Welcome to Rumorville, Backstage’s go-to place for upcoming casting and entertainment news! Every Friday we update this piece to include casting news that’s about to break in Hollywood. These speculations might only be rumors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t follow the trail all the way to the audition room. Check out what is rumbling below!
Calling all “WandaVision” fans!
It was, in fact, Agatha all along! First reported by Variety, a “WandaVision” spinoff series based on Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness is in development at Disney+ and Marvel Studios. Emmy nominee Hahn would reprise the role of Agatha Harkness in the series, which is described as a dark comedy. Marvel is, of course, staying quiet on any rumors for this one, but should it go to series, “WandaVision” head writer Jac Schaeffer would serve as the writer and executive producer on the project, making it the first project Schaeffer has set up with Marvel signing an overall deal with them and 20th Television in May. Marvel veteran Sarah Finn was the casting director for the parent series and would likely be for the spinoff, as well—find out here at Backstage how she cast the project!
A “Cruel Intentions” Series Is in the Works
This time, it’s hopefully good outcomes from a “Cruel Intentions” TV series. Per Variety, A new attempt is in development at IMDb TV, following a previous NBC pilot, a Fox prequel series attempt, and, of course, the direct-to-video “Cruel Intentions 2” and “Cruel Intentions 3..” Inspired by the 1999 film of the same name, the new iteration of the series will follow two ruthless step-siblings who will do anything to stay on top of the Greek life hierarchy at an elite Washington, D.C. college. The new version of the series is written and executive produced by Phoebe Fisher with Sara Goodman with original film producer Neal H. Moritz alongside Pavun Shetty executive producing. This will also mark the latest Amazon-affiliated project for Goodman following her turn as writer, showrunner, and executive producer on Amazon’s “I Know What You Did Last Summer” series, which is produced and also written by Fisher. No casting director has been announced for the “Cruel Intentions” series, but it may be worth keeping an eye on “IKWYDLS” CDs Barden/Schnee.
NBC Is Developing “The Task Lyst”
First reported by Deadline, NBCUniversal is now developing “The Task Lyst,” a drama project based on the novel “Task Lyst” by Scott Hylbert. The story centers on six ordinary people who, with the help of an app that can hire random people to do pretty much anything, quickly learn that “a simple job they did for a little extra cash is actually part of a much larger and deadlier plot, and the only way for them to survive is to find each other and work together to hunt down the anonymous taskmaster who is pulling their strings.” David Slack (“In Plain Sight”) is attached as a writer with Josh Berman’s Osprey Prods. and Sony Pictures Television producing. This marks the first project to come out of Osprey’s first-look deal with Turner Publishing, signed last year, which gives Osprey an exclusive window of all titles released under Turner’s Keylight Books imprint that is geared towards properties that translate into film and television. No casting has been announced at this time.
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