaware with the help of her older cousin, Hamid.
My Time/Your Time - Tone Bell Joins Cast as 2 Roles Are Retooled
Truth Be Told star Tone Bell has been cast opposite Nicholas Braun and Jane Levy in My Time/Your Time, CBS’ hybrid comedy pilot from Hilary Winston and How I Met Your Mother creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, which is currently filming.
The late addition of Bell stems from a last-minute tweak the producers made, combining two supporting series regular characters in the original script — cast with Langston Kerman and Utkarsh Ambudkar — into one new character, played by Bell. As a result of the change, Ambudkar and Kerman are no longer in the pilot.
Bell is cast as a guest star in My Time/Your Time because he is already a regular on another comedy pilot, NBC’s Good Fortune (though this appears to be a relatively safe second position based on early pilot buzz I’m hearing).
Ambudkar was to play Jay, Wade’s friend and co-worker who looks like a slacker/surfer dude on the surface but is secretly ambitious. Kerman was to play another friend of Wades, Parker. He and Wade (Braun) were childhood buddies while growing up in the Midwest, and now they’re each other’s closest friend in L.A.
The Tick - Jackie Earle Haley Cast in a Villainous Role in Amazon's Superhero Pilot
Oscar-nominated actor Jackie Earle Haley is set for a key villainous regular role opposite Peter Serafinowicz in the Amazon pilot The Tick, a new take on Ben Edlund‘s comic book character with an all-new cast. Additionally, he is in negotiations for a co-starring role opposite Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in The Dark Tower.
The Tick reboot, written and executive produced by Edlund, is bringing back the eponymous muscle-bound, antennae-sporting superhero (Serafinowicz). In the new incarnation, the blue-suited Tick is recovering from a memory loss and ends up reteaming with his sidekick Arthur (Griffin Newman) to fight evil.
Haley will be a major part of that evil, as he will play The Terror, a powerful super villain and the leader of the evil league in the comics. He is described as our world’s epitome of the criminal mastermind, a hooded ancient villain barking at his minions whose incredible will power and tenacity have powered an underworld syndicate for decades. The character was featured in an episode of Edlund’s 2001 Fox live-action series, where he was played by Armin Shimerman (right). Edlund executive produces the Amazon pilot with Barry Josephson for Sony Pictures TV.
When The Street Lights Go On - Adam Long Joins Hulu Drama Pilot
British actor Adam Long (Happy Valley) is set as a series regular in When The Lights Go On, Hulu’s drama pilot adapted from the Black List feature script by writers Chris Hutton and Eddie O’Keefe. The project hails from Paramount Television and Anonymous Content.
In the vein of Stand By Me, When The Street Lights Go On is a coming-of-age thriller about a sleepy, suburban town that is rocked by the brutal murder of a high school girl and her teacher in the summer of 1983.
Long will play 17-year-old rebel Casper Tatum, a popular suspect in the small town murder.
A Lot - Lucy Punch, Brett Goldstein, Jenn Tullock & Krystal Smith Join HBO Comedy Pilot
Lucy Punch (Ben And Kate), Brett Goldstein (SuperBob), Jenn Tullock (Partners) and Krystal Smith (aka YouTube’s Krissychula) have been cast opposite Whitney Cummings in her half-hour HBO comedy pilot A Lot (fka Untitled Whitney Cummings).
Inspired by Maureen Dowd’s book Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide, Cummings stars in this not so romantic comedy about how a financially successful woman navigates a world complicated by the biological and cultural differences between the sexes.
Punch is Izzy, a close friend of Amanda’s who is in her first romantic relationship with a woman. Goldstein plays Max, Amanda’s live-in boyfriend who designs hand-drawn wall paper and makes very little money. Tullock plays Lou, Amanda’s freshly divorced friend. Smith is Opal, Amanda’s new and outspoken assistant.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Anthony Head is set as a regular in the ABC drama pilot Still Star-Crossed, from Shondaland and ABC Studios.
Written by Heather Mitchell based on the book by Melinda Taub, Still Star-Crossed is set in 16th century Verona and picks up where William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet left off. It charts the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.
The story centers on Rosaline (Lashana Lynch), a gorgeous, intelligent and headstrong Capulet and Juliet’s cousin who is ordered to marry Benvolio (Wade Briggs), a Montague.
Head plays Lord Capulet. Kind and powerful, Lord Capulet is a thoughtful man with a sunny, jovial disposition. However, he will turn on you if you cross him. Grant Bowler was just cast as rival Lord Montague.
Banshee’s Frankie Faison has booked a series regular role on Toast, ABC’s hybrid comedy pilot from Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers’ Shondaland, Scott Foley and Greg Grunberg.
The project revolves around the engaged couple Max (Jono Kenyon) and Page (Jerrika Hinton), who, over their wedding rehearsal dinner, have their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple – but flashbacks reveal that the toasts don’t always get it right, as we watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage.
Faison will play Big Earl, the self-made and energetic father of Page, who is funding her over-the-top wedding with the fortune he’s made with the family auto business.
Former Defiance star Grant Bowler is set as a regular in the ABC drama pilot Still Star-Crossed, from Shondaland and ABC Studios.
Written by Heather Mitchell based on the book by Melinda Taub, Still Star-Crossed is set in 16th century Verona and picks up where William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet left off. It charts the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.
The story centers on Rosaline (Lashana Lynch), a gorgeous, intelligent and headstrong Capulet and Juliet’s cousin who is ordered to marry Benvolio (Wade Briggs), a Montague. Bowler will play Lord Montague. He is hot but scary, rugged,a ruthless and brilliant man hellbent on raising his family’s fortunes, no matter the cost.
Citizen - Tom Waits Joins Hulu's Supernatural Pilot
Tom Waits (Fight Club) has joined the cast of Citizen, Hulu’s supernatural drama pilot, from Me And Earl And The Dying Girl director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Paramount TV, and Anonymous Content.
Set against the backdrop of a vibrant, ‘supernaturalized’ Los Angeles, Citizen is a hero origin story, blending gritty vigilantism with elements of magical realism.
Waits will play Cesar, a priest, who is a walking anachronism of virtue and vice, mostly virtue. A proudly anti-authoritarian man, Cesar, runs a guerrilla humanitarian outfit with questionable legality from his church in Boyle Heights.
Model Woman - Kaley Roynane and Marcus Callender Join Cast
Kaley Roynane (Gotham) and Marcus Callender (Straight Outta Compton) have booked series regular roles in ABC drama pilot Model Woman.
The project, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television and ABC Studios, is a fictionalized family soap inspired by Robert Lacey’s book Model Woman: Eileen Ford And The Business Of Beauty, the recently published biography of the outspoken and controversial woman who started as a model and went on to co-found the famous Ford Modeling Agency with her husband Jerry.
Roynane will play Rebecca Blackwell, the top model in the world. She is a stone cold beauty, stunning but immature and has been with the Geiss Agency since she was a young teenager and like the other models, lives at the Geiss home. Callender will play Drew Pickett, a charming, charismatic couture designer.
Jamie Bamber has joined ABC’s drama pilot Model Woman in a recasting.
He’ll play Lio Fibonacci, a longtime colleague of Bertie and Miller Geiss (Andie MacDowell and Steven Weber) who reads more rock star than agent and opens a rival agency that he plans to take to the top. Felix Gomez initially was cast in the role. The project, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television and ABC Studios, is a fictionalized family soap inspired by Robert Lacey’s book Model Woman: Eileen Ford and the Business of Beauty, the recently published biography of the Ford Modeling Agency co-founder.
When The Street Lights Go On - Cory Hardrict to Star
“American Sniper” actor Cory Hardrict has signed on to star in the Hulu drama “When the Street Lights Go On.”
Odessa Young is also set to topline the pilot, which Steve Golin, Michael Sugar and Tariq Merhab are producing for Anonymous Content, along with “Mr. Robot” producer Chad Hamilton. The potential series is based on the Black List script from writers Chris Hutton and Eddie O’Keefe who will also exec produce the project. Paramount TV is producing, and Brett Morgen will direct the pilot.
The show centers on the residents of a small town who grapple with the ruthless killing of a young girl and a teacher. Hardrict will play Officer Teddy Green, the police chief’s second in command — a competent detective who underestimated the small-town job. However, he’s sharp enough to spot something on a surveillance video that turns out to be a vital clue.
Ryan Eggold, who plays Tom Keen on the NBC drama, has closed a deal for the potential spinoff, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Should the series move forward, Eggold would co-star. He has been with the original series since its inception, playing the mysterious husband of Elizabeth (Megan Boone).
Set to air as a back-door pilot on the May 12 episode of the James Spader-led series, Famke Janssen (X-Men, How to Get Away With Murder) stars as Susan ""Scottie"" Halsted. Her character will be introduced in the previous episode, airing May 5. Details about her character are also being kept close to the vest, however sources have toldTHR that the role could be the mother to Eggold's character. In addition to Janssen, Eggold would join Edi Gathegi on the spinoff.
When The Street Lights Go On - Graham Beckel and Luke Kirby Join Cast
Graham Beckel (Aquarius) and Luke Kirby (Rectify) are set as series regulars opposite Max Burkholder and Odessa Young in When the Street Lights Go On, Hulu’s drama pilot adapted from the Black List feature script by writers Chris Hutton and Eddie O’Keefe. The project hails from Paramount Television and Anonymous Content.
In the vein of Stand by Me, When the Street Lights Go On is a coming-of-age thriller about a sleepy, suburban town that is rocked by the brutal murder of a high school girl and her teacher in the summer of 1983.
Graham Beckel will play Chief Hal Hoffman, the soon-to-be-retired town sheriff. Kirby will play Andrew Koch, the high school newspaper adviser and mentor to Charlie Chambers (Burkholder).
Brooks Wheelan (Saturday Night Live) has landed a series regular role on Toast, ABC’s hybrid comedy pilot executive produced by Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes. The project hails from Rhimes and Betsy Beers’ Shondaland, Scott Foley and Greg Grunberg. Written by Foley and Grunberg and directed by Gail Mancuso, Toast revolves around engaged couple Max (Jono Kenyon) and Page (Jerrika Hinton), who, over their wedding rehearsal dinner, have their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple — but flashbacks reveal that the toasts don’t always get it right, as we watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage.
Wheelan will play Vince, an extreme sports enthusiast. An animated and adventurous guy, he is Max’s best man and best friend. Wheelan spent the 2014 season on SNL, and his other credits include Those Who Can’t, Girls, Hawaii Five-O and a Comedy Central stand-up special. Repped by Gersh, Avalon and Hansen Jacobson, he next will be seen in the indie feature Random Tropical Paradise.
Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable) has been cast as a series regular opposite Famke Janssen, Ryan Eggold and Edi Gathegi in NBC’s proposed spinoff from The Blacklist. Like fellow new Blacklist addition Janssen, Cypress will recur on the last couple of episodes of the original series this season and will become a regular should NBC proceed with the project as a new series for next season.
The Blacklist episode that will serve as a formal planted spinoff is Episode 322 — airing May 12 — written by The Blacklist creator/executive producer Jon Bokenkamp and exec producer/showrunner John Eisendrath and directed by Michael Dinner.
Cypress will play Nez Rowan (fka Harper). Janssen will play Susan “Scottie” Halsted. No details are being provided on the spinoff’s premise, but I hear that it focuses on Scotties relationship with Tom (Eggold), which is said to be similar to Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader)’s relationship with Liz (Megan Boone) on the original series.
Sheila Vand (Argo, NBC’s State Of Affairs) is set as a series regular opposite Corey Hawkins, Miranda Otto and Jimmy Smits in 24: Legacy, Fox’s drama pilot that reboots the 24 franchise with brand new characters and cast.
Written by 24 veterans Manny Coto and Evan Katz and directed by Stephen Hopkins (who helmed the original 24 pilot), 24: Legacy chronicles the return of military hero Eric Carter (Hawkins) to the U.S. and the trouble that follows him back – compelling him to ask CTU for help in saving his life, and stopping what potentially could be one of the largest-scale terror attacks on American soil.
Vand will play Nilaa, the campaign director of Sen. Donovan (Smits) who is driven and bright and won’t take a back seat to the judgment of Donovan’s wife, Rebecca (Otto). Teddy Sears and Anna Diop also co-star.
The Fluffy Shop - Tyler Hilton Joins Cast in Recasting
In a recasting, One Tree Hill alum Tyler Hilton has been set as a series regular in the ABC comedy pilot The Fluffy Shop, co-written by and starring Gabriel Iglesias. Hilton replaces Paul Walter Hauser, who was originally cast in the pilot. The Fluffy Shop follows Gabe (Iglesias), a stepfather and boss to his family and friends, while he navigates his home life during the few days he spends off the road each week.
Hilton will play Memo, high-spirited, earnest and sincere, he is Gabe’s oldest and most loyal friend. The pilot was co-written by Tim Doyle, Jay Lavender and Iglesias who are also executive producing with Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements and Joe Meloche. Ted Wass is directing. Most recently, Hilton recurred on CBS’ Extant. Hilton, who is a also singer/songwriter, is repped by Berwick & Kovacik and Don Buchwald & Associates.
Brendan Hines (Lie To Me) is set to co-star opposite Peter Serafinowicz in the Amazon pilot The Tick, a new take on Ben Edlund’s comic book character. Edlund is writing and executive producing for Sony Pictures TV. The reboot is bringing back the eponymous muscle-bound, antennae-sporting superhero (Serafinowicz). In the new incarnation, the blue-suited Tick is recovering from a memory loss and ends up reteaming with his sidekick Arthur (Griffin Newman) to fight evil.
The two are surrounded by a new host of characters that include Superian (Hines), a superhero with issues, and Arthur’s sister Dot (Valorie Curry). Hines, who most recently recurred on CBS’ Scorpion, is repped by Sanders Armstrong Caserta Management, TalentWorks, and Jackoway Tyerman.
MacGyver - Addison Timlin Cast as the Female Lead; Michelle Krusiec Joins Cast
Addison Timlin (Califorication) has been cast as the female lead opposite Lucas Till in CBS’ drama pilot MacGyver. Also set as a regular alongside George Eads and Joshua Boone in the reimagining of the 1985 series is Michelle Krusiec (Hawaii 5-0).
The pilot, co-written by Paul Downs Colaizzo and Brett Mahoney and directed by David Von Ancken, features twentysomething Angus MacGyver (Till), who is recruited into the clandestine organization from the original series where he uses his knack for solving problems in unconventional ways to help prevent disasters from happening.
Timlin will play Mickey, an app developer who’s aggressively progressive in her political views with a soft spot for MacGyver (Lucas Till). Krusiec plays Agent Croix, Lincoln’s (Eads) sister who works for the Department of Homeland Security.
Untitled Weeks/Mackay ABC Comedy Pilot - Tattiawna Jones Cast as the Female Lead
Flashpoint alumna Tattiawna Jones has landed the female lead opposite Andy Ridings in ABC’s untitled Weeks/Mackay comedy pilot.
Written by The Mindy Project co-star Ed Weeks & Hannah Mackay and directed by Leslye Headland, the single-camera project centers on lesbian Hilda (Jones) and her best friend Randall (Ridings), a neurotic straight guy, as they navigate their dysfunctional, co-dependent friendship and the world of dating. Jones’s Hilda is an intelligent and seemingly confident lesbian lothario with a dry sense of humor – that she uses to hide her underlying fear of growing up, settling down and becoming conventional.
Midnight, Texas - Parisa Fitz-Henley and Yul Vasquez Join Cast
Parisa Fitz-Henley (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and Yul Vasquez (Captain Phillips) are set as series regulars in NBC’s supernatural drama pilot Midnight, Texas, based on the bestselling trilogy by Charlaine Harris. Written by Monica Owusu-Breen and directed by Niels Arden Oplev, Midnight, Texas is described as “Twin Peaks meets True Blood” in Midnight, Texas, a remote town where your neighbor could be a vampire, a witch, a werewolf, or even an angel.
Fitz-Henley will play Fiji, a quirky, funny, free spirit who marches to the beat of her own drum.
Vasquez is the Reverand, a grizzled Mexican cowboy who always wears his Stetson boots. He presides over the wedding chapel and cemetery. Fitz-Henley, repped by CESD, Washington Square Films and Peikoff/Mahan, recurs on Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Vasquez played the series regular role of President Westwood on The Lottery and recurred on Divorce.
Jaime Lee Kirchner (Mercy) is set as a series regular in CBS drama pilot Bull, from Amblin TV and CBS TV Studios. Written by Phil McGraw and Paul Attanasio, Bull is inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw during his days as head of one of the most prolific trial consulting firms of all time.
Kirchner will play Danny, the team’s investigator, a former FBI interrogator with a photographic memory.
Ariana Molkara (Septembers of Shiraz) has booked a series regular role in Fox pilot Chad: An American Boy, a single-camera Middle Eastern family comedy co-created by and starring Saturday Night Live alumna Nasim Pedrad and directed by Jason Winer. Written by Pedrad & Rob Rosell, Chad centers on a 14-year-old boy (Pedrad) in the throes of adolescence who’s tasked with being the man of the house, which leaves him with all the responsibilities of being an adult without any of the perks.
Molkara will play Nikki, Chad’s little sister. Molkara appeared in feature Septembers in Shiraz and recently guested on Code Black. She’s repped by Coast To Coast and attorney Carolyn Conrad.
Young actor Micah Fowler has been cast in ABC’s comedy pilot “Speechless,” which is about a family with a special-needs child.
Fowler — who has cerebral palsy in real life — will portray JJ, the family’s eldest child who is nonverbal.
Minnie Driver will star as Fowler’s mother in the ensemble comedy that also stars John Ross Bowie (“The Big Bang Theory”) as Driver’s on-screen husband, Kyla Kenedy as the middle child and Mason Cook as the youngest. The potential series will revolve around the family as they tackle day-to-day challenges.
Recent NYU graduate Ryan-James Hatanaka rounds out the core cast of Chicago Justice (fka Chicago Law), the next installment of Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise for NBC.
The planned spinoff will be introduced in Episode 21 of Chicago PD this season, titled Justice, which started filming today in Chicago with Jean de Segonzac directing. Hatanaka will play investigator Daren Okada who is working alongside fellow investigator Lori Nagle (Joelle Carter). Philip Winchester, Nazneen Contractor and Carl Weathers also star.
Prototype - JR Bourne and Toby Hemingway Join Cast
Teen Wolf‘s JR Bourne and Toby Hemingway (Black Swan) are set as series regulars opposite Cote de Pablo and Jack Davenport in Prototype, Syfy’s sci-fi thriller drama pilot written by Tony Basgallop (24: Live Another Day). It centers on three unlikely cohorts — two of them played by de Pablo and Davenport — who inadvertently stumble upon an invention that challenges the very nature of quantum physics – a discovery which in turn puts their lives in grave danger.
Bourne will play Ethan, Laura’s (de Pablo) husband. Frustrated by Laura’s long hours and split focus, he doesn’t believe in Laura’s time-consuming, after-hours project. Hemingway is Forde, a model-actor and Donna’s abusive live-in boyfriend.
Comedian, writer and actor Owen Smith is set as a series regular opposite Sebastian Maniscalco and Tony Danza in NBC’s multi-camera pilot Sebastian, produced by Greg Garcia. The project, from CBS TV Studios and Garcia’s Amigos De Garcia Productions, was inspired by Maniscalco’s life. Written by Austen Earl and to be directed by Scott Ellis, it chronicles Sebastian’s (Maniscalco) old-school values, instilled by his opinionated Italian father (Danza), which are constantly put to the test by his new wife, her family, and the absurdities of the modern world.
Smith will play Kev, Sebastian’s beleaguered friend/security guard, who is still single and a little clueless about everything. Smith made his late night stand-up comedy debut on Conan and has produced two hourlong comedy specials – the latest Good Luck Everybody shot entirely on iPhones. As a writer his credits include Survivor’s Remorse. The Arsenio Hall Show, The ESPY’s, The Guy’s Choice Awards, Whitney (NBC), Deon Cole’s Black Box, Are We There Yet and Everybody Hates Chris.
Bloodline star Enrique Murciano has been cast opposite Anna Paquin in ABC’s drama pilot Broken (fka untitled Meaghan Oppenheimer project and Please Don’t Go). Written by Oppenheimer, Broken follows the personal and professional life of Gemma (Paquin), a ruthless divorce attorney in Dallas whose life begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister (Charity Wakefield) resurfaces, triggering self-destructive tendencies and exposing long-hidden family secrets.
Murciano will play Peter, Gemma’s (Paquin) childhood friend-turned-nemesis after she represented his ex-wife in his divorce. Peter comes from a similarly rough upbringing as Gemma, but through hard work has become a successful doctor.
Jesse Rath (Defiance) has booked a series regular role in The CW pilot No Tomorrow, from the Jane The Virgin duo of writer/co-executive producer Corinne Brinkerhoff and executive producer Ben Silverman. Directed by Jane the Virgin pilot director Brad Silberling and written by Brinkerhoff and the comedy writing-directing team Scott McCabe and Tory Stanton, No Tomorrow centers on a risk-averse, straight arrow, female procurement manager (Tori Anderson) at an Amazon-like distribution center who falls in love with a freewheeling man who lives life to the fullest because he believes the apocalypse is imminent, to comedic and poignant results as they embark on a quest together to fulfill their individual bucket lists.
Rath will play Timothy, sweet, smart, successful, appealing in that cool-tech-nerd kind of way, Timothy is Evie’s ex-boyfriend – the guy she probably “should” marry. Rath is repped by SDB Partners and Hess Entertainment.
Gail O’Grady (NYPD Blue) is set as a series regular opposite Rebecca Breeds and Parker Sawyers in NBC’s drama pilot Miranda’s Rights. Written/co-executive produced by Katie Lovejoy and executive produced by John Glenn, Miranda’s Rights is a one-hour legal soap about an idealistic group of lawyers — Young Law Group — who not only work together but live together at their start-up firm. The story centers on Miranda Coale (Breeds), a pretty and smart attorney plagued for the past six years by a youthful mistake — a much-publicized and scandalous affair in her early 20s with a married state Senator which changed the course of her life forever.
O’Grady will play Karen Klein, a whip-smart, formidable career woman who is head of the Klein & Associates law firm. O’Grady’s credits include starring roles in NBC series NYPD Blue, which earned her three consecutive supporting actress Emmy nominations, and American Dreams. She also recurred on ABC’s Revenge and will next be seen in upcoming TV movie The Right Girls.
Untitled Weeks/Mackay ABC Comedy Pilot - Christine Horn Joins Cast
Christine Horn has booked a series regular role in ABC’s untitled Weeks/Mackay comedy pilot. Written by The Mindy Project co-star Ed Weeks & Hannah Mackay (Peep Show) and directed by Leslye Headland, the single-camera project centers on lesbian Hilda and her best friend Randall (Ridings), a neurotic straight guy, as they navigate their dysfunctional, co-dependent friendship and the world of dating.
Horn will play Gail, a slightly pretentious ex-lawyer who gave up the rat-race to open a bar in Austin with her girlfriend, where she mothers everybody. Horn’s previous TV credits include Complications and Tyler Perry’s The Haves And The Have Nots.
“The Walking Dead” alum Kyla Kenedy has been cast as a series regular in ABC’s comedy pilot “Speechless,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Kenedy joins star Minnie Driver in the potential series, about a family with a special-needs child that is good at dealing with the challenges it faces, but excellent at creating new ones.
The young actress will play Driver’s on-screen daughter, Dylan. The middle child, she is described as preternaturally focused and driven to succeed, but disconnected from her emotions. She is a champion runner with a competitive spirit, and she takes her non-verbal brother JJ’s physical challenges and the nuttiness of her mom (Driver) in stride.
Speechless - John Ross Bowie Cast as the Male Lead on ABC's Comedy Pilot
John Ross Bowie, who recurs on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, has booked the male lead opposite Minnie Driver in the ABC comedy pilot Speechless, from Scott Silveri and 20th Century Fox TV.
Speechless centers on a family with a special-needs child that is good at dealing with the challenges it faces and excellent at creating new ones. Bowie will play the dad, Jimmy, who, after a long day providing for his family, comes home and provides every last laugh he can wring out of a sometimes difficult life. He is married to Maya (Driver) and clearly adores the wild ride. As the father of three teenage boys, Jimmy tends to let his wife rule the roost, but he’s there as a buffer when either the boys or Maya go off the rails.
British actress Rachel Hurd-Wood (Home Fires) is set as a series regular in ABC pilot Spark, from writer Michael Cooney and producers Ian Sander & Kim Moses. Spark is a lavish primetime drama series of passion, greed and hope in a Steampunk reality, circa 2016. Set in an alternate history where gas and coal fuel the world, the drama centers on the battle for power between two rival families and a rebellious young woman with a spark of invention that could level both their empires.
Wood will play Keira Stockton, Hazel Stockton’s daughter (Lena Olin) who is being groomed by her mother to take over the Stockton Coal Company one day. Hurd-Wood recently appeared in a starring role on ITV’s Home Fires.
Four Stars - Bojana Novakovic Cast as the Female Lead
Bojana Novakovic is set as the female lead opposite Wilmer Valderrama in Four Stars, CBS’ drama pilot from playwright/TV writer Becky Mode, CBS TV Studios, and studio-based Timberman/Beverly Productions.
Written by Mode and to be directed by RJ Cutler, Four Stars centers on two powerful rival families in the military community of Tampa, FL — the Buckleys and the Rodriguezes — who make decisions at the highest levels in the interest of national security.
Novakovic will play Ali Buckley, a sharp‐witted, Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative journalist and the daughter of four‐star special ops legend General Buckley (Bruce Greenwood). Valderrama plays Matt, the son of Gen. Rodriguez (Steven Bauer). Ashley Zukerman and Ana Cruz Kayne are set as Ali and Matt’s sibling, respectively.
Cruel Intentions - Taylor Zakhar to Guest with the Potential to Recur
NBC’s “Cruel Intentions” pilot has added Taylor Zakhar to the cast, TheWrap has learned exclusively.
Upon discovering his late father’s legacy in a hidden journal, Bash is introduced to a world of sex, money, power and corruption he never could have imagined.
Zakhar has been cast in the guest role of Jay, a recently-out hard partier and Cassidy’s ex-boyfriend, who tries to convince Bash to join his team. Should the pilot get picked up to series, Zakhar’s character has the potential to recur in multiple episodes.
The Tick - Peter Serafinowicz Cast as the Lead in Amazon's Revival Pilot
EXCLUSIVE: British actor-comedian Peter Serafinowicz is set as the lead in the Amazon pilot The Tick, a new take on Ben Edlund‘s comic book character with an all-new cast. Edlund, who created the 2001 live-action Fox comedy as well as the 1994 animated series, is writing and executive producing. Also back are fellow original exec producer Barry Josephson and original studio Sony Pictures TV.
The reboot is bringing back the eponymous muscle-bound, antennae-sporting superhero (Serafinowicz). In the new incarnation, the blue suit-wearing Tick is recovering from a memory loss and ends up re-teaming with his sidekick Arthur (Griffin Newman) to fight evil. The two are surrounded by a new host of characters that include Arthur’s sister Dot (Valorie Curry).
Dan Hildebrand has signed on as a series regular to ABC drama pilot Still Star-Crossed from Shondaland. Written by Heather Mitchell based on the book by Melinda Taub and directed by Michael Offer, Still Star-Crossed is set in 16th century Verona and picks up where William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet left off. It charts the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.
Hildebrand will play Friar Lawrence, who uses the church to climb the social ladder.
UK actor, writer and comedian Tom Stourton has booked a series regular role on ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Hail Mary, from Sony TV and ABC Studios. Written by The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and directed by Julie Anne Robinson, Hail Mary centers on Mary Wolf (Casey Wilson), a young small-town mayor who has dysfunctional siblings, a dying father, disgruntled citizens, a nearly bankrupt town and the mafia breathing down her neck. Only a miracle can help her. So … she fakes one.
Stourton will play Inspector Matteo, a dry-witted, confident emissary from the Vatican who has come to this small town to investigate a sighting of the Virgin Mary.
Angel Parker, who can currently be seen in “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” has booked a recurring role in NBC’s comedy pilot “The Trail,” which stars John Lithgow, Variety has learned exclusively.
“The Trail” follows the arrest and murder trial of a beloved poetry professor, Larry Henderson (Lithgow), from a small Southern town who is accused of murdering his wife, and the young “Northeastern” lawyer and team hired to defend him. Parker will play Heidi Baker, a local Carolina newscaster who’s following the Larry Henderson murder case and reports on many of the case’s unexpected twists and turns.
Untitled Kevin James CBS Comedy - Lenny Venito and Gary Valentine Join the Straight to Series Comedy
Lenny Venito (The Neighbors) and Gary Valentine (The King of Queens) are set as series regulars opposite Kevin James in his multi-camera comedy series at CBS.
The untitled show, from Sony Pictures TV, James’ studio-based Hey Eddie Productions and CBS TV Studios, centers on a newly retired police officer (James) who looks forward to spending more quality time with his wife and three kids — only to discover he faces much tougher challenges at home than he ever did on the streets.
Venito will play Duffy, Kevin’s (James) oldest buddy with a great sense of humor and two ex-wives. Valentine is Kyle, Kevin’s brother who is a fireman and not taken seriously by Kevin and his cop buddies.
When The Street Lights Go On - Kelli Mayo and Ben Winchell Join Cast
Kelli Mayo and Ben Winchell are set as series regulars in When The Street Lights Go On, Hulu’s drama pilot adapted from the Black List feature script by writers Chris Hutton and Eddie O’Keefe. The project hails from Paramount Television and Anonymous Content.
In the vein of Stand By Me, When The Street Lights Go On is a coming-of-age thriller about a sleepy, suburban town that is rocked by the brutal murder of a high school girl and her teacher in the summer of 1983.
Mayo will play 15-year-old bohemian bookworm, Berlice Beaman. Winchell is Brad Krichoff, the brooding, quarterback boyfriend of prom queen, Chrissy Monroe.
Miranda's Rights - Parker Sawyers Cast as the Male Lead
On the heels of his first feature starring role as Barack Obama in the indie Southside With You, which premiered at Sundance, Parker Sawyers has been cast as the male lead opposite Rebecca Breeds in NBC’s drama pilot Miranda’s Rights.
Written/co-executive produced by Katie Lovejoy and executive produced by John Glenn, Miranda’s Rights is a one-hour legal soap about an idealistic group of lawyers — Young Law Group — who not only work together but live together at their start-up firm. In centers on Miranda Coale (Breeds), a pretty and smart attorney plagued for the past six years by a youthful mistake — a much-publicized and scandalous affair in her early 20s with a married state Senator which changed the course of her life forever.
Untitled NBC Vladimir Caamaño Pilot - Liche Ariza Joins Cast
Liche Ariza has booked a series regular role in NBC’s untitled multi-camera family comedy pilot starring Vladimir Caamaño. Produced by Bill Lawrence and written by Adam Sztykiel and Caamaño, the project is inspired by Caamaño’s real-life family dynamic living with his Dominican father and older brother in the Bronx.
Ariza is Julio, Vlad’s (Caamaño) father, a hard-working, good-hearted, endearingly melodramatic family man who has been in this country since 1970. A building super, Julio shares a rent-free basement unit with his two sons, while his wife (whom he adores) has a nearby subsidized apartment.
Susannah Fielding (4.3.2.1) is set as a series regular opposite Joel McHale and Stephen Fry on The Great Indoors, CBS‘ multi-camera pilot written and executive produced by Mike Gibbons. The comedy, from CBS TV Studios, centers on Joel (McHale), an adventure reporter who must adapt to the times when he becomes boss to a group of millennials in the digital department of their magazine.
Fielding will play Brooke, Antonio’s (Fry) daughter who is in charge of co-running “The Great Outdoors” with him.
Untitled Laura Steinel FOX Comedy Pilot (aka HR) - Esai Morales to Co-Star
Esai Morales is set to co-star opposite Judy Greer and Patton Oswalt in Fox’s untitled Laura Steinel comedy pilot (aka HR).
The project, from 20th Century Fox TV, centers on Jane (Greer), the overused and underappreciated head of Human Resources for a plastics molding plant, who is caught between trying to manage her charmingly incompetent HR department and an eccentric new CEO Sam (Oswalt), who dreams of bringing the New Jersey plastics plant into the future.
Morales will play Bruce. Even though Bruce is usually unclogging toilets, or fixing someone’s foot heater, he always has a pleasant, chill and strangely sexy demeanor.
The worlds of Law & Order and Chicago Justice are about to collide.
Lorraine Toussaint is set to appear in the backdoor pilot of Dick Wolf's latest NBC drama as a character she originated on the former series 26 years ago, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The Critics Choice Award winner will play defense attorney Shambala Green in the 21st episode of Chicago P.D., which serves as the backdoor pilot for Chicago Justice. Formerly titled Chicago Law, the show stars Philip Winchester, Nazneen Contractor, Joelle Carter and Carl Weathers, the latter's casting was announced Saturday at PaleyFest.
Toussaint played Green seven times over Law & Order's 20 seasons, her most recent appearance being in 2003. Since then, Toussaint has enjoyed breakout success thanks to her role as Vee in Orange Is the New Black. The actress currently stars on the Fox medical drama Rosewood. Her appearance in the Chicago Justice pilot is a guest-starring role, meaning her full-time gig on Rosewood will not be affected.
MacGyver - Lucas Till Cast as MacGyver in CBS Pilot
Following a lengthy and extensive casting search, CBS has found its new MacGyver.
X-Men alum Lucas Till has been tapped to take on the character that was originally made famous by Richard Dean Anderson, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Additionally, Joshua Boone has joined the drama pilot as a series regular.
CBS' MacGyver is described as a reimagining of the television series of the same name. It follows a 20-something MacGyver (Till) as he gets recruited into a clandestine organization where he uses his knack for solving problems in unconventional ways to help prevent disasters from happening.
Till recently wrapped X-Men: Apocalypse, where he plays mutant Havok. He's also set as the lead in Paramount's Monster Trucks. The actor, who was born into a military family and raised by his father (a lieutenant colonel and aviation task force commander in the Army, he started his career on the set of Walk the Line. He's repped by APA, manager Tom Sullivan and Hirsch Wallerstein.
Chicago Justice is bringing a true fighter onboard.
Rocky alum Carl Weathers has joined the latest spinoff project, executive producer Dick Wolf announced Saturday at PaleyFest.
The actor, best known for his portrayal of fighter Apollo Creed, will play the state's attorney of Cook Country in the backdoor pilot for the new project, which is set to air as episode 21 of the current season of Chicago PD.
What Goes Around Comes Around - Matt Murray Joins Cast
Kevin From Work alum Matt Murray has booked a series regular role opposite Alyssa Milano and Jason Lee on CBS comedy pilot What Goes Around Comes Around. In addition, he’s been cast in a recurring role on USA drama series Eyewitness. Written by Kopelman and directed by Tim Story, What Goes Around Comes Around centers on two fortysomething parents — Kenny (Lee), a husband, father and owner of a hip music management company; and Robin (Milano) — who were wild and reckless teenagers now face their worst nightmare of raising three teenagers.
Murray will play Doyle, the Smithers to Kenny’s (Lee) Mr. Burns. Kenny is the father figure he never had and, in Doyle’s eyes, Kenny can do no wrong. In crime thriller Eyewitness Murray will play Deputy Tony Michaels, Sheriff Helen’s (Julianne Nicholson) right-hand man who seamlessly operates their storefront precinct.
Sterling Sulieman (In Time) has joined ABC drama pilot Still Star-Crossed from Shondaland. Written by Heather Mitchell based on the book by Melinda Taub, Still Star-Crossed is a period drama that picks up where Romeo & Juliet left off, charting the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.
Jackee Harry has joined the cast of ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Hail Mary, from Sony TV and ABC Studios. Written by The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and directed by Julie Anne Robinson, Hail Mary centers on Mary Wolf (Wilson), a young small-town mayor named who has dysfunctional siblings, a dying father, disgruntled citizens, a nearly bankrupt town and the mafia breathing down her neck. Only a miracle can help her. So … she fakes one.
Harry will play Nurse Wanda, the insightful, no-nonsense nurse tending to Mr. Wolf.
The Mick - Carla Jimenez, Thomas Barbusca and Jack Stanton Join Cast
Carla Jimenez, Thomas Barbusca and Jack Stanton have booked series regular roles opposite Kaitlin Olson in Fox comedy pilot The Mick. Written by John and Dave Chernin, The Mick has a centers on Mackenzie “Mickey” Murphy (Olson), a hard-living, foul-mouthed, cigarette-smoking woman who moves to affluent Greenwich, CT to raise the spoiled kids of her wealthy sister who has fled the country to avoid a federal indictment. She quickly learns what the rest of us already know — other people’s children are awful.
Jimenez will play Alba, the Pembertons’ housekeeper who gets along famously with Mickey.
Barbusco is Chip, A supremely confident twelve-year-old with adult-like sensibilities and an extremely punchable face. Chip behaves as if the world is a cocktail party and he is the host. His conservative ideology and entitled behavior can be off-putting to a lot of people, especially his Aunt Mickey.
Untitled Laura Steinel FOX Comedy Pilot (aka HR) - Veronica Osorio & Lateefah Holder Join Cast
Veronica Osorio (Hail Caesar!) and newcomer Lateefah Holder are set as series regulars opposite Judy Greer in Fox comedy pilot HR (aka untitled Laura Steinel). The project, from 20th Century Fox TV, centers around Jane (Greer), the over-used and under-appreciated head of H.R. for a plastic molding plant, who is caught between trying to manage her charmingly incompetent human resources department and a new eccentric CEO who dreams of bringing the New Jersey plastics plant into the future.
Osorio will play Tanya, a real Jersey girl. She started as Jane’s (Greer) assistant but worked her way up to payroll and severances.
Holder is Effie, a factory worker at BS Plastics. Effie is… a pain, the kind who makes dramatic, impassioned pleas to keep the soda machines.
Ben Rappaport (Mr. Robot) has been cast as a series regular in Zoobiquity, Fox’s light medical procedural pilot written by Bones executive producers Stephen Nathan and Jon Collier and directed by Kevin Bray.
Based on the best-selling book by Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, Zoobiquity follows the unlikely pairing of Dr. Kara Martins (Marsha Thomason), a successful, driven cardiologist as she risks career suicide by teaming with Dr. Lucas Cort (Peter Facinelli), a brilliant, socially-challenged veterinarian who relates better to animals than people. They try to put aside their competitive natures to cure the incurable using a unique blend of cross-species medicine that’s never been tried before. Kim Raver co-stars.
Rappaport will play Dr. Henry Lowe, a cardiology resident. Ambitious and always concerned with doing the right thing for his career, he surprisingly bends hospital rules.
Me & Mean Margaret - Gavin Stenhouse Cast as the Male Lead in NBC Comedy Pilot
Allegiance star Gavin Stenhouse is returning to NBC as the male lead opposite Stockard Channing in the network’s multi-camera comedy pilot Me & Mean Margaret, from producer Peter Chernin.
Written by veteran comedy writer Adam Barr and directed by top multi-camera director Jimmy Burrows, Me & Mean Margaret is an unlikely buddy comedy that follows Margaret (Channing), a fiercely candid and often offensive legendary actress, and Ben (Stenhouse), the ambitious 27-year-old lawyer forced to babysit her.
Naturally conciliatory but not a doormat (entirely), Ben is a nice, responsible, hard-working lawyer with a solid plan for his life: make partner, get a killer apartment with his girlfriend, get married. He accepts his latest assignment as the legal conservator/babysitter for the notoriously mean and mischievous former actress Margaret Manley (Channing), but quickly realizes it’s more than he bargained for. He’s forced to go way outside his comfort zone and think on his feet — and in the process, learns a thing or two from her about standing up for himself.
Untitled Chris Case FOX Comedy Pilot - Joshua Carlon, Steele Stebbins and Amberia Allen Joins Cast
Joshua Carlon (Richie Rich), Steele Stebbins (Vacation) and Amberia Allen (Punk’d) are set as series regulars opposite Bill Bellamy and Becki Newton in Fox’s untitled Chris Case comedy pilot from 20th Century Fox Television.
Written by Case and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, the untitled interracial family comedy (fka My White Wife And Kids) follows Jay “Havoc” Hammond (Bellamy), an African-American ex-NFL lineman who recently moved in with his white wife, Christy (Newton), and her two oddball sons, as he struggles to win the most challenging game of his life: fatherhood.
Carlon will play Colin, Christy’s meek, awkward Amberia Allenmama’s boy. Colin has absolutely no game whatsoever. Jay takes him under his wing and tries to teach him self-confidence.
Stebbins is Harry, Christy’s 12-going-on-25-year-old son, charming, rap-loving, more confident than motivated, and as much of a ladies’ man as a kid can be at 12. He’s also selfish and disrespects authority, probably because he’s never had any authority to respect.
Allen is Angela, Jay’s well-educated, successful and strong-willed sister. She has some very specific points-of-view about Jay’s marriage that she doesn’t necessarily keep to herself.
The Jury - JD Pardo Joins Cast *Updated with Details on his Character*
Please Note: Deadline has released information on his character*
Revolution alum JD Pardo is set as a series regular opposite Jeremy Sisto, Archie Panjabi and Kevin Rankin in ABC’s murder trial drama pilot, The Jury. Written by VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli, and executive produced by Carol Mendelsohn, The Jury examines “the ultimate social experiment” that happens thousands of times a day in the U.S.: A person’s fate is placed in the hands of 12 strangers. Described as “12 Angry Men meets the podcast Serial,” the series follows a single murder trial a season as seen through the eyes of the individual jurors, exploring the biases and experiences that influence the jurors’ judgment and how their preconceptions change along the way.
Pardo will play Oscar, a U.S. Marine who signed up for the Corps straight out of high school and displays immense pride in his status as a soldier.
Punam Patel has landed a series regular role on Toast, ABC’s hybrid comedy pilot executive produced by Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes. The project hails from Rhimes and Betsy Beers’ Shondaland, Scott Foley and Greg Grunberg. Written by Foley and Grunberg and directed by Gail Mancuso, Toast revolves around engaged couple Max Leeds (Jono Kenyon) and Page (Jerrika Hinton), who, over their wedding rehearsal dinner, have their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple — but flashbacks reveal that the toasts don’t always get it right, as we watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage.
Patel will play Arden, a charmingly spoiled life-of-the-party who is first up to give a toast at the rehearsal dinner who definitely says more than she should. Patel, who cut her teeth in Chicago’s Second City, is also an alum of CBS’ Diversity Showcase. Her credits include a series regular role in Kevin From Work, and a guest starring role on NBC’s untitled Amy Poehler pilot.
Daniel Bonjour has joined the cast of Frequency, the CW’s drama pilot based on Toby Emmerich’s sci-fi thriller. The TV series, written by Supernatural showrunner Jeremy Carver, centers on Raimy, a female police detective in 2016 who discovers that she is able to speak via a ham radio with her estranged father, Frank Sullivan (Riley Smith), also a detective, who died in 1996. They forge a new relationship while working together on an unresolved murder case, but unintended consequences of the ‘butterfly effect’ wreak havoc in the present day.
Bonjour will play Daniel Badour, a handsome man with infectious charm, an up-and-coming architect who is deeply in love with Raimy and planning to propose. He’s gravely concerned by Raimy’s apparently insane claims that she’s communicating with her dead father in the past. Bonjour has recurred on The Walking Dead and Satisfaction.
Comedian-writer Yassir Lester (The Carmichael Show) is been cast opposite Adam Pally in Making History, Fox’s time-travel single-camera comedy pilot executive produced by Phil Lord, Chris Miller & Julius “Goldy” Sharpe. Written by Sharpe, Making History revolves around three unlikely friends who find an even less likely way to travel through time, irreversibly complicating their personal lives in 2016.
Lester will play Chris, a 30-year-old history professor and the most popular teacher on campus, with good reason. He has a gift of inspiring people by making his encyclopedic knowledge of history accessible. Women love him and guys want to be his buddy but when he goes to the past, it quickly unravels. Yassir is currently working double duty on the writing staff of The Carmichael Show and Girls, but will take a brief hiatus to shoot this pilot.
Tommy Savas is set opposite Gabriel Iglesias on ABC comedy pilot The Fluffy Shop, co-written by and starring Iglesias. It follows Gabe (Iglesias), a stepfather and boss to his family and friends, while he navigates his home life during the few days he spends off the road each week.
Savas will play Reggie, Gabe’s manager, who’s not a slick Hollywood player but tries to carry himself like one. He grew up disadvantaged, didn’t go to college but makes up for it with street hustle. Gabe met Reggie early in his career and sticks with him out of loyalty.
Johnathan Fernandez has been cast opposite Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans Sr. in Lethal Weapon, Fox’s hourlong pilot based on the hit movie franchise. In the pilot, written by Matt Miller and directed by McG, when Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Riggs (Crawford) suffers the loss of his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he is partnered with LAPD Detective Roger Murtaugh (Wayans Sr), who, having recently suffered a “minor” heart attack, must avoid stress in his life.
Fernandez will play Scorsese, a dry-toned and creative pathologist with the LAPD who works with Riggs (Crawford) and Murtaugh (Wayans Sr.)
Lethal Weapon - Keesha Sharp to Co-Star in Recasting
Keesha Sharp, who plays attorney Johnnie Cochran’s wife Dale in the hit FX miniseries American Crime: The People vs. OJ Simpson, is set to co-star opposite Damon Wayans Sr. in Lethal Weapon, Fox’s hourlong pilot based on the hit buddy cop action comedy movie franchise. Girlfriends alumna Sharp, who will play one of the lead female roles, Trish, replaces fellow former Girlfriends star Golden Brooks, who was originally cast in the part. The decision was made after the project’s table read last night.
In Fox’s Lethal Weapon, written by Matt Miller and directed by McG, when Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford) suffers the loss of his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he is partnered with LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh (Wayans), who, having recently suffered a “minor” heart attack, must avoid stress in his life.
Sharp will play Roger’s hardworking, perceptive and loving wife Trish, who worries about him and is not thrilled when she hears about his new adrenaline-crazed partner. In the movies, Trish was played by Darlene Love and Roger by Danny Glover.
Untitled Chris Case FOX Comedy Pilot - Bill Bellamy to Star
Fox has found its leading man for Chris Case's comedy pilot. Stand-up comedian/actor Bill Bellamy will star opposite Becki Newton in the inter-racial family comedy.
The family comedy follows Jay ""Havoc"" Hammond, an African-American, ex-NFL lineman who recently moved in with his white wife and her two oddball sons, as he struggles to win the most challenging game of life: fatherhood.
Bellamy will take on the role of Jay, a tough, ex-NFL player who has retired from the field and is looking to move into the sports announcer side of the business. He is also married to Christy (Becki Newton) and is step-father to her two sons. He tries to respect Christy’s wish that he let her be the disciplinarian, but when he feels like she’s allowing the kids to get away with too much, he steps in with comic results…but manages to get through to the kids, too.
Speechless - Minnie Driver to Star; Mason Cook to Co-Star
Former About A Boy star Minnie Driver is set as the female lead in the ABC comedy pilot Speechless, from Scott Silveri and 20th Century Fox TV. In addition, Mason Cook (The Haunting Hour) has been cast as the project’s young lead.
Speechless centers on a family with a special-needs child, which is good at dealing with the challenges it faces and excellent at creating new ones.
Driver will play the mother, Maya. Fiercely protective of her non-verbal son JJ, she makes it her mission to find the perfect school for him, repeatedly moving her family from town to town in the process. Her single-minded fight for her family can rub people the wrong way – sometimes people in the family itself – but it all stems from a loving intention.
Cook will play Ray, the youngest of the family’s three boys. Ray supports his mother as she struggles and tilts at windmills; he just wishes she could bust a few fewer asses along the way. Quite certain he’s always right, Ray views himself as “the only adult in the family” – an assertion to which the actual adults who birthed him sometimes object.
Transylvania - Sofia Pernas Replaces Amrita Acharia
The Young & the Restless‘ Sofia Pernas has been cast as a regular opposite Laura Brent in The CW genre-themed drama pilot Transylvania. She replaces Amrita Acharia who was originally cast in the role.
It’s been a whirlwind 48 hours for Pernas. On Monday, she was let go early from her Young & the Restless contract due to budgetary reasons. Twenty four hours later, she had auditioned, tested, and booked the role in Transylvania, and today, she got on a plane to go to the pilot shoot.
Written by Hugh Sterbakov and directed by Jason Ensler, Transylvania is set in 1880 and centers on Victoria (Brent), a headstrong young woman in search of her missing father who ventures from NYC to Transylvania where she teams up with a wrongfully disgraced Scotland Yard Detective, and together they witness the births of the most famous monsters and villains in history.
Pernas will play Coriander, an exotic gypsy, the leader of the matriarchal Szgany clan that runs the fleshpots of the Old City — the haunted spot where Vlad the Impaler once killed thousands of their tribe.
Melissa Tang is set as a series regular opposite Marsha Thomason and Peter Facinelli in Zoobiquity, Fox’s light medical procedural pilot written by Bones executive producers Stephen Nathan and Jon Collier and directed by Kevin Bray. Based on the best-selling book by Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, Zoobiquity follows the unlikely pairing of Dr. Kara Martins (Thomason), a successful, driven cardiologist as she risks career suicide by teaming with Dr. Lucas Cort (Facinelli), a brilliant, socially-challenged veterinarian who relates better to animals than people.
Tang will play Dr. Diana Hess, an earthy and free-spirited top resident pathologist at the hospital. Tang’s TV credits include The Goodwin Games, The Big Bang Theory and Beauty and the Beast. She’s repped by Gersh and Colleen Schlegel Entertainment.
Julie White (Transformers) has been cast opposite David Keith in Real Good People, CBS’ multi-camera comedy project, written/executive produced by writer-actress Stephnie Weir and executive produced by Greg Garcia. It centers on a conservative small-town family forced to reconcile their values when they discover their children’s lives are less than perfect.
White will play Gloria, the family matriarch and other half of what is possibly the world’s happiest couple. Paradigm-repped White was a series regular on Amazon’s Alpha House and recently appeared on The Good Wife.
Bull - Michael Weatherly Cast as Lead in CBS's Dr. Phil Drama Pilot
Departing NCIS co-star Michael Weatherly is staying in the CBS fold as the lead in the network’s drama pilot Bull, playing a character inspired by Dr. Phil.
Written by Phil McGraw and Paul Attanasio and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, Bull is based on popular daytime talk-show host Dr. Phil’s early days as head of one of the most prolific trial consulting services of all time. It centers on Dr. Jason Bull (Weatherly), who runs Trial Sciences Inc., a company that analyzes juries to help develop defense strategies. He has a physicality and feral intelligence that make him magnetic to women, and a bruising candor.
Ghostbusters‘ Ernie Hudson is set to co-star opposite Justin Kirk and Natalie Martinez in Fox’s drama pilot APB, from writer David Slack and Sleepy Hollow co-creator/executive producer Len Wiseman.
Inspired by the July New York Times Magazine article “Who Runs the Streets of New Orleans,” APB explores what happens when an enigmatic tech billionaire, Gideon Reed, (Kirk) purchases a troubled police precinct in the wake of a loved one’s murder.
Hudson will play Sgt Ed Conrad, a gruff, grumpy teddy bear veteran cop with the 13the Precinct. He’s not a fan of the arrival of the precinct’s new “owner,” Gideon Reed, (Kirk). Martinez plays Detective Amelia Murphy.
EXCLUSIVE: Grey’s Anatomy co-star Jerrika Hinton has been cast as the female lead opposite Jono Kenyon in Toast, ABC’s hybrid comedy pilot executive produced by Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes. The project hails from Rhimes and Betsy Beers’ Shondaland, Scott Foley and Greg Grunberg.
Hinton’s casting in Toast will have no immediate impact on her status on Grey’s Anatomy, where she is a regular, playing surgical resident Stephanie Edwards. If Toast goes to series, that will likely be revisited. There are no plans in place but I hear there is a possibility for her to do both shows, likely scaling back her duties on Grey’s for logistical reasons.
Written by Foley and Grunberg and directed by Gail Mancuso, Toast revolves around engaged couple Max Leeds (Kenyon) and Page (Hinton), who, over their wedding rehearsal dinner, have their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple — but flashbacks reveal that the toasts don’t always get it right, as we watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage.
Hinton’s Page is Max’s confident, no-nonsense, self-aware, soon-to-be bride. She’s spent most of her life working very hard but feeling a bit sheltered by her well-to-do Texas family. In an effort to break the mold, Page finds herself wanting to take a risk with the charismatic but awkward Max.
In addition to Hinton, Shondaland also recruited Grey’s alumna Tessa Ferrer for a co-starring role in Toasts.
Sakina Jaffrey (House of Cards) is set as a series regular in Time, NBC’s action adventure drama pilot from Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, The Shield creator Shawn Ryan, Sony Pictures TV and studio-based Davis Entertainment. Described as “Back To The Future meets Mission: Impossible,” Time is a high-octane drama following an unlikely trio who travel through time to battle a master criminal intent on altering the fabric of human history with potentially catastrophic results.
Jaffrey will play Agent Denise Christopher, a formidable and high-ranking goverment agent in charge of the team’s trip back in time to chase after the criminal. Jaffrey recurs as The Mindy Project and Mr. Robot. She’s repped by Greene & Associates Talent Agency, Authentic Talent and Literary and Schreck, Rose, Dapello & Adams.
Untitled NBC Vladimir Caamaño Pilot - Lilah Richcreek Joins Cast
Lilah Richcreek has joined the series regular cast of NBC’s untitled multi-camera family comedy pilot starring Vladimir Caamaño. Produced by Bill Lawrence and written by Adam Sztykiel and Caamaño, the project is inspired by Caamaño’s real-life family dynamic living with his Dominican father and older brother in the Bronx.
Richcreek will play Rosie, self-described Bronx girl, a smart, capable young woman managing close to 20 of her dad’s buildings. Vlad (Vladimir Caamaño) finds her both inspiring and intimidating. When Rosie offers Vlad a job as her IT guy, this gives their good-natured flirtation even more common ground.
Dream Team - MasterChef Jr. Winner Addison Osta Smith Joins Cast
Addison Osta Smith, the youngest and first female winner of cooking competition series MasterChef Jr, has been cast opposite Justin Long in Dream Team, ABC’s single-camera half-hour from comedy writers Kari Lizer and Bill Wrubel, and Warner Bros. TV.
Written/executive produced by Lizer and Wrubel, Dream Team centers on Marty Schumacher (Long). Recently divorced, Marty is the eternally optimistic manager of a sporting goods store and also the “damn good” head coach of a nationally ranked soccer program — the one true love in his life. Currently recruiting young girls for his dream team, Marty is looking to recreate his amazing rise to the national championships of two years ago.
Smith will play Miley, a fantastic soccer player who is built like a sparkplug and recruited to join Schumacher’s (Long) dream team.
Popular British actor/comedian/writer/game show host Stephen Fry is set to co-star opposite Joel McHale in The Great Indoors, CBS‘ multi-camera pilot written by Mike Gibbons and directed by Andy Ackerman. The comedy, from CBS TV Studios, centers on Joel (McHale), an adventure reporter who must adapt to the times when he becomes boss to a group of millennials in the digital department of their magazine.
Fry will play Antonio, the charismatic founder of “The Great Outdoors” magazine, and a world traveler, explorer and adventurer. The employee-boss dynamic between Joel and Antonio is compared to that between Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon and Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy on NBC’s 30 Rock.
Sarayu Blue (Monday Mornings) has been cast opposite Tori Anderson and Joshua Sasse in The CW pilot No Tomorrow, from the Jane The Virgin duo of writer/co-executive producer Corinne Brinkerhoff and executive producer Ben Silverman. Directed by Jane the Virgin pilot director Brad Silberling and written by Brinkerhoff and the comedy writing-directing team Scott McCabe and Tory Stanton aka Two Trick Pony, No Tomorrow centers on a risk-averse, straight arrow, female procurement manager (Anderson) at an Amazon-like distribution center. She falls in love with a freewheeling man (Sasse), who lives life to the fullest because he believes the apocalypse is imminent, leading to comedic and poignant results as they embark on a quest together to fulfill their individual bucket lists.
Blue will play Kareema, one of the manager’s (Anderson) “too-hip” co-workers. Blue, repped by Pakula/King & Associates and D2 Management, recurs on The Real O’Neals and will next be seen in Veep.
Chandler Kinney (Gortimer Gibbons Life on Normal Street) has joined the cast of Lethal Weapon, Fox’s hourlong pilot based on the hit movie franchise. In the pilot, written by Matt Miller and directed by McG, when Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Riggs suffers the loss of his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he is partnered with LAPD Detective Roger Murtaugh, who, having recently suffered a “minor” heart attack, must avoid stress in his life.
Kinney will play Riana Murtaugh, the Murtaughs’ 15-year-old daughter, a typical L.A. teenager. The only time Riana looks up from her phone is to deploy that famous Murtaugh wit at the dinner table; she will bring up anything she can to drive her parents nuts.
“Awkward” star Wesam Keesh has been cast as a series regular in Fox’s “Zoobiquity” pilot, Variety has learned exclusively.
“Zoobiquity” is a light medical procedural, which follows the unlikely pairing of a successful, driven cardiologist (Raver) as she risks career suicide by teaming with a socially-challenged veterinarian (Facinelli) in an effort to tackle the most challenging cases with an untested brand of cross-species medicine.
Keesh — who is best known for playing Kyle on the MTV series, “Awkward” — will play Zahid, Facinelli’s assistant at his veterinarian practice. The character is described as kind, strong-willed and a computer whiz.
Kevin Zegers (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones) is set as a series regular in ABC’s drama pilot Notorious. The project, from Sony Pictures TV and Jeff Kwatinetz’s The Firm, was inspired by the relationship between famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and longtime Larry King Live executive producer Wendy Walker. Written by Drop Dead Diva creator Josh Berman and blogger Allie Hagan, Notorious is described as a provocative look at the interplay of criminal law and the media.
Zegers will play Oscar Keaton, a billionaire playboy who created one of America’s biggest social media companies that went public two years ago.
Medalion Rahimi has signed on as a series regular to ABC drama pilot Still Star-Crossed from Shondaland. Written by Heather Mitchell based on the book by Melinda Taub, Still Star-Crossed is set in 16th century Verona and picks up where William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet left off. It charts the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.
Rahimi will play Princess Isabella, described as intelligent, outspoken and practical with inner steel.
Actor-comedian J.B. Smoove has been cast opposite Geoff Stults and David Spade in The Kicker, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot from the 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt trio of Tina Fey, Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock.
Written by Burditt, The Kicker centers on Daryl Thorkelsonan (Stults), an oddball athlete who drives family, friends and strangers insane after he unexpectedly finds himself retired. Smoove will play Gil, Daryl’s (Stults) extremely loyal, totally lovable employee.
Prototype - Annabelle Dexter-Jones Cast in a Lead Role
Annabelle Dexter-Jones has booked a lead role in Prototype, Syfy’s sci-fi thriller drama pilot written by Tony Basgallop (24: Live Another Day). It centers on three unlikely cohorts who inadvertently stumble upon an invention that challenges the very nature of quantum physics – a discovery which in turn puts their lives in grave danger.
Dexter-Jones will play Donna Neuring, a young coder and math whiz whose help has been enlisted to bring a potentially momentous invention to life. But while Donna may be the key to getting a working prototype, her home life is anything but functional.
Real Good People - Lindsey Gort and Betsy Beutler Join Cast
The Carrie Diaries‘ alumna Lindsey Gort and Betsy Beutler (You’re The Worst) have been cast opposite Nick Zano and Ross Kimball in Real Good People, CBS’ multi-camera comedy project, written/executive produced by writer-actress Stephnie Weir and executive produced by Greg Garcia. It centers on a conservative small-town family forced to reconcile their values when they discover their children’s lives are less than perfect.
Justified alumna Joelle Carter has signed on for a co-starring role opposite Philip Winchester and Nazneen Contractor in Chicago Justice (fka Chicago Law), the next installment of Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise for NBC.
The planted spinoff will be introduced in Episode 21 of Chicago PD this season, which will be directed by Jean de Segonzac. Carter will play Lori Nagle, a tough-as-nails investigator.
Joshua Sasse, who plays the title role in ABC’s medieval musical comedy Galavant, is set as the male lead opposite Tori Anderson in the CW pilot No Tomorrow. The project, from CBS Studios, has Sasse in first position.
Directed by Jane the Virgin pilot director Brad Silberling and written by Brinkerhoff and the comedy writing-directing team Scott McCabe and Tory Stanton aka Two Trick Pony, No Tomorrow centers on a risk-averse, straight arrow, female procurement manager (Anderson) at an Amazon-like distribution center. She falls in love with a freewheeling man (Sasse), who lives life to the fullest because he believes the apocalypse is imminent, leading to comedic and poignant results as they embark on a quest together to fulfill their individual bucket lists. Brinkerhoff and Silverman executive produce for CBS TV Studios and Electus.
The underrated Galavant, created by Dan Fogelman with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, has developed a cult following but has been softly rated in its limited runs as a midseason replacement. Its second second renewal was hailed as a “miracle” in the self-deprecating opening number of Season 2. Another such miracle is not expected, especially with the ABC Studios-produced show’s chief supporter at ABC, Paul Lee, gone. Still, even if Galavant is to beat the odds and come back, Sasse will only appear in the first episode of the potential third season in a carveout from No Tomorrow. It is hard to imagine Galavant continuing beyond that without Galavant.
Peter Gallagher has been cast in NBC’s revival of “Cruel Intentions,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Gallagher will play Edward Valmont, a sexy, beguiling, sophisticated, powerful and ruthless billionaire hotel magnate with fingers in many far-reaching financial pies — some legal, some not so much. Edward is delighted to discover that he’s got a long-lost grandson in the newly arrived Bash Casey and once the DNA test proves his claim, Edward immediately starts grooming Bash for a life of impossible wealth and opportunity.
Christopher Jackson, who plays George Washington in the Broadway smash hit musical, Hamilton, has been cast in the CBS drama pilot Bull, from Amblin TV and CBS TV Studios.
Written by Phil McGraw and Paul Attanasio, Bull is based on popular daytime talk show host Dr. Phil’s early days as head of one of the most prolific trial consulting services of all time. It centers on Dr. Jason Bull, who runs Trial Sciences Inc., a company that analyzes juries to help develop defense strategies.
Jackson will play Chunk, a stylist on the team who helps prepare defendants for trial, and a former All-American lineman.
EXCLUSIVE: Young Chicago actor Justin Cornwell has landed the co-lead opposite Bill Paxton in CBS’ drama pilot Training Day.
Written by Will Beall and directed by Danny Cannon, Training Day is a present-day reimagining of Antoine Fuqua’s acclaimed 2001 feature. Set 15 years after the film left off, the show centers on a bright, gung-ho, idealistic young African-American police officer, Kyle Craig (Cornwell), who is appointed to an elite squad of the LAPD where he is partnered with seasoned, morally ambiguous detective Frank Rourke (Paxton).
Cornwell’s Kyle is one of the good guys — an LAPD cop who is fearless in the face of terrible odds and driven to avenge the murder of his father, also a cop. Tapped to go undercover, Kyle is reassigned to the Special Investigation Section, where he’s supposed to take down rogue cop Rourke.
The Great Indoors - Christopher Mintz-Plasse Joins Cast
Christopher Mintz-Plasse (How To Train Your Dragon 2) has been cast opposite Joel McHale in The Great Indoors, CBS‘ multi-camera pilot written and executive produced by Mike Gibbons. The comedy, from CBS TV Studios, centers on Joel (McHale), an adventure reporter who must adapt to the times when he becomes boss to a group of millennials in the digital department of their magazine.
Mintz-Plasse will play Clark, one of Joel’s colleagues, a tech/nerd survivalist who knows everything about surviving at sea, in the woods and on Mars, but hasn’t left downtown in five years. Cast also includes Shaun Brown and Christine Ko.
Steven Weber is set as the male lead opposite Andie MacDowell in ABC’s drama pilot Model Woman.
Weber will play Miller, a character inspired by Jerry Ford. Miller is Bertie’s tall, charming, imposing and handsome husband and the father of their three children. A sharp businessman, Miller runs Geiss Agency with his wife, and he’s grown it into the top modeling agency in the world. He genuinely adores Bertie and has tremendous respect for her remarkable talents. Miller smolders without even knowing it.
Rege-Jean Page (Roots) is set as a male lead in ABC pilot Spark, from writer Michael Cooney and producers Ian Sander & Kim Moses. Spark is a lavish primetime drama series of passion, greed and hope in a Steampunk reality, circa 2016. Set in an alternate history where gas and coal fuel the world, the drama centers on the battle for power between two rival families and a rebellious young woman with a spark of invention that could level both their empires.
Page is Alex, a handsome and charismatic young man with a wickedly sexy smile, he’s the youngest son of the powerful Lavelle family, the industrial natural gas titans who control half the city and who are constantly jockeying to undermine the coal interests that rule the other half. Page has a starring role in History’s upcoming Roots miniseries and played Guy Braxton in Waterloo Road.
Danielle Savre (Hollywood Heights) is set as a series regular opposite Bruce Greenwood in Four Stars, CBS’ drama pilot from playwright/TV writer Becky Mode, CBS TV Studios, and studio-based Timberman/Beverly Productions. Written by Mode and to be directed by RJ Cutler, Four Stars centers on two powerful rival families in the military community of Tampa, Florida who make decisions at the highest levels in the interest of national security.
Savre will play Lieutenant Kriss, a decorated combat pilot and lifelong adrenaline junkie, and the daughter of four‐star special ops legend General Buckley (Greenwood). She’s repped by TalentWorks and Zero Gravity.
Chicago Law (Now Titled 'Chicago Justice') - Nazneen Contractor to Co-Star; Will Appear in Episode 21 of Chicago PD
UPDATED: Coming off a major role on Heroes Reborn, Nazneen Contractor is staying in the NBC fold with a lead role opposite Philip Winchester in the next installment of Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise for NBC, I have learned. Originally titled Chicago Law, the name of the legal drama has now been changed to Chicago Justice.
Coming off a major role on Heroes Reborn, I hear Nazneen Contractor is staying in the NBC fold with a lead role opposite Philip Winchester in the next installment of Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise for NBC, tentatively titled Chicago Law.
The planted spinoff will be introduced in Episode 21 of Chicago PD this season, which will be directed by Jean de Segonzac. Winchester and Contractor will guest star in the episode/backdoor pilot. I hear Contractor will play Assistant State’s Attorney Dawn Harper to Winchester’s lead prosecutor.
Untitled Laura Steinel FOX Comedy Pilot - Patton Oswalt Cast as the Male Lead
Patton Oswalt is headed for Fox.
The busy actor — who narrates ABC's The Goldbergs — has booked the male lead in the network's untitled comedy pilot from Laura Steinel, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The single-camera comedy (known as HR) centers around Jane (Judy Greer), who is caught between trying to manage her charmingly incompetent human resources department and a new eccentric CEO (Oswalt) who dreams of bringing the New Jersey plastics plant into the future.
Oswalt will take on the role of Sam, the CEO, who lives life at a higher octave than everyone else. Sam is an ""ideas"" guy, however, none of them are suitable for this small-town New Jersey plastics plant.
Bryce Cass (Battle Los Angeles) is set as a series regular in NBC’s drama pilot Cruel Intentions, based on the cult 1999 movie. Set in present day, Cruel Intentions picks up more than 15 years after the movie left off. It follows the beautiful and cunning Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) as she vies for control of Valmont International as well as the soul of Bash Casey (Taylor John Smith), the son of her brother, the late Sebastian Valmont, and Annette Hargrove. Upon discovering his late father’s legacy in a hidden journal, Bash is introduced to a world of sex, money, power and corruption he never could have imagined.
Cass will play Miles Castillo, the kid brother of Carmen, the Barrett family’s chief of staff. He’s repped by Mitch Smelkinson, Coast to Coast Talent, and Anonymous Content.
The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez - Jeimy Osorio Joins Cast
Jeimy Osorio (Celia) is set as a series regular in ABC’s drama pilot The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez. Written by Cuban-American playwright Charise Castro Smith, The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez is described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist. It centers on Eva Sofia Valdez (Gina Torres), a Cuban immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover Blair Monroe (Eric Close) who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.
Osorio will play Luz, wild-haired and hugely pregnant, she’s another of the strange “shadow women” who is delighted to help Eva Sofia exact revenge on Blair Monroe.
Defiance star Julie Benz is set as a regular role opposite Bill Paxton in CBS’ drama pilot Training Day.
Written by Will Beall and directed by Danny Cannon, Training Day is a present-day reimagining of Antoine Fuqua’s acclaimed 2001 feature. Set 15 years after the film left off, the TV show centers on an idealistic young African-American police officer, Kyle Craig, who is appointed to an elite squad of the LAPD where he is partnered with seasoned, morally ambiguous detective Frank Rourke (Paxton).
Benz will play Holly McCabe, an unapologetic Hollywood madam who looks like a woman half her age and takes pride in how well she treats her girls. In addition to having a tacit understanding with Frank (Paxton), they are also a couple. Drew Van Acker, Katrina Law and Lex Scott Davis also co-star.
Spark - Antonia Thomas to Star in ABC's Drama Pilot
In-demand British actress Antonia Thomas has been tapped to play the lead in the ABC drama pilot Spark, from ABC Studios.
Written by Michael Cooney, Spark is a lavish primetime drama series of passion, greed and hope in a Steampunk reality, circa 2016. Set in an alternate history where gas and coal fuel the world, the drama centers on the battle for power between two rival families and Pin (Thomas), a rebellious young woman with a spark of invention that could level both their empires. Thomas’ Pin is the smart, driven, fiercely independent young woman whose mission it is to bring back electricity to the masses no matter the cost.
This marks the US television debut for Thomas, who fielded multiple offers for lead pilot roles this season, with ABC and ABC Studios particularly aggressive. In her native England, Thomas played one of the lead roles in the BAFTA award-winning series Misfits. She was nominated for the Best Female Newcomer Empire Award for her role in hit musical-feature Sunshine on Leith. She also stars in Scrotal Recall for Channel 4 and Netflix.Thomas is repped by Gersh, Principal LA and Curtis Brown.
A.P.B. - Justin Kirk to Star; Eric Winter to Co-Star
Fox's APB has found their men. The network has collard Justin Kirk and Eric Winter to star in the cop drama, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The pilot revolves around a tech billionaire who purchases a troubled police precinct in the wake of a loved one’s murder. It poses the question of if the eccentric and enigmatic figure’s cutting-edge approach fix the broken ways of these blue blooded veterans? Inspired by the New York Times story ""Who Runs the Streets of New Orleans?""
Golden Globe nominee Kirk (Weeds, Wayward Pines) will star as Gideon Reed, the multi-billionaire and creative genius with a childlike curiosity, whose alien awkwardness is balanced by an undeniable charm. After a tragic crime rate claims the life of a dear friend, Gideon literally buys himself a police precinct, the dysfunctional 13th, and sets out to rethink everything about the way cops do business.
Winter (The Mentalist, Witches of East End, Days of Our Lives) will co-star as Tom Murphy, a vice cop and tough guy with a big heart and a family man. Tom is married to homicide detective Amelia Murphy (Natalie Martinez), with whom he has two children.
Person of Interest's David Slack will pen the script and exec produce the 20th Century Fox Television drama alongside Len Wiseman (Sleepy Hollow).
Chad: An American Boy - Matthew Mindler Joins FOX's Comedy Pilot
Matthew Mindler (Our Idiot Brother) has been cast as a series regular in Fox pilot Chad: An American Boy, a single-camera Middle Eastern family comedy co-created by and starring Saturday Night Live alumna Nasim Pedrad and directed by Jason Winer. Written by Pedrad & Rob Rosell, Chad centers on a 14-year-old boy (Pedrad) in the throes of adolescence who’s tasked with being the man of the house, which leaves him with all the responsibilities of being an adult without any of the perks.
Mindler will play Chad’s (Pedrad) best – make that only- friend, an aloof, pubescent, oddly content kid. He’s repped by Innovative Artists and Inspired Artist Management.
Untitled Laura Steinel FOX Comedy Pilot - Milana Vayntrub Joins Cast
Milana Vayntrub (Other Space) is set as a series regular opposite Judy Greer in Fox’s untitled Laura Steinel comedy pilot (aka HR). The project, from 20th Century Fox TV, centers around Jane (Greer), the over-used and under-appreciated head of H.R. for a Fox plastic molding plant, who is caught between trying to manage her charmingly incompetent human resources department and a new eccentric CEO who dreams of bringing the New Jersey plastics plant into the future.
Vayntrub will play Alex, who’s new to the company’s H.R department and the adult workplace as this is her first job in the real world.
Odette Annable (The Astronaut Wives Club) is set as the female lead opposite Dermot Mulroney and Augustus Prew in Bunker Hill, CBS’ medical drama pilot written by Jason Katims and directed by David Semel.
The project follows James Bell (Prew), a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists Walter Wallace (Mulroney), a veteran surgeon with a controversial past in starting a hospital with a cutting-edge, “new school” approach to medicine. Annable will play Zoe (aka Alex), a forthright, idealistic physician at Bunker Hill, and a positive life force.
The Nine Lives of Chloe King alumna Amy Pietz is set as a series regular opposite Tori Anderson in the CW pilot No Tomorrow, from the Jane The Virgin duo of writer/co-executive producer Corinne Brinkerhoff and executive producer Ben Silverman. Based on a Latin American format, No Tomorrow centers on Evie, formerly Sarah (Anderson), a risk-averse, straight arrow, female procurement manager at an Amazon-like distribution center who falls in love with a freewheeling man who lives life to the fullest because he believes the apocalypse is imminent, to comedic and poignant results as they embark on a quest together to fulfill their individual bucket lists.
Pietz will play Deirdre, Evie”s (Anderson) boss at the distribution center. Amy Pietz, repped by Haven Entertainment, Innovative Artists, and Jackoway Tyerman, most recently appeared on Devious Maids and Backstrom.
Untitled NBC Vladimir Caiman Comedy - Josh Segarra Joins Cast
Sirens alum Josh Segarra has joined the cast of NBC’s untitled multi-camera family comedy pilot starring Vladimir Caamaño. Produced by Bill Lawrence and written by Adam Sztykiel and Caamaño, the project is inspired by Caamaño’s real-life family dynamic living with his Dominican father and older brother in the Bronx.
Segarra will play Frankie, Vlad’s (Caamaño) older brother. Segarra is coming off a role in Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck and is currently starring in Broadway musical On Your Feet.
What Goes Around Comes Around - Alyssa Milano to Star; Jee Young Han Also Cast
Earl and Billie are getting back together! Alyssa Milano is set as the female lead opposite Jason Lee in CBS’ comedy pilot What Goes Around Comes Around. The duo, who played husband and wife Earl and Billie on NBC’s single-camera comedy series My Name Is Earl, will once again play a couple in the CBS single-camera pilot. Also cast in the project, from Dan Kopelman and Aaron Kaplan, is Jee Young Han.
Written by Kopelman and directed by Tim Story, What Goes Around Comes Around centers on two fortysomething parents — Kenny (Lee), a husband, father and owner of a hip music management company; and Robin (Milano) — who were wild and reckless teenagers now face their worst nightmare of raising three teenagers. After vowing that she’d never be like her overly strict parents, Robin Spiller now tries to be open and understanding with her teenage kids — but sometimes she’d just like to lock them up until they’re ready for college.
Han plays Jess, the opinionated receptionist at Kenny’s (Lee) firm, who is always painting the worst-case scenarios of what his kids are doing and loves cornering Kenny’s clients for her own thrills.
Time After Time - American Idol Winner Jordin Sparks Cast in Recurring Role
In her pilot debut, singer-actress Jordin Sparks has joined Kevin Williamson’s time-traveling ABC pilot Time After Time in a recurring role.
Using the 1979 novel by Karl Alexander and movie as a starting point, Time After Time will chronicle the epic adventures of young H.G. Wells (Freddie Stroma). Upon arriving in modern New York, he is captivated by museum curator Jane Walker (Genesis Rodriguez).
Sparks will play New York stylist Jesse Givens who is also Jane Walker’s (Rodriguez) roommate and good friend. Williamson wrote Time After Time and is executive producing. Marcos Siega is directing. Warner Bros. TV is the studio.
Mars Drama - America Olivo & Mark Leslie Ford Join Cast
America Olivo (Chicago PD) and British actor Mark Leslie Ford are set as series regulars on The CW’s Untitled Mars Project pilot, from CBS TV Studios.
Written by Doris Egan (Reign), the thriller follows a team of explorers who arrive on Mars to join the first human colony on the planet, only to discover that their predecessors have vanished. Led by a woman whose husband is among the missing, the colonists are forced to change their mission from exploration and settlement to investigation and survival, while navigating the hostile planet and their own personal demons.
Olivo will play Captain Gautier, the woman in charge on the mission. Ford will play Friedman, a director and documentarist hired to capture the recruiting process and mission to Mars.
Prototype - Cote de Pablo in Talks to Star in Syfy's Quantum Physics Pilot
EXCLUSIVE: NCIS alumna Cote de Pablo is nearing a return to series television. I have learned that the fan favorite is in negotiations to play the female lead opposite Jack Davenport in Prototype, Syfy’s sci-fi thriller drama pilot written by Tony Basgallop (24: Live Another Day). It centers on three unlikely cohorts — two of them played by de Pablo and Davenport — who inadvertently stumble upon an invention that challenges the very nature of quantum physics – a discovery which in turn puts their lives in grave danger.
De Pablo would play Laura Kale, a driven, extremely intelligent mother of two. Excited about a potentially world-changing machine being developed by herself and two partners, she is certain that she is on the brink of something history-making. Propelled by a shot at glory, she is not about to give up despite numerous setbacks.
My Time/Your Time - Izzie Steele & Langston Kerman Join Cast
UPDATES: Izzie Steele and Langston Kerman (Clear History) have been cast opposite Jane Levy and Nicholas Braun in My Time/Your Time, CBS’ hybrid comedy pilot from Hilary Winston and How I Met Your Mother creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. Based on the web series 7P/10E by Avital Ash, the project chronicles the relationship of a young couple as they begin dating long distance.
Steele will play Lauren, Marla’s (Levy) best friend who’s married to her college sweetheart and has trouble understanding the single life and Marla’s plight.
Kerman will play Parker. He and Wade (Braun) were childhood buddies while growing up in the Midwest, and now they’re each other’s closest friend in L.A.
Paul Walter Hauser (Kingdom) is set as a series regular in ABC comedy pilot The Fluffy Shop, co-written by and starring Gabriel Iglesias. It follows Gabe (Iglesias), a stepfather and boss to his family and friends, while he navigates his home life during the few days he spends off the road each week.
Hauser will play Memo, high-spirited, earnest and sincere, he is Gabe’s oldest and most loyal friend.
Heroes alumna Ali Larter is set for a leading role opposite Kylie Bunbury and Mark-Paul Gosselaar in Fox’s drama pilot Pitch. Larter, who will play sports agent Amelia Slater, replaces Elisabeth Shue who was originally cast in the role. The decision came after the pilot’s table read and followed creative changes made to the Amelia character over the past week. Upon seeing the character’s evolution, with the final version of Amelia different from the woman she signed on to play, I hear Shue asked out, and she and the producers parted ways amicably.
Written by Dan Fogelman and Rick Singer and directed by Paris Barclay, Pitch follows Ginny (Bunbury), a young female pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues. Larter’s Amelia Slater is an agent not to be trifled with – Ginny’s personal protector and pseudo big sister.
I'm Not Your Friend - Jessica Chaffin & Diana Maria Riva Join Cast
Jessica Chaffin (Spy) and Telenovela‘s Diana Maria Riva have been cast opposite Matt LeBlanc in CBS’ untitled LeBlanc/Filgos comedy pilot (aka I’m Not Your Friend).
Written on spec by Jeff & Jackie Filgos and to be directed by James Burrows, the multi-camera comedy stars LeBlanc as Adam, a contractor, who agrees to take over parenting chores when his wife Andi (Jenna Fischer) goes back to work. As he starts spending more time with his kids, he discovers the truth every parent eventually realizes: his little angels are maniacs.
Chaffin will play Marie, a frazzled mom who is disgruntled to learn that Adam (LeBlanc) doesn’t remember her — after meeting her a half dozen times. Riva is Mrs. Wannamaker, the lead teacher at the school who appears cozy and matronly but is a storm trooper who runs a very tight ship.
Freddy Rodriguez is segueing from his co-starring role on NBC’s The Night Shift to playing one of the main characters in the CBS drama pilot Bull, from Amblin TV and CBS TV Studios.
Written by Phil McGraw and Paul Attanasio, Bull is based on popular daytime talk show host Dr. Phil’s early days as head of one of the most prolific trial consulting services of all time. It centers on Dr. Jason Bull, who runs Trial Sciences Inc., a company that analyzes juries to help develop defense strategies. Rodriguez will play Benny, the only lawyer on the team, who provides legal strategy and acts as the lawyer in their mock trials. He’s also Bull’s former brother-in-law and the closest thing Bull has to a friend. Rodriguez joins previously cast Geneva Carr.
Rodriguez was a series regular on NBC medical drama The Night Shift for the first two seasons, playing Michael Ragosa. He recently announced that he will not be returning for the upcoming third season.
Furst Born - Patrick Brammall Cast as the Male Lead
Patrick Brammall, who played the male lead Danny on the Australian comedy series Upper Middle Bogan, is set to reprise his role opposite Poppy Montgomery in CBS’ single-camera pilot adaptation Furst Born (formerly untitled Butler/Hope/O’Shannon).
Written by Modern Family alum Dan O’Shannon and creators of the original Australian comedy Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope, Furst Born is an extended family show that centers on Bess (Montgomery), a successful doctor, happily married to Danny (Brammall), a successful architect. Bess, also the mother of fraternal twins, Erin (Talitha Bateman) and Owen, is shocked to learn she’s adopted, a secret her mom (Swoosie Kurtz) has kept buried for 38 years. Katey Sagal and John Carroll Lynch co-star. Todd Holland is directing and executive produces alongside O’Shannon, Butler and Hope for CBS Studios and ABC Studios.
Fox has cast “Revenge” alum Nick Wechsler in drama pilot “Recon,” Variety has learned.
Wechsler has nabbed the series regular role of Freddie, a skillful and hardworking FBI agent who struggles with moral conflict while at the center of a key mission: A rookie FBI agent (Tracy Spiridakos) embeds herself in a suspected terrorist family. He joins other previously announced stars Alexander Siddig and Sarita Choudhury.
The pilot hails from Warner Bros. Television with Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec and Caroline Dries executive producing. Dries penned the pilot script, which will be directed by Adam Davidson.
Fox's Lethal Weapon reboot has found its Mel Gibson. Rectify and 24 alum Clayne Crawford has been tapped to star opposite Damon Wayans Sr. in the drama pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Based on the feature film of the same name, the pilot kicks off when Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Martin Riggs (Crawford taking on the role played by Gibson in the feature film franchise) suffers the loss of his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he gets partnered with LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans Sr.), who, having recently suffered a ""minor"" heart attack, must avoid any stress in his life.
Former Late Night With Jimmy Fallon writer-performer Diallo Riddle has joined Marlon Wayans in NBC’s multi-camera comedy pilot Marlon.
Loosely inspired by Wayans’ life, Marlon centers on Marlon (Wayans), an inappropriate but loving father who is committed to successfully co-parenting with his polar opposite ex-wife Angie (Essence Atkins). Riddle will play Kevin, who introduces himself as Marlon’s best friend and occasional “business manager” but actually is just a guy who sleeps on Marlon’s couch, eats his food and repeatedly tells him that he is the “Wind Beneath His Wings.”
Awkward alumna Nikki DeLoach is set as a series regular opposite Jeremy Sisto, Archie Panjabi and Kevin Rankin in ABC’s murder trial drama pilot, The Jury. Written by VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli, and executive produced by Carol Mendelsohn, The Jury examines “the ultimate social experiment” that happens thousands of times a day in the U.S.: A person’s fate is placed in the hands of 12 strangers. Described as “12 Angry Men meets the podcast Serial,” the series follows a single murder trial a season as seen through the eyes of the individual jurors, exploring the biases and experiences that influence the jurors’ judgment and how their preconceptions change along the way.
DeLoach will play Haley, a beautiful, stylish Southern Belle who uses her flirtatious charm to cover the tragedy of her real life, which is spiraling out of control. DeLoach starred as Lacey Hamilton on all five seasons of MTV’s Awkward.
Unforgettable star Poppy Montgomery is returning to CBS as the lead in Furst Born (form. untitled Butler/Hope/O’Shannon), a single-camera comedy pilot based on the Australian comedy Upper Middle Bogan.
Written by Modern Family alum Dan O’Shannon and the creators of the original Australian comedy, Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope, Furst Born is an extended family show that centers on Bess (Montgomery), a successful doctor, happily married to Danny, and the mother of fraternal twins, Erin (Talitha Bateman) and Owen, who is shocked to learn she’s adopted, a secret her mom, (Swoosie Kurtz), has kept buried for 38 years. Katey Sagal and John Carroll Lynch co-star. Todd Holland is directing and executive produces alongside O’Shannon, Butler and Hope for CBS Studios and ABC Studios.
Kevin Williamson's CW Pilot - Matt Passmore to Replace Bailey Chase
Kevin Williamson’s paranormal CW pilot is making a major casting change. Satisfaction star Matt Passmore has been tapped as the male lead in the project. He will replace Bailey Chase who was originally cast in the role. The decision was made after the pilot’s table read earlier this week.
Written by Williamson and directed by David Nutter, the CW pilot is about a young woman (Megan West) who seeks help from a parapsychologist (Passmore) when she begins to experience paranormal phenomena. Passmore’s Clark Patterson is a once-successful parapsychologist who is now just an attraction at local ghost conventions. But when he meets a mysterious young woman, everything begins to change.
Recastings are unfortunate but inevitable during pilot season when 80+ pilots rush to fill their casts on very tight deadlines. Being recast doesn’t necessarily reflect on the actor who sometimes just turns out not to be the best suited for the role, something that may not become clear until the table read. The CW pilot’s studio, Warner Bros. TV, has a strong relationship with Chase who recently co-starred on its drama series Longmire.
Riverdale - Ross Butler, Daniel Yang and Cody Kearsley to Recur
The CW’s modern take on Archie comics has added three more “Riverdale” residents. Ross Butler, Daniel Yang and Cody Kearsley are joining the Greg Berlanti drama pilot, TheWrap has learned.
“Riverdale” is set in the present day and is based on the iconic Archie Comics characters. It is described as a surprising and subversive take on Archie (KJ Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart), Veronica (Camila Mendes), Jughead (Cole Sprouse) and their friends, exploring the surrealism of small town life — the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome façade.
Butler will play the role of Reggie Mantle, Yang will be Dilton Doiley and Kearsley has landed the role of Moose Mason. All three will be recurring if the show goes to series.
Still Star Crossed - Lashana Lynch Cast as the Lead; Zuleikha Robinson Also Joins Cast
Nine years after her breakout role on HBO’s Rome, Zuleikha Robinson has been tapped for another period drama, ABC pilot Still Star-Crossed, in which she will play Lady Capulet. The Romeo & Juliet sequel from Shondaland also has cast its female lead, which went to Lashana Lynch.
Written by Heather Mitchell based on the book by Melinda Taub, Still Star-Crossed is set in 16th century Verona and picks up where William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet left off. It charts the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.
The story centers on Rosaline (Lynch), a gorgeous, intelligent and headstrong Capulet and Juliet’s cousin. Following the death of her parents, she is taken in by her aunt and uncle, Lady (Robinson) and Lord Capulet, and forced to work as a servant. She does her best to tolerate her aunt’s cruelty, and focuses on finding a way to free herself of the humiliation. She is eventually ordered to marry Benvolie (Wade Briggs), a Montague.
Daniel DiTomasso (Witches of East End) has booked a series regular role in ABC’s legal drama pilot Conviction, from The Mark Gordon Co. and ABC Studios. Co-created by Liz Friedman, who wrote the script, and Liz Friedlander, who will direct the pilot, Conviction stars Hayley Atwell as Carter Morrison, the brilliant but ne’er-do-well daughter of a former President who is blackmailed into taking a job as the head of Los Angeles’ newly created Conviction Integrity Unit. She, along with her team of lawyers, investigators and forensic experts, work together to examine cases where there’s credible suspicion that the wrong person may have been convicted of a crime.
DiTomasso will play Jackson Morrison, Carter’s (Atwell) younger brother and the family’s golden child, who also happens to be a top end lawyer. Initially conceived as a guest star, the role has been upgraded to a series regular. DiTomasso is best known for his role as Killian on Lifetime’s Witches of East End. He is repped by The Kohner Agency and Authentic Talent & Literary Management.
Dilshad Vadsaria will appear in ABC’s drama pilot “Notorious,” which is based on the true-life stories of famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and cable news producer Wendy Walker, Variety has learned exclusively.
Vadsaria has a guest role in the pilot and she joins previously announced series regulars Piper Perabo, Daniel Sunjata, J. August Richards and Kate Jennings Grant. The “Revenge” and “Greek” alum will play Sarah Keaton, the gorgeous wife of an internet tycoon, who has a secret past that’s coming back to haunt her.
Gareth Reynolds (The Naughty Show) has joined the cast of ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Hail Mary, from Sony TV and ABC Studios. Hail Mary, a half-hour adaptation of the hourlong Austrian series Braunschlag, was written by The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and directed by Julie Anne Robinson. It centers on a young small-town mayor named Mary Wolf (Casey Wilson) who has dysfunctional siblings, a dying father, disgruntled citizens, a nearly bankrupt town and the mafia breathing down her neck. Only a miracle can help her. So … she fakes one.
Reynolds will play Christopher, Mary’s older brother, never one to sugarcoat a situation or use tact, Christopher speaks in simple facts. An offbeat oddball who runs a taxidermy shop and believes in UFOs. Christopher may not show it, but he loves his family very much. Reynolds is repped by ICM Partners and by Generate.
Bob Balaban is stepping up to the plate for Fox. The veteran actor has boarded the network's baseball drama pilot Pitch, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The project hails from prolific producer Fogelman (Grandfathered, Galavant) and centers on Ginny, a young female pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues. Kylie Bunbury (Under the Dome, Tut) stars as Ginny.
Balaban, who will be credited as a recurring guest star should Pitch move to series, will play Frank Reid, the charming baseball club owner who is wealthy both in finance and wisdom. He understands that bringing Ginny up to the pros is a risk but sees the greater good in what he's doing.
Ashley Thomas is set as a lead opposite Corey Hawkins in 24: Legacy, Fox’s pilot that reboots the 24 franchise with brand new characters.
24: Legacy, written by 24 veterans Manny Coto and Evan Katz and directed by Stephen Hopkins (who helmed the original 24 pilot), centers on military hero Eric Carter (Hawkins) and chronicles his return to the U.S. and the trouble that follows him back – compelling him to ask CTU for help in saving his life, and stopping what potentially could be one of the largest-scale terror attacks on American soil.
Thomas will play Isaac Carter, Eric’s (Hawkins) older brother. Isaac is angry at Eric regarding their bitter past (which includes Eric now married to Isaac’s former girlfriend Nicole (Anna Diop).
Making History - Leighton Meester to Star in FOX's Time Travel Comedy Pilot
Gossip Girl co-star Leighton Meester is returning to TV series as the female lead opposite Adam Pally in Making History, Fox’s time-travel single-camera comedy pilot executive produced by Phil Lord, Chris Miller & Julius “Goldy” Sharpe.
Meester will play Deborah, a colonial woman self-educated and incredibly motivated with modern ideals trapped in a regressive time. She has contemporary beliefs of gender and racial equality which everyone scoffs at in 1775.
Written by Sharpe, Making History revolves around three unlikely friends who find an even less likely way to travel through time, irreversibly complicating their personal lives in 2016. It centers on Dan (Pally), a nerdy computer science professor at a small college and the “failure” of an accomplished family, who is unpopular with both students and colleagues on campus, where his extreme intelligence comes off as odd. Dan invented time travel, hoping to get a fresh start and meet less shallow people. We see two Dans – the “nerd rage” guy having a hard time in the present, and the cooler more carefree guy in the past.
Games Of Thrones alumna Amrita Acharia has been cast opposite Laura Brent in The CW genre-themed drama pilot Transylvania. Written by Hugh Sterbakov and directed by Jason Ensler, Transylvania is set in 1880 and centers on Victoria (Brent), a headstrong young woman in search of her missing father who ventures from NYC to Transylvania where she teams up with a wrongfully disgraced Scotland Yard Detective, and together they witness the births of the most famous monsters and villains in history.
Acharia will play Coriander, an exotic gypsy, the leader of the matriarchal Szgany clan that runs the fleshpots of the Old City — the haunted spot where Vlad the Impaler once killed thousands of their tribe. Acharia played the role of Irri in Game Of Thrones and appeared in feature I Am Yours.
Ismael Cruz Cordova has joined the cast of Hulu’s supernatural drama pilot Citizen. From Me And Earl And The Dying Girl director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Paramount TV, and Anonymous Content, Citizen is a fresh take on the hero origin story blending elements of magical realism and gritty vigilantism against the backdrop of the vibrant world of east Los Angeles.
Cordova will play Chris Martinez, a fiercely ambitious cellular phone salesman methodically putting together an illicit drug empire with Mrs. Candy. Gersh-repped Cordova has recurred on Ray Donovan and The Good Wife.
Christine Ko has been cast opposite Joel McHale in The Great Indoors, CBS‘ multi-camera pilot written and executive produced by Mike Gibbons. The project, from CBS TV Studios, centers on Joel (McHale), an adventure reporter who must adapt to the times when he becomes the boss to a group of millennials in the digital department of the magazine.
Ko will play Emma,the magazine’s millennial social media expert who views Joel (Joel McHale) as an out-of-touch relic from another time. Ko, repped by Abrams Artists Agency and Arsonhouse, recently appeared in HBO’s Ballers.
EXCLUSIVE– Yasmin Kaur Barn has landed a leading role in the Fox TV drama Recon, the first Fox pilot order from an outside studio (Warner Bros TV) this season. Recon is about a rookie FBI agent who embeds herself in a suspected terrorist family. Barn will play the role of Oshin.
Recon is written by The Vampire Diaries exec producer Caroline Dries and exec produced by TVD co-developers/exec producers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. Dries wrote the script and is exec producing with Williamson and Plec through Warner Bros. TV and Williamson’s Outerbanks Entertainment.
Superior Donuts - David Koechner & Sarah Stiles to Co-Star
The Office alum David Koechner, Rules of Engagement alumna Megyn Price and Sarah Stiles have been tapped for co-starring roles opposite Brian d’Arcy James and Jermaine Fowler in Superior Donuts, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot written by Bob Daily and Neil Goldman & Garrett Donovan and directed by James Burrows. Superior Donuts follows the relationship between the owner of a donut shop, Arthur (James), his new young employee, Franco (Fowler), and their patrons in a gentrifying neighborhood of Chicago.
Koechner will play Tush, Arthur’s most loyal customer, who comes in every morning for breakfast and often stays through lunch and dinner, occupying his regular stool at the counter. Price is Randy, a sarcastic and matter-of-fact street cop. Superior Donuts is part of her beat.
Stiles will play Dana, a professor at nearby Loyola University with a weakness for jelly donuts and a soft spot for Arthur and her fellow patrons.
Still Star Crossed - Torrance Coombs, Wade Briggs & Medalion Rahimi Join Cast
ABC's Romeo and Juliet follow-up is beginning to take shape. Reign star Torrance Coombs and Home and Away's Wade Briggs have nabbed key roles in the network's Shondaland drama pilot Still Star-Crossed, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Based on the book by Melinda Taub, the period drama picks up where Romeo and Juliet left off, charting the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.
Coombs — who has starred for three seasons as Bash on The CW's Reign — will exit the drama at season's end and take on the role of Count Paris, who is described as ""your basic Prince Charming."" The Count of Mantua, he is betrothed to marry Juliet — whom he's never met — and is saddened when she dies. The character is rumored to be the show's central villain.
Briggs, meanwhile, is set as the male lead of Benvolio Montague, the dark, dangerous and handsome guy who is able to play both the good and bad guy. The character believes no good will come from mixing Montague and Capulet blood. He's Lord Montague's nephew and is betrothed to marry a woman he doesn't love — though that is called off because of his bad behavior. He agrees to look after Romeo at his uncle's request and is later ordered to marry Capulet Rosaline in the hope that their union will create peace in Verona.
They join a cast that also includes Medalion Rahimi.
Grey's Anatomy and Scandal's Heather Mitchell will pen the script and exec produce the ABC Studios drama alongside Shondaland's Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. Michael Goldstein is also on board as an EP with Michael Offer set to direct the pilot.
Reese Witherspoon's Divorce Drama - Anna Paquin to Star (Now Titled "Broken")
Anna Paquin is returning to TV. The True Blood alum has been tapped to star in ABC's Reese Witherspoon-produced divorce drama, which is now called Broken, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The drama pilot centers on Gemma (Paquin), a ruthless Dallas divorce attorney whose life begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister resurfaces. That triggers her self-destructive tendencies and exposes long-hidden family secrets.
Paquin's Gemma is described as ambitious, ruthless and whip smart with all the qualities of a hunter. She has been in survival mode since her troubled childhood — doing whatever it took to leave her trailer park past behind and build herself into a success story. She is now one of the most sought-after divorce attorneys in Dallas — having made a fortune off of the heartbreak of wealthy Texans. But beneath her carefully constructed facade are layers of vulnerability, self-destruction and deeply buried trauma.
Ray Donovan co-star Steven Bauer is set for a key series regular role opposite Bruce Greenwood in Four Stars, CBS’ drama pilot from playwright/TV writer Becky Mode, CBS TV Studios, and studio-based Timberman/Beverly Productions.
If Four Stars goes to series, Bauer, who is a regular on Ray Donovan, playing Ray’s (Liev Schreiber) right-hand man Avi Rudin, will be able to do both shows as part of an arrangement between the sister networks.
Cuban-American actor Bauer (born Esteban Ernesto EchevarrÃa Samson) will play the patriarch of the Rodriguez clan, General Rodriguez, the four‐star general in charge of the entire Middle East – and the consummate soldier‐statesman. Greenwood plays his rival, four-star general Buckley, with Ashley Zukerman cast as Buckley’s son and Wilmer Valderrama and Ana Cruz Kayne as Rodriguez’s offspring.
The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez - Debra Mooney Joins Cast
Everwood alumna Debra Mooney has been cast opposite Eric Close and Gina Torres in ABC’s drama pilot The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez. Written by Cuban-American playwright Charise Castro Smith, The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez is described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist. It centers on Eva Sofia Valdez (Torres), a Cuban immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover Blair Monroe (Close) who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.
Mooney will play Clara, one of the three “shadow women” who help Eva Sophia implement her mission of vengeance. Mooney was a regular on Everwood for five seasons and recurred on ABC’s Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy.
Ruffin Prentiss has booked a series regular role opposite Rebecca Breeds in NBC pilot Miranda’s Rights. Written/co-executive produced by Katie Lovejoy and executive produced by John Glenn, Miranda’s Rights is a one-hour legal soap about an idealistic group of lawyers who not only work together but live together at their start-up firm.
Prentiss will play Shaun, one of the partners at YLG (Young Law Group). Open and mischievous, he fearlessly describes himself to Miranda (Breeds) as ‘a half-black, half-Mexican bi-sexual from small town Texas’. Prentiss, repped by Abrams Artists Agency, has recurred on Starz’s Power and CBS’ Madam Secretary.
Talitha Bateman (Hart of Dixie) is set as a series regular in CBS’ single camera comedy pilot Furst Born. Written by Dan O’Shannon, Robyn Butler and Dan Hope, Furst Born is an extended family show inspired by the Australian format, Upper Middle Bogan, about a wife and mother who learns she was adopted and that her birth parents are a flamboyant but loving family of race car drivers.
Bateman will play Erin, Bess and Danny’s judgmental daughter and Owen’s twin sister. Bateman recurred on The CW’s Hart of Dixie and appears in features The 5th Wave, Nine Lives and So B.
Aaron Jennings (Movie 43) has been cast as a series regular in Bunker Hill, CBS’ medical drama pilot written by Jason Katims and directed by David Semel. The project follows James Bell (Augustus Prew), a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists Walter Wallace (Dermot Mulroney), a veteran surgeon with a controversial past, in starting a hospital with a cutting-edge, “new school” approach to medicine.
Jennings will play Dr. Malik Water, who defies our traditional idea of a doctor. Raised dirt poor, Water is tired of seeing his friends and family members receiving sub-optimal heath care and has spearheaded an effort to provide 24/7 monitoring of an entire community.
Sebastian - Vanessa Lachey Cast as the Female Lead
The comedy pilot has found its female lead in Vanessa Lachey. The Truth Be Told alum will play Lana, Sebastian’s easy-going wife. She’s described as a “pretty, sweet and bubbly woman” who “enjoys people, trusts everyone (at times to a fault), and is always living in the positive.” The only problem? She wishes her husband would stop only following his father’s advice and start to considering hers.
Toast - Jono Kenyon Cast as the Male Lead in ABC's Shondaland Comedy Pilot
Jono Kenyon (Step Dave) has landed the male lead in Toast, ABC’s hybrid comedy pilot from Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers’ Shondaland, Scott Foley and Greg Grunberg. Also cast in the project is Grey’s Anatomy alumna Tessa Ferrer, reuniting with Grey’s creator Rhimes, Shondaland and ABC .
Written by Foley and Grunberg and directed by Gail Mancuso, Toast revolves around engaged couple Max Leeds (Kenyon) and Paige (not yet cast), who, over their wedding rehearsal dinner, have their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple — but flashbacks reveal that the toasts don’t always get it right, as we watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage.
Kenyon’s Max is awkwardly handsome, charming and unassuming, and worried about what his bride-to-be’s family thinks about him. After all, they couldn’t be more different; Paige is a sorority girl from a close-knit wealthy Austin family and he’s a college dropout with a questionable credit history and a father in prison.
Ferrer is Jules, an up-for-anything Texas tomboy who is Max’s closest friend, his biggest champion and business partner. Fiercely loyal and protective, she knows Max better than he knows himself, and worries that he is too focused on the wrong things when it comes to meeting the right woman. Gregg Mettller serves as showrunner.
Time - Goran Visnjic Joins NBC's Time Travel Drama
ER alum Goran Visnjic is returning to NBC with a key role in Time, the network’s action adventure drama pilot from Supernatural creator Eric Kripke and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan.
The project, from Sony Pictures TV and studio-based Davis Entertainment, is described as “Back to the Future meets Mission: Impossible.” It is a high-octane drama following an unlikely trio (Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett) who travel through time to battle a master criminal (Visnjic) intent on altering the fabric of human history with potentially catastrophic results.
Vulnerable, damaged and oddly emotional, Visnjic’s Garcia Flynn is a dangerous man, who’s recently stolen a time machine and traveled with his team of soldiers to the hours prior to the Hindenburg’s explosion. Flynn is guided by a strange journal from some other period of time, and while his full plan is still shrouded in mystery, it’s clear that he must be stopped.
David Keith has been cast as the male lead in CBS’s multi-camera comedy pilot Real Good People written/executive produced by Stephnie Weir, directed/executive produced by James Burrows and executive produced by Greg Garcia.
Keith will play James, the family patriarch and one half of what is possibly the world’s happiest couple. His wife is being played by Beth Hoyt. CBS TV Studios is the studio.
Emmy and Tony-winning actress Debra Monk rounds out the cast of Drew, CBS’ drama pilot based on the Nancy Drew character from the classic mystery book series. Written by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan and directed by James Strong, Drew is described as a contemporary take on the character, with Nancy (Sarah Shahi), now in her 30s, working as a detective for the NYPD where she investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world.
Monk will play one of the main characters in the books, Hannah Gruen, the Drew family’s trusted cook/housekeeper who served as a surrogate mom for Nancy following the death of her mom, an ally, shoulder to cry on and disciplinarian. With Nancy all grown up and out of the house, Hannah went back to school, trained to be a paralegal, and now is Nancy’s dad Carson’s (Anthony Edwards) right hand in his law practice.
I’ll Fly Away alumna Regina Taylor is set for a key co-starring role opposite Freddie Stroma, Josh Bowman and Genesis Rodriguez in Kevin Williamson’s ABC pilot Time After Time.
Using the 1979 novel by Karl Alexander and movie as a starting point, Time After Time will chronicle the epic adventures of young H.G. Wells (Stroma).
Taylor will play trusted Wells’ ally Vanessa Anders, the billionaire businesswoman who owns and protects the Time Machine in 2016 New York City. Confident and strong, she has a warm welcoming smile, but make no mistake, she’s also a respected, sometimes feared CEO.
CBS' Four Stars has cast one of its key generals. The River alum Bruce Greenwood has boarded the military drama pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The project revolves around two powerful rival families in the military community of Tampa, Fla., who make decisions at the highest levels in the interest of national security.
Greenwood will play Gen. Buckley, a four-star general in charge of worldwide special operations for the U.S. military who is fiercely protective of his brood.
Actress, comedian and writer Beth Hoyt is set as a series regular on Real Good People, CBS’s multi-camera comedy pilot written/executive produced by writer-actress Stephnie Weir and executive produced by Greg Garcia. The project (aka Y’all In The Family) centers on a conservative, small town family forced to reconcile their values when they discover their children’s lives are less than perfect.
Hoyt will play Beth, the dramatic middle child who fled conservative Texas to pursue love and fashion in NYC, only to wake up a decade later bitter, broke and single, and grateful to have a loving home to return to. Named one of the New Faces at Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival,
Alex Lanipekun (BBC’s Spooks) has booked a series regular role in ABC pilot Spark, from writer Michael Cooney and producers Ian Sander & Kim Moses. Spark is a lavish primetime drama series of passion, greed and hope in a Steampunk reality, circa 2016. Set in an alternate history where gas and coal fuel the world, the drama centers on the battle for power between two rival families and a rebellious young woman with a spark of invention that could level both their empires.
Lanipekun will play Christian, Philippe’s son and Alex’s older brother. Handsome and autocratic, he’s been raised in an atmosphere of great wealth and absolute power, but privilege has spoiled him, and he now has an exalted sense of his own omnipotence.
Square Roots - Katie Walder Cast as the Female Lead
Katie Walder has been cast as the female lead in ABC single camera comedy pilot Square Roots, written and exec produced by Vijal Patel. Michael Fresco (Suburgatory) is directing. Square Roots is about a man from a family of logic-driven engineers who is determined to use his “gift” to help the people he loves with their everyday issues. . .whether they like it or not.
Walder will play Ruth, Dan’s (Adhir Kalyan) wife and mother to their two kids. Ruth is as far from an engineer as you can get and she has a much more normal, non-productive fun approach with the kids. In addition to Kalyan, she joins previously cast Noureen DeWulf, Bernard White and Nina Wadia.
Seven years ago, the CW cast a young Canadian actress coming off a Canadian series airing in the US on TeenNick — Degrassi: The Next Generation‘s Nina Dobrev — as the lead of its pilot The Vampire Diaries. Now the network is doing the same with another Canadian actress — Tori Anderson of Open Heart, which has aired in the US on TeenNick. Anderson has been cast as the lead of the CW pilot No Tomorrow, from the Jane The Virgin duo of writer/co-executive producer Corinne Brinkerhoff and executive producer Ben Silverman.
Like Jane The Virgin, No Tomorrow is based on a Latin American format, this time from Brazil’s Grupo Globo. Directed by Jane the Virgin pilot director Brad Silberling and written by Brinkerhoff and the comedy writing-directing team Scott McCabe and Tory Stanton aka Two Trick Pony, No Tomorrow centers on Evie, formerly Sarah (Anderson), a risk-averse, straight arrow, female procurement manager at an Amazon-like distribution center who falls in love with a freewheeling man who lives life to the fullest because he believes the apocalypse is imminent, to comedic and poignant results as they embark on a quest together to fulfill their individual bucket lists. Brinkerhoff and Silverman executive produce for CBS TV Studios and Electus.
Amanda Warren (The Leftovers) is set as a series regular in Recon, Fox’s drama pilot executive produced by The Vampire Diaries’ co-developers/exec producers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. Recon centers on Alexa (Tracy Spiridakos), a young, driven FBI analyst tasked with embedding herself in a suspected terrorist family.
Warren will play Rashida Malik, the Special Agent in Charge of the Milwaukee FBI division and a follower of Islam who is spearheading the mission to prevent another homegrown terrorist attack.
The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez - Melora Hardin Joins Cast
Melora Hardin (Transparent, The Office) is set for a lead role opposite Eric Close and Gina Torres in ABC’s drama pilot The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez. Written by Cuban-American playwright Charise Castro Smith, The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez is described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist. It centers on Eva Sofia Valdez (Torres), a Cuban immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover Blair Monroe (Close) who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.
Hardin will play Courtney Monroe, Blair Monroe’s aristocratic wife, patrician and beautiful, she is determined to be the First Lady of Miami. Politically astute and more than a little ruthless, she assists Blair in his mayoral campaign and is not above using dirty tactics to achieve her ends.
CSI co-star George Eads is returning to CBS and CBS TV Studios with a role in their pilot MacGyver, a reimagining of the 1985 series about a resourceful and ingenious agent who improvises his way out of sticky situations using everyday items like rubber bands, chewing gum and a Swiss Army knife. Saw and Furious 7 director James Wan, who had been shepherding the project from the get-go, was slated to direct but has pulled out due to a scheduling conflict with post-production on his latest film, The Conjuring 2.
Eads is the first actor cast in MacGyver, which features twentysomething Angus MacGyver who is recruited into the clandestine organization from the original series where he uses his knack for solving problems in unconventional ways to help prevent disasters from happening. Eads will play Lincoln, a man who could easily be written off as an eccentric conspiracy theorist but he’s a legit government employee with great capability for compassion.
Also joining the MacGyver reboot is the original’s creator Lee David Zlotoff who will be an executive producer.
Untitled Laura Steinel FOX Comedy Pilot - Jon Daly Joins Cast
Jon Daly (Zoolander 2) has been cast opposite Judy Greer in Fox’s untitled Laura Steinel comedy pilot (aka HR). The project, from 20th Century Fox TV, centers around Jane (Greer), the over-used and under-appreciated head of H.R. for a plastic molding plant, who is caught between trying to manage her charmingly incompetent human resources department and a new eccentric CEO who dreams of bringing the New Jersey plastics plant into the future.
Daly, who appears in Zoolander 2 and the Coen Brothers’ Hail Caesar!, will play Gene.
What Goes Around Comes Around - Dougie Baldwin Joins Cast
Dougie Baldwin (Nowhere Boys) has booked a series regular role opposite Jason Lee in What Goes Around Comes Around, CBS’ single-camera comedy pilot from Dan Kopelman and Aaron Kaplan. Written by Kopelman and directed by Tim Story, the project centers on two fortysomething parents — Kenny (Lee), a husband, father and owner of a hip music management company; and Robin — who were wild and reckless teenagers now face their worst nightmare—raising three teenagers of their own.
Baldwin will play Daschel, either the smartest person in the world or the dumbest – no one’s quite sure. He’s a typical high school junior who’s only capable of thinking a maximum of 5 seconds into the future.
Resurrection alumna Devin Kelley is set for a lead role opposite Riley Smith and Peyton List in Frequency, the CW’s drama pilot based on Toby Emmerich’s sci-fi thriller.
The TV series, written by Supernatural showrunner Jeremy Carver, centers on Raimy (List), a female police detective in 2016 who discovers that she is able to speak via a ham radio with her estranged father, Frank Sullivan (Smith), also a detective, who died in 1996. They forge a new relationship while working together on an unresolved murder case, but unintended consequences of the ‘butterfly effect’ wreak havoc in the present day.
Kelley, repped by Door 24 and APA, will play Julie, Raimy’s (List) mother, whose life may be tragically knocked for a loop when Raimy starts interfering with the past via her father’s old ham radio.
Lex Scott Davis, coming off playing Toni Braxton in Lifetime’s biopic Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart, has been cast as a series regular opposite Bill Paxton and Katrina Law in CBS’ drama pilot Training Day, a present-day reimagining of Antoine Fuqua’s acclaimed 2001 feature.
Set 15 years after the film left off, the TV show, written by Will Beall and directed by Danny Cannon, centers on an idealistic young African-American police officer, Kyle Craig, who is appointed to an elite squad of the LAPD where he is partnered with seasoned, morally ambiguous detective Frank Rourke (Paxton).
Davis will play Kyle’s smart and cynical wife Alyse Arrendondo, a history teacher who loves and greatly admires her husband and his insatiable drive — despite his reckless displays of heroism.
Sepideh Moafi (Black Box) has booked a series regular role opposite Daniel Sunjata and Piper Perabo in ABC’s drama pilot Notorious. The project, from Sony Pictures TV and Jeff Kwatinetz’s The Firm, was inspired by the relationship between famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and long-time Larry King Live executive producer Wendy Walker. Written by Drop Dead Diva creator Josh Berman and blogger Allie Hagan, Notorious is described as a provocative look at the interplay of criminal law and the media. It follows the professional and personal relationship between charismatic attorney Jake Gregorian (Sunjata) and powerhouse television producer Julia George (Perabo) as they attempt to control the media, the justice system, and ultimately – each other.
Moafi will play Megan Byrd, a sexy and savvy TV news producer responsible for scheduling and managing guests.
Gracepoint alum Kevin Rankin is set as a series regular opposite Jeremy Sisto and Archie Panjabi in ABC’s murder trial drama pilot The Jury. Written by VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli and executive produced by Carol Mendelsohn, The Jury examines “the ultimate social experiment” that happens thousands of times a day in the U.S.: A person’s fate is placed in the hands of 12 strangers. Described as “12 Angry Men meets the podcast Serial,” the series follows a single murder trial a season as seen through the eyes of the individual jurors, exploring the biases and experiences that influence the jurors’ judgment and how their preconceptions change along the way.
Rankin will play Troy, a blue-collar hard-ass who doesn’t own a pair of boots without dirt on them, but he’s not some stupid redneck, and resents it greatly when people assume that. Beneath his rough exterior is an extremely dedicated single father who was hardened by a few experiences that left him with a pretty understandable chip on his shoulder.
Mad Men alum Kevin Rahm is set as a series regular opposite Damon Wayans Sr. in Lethal Weapon, Fox’s hourlong pilot based on the hit buddy cop action comedy movie franchise.
In the pilot, written by Matt Miller and directed by McG, when Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Martin Riggs suffers the loss of his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he is partnered with LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh (Wayans), who, having recently suffered a “minor” heart attack, must avoid stress in his life.
Rahm will play the successful yet humble Captain Avery, more politician than cop, dressing the part of top brass since his early days as Murtaugh’s partner. Avery, who paired up Murtaugh with Riggs, hoping the younger cop can put a little vigor back in Murtaugh’s career, enjoys the corner office that came with his recent promotion to Captain.
Transylvania - Luke Allen-Gale Cast as the Male Lead; Evan Stern Also Joins Cast
British actor Luke Allen-Gale (Dominion) has been cast as the male lead opposite Aussie Laura Brent in the CW genre-themed drama pilot Transylvania. Also cast in the pilot, from CBS TV Studios, is Canadian actor Evan Stern.
Written by Hugh Sterbakov and directed by Jason Ensler, Transylvania is set in 1880 and centers on Victoria (Brent), a headstrong young woman in search of her missing father who ventures from NYC to Transylvania where she teams with a wrongfully disgraced Scotland Yard Detective, Inspector Godfrey (Allen-Gale), and together they witness the births of the most famous monsters and villains in history. Stern will play Igor, a gentle hunchback known for his technical genius.
Model Woman - Nicole Ari Parker, Caitlin Carver and Madeline Blake Join Cast
Nicole Ari Parker (Rosewood) Caitlin Carver (The Fosters) and Madeline Blake (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) are set as series regulars in ABC drama pilot Model Woman.
The project, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television and ABC Studios, is a fictionalized family soap inspired by Robert Lacey’s book Model Woman: Eileen Ford And The Business Of Beauty, the recently published biography of the outspoken and controversial woman who started as a model and went on to co-found the famous Ford Modeling Agency with her husband Jerry.
Parker will play Helenjane Harris, a former model who runs her own modeling agency, the top competition for Bertie Geiss’ Geiss Agency. Carver will play Michelle, a reluctant beauty and aspiring photographer who is both intellectual and talented; an artist who marches to the beat of a different drummer. Blake is Gemma, the next new face at Geiss Agency. She is determined to meet Bertie so she camps out in the office every day for a week with high hopes.
Andie MacDowell will star in ABC’s drama pilot “Model Woman,” which is inspired by Ford Models and the notorious modeling wars of the 1970s, Variety has learned.
Based on Robert Lacey’s 2015 biography of Ford co-founder Eileen Ford, the pilot is a fictionalized family soap set in the late ’70s, centered on the tempestuous matriarch and uncompromising businesswoman at the helm of an internationally renowned modeling agency named Bertie, who will be played by MacDowell.
Time After Time - Genesis Rodriguez Cast as the Female Lead in ABC's Time Travel Drama
Genesis Rodriguez (Tusk, Big Hero 6) has been cast the female lead opposite Freddie Stroma and Josh Bowman in Kevin Williamson’s ABC pilot Time After Time.
Using the 1979 novel by Karl Alexander and movie as a starting point, Time After Time will chronicle the epic adventures of young H.G. Wells (Stroma).
Rodriguez will play Jane Walker, the museum curator who captivates H.G. Wells (Stroma) upon his arrival in modern day New York.
CSI: NY alum Eddie Cahill is set as the male lead opposite Hayley Atwell in ABC’s legal drama pilot Conviction, from The Mark Gordon Co. and ABC Studios.
Cahill will play the confident and self-assured New York District Attorney Wayne Wallis. Incredibly handsome, magnetic and charismatic, Wallis radiates charm, smarts and political power; he has a clear-cut political future that is as brilliant as his million dollar smile; he is politically ambitious and sharp as a tack. Wallis announces the creation of the Conviction Integrity Unit – and appoints Hayes to lead the charge. There is a history between the two of them – and the dynamic is equal parts lust and hatred.
The actress, fresh off a multiple-episode arc on ABC's Grey's Anatomy last season, has booked a starring role in Fox's reboot of The Exorcist.
Described as a modern reinvention, the Fox drama pilot is inspired by William Blatty’s 1971 book. The potential series is a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men (Alfonso Herreraand Ben Daniels) tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession, and confronting the face of true evil.
Davis will play Angela Rance, a naturally beautiful, regal and proud woman who is weighed down by stress, she does everything she can to stay positive and keep her faith even though her family is currently struggling. She can't help but think, however, if perhaps her nightmares about a demon are a sign of what's wrong.
Future Man - Glenne Headly & Ed Begley Jr. Join Cast
Glenne Headly (Don Jon) and Ed Begley Jr. (Blunt Talk) have been tapped for lead roles opposite Josh Hutcherson in Future Man, Hulu’s half-hour comedy pilot from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
Written by Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir and executive produced by Matt Tolmach, Future Man is a high-concept comedy that centers on Josh Futterman (Josh Hutcherson) a janitor by day/world-ranked gamer by night who is tasked with preventing the extinction of humans after mysterious visitors from the future proclaim him the key to defeating the imminent super-race invasion.
Headly will play Diane, Josh’s nurturing, ever-supportive mother. Her love for him, while unyielding and sweet, is also a detriment to his growth. She makes it almost impossible for Josh to move out; she does all his cooking, cleaning, laundry and dotes on him constantly. She’s recently retired and is getting back into smoking pot on a regular basis.
Begley is Gabe, Josh’s loving, cheerful, well–intentioned dad. He is always thinking of ways to bolster his Josh’s low self esteem, and constantly makes excuses for all of his son’s failings. Like Diane, he’s also retired and back into smoking pot. Eliza Coupe and Regina Hall also star.
I'm Not Your Friend - Jenna Fischer Cast as the Female Lead
The Office alum Jenna Fischer has nabbed the female lead in CBS' Matt LeBlanc starrer, formerly known as I'm Not Your Friend, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The Friends alum stars in the multicamera comedy pilot as a contractor who learns that raising his kids is more challenging than expected when his wife goes back to work.
Fischer will play Andi, Adam's (LeBlanc) wife who decides she wants to go back to her job as a medical lab technician, so Adam agrees to take over the parenting chores while she's at work.
Midnight, Texas - François Arnaud Cast as the Lead
François Arnaud, who recurs on NBC’s breakout freshman drama Blindspot, has been cast as the lead in the network’s drama pilot Midnight, Texas, which is based on the bestselling trilogy by Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse books that were adapted into HBO’s vampire drama True Blood.
Written by Monica Owusu-Breen and directed by Niels Arden Oplev, Midnight, Texas is described as “Twin Peaks meets True Blood” in Midnight, Texas, a remote town where your neighbor could be a vampire, a witch, a werewolf, or even an angel. The show centers on traveling psychic Manfred Bernardo (Arnaud) who, having grown tired of life on the road, takes the advice of his dead grandmother and decides to settle in the small Texas down of Midnight. Perfectly content with going about his business letting others think he’s a hack, Manfred soon realizes that he has much more in common with the locals than he originally thought. It would seem that he’s found more evil than he left, so he’ll have to bond with his supernatural neighbors to figure out what’s going on.
The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez - Eric Close Cast as the Male Lead
Nashville alum Eric Close is set as the male lead opposite Gina Torres in ABC’s drama pilot The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez.
Written by Cuban-American playwright Charise Castro Smith, The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez is described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist. It centers on Eva Sofia Valdez (Torres), a Cuban immigrABC Logoant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover Blair Monroe (Close) who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.
Close’s Blair Monroe is a handsome and wealthy Miami aristocrat whose family has ruled the city for decades. Once deeply in love with Eva Sofia, he abandoned her, leaving her pregnant and destitute. Now a candidate for mayor, he meets Eva Sofia by chance at a public function — and pretends he has no recollection of her. However, he vividly recalls their affair — and in truth, there’s still a powerful attraction between them, even almost 30 years later. But his insulting and cowardly reaction to their chance meeting enrages Eva Sofia, whose thirst for vengeance may have tragic consequences for all involved.
Ross Kimball has been cast opposite Nick Zano and Lenore Crichlow in Real Good People (formerly known as the Untitled Garcia/Weir Project, Y’all In The Family). CBS’ multi-camera comedy project, written/executive produced by writer-actress Stephnie Weir and executive produced by Greg Garcia, centers on a conservative small-town family forced to reconcile their values when they discover their children’s lives are less than perfect.
Kimball will play Beau, the eldest son, a good ol’ boy who adores his momma (TBD) and worships his father (TBD), but didn’t inherit their strong moral compass.
Ryan Guzman (Heroes Reborn) is set as a series regular opposite Piper Perabo and Daniel Sunjata in ABC’s drama pilot Notorious. The project, from Sony Pictures TV and Jeff Kwatinetz’s The Firm, was inspired by the relationship between famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and longtime Larry King Live executive producer Wendy Walker. Written by Drop Dead Diva creator Josh Berman and blogger Allie Hagan, Notorious is described as a provocative look at the interplay of criminal law and the media. It follows the professional and personal relationship between charismatic attorney Jake Gregorian (Sunjata) and powerhouse TV producer Julia George (Perabo) as they attempt to control the media, the justice system, and ultimately each other.
Guzman will play Ryan Mills, Julia’s eager-to-please intern, son of the network president. Despite his youth and innocent facade, he’s ambitious and conniving, desperate to prove himself to his overbearing father.
I'm Not Your Friend (Matt LeBlanc CBS Comedy Pilot) - Matt Cook & Grace Kaufman Join Cast
Matt Cook (Clipped, The Comeback) and Grace Kaufman (Bubble Guppies, Clarence) have joined the cast of CBS comedy pilot the Untitled LeBlanc Filgos Project, written by Jeff and Jackie Filgo. The project stars Matt LeBlanc as a contractor who learns that raising his kids is more challenging than expected when his wife goes back to work.
Cook will play Lowell, a sweet, offbeat intellectual dad at Adam’s (LeBlanc) school who is drawn to his “alpha male” vibe.
Kaufman will play Kate, Adam and Andi’s (not yet cast) oldest child, a bright but hormonal teenage girl who initially is delighted when Adam takes over as the main caregiver of their family. She quickly learns that if she thinks Adam is going to be the pushover she expected, she has another think coming.
The Jury - Brian Howe & Jayne Taini Join Cast as a Series Regular
UPDATED: Brian Howe (Masters of Sex) and Jayne Taini (Ray Donovan) have booked series regular roles opposite Jeremy Sisto and Archie Panjabi in ABC’s murder trial drama pilot The Jury. Written by VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli and executive produced by Carol Mendelsohn, The Jury examines “the ultimate social experiment” that happens thousands of times a day in the U.S.: a person’s fate is placed in the hands of 12 strangers. Described as “12 Angry Men meets the podcast Serial,” the series follows a single murder trial a season as seen through the eyes of the individual jurors, exploring the biases and experiences that influence the jurors’ judgment, and how their preconceptions change along the way.
Howe will play Reverend Jim Pyken, who is obviously a religious man, the kind to say grace before eating his morning bagel, or to reference scripture in his arguments. But he’s also an avuncular Texan who can crack a joke to ease the tension in a room, or use charming Southernisms while making a complex point.
Taini will play Maria, a maternal grandmother, who seems a bit dotty and irrelevant, but when people start listening to her, they notice she’s a lot sharper than they assumed and makes some more enlightening revelations in the case.
Richard Masur is set as a series regular opposite Candice Bergen in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Pearl. Written/executive produced by Andrew Reich and directed by Smith, Pearl centers on Pearl (Bergen), a larger-than-life family matriarch who, after she finds out she has cancer, becomes intent on controlling and orchestrating every aspect of her family’s life before she dies. Perkins will play Virginia, Pearl’s daughter who has the not-so-easy task of trying to get along with her mother, given the news about her health.
Masur will play Len, Pearl’s second and current husband, a retired plastics engineer, a sweet nerd who is interested in everything and everyone he meets. He clearly adores Pearl and is in total denial that she’s got six months to live.
Miranda's Rights - Monique Coleman and Noel Fisher Cast as Series Regulars
Monique Coleman and Noel Fisher have booked series regular roles opposite Rebecca Breeds in NBC pilot Miranda’s Rights.
Written/co-executive produced by Katie Lovejoy and executive produced by John Glenn, Miranda’s Rights is a one-hour legal soap about an idealistic group of lawyers who not only work together but live together at their start-up firm.
Coleman will play Emily Ellison, one of the founding partners and attorney at YLG (Young Law Group), described as friendly, warm and even-keeled, the resident peace keeper.
Fisher is Jacob Mizrahi, another partner with YLG. Described as no-nonsense, curt, and the eternal straight-man, he does what he has to in order to rein in his rage (even if that means sitting on zafu pillows and striking meditation bowls). In addition to Breeds, they join previously cast Jamie Chung and John Gabriel.
Reese Witherspoon's Divorce ABC Drama Pilot - Charity Wakefield & Thad Luckinbill Join Cast
The Player alumna Charity Wakefield and Thad Luckinbill (The Young and the Restless) have booked series regular roles in ABC’s untitled Meaghan Oppenheimer drama pilot, executive produced by Reese Witherspoon.
Written by Oppenheimer, the project follows the personal and professional life of Gemma, a ruthless divorce attorney in Dallas, which begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister resurfaces, triggering self-destructive tendencies and exposing long-hidden family secrets.
Wakefield will play Jules, Gemma’s younger sister. Described as manic, emotionally unstable, and lacking any trace of a filter, Jules is the epitome of loneliness gone wrong. Whereas her older sister Gemma has built up walls of icy protection around her, Jules is desperate for any bit of love she can get.
Luckinbill is Oliver, Gemma’s trophy fiance, the preppy trust fund kid with classic good looks. He would be detestable if he weren’t such a nice guy.
The Enforcers - Ryan Hansen to Co-Star in FOX's Comedy Pilot
Veronica Mars alum Ryan Hansen has booked a co-starring turn on the pilot starring Christine Woods and Niecy Nash, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The single-camera buddy comedy focuses on two wildly different single mothers (Woods, Nash) with dreams of being police officers who find themselves partnered as inspectors in the Code Enforcement Department. Instead of fighting crime, they have been relegated to handling petty code breaking like noise complaints, tree trimming and water misues.
Hansen will play the series regular role of Sean, a sexy, charming senior ""code cop"" in the office who doesn't take the job too seriously.
Kelli Goss (The Young and the Restless) is set as a series regular opposite Katey Sagal and John Carroll Lynch in CBS comedy pilot Furst Born (aka untitled Butler/Hope/O’Shannon). Written by Dan O’Shannon, Robyn Butler and Dan Hope, the extended-family show is about a wife and mother who learns she was adopted and that her birth parents are a flamboyant but loving family of drag racers.
Goss will play Brianna, the youngest of the three legitimate children of Wayne and Julie, who can add glitz and glitter to a public event just by showing up.
Go On alumna Sarah Baker has been cast opposite Casey Wilson in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Hail Mary, from Sony TV and ABC Studios. Written by The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and directed by Julie Anne Robinson, Hail Mary centers on Mary Wolf (Wilson), a young small-town mayor named who has dysfunctional siblings, a dying father, disgruntled citizens, a nearly bankrupt town and the mafia breathing down her neck. Only a miracle can help her. So … she fakes one.
Baker will play Mary’s older sister, Janice, an upbeat mess who doesn’t realize she’s a mess. She’s also highly dramatic. Baker was a series regular on NBC’s Go On, appeared on Louie and recurs HBO’s Big Little Lies.
Hail Mary - Retta to Co-Star in ABC's Comedy Pilot
Retta is returning to primetime. The Parks and Recreation favorite has booked a co-starring role in ABC comedy pilot Hail Mary, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Based on the Austrian Broadcasting Corp. series Braunschlag, created by David Schalko, the single-camera comedy centers on a young small-town mayor named Mary Wolf (Happy Endings star Casey Wilson) who has dysfunctional siblings, a dying father, disgruntled citizens, a nearly bankrupt town and the mafia breathing down her neck. Only a miracle can help her — so she fakes one.
Retta, who fielded multiple pilot offers this season, will portray Ruthie, Mary's friend.
Wanda Sykes is staying put at ABC. The actress, who has recurred on the network's Black-ish, has booked a co-starring role in family comedy pilot Dream Team.
The single-camera comedy revolves around Marty Schumacher (Justin Long), who coached his last club soccer team for 10 years, ultimately taking them to the national championships. He now has to start from scratch with a diverse group of 8-year-olds and their disparate parents.
Sykes will portray Leslie, a competitive OB-GYN who has a passion for sports. The character is excited to help her daughter, Miley, land a spot on a nationally ranked soccer team — and upset that her wife, the artsy Michaela (Lindsey Kraft), doesn’t share her same enthusiasm and is trying to dissuade Miley from playing.
24: Legacy - Dan Bucatinsky, Charlie Hofheimer and Coral Pena Join Cast
Scandal grad Dan Bucatinsky has joined the cast of 24: Legacy, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Also boarding the Fox pilot are Mad Men's Charlie Hofheimer and Blue Bloods' Coral Pena.
Bucatinsky, who won an Emmy for his guest turn as James, will play Andy, a communication analyst at CTU who has enjoyed Rebecca's (Miranda Otto) trust and is unhappily paired with a bright, young, self-taught Gia (Pena) — a computer analyst. She is self-taught and eager to prove that she's better than others. Hofheimer will portray Marcus, Eric's former partner in the Army Ranger unit who is now suffering from PTSD. All three roles are series regulars.
Reese Witherspoon's Divorce ABC Drama Pilot - Blair Underwood Cast as the Male Lead
Blair Underwood is set as the male lead in ABC’s untitled Meaghan Oppenheimer drama pilot, executive produced by Reese Witherspoon.
Underwood is a familiar face to ABC, as he’s been on Marvel drama “Agents of SHIELD.” He joins cast members Penelope Ann Miller and T.R. Knight in the pilot.
Underwood will play James, Gemma’s boss and sometimes lover. Gemma’s law professor and mentor for years, who instilled in her a sense of cutthroat ambition, he is the one person unafraid to belittle her.
Written by Oppenheimer, the project follows the personal and professional life of Gemma, a ruthless divorce attorney in Dallas, which begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister resurfaces triggering self-destructive tendencies and exposing long-hidden family secrets.
Episodes’ co-star Kathleen Rose Perkins has been cast opposite Candice Bergen in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Pearl, reuniting with director Jim Field Smith who helmed the second season of the Showtime comedy.
Written/executive produced by Andrew Reich and directed by Smith, Pearl centers on Pearl (Bergen), a larger-than-life family matriarch who, after she finds out she has cancer, becomes intent on controlling and orchestrating every aspect of her family’s life before she dies. Perkins will play Virginia, Pearl’s daughter who has the not-so-easy task of trying to get along with her mother, given the news about her health.
Twin Peaks alumna Mädchen Amick has been cast as Betty’s mom Alice Cooper in Riverdale, the CW pilot based on the Archie Comics characters from producer Greg Berlanti.
Set in present time, Riverdale is a subversive take on Archie (KJ Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart), Veronica (Camila Mendes) and their friends, exploring the surrealism of small-town life — the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome façade.
Amick’s Cooper is editor of the local paper, described as a steely perfectionist who places exceedingly high expectations on her daughter, Betty (Reinhart).
The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez - Gina Torres Cast as the Lead
Suits co-star Gina Torres is set for the title role in ABC drama pilot The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez. The casting won’t impact Torres’ status on the popular USA drama for the time being. Suits, which just ended its fifth season, has been renewed for Season 6 to launch this summer. I’ve learned that Torres will remain a regular through season 6, fulfilling her six-year contract, with her character likely phased out.
Written by Cuban-American playwright Charise Castro Smith, The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez <>is described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist and MacBeth with a Cuban twist. It centers on Eva Sofia Valdez (Torres), an immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But the success of this ” modern-day Havana-born Cleopatra” is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.
The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport - Diedrich Bader to Co-Star
The Drew Carey Show alum Diedrich Bader is returning to ABC as the male lead opposite Katy Mixon in the network’s single-camera comedy pilot The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport, from Kapital Entertainment and ABC Studios.
Bader will play Jeff Otto, Katie’s husband, and father of teenagers Taylor and Harrison and 5-year-old Anna-Kat. Jeff adores Katie and has absolutely no problem with the fact that she’s a larger sized woman. He is always reasonable, the voice of logic, and often the only barrier between the rest of the world and Katie’s somewhat ill conceived plans. The cast of the pilot also includes Ali Wong.
Tamberla Perry is set as a series regular in Fox’s drama pilot A.P.B., from writer David Slack and Len Wiseman. Inspired by the July New York Times Magazine article “Who Runs the Streets of New Orleans,” A.P.B. explores what happens when an enigmatic tech billionaire purchases a troubled police precinct in the wake of a loved one’s murder.
Perry will play Goss, an officer with the 13th precinct, where her partner is the hot-headed Officer Roderick Brandt (Taylor Handley).
The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez - Angelica Celaya Joins Cast
Constantine star Angelica Celaya has been cast in ABC drama pilot The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez, from writer Charise Castro Smith and producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters. Described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist and as MacBeth with a Cuban twist, it centers on Eva Sofia Valdez, an immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.
Celaya will play Dominique, a “shadow woman” who mysteriously enter Eva Sofia’s life and although she is ancient, she take the shape of a younger woman that will cut you or be with you – whatever it takes to lure another desperate soul into her collection.
Spanish actor Carlos Leal is set as a series regular in ABC’s Dream Team comedy pilot from Kari Lizer and Bill Wrubel. It centers on Marty Schumacher, who coached his last Club soccer team for ten years, ultimately taking them to the National Championships. He now has to start from scratch with a diverse group of eight-year-olds, and their disparate parents. The project draws on personal experiences by Lizer, who — like so many others — is a soccer mom on the weekends.
Leal will play Carlos Diaz, Olga’s (Michelle Beutau) husband an affable and easy-going owner of a successful restaurant. Leal has had arcs on Devious Maids and The Last Ship and will next be seen in indie Spaceman (fka The Wrong Stuff) opposite Josh Duhamel.
Riverdale - Marisol Nichols Cast as Hermione Lodge
Marisol Nichols (Teen Wolf) has been cast as Hermione Lodge in Riverdale, the CW pilot from producer Greg Berlanti.
Set in present time, Riverdale is a subversive take on Archie (KJ Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart), Veronica (Camila Mendes) and their friends, exploring the surrealism of small-town life — the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome façade.
Nichols will play Hermione Lodge, Veronica’s mother.
Untitled Ed Weeks & Brit Mackay ABC Comedy Pilot - Julie Goldman Joins Cast
Julie Goldman (The People’s Couch) has joined the cast of ABC’s Untitled Weeks & Mackay comedy pilot from writers Ed Weeks & Hannah Mackay and exec producer Andrew Reich.
The project centers on an unapologetic lesbian and her best friend, a neurotic straight male, as they navigate their dysfunctional, co-dependent friendship and the world of dating.
Goldman will play JoJo, a fun-loving Southern biker who runs Austin’s friendliest gastropub.
Good Place - Manny Jacinto Joins NBC's Straight to Series Comedy
Manny Jacinto (The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story) is set for a regular role opposite Kristen Bell and Ted Danson in Good Place, NBC’s 13-episode straight-to-series comedy from Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-creator Mike Schur. Good Place centers on Eleanor (Bell), a woman from New Jersey who comes to realize that she hasn’t been a very good person. She decides to turn over a new leaf by learning what it actually means to be “good” or “bad,” and then trying to make up for her past behavior.
Jacinto will play the sweet and good-natured Jason. His dream is to make a living as a DJ in South Florida. Not an intellectual guy by any means, he probably only went to school thru 11th grade and then repeated a couple times. We like him — we just don’t want to be him.
Lena Olin (Welcome To Sweden) and Tom Brittney (The Syndicate) are set as series regulars as mother and son in ABC pilot Spark, from writer Michael Cooney and producers Ian Sander & Kim Moses. Spark is a lavish primetime drama series of passion, greed and hope in a Steampunk reality, circa 2016. Set in an alternate history where gas and coal fuel the world, the drama centers on the battle for power between two rival families and a rebellious young woman with a spark of invention that could level both their empires.
Olin will play Hazel Stockton, an up-by-her-bootstraps self-made woman who now controls the powerful Stockton Coal Company. She uses her wealth more altruistically than her arch rivals at Lavelle Gas — but despite her philanthropic outreaches to the city’s poor, she still craves absolute power, and is not above using strong-arm tactics to achieve it. However, when deadly sabotage starts claiming innocent lives across the city, she denies any involvement to her son Aiden, Captain of the Investigative Division of the Watch, who is investigating the incidents.
Burn Notice alum Coby Bell is set to co-star opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions, NBC’s drama pilot based on the cult 1999 feature that starred Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon.
Bell plays Kathryn Merteuil’s husband, Pascal Barrett, a dashing and smug California power lawyer, who is the attorney for billionaire Edward Valmont. Polite and concerned when he first meets young Bash Casey, Pascal quickly drops his pleasant facade with Kathryn as the two plan their strategy.
Miranda's Rights - Jamie Chung & John Gabriel Join Cast
Jamie Chung (Once Upon A Time) and John Gabriel have landed series regular roles on NBC pilot Miranda’s Rights.
Written/co-executive produced by Katie Lovejoy and executive produced by John Glenn, Miranda’s Rights is a one-hour legal soap about an idealistic group of lawyers who not only work together but live together at their start-up firm.
Gabriel is Marcus Reed, a former attorney with YLG, he’s a guy who “thinks money and power will make him happy (because it will).” He bailed on YLG to work at the more prestigious and better-paying Klein & Associates, headed up by none other than Tanner’s mother.
Kurt Egyiawan (Beasts Of No Nation) has been cast as a series regular in Fox drama pilot The Exorcist, a modern reinvention inspired by William Blatty’s 1971 book. Written by Jeremy Slater, The Exorcist is described as a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession and confronting the face of true evil.
Egyiawan, repped by Gersh and Lou Coulson Associates, will play Father Bennett, a liaison for the Vatican.
Geneva Carr (Love & Other Drugs) is set as a series regular in CBS drama pilot Bull, from Amblin TV and CBS TV Studios. Written by Phil McGraw and Paul Attanasio, Bull is based on popular daytime talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw’s early days as head of one of the most prolific trial consulting services of all time. Carr will play Marissa, a psychologist, neurolinguistics expert and licensed sex therapist working on Dr. Bull’s (not yet cast) team.
Lethal Weapon Remake - Jordana Brewster to Co-Star
The remake of the feature film has tapped Jordana Brewster to co-star, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Like the feature, the Fox pilot centers on Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Martin Riggs (uncast), who after suffering the loss of his wife and baby, moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he gets partnered with LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans Sr.), who, having recently suffered a ""minor"" heart attack, must avoid any stress in his life.
Brewester will play Dr. Maureen ""Mo"" Cahill, the LAPD's hostage negotiator and in-house therapist. She helps cops deal with their trauma and occassionally gets stuck with a real hard case like Riggs. The role marks her latest small-screen gig following roles on FX's American Crime Story, ABC's Secrets and Lies and TNT's Dallas. Her film credits include the Fast and the Furious franchise.
Mars Drama - Georgina Haig Cast as the Female Lead
Georgina Haig (Limitless) is set as the female lead opposite Neal Bledsoe in The CW’s Untitled Mars Project pilot, from CBS TV Studios.
Written by Doris Egan (Reign), the thriller follows an explorer team that arrives on Mars to join the first human colony on the planet, only to discover that their predecessors have vanished. Led by a woman whose husband is among the missing, the colonists are forced to change their mission from exploration and settlement to investigation and survival, while navigating the hostile planet and their own personal demons. Haig plays Gina Nolan, the mission’s botanist, a woman who is intense, motivated and sharp. Nolan’s a true explorer, believing it is the destiny of mankind to investigate the universe- but before she can become a Mars colonist, she must prove herself. Bledsoe plays Lewis, who’s charged with selecting members of the explorer team who will follow him to the Red Planet. Cast also includes Mouzam Makkar, Carl Beukes, Tongayi Chirisa and Peter Mark Kendall.
Designated Survivor - Tanner Buchanan and McKenna Grace Joins Cast
Tanner Buchanan will be a series regular and McKenna Grace will recur on the drama, which was ordered straight to series in December.
Sutherland plays Tom Kirkman, a low-level cabinet member who becomes president after everyone before him in line to the office dies in a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union.
Buchanan will play Leo Kirkman, Tom’s 16-year-old son who is described as rebellious and self-absorbed but steps up to the plate when he needs to comfort his little sister, Penny (Grace).
Crushed - Bashir Salahuddin Cast in Hulu Comedy Pilot
Bashir Salahuddin has found his next role.
He’s been cast as the male lead in Hulu’s comedy pilot, Crushed. Produced by Lionsgate Television and Homegrown Pictures, Crushed follows siblings Will and Celia (Regina Hall) as they challenge the Napa Valley culture. As the only African American winery in town, they attempt to transform their parents abandoned vineyard into a business.
Salahuddin will play Will, a chemist and Harvard med school drop-out who goes off the grid squatting at his parents’ abandoned Napa property until his sister, Celia, persuades him to use his knowledge to help her build a legit winery. Tina Gordon Chism (Peeples, ATL) penned the script and serves as executive producer with Stephanie Allain (Hustle & Flow, Peeples).
Note: Originally posted with the Katrina Law casting, Deadline then expanded the details on his role.
Drew Van Acker (Pretty Little Liars) has been cast opposite Bill Paxton and Katrina Law in CBS’ drama pilot Training Day, a present-day reimagining of Antoine Fuqua’s acclaimed 2001 feature.
Set 15 years after the film left off, the TV show, written by Will Beall and directed by Danny Cannon, centers on an idealistic young African-American police officer, Kyle Craig, is appointed to an elite squad of the LAPD where he is partnered with seasoned, morally ambiguous detective Frank Rourke (Paxton).
Van Acker will play Tommy Campbell, an officer with the LAPD’s Special Investigation Section (S.I.S.), a unit that goes after the worst of the worst, Tommy Campbell is a former pro surfer who’s usually seen in board shorts; he may still look like a surfer, but he’s traded in riding the waves for the dangerous highs that come from swimming with a different type of shark.
Kevin Williamson’s Paranormal CW Pilot - Megan West Cast as the Female Lead
Thanks to Spindae2 for the heads up.
How to Get Away With Murder alumna Megan West has landed the female lead opposite Bailey Chase in the CW’s untitled Kevin Williamson paranormal pilot.
Written by Williamson and directed by David Nutter, the project centers on Sarah Roberts (West), a young woman who seeks help from a parapsychologist (Chase) and his team when she begins to experience paranormal phenomena. Jessica Szohr co-stars.
Complications star Jason O’Mara is set as the co-lead opposite Bokeem Woodbine in A&E’s hip-hop crime drama pilot The Infamous. Written by Joshua Zetumer and directed by Anthony Hemingway, the project revolves around two complicated men on a collision course: an ambitious reformed gangster poised to break out of South Central (Woodbine) and the LAPD detective (O’Mara) hell-bent on taking him down. It will be set against real events in turbulent 1990s Los Angeles leading up to the LA Riots.
O’Mara’s Bill Slidell is a hard-charging LAPD officer who is notorious for attracting trouble. A good cop who believes himself to be morally upright, Bill also has some questionable views on race and mountains of family baggage to contend with. Emily Rios co-stars.
“Zoolander 2” star Cyrus Arnold has landed the lead role in ABC comedy pilot “Chunk & Bean,” TheWrap has learned.
“Chunk & Bean,” from writers and executive producers Ed Herro and Brian Donovan, is about two friends who benefit from having two very different sets of parents living next door to each other.
Arnold’s character, Brian Dawson, a.k.a. Chunk, is a hefty, teenage curmudgeon with 10 percent of his ample girth devoted to the giant chip on his shoulder. His favorite things in the world are sarcasm, cheesecake and angering his mother.
Chunk & Bean - Simon Belz & Sophia Gonzalez Cast in ABC Comedy Pilot
ABC has found its Bean. Simon Belz has been tapped to co-star as title character Bean (aka Ed Rogerson) in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Chunk & Bean. In addition, Sophia Gonzalez (Barely Famous) has joined as a series regular.
Written by Ed Herro and Brian Donovan and exec produced by Dave Hemingson, Chunk & Bean is a dual-family comedy centered on the unlikely friendship of two misfits, Chunk and Bean, who benefit from having two very different sets of parents living next door to each other.
Belz’s Bean is as small as Chunk (Cyrus Arnold) is wide. When Bean and his dad, Jim (Adam Rodriguez), move in next door, Chunk’s bad attitude runs smack into Bean’s optimism. They start as friends, quickly become enemies, and circle back to friends again — just like real teenage boys. Gonzalez will play Sarah Diamond, the pretty, snarky high school guidance counselor who is Chunk and Bean’s best hope at turning their teenage weirdo streak around. She loves her job, but she also hates it, and has to work at Chilis on the weekend to pay rent.
In addition to Rodriguez and Arnold, Belz and Gonzalez join previously cast Andy Daly and Anna Gunn.
Untitled Stephnie Weir & Greg Garcia CBS Comedy Pilot - Lenora Critchlow to Star
Lenora Crichlow has been cast in CBS’s comedy pilot from Stephnie Weir and Greg Garcia, Variety has learned exclusively. She will star opposite Nick Zano. The British actress is best known for starring on BBC’s “Being Human.” She showed off her comedy chops two pilot seasons ago with NBC’s short-lived comedy “A to Z” on which she was a series regular, appearing in all 13 episodes.
The untitled mutli-cam CBS comedy is about a conservative small town family that is forced to reconcile their values when they discover their children’s lives are less than perfect.
Crichlow will play Anna, a whip-smart young woman who served in Afghanistan with Billy (Zano), the golden boy of his family who gets her pregnant.
The Mick - Kaitlin Olson to Star in FOX Comedy Pilot
Fox is staging an It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia reunion. The network has tapped Sunny star Kaitlin Olson to star in (and co-exec produce) family comedy pilot The Mick, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
From Sunny duo John Chernin and Dave Chernin, the single-camera comedy revolves around a hard-living, foul-mouthed woman who moves to affluent Greenwich, Conn., to raise the spoiled kids of her wealthy sister who has fled the country to avoid a federal indictment. She quickly learns what everyone else already knows: other people's children are awful.
Olson will star as Mackenzie ""Mickey"" Murphy (aka The Mick), a hapless mess, a wry-humored, hard-drinking, cigarette smoking, living large kind of gal, always ""between"" jobs, and always broke. A scrappy survivor, who's run out of options, she decides to pay her rich sister a visit, hoping for a little handout. What she gets, instead, is a full-time baby-sitting gig, when her sister and husband are forced to flee the country in a hurry.
Training Day - Katrina Law & Drew van Acker Joins Cast
Katrina Law (Arrow) has been cast opposite Bill Paxton in CBS’ drama pilot Training Day, a present-day reimagining of Antoine Fuqua’s acclaimed 2001 feature.
Set 15 years after the film left off, the TV show, written by Will Beall, centers on an idealistic young African-American police officer, Kyle Craig, is appointed to an elite squad of the LAPD where he is partnered with seasoned, morally ambiguous detective Frank Rourke (Paxton).
Law will play Detective Rebecca Lee, an LAPD officer with the LAPD’s Special Investigation Section (S.I.S.). She was rescued from human traffickers by Frank (Paxton) when she was 4 years old and looks up to him as the father she never had.
Cast also includes Drew van Acker as LAPD officer Tommy Campbell.
Prototype - Jack Davenport to Star in Syfy's Quantum Physics Pilot
Smash alum Jack Davenport is set to topline Prototype, Syfy’s sci-fi thriller drama pilot written by Tony Basgallop (24: Live Another Day). It centers on three unlikely cohorts who inadvertently stumble upon an invention that challenges the very nature of quantum physics – a discovery which in turn puts their lives in grave danger.
Davenport will play the now aging playboy and former Silicon Valley wunderkind, Edward “Eddy” Conway, who has retreated from the tech world to return to UCLA as a physics professor. Eddy’s lack of self-control, be it coeds or sports cars, has made him familiar with some unsavory characters, but his latest project might prove to be his most dangerous endeavor to date.
Oscar nominee Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Esposados) will direct the pilot and executive produce with Basgallo and Escape Artists Productions (Southpaw). Taylor Latham (Freeheld) will be co-executive producer.
The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez - Christina Pickles Joins Cast
Friends alumna Christina Pickles has joined the cast of ABC drama pilot The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez, from writer Charise Castro Smith and producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters. Described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist and as MacBeth with a Cuban twist, it centers on Eva Sofia Valdez, an immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.
Pickles will play Astrid, Blair’s mother, a “90 pound ballbuster in a Chanel suit” whose family has ruled the Miami roost for decades. She is repped by Domain.
Rob McClure (Noises Off) has joined the cast of Drew, CBS’ drama pilot based on the Nancy Drew character from the classic mystery book series. Written by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan and directed by James Strong, Drew is described as a contemporary take on the character from the books, with Nancy (Sarah Shahi), now in her 30s, working as a detective for the NYPD where she investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world.
McClure will play Dan Bennett, a photographer and family man who Nancy investigated for murder.
Mars Drama - Neal Bledsoe Cast in the Lead Role in CW Pilot
Neal Bledsoe (The Mysteries Of Laura) has been tapped for a lead role in The CW’s Untitled Mars Project pilot, from CBS TV Studios.
Written by Doris Egan (Reign), the thriller follows an explorer team that arrives on Mars to join the first human colony on the planet, only to discover that their predecessors have vanished. Led by a woman whose husband is among the missing, the colonists are forced to change their mission from exploration and settlement to investigation and survival, while navigating the hostile planet and their own personal demons. Bledsoe plays Lewis, handsome, charming, brilliant and resolute, the clear first choice for the first colonizing expedition to Mars. Lewis is in charge of selecting the best to follow him to the Red Planet and winds up falling in love with one of them in the process. He joins previously cast Mouzam Makkar, Carl Beukes, Tongayi Chirisa, and Peter Mark Kendall.
Time - Paterson Joseph & Malcolm Barrett Join Cast
British actor Paterson Joseph (HBO’s The Leftovers) and Malcolm Barrett (ABC’s Better Off Ted) have been cast in Time, NBC’s action adventure drama pilot from Supernatural creator Eric Kripke and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan.
Joseph will play entrepreneurial legend and dedicated eccentric Mason Lark, who runs Lark Industries. He’s developed a time machine in secrecy, previously hidden from the government until now. Knowing the implications of leaving a time machine in the wrong hands, Lark helps guide the recovery team. Barrett plays Rufus, a brilliant engineer.
Amazon’s “The Interestings” pilot, which is the TV adaptation of Meg Wolitzer’s novel, has cast newcomer Sasha Frolova as a series regular, Variety has learned exclusively.
“The Interestings” is about friends who meet at an arts camp in 1974 when they’re in their teens, and follows the group over the 30 years following their camp experience.
Frolova will play the young version of Collins’ character, Cathy Kiplinger.
The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport - Ali Wong Joins Cast
Comedian-actress Ali Wong is set as a series regular opposite Katy Mixon in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport, from Kapital Entertainment and ABC Studios. Written by Sarah Dunn and directed by Ruben Fleischer, The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport is narrated by Katie (Mixon), a (slightly) larger, strong-willed mother raising her flawed family of three in a wealthy town filled with “perfect” wives and their “perfect” offspring.
Wong will play Doris, a responsible and hands-on mother who cares about things like throwing large Easter Egg hunts and sending out the right Christmas cards. She doesn’t fit in with the Westport Mombots, but they consistently abuse her good nature when they need help of any kind. Wong has a one-hour stand-up comedy special coming up on Netflix and most recently was a staff writer on Fresh Off The Boat.
The Exorcist - Ben Daniels & Alfonso Herrera Join Cast
Fox’s modern reinvention of The Exorcist has cast Ben Daniels (Flesh and Bone, House of Cards) and Alfonso Herrera (Sense8) in series-regular roles.
Daniels will play Father Marcus, described by the network as “the intense holy warrior carrying out an occupation that the church no longer acknowledges in public.”
Herrera, meanwhile, has been cast as Father Tomas, “the warm, selfless and compassionate leader of a small but hearty little church.”
The potential series is being described as an hour-long “modern reinvention” of William Blatty’s 1971 book (which spawned the classic 1973 horror film of the same name). Adapted by up-and-coming screenwriter Jeremy Slater, the project is being described as “a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession, and confronting the face of true evil.""
CBS has found the second of its Four Stars. Manhattan graduate Ashley Zuckerman has been tapped to co-star in the military drama pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The drama revolves around two powerful rival families in the military community of Tampa, Fla., who make decisions at the highest levels in the interest of national security.
Zuckerman will portray Danny, the son of four-star special ops legend Gen. Buckley (uncast), who has all of his father's swagger and rough edges — but none of the internal censor.
Zoobiquity - Peter Facinelli and Kim Raver to Star
Peter Facinelli and Kim Raver have joined Zoobiquity, Fox’s unconventional medical procedural pilot, TVLine has learned.
The potential series, based on the book of the same name, follows Dr. Kara Martins (played by Marsha Thomason), a successful cardiologist at a Boston hospital who decides to partner with a socially challenged veterinarian to pioneer cross-species medicine.
Facinelli will play the vet, Dr. Lucas Court, whose bond with his animal patients verges on the uncanny. Raver, meanwhile, will portray Dr. Julia Fowler, the chief of medicine at Chicago Hospital.
Ex-Covert Affairs agent Piper Perabo is spying a return to TV as the co-lead opposite Daniel Sunjata in the ABC drama pilot Notorious, TVLine has learned.
Written by Drop Dead Diva creator Josh Berman and blogger Allie Hagan (“Suri’s Burn Book”), the project is inspired by the true-life stories of famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos (Sunjata) and cable news producer Wendy Walker, promising a provocative look at “the unique, sexy, and dangerous interplay of criminal law and the media.”
Perabo will play Julia (i.e. the Wendy role), a driven producer of the No. 1 TV news program in the country. She’s squeaky clean on paper, but fights in the mud when necessary. She not only controls the nation’s headlines, she owns them.
The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez - Christian Ochoa Cast as a Series Regular
Christian Ochoa is set as a series regular in ABC drama pilot The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez, from writer Charise Castro Smith and producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters. Described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist and as MacBeth with a Cuban twist, it centers on Eva Sofia Valdez, an immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.
Ochoa will play Nicolas Valdez, Eva Sofia’s youngest son, he’s a handsome, Latino lawyer, an “effortless prince” who is his mother’s undeniable favorite.
Reese Witherspoon's ABC Divorce Drama Pilot - Penelope Ann Miller to Co-Star
Penelope Ann Miller is extending her time at ABC. The actress, currently on anthology American Crime and who has had a recurring role on summer series Mistresses, has been tapped to co-star in the network's Reese Witherspoon-produced drama pilot.
Miller will play Elizabeth, the wife of a Texas oil billionaire who is seeking revenge after having been left for a woman 20 years younger than her.
From writer Meaghan Oppenheimer, the drama centers on a ruthless Dallas divorce attorney (uncast) whose life begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister resurfaces triggering self-destructive tendencies and exposing long-hidden family secrets.
Superior Donuts - Brian d’Arcy James Joins CBS Comedy Pilot
Brian d’Arcy James (Spotlight, NBC’s Smash) has been cast as the co-lead opposite Jermaine Fowler in Superior Donuts, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot written/executive produced by The Odd Couple showrunner Bob Daily and Community alums Neil Goldman & Garrett Donovan.
Based on the play by Tracy Letts, Superior Donuts follows the relationship between the owner of a donut shop, Arthur (James), his new young employee, Franco (Fowler), and their patrons in a gentrifying neighborhood of Chicago. As Arthur’s new (and only) employee, Franco’s going to make it his mission to drag the shop — and Arthur, a typically gruff, to-the-point Chicagoan and the patriarch to his loyal customers — into the 21stcentury…
Newcomer Madeline Blake has booked a key role on the ABC soap.
ABC's 1970s-set Model Woman, a fictionalized family soap inspired by Robert Lacey's book, Model Woman: Eileen Ford and the Business of Beauty, model-actress Blake will play Gemma, a model from a small town who becomes the new ""it girl."" The newcomer is repped by APA and 23 Management Group. Helen Childress will pen the script for the drama.
Frequency Reboot - Anthony Ruivivar Joins CW Pilot
Joining Frequency is Banshee's Anthony Ruivivar.
In Frequency, based on the New Line feature and from Supernatural's Jeremy Carver, Ruivivar will portray Detective Stan Hope, a plainclothes detective who served as Frank's (Peyton List) handler with the NYPD and who managed his day to day undercover operation. Ruivivar's credits also include American Horror Story and Southland).
The Infamous - Jahmil French Joins A&E Drama Pilot
Jahmil French (The Divide) is set as a series regular on A&E’s hip-hop crime drama pilot The Infamous. It revolves around two complicated men on a collision course: an ambitious reformed gangster poised to break out of South LA and the LAPD detective hell-bent on taking him down. It will be set against real events in turbulent 1990s Los Angeles leading up to the LA Riots.
French will play a 17-year-old rapper from South Central LA torn between a life in music and a life in a gang. French is best known for his recurring role on WEtv’s The Divide as the son to Damon Gupta and Nia Long.
Steve Talley (Hindsight) is set as a series regular opposite Sebastian Maniscalco and Tony Danza in NBC’s multi-camera pilot Sebastian, produced by Greg Garcia. The project, from CBS TV Studios and Garcia’s Amigos De Garcia Productions, was inspired by Maniscalco’s life. Written by Austen Earl and to be directed by Scott Ellis, it chronicles Sebastian’s (Maniscalco) old-school values, instilled by his opinionated Italian father (Danza), which are constantly put to the test by his new wife, her family, and the absurdities of the modern world.
Talley will play Trevor, Chloe’s (not yet cast) husband, an attractive, charming and cocky frat guy who comes from a similar background as Sebastian…the difference is while Sebastian would never take handouts from Lana’s family, Trevor takes every single one.
Untitled Ed Weeks & Brit Mackay ABC Comedy Pilot - Andy Ridings Cast as the Male Lead
Andy Ridings (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) is set as the male lead in ABC’s untitled Weeks/Mackay comedy pilot.
Written by The Mindy Project co-star Ed Weeks & Brit Mackay (Peep Show) and directed by Leslye Headland, the single-camera project centers on Hilda, an unapologetic lesbian, and her best friend Randall (Ridlings), a neurotic straight male, as they navigate their dysfunctional, co-dependent friendship and the world of dating.
The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport - Carly Hughes Joins Cast
Newcomer Carly Hughes is set as a series regular opposite Katy Mixon in ABC’s single-camera pilot The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport, from Kapital Entertainment and ABC Studios. Written by Sarah Dunn and directed by Ruben Fleischer, The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport is narrated by Katie (Mixon), a (slightly) larger, strong-willed mother raising her flawed family of three in a wealthy town filled with “perfect” wives and their “perfect” offspring.
Hughes will play Angela, a hip, brutally honest woman who is going through a messy divorce. This marks Hughes’ network debut. She was recently seen as Georgia Brown in Cabin in the Sky at New York City Center and in the Broadway productions of Chicago and Pippin. She is repped by Cyd LeVin & Associates.
Vegas alum Taylor Handley is set as a series regular opposite Natalie Martinez and Caitlin Stasey in Fox’s drama pilot A.P.B., from writer David Slack and Len Wiseman. Inspired by the July New York Times Magazine article “Who Runs the Streets of New Orleans,” A.P.B. explores what happens when an enigmatic tech billionaire purchases a troubled police precinct in the wake of a loved one’s murder.
Handley will play Officer Roderick Brandt, a Marine combat veteran turned cop who sometimes has difficulty making the distinction between the urban streets and the battlefield. Handley has previously appeared on series including Scorpion, Southland and The O.C.
When The Street Lights Go Out - Max Burkholder Cast as the Lead in Hulu's Drama Pilot
EXCLUSIVE– Max Burkholder has been set as the lead in the Hulu pilot, When The Street Lights Go Out. The project is adapted from the Black List feature script by writers Chris Hutton and Eddie O’Keefe. Production is scheduled to commence in mid-April in Atlanta.
In the vein of Stand By Me, When The Street Lights Go On is a coming-of-age thriller about a sleepy, suburban town that is rocked by the brutal murder of a high school girl and her teacher in the summer of 1983.
As revealed exclusively by Deadline, Odessa Young is also on-board as 15-year old Becky Monroe, an elusive teenage wallflower forced to come of age amid the shocking aftermath of her sister’s tragic murder.
Katie Aselton has been cast opposite Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza and Jean Smart in Legion, FX’s X-Men-universe pilot from Fargo creator Noah Hawley, Marvel TV and FX Prods.
Legion introduces the story of David Haller (Stevens), based on the Marvel comics character Legion, the son of X-Men founder Charles Xavier. Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness. A haunted man, David is getting tired of finding his way back to sanity and is about to give up when he meets the girl of his dreams, a fellow patient, and is confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real. Aselton will play Amy.
Another main character from the cult 1999 movie Cruel Intentions is returning for the NBC reboot. Drop Dead Diva alumna Kate Levering has been cast in the pilot as Annette Hargrove, the role played by Reese Witherspoon in the film. Levering joins Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is reprising her role as Kathryn Merteuil from the movie, in which she starred alongside Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe.
Set in present day, Cruel Intentions picks up more than 15 years after the movie left off. It follows the beautiful and cunning Kathryn Merteuil (Gellar) as she vies for control of Valmont International as well as the soul of Bash Casey (Taylor John Smith), the son of her brother, the late Sebastian Valmont (played in the movie by Ryan Phillippe), and Annette. Upon discovering his late father’s legacy in a hidden journal, Bash is introduced to a world of sex, money, power and corruption he never could have imagined. Kathryn is privately shaken by the arrival of Bash and the re-appearance in her life of Annette, the girl she wronged years ago.
Peter Mark Kendall (The Americans) has booked a series regular role on The CW’s Untitled Mars Project pilot, from CBS TV Studios. Written by Doris Egan (Reign), the thriller follows an explorer team that arrives on Mars to join the first human colony on the planet, only to discover that their predecessors have vanished. Led by a woman whose husband is among the missing, the colonists are forced to change their mission from exploration and settlement to investigation and survival, while navigating the hostile planet and their own personal demons.
Kendall will play Mason, a member of the explorer team. Kendall recurs on FX’s The Americans and NBC’s Chicago Med and previously recurred on MTV’s Eye Candy and HBO’s Girls.
Matt Oberg (The Comedians) is set as a series regular in The Enforcers, Fox’s single-camera comedy pilot from Warner Bros TV. Written by Sherry Bilsing-Graham and Ellen Kreamer and directed by Gail Mancuso, The Enforcers is a female buddy comedy about two wildly different single mothers — M.J. (Niecy Nash) and Nora (Christine Woods) — with dreams of being police officers who find themselves partnered as inspectors in the Code Enforcement Department. Instead of fighting crime, they have been relegated to handling petty code breaking, like noise complaints, tree trimming and water misuse.
Oberg will play Sweet Pete; a bit of an emotional roller coaster, he’s the PR guy in the office whose job is to inform the public in a “cheerful” way that things like a drought could be the end of mankind. He’s also the right-hand man to George (Ian Gomez), a job he takes quite seriously. Oberg is coming off a season on FX’s The Comedians. He’s also set as a recurring on The Real O’Neals and Veep.
What Goes Around Comes Around - Jason Lee Cast as the Male Lead
My Name Is Earl alum Jason Lee is set as the male lead in What Goes Around Comes Around, CBS’s single-camera comedy pilot from Dan Kopelman and Aaron Kaplan.
Written by Kopelman and directed by Tim Story, the project centers on two fortysomething parents — Kenny (Lee), a husband, father and owner of a hip music management company; and Robin — who were wild and reckless teenagers now face their worst nightmare—raising three teenagers of their own.
Charity Case - Kyle Bornheimer Joins FOX's Comedy Pilot
Kyle Bornheimer has booked his follow-up to CBS' Angel From Hell. The actor has been tapped to play the stepson of Friends alum Courteney Cox in Fox's comedy pilot Charity Case, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The single-camera comedy revolves around Hailey (Cox), who after she inherits her late billionaire husband's charity, quickly finds that changing the world is far less glamorous than she had imagined.
Bornheimer is set as Adam, Hailey's stepson who is now chairman of the board of the Waller Foundation since his father's passing. Described as self-important, Adam has nothing but disdain for Hailey, whom he refers to as ""Philanthropist Barbie.""
Casey Wilson is heading back to ABC. She'll play the small-town mayor in the comedy from Brian Gallivan and Sony Pictures TV.
The comedy centers on a young small-town mayor named Mary Wolf who has dysfunctional siblings, a dying father, disgruntled citizens, a nearly bankrupt town and the mafia breathing down her neck. Only a miracle can help her — so she fakes one. Based on the Austrian Broadcasting Corp. series Braunschlag, created by David Schalko.
Wilson will star as Mary, who is additionally described as less of a rule-follower and more of a rule breaker, she's got the charisma of a young Bill Clinton.
Matt Lanter has been cast as the male lead in Time, NBC’s action adventure drama pilot from Supernatural creator Eric Kripke and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan.
The project, from Sony Pictures TV and studio-based Davis Entertainment, is described as “Back To The Future meets Mission: Impossible.” It is a high-octane drama following an unlikely trio who travel through time to battle a master criminal intent on altering the fabric of human history with potentially catastrophic results.
Lanter and Abigail Spencer, who was cast as the female lead, with play two of the time-travelers at the center of the show.
Ward Horton (Annabelle) has joined the cast of Bunker Hill, CBS’ medical drama pilot written by Jason Katims and directed by David Semel. The project follows James Bell (Augustus Prew), a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists Walter Wallace (Dermot Mulroney), a veteran surgeon with a controversial past in starting a hospital with a cutting-edge, “new school” approach to medicine. Wallace is described as a brilliant surgeon committed to saving lives who might care a little too much about his patients.
Horton will play Dr. Scott Strauss, an intense neurologist with an Ivy league pedigree and the son of a world class physician.
Krysta Rodriguez (Smash, Chasing Life) has been cast opposite John Lithgow in The Trail, NBC’s documentary-style procedural comedy from comedy veteran Jeff Astrof, Forever creator Matt Miller and Warner Bros. TV. Written by Astrof and Miller and to be directed by Jeffrey Blitz, The Trail, whose title is a scrambled version of Trial, follows Josh Simon (Nick D’Agosto), a young big-city lawyer and his oddball defense team during a high-profile murder trial in a small southern town. Sent from his big New York law firm to small town South Carolina to prep a rag-tag team in defending a poetry professor Larry Henderson (Lithgow) accused of murdering his wife, Josh Simon tries to keep his optimism while feeling a bit out of his element — both professionally and as the first “Northeasterner” many of the townspeople have seen.
Rodriguez will play Summer Henderson, Larry’s (Lithgow) free-spirited adopted daughter, who comes back to town to help her father.
The Kicker - Joanna Garcia Swisher Cast in CBS' Comedy Pilot
Joanna Garcia Swisher is set to co-star opposite Geoff Stults and David Spade in The Kicker, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot from the 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt trio of Tina Fey, Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock.
Written by Burditt, The Kicker centers on Daryl Thorkelsonan (Stults), an oddball athlete who drives family, friends and strangers insane after he unexpectedly finds himself cut from his professional football team.
Swisher will play Bambi, Daryl’s (Stults) intelligent and patient wife and a physical therapist to pro athletes. Spade plays Russ Thorkelson, Daryl’s (Stults) brother and sports agent.
Untitled Dan O'Shannon Comedy - Brooke Elliott to Co-Star
Drop Dead Diva star Brooke Elliott is returning to the small screen. The actress has been tapped to co-star in CBS' adaptation of family comedy Upper Middle Bogen, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Starring Katey Sagal, the comedy is an extended family show inspired by the Australian format about a wife and mother who learns she was adopted and that her birth parents are a flamboyant but loving family of drag-racers.
Elliott will portray Amber, one of the three (legitimate) children of Wayne (John Carroll Lynch) and Julie (Sagal). She's the tough-minded, responsible, business-like, level-headed one in the family — and she lets everyone know it.
Steve Kazee has been cast as the male lead opposite Sarah Shahi in Drew, CBS’ drama pilot based on the Nancy Drew character from the classic mystery book series.
Kazee will play Ned, an investigative reporter for the New York Times and Nancy’s former boyfriend.
The Mick - Sofia Black D’Elia Cast in FOX Comedy Pilot
Sofia Black D’Elia (Project Almanac) has joined the cast of Fox comedy pilot The Mick (working title), from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia co-executive producers John Chernin and Dave Chernin. Written by the Chernins, the project has a fish-out-of-water theme. It centers on a hard-living, foul mouthed woman who moves to affluent Greenwich, CT to raise the spoiled kids of her wealthy sister who has fled the country to avoid a federal indictment. She quickly learns what the rest of us already know — other people’s children are awful.
D’Elia will play Sabrina, the oldest of the three kids that Mickey has to care for.
Hannah Kasulka has been cast opposite Brianne Howey in Fox drama pilot The Exorcist, a modern reinvention inspired by William Blatty’s 1971 book. Written by Jeremy Slater, The Exorcist is described as a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession and confronting the face of true evil. Rupert Wyatt is set to direct.
Howey will play Casey Rance, the wall-flower of the family. Casey is worried about her sister Charlotte (Howley), who has been holed up in her room ever since her serious accident. Kasulka recently wrapped a role opposite Charlie Day and Ice Cube in New Line’s Fist Fight and recurred in The Fosters.
Veteran Dan Lauria is set to co-star opposite Kylie Bunbury and Mark-Paul Gosselaar in Pitch, Fox‘s drama pilot written by Dan Fogelman and Rick Singer and directed by Paris Barclay.
The project, from 20th Century Fox TV, follows Ginny (Bunbury), a young female pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues. Lauria will play Al Sciutto, the baseball team’s grizzled but steady manager.
“Alias” alum Merrin Dungey has joined the cast of ABC drama pilot “Conviction,” Variety has learned.
The pilot centers around a young attorney (Hayley Atwell), the brilliant but ne’er-do-well daughter of a former President, who is blackmailed into taking a job as the head of Los Angeles’ newly created Conviction Integrity Unit. She, along with her team of lawyers, investigators and forensic experts, work together to examine cases where there’s credible suspicion that the wrong person may have been convicted of a crime.
Dungey will play Maxine, the lead investigator for the Conviction Integrity Unit. Maxine is a former NYPD detective from a cop family who is described as being tough and no-nonsense. She’ll find her previously unfailing loyalty to the badge tested as she delves into her former colleagues’ cases.
Dungey will next be seen in HBO’s limited series “Big Little Lies,” starring Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, and has recently appeared on ABC drama “Once Upon a Time” and Fox comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” She’s the sister of newly-promoted ABC entertainment president Channing Dungey, who replaced outgoing ABC topper Paul Lee earlier this month.
CBS has found their Nancy Drew in Sarah Shahi, who will play the titular role in “Drew,” the network’s modernized spin on the classic detective character, Variety has learned.
Since ordering the pilot, CBS has been very vocal about wanting to cast a diverse actress in the lead role, with network president Glenn Geller saying the star would not be Caucasian and the search would be open to all other ethnicities. Born in Texas, Shahi is from Iranian, Persian and Spanish ancestry.
Titled “Drew,” the potential series is described as a contemporary take on the character from the iconic Nancy Drew book series. The pilot will center around a 30-something who is a more mature version of Nancy than the one in the popular novels. Nancy is now detective for the NYPD, where she investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world.
Shahi is a familiar face to the network, as she has starred in the network’s crime drama “Person of Interest” since its second season. Though that series’ cancellation has not officially been announced, exec producer J.J. Abrams has hinted that the fifth season would be the last, and with Shahi’s casting in a hot pilot at CBS, it seems likely “Person of Interest’s” fate is sealed.
Square Roots - Adhir Kalyan, Noureen DeWulf, Bernard White & Nina Wadia Join ABC Comedy Pilot
Adhir Kalyan, Noureen DeWulf, Bernard White and Nina Wadia are set as series regulars on ABC single camera comedy pilot Square Roots, written and exec produced by Vijal Patel. Square Roots is about a man from a family of logic-driven engineers who is determined to use his “gift” to help the people he loves with their everyday issues. . .whether they like it or not.
Kalyan will play Daneesh “Dan” Desai, an engineer by trade, by disposition, and by genetic inheritance, Dan is a high IQ guy who is always thinking (and always venting), and he believes that everything is capable of being improved and adjusted with a little bit of engineering. He’s happily married to Ruth.
DeWulf is Leena Desai, Dan’s wry and just a bit misanthropic sister, Leena has followed the family trade, and is an environmental engineer (who despises the nuclear power industry). But she has also stayed single, a shocking decision that has outraged the other members of her family.
White plays Mukesh, a patriarchal uber-nerd and electrical engineer who believes adamantly in the old-fashioned virtues of hard work, self-determination and self-reliance.
Wadia is Seema Desai, the mother of Dan and Leena, and grandmother of Owen and Paige (not yet cast), is in some ways a traditional Indian woman: she loves polyester, dotes on her family, and wants her daughter to start punching out grandchildren. But Seema is also a chemical engineer with a high IQ, and she’s proud of her achievements outside the family.
Untitled Chris Case FOX Comedy Pilot - Becki Newton Cast as the Female Lead
Ugly Betty MVP Becki Newton has landed the female lead in Fox’s Untitled Chris Case sitcom pilot, TVLine has learned.
The potential series, penned by former Reba and Legit scribe Case, is being billed as an interracial comedy that follows Jay “Havoc” Hammond, an African American, ex-NFL lineman who recently moved in with his Caucasian bride and her two oddball sons, as he struggles to win the most challenging game of his life: fatherhood.
Newton will play Havoc’s strong and soulful wife Christy, a psychologist who works with athletes to help them overcome anything from an addiction to drugs to an addiction to food.
Notorious - Kate Jennings Grant & J. August Richards Join Cast
Kate Jennings Grant (Love & Other Drugs) and Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce’s J. August Richards have been cast opposite Daniel Sunjata and Aimee Teegarden in ABC’s drama pilot Notorious.
The project, from Sony Pictures TV and Jeff Kwatinetz’s The Firm, was inspired by the relationship between famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and long-time Larry King Live executive producer Wendy Walker. Described as a provocative look at the interplay of criminal law and the media, it follows the professional and personal relationship between a charismatic attorney (Sunjata) and a powerhouse television producer as they attempt to control the media, the justice system, and ultimately – each other.
Grant will play Louise, the host of a news program at the center of the series. Richards, is Bradley, Jake’s (Sunjata) brother who once had the potential to be the shining star of the law office but is now overshadowed by Jake.
Gloria Garayua has been cast opposite Gabriel Iglesias in ABC comedy pilot The Fluffy Shop, co-written by and starring Iglesias. In The Fluffy Shop, comedian Gabriel Iglesias plays a stepfather and boss to his family and friends, while he navigates his home life during the few days he spends off the road each week.
Garayua will play Carmen, Gabe’s girlfriend, the strict mother to 13-year-old Frankie. Garayua’s recent credits include guest appearances on Criminal Minds, NCIS: Los Angeles, Anger Management and a recurring on Grey’s Anatomy.
Toast - Tessa Ferrer Cast in ABC's Shondaland Comedy Pilot
Onetime Grey’s Anatomy doc Tessa Ferrer is boarding another ride at Shondaland, with a role on the ABC comedy pilot Toast.
With Scandal‘s Scott Foley and Alias alum Greg Grunberg as writer/executive producers, Toast follows a wedding rehearsal dinner where the toasts made by an eclectic assortment of friends and family are illustrated by far-more-truthful flashbacks. Ferrer will play the role of Julie (who is not the bride-to-be.)
NBC's Untitled Vladimir Cataño Comedy - Maria Canals-Barrera Joins Cast
Maria Canals-Barrera (Wizards Of Waverly Place) has joined the cast of NBC’s untitled multi-camera family comedy pilot starring Vladimir Caamaño. Produced by Bill Lawrence, and written by Adam Sztykiel and Caamaño, the project is inspired by Caamaño’s real-life family dynamic living with his Dominican father and older brother in the Bronx, which is often featured in his stand-up. In the show, Vlad (Caamaño), the son of Dominican immigrants, wants to carve his own path in life which proves difficult as his father has no desire to change their extremely co-dependent relationship.
Canal-Barrera will play Andrea, Vald’s high-energy mom who loves everything about the U.S. Canal-Barrera was most recently seen on ABC’s Cristela and is best known for her role as Theresa Russo on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place.
British actor Chris Mason (Vampire Academy) has signed on as a series regular in ABC drama pilot Model Woman. The project, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television and ABC Studios, is a fictionalized family soap inspired by Robert Lacey’s book Model Woman: Eileen Ford And The Business Of Beauty, the recently published biography of the outspoken and controversial woman who started as a model and went on to co-found the famous Ford Modeling Agency with her husband Jerry.
Mason will play Elsdon Geiss, Bertie and Miller’s youngest son. He’s smart, interesting and perceptive and has already proven that he has the knack for finding new faces.
Mark Consuelos has been tapped for the key role in the drama pilot from Dan Fogelman, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Consuelos (Alpha House, Kingdom) will co-star as Oscar, the team's general manager and president. The character is a former player who hopes to make Ginny feel welcome and does his part to handle the extraordinary situation in which he finds himself in. With the success or failure of the club in mind, he wants to see Ginny do well in her first game.
Time - Claudia Doumit Joins NBC's Time Travel Drama
Australian actress Claudia Doumit has joined the cast of Time, NBC’s action adventure drama pilot from Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, The Shield creator Shawn Ryan, Sony Pictures TV and studio-based Davis Entertainment. Described as “Back To The Future meets Mission: Impossible,” Time is a high-octane drama following an unlikely trio who travel through time to battle a master criminal intent on altering the fabric of human history with potentially catastrophic results.
Doumit, repped by Abrams Artists Agency and Authentic, will play Jiya.
Utkarsh Ambudkar (The Mindy Project) has been cast opposite Nicholas Braun and Jane Levy in My Time/Your Time, CBS’s hybrid comedy pilot from Hilary Winston and How I Met Your Mother creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. Based on the web series 7P/10E by Avital Ash, My Time/Your Time chronicles the relationship of a young couple — Marla (Levy) and Wade (Braun) — as they begin dating long distance.
Ambudkar will play Jay, Wade’s (Braun) friend and co-worker who, on the surface, looks like a slacker/surfer dude, but is secretly ambitious.
Rules of Engagement star David Spade is returning to TV and CBS with a co-starring role opposite Geoff Stults in The Kicker, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot from the 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt trio of Tina Fey, Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock.
Spade will play Russ Thorkelson, Daryl’s (Stults) brother and sports agent who spends most of his time doing damage control while Daryl says something else controversial. Though he’s eternally stressed, Russ loves his brother more than anything for giving him a career opportunity in the sports world.
Graceland alumna Vanessa Ferlito is set for a co-starring role in Drew, CBS’ drama pilot based on the Nancy Drew character from the classic mystery book series.
Ferlito will play George, an NYPD homicide detective and Nancy’s former partner on the force who has an innate ability to put other people at ease. She joins previously cast Anthony Edwards and Feliz Solis.
Jimmy Smits has booked his next leading role. The Emmy and Golden Globe winner — and Sons of Anarchy alum — has been tapped to play a major role in Fox's 24: Legacy, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Smits, who was juggling multiple pilot offers this season, will star as John Donovan, a senator running for president who is looking forward to having his wife, Rebecca (Miranda Otto), by his side in his bid for the White House.
Training Day - Bill Paxton to Star in CBS' Sequel Drama Series
CBS' Training Day sequel has found its leading man.
Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominee Bill Paxton has been tapped to topline the network's drama pilot based on the 2001 feature film of the same name, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Described as a reimagining that begins 15 years after the 2001 film left off, the reboot centers on an idealistic young African-American police officer who is appointed to an elite squad of the LAPD where he is partnered with a seasoned, morally ambiguous detective.
Paxton will make his broadcast series regular debut and star as Frank Rourke, a veteran LAPD cop who heads up the Special Investigation Section (SIS), a unit that goes after the worst of the worst. He lives by the law of the jungle and believes that real courage is the will to chase the bad guys where the law won’t. Needless to say, Frank isn’t too keen to be babysitting a new trainee, Kyle Craig (uncast). Denzel Washington earned an Oscar win for his leading role as seasoned detective Alonzo Harris in the 2001 feature. Ethan Hawke co-starred as the young cop.
Charity Case - Isiah Whitlock Jr. & Dan Gill Join FOX's Comedy Pilot
Isiah Whitlock Jr. (The Wire) and Dan Gill (The Wedding Ringer) have been cast as a series regular opposite Courtney Cox in Fox comedy pilot Charity Case, written by former The Office writer-producer Robert Padnick. In Charity Case, when Hailey (Cox) inherits her late billionaire husband’s charity, she quickly finds that changing the world is far less glamorous than she had imagined.
Whitlock will play Ronald, stoic and loyal, he is Hailey’s No. 2, a hard-working, diplomatic fellow, always ready with a supportive word when Hailey feels discouraged.
Gill will play Mark, a young, cynical smart-ass, he is one of the program officers for the Waller Foundation (the philanthropic organization headed by Hailey).
Lenny Jacobson (Big Time In Hollywood, FL) is set as a series regular opposite Peyton List and Riley Smith in Frequency, the CW’s drama pilot based on Toby Emmerich’s sci-fi thriller. The TV series, written by Supernatural showrunner Jeremy Carver, centers on Raimy (List), a female police detective in 2016 who discovers that she is able to speak via a ham radio with her estranged father, Frank Sullivan (Smith), also a detective, who died in 1996.
Jacobson will play Gordo, Raimy’s next-door neighbor and lifelong friend; he grows deeply concerned for her as she tries to prevent a long-ago tragedy.
T.R. Knight to Co-Star in Reese Witherspoon's Divorce Drama Pilot on ABC
Grey’s Anatomy alum T.R. Knight is returning to ABC and ABC Studios with a co-starring role in the untitled Meaghan Oppenheimer drama pilot, executive produced by Reese Witherspoon.
Written by Oppenheimer, the project follows the personal and professional life of Gemma, a ruthless divorce attorney in Dallas, which begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister resurfaces triggering self-destructive tendencies and exposing long-hidden family secrets.
Knight will play Mark, Gemma’s work nemesis who is competing with her for the same position. On the outside he’s a jolly and likeable guy, but really he’s calculated backstabber you don’t see coming.
Nathalie Kelley (UnReal) has joined the cast of NBC’s drama pilot Cruel Intentions, based on the cult 1999 movie. Set in present day, the story picks up 15 years after the film and follows the beautiful and cunning Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) as she vies for control of Valmont International as well as the soul of her nephew Bash Casey (Taylor John Smith), the son of her brother, the late Sebastian Valmont. Upon discovering his father’s legacy in a hidden journal, Bash is introduced to a world of sex, money, power, and corruption beyond imagination.
Kelley will play Carmen, the stunning and brilliant chief of staff to Kathryn and her husband Pascal.
Thr Infamous - Michelle Mitchenor Cast as a Series Regular in A&E Drama Pilot
Michelle Mitchenor is set as a series regular in A&E’s hip-hop crime drama pilot The Infamous. It revolves around two complicated men on a collision course: an ambitious reformed gangster poised to break out of South Central (Bokeem Woodbine) and the LAPD detective hell-bent on taking him down. The pilot, from Sony TV, is produced by Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson and directed by Anthony Hemingway. Mitchenor will play Eva Adams.
Good Place - Jameela Jamil Cast in NBC's Straight to Series Order Comedy
British TV personality Jameela Jamil rounds out the core cast of Good Place, Mike Schur’s 13-episode straight-to-series comedy series for NBC. She joins Kristen Bell, Ted Danson and William Jackson Harper.
This marks the acting debut for Jamil, who has built a career as a TV and radio presenter in her native England. She has hosted such shows as Channel 4’s T4 and Radio 1’s Official Chart. Jamil recently started to pursue acting, focusing on comedy.
Good Place centers on Eleanor (Bell), a woman from New Jersey who comes to realize that she hasn’t been a very good person. She decides to turn over a new leaf by learning what it actually means to be “good” or “bad,” and then trying to make up for her past behavior.
Jamil will play the the wealthy and glamorous Tessa, well educated in England, effortlessly conversant in almost anything and loving to host parties and be the center of attention.
Harper plays Chris, a kind and extremely intelligent guy who always sees the good in people. Danson plays Michael, who, through an unlikely set of circumstances, comes to be Eleanor’s guide through her self-designed self-improvement course.
Royal Pains alumna Reshma Shetty has signed on to Bunker Hill, CBS’ medical drama pilot written by Jason Katims and directed by David Semel.
The project follows James Bell (Augustus Prew), a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists Walter Wallace (Dermot Mulroney), a veteran surgeon with a controversial past in starting a hospital with a cutting-edge, “new school” approach to medicine. Wallace is described as a brilliant surgeon committed to saving lives who might care a little too much about his patients. Brenda Song co-stars. Shetty will play Dr.Talaikha Channarayapatra, described as insanely dedicated, quietly fearless, and maddeningly literal.
Ana Cruz Kayne has been cast in Four Stars, a drama pilot from playwright/TV writer Becky Mode, CBS TV Studios, and studio-based Timberman/Beverly Productions.
Four Stars centers on two powerful rival families in the military community of Tampa, Florida who make decisions at the highest levels in the interest of national security. Kayne will play Syd, the daughter of four-star General Rodriguez (not yet cast), who is a foreign policy wunderkind and hardcore policy wonk. She joins Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Matt, Rodriguez’s son and a military rock star in his own right.
The Revenant's Forrest Goodluck has lined up his next role. The actor, who played Hawk, the son of Leonardo DiCaprio's Hugh Glass in the Oscar-nominated film, has joined Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's Hulu drama pilot Citizen,The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
From the acclaimed director of Me, Earl and the Dying Girl, Citizen is a fresh take on the hero origin story blending elements of magical realism and gritty vigilantism against the backdrop of the vibrant world of east Los Angeles.
Goodluck will play Guero, a wiry graduate of the streets who serves as the charismatic and bipolar leader of a group called “Baby Narcos.” Should the drama be picked up to series, Goodluck would be a series regular.
Untitled Laura Steinel FOX Comedy Pilot - Judy Greer to Star
Judy Greer is ready for her next small-screen gig. The actress, fresh off two seasons of FX comedy Married, has been tapped to star in Fox's untitled human resources comedy pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The single-camera comedy centers around Jane, who is caught between trying to manage her charmingly incompetent human resources department and a new eccentric CEO who dreams of bringing the New Jersey plastics plant into the future.
Greer will take on the leading role of Jane, who is described as the over-used and under-appreciated head of HR for a plastic molding plant, where her new boss is changing the direction of the company and continually making her job more difficult.
The Interestings - David Krumholtz, Ed Squires, Jance Enslin, and Katie Balen Join Cast
David Krumholtz (Hail Caesar!) has joined the cast of Amazon pilot The Interestings, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television. Also set for the project are Ed Squires, Jance Enslin, and Katie Balen.
Krumholtz will play Ethan, and Squires will play the younger version of Krumholtz’s character. Enslin will play the young Jonah Dey (Corey Cott) and Balen is young Jules (Lauren Ambrose).
Untitled Dan O'Shannon Comedy - Katey Sagal to Star in CBS Comedy Pilot
Katey Sagal is returning to comedy. The Sons of Anarchy and Bastard Executioner alum has been tapped to star in CBS' untitled comedy pilot based on Australian format Upper Middle Bogen, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The untitled comedy centers on Bess (uncast), a wife and mother who learns she was adopted and that her birth parents are a flamboyant but loving family of drag racers. Sagal will portray Julie, Wayne's (John Carroll Lynch) wife and the matriarch of the family. After Wayne lost an eye, Julie stepped in as the lead driver of Team Wheeler.
Chuck and Bean - Hassie Harrison Cast as a Series Regular
Hassie Harrison is set as a series regular opposite Anna Gunn and Andy Daly in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Chunk & Bean. Written by Ed Herro and Brian Donovan and exec produced by Dave Hemingson, Chunk & Bean is a dual-family comedy centered on the unlikely friendship of two misfits, Chunk and Bean, who benefit from having two very different sets of parents living next door to each other.
Harrison will play Denise Dawson, the Dawson’s oldest child, a “beautiful teenage storm cloud” with an attitude you can cut with a knife. She’s popular at school, quite smart, and knows her power. Harrison’s other TV credits include The Astronaut Wives Club and Hart Of Dixie.
Felix Solis (The Following) has joined the cast of Drew, CBS’ drama pilot based on the Nancy Drew character from the classic mystery book series. Written by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan and directed by James Strong, Drew is described as a contemporary take on the character from the books, with Nancy, now in her 30s, working as a detective for the NYPD where she investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world.
Solis will play Lieutenant Ford, who moved to NY after his wife died under suspicious circumstances. He was a person of interest but never charged. He left all that behind and tries to forget his past by burying himself in work. Solis, repped by D2 Management, recurred as Special Agent Jeffrey Clarke on The Following. He’ll next be seen in ABC’s The Family.
Zoobiquity - Marsha Thomason Cast as Female Lead in FOX's Medical Procedural Pilot
White Collar alumna Marsha Thomason will play the female lead in Zoobiquity, Fox’s light medical procedural pilot based on the best-selling book of the same name by Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers. Also cast in the project is Antonia Bernath (Downton Abbey, The Astronaut Wives Club).
Written by Bones executive producers Stephen Nathan and Jon Collier, the project follows the unlikely pairing of Dr. Kara Martins (Thomason), a successful, driven cardiologist as she risks career suicide by teaming with Dr. Lucas Cort, a socially-challenged veterinarian who relates better to animals than people. They try to put aside their competitive natures to cure the incurable using a unique blend of cross-species medicine that’s never been tried before.
The young and determined Dr. Martins is the star at her Boston area hospital. She has an instinct for healing, and is an innovator whose sometimes-unorthodox methods save lives.
Bernath will play Dr. Susan Gibbs, a shy but brilliant young imaging specialist who is more at home with her machines than with people.
Kevin Williamson's Paranormal CW Pilot - Bailey Chase & Jessica Szohr to Star
Gossip Girl‘s Jessica Szohr is returning to the CW with a starring role in Kevin Williamson’s untitled paranormal drama pilot, and I hear she also has booked a role on David Lynch’s Twin Peaks revival for Showtime. Additionally, Longmire alum Bailey Chase has been tapped as the male lead in Williamson’s pilot. (Coincidentally, he also is doing a gig on the new Twin Peaks installment.)
Written by Williamson and directed by David Nutter, the CW pilot is about a young woman who seeks help from a parapsychologist (Chase) when she begins to experience paranormal phenomena.
Chase’s Clark Patterson is a once-successful parapsychologist who is now just an attraction at local ghost conventions. But when he meets a mysterious young woman, everything begins to change.
Szohr plays Jasmine Lacroix. The granddaughter of a voodoo priestess, she has turned her heritage into a successful tourist shop in Baton Rouge.
Making History - Adam Pally to Star in FOX Time Travel Comedy Pilot
The in-demand Mindy Project alum Adam Pally has been tapped as the lead in Making History, Fox’s time-travel single-camera comedy pilot executive produced by Phil Lord, Chris Miller & Julius “Goldy” Sharpe.
Written by Sharpe, Making History revolves around three unlikely friends who find an even less likely way to travel through time, irreversibly complicating their personal lives in 2016. It centers on Dan, a nerdy computer science professor at a small college and the “failure” of an accomplished family, who is unpopular with both students and colleagues on campus, where his extreme intelligence comes off as odd. Dan invented time travel, hoping to get a fresh start and meet less shallow people. We see two Dans – the “nerd rage” guy having a hard time in the present, and the cooler more carefree guy in the past.
Four Stars - Wilmer Valderrama to Co-Star in CBS' Military Drama Pilot
Wilmer Valderrama is signing up for duty. The Minority Report alum has booked a co-starring role in CBS' military drama pilot Four Stars, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The drama revolves around two powerful rival families in the military community of Tampa, Fla., who make decisions at the highest levels in the interest of national security.Valderrama will portray Matt, the son of four-star Gen. Rodriguez (currently uncast) and a military rock star in his own right.
Numbers and Shark alumna Sophina Brown is set to co-star opposite Taylor John Smith and Samantha Logan in NBC’s drama pilot Cruel Intentions, based on the cult 1999 movie, which starred Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Gellar is still in negotiations to reprise her role as Kathryn Merteuil from the movie.
Brown will play Naomi, the dynamic ex-wife of Kathryn’s husband Pascal and mother to Cassidy (Logan). She’s a force to be reckoned with having recently returned from Capitol Hill with the hopes of being the first black Republican congresswoman in the history of California.
Riverdale - Luke Perry Cast as Archie's Father in Co-Starring Role
EXCLUSIVE: Former Beverly Hills, 90210 resident Luke Perry is moving to a new zip code. Perry has been tapped for a co-starring role in Riverdale, the CW pilot from producer Greg Berlanti based on the Archie Comics characters.
Perry will play Archie’s dad Fred Andrews, who is clearly getting a makeover for the TV series. Usually easygoing, Fred Andrews is the owner of a construction firm who is hoping his son, who worked for him all summer, will someday take over the family business.
The Exorcist - Brianne Howey Cast as a Series Regular
Brianne Howey (Scream Queens) has signed on for a series regular role in Fox drama pilot The Exorcist, a modern reinvention inspired by William Blatty’s 1971 book. Written by Jeremy Slater, The Exorcist is described as a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession and confronting the face of true evil.
Howey will play Charlotte, a former ballet dancer, once the golden child, she has not been the same since her terrible accident. Now depressed and anti-social, she’s closed off and guarded. So much so that her mother has begun to believe she might be influenced by a demon, though the thought would make Charlotte laugh.
Tracy Ifeachor (The Originals) has joined the series regular cast of ABC pilot Spark, from writer Michael Cooney and producers Ian Sander & Kim Moses. Spark is a lavish primetime drama series of passion, greed and hope in a Steampunk reality, circa 2016. Set in an alternate history where gas and coal fuel the world, the drama centers on the battle for power between two rival families and a rebellious young woman with a spark of invention that could level both their empires.
Ifeachor will play Logan Reese, an attractive, quick and confident young forensic investigator who has just transferred to the Investigative Division of the city’s Watch. Ifeachor currently recurs on The Originals.
Good Fortune - Jessy Hodges to Star, Blake Lee to Co-Star
Jessy Hodges (Hindsight) is set to lead the ensemble cast of NBC’s multi-camera comedy pilot Good Fortune. Rounding out the core quintet in the project, from Rashida Jones and Will McCormack’s Le Train Train, is Blake Lee (Mixology, Parks & Recreation). Hodges and Lee join previously cast Tone Bell, Beau Mirchoff and Diane Guerrero. 20th TV is the studio.
Written by Matt Zinman & Craig Gerard and directed by Pam Fryman, Good Fortune focuses on June (Hodges), a hyper-structured young woman who, after a fortune teller predicts she’ll die in 3 days, decides she’s finally going to live her life with no regrets. When she doesn’t die but realize how great it felt to take risks, she adopts a new life policy along with a new full-time fortune teller. June and her best friends Adam (Bell), Dave (Mirchoff), Bailey (Guerrero) and Metzger (Lee) plan to always stick together, impending doom or not. Lee’s Metzger is June close friend who is realizing after announcing he is gay, that it was obvious all along.
Untitled Kevin James Comedy - Erinn Hayes Cast as the Female Lead
Childrens Hospital star Erinn Hayes has signed on to star opposite the King of Queens alum in his new CBS comedy, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
In the untitled multi-cam series, which was first picked up for 13 episodes in October, James plays a newly retired cop looking forward to spending more quality time with his wife and three kids. However, he soon discovers he faces much tougher challenges at home than he ever did at work.
Hayes will play Donna, Kevin's wife of 20 years who's had to hold the family together until he retires from the police force. She joins a cast that also includes Taylor Spreitler, Ryan Cartwright, Leonard Earl Howze, Mary-Charles Jones and James DiGiacomo.
Richard Gant (Men Of A Certain Age) has been cast opposite Gabriel Iglesias in ABC comedy pilot The Fluffy Shop. The project was inspired by Iglesias’ life experience including the challenges of managing a home life during the few days he spends off the road each week.
Gant will play Lance, a gruff guy with a military bearing who built the Fluffy Shop and maintains it. He functions as a father figure to Gabe (Iglesias) and the others employees at the shop.
Untitled Amy Poehler NBC Comedy - Patrick Gallagher Cast as a Series Regular
Patrick Gallagher (Glee) is set as a series regular on NBC’s untitled royal family comedy pilot (aka Dumb Prince) written by Charlie Grandy and executive produced and directed by Amy Poehler.
Gallagher will play Brutus, the Palace chef. He’s also Karl’s confidant and one of the few people at the Palace who speaks the truth to Karl. Gallagher is best known for his role as Coach Ken Tanaka on Glee.
The Shameless actor has been tapped to topline the network's Jason Katims medical drama, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Bunker Hill follows a young Silicon Valley tech titan (Augustus Prew) who enlists a veteran surgeon with a controversial past in starting a hospital with a cutting edge, ""new school"" approach to medicine.
Mulroney will portray Walter Wallace, a brilliant surgeon committed to saving lives who might care a little too much about his patients. He joins a cast that also includes Brenda Song as Angie, a programmer at the hospital.
Future Man - Eliza Coupe Cast as the Female Lead in Hulu's Comedy Pilot
Happy Endings alumna Eliza Coupe is set as the female lead opposite Josh Hutcherson in Future Man, Hulu’s half-hour comedy pilot from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The gig expands Coupe’s relationship with Hulu where she has recurred on Jason Reitman’s Casual.
Written by Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir and executive produced by Matt Tolmach, Future Man is a high-concept comedy that centers on Josh Futterman (Hutcherson) a janitor by day/world-ranked gamer by night who is tasked with preventing the extinction of humans after mysterious visitors from the future proclaim him the key to defeating the imminent super-race invasion.
Coupe will play futuristic soldier Tiger, a sexy, tough and intense character in the Cybergeddon video game, who, along with her cohort Wolf, recruits Josh to travel back in time to save the world from the hellish landscape she left behind. However, she’s hiding a secret that could unravel everything.
Speechless - Cedric Yarbrough Cast as a Series Regular
Cedric Yarbrough (The Goldbergs) is set as a series regular in ABC comedy pilot Speechless from Scott Silveri and 20th Century Fox TV. The project centers on a family with a special-needs child described as being “good at dealing with the challenges it faces and excellent at creating new ones.”
Yarbrough will play Kenneth, a groundskeeper at Bronxville High. He has a run-in with Maya who throws a fit because the wheelchair ramp doubles as a ramp for garbage dumpster. Yarbrough’s other recent TV credits include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Comedy Bang! Bang!
ER alum Anthony Edwards is set for a co-starring role in Drew, CBS’ drama based on the Nancy Drew character from the classic mystery book series.
Edwards will play Carson, Nancy’s father who graduated at the top of his class at Yale Law. In the 2007 movie with a younger Nancy, played by Emma Roberts, Carson was played by Tate Donovan.
CSI alumna Elisabeth Shue is set for a leading role opposite Kylie Bunbury and Mark-Paul Gosselaar in Pitch, Fox‘s drama pilot written by Dan Fogelman and Rick Singer and directed by Paris Barclay.
The project, from 20th Century Fox TV, follows Ginny (Bunbury), a young female pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues. Shue will play the sleek and confident Amelia Slater: Image-maker extraordinaire and Ginny’s personal guru/protector.
The Jury - Brandon Jay McLaren & Ben Esler Join Cast
Graceland alum Brandon Jay McLaren and Australian actor Ben Esler (Hell On Wheels) have been cast as series regulars on ABC’s murder trial drama pilot The Jury, from Sony TV and ABC Studios.
Written by VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli and executive produced by Carol Mendelsohn, The Jury examines “the ultimate social experiment” that happens thousands of times a day in the U.S.: a person’s fate is placed in the hands of 12 strangers. The series follows a single murder trial a season as seen through the eyes of the individual jurors.
McLaren will play Jared, one of the individual jurors with a dark past and penchant for speaking his mind. Esler will play Ernest, an awkwardly mild-mannered professional.
The Last Tycoon - Kerry O’Malley & Annika Marks to Recur
Kerry O’Malley (Terminator Genisys) and Annika Marks (The Sessions) have landed recurring roles opposite Lily Collins and Matt Bomer on Amazon’s pilot The Last Tycoon, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s final unfinished novel. The project, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television, was inspired by the life of film mogul Irving Thalberg, on whom the book’s protagonist Monroe Stahr was based.
O’Malley will play Kay Maloney, a writer on the Brady-American studio lot. Marks is Bernadette Davis, Declan Davis (Ryan O’Nan) loving wife. Marks is repped by TalentWorks and LINK. O’Malley is with Primary Wave and Professional Artists.
I Love Dick - Kathryn Hahn Cast as Female Lead in Amazon Comedy Pilot
Kathryn Hahn, who is recurring on Jill Soloway’s acclaimed Amazon comedy series Transparent, has been tapped as the female lead in Soloway’s followup project for Amazon — comedy pilot I Love Dick.
Written by playwright Sarah Gubbins based on Chris Kraus’ 1997 novel and directed by Soloway, I Love Dick is set in a colorful academic community in Marfa, Texas. It centers on a struggling married couple, failing wife and independent filmmaker Chris (Hahn) and Sylvere, and their mutual obsession with an off-putting but charismatic professor, Dick. Through that obsession, Chris goes on a journey of self-discovery and eventually transformative power. Told in Rashomon-style shifts of POV, I Love Dick charts the unraveling of a marriage, the awakening of an artist and the reluctant deification of a man named Dick.
Hahn plays Rabbi Raquel Fein on Transparent, recently sharing a SAG Awards ensemble nomination with the rest of the series’ cast. The actress, who also recurred on NBC’s Parks & Recreation, is repped by Gersh, Lighthouse Management and attorney James Adams.
Powerless - Danny Pudi, Alan Tudyk & Christina Kirk Join Cast
Tudyk is set to play Del, Emily's new boss in the claims department. Del has just been promoted — not through any merit of his own, but because he’s the owner’s son. A self-proclaimed “rich, over-educated globetrotting wastrel,” Del is a power-mad disastrous dictator of a boss.
Pudi, who last season starred in NBC pilot Strange Calls, will play Teddy, Emily's best friend at work and her trusted confidante. He spends his days creating time-wasting pranks as a way to make their office, the ""least super place on earth,"" just a little less ""unsuper."" The casting brings the actor back to NBC, where Community started its run before wrapping up at Yahoo.
Kirk, who will reunite with A to Z writer/exec producer Ben Queen on Powerless, will portray Jackie. A fan of super heroes, Jackie has plastered her office cubicle with beefcake shots of super guys. New claims department boss Del makes her his personal assistant, and she begins buckling under his unreasonable and impossible demands.
Pitch - Mo McRae, Meagan Holder & Tim Jo Cast as Series Regulars in FOX Baseball Drama Pilot
Mo McRae (Wild, Murder In The First), Meagan Holder (Born Again Virgin) and The Neighbors‘ alum Tim Jo are set as series regulars opposite Kylie Bunbury and Mark-Paul Gosselaar in Pitch, Fox‘s baseball drama pilot, written by Dan Fogelman and Rick Singer and directed by Paris Barclay.
McRae will play Blip, an All-Star outfielder, who’s as fleet of mouth as he is of foot. As Ginny’s (Bunbury) only pre-existing friend, Blip serves as her big brother on the team and tries to make sure she feels at home in the dugout right off the bat. Holder is Evelyne, Blip’s wife and an old friend of Ginny’s. Knowing what immense pressure her friend must be under, Evelyne takes it upon herself to distract Ginny with some much needed girl talk and a round of Bloody Mary’s. Jo will play Eliot, an awkward but social media savvy manager brought on to Ginny’s team to run her online presence now that she’s exploded as a celebrity. This reunites Jo and Fogelman from their work together on The Neighbors.
Cruel Intentions - Taylor John Smith Cast as Male Lead, Samantha Logan Also Cast
You can see the family resemblance — Taylor John Smith (American Crime) is set to play the son of Ryan Phillippe’s Sebastian and Reese Witherspoon’s Annette from the cult 1999 movie Cruel Intentions, which also starred Sarah Michelle Gellar. Smith is set as the male lead in NBC’s pilot based on the film, with Gellar in negotiations to reprise her role. She was approached shortly after the project was picked up to pilot. Also cast in the pilot is Samantha Logan (The Fosters).
Set in present day, Cruel Intentions picks up more than 15 years after the movie left off. It follows the beautiful and cunning Kathryn Merteuil — the role played in the movie by Gellar — as she vies for control of Valmont International as well as the soul of Bash Casey (Smith), the son of her brother, the late Sebastian Valmont, and Annette Hargrove. Upon discovering his late father’s legacy in a hidden journal, Bash is introduced to a world of sex, money, power and corruption he never could have imagined. Logan plays Cassidy, the spoiled daughter of Kathryn’s husband Pascal.
Parenthood alumna Sarah Ramos is returning to NBC as one of the leads in another drama series project, pilot Midnight, Texas, which is based on the bestselling trilogy by Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse books that were adapted into HBO’s vampire drama True Blood.
Ramos will play Creek, a girl next door beauty who works two jobs, a waitress at the local restaurant, and behind the counter at the Gas and Go convenience store her dad owns. She is bright, funny and dreams of more but lives at home to protect her teen brother from their father who is oppressively strict, protective.
Adam F. Goldbergs' Untitled ABC Live-Action CGI Comedy Pilot - Jenna Elfman Cast as the Lead
Jenna Elfman is set as the lead in ABC’s untitled live-action/CGI comedy pilot from The Goldbergs creator/executive producer Adam F. Goldberg and executive producer David Guarascio, as well as animator Patrick Osborne, Happy Madison and Sony Pictures TV.
Written by Goldberg and Guarascio and directed by Shawn Levy, the untitled comedy centers on Alice (Elfman), a bachelorette whose life is turned upside-down when she finally meets the love of her life — a divorced father (Stephen Schneider) with three kids. This triggers even more upheaval when the slightly unhinged imaginary friend Alice created as an only child suddenly reappears in her life to help her navigate the transition from single girl to a woman ready for a family.
Former Cougar Town star Dan Byrd has lined up his follow-up series project, signing on for a co-starring role in the drama pilot Model Woman at ABC, the network where comedy Cougar Town started before migrating to TBS.
The project, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television and ABC Studios, is a fictionalized family soap inspired by Robert Lacey’s book Model Woman: Eileen Ford And The Business Of Beauty, the recently published biography of the outspoken and controversial woman who started as a model and went on to co-found the famous Ford Modeling Agency with her husband Jerry.
Written by Reality Bites scribe Helen Childress and directed by Richard Shephard, Model Woman is set in the late 1970s during the notorious Model Wars and centers on Bertie Geiss – a tempestuous matriarch and uncompromising businesswoman at the helm of an internationally renowned modeling agency. Byrd will play Bertie’s oldest son, Lonnie Geiss, SVP of Geiss Agency, who makes the trains run on time but longs to prove himself in other ways, and wants to find the next new face.
Untitled Amy Poehler NBC Comedy - Tiya Sircar Cast as a Series Regular
Tiya Sircar has booked a series regular role on NBC’s untitled royal family comedy pilot (aka Dumb Prince) written by Charlie Grandy and executive produced and directed by Amy Poehler.
The comedy is set in the country of Modaria, known for the manufacture of mopeds and tiny cars, where the Faber family has ruled for generations. Sircar will play Maria, the new maid in the royal household, described as smart, strong-willed and likable.
Adam F. Goldbergs' Untitled ABC Live-Action CGI Comedy Pilot - Stephen Schneider Set as the Male Lead
Stephen Schneider is set as the male lead in ABC’s untitled live-action/CGI comedy pilot from The Goldbergs creator/executive producer Adam F. Goldberg and executive producer David Guarascio, as well as animator Patrick Osborne, Happy Madison and Sony Pictures TV.
Written by Goldberg and Guarascio and directed by Shawn Levy, the untitled comedy centers on a thirtysomething bachelorette whose life is turned upside-down when she finally meets the love of her life — a divorced father with three kids (Schneider). This triggers even more upheaval when the slightly unhinged imaginary friend she created as an only child suddenly reappears in her life to help her navigate the transition from single girl to a woman ready for a family.
Schneider’s Ben is an attractive, adorable and quick-witted divorced dad of 3 who charmingly seduces the full-time bachelorette into falling in love with him. The imaginary friend was conceived as a CGI creation in a live-action environment. Goldberg, Guarascio, Osborne and Happy Madison’s Doug Robinson executive produce.
Shaun Brown has been cast opposite Joel McHale in The Great Indoors, CBS‘ multi-camera pilot written and executive produced by Mike Gibbons. The comedy, from CBS TV Studios, centers on Joel (McHale), an adventure reporter who must adapt to the times when he becomes the boss to a group of millennials in the digital department of the magazine.
Brown will play Dwayne, Joel’s new colleague in the magazine’s digital department, a hip and obnoxiously peppy “urban outdoorsman” who has actually spent zero time outside.
The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez - Raúl Castillo Cast as a Series Regular
Looking alum Raúl Castillo is set as a series regular in ABC drama pilot The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez, from writer Charise Castro Smith and producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters.
Described as a sexy revenge drama with a supernatural twist and as MacBeth with a Cuban twist, it centers on Eva Sofia Valdez, an immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.
Castillo, repped by CAA and TMT Management, will play Sebastian, Eva Sofia’s oldest son. He will next be seen in the upcoming Netflix movie Special Correspondents with Ricky Gervais and HBO’s Looking TV movie slated for release this year.
Recon - Tracy Spiridakos to Star; Alexander Siddig Also Joins Cast
Former Revolution star Tracy Spiridakos has landed the lead in Recon, Fox’s drama pilot executive produced by The Vampire Diaries’ co-developers/exec producers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. Also cast in the pilot, written by TVD exec producer Caroline Dries, is Alexander Siddig (Game of Thrones).
Recon centers on Alexa (Spiridakos), a young, driven FBI analyst tasked with embedding herself in a suspected terrorist family. Siddig plays her target Omar, a father, husband and devout Muslim who has no idea the Feds have been tracking his every move.
Transylvania - Laura Brent Cast as the Female Lead
Young Australian actress Laura Brent (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) has been cast as the female lead in the CW genre-themed drama pilot Transylvania.
Written by Hugh Sterbakov and directed by Jason Ensler, Transylvania is set in 1880 and centers on Victoria (Brent), a headstrong young woman in search of her missing father who ventures from NYC to Transylvania where she teams up with a wrongfully disgraced Scotland Yard Detective, and together they witness the births of the most famous monsters and villains in history.
Untitled Dan O'Shannon Comedy - John Carroll Lynch Cast in CBS Pilot
John Carroll Lynch is shifting gears to comedy
Lynch, who most recently had a memorable guest role on The Walking Dead and played Twisty the Clown on American Horror Story: Freak Show, is set to co-star in a CBS comedy pilot. Lynch has signed on to co-star as Wayne Wheeler in the network's untitled Dan O'Shannon, Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope comedy based on Australian format Upper Middle Bogan.
The single-camera comedy revolves around a wife and mother who learns she was adopted and that her birth parents are a flamboyant but loving family of drag-racers. Lynch will play the patriarch of Team Wheeler, a man whose life revolves around his profession and his extended family.
O'Shannon, Butler and Hope will pen the script and exec produce alongside Todd Holland, with the latter set to direct the pilot. The comedy is a co-production between CBS Television Studios and ABC Studios in association with Dark Toy Entertainment.
The Grease Live alum has been tapped to star in NBC's DC Comics comedy pilot Powerless, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The single-camera workplace comedy is set at one of the worst insurance companies in America — with the twist being that it also takes place in the universe of DC Comics. The comedy is about the reality of working life for a normal, powerless person in a world of super heroes and villains.
Hudgens will topline the pilot and portray Emily Locke, an insurance claims adjuster who loves her job because she gets to help people, Emily likes to fly under the radar and just get her work done. She finds herself increasingly exasperated by the disruptive antics of the various Super Heroes that proliferate in her city.
Untitled NBC Amy Poehler Comedy Pilot - Elizabeth Perkins & Kevin Nealon to Co-Star
The network has tapped Weeds alums Elizabeth Perkins and Kevin Nealon to co-star in the untitled comedy pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The single-camera comedy revolves around Karl, who after years of partying that earned him the ""black sheep"" label, returns home to compete with his brother for the family throne. Grimm's Nico Evers-Swindell stars as Karl. Tim Baltz and Jessie Ennis co-star.
Perkins will play Queen Tuesday, the controlling and frosty royal family's queen of Modaria, who rules with her husband, King Adrian (Nealon). She's generally displeased with the choices her children have made though she has hope that Princess Jana will become an item with Prince Harry.
King Adrian is described as the somewhat clueless King of Modaria, a sweet guy who would rather his wife wear the pants in the family.
Citizen - Augusto Aguilera & Alex Gonzalez Cast in Lead Roles in Hulu's Supernatural Drama Pilot
Chasing Life alum Augusto Aguilera and Alex Gonzalez have signed on for lead roles in Citizen, Hulu’s supernatural drama pilot, from Me And Earl And The Dying Girl director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Paramount TV, and Anonymous Content.
Set against the backdrop of a vibrant, ‘supernaturalized’ Los Angeles, Citizen is a hero origin story, blending gritty vigilantism with elements of magical realism.
Aguilera will play Julio, a small town dreamer in over his head in the deep waters of the Los Angeles underworld. Gonzalez is Gabriel, the drama’s stoic hero who must reconcile a crushing guilt from a tragic past.
Legion - Amber Midthunder to Co-Star in FX/Marvel Pilot
Amber Midthunder (Banshee) is set to co-star opposite Dan Stevens and Aubrey Plaza in Legion, FX’s X-Men-universe pilot from Fargo creator Noah Hawley, Marvel TV and FX Prods.
Midthunder will play Kerry, a woman of action with a childlike sense of wonder. A true savant, Kerry has lived a sheltered, but never dull life.
ER grad Mekhi Phifer has been tapped to co-star in the drama pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Phifer will take on the role of Lt. Satch DeLeon, a veteran police officer who was a good friend of Frank's who became a surrogate father to Raimy (not yet cast) after Frank’s death. Andre Braugher played the part in the film, which was written and produced by Toby Emmerich.
Notorious - Aimee Teegarden Cast as a Series Regular
Friday Night Lights alumna Aimee Teegarden is set as a series regular opposite Daniel Sunjata in ABC’s drama pilot Notorious.
The project, from Sony Pictures TV and Jeff Kwatinetz’s The Firm, was inspired by the relationship between famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and long-time Larry King Live executive producer Wendy Walker. Written by Drop Dead Diva creator Josh Berman and blogger Allie Hagan (Suri’s Burn Book), Notorious is described as a provocative look at the interplay of criminal law and the media. It follows the professional and personal relationship between a charismatic attorney (Sunjata) and a powerhouse television producer as they attempt to control the media, the justice system, and ultimately – each other.
Teegarden will play Ella Benjamin, book smart and seemingly confident but covering her vulnerability. She is the daughter of a convicted felon and became a lawyer to prove her father’s innocence.
Dream Team - Wynn Everett Cast as a Series Regular
The Newsroom alumna Wynn Everett has been cast as a series regular in ABC’s Dream Team comedy pilot from Kari Lizer and Bill Wrubel.
It centers on Marty Schumacher, who coached his last Club soccer team for ten years, ultimately taking them to the National Championships. He now has to start from scratch with a diverse group of eight-year-olds, and their disparate parents. The project draws on personal experiences by Lizer, who — like so many others — is a soccer mom on the weekends.
Everett will play Denise Johnson, a stay-at-home supermom who’s determined to see her youngest daughter, Tiffnee, realize her dream and potential as a great soccer player. Everett, repped by Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA, and Gotham/Principal, is coming off her villainous turn as Madame Masque in ABC’s Agent Carter.
Reign alum Caitlin Stasey is set to co-star opposite Natalie Martinez in Fox’s drama pilot A.P.B., from writer David Slack and Len Wiseman.
Inspired by the July New York Times Magazine article “Who Runs the Streets of New Orleans,” A.P.B. explores what happens when an enigmatic tech billionaire purchases a troubled police precinct in the wake of a loved one’s murder.
Stasey will play Ada Hamilton, the striking, fiercely intelligent, cynical, and tough head of the team of tech troubleshooters brought in by the billionaire taking over the police precinct. She has an iconoclastic, edgy personal style.
The Great Indoors - Chris Williams Cast as a Series Regular
Chris Williams (One Big Happy) is set as a series regular opposite Joel McHale in The Great Indoors, CBS‘ multi-camera pilot written and executive produced by Mike Gibbons.
Williams will play Eddie, Joel’s best friend, who invites him to live in the house he has inherited from his mom. Williams will next be seen as a recurring in Showtime’s Dice. Other TV credits include a leading role on NBC’s One Big Happy, and recurring roles on USA’s Satisfaction and Showtime’s Californication.
The Last Tycoon - Jessica de Gouw to Recur in Amazon’s Drama Pilot
Underground’s Jessica de Gouw has booked a recurring role opposite Matt Bomer and Lily Collins in The Last Tycoon, Amazon’s drama pilot based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s final unfinished novel. The pilot, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television, was inspired by the life of film mogul Irving Thalberg, on whom the book’s protagonist Monroe Stahr was based. De Gouw will play Minna Davis, the star of the studio who embodiesboth the glamour and dream that was Hollywood.
Felicity Huffman, star of John Ridley’s ABC anthology series American Crime, is guest starring in Ridley’s ABC drama pilot Presence. The gig, limited to the pilot only, stems from Huffman’s relationship with Ridley and fellow Presence executive producer Michael McDonald, who also exec produce Presence, and is the type of favor name actors do for writers and producers they have a strong relationship with. Huffman tweeted about her stint yesterday.
Presence, a stylish update of the classic detective genre, follows Presence Foster (Stephanie Sigman), a former Army veteran who finds herself interacting with a widely divergent, and highly colorful cross-section of Los Angeles as she unintentionally begins a career as an unlicensed Private Investigator. Huffman plays a wealthy Beverly Hills shipping heiress who hires Presence to find her son.
Untitled Tina Fey & Tracey Wigfield NBC Comedy - Briga Heelan to Star
Briga Heelan (Ground Floor, Undateable) has been cast as the lead in NBC’s untitled Tracey Wigfield comedy pilot from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. She joins co-lead Andrea Martin, Kimrie Lewis-Davis and Adam Campbell.
Written by Wigfield, the single-camera comedy centers on Katie (Heelan), whose already inseparable relationship with her mother Carol (Martin) becomes more complicated when Carol accepts an internship at Katie’s workplace, a news program where Katie is a segment producer.
Bunker Hill - Brenda Song Cast in CBS' Medical Drama
Brenda Song (The Social Network) has been cast in CBS pilot Bunker Hill, a medical drama written/executive produced by Parenthood‘s Jason Katims.
Bunker Hill follows a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists a veteran surgeon with a controversial past in starting a hospital with a cutting-edge, “new school” approach to medicine. Song, repped by Curtis Talent Management, will play Angie, a programmer at Bunker Hill Hospital.
The former star of Taxi and Who's the Boss has signed on to star in Greg Garcia's family comedy Sebastian, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The NBC multicam stars comedian Sebastian Maniscalco as a guy whose old-school values, instilled by his opinionated Italian father are constantly put to the test by his new wife, her family and the absurdities of the modern world. Danza will play his father.
Danza reportedly fielded multiple pilot offers this season. The role brings the veteran actor back to NBC after his successful runs on Taxi, which ran on the network for its fifth and final season. (Coincidentally, Danza will appear on NBC Sunday alongside his Taxi cast to pay tribute to director James Burrows.) After Taxi, Danza went onto star in the beloved family comedy Who's the Boss for eight seasons.
Will - Olivia DeJonge To Play Female Lead in TNT's William Shakespeare Drama
On the heels of her first big feature role — playing the co-lead in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2015 horror movie The Visit — rising young Australian actress Olivia DeJonge has landed her first US TV gig as the female lead opposite Laurie Davidson in Will, TNT’s drama pilot chronicling the 20s of William Shakespeare.
DeJonge will play Alice Burbage. Talented and beautiful, Alice is a rebel who tests the limits of her world with a wit and charm that masks an underlying anger and frustration; although the daughter of impresario James Burbage, society forbids her to pursue a career in the theatre. Attracted to Will’s naïve genius, an explosive, star-crossed passion quickly develops between the two. Together they scale the highest peaks and are plunged to the lowest depths of love – Alice ultimately makes a decision that rocks Will to his core and threatens to tear The Theatre apart.
Miranda’s Rights - Rebecca Breeds Cast as the Lead
Rebecca Breeds (The Originals) has landed the lead in NBC pilot Miranda’s Rights.
Breads will play the title character Miranda Coale, an attorney who’s pretty and smart, but plagued for the past six years by a youthful mistake. Miranda’s much-publicized and scandalous affair with a married State Senator in her early 20s changed the course of her life forever. Though she was, in many ways, victimized by the digisphere, she never acts like a victim. Instead, Miranda survives the pain of her past by joking about it (often at inappropriate moments) and by wearing her flaws on her sleeve.
Girlfriends alumna Golden Brooks is set to co-star opposite Damon Wayans Sr. in Lethal Weapon, Fox’s hourlong pilot based on the hit buddy cop action comedy movie franchise.
In the pilot, written by Matt Miller and directed by McG, when Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Martin Riggs suffers the loss of his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he is partnered with LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh (Wayans), who, having recently suffered a “minor” heart attack, must avoid stress in his life.
Brooks will play Roger’s hard-working, perceptive and loving wife Trish who worries about him and is not thrilled when she hears about his new adrenaline-crazed partner. In the movies, Trish was played by Darlene Love and Roger by Danny Glover.
Chunk & Bean - Andy Daly to Co-Star in ABC Comedy Pilot
Andy Daly will co-star opposite Anna Gunn in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Chunk & Bean.
Written by Ed Herro and Brian Donovan and exec produced by Dave Hemingson, Chunk & Bean is a dual-family comedy centered on the unlikely friendship of two misfits, Chunk and Bean, who benefit from having two very different sets of parents living next door to each other.
Daly will play Chuck’s dad, Stuart Dawson, who is married to Dr. Connie Dawson (Dunn).
Legion - Jeremie Harris Cast as a Series Regular in FX/Marvel Pilot
Newcomer Jeremie Harris has booked a series-regular role on the drama pilot from Fargo's Noah Hawley, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Harris will take on the role of Ptonomy, an outsider by nature, stand-offish and sardonic, who is a former child prodigy who feels trapped in the past.
Midnight, Texas - Arielle Kebbel Joins Cast in a Series Regular Role
Arielle Kebbel has booked a series regular role on NBC’s supernatural drama pilot Midnight, Texas, based on the bestselling trilogy from author Charlaine Harris. Written/executive produced by Monica Owusu-Breen and executive produced by David Janollari through Universal TV, the pilot is set in the remote town of Midnight, Texas, where your neighbor could be a vampire, a witch, a werewolf or even an angel. Kebbel will play Olivia, a freelance hit-woman who is a vital part of the community with a mysterious past.
Recon - Sarita Choudhury & Karan Oberoi Cast in Caroline Dries' FOX Drama Pilot
Sarita Choudhury (Homeland) and Karan Oberoi (NCIS) have booked series regular roles on Fox’s drama pilot Recon, from Warner Bros. TV.
Written by The Vampire Diaries exec producer Caroline Dries and exec produced by TVD co-developers/exec producers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, Recon is about a rookie FBI agent who embeds herself in a suspected terrorist family.
Choudhury will play Farrah, a successful businesswoman who struggles to balance work, family, and the Five Pillars of Islam. Oberoi is Jared, son of Farrah (Choudhury) and her husband Omar (not yet cast) a charming badboy and heir to his family’s company with ambitions that don’t align with his father’s business plan.
Bunker Hill - Augustus Prew to Star in CBS' Medical Drama Pilot
Kick-Ass 2 star Augustus Prew is set to star in the Parenthood alum's CBS medical drama pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Picked up to pilot last month, Bunker Hill follows a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists a veteran surgeon with a controversial past in starting a hospital with a cutting-edge, ""new school"" approach to medicine. Prew will play the tech billionaire, James Bell. Described as having comet-like energy, James is relentless, unapologetic, maybe brilliant, maybe just nuts, but definitely magnetic and determined to revolutionize healthcare.
Chuck and Bean - Anna Gunn to Star in ABC Comedy Pilot
Anna Gunn has set her next TV role. The Breaking Bad alum has been tapped to star in ABC comedy pilot Chunk and Bean, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The single-camera comedy centers on the unlikely friendship of two misfits, Chunk and Bean, who benefit from having two very different sets of parents living next door to each other. Inspired by the lives of writers Ed Herro and Brian Donovan. Gunn will topline the ABC Studios comedy and play Connie Dawson, the mother to ""Chunk,"" who is described as a hovering mother who is trying to control his every move. She works as a therapist from home and is a bit neurotic when the new neighbors move in.
The Trail - Nick D’Agosto Cast as the Lead in NBC Comedy Pilot
Nick D’Agosto has landed the sought-after lead role in The Trail, NBC’s documentary-style procedural comedy from comedy veteran Jeff Astrof, Forever creator Matt Miller and Warner Bros. TV.
Written by Astrof and Miller and to be directed by Jeffrey Blitz, The Trail, whose title is a scrambled version of Trial, follows Josh Simon (D’Agosto), a young big-city lawyer and his oddball defense team during a high-profile murder trial in a small southern town. Sent from his big New York law firm to small town South Carolina to prep a rag-tag team in defending a poetry professor (John Lithgow) accused of murdering his wife, Josh Simon tries to keep his optimism while feeling a bit out of his element — both professionally and as the first “Northeasterner” many of the townspeople have seen.
The Kicker - Geoff Stults to Star in Tina Fey's CBS Comedy Pilot
Geoff Stults will star in “The Kicker,” the multi-cam CBS comedy pilot from exec producers Tina Fey, Robert Carlock and writer Jack Burditt, Variety has earned.
Stults will play the lead role of Daryl Thorkelson, a NFL kicker who is known more for his controversial opinions and know-it-all habits than his skill on the field. After bouncing around teams throughout the NFL, Daryl is coming close to the all-time scoring record, but jeopardizes his entire career by writing an unapologetic book that has the NFL fandom up in arms. Now that he’s suspended, he finds it hard to stay out of trouble and do something constructive with his newfound free time.
Christine Woods (Hello Ladies) is set as the co-lead opposite Niecy Nash in The Enforcers, Fox’s single-camera comedy pilot from Warner Bros. TV. Also cast in the project is Cougar Town alum Ian Gomez.
Gomez will play George, Nora (Woods) and M.J.’s (Nash) supervisor in the city code enforcement office. George struggles a bit to put up with the eccentricities of the workers in his office, but he is an affable, easygoing guy and extremely proud of the very (nondescript) city he lives in.
The Jury - Adina Porter Cast in a Series Regular Role
Adina Porter (True Blood, The Newsroom) has booked a series regular role on ABC’s murder trial drama pilot The Jury.
Porter will play Angela, a mother of three that works two jobs to support an unemployed husband battling clinical depression, and her kids who are living a comfortable middle-class life unaware that the family is massively in debt.
The Enforcers - Christine Woods to Star in FOX Comedy Pilot
Christine Woods is going back to comedy. The actress, who last season had a memorable arc on AMC zombie drama The Walking Dead, has been tapped to star in Fox comedy pilot The Enforcers.
Woods will star as Nora, a bright, feisty and a little uptight woman who put her dreams of becoming a detective on hold while she raised her son as a single mom — until now; unfortunately, her dreams are quickly dashed and she ends up taking a job as a city code enforcer, aka a “code cop.” Scream Queens and Getting On breakout Niecy Nash co-stars.
Greg Garcia/Stephnie Weir CBS Comedy Pilot - Nick Zano to Co-Star
Nick Zano is the first actor cast in CBS’s untitled multi-camera comedy pilot written/executive produced by writer-actress Stephnie Weir and executive produced by Greg Garcia.
The project (aka Y’all In The Family) centers on a conservative, small town family forced to reconcile their values when they discover their children’s lives are less than perfect.
Zano will play Billy. The baby. The golden child. A smart, handsome, war vet who maps a course for his life and follows it without deviation.
Me & Mean Margaret - Stockard Channing to Star in NBC Comedy Pilot
Stockard Channing is ready to get mean for NBC. The West Wing and Grease alum has been tapped to star in the network's comedy pilot Me & Mean Margaret.
Margaret is an unlikely buddy comedy that follows a fiercely candid and often offensive legendary actress and the ambitious 27-year-old lawyer forced to babysit her. Channing will play the legendary actress, Margaret.
Happy Endings alum Zach Knighton is back at ABC with another single-camera comedy project. Knighton is set as the male lead opposite Candice Bergen in the network’s pilot Pearl.
Written/executive produced by Andrew Reich and directed by Jim Field Smith, the project centers on Pearl (Bergen), a larger-than-life family matriarch who, after she finds out she has cancer, becomes intent on controlling and orchestrating every aspect of her family’s life before she dies. Knighton will play Pearl’s son. ABC Studios is the studio.
When The Street Lights Go On - Odessa Young Cast as Female Lead in Hulu Drama Pilot
Odessa Young, the breakout young star of Looking for Grace, is in final negotiations to play the female lead in When The Street Lights Go On, Hulu’s drama pilot adapted from the Black List feature script by writers Chris Hutton and Eddie O’Keefe. The project hails from Paramount Television and Anonymous Content.
In the vein of Stand By Me, When The Street Lights Go On is a coming-of-age thriller about a sleepy, suburban town that is rocked by the brutal murder of a high school girl and her teacher in the summer of 1983.
Young will play 15-year old Becky Monroe, an elusive teenage wallflower forced to come of age amid the shocking aftermath of her sister’s tragic murder.
The Enforcers - Neicy Nash Cast as Lead in FOX's Female Buddy Comedy Pilot
Niecy Nash has been tapped as one of the two leads in The Enforcers, Fox’s single-camera comedy pilot from Warner Bros. TV.
Written by Sherry Bilsing-Graham and Ellen Kreamer and directed by Gail Mancuso, The Enforcers is a female buddy comedy about two wildly different single mothers — one of them played by Nash — with dreams of being police officers who find themselves partnered as inspectors in the Code Enforcement Department. Instead of fighting crime, they have been relegated to handling petty code breaking, like noise complaints, tree trimming and water misuse.
Nash’s M.J. is outspoken and fun, a recently divorced single mom of two kids who, after struggling through a variety of odd jobs to provide for her children, is thrilled to land the job of “code cop,” hoping it will bring her a sense of legitimacy. It does not.
Dream Team - Justin Long Cast as Lead for ABC's Soccer Comedy
Justin Long is set as the lead in Dream Team, ABC’s single-camera half-hour from comedy writers Kari Lizer and Bill Wrubel, and Warner Bros. TV.
Written/executive produced by Lizer and Wrubel, Dream Team centers on Marty Schumacher (Long). Recently divorced, Marty is the eternally optimistic manager of a sporting goods store and also the “damn good” head coach of a nationally ranked soccer program — the one true love in his life. Currently recruiting young girls for his dream team, Marty is looking to recreate his amazing rise to the national championships of two years ago.
Good Fortune - Tone Bell, Beau Mirchoff & Diane Guerrero Join Cast
Tone Bell (Truth Be Told), Beau Mirchoff (Awkward) & Diane Guerrero (Orange Is the New Black) are set as co-leads in Good Fortune, NBC’s multi-camera comedy pilot from Rashida Jones and Will McCormack’s Le Train Train and 20th TV.
Written by Matt Zinman & Craig Gerard and directed by Pam Fryman, Good Fortune is an ensemble comedy that focuses on June, a hyper-structured young woman who, after a fortune teller predicts she’ll die in 3 days, decides she’s finally going to live her life with no regrets. When she doesn’t die but realize how great it felt to take risks, she adopts a new life policy along with a new full-time fortune teller. June and her best friends Adam (Bell), Dave (Mirchoff), Bailey (Guerrero) and Metzger plan to always stick together, impending doom or not…
Time After Time - Josh Bowman Joins Cast as Jack the Ripper
The former Revenge star has been cast in an intriguing role in the time-travel pilot Time After Time.
The projects uses the 1979 novel and movie as a starting point and will chronicle the epic adventures of young H.G. Wells (Freddie Stroma) as he travels through time chasing a fugitive Jack the Ripper (Bowman).
Bowman has been cast as John Stevenson, a brilliant and charismatic surgeon who lives a double life as the infamous serial killer. (Here’s a great quote from his character in the film version: “Ninety years ago, I was a freak. Now … I’m an amateur.”) Kevin Williamson (The Following) is the showrunner.
Midnight, Texas - Dylan Bruce Cast as a Series Regular
Dylan Bruce (Orphan Black, Heroes Reborn) has booked a series regular role in NBC’s supernatural drama pilot Midnight, Texas, based on the bestselling trilogy from author Charlaine Harris. Written/executive produced by Monica Owusu-Breen and executive produced by David Janollari through Universal TV, Midnight Texas is described as Twin Peaks meets True Blood in Midnight, Texas, a remote town where your neighbor could be a vampire, a witch, a werewolf, or even an angel. Bruce will play Bobo Winthrop, who owns the town’s Pawn Shop, as well as a chunk of local real estate.
Bresha Webb is set for a lead role opposite Marlon Wayans in NBC comedy pilot Marlon, from Chris Moynihan. Loosely inspired by Marlon Wayan’s life, the show centers on an inappropriate but loving father (Wayans) committed to successfully co-parenting with his polar opposite ex-wife. Webb will play Yvette, Marlon’s worst enemy and his ex-wife’s best friend. She has always disliked Marlon and never held her tongue about it. While she is a trainwreck with absolutely zero love life, she is constantly spouting off advice for her best friend.
The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport - Katy Mixon to Star
With Mike & Molly coming to an end, co-star Katy Mixon has landed the lead in another comedy project, ABC’s single-camera pilot The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport, from Kapital Entertainment and ABC Studios.
Written by Sarah Dunn and directed by Ruben Fleischer, The Second Fattest Housewife In Westport is narrated by Katie (Mixon), a (slightly) larger, strong-willed mother raising her flawed family of three in a wealthy town filled with “perfect” wives and their “perfect” offspring.
Abigail Spencer is making Time for one of pilot season’s hottest properties.
The Rectify actress has landed the female lead in NBC’s time travel-themed sci-fi drama from The Shield‘s Shawn Ryan and Supernatural‘s Eric Kripke, TVLine has learned exclusively.
Spencer, who is heading into the fourth and final season of Rectify, will play Lucy Preston, a brilliant, sharp and warm history professor who gets whisked away by the government for the aforementioned top-secret mission.
Lauren Ambrose has been cast as the female lead in Amazon ensemble drama pilot The Interestings, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television.
Written by Nip/Tuck alums Lyn Greene and Richard Levine and directed by Mike Newell, The Interestings is described as a grounded. character-driven drama based on Meg Wolitzer’s novel about a group of friends who meet at an arts camp when they’re 15 in 1974. The series chronicles their relationships throughout the next three decades dealing with the great expectations of youth juxtaposed with the realities life hands you as you get older.
Ambrose will play Jules. Seen in her mid-20s and mid-30s, Jules is determined to forge an acting career, but winds up a struggling therapist with a young child, an unemployable husband (Gabriel Ebert) and a tiny New York apartment.
The actor, perhaps best known as Fonzie from Happy Days, has signed on to co-star in HBO's Bill Hader comedy pilot Barry.
Winkler will portray Gene Cousineau, an inspiring acting teacher. The role marks the beloved actor's latest small-screen gig following Childrens Hospital, New Girl, Parks and Recreation, Royal Pains and Arrested Development. Winkler, also a prolific producer, is also attached to serve as an EP on CBS' MacGyver reboot after serving in the same capacity on the original series.
Glee alumna Jayma Mays has been cast as a series regular in The Trail, NBC’s documentary-style procedural comedy from comedy veteran Jeff Astrof, Forever creator Matt Miller and Warner Bros. TV.
The project, whose title is a scrambled version of Trial, follows Josh Simon, a young big-city lawyer and his oddball defense team during a high-profile murder trial in a small southern town.
Mays will play Carol Anne Keane, the Assistant District Attorney prosecuting Larry Henderson (John Lithgow) for the murder of his wife. Carol Anne is ambitious and Southern tough, wants this case to be a stepping stone for her career and will not let anyone or anything stand in the way of her getting her first death sentence conviction. Mays joins previously cast Lithgow, Sherri Shepherd and Steven Boyer.
Future Man - Josh Hutcherson at Star in Hulu Comedy Pilot from Seth Rogen
The Hunger Games’ Josh Hutcherson is set as the lead in Future Man, Hulu’s half-hour comedy pilot from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Hutcherson also is producing via his Turkeyfoot production company.
Written by Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir and executive produced by Matt Tolmach, the high-concept comedy centers on Josh Futterman (Hutcherson) a janitor by day/world-ranked gamer by night who is tasked with preventing the extinction of humans after mysterious visitors from the future proclaim him the key to defeating the imminent super-race invasion. Rogen and Goldberg executive produce and direct. Sony Pictures TV is the studio.
Anthony Carrigan has joined the cast of HBO’s Barry, a half-hour comedy pilot starring, directed and co-written by Bill Hader. It centers on an ex-Marine (Hader) who works as a low-rent hitman in the Midwest. Lonely and dissatisfied in his life, he begrudgingly travels to Los Angeles to kill someone and ends up finding an accepting community in a group of eager hopefuls within the L.A. theater scene. Carrigan will play Noho Hank, a Russian gangster.
Eve Harlow has booked a series regular role on ABC’s murder trial drama pilot The Jury, from Sony TV and ABC Studios. Written by VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli and executive produced by Carol Mendelsohn, The Jury examines “the ultimate social experiment” that happens thousands of times a day in the U.S.: a person’s fate is placed in the hands of 12 strangers. The series follows a single murder trial a season as seen through the eyes of the individual jurors. Harlow will play Melody, who’s completely cynical about the justice system, and has a nonplussed, contrarian attitude that borders on nihilism, but has a razor-sharp sense of humor.
Time After Time - Freddie Stroma Cast as the Lead, H.G. Wells
EXCLUSIVE: UnReal breakout Freddie Stroma has been cast as the lead, H.G. Wells, in Kevin Williamson’s ABC pilot Time After Time.
Using the 1979 novel by Karl Alexander and movie as a starting point, Time After Time will chronicle the epic adventures of young H.G. Wells (Stroma). In the movie, directed by Nicholas Meyer, the role of H.G. Wells was played by Malcolm McDowel.
Angus Sampson has landed a regular role in Shut Eye, Hulu’s original series from creator Les Bohem, TriStar Television and Mark Johnson’s Gran Via Productions. It takes a darkly comedic look at the underground world of Los Angeles storefront psychics and the organized crime syndicate that runs them. Sampson will play Fonzo, a macho and powerful Romani kingpin with a taste for the finer things in life. A single father still mourning the loss of his wife, he appears affable and easygoing — but in fact, he’s a dangerous, menacing man who runs his business with an iron fist.
Dream Team - Michael Mosley, Michelle Buteau & Lindsey Kraft Join Cast
Michael Mosley (Sirens), Lindsey Kraft (Getting On) and Michelle Buteau (Key & Peele) are set as series regulars on Dream Team, ABC’s single-camera half-hour from comedy writers Kari Lizer and Bill Wrubel, and Warner Horizon TV.
Written/executive produced by Lizer and Wrubel, Dream Team centers on Marty Schumacher, who coached his last Club soccer team for ten years, ultimately taking them to the National Championships. He now has to start from scratch with a diverse group of eight-year-olds, and their disparate parents.
Mosley will play Rick Johnson. Although he doesn’t consider girls’ soccer a “real sport,” he’s completely on board with getting his daughter, Tiffnee, onto a top-notch soccer team. Kraft will play Michaela, who’s married to Leslie (a competitive OB-GYN with a passion for sports) and is horrified by the idea of being a soccer mom, knowing full well most of the heavy lifting will fall to her. Buteau is Olga Diaz, the mother of 11-year-old Vanessa, who’s vying for a spot on the soccer team. Olga approaches everything as if it’s a competition she’s got to win.
The Messengers alum Anna Diop has been cast opposite Corey Hawkins and Miranda Otto in Fox pilot 24: Legacy, which reboots the 24 franchise with brand new characters and casr.
Diop will play Nicole, Carter’s wife. It is expected to be a significant role, just as the wife of Jack Bauer was on the original series.
CSI: Miami alum Adam Rodriguez is set for a co-starring role in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Chunk & Bean.
Written by Ed Herro and Brian Donovan and exec produced by Dave Hemingson, Chunk & Bean is a dual-family comedy centered on the unlikely friendship of two misfits, Chunk and Bean, who benefit from having two very different sets of parents living next door to each other.
The Trail - John Lithgow & Sherri Shepherd to Star
John Lithgow is returning to NBC. The former 3rd Rock From the Sun star, as well as former View co-host Sherri Shepherd, have signed on to star in the network's legal comedy pilot The Trail, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The Trail is described as a serialized single-camera comedy following a young big-city lawyer and his oddball defense team during a high-profile murder trial in a small southern town.
Lithgow will play the man on trial, Larry Henderson. A smart but slightly clueless poetry professor at a South Carolina community college who is accused of murdering his wife. Larry finds the whole notion of being charged with murder absurd, but he has a couple secrets that could really derail his defense.
Shepherd will play the well-meaning and enthusiastic assistant/receptionist at Josh Simon's makeshift law office in East Peck, South Carolina. Anne suffers from facial blindness – the inability to recognize people by their faces – along with a host of disorders that make her job as a member of the defense team much more difficult.
McHale will star as Joel, an outdoorsy guy's guy with a sardonic sense of humor. The longtime star reporter for The Great Outdoors magazine, Joel has climbed mountains, confronted bears and led a life of excitement and adventure. But when he's sidelined by an injury, he's forced to take a desk job in the publication's digital and social media department, surrounded by a team of millennials who view him as an exotic and ancient oddity from another place and time.
Untitled Matt Hubbard NBC Comedy - Francois Chau, Susan Chuang and Concetta Tome Join Cast
Francois Chau, Susan Chuang and Concetta Tomei have landed series regular roles on NBC’s untitled Matt Hubbard single-camera comedy pilot starring Elizabeth Ho, Chris Smith and Jack McBrayer. Written/executive produced by 30 Rock alum Hubbard based loosely on his life, the story revolves around Andrew (Smith) and Josie (Ho), a happily married interracial couple whose lives take a turn when they move close to Josie’s family in Missouri.
Chau (Lost) and Chuang (Cold Case) will play Josie’s parents, Jae Kim and Sun Kim, respectively. Jae is the charismatic, strong-willed, demanding owner of Kim’s Academy, a successful tae kwon do studio where McBrayer plays his sycophantic chief instructor. He has yet fully accepted Andrew, who he feels is not quite worthy of his daughter. Sun has lived in the U.S. for 30 years but still holds on to many traditional Korean values, a characteristic that sometimes frustrates her more progressive daughter.
Tomei (Providence) will play Barbara Denton, Andrew’s grandmother and a commercial actress from L.A. She is an extroverted and opinionated pain in the ass who Andrew and Josie insist move to to Missouri with them so they can keep an eye on her.
Manny Montana has been cast in ABC’s legal drama pilot Conviction, from the Mark Gordon Co. and ABC Studios. Co-created by Liz Friedman and Liz Friedlander, it stars Hayley Atwell as the brilliant but ne’er-do-well daughter of a former U.S. president who is blackmailed into taking a job as the head of Los Angeles’ newly created Conviction Integrity Unit. She works with her team of lawyers, investigators and forensic experts to examine cases where there’s credible suspicion that the wrong person may have been convicted of a crime.
Montana will play Franklin “Frankie” Rios, who is in charge of Forensics and has a street-savvy reserve that co-exists with a boyish excitement for science. He became interested in the field after watching a forensics show almost daily when serving two years in prison for car theft.
Natalie Martinez (ABC’s Secrets & Lies) has been cast as the female lead in Fox’s drama pilot A.P.B., from writer David Slack and Sleepy Hollow co-creator/executive producer Len Wiseman.
Inspired by the July New York Times Magazine article “Who Runs the Streets of New Orleans”, A.P.B. explores what happens when an enigmatic tech billionaire purchases a troubled police precinct in the wake of a loved one’s murder.
Martinez will play Detective Amelia Murphy, a wry, confident cop from a family of police, who never hesitates to question authority…which may be the reason she has alienated every CO she’s worked for and wound up stuck in the dysfunctional 13th Precinct.
Untitled Kevin James Comedy - Ryan Cartwright Joins Cast
Ryan Cartwright (Alphas, Bones) has been set as a regular opposite James in the project, from Sony TV and CBS TV Studios.
The untitled show centers on newly retired police officer Kevin (James) who looks forward to spending more quality time with his wife and three kids — only to discover he faces much tougher challenges at home than he ever did on the streets. Cartwright plays Chale, a dreamer from an upscale family who may be on the verge of creating the next billion-dollar app and carries himself as if it’s already happened. He is very much in love with Kevin’s daughter Kendra (Taylor Spreitler).
Former Hart Of Dixie star Wilson Bethel has landed a co-starring role on A&E Network’s hip-hop crime drama pilot The Infamous. It revolves around two complicated men on a collision course: an ambitious reformed gangster (Bokeem Woodbine) poised to break out of South Central and the LAPD detective hell-bent on taking him down. It will be set against real events in turbulent 1990s Los Angeles leading up to the L.A. riots.
Bethel, will play Jason Gant, an officer with the LAPD’s Crash Unit.
Colin Woodell has been tapped for a series regular role in Presence, John Ridley’s female PI drama pilot for ABC. It’s the latest high-profile gig for the actor, who has been heating up after graduating from USC a couple of years ago.
Described as a stylish update of the classic detective genre, Presence centers on Presence Foster (Stephanie Sigman), an Army veteran who finds herself interacting with a divergent and colorful cross-section of Los Angeles as she unintentionally begins a career as an unlicensed private investigator. Woodell will play Mike McKay, a young LAPD detective and fellow Army vet who has equal parts heart and charm — a good cop and a good man. His personal and professional life begin to take a turn once Presence arrives on the scene as they balance their mutual attraction with the loose partnership they begin to form.
Untitled Tina Fey & Robert Carlock Comedy Pilot - Andrea Martin Cast as Lead, Kimrie Lewis-Davis also Cast
Andrea Martin is set as one of the two leads in NBC’s untitled Tracey Wigfield comedy pilot, from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. Also cast in the single-camera project from Universal TV is Kimrie Lewis-Davis (Scandal, Peeples). They join previously cast Adam Campbell.
Written by Wigfield, the comedy centers on an already inseparable mother-daughter relationship that becomes more complicated when the mom, Carol (Martin) accepts an internship at her daughter’s workplace, a news program where the daughter, Katie, is a segment producer. Carol is a well-meaning, overly-chatty, upbea but bored mom who never went to college and gave up her career to raise her now adult children. Galvanized by an inspirational eulogy at a friend’s funeral, Carol decides to follow her dream of having a big career and lands an internship at her daughter’s newsroom where she wins kudos for her honesty.
Lewis-Davis plays Portia, the dingbat co-host on the show, a breezy, demanding, clueless woman whose inane story ideas are given the green light.
Conviction - Emily Kinney Cast in ABC Legal Drama Pilot
Thanks to iZombie_Fan for the heads up.
The Walking Dead alum Emily Kinney has been cast opposite Hayley Atwell and Shawn Ashmore in ABC’s legal drama pilot Conviction, from The Mark Gordon Co. and ABC Studios.
Co-created by Liz Friedman, who wrote the script, and Liz Friedlander, who will direct the pilot, Conviction stars Atwell as the brilliant but ne’er-do-well daughter of a former President who is blackmailed into taking a job as the head of Los Angeles’ newly created Conviction Integrity Unit. She, along with her team of lawyers, investigators and forensic experts, work together to examine cases where there’s credible suspicion that the wrong person may have been convicted of a crime.
Kinney will play Tess Thompson, the paralegal for the Unit team. Tess used to work for the Innocence Project but decided to work for CIU because she thinks she can make a bigger impact working more cases from inside the system.
Good Place - William Jackson Harper Cast in NBC Comedy
William Jackson Harper is set to co-star opposite Kristen Bell and Ted Danson in Good Place, NBC’s 13-episode straight-to-series comedy series from Parks & Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-creator Mike Schur.
Good Place, which NBC ordered to series last summer based on a pitch, centers on Eleanor (Bell), a woman from New Jersey who comes to realize that she hasn’t been a very good person. She decides to turn over a new leaf by learning what it actually means to be “good” or “bad,” and then trying to make up for her past behavior. Harper will play Chris, a kind and extremely intelligent guy who always sees the good in people.
The Saved by the Bell and Franklin and Bash alum has been cast as the male lead in the network's female baseball drama pilot Pitch.
The baseball drama hails from prolific producer Dan Fogelman (Grandfathered) and centers on Ginny, a young female pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues. Kylie Bunbury (Under the Dome, Tut) stars.
Gosselaar is set to portray Mike Lawson, a handsome, charming, self-assured future Hall of Fame MLB catcher. A ladies' man off the field and a leader on it, Mike's not sure what to do with the undeniable spark between him and Ginny (Bunbury), the first female MLB player who joins his team. Skeptical of her at first, he still can’t help but show her the ropes. Over time, they’ll bring new meaning to the term, “team chemistry.”
Actor-comedian Maz Jobrani is set to co-star opposite Jermaine Fowler in Superior Donuts, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot written by Bob Daily and Neil Goldman & Garrett Donovan and directed by James Burrows.
Based on the play by Tracy Letts, Superior Donuts follows the relationship between the owner of a donut shop, Arthur, his new young employee, Franco (Fowler), andtheir patrons in a gentrifying neighborhood of Chicago. Jobrani plays Maz — a character written for him — who is a high-energy, over-caffeinated businessman, capitalism personified and living the American dream. Maz has been buying up buildings and investing in businesses in the Uptown neighborhood, waiting for gentrification to come and make him rich, and he’s constantly after Arthur to sell him the donut shop so he can control the entire block.
My Time/Your Time - Nicholas Braun Cast as Male Lead
Nicholas Braun (Friend Me) has been cast as the male lead opposite Jane Levy in My Time/Your Time, CBS’s hybrid comedy pilot from Hilary Winston and How I Met Your Mother creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas.
Based on the web series 7P/10E by Avital Ash, My Time/Your Time chronicles the relationship of a young couple — Marla (Levy) and Wade (Braun) — as they begin dating long distance. Levy’s Marla is an inherent optimist living in New York City who wants to be a playwright but is having trouble breaking away from a traditional life for the life of an artist. Braun’s Wade is a guy who things have always come easy for (friends, girls, jobs). That’s why he decided he’d move to LA and give it a shot in the big city but real adult life has been a little big of a shock.
Daniel Sunjata has been cast in ABC’s drama pilot “Notorious,” Variety has learned.
The potential series is based on the true-life stories of famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and cable news producer Wendy Walker, and explores the interplay of criminal law and the media.
Sunjata will play Jake Gregorian, a charismatic and sexy defense attorney who manipulates the media to win cases at any cost and needs to be on top in all areas of his life. Jake acts as if he’s invulnerable, but he has a soft spot for Julia (yet to be cast), whom he relies on both professionally and personally.
Conviction - Shawn Ashmore Cast in ABC Legal Drama Pilot
Shawn Ashmore, who has played Iceman in the X-Men movie franchise, is set to co-star opposite Hayley Atwell, also a member of the Marvel universe with her role as Peggy Carter, in ABC’s legal drama pilot Conviction, from The Mark Gordon Co. and ABC Studios.
Co-created by Liz Friedman, who wrote the script, and Liz Friedlander, who will direct the pilot, Conviction stars Atwell as the brilliant but ne’er-do-well daughter of a former President who is blackmailed into taking a job as the head of Los Angeles’ newly created Conviction Integrity Unit. She, along with her team of lawyers, investigators and forensic experts, work together to examine cases where there’s credible suspicion that the wrong person may have been convicted of a crime. Ashmore will play the handsome Sam, a top Assistant District Attorney who was originally promised the job of heading the new unit and is not pleased that he was passed over for the job. Nonetheless, he makes the decision to soldier on.
Steven Boyer, star of the 2015 Broadway comedy Hand To God, has been cast in The Trail, NBC’s documentary-style procedural comedy from comedy veteran Jeff Astrof, Forever creator Matt Miller and Warner Bros. TV.
The project, whose title is a scrambled version of Trial, is a spoof of crime documentaries like The Jinx and Making A Murderer. It follows Josh Simon, a young big-city lawyer and his oddball defense team during a high-profile murder trial in a small southern town. Boyer will play Dwayne, Simon’s loyal lead investigator. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, Dwayne’s dream is to take a bullet for Josh — hopefully not from his own gun.
Pearl - Candice Bergen to Star in ABC Comedy Pilot
Candice Bergen has been tapped to star in ABC's comedy pilot Pearl, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
From Friends grad Andrew Reich, Pearl centers on a larger-than-life family matriarch Pearl who finds out she has cancer and becomes intent on controlling and orchestrating every aspect of her family's life before she dies. Bergen will star as Pearl.
The project will star Atwell as the brilliant-but-rebellious daughter of a Clinton-like political family, who is forced into taking a job as the head of Los Angeles’ newly created Conviction Integrity Unit. Along with her team of lawyers, investigators and forensic experts, she has two weeks to examine cases where there’s credible suspicion that the wrong person may have been convicted of a crime.
What does this mean for Agent Carter? In the event that Conviction is ordered to series and ABC’s Marvel drama is renewed for Season 3 (after returning to depressed ratings), Atwell’s schedule would be worked out so that she could do both roles.
Untitled Tina Fey & Robert Carlock Comedy - Adam Campbell to Co-Star
Adam Campbell, who recurred on the first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, is reuniting with the Netflix comedy’s creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock on their NBC pilot. Campbell is set to co-star in the project, written/executive produced by 30 Rock alumna Tracey Winfield.
The single-camera comedy centers on an already inseparable mother-daughter relationship that becomes more complicated when the mom accepts an internship at her daughter’s workplace, a news program where the daughter, Katie, is a segment producer.
Campbell will play Greg, the recently-named executive producer of the show. Harvard-educated and the son of a famous news anchor father, Greg is energetic and driven, constantly trying to put out fires and manage the show’s difficult anchor. Greg and Katie butt heads when he hires her mother as an intern.
Matt Barr has joined the cast of Amazon pilot The Interestings, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television. Written by Nip/Tuck alums Lyn Greene and Richard Levine and directed by Mike Newell, The Interestings is described as a grounded. character-driven drama based on Meg Wolitzer’s novel about a group of friends who meet at an arts camp when they’re 15 in 1974.
The series chronicles their relationships throughout the next three decades dealing with the great expectations of youth juxtaposed with the realities life hands you as you get older. Barr will play Goodman Wolf, the brother of Ash Wolf.
Glenn Fleshler (True Detective) has booked a series regular role on HBO’s Barry, a half-hour comedy pilot starring, directed and co-written by Bill Hader.
It centers on an ex-Marine (Hader) who works as a low-rent hitman in the Midwest. Lonely and dissatisfied in his life, he begrudgingly travels to Los Angeles to kill someone and ends up finding an accepting community in a group of eager hopefuls within the L.A. theater scene.
Fleshler, will play Goran, a Russian gangster. He has a season-long arc on Billions, recurred on Boardwalk Empire and played lawn-mowing monster Errol Childress on the first season of True Detective.
Crushed - Colm Feore, Alex Kingston & Jacob Vargas Join Cast
Colm Feore (House Of Cards), Alex Kingston (Doctor Who) and Jacob Vargas (Sons Of Anarchy) will co-star opposite Regina Hall in the Hulu pilot Crushed, from Peeples writer-director Tina Gordon Chism and Lionsgate TV.
The comedy, written by Chism, centers on an African-American family, led by brother and sister Will and Celia (Hall) who stumbles into a successful wine business in Napa. The comedy is described as a fish-out-of-water story following the family’s unorthodox approach to wine making and their unique life style.
Feore will play Roberto Stella, an eccentric, savvy wine-maker whose successful label underpays for Will’s perfect grapes to make his special reserve wine. After Celia (Hall) disrespects him, he cuts business ties with Will, and sets out to thwart the siblings’ plans for their vineyard. Kingston will play Cricket Stella, Roberto’s bored Napa Valley wife, who amuses herself by having an affair with Will, only to parlay it into a power play. Vargas will play Jose Alturo, a Mexican-American vineyard manager of the venerable Stella Winery who’s tired of working for the “man,” so he moonlights with the fledgling Black Estate to make a better life for his family.
Jermaine Fowler has closed a deal to star in and co-executive produce Superior Donuts, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot written/executive produced by The Odd Couple showrunner Bob Daily and Community alums Neil Goldman & Garrett Donovan. James Burrows has come on board to direct the pilot for CBS TV Studios.
Based on the play by Tracy Letts, Superior Donuts follows the relationship between the owner of a donut shop, Arthur, his new young employee, Franco (Fowler), and their patrons in a gentrifying neighborhood of Chicago. Fowler’s Franco is a high-energy, fast-talking force of nature who sees Superior Donuts as a symbol of everything he loves about the neighborhood — it’s authentic and real. As Arthur’s new (and only) employee, he’s going to make it his mission to drag the shop — and Arthur — into the 21st century …
Untitled Amy Poehler & Charlie Grandy NBC Comedy - Nico Evers-Swindell to Star; Tim Baltz & Jessie Ennis Join Cast
The comedy is set in the country of Modaria, known for the manufacture of mopeds and tiny cars, where the Faber family has ruled for generations.
Evers-Swindell will play Prince Karl (known as The Dumb Prince –not affectionately) who returns home from a year’s exile in America after having passed out at the coronation of his seemingly hapless father, King Adrian.
Baltz will play Prince Marco, the second son of Modaria’s ruling family, and Ennis will play Princess Jana, the youngest child of the royal family.
The Wicked City alum has booked a co-starring role on the network's anthology drama pilot The Jury, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The anthology is described as 12 Angry Men meets podcast Serial. It follows a single murder trial as seen through the eyes of the individual jurors, exploring the biases and experiences that influence their judgment and how their preconceptions change along the way.
Sisto will portray Dan, a juror described as professorial, well dressed and handsome who is widely liked within the group of jurors.
Will - Colm Meaney & Mattias Inwood Join Cast as Regulars
Colm Meaney (Hell On Wheels) and Mattias Inwood have booked regular roles on Will, TNT’s drama pilot chronicling the 20s of William Shakespeare.
It tells the wild story of young William Shakespeare’s (Laurie Davidson) arrival onto the punk rock theater scene that was 16th century London – the seductive, violent world where his raw talent faced rioting audiences, religious fanatics and raucous side-shows. It’s described as the hot, contemporary, dangerous version of Shakespeare’s life, played to a modern soundtrack, exposing all his recklessness, lustful temptations and brilliance.
Meaney will play James Burbage, a carpenter with a vision: to build the first theatre in London since Roman times, a 3,000-seat auditorium that became so famous it was simply called The Theatre. Actor, producer, and fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants entrepreneur, James must battle the authorities, rival theatres, and a fickle and at times riotous public to keep himself and his company of talented misfits afloat.
Inwood will play Richard Burbage, James’ son. Although innately talented, he is a little too much in love with himself and prone to overact. Through personal tragedy and Will’s influence, Richard eventually realizes that there is more to being an actor than the crowd’s adoration and he and Will go on to form the greatest actor-writer partnership the world has ever seen.
Essence Atkins has landed the female lead opposite Marlon Wayans in NBC’s multi-camera comedy pilot Marlon.
Loosely inspired by Wayans’ life, Marlon centers on Marlon (Wayans), an inappropriate, but loving father who is committed to successfully co-parenting with his polar opposite ex-wife Angie (Atkins). Angie is a type-A interior designer by trade and something of a control freak who did one reckless and spontaneous thing in her life: fell in love with Marlon.
The Interestings - Jessica Collins & Corey Cott Cast as Regulars
Jessica Collins (The Young And The Restless) and Corey Cott have booked series regular roles on Amazon pilot The Interestings, from Sony TV’s TriStar Television.
Written by Nip/Tuck alums Lyn Greene and Richard Levine and directed by Mike Newell, The Interestings is described as a grounded. character-driven drama based on Meg Wolitzer’s novel about a group of friends who meet at an arts camp when they’re 15 in 1974. The series chronicles their relationships throughout the next three decades dealing with the great expectations of youth juxtaposed with the realities life hands you as you get older.
Collins will play Cathy, a very stylish and attractive woman, immaculately coiffed and svelte.
Cott is Jonah, a gay, former musician who now designs tech innovations for the disabled.
Suburgatory‘s Jane Levy has landed the lead in My Time/Your Time, CBS’ relationship comedy from How I Met Your Mother co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas.
Levy will play Marly, an inherent optimist living in New York City who wants to be a playwright but is having trouble breaking away from a traditional life for the life of an artist.
Breaking Bad alumna Emily Rios has landed the female lead on A&E’s hip-hop crime drama pilot The Infamous. It revolves around two complicated men on a collision course: an ambitious reformed gangster poised to break out of South Central (Bokeem Woodbine) and the LAPD detective hell-bent on taking him down. It will be set against real events in turbulent 1990s Los Angeles leading up to the LA Riots.
Rossellini will play Rita, the matriarch of the Romani clan. Rita is described as drop-dead gorgeous — and as vicious as she is beautiful. If "there were ever the antithesis of the old gypsy woman from a Wolfman movie," that's Rita. She wears Armani — and she wears it well. Dangerous and sadistic, she takes pleasure in making people pay for their foibles
Untitled Matt Hubbard NBC Pilot - Jack McBrayer to Co-Star
Former 30 Rock co-star Jack McBrayer is reuniting with the Emmy-winning NBC comedy’s co-executive producer Matt Hubbard on Hubbard’s new single-camera comedy pilot for NBC.
McBrayer is set to co-star opposite Chris Smith and Elizabeth Ho in the untitled pilot, written/executive produced by Hubbard and executive produced by Mike Schur. The project revolves around Andrew (Smith) and Josie (Ho), a happily married interracial couple whose lives take a turn when they move close to Josie’s family in Missouri.
McBrayer will play Gary, the sycophantic chief instructor at the Tae Kwon Do Academy owned by Josie’s father Jae. Gary looks up to Jae as a father, and fears that Andrew may jeopardize his relationship with Grandmaster Kim.
Sarah Goldberg (Hindsight) is set to co-star opposite Bill Hader in his HBO comedy pilot Barry.
The project, co-written and directed by Hader, centers on an ex-Marine (Hader) who works as a low-rent hitman in the Midwest. Lonely and dissatisfied in his life he begrudgingly travels to Los Angeles to kill someone and ends up finding an accepting community in a group of eager hopefuls within the L.A. theater scene.
Goldberg, who has experience in New York theater, will play Sally, an aspiring actress who is Barry’s entree into LA’s theater scene.
The Last Tycoon - Amazon Pilot - Dominique McElligott Joins Cast
Dominique McElligott, who most recently starred in ABC’s “Astronaut Wives Club,” has been cast as a series regular in Amazon’s pilot “The Last Tycoon,” Variety has learned exclusively. She will star alongside Matt Bomer, Kelsey Grammer and Lily Collins in the period piece drama.
Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s final unfinished novel, “The Last Tycoon” centers on Monroe Stahr (Bomer), Hollywood’s first wunderkind studio executive in the 1930’s, who is based on real-life film mogul Irving Thalberg. The series would follow Monroe as he climbs to the height of power, pitting him against his mentor and current head of the studio, Pat Brady (played by Kelsey Grammer) who is inspired by MGM co-founder Louis B. Mayer.
McElligott will play Kathleen Moore, a pretty and intelligent waitress who works at the restaurant frequented by most of the studio’s writers, which is where she meets Monroe who’s haunted by her resemblance to his late wife. Though Kathleen does not like the movie biz, she hits it off with Monroe who makes it his mission to get her on-screen.
The star-studded ensemble also includes Rosemarie DeWitt, who plays Grammer’s on-screen wife, Rose Brady. Collins plays the Brady’s daughter Celia, a young rich girl in love with Monroe, and when she offers up an intriguing movie pitch, he takes interest in her. While Celia and Kathleen both catch Monroe’s eye, McElligott’s character is expected to have a bigger presence in the first season, should the pilot be picked up to series.
Written, directed and exec produced by Billy Ray (“Captain Phillips, “The Hunger Games”), “The Last Tycoon” hails from Sony TV’s TriStar Television. The novel was adapted into a 1976 movie, which starred Robert De Niro as Monroe, plus Tony Curtis, Robert Mitchum and Jack Nicholson.
Presence - ABC Pilot - Stephanie Sigman Cast in the Lead Role
Thanks to RD for the heads up.
EXCLUSIVE: After a lengthy casting search that featured a slew of young actresses testing, Stephanie Sigman (Spectre) has landed the lead role role in John Ridley’s drama pilot Presence for ABC and ABC Studios. Sigman already is in business with American Crime creator Ridley, ABC and ABC Studios – she has a recurring role on the second season of Ridley’s acclaimed anthology series.
Described as a stylish update of the classic detective genre, Presence follows Presence Foster (Sigman), a former Army veteran who finds herself interacting with a widely divergent, and highly colorful cross-section of Los Angeles as she unintentionally begins a career as an unlicensed Private Investigator. Ridley wrote the script and will direct the pilot, which he is executive producing with Michael McDonald.
Presence was ABC’s first script buy for this development cycle made back in June. The project from the American Crime creator had been on the fast track and received an early pilot order, with the focus put on finding an actress for the title character who had been conceived as diverse.
