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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our signature "Devwatch" section. There visitors can view our listings by network, genre, studio and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!
1600 PENN (NBC) - Andre Holland ("Friends With Benefits") has booked a role on the comedy pilot, about a dysfunctional First Family where the out-of-control oldest son (Josh Gad) returns home and becomes not only it's biggest liability but also the glue holding everyone together. He's on board as Marshall Malloy, the President's (Bill Pullman), savvy, loyal Press Secretary and surrogate son. 20th Century Fox Television is behind the half-hour, from co-creators Jason Winer, Jon Lovett and Josh Gad. Brittany Snow also stars. (Deadline.com)
AMERICANA (ABC) - Annabeth Gish ("Pretty Little Liars") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about Robert Soulter (Anthony LaPaglia), creator of the most iconic fashion brand in the world. She'll play Rachel Garano - the wife of Robert's estranged brother Martin (Ken Olin), whose daughter Alice (Ashley Greene) goes to work for said brand, Americana. Writer Michael Seitzman and director Phillip Noyce are behind the ABC Studios-based hour, which also stars Emilie de Ravin, Natalie Mendoza and Tiffany Hines. (Deadline.com)
ANIMAL KINGDOM (NBC) - Irish actress Amy Huberman has scored the female lead on the pilot, a single-camera comedy about George Coleman (Justin Kirk), a veterinarian who loves animals but usually hates their owners. She'll play his ex-girlfriend Dorothy ("an easy and disarming beauty, yet her eyes speak of a sharp intelligence"), who returns to his life as the new Director of the Rutledge Animal Hospital... with a fianceé in tow. Universal Television is behind the half-hour, from co-writers Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka and co-directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. Bobby Lee and Tyler Labine also star. (Deadline.com)
ANTICHRIST (ABC) - Monique Gabriela Curnen ("Lie to Me") has booked a role on the drama pilot, about Carter Henderson (Max Thieriot), an astrophysics grad student who, after his father is killed, learns that he is the chosen one to destroy the forces of evil. She's set as Senior Special Agent Meyers, an FBI agent who's investigating the death of Carter's father. Gabriella Wilde, Laila Robins, Linus Roache, Martin Landau and Yaya DaCosta also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, from co-creators Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser. (Deadline.com)
ARROW (The CW) - Paul Blackthorne ("The River") and Jamey Sheridan ("Homeland") are the latest additions to the drama pilot, a modern retelling of the story of DC Comics character Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), better known as Green Arrow. Blackthorne, whose casting is in second position to the ABC drama, is set as Quentin Lance, a gruff, determined city detective and father to crusading attorney Dinah "Laurel" Lance (Katie Cassidy). Sheridan then will recur in flashback as Robert Queen ("powerful, fearsome; a titan"), Oliver's father. Colin Donnell, David Ramsey, Susanna Thompson and Willa Holland also star. Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim are all behind the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, with David Nutter set to direct. (Deadline.com)
BANSHEE (Cinemax) - Matt Servitto, Trieste Dunn and Daniel Ross have all been cast in the upcoming Alan Ball-produced drama, about an enigmatic ex-con who poses as a murdered sheriff in Banshee, Pennsylvania, imposing his own brand of justice while also cooking up plans that serve his own interests. Servitto will play Brock Lotus, "the longest-serving deputy in the Banshee sheriff's department"; with Dunn as Siobhan Kelly, "a spitfire female deputy in the sheriff's department"; and Ross as Dan Kendall, "the young, idealistic mayor of Banshee." Greg Yaitanes is helming the debut installment of the 10-episode series from a script by Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler (Deadline.com)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (ABC) - Irish actress Ruth Bradley has scored the title role on the pilot, a drama set in a mythical city where its princess is tasked with quelling a rebellion. She'll play Grace, the stunning, brave princess of Kendan alongside the previously cast Darius Campbell as the beast Shiro, a mercenary for the rebels. Yves Simoneau is directing the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by Jonathan E. Steinberg. Chris Egan and F. Murray Abraham also star. (Deadline.com)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (The CW) - Australian actor Jay Ryan ("Terra Nova") has been tapped as the male lead on the drama pilot, about Catherine Chandler (Kristin Kreuk), a police detective who teams with Vincent Koslow, a genetically altered Afghanistan war veteran to solve crimes in New York City. He'll play said beast ("broad shoulders, square jaw, piercing eyes") in the CBS Television Studios-based hour, which also stars Austin Basis, Nicole Gale Anderson and Nina Lisandrello. Sherri Cooper and Jennifer Levin penned the script, to be directed by Gary Fleder. (Deadline.com)
THE CARRIE DIARIES (The CW) - Austin Butler ("Life Unexpected") is bound for the "Sex and the City" prequel, which stars AnnaSophia Robb as a teenage Carrie Bradshaw in the 1980s. He'll play Sebastian Kydd ("already handsome with an edge of cocky"), her principal love interest, a childhood crush who moves to Castlebury High after getting kicked out of his old high school. Ellen Wong, Katie Findlay and Stefania Owen also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which Miguel Arteta is directing from a script by Amy B. Harris. (Deadline.com)
CHICAGO FIRE (NBC) - Jesse Spencer ("House") and Charlie Barnett have both snagged roles on the drama pilot, about the heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department's Firehouse 55. They'll play two of them: Matthew Casey, a natural leader whose professional skills on the job mask his personal foibles at home; and Peter Mills, a young candidate firefighter fresh out of the academy. David Eigenberg, Eamonn Walker, Monica Raymund and Taylor Kinney co-star in the Universal Television-based hour, to be directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff from a script by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt. (Deadline.com)
DEVIOUS MAIDS (ABC) - Edy Ganem is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about four maids - played by Ana Ortiz, Dania Ramirez, Judy Reyes and Roselyn Sanchez - with ambition and dreams of their own while they work for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. She'll play fellow maid Valentina Del Barrio ("beautiful and shy"), the daughter of Reyes's character, who has a crush on the son of their wealthy employer. Angelique Cabral and Rebecca Wisocky also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, which Paul McGuigan is directing from a script by Marc Cherry. (Deadline.com)
FIRST CUT (The CW) - Justin Hartley ("Smallville") and Aja Naomi King are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about Emily Barnes (yet to be cast), a medical student who discovers that working as an intern at a big hospital is a lot like being in high school. They'll play fellow interns Will Rider ("handsome and charming; was definitely prom king; the kind of flirt who can make anything sound suggestive"), whom she's immediately drawn to, and presumably Cassandra Kopelson ("beautiful, perfect, legs-up-to-there"), the girl who made her life miserable in actual high school. Jennie Snyder Urman is behind the CBS Television Studios-based hour, which also stars Kelly McCreary and Michael Rady. (Deadline.com)
THE LIFE (ABC) - Luke Goss ("Hellboy II: The Golden Army") has landed a role on the drama pilot, about Marta Walraven (yet to be cast), the widow of an assassinated criminal who is suddenly forced to adopt her late husband's role in order to protect her family. He'll play Luther ("deadly calm, lean, muscular; he'd be sexy if there were a feeling person in there"), her father's bodyguard who is assigned to look after her and her children. Lee Tergesen also stars in the ABC Studios-based hour, from writer Melissa Rosenberg and director Mark Pellington. (Deadline.com)
MIDNIGHT SUN (NBC) - Julia Stiles, Connor O'Farrell, Emma Bell and Daniella Pineda have each joined the cast of the pilot, a drama about the FBI's investigation into the disappearance of a remote cult in Dugan, Alaska - led by Bennett Maxwell (Titus Welliver) - which taps into a grander political conspiracy. Stiles will play Leah Kafka ("exudes an effortless, urban cool"), a cult specialist for the FBI; with O'Farrell as Garth Harring, Dugan's police chief; Bell as Garth's daughter Rory ("distraught and a bit of a mess"), whose four-year-old son and his father are among the missing; and Pineda as Daria Wernahm, the police station's "sexy, half native Tlingit, half redneck receptionist." Michael Raymond-James also stars as Sam Fuller, Garth's number two and Daria's unrequited crush. Lisa Zwerling is behind the Universal Television-based hour, to be helmed by Brad Anderson. (Deadline.com)
RAY DONOVAN (Showtime) - Johnathon Schaech, Kerris Dorsey and Ambyr Childers have all scored roles on the drama pilot, about the title character (Liev Schreiber), Hollywood's best professional "fixer" - the one called in to solve the complicated, confidential and controversial problems of the city's elite. Schaech will play "a movie star with a mysterious connection to Donovan" with Dorsey as Donovan's daughter and Childers as a young starlet under Donovan's protection. Dash Mihok, Eddie Marsan, Elliott Gould, Jon Voight, Katherine Moennig, Paula Malcomson, Peter Jacobson and Pooch Hall also star, while Allen Coulter is directing from a script by Ann Biderman. (Variety.com)
SCRUPLES (ABC) - Karine Vanasse ("Pan Am") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about the staggeringly luxurious life of a Beverly Hills boutique and the people who work in it. She'll play Valentine O'Neill ("24, cute, an ethereal sylph, Leslie Caron"), an aspiring fashion designer who recently arrived from Paris. Said casting is in second position to the ABC drama. Bob Brush and Mel Harris are behind the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which Michael Sucsy is set to direct. (Deadline.com)
SINGLE BLACK FEMALE (BET) - Gabrielle Union ("FlashForward") has been tapped for the lead role on the drama pilot, about the work and family life of a woman who is the host of a popular Atlanta-based talk show host in the vein of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil are behind the hour, additional details of which weren't specified. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED BEN FALCONE/LARRY DORF PROJECT (CBS) - Judd Hirsch ("NUMB3RS") has signed onto the comedy pilot, about David (Ben Falcone), a single 37-year-old who loses everything he has in the real estate collapse and must move back in with his parents, Ira and Shelli. He'll play said father in the half-hour, which Falcone and Larry Dorf co-wrote for Warner Bros. Television. Shana Goldberg-Meehan ("Better With You") is on board to supervise the duo while Melissa McCarthy serves as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED HILARY WINSTON PROJECT (NBC) - Sarah Wright ("Mad Love") has booked the lead role on the single-camera comedy pilot, about a shy, focused woman who, after being dumped by her fianceé, leans on her co-workers to help her come out of her shell and plot her revenge. She'll play said woman, Agnes Little ("30, cute but nerdy"), alongside the previously cast Aubrey Dollar, Kyle Howard and Mena Suvari. Adam Shankman is directing for Sony Pictures Television. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED LOUIS CK/SPIKE FERESTEN PROJECT (CBS) - Dan Byrd ("Cougar Town") has been tapped for the principal role on the pilot, a multi-camera comedy that revolves around a group of young people working to achieve their creative dreams amid tough financial times. He'll play Fred, a "25-year-old bright broke film editor who can't stand stupidity and hypocrisy, but tries to remain optimistic." Said role is in second position to his duties on the ABC comedy. Sitcom veteran Andy Ackerman is on board to direct the half-hour for CBS Television Studios and Universal Television. Ashley Tisdale also stars. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - "Hawaii Five-0" star Alex O'Loughlin will miss at least one episode of the crime drama for a stint in rehab (Deadline.com); David Zayas will guest on "Grimm" as "a monstrous troll-like creature known as a Hasslich" (TVLine.com); Brian Austin Green will turn up on the season finale of "Happy Endings" as "a charming dude who winds up attending the nuptials of Penny's other gay best friend Derrick (Stephen Guarino)," an installment which will also feature Larry Wilmore back as Brad's boss (EW.com); and Peter Cambor's Nate "Doc" Getz is set to return to "NCIS: "Los Angeles" in early April (TVLine.com).
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