‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,’ ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Among Four Shows Canceled at Paramount+, Will Be Pulled Off Streamer

Brian Cox is weighing in on the future of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) after executive changes at the cable network made Hollywood worry Warner Bros. Discovery was ready to pull the plug.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Showtime is not moving forward with a number of projects, including a “Gattaca” series adaptation as well as the Mandy Patinkin-led series “Seasoned.” “Gattaca” was first reported as being in development at Showtime back in March, while “Seasoned” was ordered to series at the network in April. In addition, Showtime is also no longer moving forward on development of the projects “Split” and “Sweetness.” All of the projects were produced by outside studios, which sources say was the reason they were scrapped. Those studios will all have the option to now shop the projects to other outlets.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Kevin Bacon is attached to star in a new Blumhouse Television series that has been ordered straight-to-series at Amazon’s Prime Video, Variety has learned. The action series is titled “The Bondsman.” The official logline states that it centers on Hub Halloran (Bacon), “a backwoods bounty hunter who comes back from the dead with an unexpected second chance at life, love, and a nearly-forgotten musical career — only to find that his old job now has a demonic new twist.” Amazon has ordered eight half-hour episodes. Production on the series will not begin until all guild negotiations have been resolved.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Starz has released the first full trailer for “Heels” Season 2. The new season of the pro wrestling drama will drop on July 28 at midnight on the Starz App before its linear debut on Starz at 10 p.m.ET/PT that same day. In the trailer, Jack Spade (Stephen Amell) is dealing with the fallout from the events of the Season 1 finale, including a complete breakdown of his relationship with his brother Ace (Alexander Ludwig) as well as with his wife Staci (Alison Luff). Meanwhile, Crystal (Kelli Berglund) is itching to defend the DWL championship in the ring, while Charlie Gully (Mike O’Malley) is out for revenge against Jack and the DWL.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The casual Oscar observer might wonder how some of the 398 new members invited to join the Academy’s ranks qualify for the honor that includes Oscar voting rights. From Taylor Swift to Warner Bros-Discovery CEO David Zaslav, it’s not always obvious how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decides who to invite as next year’s class of new members. Oscar winners are automatically invited to join the ranks after their big moment, so Billie Eilish was therefore eligable after she won the Oscar for the James Bond song “No Time to Die” (2021) with her brother Finneas.

After two full weekends of a decidedly underwhelming release, it’s not hyperbole to say “The Flash” is an unmitigated box office disaster for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Gillian Anderson has signed on to star in Kurt Sutter’s upcoming Netflix Western series “The Abandons,” Variety has learned exclusively. Anderson joins previously announced star Lena Headey in the show, which was first picked up to series at the streamer in October 2022. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Anderson’s deal was in the works prior to the beginning of the writers’ strike but only recently closed. The official series description states: “As a group of diverse, outlier families pursue their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, “justice” is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter An “Among Us” animated series is in the works at CBS Studios, Variety has learned exclusively. The studio, via CBS Eye Animation Productions, has partnered with Innersloth, the independent game studio behind “Among Us,” to develop the series. Owen Dennis will serve as creator and executive producer on the project under his overall deal with CBS Studios. Per the official logline, the series is based on the premise of the game, namely, “Members of your crew have been replaced by an alien shapeshifter intent on causing confusion, sabotaging the ship, and killing everyone. Root out the ‘Impostor’ or fall victim to its murderous designs.”

News kept on churning this week — from Sunday morning until end of Friday — on the Warner Bros. Discovery front.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter As WGA pickets continue to mobilize at the remaining TV shows in both New York and Los Angeles, at least one Ryan Murphy-produced show was the focus of striking writers’ efforts on Wednesday: “American Horror Story: Delicate.” The show is currently shooting on 52nd street in Manhattan, according to several WGA East member Twitter feeds — including one person who posted video of star Kim Kardashian entering the production. “It doesn’t appear that @KimKardashian is a friend of the labor movement. She just now crossed our picket line to work on Ryan Murphy’s @AHSFX Hamptons, shooting here on 52nd in NYC,” wrote “The Blacklist” exec producer and WGA strike captain T Cooper on his Twitter account.

Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly in talks to license HBO shows to Netflix.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a CEO in the film and TV industry to have such an immediate impact as David Zaslav over at Warner Bros. Discovery.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The live-action “Knuckles” series at Paramount+ has added five new cast members. Cary Elwes (“The Princess Bride,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”), Stockard Channing (“Grease,” “The West Wing”), Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future,” “The Addams Family”), Paul Scheer (“Black Monday,” “Veep”), and Rob Huebel (“Children’s Hospital,” “Bob’s Burgers”) have all joined the series. Details on their characters are being kept under wraps. As previously announced, Idris Elba will once again voice the character Knuckles as he did in the film “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” Other cast members include Adam Pally, reprising the role of Wade Whipple, as well as Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor. Guest stars include Rory McCann and Tika Sumpter, with the latter reprising her role as Maddie.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Peacock and AEG have entered into a mutliyear agreement that will see major parts of LA Live in downtown Los Angeles renamed after the NBCUniversal streaming service. Starting July 11, the Microsoft Theater will be known as the Peacock Theater, while the Xbox Plaza outside will be renamed Peacock Place. The deal, which was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, also makes Peacock the exclusive streaming partner of LA Live. “Like Peacock, L.A. Live is at the epicenter of premium original entertainment, exhilarating sports, one-of-a-kind experiences and extreme fandom,” said Kelly Campbell, president of Peacock and direct-to-consumer for NBCUniversal. “Through Peacock Theater and Peacock Place, we’ll have the opportunity to bring all the elements of our brand to life with the millions of fans who visit L.A. Live each year, while partnering with the incredible team at AEG to further cement Peacock as the ultimate destination for audiences.”

Ezra Miller was all smiles on the red carpet for the premiere of The Flash. The internet, not so much!

Ezra Miller is speaking out in public for the first time since August 2022.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Ezra Miller made a public showing for the first time in nearly two years on Monday night, attending the Los Angeles premiere of DC Studios’ “The Flash.” The embattled actor spoke openly about misconduct allegations levied against them and various legal woes, addressing fans and many industry players at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Miller, who is non-binary and uses they and them pronouns, made a big show of acknowledging Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Film Group heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy and DC Studios stewards James Gunn and Peter Safran for “your grace and discernment and care in the context of my life. And in bringing this moment to fruition.”

Warner Bros. held the premiere for the long-awaited DC spinoff The Flash today in Hollywood with its star Ezra Miller, who has been the subject of several tabloid headlines from alleged assaults in Hawaii to unlawful trespassing at a neighbor’s house in Vermont, making their red carpet debut since such incidents.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The CW is set to become the first U.S. broadcaster to air the hit Biblical epic series “The Chosen.” The three existing seasons of the series will begin airing on the network on July 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It will continue airing in that timeslot throughout the rest of the year, with the Season 3 finale scheduled to air on Christmas Eve. A fourth season of the series is currently in production, with seven seasons planned. News of the series finding a U.S. broadcast home comes less than three weeks after it was announced that Lionsgate had acquired the sub-licensing distribution rights worldwide for the series. It hails from creator, director, and producer Dallas Jenkins. The show tells the story of Jesus, played by Jonathan Roumie, through the eyes of his followers.

The group of executives who are leading CNN on an interim basis made their first comments to staffers on Thursday, vowing to make “this period as smooth as possible.”