‘Cobra Kai’ Promotes Vanessa Rubio, Peyton List to Series Regulars for Season 4, Show Adds Two to Cast

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe CW has cast the lead for “Naomi,” the pilot based on the DC Comics character of the same name. In addition, the pilot has added three series regulars.The pilot hails from from Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship. Kaci Walfall will star in the title role as Naomi, described as an effortlessly cool and confident high school student who is the adopted daughter of doting parents.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAdrien Brody will play legendary basketball coach Pat Riley in HBO’s upcoming drama series about the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s, Variety has learned. The untitled series was ordered at HBO in December 2019.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterVerve has promoted TV lit agent Chris Noriega to partner.He is now the ninth partner at the agency, alongside founders Bryan Besser, Adam Levine and Bill Weinstein, and, Amy Retzinger, Adam Weinstein, David Boxerbaum, Felicia Prinz and Sean Grumman.“We launched Verve over a decade ago with a goal of creating an environment in which interns become assistants , assistants become agents and agents become partners,” the other partners said in a statement.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“One Night in Miami” star Kingsley Ben-Adir has been cast alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn in the Disney Plus Marvel series “Secret Invasion,” Variety has learned.Exact character details for Ben-Adir’s character are being kept under wraps, but according to sources he will be playing a main villain.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is officially in production, Paramount Plus announced Friday.The announcement came in the form a video featuring series leads Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck, as well as newly added series regulars Babs Olusanmokun, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, and Melissa Navia.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Boys” spinoff at Amazon is nearing a series order.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX has ordered a limited series based on the Taffy Brodesser-Akner novel “Fleishman Is in Trouble.”Brodesser-Akner will serve as the writer and executive producer on the series, with Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, and Susannah Grant also executive producing. ABC Signature is the studio, with Timberman-Beverly currently under an overall deal at the studio.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNatalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o will star in a series adaptation of the Laura Lipman novel “Lady in the Lake,” which has been ordered straight-to-series at Apple.The series will be co-written by Alma Har’el and Dre Ryan, with Har’el writing the pilot. Endeavor Content is the studio.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNetflix has set an all-star cast for the animation-live action hybrid limited series “Lost Ollie.”Mary J. Blige, Gina Rodriguez, Jake Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Kesler Talbot, and Jonathan Groff have all been cast in major roles in the four-episode series.The show is inspired by the book “Ollie’s Oddyssey” by William Joyce.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRiley Keough has signed on to star opposite Chris Pratt in the Amazon thriller series “The Terminal List,” Variety has learned.The series follows James Reece (Pratt) after his entire platoon of Navy SEALs is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission. Reece returns home to his family with conflicting memories of the event and questions about his culpability.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming NBC drama series “La Brea” has added four new castmembers.Eoin Macken, Jack Martin, Jon Seda, and Lily Santiago have all joined the series. They join previously announced cast members Natalie Zea, Zyra Gorecki and Chiké Okonkwo.In the show, when a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens in Los Angeles, it tears a family in half, separating mother and son from father and daughter.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSarah Niles has been cast in “Ted Lasso” Season 2 at Apple.Niles will play Sharon, a sports psychologist who has been brought in to work with AFC Richmond. The second season of the popular series is currently in production, with Apple having ordered a third season already.Niles recently wrapped on the limited series “Viewpoint” for creators Harry Bradbeer and Ed Whitmore.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has ordered a live-action series adaptation of the Korean webtoon “Dr. Brain.” The series will be the first completely Korean-language project at the streamer.Kim Jee-Woon will write and direct, with “Parasite” star Lee Sun-Kyun set to star.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAlec Mapa has signed on to star alongside Alec Baldwin and Kelsey Grammer in an ABC multi-cam comedy series, Variety has learned.The untitled series revolves around three men who were roommates in their twenties until their warring egos drove them apart. Now, the trio are reuniting decades later for one more run at the lives they’ve always wanted.Mapa will star as Andre, the third roommate from the old days in New York.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDakota Fanning has signed on to play Susan Ford in the Showtime anthology series “The First Lady,” Variety has learned.Susan is the only daughter of Betty Ford and President Gerald Ford, who will be played in the series by Michelle Pfeiffer and Aaron Eckhart respectively.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCBS has given out a pair of pilot orders to comedy projects from Sarah Cooper and Mark Gross.Cooper’s untitled single-camera project is inspired by her book, “How to be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings.” It follows three women at different stages in their careers at a male-dominated company who help each other navigate modern gender politics in their professional and personal lives.Cooper will serve as co-writer and executive producer, with Cindy Chupack also

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIndira Varma has joined the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series at Disney Plus, Variety has confirmed.The details of the character Varma will play are being kept under wraps. She joins previously announced series lead Ewan McGregor, who will reprise the role of Kenobi from the films.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSissy Spacek and Ed O’Neill have been cast in the lead roles of the upcoming Amazon series “Lightyears,” Variety has learned.The series follows Irene (Spacek) and Franklin (O’Neill) York, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterConstance Wu has been cast in the upcoming Amazon thriller series “The Terminal List,” Variety has learned.She joins previously announced series lead Chris Pratt and recently announced fellow cast member Taylor Kitsch. The series follows James Reece (Pratt) after his entire platoon of Navy SEALs is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA “Terminator” anime series has been ordered at Netflix, Variety has learned.As the project is still in the early stages, plot details are being kept under wraps. Netflix has partnered with Skydance on the series, with Skydance having produced the last two “Terminator” films.