Small Screen: Daniel Ezra Departs ‘All American’, ‘Welcome To Derry’ Rounds Off Cast
Daniel Ezra - Victoria Sirakova
Broadcast: The CW's series All American: Homecoming has cast Cameron Elie (PEN15) in its final season. Elie will play Noah, but details on his character and story have not yet announced. The series explores college tennis player Simone (Geffri Maya) and her friends as they attend Bringston University. All American: Homecoming will stream its final season on July 8th on The CW.
Daniel Ezra (A Discovery of Witches) will not return to the CW's drama series All American. The sports drama is currently in its 6th season, and Ezra and showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll decided to not reprise Ezra's role. Ezra released a statement expressing his gratitude for playing Spencer.
“After making the difficult decision to leave All American, my sole focus became completing the journey of the most life-affirming character I’ve ever played in the manner he deserves. Thanks to Nkechi and the writers, I got my wish. Season 6 is ‘Spencer’s goodbye.’ I’ll miss him. I’ll miss our cast and crew. I hope it’s been as fun to watch him as it has been to play him,” said Ezra.
NBC's medical drama series has extended its contracts with original cast members S. Epatha Merkerson (The Challenger) and Marlyne Barrett (Chicago Fire). Originally set to end during the 2024 season, the actresses agreed to continue their roles until they reach 10 years. The series follows the ups and downs in the lives of the employees at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.
Dominic Rains (Modern Persuasion) is stepping down from his role as Dr. Crockett Marcel in NBC's medical drama Chicago Med. The ninth season's finale provided Rains an exit after an emotional patient death. Rains joined the series in season five as a recurring character, later transitioning into a series regular. Chicago Med explores the lives of the hospital staff at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.
Kimberly Guerrero - Slaven Vlasic / Stringer
Cable: AMC Networks has renewed Interview with the Vampire for a third season. This latest adaptation of Anne Rice's novel tells the story of Louis de Pointe du Lac's (Jacob Anderson) life and romance with Claudia (Delainey Hayles) after becoming a vampire at the hands of Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid). Shworunner Rolin Jones expressed gratitude towards the cast, crew, and "the rapid, beautifully unwell fandom" for the series renewal.
HBO's horror series Welcome To Derry has added Kimberly Guerrero (Montana Story), Dorian Grey (Transplant), Joshua Odjick (Wildhood), BJ Harrison (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Shane Marriott (The Porter), and Morningstar Angeline (Outer Range) as recurring characters. Characters and stories are not yet announced, but the series is set as a prequel to It, produced by Bill Skarsgård. These cast members will join current cast Taylour Paige (Zola), Chris Chalk (Perry Mason), Stephan Rider (Becoming), and Jovan Adepo (Babylon).
Ahmed Khaled - Facebook
Streaming: Apple TV+'s Hijack has added Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy) to the thriller series' regular cast. Ashitey joins other cast members such as Karima McAdams (Dune: Prophecy), Christiane Paul (In July), and Lisa Vicari (Django). The series also stars its executive producer Idris Elba (Luther). The storyline for the second season has not yet been announced.
Netflix's live-action adaptation of One Piece has added Camrus Johnson (Batwoman) to play Baroque Works agent Mr. 5 in its second season. Johnson joins Mackenyu (Over Drive), Jacob Romero (Greenleaf), and McKinley Belcher III (Eric) on the cast. The series follows the story from Eiichiro Oda's manga of the same name, where Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) and his crew are on a quest for Luffy to become the king of pirates. A second season release date has not been announced.
Netflix's limited mystery series Untamed has cast Lily Santiago (La Brea). The series will follow a park ranger in an investigation that reveals to him secrets within the park and himself. Santiago is cast as Naya Vasquez, a former Los Angeles cop and new Yosemite park ranger. She is a mother with good investigation skills, and coming from a police department offers homicide investigation to her skillset.
Prime Video's The Better Sister has cast Gloria Reuben (ER). Reuben joins fellow cast members Jessica Biel (The Sinner), Matthew Modine (Retribution), Corey Stoll (Rebel Moon), and Elizabeth Banks (Cocaine Bear). Reuben will become Michelle Sanders, an outspoken and passionate lawyer. The series follows Chloe (Biel) and how she and her family handle the murder of her husband Adam (Stoll).
Paramount+ and Showtime's thriller series The Agency has added Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction) to the cast. Wright will play Henry, the CIA director and a guiding figure for the main character Martian, played by Michael Fassbender (The Killer). The political series is executive produced by George Clooney and tells the story of Martian and the conflict between romance and his career that sparks on his return to London Station.
beIN Media Group is creating an Arabic adaptation of the Australian TV mystery series Seven Types of Ambiguity. The series will be titled Sarab, or ‘Mirage; in English, and is based on Elliot Perlamnn's novel. The setting takes place in the Middle East and follows the disappearance of a child within the neighborhood. Ahmed Khaled (The Thief of Baghdad) will direct the series and beIN Media Group will partner with S Productions on the project. beIN Media Group expressed their excitement about the partnership.
“We’re very pleased and excited to be working on such a big production in the Middle East, building bridges and bringing stories from global to local,” said Vice President Mia Edde of beIN Media.
Jennifer Lopez's Nuyorican is planning to adapt Emily Henry's novel Happy Place into a series. Nuyorican Productions has a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce TV series, unscripted media, and films dedicated to featuring diverse female writers, filmmakers, and actors. Happy Places follows the couple Harriet and Wyn post-breakup as they pretend to still be in a relationship around their friends. Nuyorican has assigned Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, and Jennifer Lopez to the project.
In a talk, Pensoneau discussed the impact and development of his show Reservation Dogs. In late October 2019, Sterlin Harjo shared the idea for Reservation Dogs with Pensoneau, mentioning that he and Taika Waititi were developing the show for FX. Pensoneau reflected on the authenticity of the storytelling, as he and the writing team actively discussed their personal and formative experiences as “Native people dealing with loss, grief, financial insecurity, and family woes.” Reservation Dogs became the first show where every writer, director, and series regular was Indigenous, earning critical praise and several awards.
Despite being overlooked by the Emmys, Reservation Dogs allowed the creators to heal parts of themselves through their characters, and Pensoneau remains immensely proud of the show. Pensoneau mentions that while the Television Academy may not have recognized their achievements, the overwhelming support from Native viewers provided the feedback they needed.
“We weren’t just a bunch of Indians simply playing ourselves,” said Pensoneau, “We gouged our spirits and presented the pieces to the world, and every single department elevated that gift with excellence in their craft. We did the damn thing, did it well, and received universal and overwhelming acclaim. And we’ve done it while receiving nearly zero recognition from the Television Academy. And no, we don’t need the Television Academy to tell us we did a good job. We lived it, and our families and communities have given us all the love we need.”
British filmmaker Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu discusses in an interview the ups and downs of his rise to fame. In early 2020, Rapman was set to release his directorial debut Blue Story in the U.S., but the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of its U.S. release in theaters. Despite these setbacks, Rapman discussed beginning the development of a new project, Supacell. The sci-fi series, featuring an all-Black cast, was officially commissioned by Netflix in 2021 and follows the story of ordinary Londoners discovering their superpowers.
Rapman discussed the inspiration behind Supacell, stating that it was his love for superhero stories and the influence of the TV show Heroes that led to his creation of a sci-fi series that reflected the reality of South London. Rapman expressed excitement about the groundbreaking nature of Supacell being a superhero story with an all-ethnic cast in a UK-based show. To continue, Rapman also emphasized that Supacell could change this trend and open doors for more inclusive storytelling across the globe.
“I had an NBC News reporter send me an essay saying how they never knew New York was so much like London. And a lot of people have been messaging my agents and saying we want to meet me and that it’s groundbreaking. The response from Americans has been even bigger than the U.K. so far, so I think it’ll do well over there. And when we put the teaser out, a filmmaker quote tweeted the teaser saying, ‘Look guys, we need to go to England, because that’s the only place doing Black shows like this,’” Rapman said.
Tosin Cole (Doctor Who) has spoken with Variety about his role as Michael on Supacell, the Netflix sci-fi series created by Rapman. Cole plays Michael, a delivery driver who discovers his ability to teleport through space and time. The series follows Michael as he assembles a group of ordinary individuals with newfound superpowers to fight a threat to humanity. Cole discussed how the series stands out with its South London setting and an all-Black cast, as it is a significant departure from existing superhero stories. Cole expressed that his excitement for the show stems from its authentic depiction of South London life, a setting he is deeply familiar with.
“It’s about time. We should have already had something like this, but there’s no more perfect time like now. So I’m excited to be in something of this scale that hasn’t been done before, especially in London,” said Cole.
Prime Video's series Obsession added Celeste Oliva (Law & Order) and Matt Murray (In the Dark) to the cast. They join fellow cast members such as Avan Jogia (Now Apocalypse), Karla Souza (Dive), and Dorian Missick (Premium). The series follows the homicide investigation of Oliver (Jogia) 56 days after Ciara's (Dove Cameron) body is found. Oliva will play Detective Sergeant Camille Russo, who is loyal and protective of the Boston Police Department. Murray will play Kevin Sullivan, owner of an apartment building who knows undisclosed details about the crime.
AppleTV+'s sci-fi series Neuromancer added Briana Middleton (Sharper) to its cast. The sci-fi drama series centers on Case (Callum Turner), a hacker thrown into the realm of espionage and crime. Middleton will play his partner Molly, an assassin on a heist. Neuromancer is based on the award-winning William Gibson novel of the same name.
HBO's It spinoff series, Welcome to Derry (working title), added Rudy Mancuso (Música) to its cast. Specifics about his role have not yet been announced. Mancuso joins other cast members like Jovan Adepo (To Catch a Killer), Taylour Paige (Zola), Joshua Odjick (Little Bird), and BJ Harrison (Lost Ollie), to name a few. Executively produced by Bill Skarsgård, the series explores the universe of Stephen King's horror novel It.
In its recently released third season, Hulu’s The Bear included David Zayas (Body Cam) among an extensive list of guest stars. Zayas plays David Marrero, the husband of Tina Marrero, played by his real-life wife Liza Colón-Zayas (Allswell in New York). Additionally, episode six, titled “Napkins,” was the directorial debut of actress and comedian Ayo Edebiri (Abbott Elementary); the episode focuses on Tina’s origins at The Beef sandwich shop.
George Cheeks - Paramount global
Industry: Paramount Global's three co-CEOs, George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, and Brian Robbins, updated employees on their cost-cutting strategies following the canceled merger with Skydance. During a town hall meeting on June 25, they discussed the progress toward job layoffs and achieving $500 million in annualized cost savings. Although they did not provide information on the timing or scale of layoffs, the leaders are exploring the sale of Paramount-owned assets. Cheeks mentioned they had already hired bankers to assist in this process but did not specify which assets might be sold. McCarthy expressed the need to counter the significant decline in profits and boost the profitability of the Paramount+ streaming service. The co-CEOs reiterated their commitment to a "leaner and more nimble" organization with potential collaborations to drive long-term value.
Former Netflix executives Fiona Lamptey, Amber Taylor, Bec Mortimer, and Vinnie Shergill have united to launch Juno Studios, an innovative entertainment studio based in London. Drawing from their experiences in the industry, they aim to create, produce, distribute, and market new and engaging media. The founders released a statement highlighting the importance of their collaborative, cross-platform approach in the industry. Juno Studios intends to partner with writers, filmmakers, on-screen talent, and cultural organizations to deliver lasting entertainment experiences.
“Juno Studios will work with our incredible network to shape an exciting and sustainable future for entertainment where creativity and creatives can thrive. We are also developing our own slate of projects so new stories are told and fresh voices are heard,” the founders stated.
Dish Network has made a 2-year deal with Netflix that benefits Dish TV subscribers. The deal includes Netflix’s standard plan with ads, typically priced at $6.99 per month, at no extra cost for Dish TV subscribers for two years. This initiative comes after reports of Dish’s subscriber decline of 348,000 in the first quarter of 2024. New or existing customers must commit to a 24-month contract, with penalties for early termination. After two years, customers will need to pay the standard retail price unless they cancel the Netflix service.
Fox’s ad-supported streamer Tubi has launched in the U.K. The streamer offers 20,000 movies and TV series from major studios like Disney, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, and more. CEO Anjali Sud highlighted Tubi's extensive library and its aim to attract diverse audiences with varied content, including Bollywood, Nollywood, and baking shows. The company emphasized that while this growth is ambitious, they aren't looking to "expand into 10 more countries," so they are only focused on the U.K.
“It’s taken us a long time to perfect and hone our approach to having a huge library, removing barriers and frictions, and listening to our audience. We feel in a place where we are ready to go to the UK market,” said Sud.
On June 26th, soap opera actor and model Renauld White passed away at 80 years old in New York City. White was the second Black model to feature on the cover of GQ in 1979 and he worked on productions at La MaMa Experimental Theater Club in New York City. Additionally, White played William Reynolds in the soap opera Guiding Light, appearing on the daytime soap opera for two years in the 1980s.
Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global are considering a partnership to merge their streaming platforms, Max and Paramount+. This comes as Paramount Global — following the end of merger discussions with Skydance Media — seeks to reduce costs and improve the profitability of Paramount+ under a new strategic plan led by their three co-CEOs. Paramount is exploring two types of partnerships. The first is with a leading technology platform that will leverage combined scale and content, and the second is with other streaming services that will offer a vast array of content. Both Paramount+ and Max have recently raised subscription prices, aiming to demonstrate their potential for profitability and the strength of their reputations.
“The great news is there is tremendous interest in partnering with us across both of these strategic options, given the strength of our content, the volume of our hits, and our industry-leading track record,” said Chris McCarthy, co-CEO of Paramount Global.
