EXCLUSIVE : The story of the murder of six Black girls in the Washington, D.C. area in the 1970s is to be turned into a podcast and scripted series. Jay Ellis , who starred in Top Gun: Maverick and HBO’s Insecure , is behind both projects. The podcast series, Freeway Phantom , will launch May 17. It comes from Ellis’ Black Bar Mitzvah, Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts and is hosted by public radio veteran Celeste Headlee. It will tell the story of how Carol Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard and Diane Williams were murdered between 1971-1972 and discarded alongside D.C. highways. The killer taunted police with a chilling note claiming responsibility, and terrorized victims’ families with calls to their homes. Five decades later, their killer has never been brought to justice. Freeway Phantom will share the stories of the six victims and explore new evidence that could crack the cold cases wide open. Headlee has … [Read more...] about Jay Ellis Sets True-Crime Podcast ‘Freeway Phantom’ & Plans Scripted Series
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Amazon Prime Video Exploring More Global Franchises In Same Vein As ‘Citadel’ – Series Mania
Amazon Prime Video is exploring more global franchise opportunities following the success of the Russo Brothers’ Citadel. James Farrell , the streamer’s VP, International, told a Series Mania audience that it is “highly likely” his non-U.S. team will seek more Citadel- like universes across both scripted and unscripted. A Tomb Raider movie and TV series penned by Phoebe Waller-Bridge are already reported to be in the works. “It’s such a cool way to take [subscribers] on a journey and no one has really done it before,” said Farrell. From the Russo’s AGBO, Midnight Radio, Cattleya and Amazon Studios, the spy thriller is airing as three versions from the U.S., India and Italy, starring the likes of Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The U.S. version drops next month. The idea was born from a conversation between Amazon Studios boss Jennifer Salke and the Russos, according to Farrell, who said they were discussing “what a global show looks like in the … [Read more...] about Amazon Prime Video Exploring More Global Franchises In Same Vein As ‘Citadel’ – Series Mania
Mother of 9/11 Hero — My Son Was Gay … And Tougher Than Carson Daly
The mother of one of the Flight 93 heroes wants Carson Daly to know ... gay people ARE brave and tough ... and her son was living proof. TMZ broke the story ... Daly joked on his L.A. radio show that gay people wouldn't have been able to take down a crazed pilot who freaked out on a recent JetBlue flight ... instead, they would have been more interested in going to a "floral convention." Now, Alice Hoagland ... the mother of Mark Bingham ... has a message for the radio host ... saying, "Yes, my gay son was known in our family for bringing me flowers on my birthday and Mother’s Day. He also was known for careening down the rugby pitch, and, on the morning of September 11, 2001, for charging unarmed down the aisle of a doomed Boeing 757 to face knife-wielding Islamist thugs in a hijacked cockpit." She adds, "No one among his pick-up team of fellow passengers was asking 'Are you straight? Are you gay?' No one doubted that a guy who weighed 220 and stood 6’4” … [Read more...] about Mother of 9/11 Hero — My Son Was Gay … And Tougher Than Carson Daly
Filmmaker Jay Roach Signs With UTA
EXCLUSIVE : Jay Roach has signed with UTA in all areas. He moves after a long run at WME. Roach, who last directed Bombshell , the expose about Roger Ailes and the predation of women aspiring for on air jobs at Fox News, is the director of blockbuster franchises Austin Powers and Meet The Parents . Roach is an EP and directed all eight episodes of the limited series HIgh Desert for Apple TV+, and he’s also working on F*cked Up College Dream, inspired by his own experiences of not sleeping as a freshman at Stanford, because of the anxiety of not measuring up. He was forced to find ways around the dilemma, and clearly it worked out as he graduated with a degree in economics and got into USC Film School. On the film front, Roach is still working on an Oceans Eleven film that will star Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling at Warner Bros. Roach remains with longtime manager Jimmy Miller at Mosaic, attorney Howard Abramson and publicist Bumble Ward. … [Read more...] about Filmmaker Jay Roach Signs With UTA
CBS Renewal Status Report: ‘Blue Bloods’, ‘S.W.A.T.’, ‘East New York’ & ‘True Lies’
Third in a series on broadcast network series renewals. It’s been more than a month since the most recent CBS scripted renewals, of NCIS, NCIS: Hawai’i and CSI: Vegas . The three dramas that were left out at the time — Blue Bloods , S.W.A.T . and East New York — remain in limbo, joined on the CBS bubble list by new midseason drama True Lies , which debuted March 1. Business issues have been major factors in the renewal prospects for veterans Blue Bloods , currently in its 13th season, and S.W.A.T. , now in its sixth season, as well freshman East New York , I hear. Amid overall decline of linear ratings, it has become common practice for broadcast networks to ask for financial concessions on long-running series, which naturally become more expensive as they age. RELATED: Fox Renewal Status Report: ‘9-1-1’, ‘Lone Star’, ‘The Resident’, ‘Animal Control’, ‘Call Me Kat,’ ‘Flatch’ & More But things are looking very good for … [Read more...] about CBS Renewal Status Report: ‘Blue Bloods’, ‘S.W.A.T.’, ‘East New York’ & ‘True Lies’
‘Blue Bloods’ Renewed For Season 14 By CBS, Cast Led By Tom Selleck Set To Return
CBS has renewed Blue Bloods for the 2023-24 season, which will be the cop drama stalwart’s 14th on the network. The cast of the series, including core original stars Tom Selleck , Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan and Will Estes, are set to return, along with its top producing team led by showrunner Kevin Wade. As Deadline reported after Blue Bloods was conspicuously missing from CBS’ list of drama series renewals last month, a pickup for the long-running hit was tied up in difficult negotiations, with CBS pushing for significant budget cuts, including 25% for above-the-line talent, including actors. RELATED: CBS Renewal Status Report: ‘S.W.A.T.’, ‘East New York’ & ‘True Lies’ We reported on Friday that the cast and producers had agreed to salary reductions in order to keep the show going and keep hundreds of crew and other support personnel whose livelihood depends on it employed. That paved the way for a Season 14 renewal. Selleck, Wahlberg, Moynahan, … [Read more...] about ‘Blue Bloods’ Renewed For Season 14 By CBS, Cast Led By Tom Selleck Set To Return
Kelly McCreary Leaving ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ After 9 Seasons As Maggie Pierce
EXCLUSIVE : Grey Sloan Memorial will be losing both of Ellis Grey’s daughters this season. Kelly McCreary , who has played Maggie Pierce, Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) half-sister and head of the hospital’s cardiothoracic surgery since the end of Season 10, is departing ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy after nine years. Her last episode as a series regular will air April 13. Like Pompeo, who is set to return for the Season 19 finale after Meredith’s big Feb. 23 sendoff, Maggie also will pop in to visit the doctors of Grey Sloan later this season, following her April 13 farewell. “After nine seasons, I am saying goodbye to Maggie Pierce and her Grey Sloan family,” said McCreary who thanked Grey’s Anatomy creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes, executive producer/showrunner Krista Vernoff, and ABC for the opportunity to be a part of the “legendary television institution” that the long-running medical drama is. “Playing Maggie Pierce has been one of the true joys of my life, and I leave … [Read more...] about Kelly McCreary Leaving ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ After 9 Seasons As Maggie Pierce
BFI Admits To Systemic Racism & Vows To Improve After Apologizing To ‘Four Lions’ Producer For Mishandling Discrimination Complaint
EXCLUSIVE : The British Film Institute , one of the UK’s most powerful movie funding bodies, admitted to a filmmaker of color last year that it is “systemically racist” after apologizing for how it handled his long-running complaint over alleged discrimination. The BFI is making changes to its complaints procedures and has committed to continued anti-racism soul-searching after Faisal A Qureshi, a scriptwriter, producer, and researcher, whose credits include Leaving Neverland and Four Lions , went on record for the first time to detail his experience. Qureshi remains disturbed by his treatment. His case is unresolved after more than two years and, although the BFI has acknowledged his complaint could have been handled better, Qureshi told Deadline he is yet to receive the formal written apology he requested. He is fearful that his pursuit of the BFI could be damaging to his career, despite assurances from the institute that complaints would never compromise … [Read more...] about BFI Admits To Systemic Racism & Vows To Improve After Apologizing To ‘Four Lions’ Producer For Mishandling Discrimination Complaint
‘Accused’ & ‘Alert: Missing Persons Unit’ Renewed For Season 2 At Fox
Fox is doubling down on a pair of freshman crime dramas. The network has renewed both Accused and Alert : Missing Persons Unit for second seasons. Both shows come from Sony Pictures Television. The renewal of Howard Gordon’s crime anthology series Accused was expected, given that it opened strong with a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demo and 8.4M viewers on live+same day data and grew to more than 11.3M multi-platform viewers and a 2.3 rating in the demo in the three days after its premiere, making it broadcast’s highest-rated debut in nearly two years, since the premiere of NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime in April 2021. RELATED: We’ll Be Back: Photo Gallery Of TV Series Renewed In 2023 Alert was less of a guarantee but Michael Thorn, President, Scripted Programming at Fox, recently told Deadline that it was a “solid performer” and was “encouraged” by its delayed viewing. The show, however, will have a new showrunner for season two with Carla … [Read more...] about ‘Accused’ & ‘Alert: Missing Persons Unit’ Renewed For Season 2 At Fox
Oscar Winner Roger Ross Williams: Spending On Oscar Doc Campaigns Has “Gotten Insane” — CPH:DOX
Oscar winner and Academy member Roger Ross Williams is saying publicly what many in the documentary community have stewed over privately – that the sums of money being spent on Oscar documentary campaigns has “gotten insane.” And Williams, a former Academy Governor representing the Doc Branch, says something may be done about it. “We in the Academy, in the Doc Branch, have a campaign finance reform committee… to sort of try to work through that and figure out solutions to that. It’s gotten insane. It’s gazillions of dollars to get seen and heard,” he said, “and that’s so troubling because it should be on the merit of the films.” His remarks, less than two weeks after the Academy Awards, came in a discussion with documentary programmer and Pure Nonfiction podcaster Thom Powers at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. Powers asked the filmmaker about “the escalating attention that awards season sucks up in our industry,” and Williams didn’t hold back. “We know it’s awards, it’s the … [Read more...] about Oscar Winner Roger Ross Williams: Spending On Oscar Doc Campaigns Has “Gotten Insane” — CPH:DOX