‘Scanners’ Series in Development at HBO With David Cronenberg Producing

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Matthias Schoenaerts will star opposite Kate Winslet in the upcoming HBO limited series “The Palace,” Variety has learned. The series was picked up at HBO in July. Per the official logline, it “tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of an authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel.” Exact character details are being kept under wraps. Schoenaerts can currently be seen in the David O. Russell film “Amsterdam” in the role of Detective Lem Getweiler. Up next, he will be seen in the Canal+/Sky series “Django” and the feature “The Way of the Wind” from Terrence Malick. He also recently wrapped filming on the Netflix film “The Old Guard 2.” His past credits include films like “Rust and Bone,” “The Danish Girl,” and “Far from the Madding Crowd.”

Michaela Zee editor President Joe Biden’s turbulent first year in office is the focus of HBO’s forthcoming documentary, “Year One: A Political Odyssey.” In the trailer, which Variety can exclusively reveal, the documentary chronicles Biden’s first year as president, from his inauguration in 2021 to the State of the Union speech in March. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker John Maggio, “Year One” explores the dynamics of the President’s inner circle, featuring archival news footage and insider interviews with secretary of state Antony Blinken, national security advisor Jake Sullivan, secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, CIA director William Burns and White House chief of staff Ron Klain, among other members of Biden’s cabinet.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max from Legendary Television has cast Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson in lead roles, Variety has learned. Officially titled “Dune: The Sisterhood,” the series was ordered at HBO Max in June 2019. The show is set 10,000 years before the events of “Dune” and is based on the novel “Sisterhood of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Per the official logline, the show “follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit” Watson will play Valya Harkonnen and Henderson will play Tula Harkonnen. The character descriptions say the two sisters “have risen to power in the Sisterhood, a secret organization of women who will go on to become the Bene Gesserit.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter HBO Max has given a straight-to-series order to a new comedy series from Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay with Sebastian Maniscalco set for the lead role, Variety has learned. The single-camera show is titled “How to Be a Bookie.” HBO Max has given it an eight-episode order. Per the official logline, “A veteran bookie (Maniscalco) struggles to survive the impending legalization of sports gambling, increasingly unstable clients, family, co-workers, and a lifestyle that bounces him around every corner of Los Angeles, high and low.” Lorre and Bakay serve as co-writers and executive producers on the show. Maniscalco will executive produce in addition to starring, with Judi Marmel also executive producing. Warner Bros. Television is the studio. Chuck Lorre productions is currently under an overall deal at WBTV. The show marks Lorre’s first series at HBO Max.

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.”

William Earl Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav assured staffers across Warner Bros. Discovery on Wednesday that the company is not on the auction block. The chairman-CEO of the newly merged entity made his remarks at a company-wide town hall meeting that was beamed out via Zoom to WB Discovery’s 40,000 employees worldwide. Zaslav’s comments came in response to a question from an employee. WB Discovery was formed in April by the merger of AT&T’s WarnerMedia and the Zaslav-led Discovery. There’s been speculation about more M&A to come for the conglomerate since before the merger agreement was completed. “We are not for sale,” Zaslav told employees during the 75-minute session. “We have everything we need to be successful.”

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 Christian Serratos has been cast in the lead role of the HBO Max drama pilot “More,” Variety has learned exclusively. The project was originally ordered to pilot at HBO Max in September 2020. Serratos joins previously announced cast members Veronica Falcón, Yvette Monreal, Georgie Flores, and Ceci Fernandez. The show is inspired by the reporting of journalist Amy Chozick. Per the official description, “‘More’ follows the Lorenz family, a tight-knit clan of seemingly flawless Latinas led by mom/mastermind Leona (Falcón). The Lorenzes are the Vanderbilts or the Astors of the Instagram era. They pulled their way up from debt and obscurity to reality TV stardom and forged a billion-dollar mega-conglomerate not from oil or steel but from something more elusive and modern: Influence.”

Scanners is in development at HBO.The series is written and led by William Bridges, who won an Emmy for co-writing Black Mirror episode USS Callister. He also served as a writer on Stranger Things and created 2020 TV series Soulmates with Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso).According to The Hollywood Reporter, Yann Demange, who helmed the pilot episode of Lovecraft Country and 2014 film ‘71, will direct and executive produce the series.

As David Cronenberg preps “The Shrouds,” he continues to shop around the TV adaptation of his 2015 novel “Consumed.” But now it looks like another Cronenberg-related project will hit TV before that, although the director isn’t directly involved.   READ MORE: ‘The Shrouds’: David Cronenberg Describe His Next Film With Vincent Cassel & Léa Seydoux As “Autobiographical” The Hollywood Reporter reports that HBO plans to give Cronenberg’s 1981 film “Scanners” the series treatment.   Continue reading ‘Scanners’: HBO Is Remaking Cronenberg’s Film Into A TV Series With ‘Black Mirror’ Writer, ‘Lovecraft Country’ Director at The Playlist.

David Cronenberg’s Scanners is being turned in to a TV series.

David Cronenberg returned in a big way this year with “Crimes Of The Future,” his first film since 2014’s “Map To The Stars.” And Cronenberg has more projects on the way. He shopped around “The Shrouds” and a television adaptation of his 2015 novel “Consumed” at the Cannes Film Festival before the world premiere of “Future.” “The Shrouds” comes first, and at the San Sebastian Film Festival, Cronenberg shed some light on the project.

Like father, like son?  Brandon Cronenberg‘s work as a director already had a similar tone to his Dad, David Cronenberg. But now that he’s following in his father’s footsteps in another way: his upcoming film “Infinity Pool” has received an NC-17 rating, just like his father’s 1996 film “Crash.” READ MORE: ‘Infinity Pool’: Alexander Skarsgård & Director Brandon Cronenberg Team For NEON’s New Sci-Fi Thriller Bloody-Disgusting reports that the movie received an NC-17 rating from the MPA this week for “some graphic violence and sexual content,” but producer NEON intends to appeal to the C.A.R.A Appeals Board for a less extreme rating.

David Cronenberg described his next film, The Shrouds, as a personal and partly autobiographical project, during a press conference at the San Sebastian film festival Wednesday.

Billions of people across the globe are expected to watch Queen Elizabeth II's funeral today. Britain's longest-reigning monarch died age 96 on Thursday (September 8) at Balmoral Castle.

K.J. Yossman David Beckham, Sharon Osbourne and “Good Morning Britain” anchor Susanna Reid are among the hundreds of thousands of mourners who have spent hours queuing for a chance to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II while she lies in state ahead of her funeral on Monday (Sept. 19). Beckham told Sky News – who caught up with him while he was still waiting in line – that he had joined the queue at 2am on Friday morning. “Well we all want to celebrate our Queen, Her Majesty,” he told the camera crew as the line inched forward. Later that day, at around 3pm, the BBC’s livestream of the lying in state showed Beckham, dressed in a black suit and tie, finally entering Westminster Hall. As the soccer star approached the Queen’s coffin, which is sat on a catafalque draped in the Royal Standard flag and the Imperial State Crown, he stopped and bent his head, pausing for a moment before following the others mourners out.