Greenlit means a project is officially a go, so all you have to do is follow these leads to stay up to date. You never know where you’ll find an opportunity to land an audition!
“Bel-Air”
Jabari Banks’s life is about to be flipped turned upside down. The newcomer and West Philadelphia actor has been tapped to play Will in the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reboot, simply titled “Bel-Air.” Banks will take on the role originated by Will Smith in the Peacock drama reboot of the sitcom, and Smith surprised Banks with the news himself in a video posted by Peacock. Based on Morgan Cooper’s popular fan film that re-envisions the original series, the new hour-long serial drama, which has already received a two-season order, is set in modern-day America and “leans into the original premise: Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.” Jada Pinka Smith and Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Universal Television will produce, and T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson (“The Chi” and “The 100,”) will serve as executive producers and co-showrunners. Morgan Cooper directs and serves as co-writer and executive producer. This will mark Banks’ first television role. No further casting has been announced at this time.
“Batwoman”
Nature wins again, especially for Bridget Regan. The “Agent Carter” and “Jane the Virgin” alum will play Poison Ivy on the CW’s “Batwoman.” Regan will join the third season of the superhero series in a recurring guest spot, making her the latest actor to play a live-action version of the infamous villain, following a lineage that includes Uma Thurman, Clare Foley, Maggie Geha, and Peyton List, as well as Lake Bell voicing her on the HBO Max series “Harley Quinn.” The CW series “Batwoman” was picked up for the third season back in January with a scheduled premiere date of Oct. 13. Javicia Leslie stars in the titular role, taking over from Ruby Rose. Berlanti Production casting regulars Lyndsey Baldasare and David Rapaport are the casting team.
“Significant Other”
Fresh off his run in the mega-hit miniseries “The White Lotus,” Jake Lacy is onboard another major project. The actor will star opposite Maika Monroe in “Significant Other,” which just landed at Paramount Players following a heated bidding war, according to Deadline. Dan Berk and Robert Olsen will direct and also penned the script, which is being described as a sci-fi thriller. Production is expected to be fast-tracked as soon as possible and the finished film will debut exclusively on Paramount+.
“Cabinet of Curiosities”
Guillermo del Toro and Netflix have officially assembled a curious team of cast and collaborators for what is now officially “Cabinet of Curiosities.” The anthology series, previously named “Guillermo del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight,” has tapped Essie Davis, Luke Roberts, Andrew Lincoln, F. Murray Abraham, Glynn Turman, Ben Barnes, Elpidia Carrillo, Hannah Galway, Crispin Glover, Demetrius Grosse, David Hewlett, Tim Blake Nelson, Sebastian Roché, and Peter Weller as lead cast members, with other cast members to be announced. Production has already begun in Toronto. The series “is meant to challenge our traditional notions of horror” with eight tales that range “from macabre to magical, gothic to grotesque or classically creepy.” “Cabinet of Curiosities” is created and executive produced by del Toro and executive produced by Oscar winner J. Miles Dale (“The Shape of Water”), who also serves as co-showrunner. Denise Chamian is the casting director.
“Kitbag”
From one Ridley Scott project to another, Jodie Comer is set to join the director’s latest, “Kitbag.” The “Killing Eve” star will play Josephine Bonaparte opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Napoleon Bonaparte in the historical drama about the military leader and emperor. Says Comer, who is about to begin promotion on Scott’s “The Last Duel,” another historical drama, “I just jumped at the chance to work with Ridley and his team again and the idea of working with Joaquin, who’s someone who I hugely admire.” Filming is scheduled to begin closer to the new year as the actor finishes the fourth and final season of “Killing Eve” alongside Sandra Oh. Scott most recently worked with Kate Rhodes James on “The Last Duel,” which starred Comer as Marguerite de Carrouges.
“The Woman King”
It’s now a one-two-three punch for the stellar leading cast of the upcoming “The Woman King” From TriStar Pictures. Joining Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu in the historical epic will be “No Time To Die” and “ Captain Marvel” star Lashana Lynch. “The Old Guard” directed Gina Prince-Bythewood will helm the story, which is inspired by true events that took place in the Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries, and follows Nanisca (Davis) general of the all-female military unit, and Nawi (Mbedu), an ambitious recruit, who together fought enemies who violated their honor, enslaved their people and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for. The original screenplay comes from Dana Stevens with the current draft by Stevens and Prince-Bythewood. Nicole Brown and Shary Shirazi are overseeing the project for TriStar.
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