CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
INSEPARABLE (CBS) - The Eye's update of the Jekyll-and-Hyde story from producers Sam Raimi and Shaun Cassidy has a new title.
POLITICAL ASYLUM (Court TV) - Juliette Lewis will star in the cable channel's third telefilm, based on a true story about an American lawyer (Lewis) who fights to save an Afghan emigre from the Taliban regime. The picture is one of four movies in development at the network for 2003-04.
STILL STANDING (CBS)/STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU (NBC) - Tim Doyle ("Roseanne," "Ellen") has landed a seven-figure overall development deal with 20th Century Fox Television. Under the pact, which includes an option for a third year, he'll executive produce new and existing series for the studio. Currently Doyle is set to join the Eye's "Still Standing" for its sophomore season where he'll share showrunning and executive producing duties alongside series creators Joey Gutierrez and Diane Burroughs. Doyle was brought in by the studio to reinforce the series now that it is moving to the unprotected Monday, 8:30/7:30c time slot this fall. His involvement however may be short lived as NBC has ordered four additional scripts of his comedy pilot "Stuck in the Middle With You," with the project considered a contender for midseason by various sources. Before signing the 20th deal, Doyle had just come off a two-year pact with NBC Studios where he developed "Stuck."
STRIP SEARCH (HBO) - Oliver Platt ("Queens Supreme") and Justin Bartha ("The Dustin and Justin Show") have signed on for director Sidney Lumet's upcoming telefilm for the pay channel. The duo join Glenn Close, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Daniel Sauli on the project which follows several intertwined stories, each exploring crime and punishment in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana ("Homicide: Life on the Street") are executive producing with the latter writing the screenplay. Production is set to begin next month in New York.
THAT '70S SHOW (FOX) - Despite a growing career in features, Ashton Kutcher has signed on to stick with the series through the 2004-05 season. Currently under contract through the upcoming 2003-04 season, the new pact will extend his stay through the series' seventh season. He's set to make between $250,000-$300,000 for the extra season, which means he'll pull down about $6-8 million for the 25-episode season. Previously, fellow cast members Mila Kunis, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith all signed long term deals (through the 2004-05 season) in October 2002. That leaves Topher Grace as the sole cast member not upped through the series' seventh season.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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