3 - TELEVISION NEWS
Netflix Developing “Tales of the City” with Laura Linney to Star
Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City is in the works for an episodic adaptation at Netflix with original castmembers Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis attached to star. The pair starred in miniseries adaptations based on the first three books in the series, with the first airing on 1993 on PBS, and 1998 and 2001 on Showtime.
Newcomer Zachary Gottsagen will co-star, as he lives with high-functioning Down syndrome and actually serves as the inspiration for the indie film.
The 100 star Zach McGowan has signed on to headline and produce Ni’ihau with shooting set to begin later this month. Shortly after the announcement though, the project began criticism for McGowan’s casting as the real life Ben Kanahele, a Hawaiian island leader, with many citing the news as another example of “white-washing.”
After running away from a nursing home, a man with Down syndrome befriends an outlaw who encourages him to achieve his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.
Real O’Neals‘ star Jay R. Ferguson has signed on to star in Living Biblically, putting the show in second position after the ABC sitcom which is unlikely to get a third season order. Meanwhile, Sharp Objects rounds out its cast with the addition of three recurring roles.
Leah Remini is reuniting with her former TV husband, Kevin James, on his current CBS series Kevin Can Wait and John Leguizamo is joining Michael Shannon and Taylor Kitsch for the Paramount Network series Waco
Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody has joined the cast of the BBC series Peaky Blinders and a Whedon alum has booked a three-episode arc on the CBS series Bull.
Ashley Judd is set to join Epix’s spy drama Berlin Station for season two and Oscar-nominated actor Carey Mulligan will headline the four-part miniseries Collateral for the BBC.
Chris Messina is teaming up with Adam Adams to star in Marti Noxon’s Sharp Objects, based on the Gillian Flynn novel, and Peters Sarsgaard has board the Jeff Daniels drama The Looming Tower on Hulu.
Police Academystar Steve Guttenberg has signed up for a recurring role on Dwayne Johnson’s Ballers, Richard Dormer has landed the lead role in BBC and Cinemax’s Rellik, and Brothers and Sisters alum Rachel Griffiths is reuniting with ABC. 
Community alum Yvette Nicole Brown has boarded the untitled Mayor City comedy, Oscar-winner Timothy Hutton has joined Amazon’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Nia Long is set to star in The Goldbergs spinoff.
Eva Longoria and Ken Marino are set to lead an all-star cast in Type-A, and John Larroquette may be returning to television as he boards Me, Myself & I.
Book-to-television adaptations were busy making big casting announcements today, with Game of Thrones, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and The Alienist all adding to their line-ups.
TNT’s The Alienist has tapped Sean Astin to play Theodore Roosevelt, meanwhile How I Met Your Motheralum Josh Radnor is set to lead NBC’s Drama High cast.
Stranger Things breakout star Shannon Purser is set to join Moana star Auli’i Cravalho in the NBC pilot Drama High, meanwhile It’s Always Sunny‘s Glenn Howerton is teaming up with comedian Patton Oswalt for Seth Meyers and Mike O’Brien’s untitled comedy.
Jessica Jones actor Erin Moriarty has landed a spot in an untitled thriller on Fox opposite Archie Panjabi and Rita Wilson, while Jane the Virgin‘s Sofia Pernas is joining NBC’s military drama For God and Country.
Jon Cryer has been cast as the lead in the upcoming ABC pilot Losing It, Noah Wyle to star in the CBS drama pilot Perfect Citizen
Marvel’s Inhumans has added five new castmembers including one mysterious role, and Rosie Perez is set to headline NBC’s Drama High.
Agents of SHIELD alum Amy Acker is swapping one Marvel series for another as she boards Fox’s untitled X-Men pilot in the female lead role. Acker joins the project with Emma Dumont and Percy Hynes White.
Happy Endings alum Casey Wilson has landed at NBC to star opposite Busy Philipps in Tina Fey’s single camera comedy The Sackett Sisters. Several networks have been fighting to land Wilson the past few weeks before she settled on Fey’s sitcom today.
True Blood alum Stephen Moyer is set to star in Fox’s Marvel pilot, and Diana Rigg is joining PBS’s Victoria to play a confidante of the infamous queen.
George Lopez has politics on the mind heading into season two of his TV Land series Lopez, as Rain Valdez joins the show for an arc centering on transgender issues and when her character arrives in the series and butts heads with Lopez.
Blindspot taps MMA fight Ronda Rousey in guest starring role and Tim Robbins is returning to television has he lands the lead role in Alan Ball’s family drama on HBO.
Marc Cherry, Reba McEntire, and Shondaland add cast members to their pilots while Liv Tyler and Mark Gatiss joins Kit Harrington for BBC’s Gunpowder.
Suicide Squad actor Alex Meraz joins WGN America’s Scalped, the anticipated drama series based on DC’s graphic novel, and Jeremy Luke reunites with his Magic City co-star Milo Ventimiglia on This is Us
Ryan Murphy reunites with Glee‘s Darren Criss for the highly anticipated second season of American Crime Story and Parks and Recreation‘s Retta returns to NBC for the drama Good Girls
Mae Whitman is a “good girl” in NBC’s pilot, Kiefer Sutherland will reunite with Geoff Pierson on Designated Survivor, and Ilfenesh Hadera has won a lead role in Greg Berlanti’s Deception pilot.
Marvel has booked its cast for the upcoming Runaways series on Hulu. The series hails from Fake Empire’s Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, Marvel Television, and ABC Signature.
Universal Pictures anticipated Jurassic World sequel continues to assemble its cast as Daniella Pineda has been tapped to star. She joins returning castmembers Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, and previously announced cast Rafe Spally, Toby Jones and Justice Smith.
Streaming giant Netflix has tapped Ben Schwartz and Noël Wells as the leads for their new original film Happy Anniversary. The project, written and directed by Jared Stern, will also feature Annie Potts and Joe Pantoliano in supporting roles.