Small Screen: CW's ‘Kung Fu’ Renewed; New Trailer Released For ABC's ‘Queens;’ ‘The Changeling’ Coming To Apple TV
Yvonne Champman - Nino Muñoz/The CW
Broadcast: The CW’s Kung Fu has been renewed for a second season. The sophomore effort will see the frequented villain of Zhilan, played by Yvonne Chapman, upgraded to a full-time series regular. ‘Zhilan, a hard-edged and cunning assassin, is ruthless in achieving her goals. After stealing an ancient sword from Nicky’s shifu Pei-Ling–and nearly killing Nicky in the process–Zhilan flees China and begins her pursuit of the rest of the mystical weapons. The mystery of Zhilan’s identity, and her real intentions with those weapons, will fuel Nicky’s quest for justice.’ Robert Berens and Christina M. Kim act as co-showrunners with the latter being an executive producer and screenwriter of the pilot. Other executive producers are Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Martin Gero and David Madden.
Cable: A new trailer has been released for ABC’s upcoming musical drama series entitled Queens. The show centers on former members of a ‘90s girl group, the Nasty Bitches, and stars Eve, Brandy, Nadine Velazquez and Naturi Naughton. Queens documents the reunion between four former bandmates who publicly split on stage twenty years ago. Now in their 40s, Brandy’s character Naomi seeks to get the band back together. However, life goes on after celebrity and each member is facing their own personal problems such as raising children, drug abuse and marital problems. The hip-hop show was ordered to series in May. Zahir McGhee, known for penning Scandal, wrote the script and serves as executive producer. Queens will premiere on ABC on Oct. 19.
Victor LaValle - Taylor Hill
Streaming: Yvette Lee Bowser steps down from showrunner for Starz comedy series Run the World as it gets greenlit for a second season to focus on development. Rachelle Williams, known for her work on HBO Max’s Love Life and ABC’s Mixed-ish, will take over. That being said, Bowser will still be attached as an executive producer alongside fellow executive producer, the show's creator, Leigh Davenport. Alison Hoffman, president of domestic networks for Starz said this in a statement: “Run the World has been so passionately embraced by our audience and we are thrilled to bring fans another season. Our incredibly talented cast and executive producers Yvette and Leigh are set to return, and we’re excited to welcome Rachelle back into the Starz family leading as showrunner and executive producer.” Amber Stevens West, Andrea Bordeaux, Bresha Webb, Corbin Reid, Stephen Bishop and Tosin Morohunfola all star. The renewal comes six weeks after the show wrapped its eight-episode first season. An episode count and date for season two have yet to be determined.
Victor LaValle’s The Changeling has been picked up by Apple for a straight to series. LaKeith Stanfield, known for his recent role in Judas and the Black Messiah, will star in the adaptation. ‘The horror story, parenthood fable and perilous odyssey through a New York many didn’t know existed is described as a fairytale for grown-ups.’ Kelly Marcel, known for Cruella, Venom, and Venom 2, will adapt LaValle’s book and serve as showrunner. Melina Matsoukas from Queen & Slim and Insecure, will direct and executive produce alongside Marcel, Stanfield and Annapurna’s Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle, Patrick Chu and Ali Krug. Khaliah Neal is a co-EP.
Crystal Moselle’s 2018 Skate Kitchen that was adapted into a series for HBO has just been canceled after two seasons. The comedy entitled Betty followed a diverse group of young female skateboarders navigating their lives through the predominantly male-oriented world of skateboarding in New York City. HBO said in a statement: “We will not be moving forward with a third season of Betty. We are very grateful for the collaboration with Crystal and our incredible cast — their fearless exploration of the world of New York City’s skate culture will remain a beautiful emblem of friendship and community.” The cast featured Dede Lovelace, Moonbear, Nina Moran, Ajani Russell and Rachelle Vinberg, all of whom also starred in Skate Kitchen.
