CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
CAVEDWELLER (Showtime) - Indie film director Lisa Cholodenko ("Laurel Canyon") has signed on to direct the pay channel's upcoming original film. Production is set for later this year on the drama, which stars and is co-executive produced by Kyra Sedgwick ("Phenomenon"). Producers Orly Adelson ("The Junction Boys") and David Yudain ("Desert Saints") are also behind the project, an adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Dorothy Allison ("Bastard Out of Carolina"), about a rock singer (Sedgwick) who returns to her hometown in Georgia where she left her children behind with her abusive husband. Sedgwick's own husband, Kevin Bacon, has signed on to appear in a supporting role in the drama.
FAME (NBC) - The two-hour premiere of the Peacock's latest reality entry will encore on cable's Bravo channel this Sunday at 9:00/8:00c. Subsequent episodes of "Fame" will also repeat on Bravo the following Friday night at 8:00/7:00c after their initial NBC broadcast.
KEEN EDDIE (FOX) - Creator J.H. Wyman has signed a two-year, seven-figure overall development deal with Paramount Network Television. The pact, whicn includes an option for two more years beyond the initial term, calls for scribe to develop and executive produce series projects for the studio (via his Frequency Films) as well as continue to executive produce "Eddie." Wyman is also set to continue his feature work. He'll reteam with "Eddie's" pilot director Simon West in the upcoming feature "PRM" and wrote Tony Scott's upcoming remake of "The Warriors."
LAS VEGAS (NBC) - Gardner Stern ("John Doe," "Breaking News") has been tapped as executive producer/showrunner of the Peacock's upcoming drama.
HAPPY FAMILY (NBC) - Veteran sitcom scribe Lester Lewis ("Hidden Hills," "Three Sisters") has signed on to the Peacock's new comedy series as co-executive producer. The move is part of Lewis' new two-year, seven-figure series development deal with NBC Studios in which he'll also create new projects for the network. On "Family" Lewis will share duties with David Guarascio and Moses Port ("Just Shoot Me"), the executive producers and showrunners of the series.
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S COUSIN EDDIE'S CHRISTMAS VACATION (NBC) - Randy Quaid and Miriam Flynn are set to reprise their roles as Cousin Eddie and his wife Catherine in the Peacock's telefilm spin-off of the "Vacation" series. Matty Simmons (the original "Vacation") wrote the script and executive produced the project which is being hemled by Nick Marck ("Malcolm in the Middle"). Also signing on to appear are Dana Barron, Jake Thomas, Fred Willard, Ed Asner, Eric Idle, Beverly Garland, Julian Stone and Sung Hi Lee. The project sees Quaid's Cousin Eddie getting bitten by a monkey at a nuclear research testing facility he works at. Fearing a lawsuit, his boss (Willard) gives him an all-expense paid trip to the South Pacific for the Christmas holiday where Eddie can't seem to stay out of trouble.
THEAT MATRIX (ABC) - James Parriott ("Push, Nevada") has signed on as an executive producer of the forthcoming ABC drama. He'll share duties with Daniel Voll and Original's Keith Addis, Michael Edelstein and Emile Levisetti. Parriott was also behind "The Partners," a drama pilot that didn't make it on to the Alphabet's schedule.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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