‘Blade Runner 2049’ Sequel Series Ordered at Amazon

Joe Otterson TV Reporter NBC is developing a drama series inspired by the Narratively article ““The First Family of Counterfeit Hunting” by Amy Ridout. Per the official logline, “Two brothers reunite after a long estrangement and are pulled into a special investigation surrounding closed FBI cases. Known as “Knockoffs,” these cases have been manipulated or outright fabricated to pin the crime on someone innocent and protect the real criminal who’s still out there.” Cameron Litvack is writing and executive producing. Justin Lin, Andrew Schneider, and Salvador Gatdula of Perfect Storm Entertainment will also executive produce along with Noah Rosenberg for Narratively. Universal Television will produce, with Perfect Storm currently under an overall deal at the studio.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Alice Braga and Jimmi Simpson are the latest additions to Apple’s series adaptation of the Blake Crouch novel “Dark Matter.” The pair join previously announced leads Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly. The nine-episode series was ordered at Apple back in March. Per the official description of the show, it follows “Jason Dessen, (Edgerton) a physicist, professor, and family man who – one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago – is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the multiverse of lives he could have lived. In this labyrinth of mind-bending realities, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Jim Gaffigan has joined the cast of the HBO Max limited series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. Along with Gaffigan, the ensemble cast of the six-episode series now includes Zazie Beetz, Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Jharrel Jerome, Sheyi Cole, and CCH Pounder. Per the official description of the series, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Gaffigan is best known for his stand up comedy career, having released specials like “Beyond the Pale,” “King Baby,” “Mr. Universe,” “Obsessed,” “Cinco,” “Noble Ape,” “Quality Time,” “The Pale Tourist,” and “Comedy Monster,” the last of which premiered on Netflix last December. He has received six Grammy nominations over the course of his career. Gaffigan has played many comedic roles as an actor, but has taken on more dramatic roles recently, such as the films “American Dreamer,” “Above the Shadows,” and “Light from Light.” He can currently be seen opposite Ethan Hawke in the IFC Films feature “Tesla.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “Time Bandits” TV series at Apple from Taika Waititi has found its main cast, Variety has learned. Joining the series are: Lisa Kudrow (“Friends,” “The Comeback” as Penelope; Kal-El Tuck (“Unseeing Evil,” “Band in the Sand”) as Kevin; Charlyne Yi (“Knocked up,” “Paper Heart”) as Judy; Tadhg Murphy (“Conversations with Friends,” “Black Sails”) as Alto; Roger Jean Nsengiyumva (“You Don’t know Me,” “Tomb Raider”) as Widgit; Rune Temte (“The Last Kingdom,” “Captain Marvel”) as Bittelig; Kiera Thompson (“Martyrs Lane,” “Salisbury Poisonings”) as Saffron; and Rachel House (“Heartbreak High,” “Thor Ragnarok”) as Fianna.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Hulu has ordered an eight-episode limited series based on the Rebecca Godfrey novel “Under the Bridge,” Variety has learned. Quinn Shephard is adapting the book for the screen and will serve as an executive producer. Samir Mehta and Liz Tigelaar will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers, with Tigelaar executive producing under her Best Day Ever banner. Stacey Silverman of Best Day Ever will also executive produce along with Godfrey. Geeta Patel serves as director and executive producer. ABC Signature will produce, with Best Day Ever currently under an overall deal at the studio. Per the official description of the series from Hulu, the story follows “the 1997 true story of fourteen-year-old Reena Virk who went to join friends at a party and never returned home. Godfrey takes us into the hidden world of the seven teenage girls and a boy accused of the savage murder, revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter CCH Pounder has joined the cast of the upcoming HBO Max limited series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. Pounder is the latest addition to the ensemble cast, joining previously announced stars Zazie Beetz, Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Jharrel Jerome, and Sheyi Cole. Per the official description of the six-episode series, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Pounder is best known for playing Claudette Wyms in the groundbreaking FX cop drama “The Shield.” She earned an Emmy nomination for her work in the show in 2005. Pounder has also received Emmy nominations for roles in the shows “The X-Files,” “ER,” and “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.” She also recently starred in the CBS series “NCIS: New Orleans” for seven seasons. On the film side, she played Mo’at in the James Cameron blockbuster “Avatar,” a role she will reprise in the sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Sheyi Cole has joined the ensemble cast of the upcoming HBO Max limited series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. The six-episode series hails from writer Ed Solomon and director Steven Soderbergh. Per the official description, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Cole joins previously announced cast members Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Zazie Beetz, Timothy Olyphant, and Jharrel Jerome. Cole made his onscreen debut in the Amazon anthology series “Small Axe,” playing the title role of Wheatle in the fourth episode of the series. He has since gone on to star in the film “Boxing Day” and in an episode of Season 3 of the hit FX series “Atlanta.” Next up, he will be seen in the Netflix film “The Beautiful Game.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Lukas Gage has joined the cast of the “Dead Boy Detectives” series at HBO Max, Variety has learned. The eight-episode series was ordered at HBO Max back in April. It is based on the DC comics of the same name as well as “The Sandman,” from characters created by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner. The official series description states, “It’s a fresh take on a ghost story that explores loss, grief, and death through the lens of Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), two dead British teenagers, and their very alive friend, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson). So, it’s a lot like a vintage detective series — only darker and on acid.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Vince Gilligan has landed a two-season order at Apple for a new series. “Better Call Saul” star Rhea Seehorn will lead the untitled show. More to come…

Joe Otterson TV Reporter A series version of the David Cronenberg film “Scanners” is in development at HBO, Variety has confirmed. Per the official description, the series is “set in the mind-bending world of David Cronenberg’s seminal film. Pursued by relentless agents with unimaginable powers, two women living on the fringes of modern society must learn to work together to topple a vast conspiracy determined to bring them to heel.” William Bridges (“Black Mirror,” “Stranger Things”) will serve as writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the series. Yann Demange (“’71,” “Lovecraft Country) will direct and executive produce via Wayward Films. Cronenberg, who wrote and directed the original film, will serve as an executive producer. Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer will executive produce on behalf of Media Res Studio. Meredith Duff and Sarah Sullivan of Wayward Films will also executive produce along with René Malo and Fanny-Laure Malo, Pierre David, Clark Peterson, and Aaron Gilbert. The show is a co-production between HBO, Media Res Studio, and Wayward Films.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter ABC has ordered a drama pilot from Drew Goddard based on the French series “HPI.” The news comes less than a week after it was reported that ABC Signature had acquired the English language adaptation rights to the series. The official series logline reads, “A single mom with three kids and an exceptional mind helps solve an unsolvable crime when she rearranges some evidence during her shift as a cleaner for the police department. When they discover she has a knack for putting things in order because of her high intellectual potential she is brought on as a consultant to work with a by-the-book seasoned detective, and together they form an unusual and unstoppable team.”

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Action star, Jai Courtney is to narrate “For the Love of Pets,” a factual animal welfare series set in Australia. Commissioned for the 9Network Australia and filmed in 4K, the 8-part series follows the heart-warming stories of the staff, volunteers and animals that come through the doors of the Animal Welfare League of South Australia Inc. (AWL) and Vets4Pets Emergency Hospital in Adelaide. Production is by Context Media with production funding from Omnicom Media Group subsidiary, OMnet Australia. Escapade Media is on board to handle international distribution and says that it is close to announcing a raft of licensing deals.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Dennis Quaid is the latest addition to the cast of Steven Soderbergh and Ed Solomon’s HBO Max series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. He joins previously announced cast members Claire Danes, Zazie Beetz, and Timothy Olyphant in the six-episode series. The official logline for the show reads, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Character details are currently being kept under wraps. Quaid’s past TV credits include the shows “Merry Happy Whatever,” “Goliath,” “The Art of More,” and “Vegas.” He is best known for his many films roles, like “Midway,” “American Underdog,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “The Alamo,” and “Any Given Sunday.”

Amazon has officially announced a Blade Runner sequel series is in the works.The series, titled Blade Runner 2099, will serve as a sequel to both the original 1982 film and its 2017 sequel, Blade Runner 2049, which was directed by Denis Villeneuve.Ridley Scott, who directed the original film, will serve as an executive producer on the series, with Silka Luisa (Shining Girls) on board as showrunner.The show was originally revealed to be in development back in February, although Amazon has now given the series the green light.Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios, said: “The original Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, is considered one of the greatest and most influential science-fiction movies of all time, and we’re excited to introduce Blade Runner 2099 to our global Prime Video customers.“We are honoured to be able to present this continuation of the Blade Runner franchise, and are confident that by teaming up with Ridley, Alcon Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, and the remarkably talented Silka Luisa, Blade Runner 2099 will uphold the intellect, themes, and spirit of its film predecessors.”Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, co-founders of Alcon Entertainment, said: “We are delighted to continue our working relationship with our friends at Amazon. And we are beyond excited to continue to extend the Blade Runner canon into a new realm with the provocative storyline that Silka has created.“Audiences first discovered Ridley Scott’s brilliant vision for Blade Runner 40 years ago, and since then, it has become one of the most influential science-fiction films of all time.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Regé-Jean Page and Glen Powell will star in TV series about Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid for Amazon, Variety has confirmed with sources. The untitled series will be executive produced by The Russo Brothers under their AGBO production banner. Kaz and Ryan Firpo, who most recently worked on Marvel’s “The Eternals,” will write. The search is currently on for a showrunner. According to sources, deals for the series are not yet closed and discussions are ongoing. Exact plot details are being kept under wraps but it is known that Page will play Cassidy while Powell will play The Sundance Kid. Both actors will also serve as executive producers on the show in addition to starring. Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, and Scott Nemes of AGBO will also executive.

Amazon has officially ordered a sequel show for Ridley Scott‘s Blade Runner 2049.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte” at Disney+ has added Manny Jacinto to its cast, Variety has learned from sources. Jacinto joins previously announced series lead Amandla Stenberg in the series as well as cast members Jodie Turner-Smith and Lee Jung-jae. Reps for Jacinto and Disney did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment. Jacinto is best known for his role in the critically-acclaimed NBC sitcom “The Good Place,” on which he starred throughout the show’s four season run at the network in the role of Jason, a not-so-bright Floridian with a love for Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has since starred in the Hulu series “Nine Perfect Strangers” and Netflix’s “Brand New Cherry Flavor.” On the film side, he has starred in features like the blockbuster sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” as well as “I Want You Back” and “Bad Times at the El Royale.”

Amazon already has one giant fantasy series currently airing on Prime Video with “Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power.” Now they want to take over the streaming sci-fi market with “Blade Runner 2099,” a “Blade Runner” sequel series, with Ridley Scott on board as executive producer. READ MORE: ‘Blade Runner 2099’ Live-Action Sequel Series Lands At Amazon & Ridley Scott May Direct Variety reports that Amazon has a formal order for the show after announcing its development in February.

The “Blade Runner” live action series “Blade Runner 2099,” with Ridley Scott as executive producer and Silka Luisa as showrunner, is a go at Amazon Studios.The series, which is coming to Prime Video, will be a continuation of the film franchise.“The original ‘Blade Runner,’ directed by Ridley Scott, is considered one of the greatest and most influential science-fiction movies of all time, and we’re excited to introduce ‘Blade Runner 2099’ to our global Prime Video customers,” Vernon Sanders, head of global television for Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “We are honored to be able to present this continuation of the ‘Blade Runner’ franchise, and are confident that by teaming up with Ridley, Alcon Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, and the remarkably talented Silka Luisa, ‘Blade Runner 2099’ will uphold the intellect, themes, and spirit of its film predecessors.”No casting details were immediately available.