‘Succession’ Star Nicholas Braun Teams With Chris Buongiorno to Develop Music Series at HBO (EXCLUSIVE)

Elton John has praised Blackpool footballer Jake Daniels after he became the first active player in UK men’s football to come out as gay since 1990.17-year-old Daniels made the announcement yesterday (May 16), telling Sky Sports News that he felt ready to “be myself” after “a long time of lying” about who he is.The Blackpool forward, who said that his “team-mates have all been so supportive about it and everyone has had my back” since he made his decision to publicly come out, is the only openly gay active men’s footballer. Justin Fashanu was the last professional player to do so back in 1990.Daniels has received support from around the world since he made his announcement, with John praising the footballer’s “courageous and game-changing statement”.Congratulations @Jake_Daniels11!A courageous and game-changing statement.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Cobra Kai” creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald have set up their action series “Obliterated” at Netflix, Variety has learned.The Netflix series orders comes nearly three years after it was originally announced the show was picked up at TBS. The show is described as an action-comedy that tells the story of an elite special forces team who thwarts a deadly threat to Las Vegas. After their celebratory party, filled with booze, drugs and sex, the team discovers that the bomb they deactivated was a fake.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLouis Partridge has joined the cast of the upcoming Apple psychological thriller series “Disclaimer,” Variety has learned exclusively.Partridge joins previously announced series leads Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline and cast members Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Hoyeon.Based on the novel of the same name by Renee Knight, “Disclaimer” will star Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful and respected television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. When an intriguing novel written by a widower (Kline) appears on her bedside table, she is horrified to realize she is a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticThe announcement of winners for the  ASCAP Screen Music Awards, being held virtually again for 2022 and announced Monday morning, included revealing the top vote-getters for several Composers’ Choice Awards, including the scores for “Encanto” and “The White Lotus.”Germaine Franco prevailed for film score of the year for “Encanto.” Cristobal Tapia de Veer won two of these peer-voted awards, for television score of the year and television theme as well, for “The White Lotus.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMost of the cast of “That ’70s Show” is coming back for “That ’90s Show” at Netflix, Variety has learned.Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Wilmer Valderrama are all set to make guest appearances in the spinoff series, once again playing their characters from the original series. The only main cast member not returning is Danny Masterson, who played Hyde, as he is preparing to stand trial on multiple sexual assault allegations.As previously announced, Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp are set to star in “That ’90s Show,” reprising the roles of Red and Kitty Forman.

EXCLUSIVE: Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Mixed-ish) has been cast as a lead opposite Shanola Hampton in NBC pilot Found. The one-hour missing-persons drama, written by Nkechi Okoro Carroll, hails from Berlanti Productions, Carroll’s Rock My Soul Productions and Warner Bros. TV, where Greg Berlanti and Carroll are under overall deals.

EXCLUSIVE: Jon Watts has withdrawn as the director of Fantastic Four, the reinvention of the venerable Marvel Comics series at Marvel Studios and Disney. Watts just directed Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios film that grossed $1.89 billion to become the sixth highest grossing film of all-time. Nothing sinister here; Watts just needs a break from the superhero realm after completing the Spidey trilogy with Tom Holland and Zendaya. He had expected to make Fantastic Four his next film, the third feature iteration of that franchise and first since Disney acquired Fox, which controlled the franchise. Watts has spent the better part of the last decade directing and promoting the Spider-Man films, after being hired off Cop Car, a small budget indie thriller that premiered at 2015 Sundance. He needs a breather.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBruce Greenwood is joining “The Fall of the House of Usher” series at Netflix, taking over the role previously held by Frank Langella.Langella exited the series earlier in April after it was reported that he was under investigation for misconduct on the set, which it was later confirmed involved making an inappropriate joke to a female co-star.Greenwood will now star in the series as Roderick Usher, the head of the Usher family in creator Mike Flanagan’s modern re-telling of the Edgar Allan Poe story. The show draws on other Poe works as well.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHulu has ordered a limited series adaptation of the Georgia Hunter novel “We Were the Lucky Ones” with Joey King attached to star, Variety has learned.Hulu has given the show an eight episode order. It is inspired by the true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite.Erica Lipez is adapting the book for the screen and will executive produce. Thomas Kail will direct and executive produce via Old 320 Sycamore.

Clayton Davis Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

After soaring to new heights in 2021, Andrew Garfield’s acting career continues to peak with his latest role in the FX true-crime series “Under the Banner of Heaven”. As Jeb Pyre, the 38-year-old actor plays both dad and detective tasked with leading the investigation into a murder within a devout Mormon family.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMelissa McBride is no longer going to star in a Daryl-Carol “Walking Dead” spinoff at AMC, Variety has confirmed with sources.The show was originally announced in September 2020 with McBride and Norman Reedus set to star. The pair have long been praised for their characters’ onscreen chemistry, with Reedus and McBride currently being the only two cast members of the flagship show who have been onboard since Season 1.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max has brought Johan Renck onboard to direct the first two episodes.Renck will also serve as an executive producer on the show, currently titled “Dune: The Sisterhood.” It was ordered straight-to-series at HBO Max in June 2019. Previously, “Dune” director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve was attached to direct the pilot for “Dune: The Sisterhood,” but his work on the “Dune” sequel film will prevent him from doing so.The show is set 10,000 years prior to the events of “Dune” and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.Renck won two Emmys for his work on the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Chernobyl” — one as an executive producer when the show won best limited series and another for best directing for a limited series, as he directed all five episodes.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA “Harley Quinn” spinoff series titled “Noonan’s” has officially been ordered at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively.The series will focus on lovable loser Kite Man and his new squeeze, Golden Glider, as they moonlight as criminals to support their foolish purchase of Noonan’s, Gotham’s seediest dive bar. Matt Oberg will reprise the role of Kite Man, whom he voiced on “Harley Quinn.” HBO Max has given the show a 10 episode order.The show is executive produced by “Harley Quinn” co-creators Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey, as well as “Harley Quinn” star Kaley Cuoco via Yes, Norman Productions.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock has given a straight-to-series order to a semi-autobiographical comedy series starring Pete Davidson, Variety has learned.The series, title “Bupkis,” was first reported as being on the market back in March, with Peacock acquiring it in a competitive situation. Davidson serves as a writer and executive producer on the show in addition to starring. The half-hour comedy is described as a heightened, fictionalized version of Davidson’s real life.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Hulu musical drama pilot “History of a Pleasure Seeker” has added Olumide Olorunfemi and Bebe Bettencourt to its cast, Variety has learned.The pair join previously announced cast members Carla Woodcock and Callum Kerr in the pilot, which is based on the Richard Mason novel of the same name.“History of a Pleasure Seeker” is set in Amsterdam in 1907 and tells the tale of a charismatic young man’s explosive adventures through all the temptations of the Belle Époque.Olorunfemi will play Sisanda, a Xhosa woman raised in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. She’s used to being the most admired young lady in her village. She did not imagine she’d spend her life cleaning other people’s floors.

Sing 2 belts its way up to Number 1 on the Official Film Chart, ending Spider-Man: No Way Home’s (2) five-week reign at the top.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDanielle Deadwyler has been cast in the lead role of the J.J. Abrams HBO series “Demimonde,” Variety has learned.The show was first reported to be in development back in 2018, though few details were available at the time. Now, it is known that the series focuses on Olive Reed (Deadwyler), a woman who is torn away from her husband and daughter in a brutal scientific accident.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Wolf Like Me” starring Isla Fisher and Josh Gad has been renewed for Season 2 at Peacock.Both Fisher and Gad will return for the second season of the series, which is described as a romantic dramedy. In the series, Gary (Gad) is an emotional wreck and struggles to provide for his daughter since the death of his wife. Mary (Fisher) has a secret she can’t bring herself to share with anyone.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLuna Lauren Vélez has been promoted to a recurring role on “Power Book II: Ghost” at Starz, Variety has learned exclusively.Vélez originally appeared on the show during its second season in the role of Evelyn Castillo, the wife of Frank Tejada (David Zayas) and the sister-in-law of Lorenzo Tejada (Berto Colon). She was in one episode of Season 2 and will now appear in five episodes of Season 3.Vélez is known for her roles on shows like “New York Undercover,” “Oz,” and “Dexter.” She also appeared in the third and fourth seasons of the Emmy-winning ABC drama series “How to Get Away With Murder.” On the film side, she will next be seen in “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” and will lend her voice to “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” after having previously voiced Rio Morales in the first film.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterWhen Jamie Hector heard the true story of the dirty cops at the heart of the new HBO limited series “We Own This City,” it wasn’t the corruption that surprised him.“What surprised me was how well-documented it was,” Hector told Variety.“We Own This City” is based on Justin Fenton’s book of the same name. It tells the true story of the Baltimore Gun Trace Task Force, who routinely robbed drug dealers and citizens alike while also re-selling drugs they confiscated on the job.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHBO is developing a half-hour comedy series based on the Dave Eggers novel “The Every,” Variety has learned.In the show, world’s largest tech company merges with the planet’s dominant e-commerce site, creating the richest and most dangerous – and, oddly enough, the most beloved – monopoly ever known: The Every.Eggers will serve as an executive producer on the project. Rachel Axler will adapt the book for the small screen and executive produce, with David Miner of 3 Arts also set to executive produce.“In this equally terrifying and hilarious cautionary tale, Dave Eggers shows us the increasing cost of the frictionless life that technology enables,” said Amy Gravitt, executive vice president of HBO Programming.

With the box office’s rebound just as 5K attendees are reconvening at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, exhibition and studios can rest easy knowing that there’s a return to a theatrical window. For most studios with tentpole fare, that’s 45-days, and for those titles with less commercial appeal or aimed at specialty audiences, it’s 17 days.

Succession star Nicholas Braun is working on a series centred on an indie band in the 2000s.The actor, who is best known for playing Cousin Greg in the hit HBO show, is co-writing One For The Road with Chris Buongiorno (Spider-Man: No Way Home) for the same network.The half-hour show will be an intimate and candid story focused on a talented but chaotic band in the changing landscape of indie rock in the early noughties as they struggle to survive.The show is currently in the development stage, according to Variety, with Braun and Buongiorno also acting as executive producers.One For The Road isn’t the only writing work Braun has been involved with lately, the star revealing last year that he was developing the script for a “social horror movie” about reality shows.“I find reality shows to be kind of horrific,” he told GQ, explaining that he had been watching reality shows while in lockdown.During lockdown, the actor was also signed to Atlantic Records on the back of creating song ‘Antibodies (Do You Have The)‘, which was played more than a million times across Spotify and YouTube.Meanwhile, Succession writer Georgia Pritchett revealed last month that Braun’s character Greg was nearly written as gay on the HBO series.“It’s interesting how characters take on a life of their own,” she said on the Homo Sapiens podcast.“I had sort of advocated for Greg to be gay – until last season he hadn’t really done anything with anyone.” Pritchett went on to state her belief that the Roy children also move “in a circle where I think anything goes”.“I don’t think anyone’s closeted or not gonna do what they want to do,” the writer added, suggesting Kieran Culkin’s character Roman “feels a bit fluid and pan”.“I don’t think he’d hold back

A new FX drama is returning Jeff Bridges to action for a seven-episode season that begins on Thursday, June 17 at 10 PM ET/PT on FX, with streaming available the next day on Hulu.

Jeff Bridges-led drama “The Old Man” will premiere on FX June 16, the network announced Thursday.Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, Bridges stars as Dan Chase, a former CIA agent living off the grid for decades. When a mysterious assassin begins targeting him, he’s forced to exit hiding and finds himself chased by Harold Harper (John Lithgow), a former friend of his from the past. Alia Shawkat, E.J.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Netflix spy series led by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro has set its main cast, Variety has learned.Appearing in series regular roles in the series are: Jay Baruchel, Aparna Brielle, Andy Buckley, Milan Carter, Fortune Feimster, Barbara Eve Harris, Gabriel Luna, Fabiana Udenio, and Travis Van Winkle. Additionally, the following actors will appear in recurring roles: Devon Bostick, David Chinchilla, Rachel Lynch, Stephanie Sy, and Scott Thompson.Full character descriptions for all the new cast members can be found below.The untitled spy drama was ordered at Netflix in May 2021, with the streamer giving the one-hour show an eight episode order.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterWell, that was fast. AMC has formally greenlit the dramedy series “Straight Man” starring Bob Odenkirk a little over two weeks after announcing the show as in development.The show is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Russo. It is described as a mid-life crisis tale set at Railton College in the Pennsylvania Rust Belt.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime has formally greenlit the limited series “Fellow Travelers” starring Matt Bomer.Showtime has given the series an eight episode order. Variety exclusively reported the show was in the works at the premium cabler in September 2021.Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon, the series is described as an epic love story and political thriller, chronicling the volatile romance of two very different men who meet in the shadow of McCarthy-era Washington. Bomer will play handsome, charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who maintains a financially rewarding, behind-the scenes career in politics.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIlana Glazer is in talks to star in and executive produce a comedy series currently in the works at Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.The series is titled “The Suck” and hails from writer and executive producer Ally Israelson. The show asks the question “What if the last year on earth was the best year of your life?” It follows Lydia (Glazer) to London, in search of an other-worldly end.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBenjamin Bratt has been cast in the Natasha Lyonne-led Peacock series “Poker Face,” which hails from creator Rian Johnson.Variety has learned exclusively that Bratt is the latest addition to the rapidly expanding cast. Another recently announced cast members include Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Stephanie Hsu, and David Castañeda. Plot and character details for the series are being kept largely under wraps, though sources say the show will follow a procedural format and see Lyonne’s character working to solve different murders in each episode.Bratt most recently appeared opposite Rosario Dawson in the HBO Max limited series “DMZ,” which debuted in March on the streamer.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Genius” Season 4 will now focus on both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.When the fourth season was originally announced in December 2020, it was reported that it would solely focus on King.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“It Takes Two” is getting the movie treatment, with the project now set up at Amazon for priority development, Variety has learned exclusively.Variety reported in January that the game was being adapted for the screen. As previously reported, dj2 Entertainment will produce the film, with Seven Bucks Productions now boarding the project along with Amazon Studios. Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia will produce on behalf of Seven Bucks.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Goldbergs” has been renewed for Season 10 at ABC.However, questions still remain about how the single-camera comedy series will handle Jeff Garlin’s character, Murray Goldberg, going into the new season.Garlin exited “The Goldbergs” in December following an investigation into the comedian’s onset behavior after he was  accused of misconduct. Variety exclusively reported that Garlin would still be a part of Season 9 through the use of off-camera dialogue pulled from earlier episodes and unused takes, as well as previously shot images of Garlin.According to an individual with knowledge of the production, official plans for Garlin’s character are forthcoming, but it is likely that he will be written off the show.

Tom Hardy‘s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” first linked the Sony-made spinoff to the Tom Holland films with a post-credit scene and was further linked in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” It looks like in an alternate universe that connection might have been stronger in the billon-dollar hit. ‘No Way Home’ co-writer Chris McKenna is detailing the bigger role Hardy’s Venom would have had if two other scenes hadn’t been scrapped from the final version of the superhero sequel.

Riverdale star KJ Apa and 1883 actress Isabel May have nabbed the alien sibling lead roles in the HBO Max live action DC comedy The Wonder Twins.