Lena Horne Limited Series in the Works at Showtime

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmazon has come onboard the BBC One series “The Pursuit of Love” from Emily Mortimer. Filming on the series has now begun after it was delayed in the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.Written and directed by Mortimer, the three-episode series adaptation of the Nancy Mitford novel of the same name is set in Europe between the two World Wars.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterOprah Winfrey has set up an interview series at Apple.“The Oprah Conversation” will debut on the streaming service on July 30. Filmed remotely, the show will feature Winfrey engaging in dialogues with thought leaders and newsmakers from all over the world.In the debut episode, “How to Be an Antiracist,” Winfrey and bestselling author Professor Ibram X.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNina Dobrev and Bruna Papandrea are teaming to adapt the Greer Macallister novel “Woman 99” for television.Dobrev will star in and executive produce the series, with Papandrea also executive producing under her Made Up Stories banner. Made Up Stories’ Steve Hutensky and Casey Haver will also serve as executive producers with Janice Park serving as producer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterElisabeth Moss is attached to star in and executive produce a series adaptation of the 2013 Lauren Beukes novel “Shining Girls,” which has been ordered to series at Apple.Moss will star as a Chicago reporter who survived a brutal assault only to find her reality shifting as she hunts down her attacker.Silka Luisa will write the adaptation and serve as executive producer and showrunner.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterVince Vaughn is attached to executive produce an animated comedy series in the works at Fox, Variety has learned exclusively.Fox has given Vaughn, Victoria Vaughn, and Peter Billingsly’s Wild West Picture Show production company a blind script deal for an animated series. No writer is currently attached, but Fox Entertainment will produce.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJonathan Majors is on — well, a major roll at the moment. Majors has appeared in a string of high-profile features in a matter of a few short years.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHulu has optioned the rights to Curtis Sittenfeld’s alternative history book “Rodham,” which takes place in a world in which Hillary Rodham never married Bill Clinton.The series is described as telling the story of an ambitious young woman, developing her extraordinary mind in the latter part of the 20th century, moving from idealism to cynicism and all the way back again.Sarah Treem is attached to write and executive produce the project.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterABC is developing a drama series with both Eva Longoria and Forest Whitaker attached as executive producers.Titled “Chicano,” the series is inspired by the novel of the same name Richard Vasquez. It tells the multi-generational story of the Sandovals, a Mexican-American family that immigrates to Los Angeles in pursuit of the American Dream.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA series titled “Revelations” based on Stephen King’s short story “The Revelations of ’Becka Paulson” is in the works at The CW, Variety has learned.In the potential one-hour drama, after accidentally shooting herself in the brain with a nail gun, a Pollyanna-ish Becca Paulson is recruited by an over-it Jesus to be his “chosen one” in stopping the apocalypse.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Pose” co-creator Steven Canals has a new limited series in the works at FX.Titled “81 Words,” the series tells the true story of gay activists Frank Kameny and Barbara Gittings, who risked their career reputations to conspire with the GAYPA – a clandestine group of closeted psychiatrists – to challenge the American Psychiatric Association’s definition of homosexuality.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDon Johnson and Chris Redd have signed onto a starring role in “Kenan,” the upcoming NBC series starring Kenan Thompson.“Kenan” was originally ordered to series last year for a spring 2020 debut, but NBC announced in January that the show was being pushed to the 2020-2021 season to continue developing it.Johnson will play Rick, Kenan’s father-in-law in the series. He takes over the role from Andy Garcia.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDiego Boneta has signed on to star in a limited series currently in the works at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively.Hailing from Legendary Television, the series is titled “Brujo” and will feature both English and Spanish dialogue. It is inspired by the true story of the infamous Adolfo Constanzo and the power he acquired as his acts of dark magic came to light.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNBC has ordered the unscripted series “Home Sweet Home,” which hails from Ava DuVernay.In the 10-episode hour-long series, two families who lead very different lives go through a full-immersion cultural experiment.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has ordered an action-thriller series from Mark Boal straight to series, Variety has learned.The 10-episode series is titled “Echo 3,” based on the Israeli series “When Heroes Fly” created by Omri Givon and based on the novel of the same name by Amir Gutfreund.In the series, Amber Chesborough, a brilliant young scientist, is the emotional center of a small American family.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories has optioned the rights to Christina Baker Kline’s “The Exiles” with plans to adapt it as a television series, Variety has learned exclusively.“The Exiles” follows a trio of women — two English convicts and an orphaned Aboriginal girl — in nineteenth-century Australia. The historical novel is set to be published by Custom House, an imprint of HarperCollins, on Aug.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Quinn Colson novels by Ace Atkins are being developed as a TV series at HBO, Variety has learned exclusively.In the books, Colson is a former Army Ranger who returns to his home in rural northeast Mississippi.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSister has acquired the television rights to Jennifer Weiner’s novel “Mrs. Everything.”The book tells a multigenerational tale of two sisters, spanning from the 1950s to the present day.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterUSA Network is no longer moving ahead with the limited series about Evel Knievel starring Milo Ventimiglia, Variety has confirmed.It was announced last September that Ventimiglia, who stars on the hit NBC drama “This Is Us,” was to play the famous daredevil. However, the coronavirus pandemic shut down the series on March 13, right before production was to begin.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMichael Che has set up his own sketch comedy series at HBO Max, Variety has learned.The streamer has given the series a six-episode order. Che will star in the series, with each episode set to tackle a different theme or incident — such as police brutality, unemployment, or falling in love — from a Black vantage point.“I’m really excited to be working on this show with HBO Max” said Che.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe planned series adaptation of the film “Sexy Beast” is not moving forward at Paramount Network, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.The show was given a 10-episode straight-to-series order at the cabler last year. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, the move to scrap the series came amid budget cuts in the wake of the Viacom-CBS merger.