TV news roundup for Week 37 of 2018
Welcome to the weekly TV news round-up where we go into the latest TV news regarding renewals, cancellations, and pick-ups.
The first trailer has been released of Masters of the Universe animated series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Season 1 is coming to Netflix Friday 16 November.
US premium cable channel Starz has released a trailer of Season 4 of time travel drama Outlander. This season will be an adaption of the fourth novel in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series Drums of Autumn. In the US Season 4 starts Sunday 4 November. Seasons 5 and 6 are already ordered.
Via Deadline we have learned that the forthcoming BBC adaption of Philip Pullman’s fantasy novel trilogy His Dark Materials has already been renewed for a second series. The first novel Northern Lights or The Golden Compass has already been adapted once by New Line Cinema. The early renewal is kind of surprising as Series 1 has not even started filming yet. What we already know is that the series stars Dafne Keen (Logan) as the story’s protagonist Lyra, James McAvoy (X-Men: First Class), Ruth Wilson (Luthor, The Affair) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (stage musical Hamilton, the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns). Meanwhile Jack Thorne (Wonder, The Fades) is writing and Tom Hooper (The Danish Girl, The King’s Speech) directing.
Also via Deadline we have learned that Series 5 of BBC’s drama Poldark has been ordered. It is also revealed that Series 5 will be the last. That does not really come as a surprise, because the series has been burning through the twelve Poldark novels by Winston Graham, adapting multiple each series.
With Marvel’s Iron Fist Season 2 being released on Netflix attention now comes to the next Marvel series to return on Netflix: Marvel’s Daredevil. Up to now there was no indication on when we could expect Season 3, but it’s possible Netflix Thailand has spilled the beans on their Twitter account. Posting a teaser for Daredevil Season 3 they also say it would return Friday 19 October. We will have to wait until widespread confirmation by Netflix to be sure.
“ผมยอมตายในฐานะเดวิล ดีกว่ามีชีวิตอยู่ในฐานะแมตต์ เมอร์ด็อค” 19 ตุลาฯ เจอกันครับ #Daredevil ซีซั่น 3 #MarvelTH #MarvelThailand pic.twitter.com/kxd2EmSRsE
— Netflix Thailand (@netflixth) September 11, 2018
The behind-the-scenes problems of US premium cable channel Starz’ American Gods Season 2 seem to keep on going. The Hollywood Report tells us that Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner 2049, the upcoming adaption of comic Y: The Last Man) and Bryan Fuller’s (Hannibal, Star Trek: Discovery) replacement as showrunner Jesse Alexander (Alias, Heroes, Star Trek: Discovery) has now been let go after multiple drafts of the Season 2 finale have been turned away. The word “fired” has not been used, but Alexander has been asked to not be involved with any aspect of the adaption of Neil Gaiman’s novel. There is also talk that there is mounting friction between Starz and production company Fremantle, while Neil Gaiman himself is trying to get more creative control over the series.
Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why) has been cast as “Nimue” in Cursed. A reimagined adaption by Netflix of the Arthurian legend around the Lady of the Lake. Langford’s character is a teen with “a mysterious gift who is destined to become the powerful (and tragic) Lady of the Lake.” The series comes from Frank Miller (Sin City) and Tom Wheeler (The Cape), and explores the themes of “the obliteration of the natural world, religious terror, senseless war and finding the courage to lead in the face of the impossible.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter Vincent D’Onofrio (Jurassic World, Marvel’s Daredevil) will star alongside Forest Whitaker (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Black Panther, Empire) in Epix’s new series Godfather of Harlem. The series has gotten a straight to series order for a first season of 10 episodes. It will tell the true story of Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), a crime boss who returns to 1960s Harlem after being in prison for 10 years. With his former “kingdom” in shambles and now ruled by the Italian mob, he takes it upon himself to regain his power. Meanwhile there is political tension as Malcolm X steps up. The project is further described as a collision between the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement in this tumultuous time in American history.
Netflix released a trailer for their upcoming animated series Hilda, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Luke Pearson. The cartoonist also worked on the storyboards of later seasons of Adventure Time.
Netflix has also released the first footage of Archie comic adaption The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Viewers who expect another version of the 1990s comedy better take a seat. The first season will premiere Friday 26 October, with a second already on the way.
Variety tells us that a TV adaption of the Xbox 360 and PC video game Alan Wake is in development. Driving force behind it is Peter Calloway, who previously has written for Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, Legion, and Under the Dome. Game creator Sam Lake is involved as executive producer. The series production companies are Contradiction Films and Remedy Entertainment. For a taste of the story, here is the trailer of the video game…
According to The Hollywood Reporter Designing Women is up for a revival at ABC. The comedy about a group of female interior designers at an Atlanta firm originally aired seven season on CBS between 1986 and 1993. Among its stars was Annie Potts (Ghostbusters, Young Sheldon) and it’s expected that the original characters will return at times. The Sony produced series has original series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (M*A*S*H) on board as well as her husband Harry Thomason who returns as executive producer.
Entertainment One has acquired the rights to the 2011 Ann Patchett novel State of Wonder and has the intent to produce an event series (that’s 2018 speak for miniseries). When Dr. Annick Swenson disappears in the Amazon rainforest while conducting research on the prolonged fertility of the women of a tribe, pupil Dr. Marina Singh goes there to investigate. Emily Mortimer (Cars 2, Mary Poppins Returns) and Alessandro Nivola’s (Face/Off, Jurassic Park III) King Bee Productions will produce. They are as of yet not set to star in the series.
The CW has begun development of a female-led TV adaption of the 1989 movie starring Morgan Freeman Lean On Me via LeBron James & Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment, John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius’ Get Lifted, and Warner Bros. TV. Wendy Calhoun (Nashville, Empire) is attached as writer. Here’s a trailer of the movie to get a taste of what the TV series could be (apologies for the quality, it’s the best we could find)…
That’s it for this week, but join us next week when we round-up the
