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!
“New Gods”
The DC Extended Universe is extending even further. Warner Bros. announced last week that acclaimed director Ava DuVernay will be coming on board to direct the studio’s “New Gods,” based on the DC Comics series of the same name. The project will be the beginning of a new universe to build, and they’ve picked one of the buzziest people for the job. DuVernay, who most recently directed the much-anticipated “A Wrinkle In Time,” will join Patty Jenkins of last year’s “Wonder Woman” in the female superhero director category. Unless Warner Bros. wants to have a say in who gets to add cast to the new franchise, it's likely DuVernay will use her go-to casting director, Aisha Coley. Otherwise, they may go back to “Wonder Woman” trio Kristy Carlson, Lora Kennedy, and Lucinda Syson.
“Taking Flight”
Being the best at one thing is not enough for Madonna. Though it’s been a while since her last feature film, 2011’s “W.E.,” the megastar is venturing back into the directing world with the upcoming “Taking Flight,” an MGM drama based on the life of ballerina Michaela DePrince. The film, which has been in development since 2015, is based on DePrince’s memoir and tracks her life from being an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone to a world-renowned ballerina. Madonna will be directing the film from Camilla Blackett’s screenplay and the project has been put on the fast track. No word as far as casting yet— Madonna has gone with two different CDs for her previous two features and there’s a chance the studio will do the choosing this time.
“The Undoing”
Nicole Kidman is about to get back in front of the camera for her first HBO series, and she now has plans to be the face of yet another promising project for the premium network. HBO recently announced it’s giving the go-ahead to the limited series “The Undoing,” and Kidman will star as a successful therapist living her best life who, in the weeks before her book’s publishing, experiences a chain of terrible events and revelations. Not only that, HBO seems to feel that it found the right formula with the smash hit “Big Little Lies” and is not only bringing Kidman on board but also creator-writer David E. Kelley. The series is currently on a search for a director, but it also seems likely they’ll go back to casting director David Rubin to populate the rest of this one as well.
“Little Fires Everywhere”
Speaking of the “Big Little Lies” cast, Reese Witherspoon is also using her break to her advantage and is bringing another TV star (who is on her own hiatus) on board with her. Witherspoon and Kerry Washington will star in and executive produce a Hulu limited series adaptation of Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller “Little Fires Everywhere.” The novel is set in Ohio, but there is no confirmation that production will take place in the book’s Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights. With two stars in place, the remainder of casting is likely not far behind. Keep your ears open
“Chernobyl”
HBO is adding another mini-series to its lineup, announcing today that Stellan Skarsård and Emily Watson will star opposite on “Chernobyl,” a five-part co-production between the network and British network Sky that will dramatize the 1986 disaster and its immediate aftermath. European actors, take note: the series will begin filming soon in Lithuania and will likely be on assignment for five months. No word yet as far as who is handling the rest of casting, but the series will be directed by Johan Renck, who’s worked on a lot of big series previously, including “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” and more.
“The Spanish Princess”
Starz is continuing its royal lineage with the next member of its Tudor England–based lineup. Following the success of “The White Princess” and “The White Queen,” the limited series “The Spanish Princess” has been given the green light. Emma Frost, who worked on the previous two series, as well as Matthew Graham, will serve as showrunners and executive producers. Starz will most certainly keep its casting link between the three series and use Suzanne Crowley and Gilly Poole for this one, as well.
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