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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our signature "Devwatch" section. There visitors can view our listings by network, genre, studio and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!
ABOUT A BOY (NBC/Universal; W: Jason Katims; D: Jon Favreau) - Benjamin Stockham ("1600 Penn") has snagged the title role on the comedy pilot, based on Nick Hornby's book-turned-film of the same name about the relationship between a bachelor man-child (David Walton) and the young boy who moves in next-door with his kooky single mother (Minnie Driver). He's set as Marcus, the aforementioned 11-year-old boy, a role originated by Nicholas Hoult on the big screen. Stockham's involvement is in second position to "Penn." Anjelah N. Johnson also stars. (THR.com)
ASSISTANCE (NBC/Universal; W: Leslye Headland; D: TBA) - Vinette Robinson ("Sherlock") has scored a role on the comedy pilot, about a magnetic hyperactive workaholic (Krysten Ritter) who tries to juggle the demands of her long-time boyfriend (Peter Cambor), her smug work-husband (Zach Cregger) and her powerful boss. She'll play Jenny ("British beauty with a sleek body and a head for numbers"), a co-worker who has a history with Cregger's character. (Deadline.com)
BELIEVE (NBC/Warner Bros.; W: Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Friedman; D: Alfonso Cuarón) - Kyle MacLachlan ("The Good Wife") has landed a role on the drama pilot, about Bo (Johnny Sequoyah), a 10-year-old girl in possession of a great powers and William Tate (Jake McLaughlin), a death row inmate sprung from prison to protect her from those trying to hunt her down. He'll play Theo Skouras ("tanned, athletic, charismatic"), a mysterious billionaire who hires hitwoman Moore (Sienna Guillory) to track down Bo. Also starring in the drama are Delroy Lindo and Jamie Chung. (TVLine.com)
BETRAYAL (ABC/ABC Studios; W: David Zabel; D: Patty Jenkins) - Chris Johnson and James Cromwell have both landed roles on the drama pilot, about Sara Hayward (Hannah Ware), a beautiful but unhappily married photographer who begins a torrid affair with a lawyer for a powerful family. The former will play Sarah's husband Drew Hayward, who's slick on one hand, brusk on the other; while the latter is set as Terence Karsten, a widowed real estate developer and the dapper patriarch of the aforementioned family. Henry Thomas also stars as his son, Terence, Jr. (Deadline.com)
COMPANY TOWN (The CW/CTS; W: Sera Gamble; D: Taylor Hackford) - Graham Hamilton has scored a role on the drama pilot, about the aftermath of a sexual assault scandal at a Naval base in Norfolk, Virginia. He's on board as Lt. Mark Huffington ("down-to-earth, solid, practical"), the base's Head of Security. Arjun Gupta, Dondre Whitfield, Gage Golightly, Maya Kazan and Merle Dandridge also star. (Deadline.com)
DEWITT (TNT, New!) - Sara Gran ("Southland") is developing a small screen take on her series of novels about her tough female private investigator in post-Katrina New Orleans. John Wells, Andrew Stearn and Christopher Chulack are on board to executive produce the hour for the Warner Horizon Television-based John Wells Productions with Gran herself writing the script and serving as a co-executive producer. Chulack will also direct should the project move to the pilot stage. (THR.com)
DO IT YOURSELF (TBS; W: Rob Long & Walt Becker; D: James Widdoes) - Ryan McPartlin ("Chuck") has snagged a role on the comedy pilot, about Nick (yet to be cast), a 20-something laid-off math teacher who finds himself thrust into the blue collar world when he gets a job at that most American of retail institutions: the big box home supply store. He'll play Tyler, "a handsome Home Time employee who works in the paint department where he gives several paint demonstrations a week." Melora Hardin also stars. (Deadline.com)
FRIENDS & FAMILY (FOX/Sony; W: David J. Rosen; D: TBA) - Alexis Bledel ("Gilmore Girls") has been tapped to star opposite Jason Ritter in the comedy pilot, based on the U.K. series "Gavin & Stacey" about new lovers whose greatest challenge isn't their long distance status but their polarizing families' lives. She'll play the aforementioned Stacey ("sweet, pretty, but willing to do the weird stuff") in the single-camera project, which also stars Dustin Ybarra. (Deadline.com)
FRIENDS WITH BETTER LIVES (CBS/20th; W: Dana Klein; D: James Burrows) - Australian actor Rick Donald has been cast in the comedy pilot, about six thirtysomething friends, each who thinks the other has it better. He'll play Lowell Peddit ("romantic, spiritual, self-righteous, intense"), a frequently barefoot follower of various environmental and social causes. The multi-camera project also stars Brooklyn Decker and James Van Der Beek. (Deadline.com)
GABRIELS, THE (FOX/20th; W: Andrew Gurland & Justin Hurwitz; D: Jason Winer) - Brooke Sorenson and River Alexander are the latest to board the comedy pilot, about a gleefully anti-social couple (Angela Kinsey, Rob Riggle) learning to act normal and make friends for the sake of their kids. They'll play said kids, 15-year-old Anna ("cute yet sharp with an awkward edge") and 12-year-old Josh ("oblivious to social cues"). Tim Meadows also stars. (Deadline.com)
GANG RELATED (FOX/20th; W: Chris Morgan; D: Allen Hughes) - Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known as RZA, has been cast in the drama pilot, about Ryan Lopez (Ramon Rodriguez), a gang member sent in to infiltrate the San Francisco Police Department only to be caught between his crime family ties and an increasing sense of loyalty to his new brothers in blue. He's set as Cassius Green, Ryan's partner and best friend on the Gang Task Force. Inbar Lavi, Jay Hernandez and Sung Kang also star. (Deadline.com)
GOTHICA (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Matt Lopez; D: Anand Tucker) - Emma Booth is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about Grace Van Helsing (Janet Montgomery), a woman who discovers the likes of everyone from Victor Frankenstein (Tom Ellis) to Dorian Gray (Chris Egan) exist in modern-day San Francisco while searching for her own identity. She's set as Madeline Usher ("an ethereal beauty"), Frankenstein's wife who's likewise heartbroken over the loss of their daughter Anna. Also starring in the hour are Raza Jaffrey and Tracie Thoms. (Deadline.com)
HALT & CATCH FIRE (AMC; W: Chris Cantwell & Chris Rodgers; D: Juan José Campanella) - Scoot McNairy (Argo) has booked a role on the pilot, a period drama about the personal computing boom of early 1980s as told through the eyes of a visionary (Lee Pace), an engineer (McNairy) and a prodigy (Mackenzie Davis) whose innovations directly confront the corporate behemoths of the time. He'll play Gordon Clark, said engineer, "an everyman who put his brilliance on the shelf because of the failure of his own bold business endeavor several years ago." (Deadline.com)
HATFIELDS & MCCOYS, THE (NBC/ABC Studios; W: John Glenn; D: Michael Mayer) - Annie Ilonzeh ("Charlie's Angels") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, in which a startling death re-ignites the feud between the legendary families in present day Pittsburgh. She'll play the adopted daughter of Mary Hatfield (Rebecca De Mornay), Shannon ("not runway hot, more a natural beauty, the kind of girl you ached for in high school"), a lawyer and the star-crossed lover of Patrick (Jesse Lee Soffer), a member of the rival McCoys. Nick Westrate, Patrick Flueger, Sophia Bush and Virginia Madsen also star in the project. (THR.com)
I AM VICTOR (NBC/Universal; W: Mark Goffman; D: TBA) - Megan Dodds ("CSI: NY") is set to star opposite John Stamos in the drama pilot, about Victor Port (Stamos), a high powered divorce attorney with a unique view of relationships. She'll play Helen ("beautiful, down-played under a professional and conservative wardrobe"), his wife and the mother of their two children, 10-year-old George and 14-year-old Dana. (Deadline.com)
INFLUENCE (ABC/20th; W: Kyle Killen; D: TBA) - Megalyn Echikunwoke and Cedric Sanders are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about two brothers - manic genius Clark (Steve Zahn) and slick ex-con Ross (yet to be cast) - who head a unique agency designed to solve their clients' problems using the real science of human motivation and manipulation. The former will play Megan, a knockout actress who helps turn their scientific schemes into real world results; while the latter is set as Latrell, an acquaintance of Ross's from his scheming days who agrees to go to work for the firm. (Deadline.com)
MIDDLE AGE RAGE (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Cheryl Holliday; D: TBA) - Wyatt Oleff has been cast in the comedy pilot, about Carol Bobeck (Annie Mumolo), a wife/mother/Oprah fan who is fed up with feeling invisible and begins to speak up and demand the respect she feels she's earned. He'll play Oliver, her the 11-year-old son who's a bit of a sad sack. Melanie Leishman and Will Sasso also star in the single-camera project. (Deadline.com)
MIXOLOGY (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Jon Lucas & Scott Moore; D: Larry Charles) - Alexis Carra is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about five guys and five girls trying to find love at Mix, a trendy Manhattan bar, over the course of one night. She'll play Jessica, "the sexy, single mother of two who says she wants drinks, sex and an easy cab ride home, but is ultimately a warm, maternal, loving woman looking for a guy to make time for." The ensemble cast also includes Adam Campbell, Andrew Santino, Blake Lee, Craig Frank, Kate Simses, Mercedes Masohn and Vanessa Lengies. (Deadline.com)
RECKLESS (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Chris Black; D: Martin Campbell) - Naveen Andrews ("Lost") has snagged a role on the drama pilot, about David Ritter (Patrick Fugit), a resourceful engineer who will do anything - legal or otherwise - to get back his doctor wife (Eloise Mumford) after she's trapped in East Myanmar during a military coup. He's on board as Roland Shaw, a former member of the British Army's Special Air Service - with a record of excessive force and civilian deaths - whom David hires to help find his wife. Ashton Holmes, Ernie Hudson, Lou Taylor Pucci and Parminder Nagra also star. (Deadline.com)
REIGN (The CW/CTS; W: Laurie McCarthy & Stephanie Sengupta; D: Brad Silberling) - Megan Follows and Jenessa Grant have both been cast in the pilot, a period drama about the teenage years of Mary, Queen of Scots (Adelaide Kane) in 1557 France. The former will play Catherine de' Medici ("Italian-born, hard-eyed, contained but feral"), Queen consort of France and wife of King Henry II (yet to be cast). Her son Francis II (Toby Regbo) is betrothed to Mary. Grant then is set as Aillie ("tomboyish but capable of blossoming"), one of Mary's ladies-in-waiting, alongside the previously cast Celina Sinden. (Deadline.com)
RETURNED, THE (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Aaron Zelman; D: Charles McDougall) - Samaire Armstrong and Sam Hazeldine have both scored roles on the drama pilot, about a family that gets caught up in a worldwide event in which loved ones return from the dead exactly as they last were in life. She'll play Elaine Dawson ("pretty, immaculately put together, has an opinion about everything"), Gail Garland's (Devin Kelley) best friend whose father has seemingly come back from the dead. He's then set as the mysterious Disheveled Man, one of the returned. Frances Fisher and Matt Craven also star. (Deadline.com)
SECOND SIGHT (CBS/CTS; W: Gerald Cuesta & Michael Cuesta; D: Michael Cuesta) - Madison Moellers has likewise booked a role on the drama pilot, about Ross Tanner (Jason Lee), a New Orleans detective suffering from Azoors Syndrome, an ocular eye disorder that saddles him with regular hallucinations but also opens up his subconscious in a way that aids his job. She's on board as Scout, Tanner's 10-year-old daughter. The drama also stars Erik Jensen and Kim Dickens. (Deadline.com)
SELECTION, THE (The CW/Warner Bros.; W: Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain; D: Alex Graves) - British actor Lucien Laviscount is the latest to join the pilot, a drama set 300 years in the future about America Singer (Yael Grobglas), a poor woman who is chosen by lottery to compete to become the next queen of a war-torn nation. He's on board as Aspen Ledger ("muscular, cut, hot as hell"), America's boyfriend who frequently runs afowl with the crown. Also starring in the drama are Celia Massingham, Michael Malarkey, Peta Sergeant and Sean Patrick Thomas. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED BOUNTY HUNTER DRAMA (TNT; W: Amy Berg & Scott Prendergast; D: Dean Devlin) - Gloria Reuben, Enrico Colantoni and Marsha Mason have all joined the cast of the Geena Davis-led drama pilot, about Mackenzie "Mack" Green (Davis) an unconventional bail bondswoman and bounty hunter whose eccentric personality and unusual tactics give her an advantage in a tough and unpredictable business. Reuben will play A.D.A. Kate Mickelson, "a tenacious attorney with an honest and blunt relationship with Mack"; with Colantoni as Wendell Hicks, "Mack's former accountant hired to run the financial desk at the bail bonds office"; and Mason as Lloyd, "Mack's strong and independent mother." (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED CULLEN BROTHERS PILOT (ABC/20th; W: Mark Cullen & Robb Cullen; D: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa) - Lenora Crichlow (U.K.'s "Being Human") has scored a role on the comedy pilot, about Terry Gannon (Maggie Lawson), a recently divorced single mother who temporarily moves in with her estranged father (James Caan), a beer-swilling former baseball player. She'll play Gigi Fernandez-Lovette ("a fashionably fabulous beauty"), a widowed mom who bonds with Terry. The single-camera project also stars Ben Koldyke and Griffin Gluck. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED JH WYMAN PROJECT (FOX) (FOX/Warner Bros.; W: J.H. Wyman; D: Brad Anderson) - Lili Taylor ("Hemlock Grove") has joined the cast of the pilot, a drama set in 2048 Los Angeles where robots are widely used in law enforcement. She'll play Captain Maldonado, who's hardworking, smart and got her job sheer determination. Michael Ealy also stars. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Mike Mariano will succeed the CBS Television Studios-bound Greg Garcia as showrunner on "Raising Hope" (Deadline.com); NBC has put production on its single-camera comedy "The Donor Party" on hold due to difficulties in casting the lead (Deadline.com); Paramount Pictures has joined Sony Pictures Television as a co-producer on the CBS drama pilot "Beverly Hills Cop" (Deadline.com); Marisa Ramirez has booked a five-episode arc on "Blue Bloods" as Danny Reagan's (Donnie Wahlberg) latest partner (Deadline.com); Ramon Fernandez will recur on "Revolution" as "a trusted soldier in Monroe's inner circle" (Deadline.com); Kaley Ronayne will likewise recur on "Army Wives" as the 20-year-old go-getter daughter of Brooke Shields's Kat Young; Roy Lee and John Middleton's Vertigo Entertainment has inked a first-look deal with Fox 21 (Deadline.com);
Robert Kirkman, Circle of Confusion and Fox International Channels are developing a small screen take on the former's upcoming comic book series set in the world of exorcism (Deadline.com); Terence Noonan and Meghan Schaefer Spielberg have been named executive producers of "Bethenny" (Deadline.com); newcomer Teo Halm has been cast as Cory and Topanga's son, Elliott, on Disney Channel's "Girl Meets World" (TVLine.com); Chloe Sevigny has booked an arc on "The Mindy Project" as the ex-wife of Chris Messina's Danny (TVLine.com); Scott Bakula will guest on "Two and a Half Men" as "a Cal Worthington-like auto dealership tycoon who gets dropped into Jake's ever-evolving love life in a surprising way" (TVLine.com); Lee Tergesen and Eamonn Walker are bound for the new season of BBC America's "Copper" (THR.com); and Ethan Cutkosky will guest on "Law & Order: SVU" a troubled boy whose capacity for violence is escalating (TVGuide.com).
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