AllBlk Greenlights Drama Series ‘Hush’ Starring Joyful Drake, Caryn Ward Ross, Erica Mena, More

Over the years since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, we’ve seen quite a few films and TV projects dedicated to telling that story. However, maybe none of which will be as harrowing as the upcoming Apple TV+ series, “Five Days at Memorial.” READ MORE: ‘Black Bird’ Trailer: Taron Egerton & Ray Liotta Star In New Apple TV+ Prison Series As seen in the teaser for “Five Days at Memorial,” the series tells the story of the, well, five days after Katrina hit the coast, but the action is completely contained to the Memorial Hospital where doctors and nurses tried their best to save people’s lives with limited resources.

Will Forte is set to star in Bodkin (w/t) at Netflix, the first drama series from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company and wiip. Siobhan Cullen (The Dry), Robyn Cara (Trying), David Wilmot (Station Eleven) and Chris Walley (The Last Voyage of the Demeter) also feature in the seven-episode, darkly comedic thriller, which begins production in Ireland next week.

EXCLUSIVE: John Ortiz is set for a key recurring role opposite Vince Vaughn in Apple TV+ drama series Bad Monkey, written and executive produced by Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence. He replaces Arturo Luis Soria who had been originally cast in the role. 

EXCLUSIVE: SonyLIV has ordered its most ambitious original series to date, an adaptation of Indian independence non-fiction book Freedom at Midnight, as the streamer gears up to become a global service within three years.

Peyton List is set to star in an upcoming YA series for Paramount+. The working title is “School Spirits.”On Wednesday, the streamer announced a series order for the drama, which focuses on a teen stuck in the afterlife who decides to investigate her mysterious disappearance alongside a group of other students who are also stuck in limbo at their high school.

Paramount+ has handed a series order to School Spirits (w/t), a YA drama based on Nate & Megan Trinrud and Maria Nguyen’s upcoming graphic novel, with Peyton List (Cobra Kai) attached to star. The series order is part of Paramount’s push to expand its YA content. School Spirits (w/t) will be produced by Awesomeness Studio.

EXCLUSIVE: Courtney Eaton (Yellowjackets) and Thomas Mann (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) will lead actor Brittany Snow’s feature directorial debut, September 17th, for Yale Entertainment. Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) and Joel McHale (Community) are also set, joining the previously announced Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi) as part of the supporting cast.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Euphoria” has come to be known for its over-the-top, well, everything. But one actor on the show who has managed to bring a grounded realness to every scene he is in is Colman Domingo.Domingo, who plays the guest star role of Rue’s sponsor Ali, says Zendaya has told him how thankful she is when it’s time to work with him, as the scenes with him are so different than others she does on the series.“It’s not as wild and colorful and glitzy,” Domingo tells Variety.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Netflix drama series “The Brothers Sun” has set its main cast, which includes Michelle Yeoh, Variety has learned.Yeoh will star alongside series regulars Justin Chien, Sam Song Li, Highdee Kuan, and Joon Lee. Alice Jewkin, Jon Xue Zhang,  Jenny Yang, Madison Hu, and Rodney To will appear in recurring roles.The show was ordered to series at Netflix back in February with an eight-episode pickup. It is set in Los Angeles and Taiwan and features an all-Asian writers room and all-Asian cast.

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have acquired North American rights to the romantic drama The Good House from Amblin Partners, in association with Participant. The film based on Ann Leary’s New York Times bestseller is heading to the Tribeca Film Festival for its U.S. premiere in June 18, and will hit theaters via Roadside on September 30.

EXCLUSIVE: Saddle up, Hallmark fans: the channel has greenlit Ride, an original primetime series about a rodeo dynasty.

Ramin Setoodeh Executive EditorTo many fans of “Sex and the City,” Kim Cattrall was the definition of glamorous. So perhaps it’s only fitting that her next TV project will be “Glamorous,” a Netflix series in which Cattrall will be starring as a makeup mogul.“Glamorous,” which had originally been ordered as a pilot at The CW in 2019, tells the story of Marco Mejia (played by actor, singer and YouTuber Miss Benny), a gender non-conforming queer person who goes to work for Cattrall’s cosmetics queen Madolyn Addison.

Emmy winner Margo Martindale (American Crime Story: Impeachment), Andy McQueen (Station Eleven) and Ben Chaplin (The Nevers) have been cast opposite Betty Gilpin and Jake McDorman in Mrs. Davis, Peacock’s new drama series written and executive produced by Tara Hernandez and Damon Lindelof. Emmy-winning director Owen Harris (Black Mirror: San Junipero, Brave New World) will direct and executive produce multiple episodes, including the first episode, of the series, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, where both Hernandez and Lindelof are under overall deals.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has formally ordered the drama series “Sugar” starring Colin Farrell to series, Variety has learned.It was first reported in December 2021 that Apple had won the rights to the series in a competitive situation, though it had not officially been ordered to series at that time.Exact plot details for the show remain under wraps, aside from the fact that it is described as a genre-bending contemporary take on the private detective story set in Los Angeles.Mark Protosevich (“The Cell,” “I Am Legend,” “Thor”) serves as writer and executive producer on the project. Farrell will executive produce in addition to starring. Fernando Meirelles (“City of God,” “Two Popes”) will direct and executive produce.

Clayton Davis Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

Clayton Davis Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

EXCLUSIVE: AllBlk has greenlit the supernatural drama Wicket City from executive producers Tressa “Azarel” Smallwood and Donte Lee set to debut this winter.

Selome Hailu J.J. Abrams’ science fiction drama series “Demimonde” will no longer move forward at HBO.This is the end of a long road for the project, which was ordered to series at HBO in Feb. 2018 after a bidding war with Apple.

EXCLUSIVE: Adrienne Warren is set as a lead in Hulu drama series Black Cake, from Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. Andrew Dosunmu (Where Is Kyra?) has been tapped to direct the pilot episode of the project, which landed at the Disney streamer with a straight-to-series order last fall.

EXCLUSIVE: Leslie Mann and Tim Robbins have left Amazon Studios’ global thriller drama series The Power. Both roles will be recast.