EXCLUSIVE: Kal Penn has been tapped as a lead opposite Tim Allen and Elizabeth Mitchell in The Santa Clause, Disney+’s upcoming limited series, from Last Man Standing creator Jack Burditt.
15.02.2022 - 22:21 / deadline.com
Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to A Friend of the Family, a true-crime limited drama about the Jan Broberg kidnapping case, from Nick Antosca (The Act, Channel Zero) and UCP, with Oscar winner Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks and Lio Tipton attached to star. Eliza Hittman (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) is set to direct and executive produce multiple episodes, including the pilot.
UCP won the rights to the stranger-than-fiction story in a competitive situation, and the project has been in development at UCP since 2020.
Antosca will write and serve as showrunner and executive produce via his Eat the Cat banner, as part of his overall deal with UCP.
A Friend of the Family is based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered — and how they survived.
Paquin will play Mary Ann Broberg. The mother of three daughters, her life has felt safe, happy and rewarding until recently. She has realized too late that she may have missed warning signs and made a terrible mistake by becoming close to her charismatic neighbor Robert Berchtold — and trusting him around her oldest daughter, Jan.
Lacy will portray Robert “B” Berchtold, a charming local businessman who appears to be a genial Mormon father and husband. An expert in manipulation, he puts everyone around him at ease as he carefully plots the abduction of Mary Ann’s
EXCLUSIVE: Kal Penn has been tapped as a lead opposite Tim Allen and Elizabeth Mitchell in The Santa Clause, Disney+’s upcoming limited series, from Last Man Standing creator Jack Burditt.
Coronation Street’s real-life siblings James Jack Ryan and Rebecca Ryan are currently taking over the famous ITV cobbles. Jack plays Corrie’s Jacob Hay, while Rebecca is very much front and centre as one third of a complicated love triangle as scheming Lydia Chambers.
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EXCLUSIVE: Jason Winer (The Big Leap) has been tapped to direct Disney+’s upcoming The Santa Clause limited series starring Tim Allen. The Modern Family alum will also executive produce through his Small Dog Production Co. the series, which comes from Last Man Standing creator Jack Burditt.
Apple TV+ has officially confirmed a limited event series starring Michael Douglas as Benjamin Franklin. The Oscar winner executive produces the project about the American polymath, from John Adams writer-executive producer Kirk Ellis, TV director, writer and producer Tim Van Patten (Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos), Tony Krantz and his Flame Ventures and Richard Plepler’s Eden Productions under the company’s deal with Apple Studios. Based on Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff’s book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, the series, which has been casting for the past couple of months, is a co-production between ITV Studios America and Apple Studios.
Paul Dano’s Riddler is ’s main villain in director Matt Reeves’ stunning take on the superhero, it’s Colin Farrell who steals the show as the Penguin. The 45-year-old actor, who is completely unrecognizable as the formidable crime figure, makes use of every second he’s on screen, bringing the laughs and gravitas to the three-hour epic about a serial killer who threatens to upend the status quo of Gotham with shocking revelations about who actually runs the city.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming Apple limited series “Manhunt” has added Anthony Boyle and Lovie Simone to its cast, Variety has learned.The pair join previously announced series lead Tobias Menzies. The show is based on the book “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer” by James Swanson.
Stephan James is attached to star and produce a scripted limited series about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
EXCLUSIVE: Dan Stevens (Legion, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga) has been tapped for a key role in the Hulu limited series Immigrant (working title), starring and executive produced by Kumail Nanjiani, from Pam & Tommy creator Robert Siegel.
FX is behind the new crime thriller series “Under The Banner of Heaven,” inspired by the true-crime novel penned by Jon Krakauer. A teaser trailer has been released and gives audiences a vibe for the new series led by Oscar-nominee Andrew Garfield, playing a religious detective investigating a brutal murder in a rural community.
Walton Goggins is set as a lead in Fallout, Prime Video’s series adaptation of the bestselling game franchise, which comes from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s Kilter Films, with Nolan set to direct the premiere.
The work of Charles Dickens always seems prescient and allows for multiple incarnations when it’s adapted for the stage, big screen, and television. Another version of his classic love story “Great Expectations” is coming from FX and BBC as the two are teaming for an ambitious new series from Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders“).
Showtime is on a bit of a roll lately. Obviously, the network has series such as “Billions,” which is consistently lauded as one of the best shows on TV.
Olivia Colman has landed her next leading role!
The streaming wars have seen both ups and downs, with Disney+ and HBO Max making significant strides by adding subscribers in the shadow of Netflix that looms large. Peacock and other budding streaming services are still trying to grow their audience, and that means putting together more exclusive original content to get eyeballs with compelling television shows.
chronicled the stranger-than-fiction story about the multiple kidnappings of Jan Broberg, the story is being revisited as a scripted, true-crime series starring Anna Paquin and Jake Lacy.Adapted by showrunner and executive producer Nick Antosca and directed by executive producer Eliza Hittman, will recount the real story of the teenage girl who was abducted not once, but twice by the same man in several years. That man was the Broberg family’s trusted neighbor, Robert Berchtold, who ended up manipulating and exploiting the parents before turning their daughter against them. “Nick Antosca has created a compelling series in that explores one family’s unimaginable experience with great insight and sensitivity,” said Lisa Katz, president scripted content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.
Colin Firth is tackling a character far removed from the British gentlemen he’s played throughout much of his career in HBO Max’s The Staircase, premiering in the Spring.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock has given a straight-to-series order to the true crime series “A Friend of the Family,” which tells the story of the multiple kidnappings of Jan Broberg.Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton will all star in the series, which hails from “The Act” co-creator Nick Antosca. The show was originally announced as being in development back in May 2020.“A Friend of the Family” is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them.
Joe Otterson TV ReporterAndrew Rannells has been cast in a recurring role in the upcoming Hulu limited series “Immigrant.”The darkly comedic series tells the true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani), the Indian-American entrepreneur who started Chippendales. Along with Nanjiani and Rannells, the cast also includes Murray Bartlett and Annaleigh Ashford.Rannells will play the rich kid investor in Chippendales New York and the love interest of Bartlett, who stars as producer-choreographer Nick De Noia.Rannells’ recent onscreen roles include “Black Monday” at Showtime and “Girls5Eva” at Peacock.
Andrew Rannells has been tapped for a recurring role in Hulu limited series Immigrant (working title), starring Kumail Nanjiani, Annaleigh Ashford and Murray Bartlett, from Pam & Tommy creator Robert Siegel.