This Week in TV:
Wayward Pines update; The Exorcist casting; Showtime developing The Brand; The Terror anthology series; Netflix orders Godless; Ballers season two teaser; TV Land orders First Wives Club pilot; Cruel Intentions showrunner; and Matt Lanter joins Time.
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Wayward Pines Casting and premiere date
FOX has officially revealed the premiere date for season 2 of Wayward Pines: May 26, 2016. The second season will pick up directly after the first, seeing the residents of Wayward Pines battling against the oppresive First Generation. New protagonist Dr. Theo Yedlin (Jason Patric) awakens from suspended animation in the middle of the struggle and soon finds himself swept up in the events as he tries to understand the mysteries of the town.
The second season will also see the return of most of the characters from the first season, including Terrance Howard’s Sheriff Arnold Hope and Megan Fisher’s Hope Davis. Other characters returning to the series are Dr. Jenkins (David Pilcher), his sister Pam (Melissa Leo), former Secret Service Agent Kate Hewson (Carla Gugino), and Theresa Burke (Shannyn Sossamon).
Wayward Pines returns for its second season on May 26, 2016.
FOX casts leads in The Exorcist
FOX has found its two leads for their upcoming television pilot The Exorcist, an adaptation of William Blatty’s 1971 book of the same name. Sense8 actor Alfonso Herrera and House of Cards veteran Ben Daniels will be headlining the adaptation. Herrera will play Father Tomas Ortega and Daniels will portray Father Marcus Lang as the two try and save a family from demonic possession. Ortega is described as warm and compassionate while Lang is more of a devout warrior for his faith.
The adaptation is described as a modernization of the book, which was previously adapted by William Friedkin in 1973. The script for the pilot is being written by Jeremy Slater (Fantastic Four).
Showtime developing prison gang drama The Brand
Showtime is developing The Brand, a new drama centered around prison gangs, from Narcos producer/director José Padilha. The 10-episode series was inspired by a 2004 New Yorker article that detailed the rise of prison gangs, particularly the Aryan Brotherhood, through the 1970s and 1980s. The formation of vicious prison gangs is linked to the mass incarceration following the war on drugs.
The Brand will be co-written by Padilha and Alessandro Camon (The Messengers), who will also serve as the series’ producers. Padilha is set to direct the series.
AMC Greenlights The Terror
AMC has greenlit The Terror, a ten-episode anthology series based on the Dan Simmons novel. The story is a fictionalized account of the 1847 Franklin Expedition and the search for the Northwest Passage. The crew soon find themselves shipwrecked and pursued by a mysterious predator, forced to face starvation and mutiny while fighting for their lives.
The series was written by David Kajganich (A Bigger Splash), who will serve as co-showrunner alongside Soo Hugh (The Killing). The series will be executive produced by Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker (The Man in the High Castle). Kajganich released the following statement:
“Dan’s novel is that rare combination of fascinating actual history, ground-breaking genre storytelling, and complex character work of literature. The chance to launch a series that will incorporate all of these elements going forward, and with a team of this caliber, is extraordinary.”
The Terror is expected to air in 2017.
Netflix developing Godless from Steven Soderbergh and Scott Frank
Netflix is currently developing Godless, a period drama from Steven Soderbergh and Scott Frank. The series is a Western set in an 1800s New Mexico mining town. The show is described as a limited series, but details about the plot are being kept under wraps for now. Casting for the series is currently underway and filming is scheduled to take place in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Soderbergh and Frank teamed up previously for the film Out of Sight, for which Frank was nominated for an Oscar. The script for the film was written by Frank with Soderbergh directing.
Ballers season 2 teaser
HBO has released a new teaser trailer for the upcoming second season of Ballers. The series stars Dwayne Johnson as Spencer Strasmore, a retired NFL player who now works as a financial manager. The end of season 1 sees Strasmore open up a financial firm with his partner Joe Krutel (Rob Corddry) in the hopes of representing some big-name clients. However, the teaser for season 2 shows that a seedy money manager named Andre (Andy Garcia) may now stand in their way.
Ballers has proven to be a success for HBO, rating as the most highly watched half-hour series on the network of the last six years. The series hasn’t received especially high praise from critics, but the charisma of leading man Johnson is more than enough to draw viewers to the series.
Ballers season 2 premieres this summer on HBO.
TV Land orders First Wives Club pilot
TV Land has announced that they’re officially ordering a pilot for the television adaptation of First Wives Club. The series is based on the 1996 film of the same name, which itself was based on Olivia Goldsmith’s best-selling novel. The original film saw three friends, played by Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, and Goldie Hawn, who reunited at a friend’s funeral and made a pact to exact revenge on their ex-husbands. The new adaptation will be set in the modern day, but the three friends will be dealing with different multiple relationship issues.
New Girl scribe Rebecca Addelman will be penning the script for the pilot, with Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City) on board as an executive producer. Casting for the three leads will soon be underway.
NBC Announces Cruel Intentions showrunner
NBC has announced that Becky Hartman Edwards will serve as showrunner for their television sequel of the 1999 film Cruel Intentions. Edwards previously served as executive producer on the series Switched at Birth. Her most recent work was serving as co-executive producer on the Amazon exclusive series Hand of God.
The new series will be set in the modern day, taking place over 15 years after the events of the film. Original film star Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role as Kathryn Merteuil. Also returning is Roger Kumble, the writer and director of the original film, who co-wrote the pilot script.
Matt Lanter joins Time
NBC has announced that Matt Lanter (90210) has been cast as the lead in the upcoming drama pilot Time. The series comes from Supernatural creator Eric Kripke and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan. Time is the story of three time travelers who must journey across time to battle a master criminal intent on disastrously altering the timeline. The show has been described as “Back to the Future meets Mission: Impossible.“
Lanter had a small role on Heroes in 2006, but his big breakout role was as Liam Court on the CW drama 90210. Since then, the actor has had a successful voice acting career, portraying Anakin Skywalker on Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well as a number of characters on Ultimate Spider-Man.
