Rumorville: A ‘Queer as Folk’ Reboot Heads to Development, ‘Be More Chill’ Writer Joe Iconis Works On His Next Show + More

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Welcome to Rumorville! Here you can learn about casting news that’s about to break in Hollywood. These speculations might be only rumors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t follow the trail all the way to the audition room.

“Queer as Folk” Reboot
In a year of reboots and revivals, one final announcement has made it just before the clock strikes midnight on 2018. First reported by Variety, Bravo is developing a new version of “Queer as Folk” with original UK series creator Russell T. Davies onboard and Stephen Dunn attached to write, direct, and executive produce. The original series aired 10 episodes in the UK followed by a North American remake that ran for five seasons and starred Gale Harold, Randy Harrison, and Hal Sparks. According to Variety, the reboot will star new characters in a new setting in the modern era and will be “a modern take on the original British series that centers on a group of club-going friends who find support in the gay community following a tragedy.” John Brace and Linda Lowy were in charge of casting the North American adaptation of the series, but someone in the UK might take over for this new installment.

“Punk Rock Girl”
As composer-lyricist Joe Iconis gets ready to bring his hit “Be More Chill” to Broadway, he’s also hard at work on another project. Iconis is currently developing a new stage musical called “Punk Rock Girl” that will feature songs written or made famous by female musicians or female-fronted bands. Iconis is writing the book and musical arrangements with Jennifer Werner directing and choreographing and Rob Rokicki co-arranging the orchestrations. A reading was reportedly held earlier this month in New York City. Production plans are on the schedule to be announced shortly. According to Deadline, the show will follow 16-year-old Angela Quivers, “a perfectionist who never takes chances and feels like there’s no place where she belongs until she meets Proxi, a teenager who pulls her into a world of grungy guitars, shocking secrets, and big, loud, messy emotions.” With Iconis working with his usual collaborators, it’s likely he’ll also return to Telsey + Company for casting when it gets to that point.

“Exit Plans”
It’s a wrap for “Veep” star Timothy Simons, who has recently finished filming his final scenes as Jonah Ryan, but it certainly isn’t the last we’ll see of him. The actor has already set his next project at HBO and will write, star, in and executive produce “Exit Plans,” a series that has just been put into development. It’s still early, but the series will take on assisted suicide and center around a man from California who opens up a small business to help people transition into death peacefully and on their terms, all while struggling to keep ahold of his crumbling personal life. If the series gets the green light, casting will follow, and in the meantime, the final season of “Veep,” can be on your radar while you wait for casting directors on the new series to be announced.  

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