Top news

The BBC has partnered with PBS on a new big-budget natural history series, Green Planet , while Sir David Attenborough is back with a new landmark factual project. Green Planet (w/t) is the latest in a long line of major series from the BBC's Natural History Unit (NHU) following the success of Blue Planet and Planet Earth . It tells the story of planet earth from the perspective of plants. Using brand new technological advances and over two decades of new discoveries, it… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2MJ4IQT

David Nevins wore his multiple hats as CBS chief creative officer at TCA this week, making an appearance during the CBS and CBS All Access portion of the press tour in addition to hanging out with talent and producers from shows on Showtime where he remains CEO. While CBS is getting his attention at the moment with pilot orders — former Fox and NBC executive Nevins said he was excited to jump back in the broadcast world — he also answered a few Showtime related questions… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2sX0OL7

EXCLUSIVE : Michael Zegen , one of the breakout stars of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel , is joining Drew Barrymore in The Stand-In . The actor, who plays Joel Maisel in the Amazon series, has booked a lead opposite Barrymore in the film, which is produced by Flower Films in association with The Exchange . The romantic comedy is directed by  But I'm A Cheerleader  director Jamie Babbit. The Stand-In tells the story of a disaffected comedy actress and her ambitious stand-in trading… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2MPkREt

Robert Kirkman ‘s comic books continue to be hot properties for TV. The animated  Invincible series (which is just one of two upcoming adaptations of the subversive superhero series) has scored an all-star cast to voice its characters, with Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, and Mark Hamill among the high-profile actors set to lead the  Invincible cast. According to Deadline  (but first reported by Revenge of the Fans ), Steven Yeun has been tapped to play the lead character of Invincible , a teenager named Mark Grayson. Mark has a famous super-powered parent, and when he begins to develop powers of his own, he discovers that the job isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Yeun is no stranger to voice acting, having starred in the surprisingly great  Voltron: Legendary Defender, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, and a few other animated series and films in the past few years. Of course, he has ties to Kirkman too, getting his breakout live-action role on AMC’s  The Walking Dead . I

Two days after an alleged racial and homophobic assault on the Empire star in Chicago, Jussie Smollett's family has hit back at the attack, the as yet unknown individuals who perpetrated it and similar "hate crimes" against "our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings." "Oftentimes ending fatally, these are inhumane acts of domestic terrorism and they should be treated as such, the Smollett family including Underground alum Jurnee Smollett added. "They… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2Ge6Dvx

Deadline's studio at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival kicked off Day 4 at Hotel Park City by hosting fest-goers including Jim Gaffigan of  Light From Light , Demi Moore of  Corporate Animals ,  Alia Shawkat of  Animals , Pete Davidson of  Big Time Adolescents  and many more. Click on the photo above to launch the gallery. Stay tuned for more galleries and video interviews from the Deadline Studio at Sundance 2019 . The festival continues through February 3. The Deadline Studio is pre … from Deadline http://bit.ly/2UrvAHq

EXCLUSIVE : Woody Harrelson is in talks to star in Fruit Loops , the drama that Ted Melfi wrote and will direct for Fox 2000 and Chernin Entertainment. The project is in the vein of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest , and it was one of the biggest pitch deals of 2016. Fox 2000’s Elizabeth Gabler beat out three other studios and paid seven figures for the pitch, this as the studio was readying for the release of the Melfi-directed Hidden Figures , which got three Oscar… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2UtLgKr

The L Word alum Sarah Shahi did not hesitate when asked by critics at TCA Winter Press Tour today if she’d be up to return to The L Word sequel, which Showtime announced today had gotten a green light. "This was something that was brought up in a discussion [with original 'L Word' cast members] last year," Shahi told reporters Thursday. "The girls were talking to me about it, and my involvement was discussed very heavily that I would be in it. I think they want to keep it… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2DMu1P2

Hulu is planning to roll out a new advertising format. The streaming service will soon start testing ads that play when users pause the video, an attempt to target binge-watchers who have begun to cut the cord for linear TV in favor of digital streaming. But it probably won’t gain them any fans among users who turn to streaming services explicitly to  get away from commercial breaks. Hulu is beginning testing for a new form of advertising. The streaming service will begin showing ads whenever its users pause videos, but those new advertising units won’t be a video. The pause-screen ads will be similar to a pop-up, with an image appearing onscreen that acts as a transparent banner ad. An example can be seen below (via The Verge ): This pop-up format is based on research it conducted with users which found that “consumers generally preferred ads that were subtle and non-intrusive,” vice president and head of advertising platforms Jeremy Helfand wrote in  a blog post on Hulu’s webs

EXCLUSIVE : Janel Parrish  ( Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists , To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before ), singer/songwriter Levi Dylan (grandson of Bob Dylan),  Alexa PenaVega ( Spy Kids , Nashville ), and Carlos PenaVega ( Spare Parts , Big Time Rush ) have signed on to star in Mighty Oak , which is being directed by Soul Surfer helmer Sean McNamara . 11-year-old guitar prodigy Tommy Ragen ( School Of Rock national tour) has been tapped to take on the title role of Oak while Nana… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2sWt7JB

Showtime ’s new half hour Wall Street comedy series Black Monday is like a punk rock band messing with genres,series creator/showrunner Jordan Cahan told TV critics at TCA . The series, which marks Don Cheadle 's return to Showtime following House of Lies, launches off October 19, 1987, aka Black Monday, the worst stock market crash in Wall Street history. To this day, no one knows who caused it. Until now, supposes the series about a group of outsiders who took on the… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2DOeoXv

EXCLUSIVE: The 2019 Makers Conference is being livestreamed later this year but no word yet if it will be on Netflix even though the streamer's Chief Content Officer is now among the luminaries who will be taking the stage in Dana Point, California. Ted Sarandos will be joining John Legend , Aisha Tyler and Rise CEO and activist Amanda Nguyen at the women's movement get together next week in the Orange County town, I've learned.  The Netflix exec, the EGOT winner and the… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2Uq879E

EXCLUSIVE : Oscar winning actress Brie Larson and Best Picture-nominated A Star Is Born producer Lynette Howell Taylor have made a two-picture worldwide rights deal at Netflix for films produced by Howell Taylor’s 51 Entertainment. Netflix has acquired Unicorn Store , which marks Larson’s directing debut, and Lady Business , which will be the next film that Larson stars in and likely directs. Unicorn Store will premiere on Netflix April 5, a month after the March 9 release… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2sX6HHU

Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley has unveiled her new senior management team, a move that comes after a restructure at the NBCUniversal top levels that made Langley chair, reporting to NBCUni Film and Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell. As part of the exec structure, announced in a memo from Langley today, all will report to her. Abhijay Prakash is returning to Universal in the role of president of UFEG. He previously served as COO for DreamWorks… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2RZVUvO

(Welcome to  Now Scream This , a column where horror experts Chris Evangelista and Matt Donato tell you what scary, spooky, and spine-tingling movies are streaming and where you can watch them.) Matt: With Chris away having all his fun at Utah’s Sundance Film Festival, I thought it fitting to theme this week’s “Now Scream This” around festival content. Flicks that started their lives at festivals, or garnered “fest hype” notoriety, or maybe just played festivals without you knowing. Long story short, all these films screened from Mexico to Montreal – Los Angeles to New York City – before breaking out. The “fest” life can be exhausting, but also rewarding with discoveries like the ones below.  Chris: I am back from Sundance and overwhelmed with the dreaded Sundance Flu! But I won’t let that get in the way of recommending some horror flicks for you, dear reader. This year at Sundance I saw two great horror films – The Lodge and The Hole In the Ground , and last year’s Sundance pr

Kevin Bacon , star of Showtime 's forthcoming drama City on a Hill , said that he was attracted to the Boston crime thriller as it reminded him of Martin Scorsese and Sidney Lumet movies from the 1970s. Bacon plays corrupt yet venerated FBI veteran Jackie Rohr in the series, which was written by Chuck MacLean ( Boston Strangler ) and based on an original idea by Ben Affleck. Speaking at the Showtime day at TCA, he said, "The thing I loved immediately from reading the pilot was… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2t7jFTT

Disney +, Walt Disney Company's upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service, has given a 10 episode, straight-to-series order to Diary of a Female President ,  from writer Ilana Peña ( Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) , Robin Shorr (The Carmichael Show ), Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez ’s I Can and I Will production company, and CBS TV Studios. Created and written by Peña, Diary of a Female President is told from the narration of a Cuban-American 12-year-old girl’s diary, as she… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2RwsMa8

EXCLUSIVE: Dog Man, the canine-human superhero of a popular kids book series by best-selling Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey , is getting the stage musical treatment. Emmy Award winning duo Kevin Del Aguila and Brad Alexander are on board to write Dog Man: The Musical , with Jen Wineman directing the world premiere staging for the not-for-profit TheaterWorksUSA at an Off Broadway theater this summer. TheaterWorksUSA, in partnership with Writers House and Scholastic … from Deadline http://bit.ly/2UxZlGW

The Netflix true crime documentary series  Wild Wild Country is getting a feature adaptation, with Priyanka Chopra starring. The doc followed the true story of Indian spiritual guru Bhagwan Rajneesh, who set up a community in Oregon. The community was intended to be a utopia, but resentment from locals, mixed with criminal activities from the inside, eventually destroyed everything. More on the  Wild Wild Country movie below. Wild Wild Country During an appearance on  The Ellen DeGeneres Show , actress Priyanka Chopra revealed that she and filmmaker Barry Levinson are developing a feature film based on Netflix’s docu-series  Wild Wild Country . Chopra will produce and star, and while she didn’t clarify which part she was playing, it certainly seems like she’ll taking on the role of Ma Anand Sheela. As Chopra told DeGeneres, “We’re developing it as the character of Sheela, who was this guru who originated from India, his right-hand woman. And she was just devious and created a

Veteran reality TV producer Rob Bagshaw has been hired as Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content for Nickelodeon . It is the latest executive move for the Viacom network, which has been revamping its programming team under new president Brian Robbins. In his new role, Bagshaw will be in charge of the development and production of unscripted content across all formats and platforms, ranging from reality competition shows to the network's marquee live events like Kids'… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2DKGqCT

Adam McKay has been set to receive the WGA West 's Paul Selvin Award this year for outstanding achievement in writing Vice , his subversive comedy looking at the rise of Dick Cheney. They award will be presented February 17 at the WGA Awards in Los Angeles. The news comes as Annapurna Pictures’ Vice is up for eight Oscars this year, including nominations for McKay’s original screenplay, his directing and Best Picture. The WGAW said the Selvin award is given for a script… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2BcHXQC

The days of The Walking Dead beating the NFL in the ratings may be passed but the zombie apocalypse series isn't out of the game yet – especially this Sunday Bowl Sunday. A week before the Season 9 midseason opener is set to debut on AMC, the cabler announced today that the Greg Nicotero directed "Adaptation" will be made available on AMC Premiere on the afternoon of February 3 for subscribers. The ninth episode of the ninth season of the now Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2GdFcSv

How much brutality can you take from a movie? How much is too much? How many scenes of pain, suffering and bloodletting can you stand before you throw up your hands and cry uncle? With The Nightingale , her follow-up to the horror hit  The Babadook , director Jennifer Kent seems to posing those direct questions to the audience. The filmmaker knows that we, as a species, have a thirst for violence. But that thirst has its limits. Kent wants to push beyond those limits, and then keep going. And then go further. And then ask, “Isn’t this what you wanted? Why so squeamish now?” As an experiment, it’s fascinating. As a film, it’s almost too much to stand. While there’s almost non-stop horror in The Nightingale , this revenge-drama is far, far removed from Kent’s Babadook . In 1820s Tasmania, young Irish convict Clare ( Aisling Franciosi ) has served her time, and wants nothing more than to be freed by her master, the monstrous Lieutenant Hawkins ( Sam Claflin ) so that she can start

Steven Yeun and J.K. Simmons have been set to lead an A-list voice cast of Invincible , Amazon Prime Video’s eight-episode animated series adapting Robert Kirkman ’s comic book series. Amazon greenlighted the hourlong series last June  and is now planning to premiere it globally in 2020. The streaming service said today that the voice cast will also include Sandra Oh, Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beetz, Mark Hamill, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2RukPSZ

Do you like adventurous sci-fi movies tinged with romance and adventure? If yes, you should put Harry’s All Night Hamburgers on your radar. Theodore “Ted” Melfi , the filmmaker behind  Hidden Figures and St. Vincent , is in final discussions to direct the Black List-approved screenplay, and this sounds like it could be your next favorite movie. Steve Desmond and Michael Anthony Sherman ‘s script made it onto last year’s Black List , an annual compilation of the industry’s favorite screenplays that didn’t make it into production that year. Here’s how The Black List described the plot: A down-on-his-luck high school senior discovers that the old roadside diner outside of town is secretly a hangout for parallel universe travelers. He sets off on a mind-bending adventure across the multiverse that takes him beyond his wildest dreams. This movie is based on Lawrence Watt-Evans ‘ 1987 Hugo Award-winning short story, and Deadline reports that Melfi will likely be the guy to bring it

Showtime broke some casting news during its presentation Thursday at TCA . Jennifer Jason Leigh is set for a recurring role in the fifth and final season of Showtime’s The Affair , and Michael Raymond-James has booked a guest spot on Billions . Details on Leigh’s role were not revealed, only that she’ll appear in a multi-episode arc. The final season 5 will introduce a flash-forward storyline that will center on Alison and Cole's now-adult daughter Joanie Lockhart, played by… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2S5lvUc

Kevin Brockman , EVP Global Communications, Disney| ABC Television Group and a 22-year Disney veteran, will depart the company following the close of its pending acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Brockman, whose position will be eliminated in the restructure of the division, has agreed to stay in his role through the transition. "Kevin is a gifted communications strategist, a proven leader and a great team player who's had an immeasurable impact during his long tenure with… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2BeN96r

Showtime is moving back the premiere of the eighth and final season of terror drama Homeland to the fall. The pay-cable network initially announced that the show would premiere in June but as a result of the demands of filming internationally, it has moved it back towards the end of the year. Gary Levine, Co-President of Entertainment at Showtime, said, "We previously announced a June premiere but because of production demands of our international locations, we're moving… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2sWh1A2

It’s been 13 years since  Kingdom Hearts 2 came out, which means you’re going to need to do more than blow on a dusty cartridge to revive those memories of the video game franchise.  Kingdom Hearts 3 drops you right in the middle of 10 years worth of story which, somewhat counterintuitively, has been going strong in other spin-off games in that long absence. In-between  Kingdom Hearts 2 and  Kingdom Hearts 3 , there were five (!) games that were released on the Playstation Portable, Nintendo 3DS, PC, and mobile phones, each of them essential to the increasingly convoluted  Kingdom Hearts plot line. Sound daunting? Don’t worry I’ve got you covered. I’m here to try to condense 10 years worth of story for you — 17 years if you’re totally new. Because everyone deserves to not be horribly confused about this inexplicable combination of Japanese RPG and Disney. What is Kingdom Hearts ? Kingdom Hearts is a role-playing video game series about a boy named Sora who is sent on a quest

Carey Mulligan is to star in Emerald Fennell-directed thriller  Promising Young Woman  which FilmNation Entertainment will launch sales on at the EFM in Berlin. UTA will rep U.S. Shoot is due to get underway this spring on the project from writer-director Fennel, show-runner on  Killing Eve  season two. Oscar nominee Mulligan will play Cassie, a young woman haunted by a tragedy in her past, who begins exacting her own particular brand of revenge on the predatory men unlucky… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2WsbizD

Donald Trump was talking trade and another looming government shutdown today in the White House but an alleged terror on one of the starts of Empire the streets of one of America's greatest cities this week was also on the agenda. "That I can tell you is horrible," the former Celebrity Apprentice host said Thursday when asked about the violent and homophobic attack on Jussie Smollett that seemingly occurred early in AM on Tuesday. "It doesn’t get worse," the President… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2Rux2H6

Showtime announced spring premiere dates for season 2 of The Chi , new drama series City On A Hill starring Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, four-part docuseries Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mice & Men , as well as feature documentary XY Chelsea during its presentation Thursday at the TCA Winter Press Tour. The premium cabler also released trailers for The Chi, City On a Hill and Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men , which you can watch below. Season 2 of The Chi will premiere Sunday, April 7 at… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2RuvFYZ

Showtime  has greenlighted a new incarnation of  The L Word ,  a sequel of the network's influential 2000s series. Showtime president of programming Gary Levine was cautious Mondaay at  TCA when asked about the status of the project. The follow-up series, which has been in the works at Showtime for more than an year, is aimed at reflecting how members of that community's relationships, their lives, and experiences have evolved and what has changed (and what hasn't) since the… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2WuN3AF

Bryan Cranston has signed on to star in and executive produce  Showtime ’s high-profile limited series  Your Honor ,  The legal thriller,  based on the hot Israeli drama format ( Kvodo ), hails from the creators of two acclaimed legal drama series: Peter Moffat, whose BAFTA-winning Criminal Justice was the basis for HBO's Emmy-winning limited series The Night Of, and The Good Wife 's Robert and Michelle King. It’s slated to go into production later this year in New… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2Rtzzl8

DreamWorks Animation ’s first theatrical release during its second Universal era,  How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World ,  landed on tracking this morning with a $40M-$45M stateside opening projection; solid with moms and dads. The movie opens on Feb. 22 and its only competition is MGM’s wide expansion of the Dwayne Johnson produced  Fighting With My Family.  Already, the Dean DeBlois-directed threequel has amassed $41M abroad with big plays in Australia ($14.4M), and… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2CWqo7q

Penny Dreadful alum Paco Cabezas has been tapped to direct multiple episodes of Penny Dreadful: City Of Angels , the next chapter of the saga from the original series' creator, writer and executive producer John Logan. The announcement was made Thursday by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks, at TCA . Production on the drama series is expected to begin later this year. A spiritual descendant of the story set in Victorian-era London, the next chapter… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2G3VWwa

Showtime’s flagship series is officially returning for a tenth season with William H. Macy and the rest of the cast sans Emmy Rossum are coming back. MORE from Deadline http://bit.ly/2GbCFIt

Film Constellation has boarded world sales on Stardust  about a young David Bowie during his first visit to America in 1971; a trip that inspired the invention of his iconic alter ego Ziggy Stardust. Actor-musician Johnny Flynn (Beast) will play the young Bowie. Jena Malone ( The Hunger Games ) is attached to play Bowie's first wife, Angie, and Marc Maron ( GLOW ) will play his record company publicist. The project is due to feature a varied soundtrack from the era including a… from Deadline http://bit.ly/2DN0xAw

When studios first started offering digital copies of movies with home video releases on Blu-ray and DVD, Ultraviolet was one of the first services to host a library of titles for customers. Now the company is shutting down. The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) announced that the Ultraviolet digital movie locker will shut down this summer. What does that mean for customers who have a collection of movies redeemed through the Ultraviolet digital movie service? Find out below. Variety has word on Ultraviolet shutting down, but users don’t have to worry about losing access to their digital library immediately. Ultraviolet won’t be dead until July 31 , and they’re offering customers the ability to link their library to another collaborating retailer in order to hang on to their digital library. Most users with a collection of digital movies will have likely already done this by making their movies available at retailers like Walmart’s Vudu or Fandango NOW, but if you hav

Universal and Illumination Entertainment have released at least 57 trailers for this summer’s sequel The Secret Life of Pets 2 . In addition to the traditional teaser trailer , there have been character-centric teases featuring Chloe the Cat , the superhero bunny Snowball , and the new character Daisy . Now it’s Jenny Slate as the poodle Gidget taking the spotlight in a new Secret Life of Pets 2 trailer, and she’s learning how to act like a cat for some reason. The Secret Life of Pets 2 Trailer – Gidget Chloe the Cat gives Gidget some good pointers on how to act like a cat. After tossing on pink cat years and a sock on her puffy tail, Gidget learns how to resist fetching, land on her feet from a fall, and even use the litter box. Of course, the rest of her dog pals aren’t quite as skilled. As someone who did not like The Secret Life of Pets at all when it was released back in 2016, I must say that the sequel’s trailers are a little more clever. As a cat owner, making light of