Sci Fi TV News Briefs: Quick hits keeping you updated on sci fi and fantasy television news.
Return of Legion: FX’s X-Men-tangential series Legion just wrapped up its three season run, but Marvel TV boss has left the door open for a return to that world. He made the following comments in a recent interview with Deadline Hollywood:
It’s a remarkable show created and visualized by an extraordinary filmmaker. Noah carried this from the start — told us how he wanted the show to begin and how he wanted it to end — and we’ve respected that. Having FX as our partner made it very exciting as well from both a creative and marketing stand point.
As to the future, that world and those characters will always be there. It’s our hope that Noah will want to return to them is any capacity he thinks is worth telling. FX remains a huge priority for us because we can tell those unexpected stories there and John Landgraf is something of a visionary himself. They “get” us and we “get” them. We like all of that.
The show was critically praised but the ratings dropped off notably in its second and third seasons. If it were to shift to a platform like Hulu (which is now under Disney control) it might perform better. Fans of the show should stay tuned for developments, but I would expect those to be a few years down the road.
Axeholes on Syfy: Wynonna Earp creator Emily Andras is working on a new project for Syfy titled Axeholes. Hollywood Report gives the following description of the project:
Axeholes follows a mismatched bunch of comic convention attendees who inadvertently get transported into the real-life world of their favorite fantasy TV series, Blue Bar’Bara. In the worst role-playing game ever, the unequipped party must learn to navigate a dangerous land of profanity-spewing battle axes, sociopathic fairies, disturbingly sensual dragons and a chainmail-bikini-wearing shield maiden as they struggle to find a way back home.
The project is currently early in the development stage and Syfy will be considering this for its 2020 schedule.
HBO Studies the Rules of Magic: HBO has given a pilot order to Rules of Order based on the Alice Hoffman novel. Variety gives the following description for the project:
Set in 1960s New York City, the series follows three troubled siblings — Franny, Jet and Vincent Owens — who wrestle with “abnormalities” that have kept them isolated. But the tumultuous times unearth the extraordinary discovery that they are, in fact, descendants of a bloodline of witches. The two sisters will become the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while their brother will leave an unexpected legacy.
The second book in the series Practical Magic was previously adapted as a feature film in 1998 starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. The premium cable network will be considering adding this series to its 2020 schedule.
Elvis Becomes Agent King: Netflix has ordered the adult animated action comedy Agent King which will see the rock legend becoming a super-spy. Following in the official description that the streaming service has given for the show:
Elvis Presley trades in his white jumpsuit for a jet pack when he is covertly inducted into a secret government spy program to help battle the dark forces that threaten the country he loves — all while holding down his day job as the King Of Rock And Roll.
The series was created by Priscilla Presley and John Eddie and Mike Arnold (who wrote five episodes of the similarly-themed Archer) will be onboard as showrunner. The streaming service will likely be looking at a 2020 debut for the show.
Bloodleaf is Heading to Television: Crystal Smith’s YA fantasy novel Bloodleaf is getting adapted to television by Cavalry Media. Deadline Hollywood gives the following description for the project:
In Bloodleaf, Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Fearing her magic, the people have turned against her. After an assassination attempt, Aurelia must flee her country and disguise herself as a commoner in a distant land. As she hides in plain sight and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her. But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, exposing a wicked plot that only she can defeat and forcing her to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life.
Bloodleaf was released in March of this year and is the first of a planned trilogy. There is no network attached to the series at this point, but it should draw some interest.
Starz Picks Up Shining Vale: Starz’s has placed a pilot order for the horror-comedy Shining Vale that was previously in production at Showtime. Deadline Hollywood gives the following description of the project:
The horror-comedy is a about a dysfunctional family that moves from the city to a small town into a house in which terrible atrocities have taken place. But no one seems to notice except for Pat, the mom, who’s convinced she’s either depressed or possessed — turns out, the symptoms are exactly the same. Everyone has their demons — but are Pat’s real? Or is this the portrait of a typical family torn apart by mental illness. Done in a funny, scary way.
This comes from Warner Bros. TV and was created by Sharon Horgan and Jeff Astrof. The premium cable network will be considering adding this one to its 2020 slate of original programming.
Production Notes: Brandon Routh and Courtney Fort will be departing from Legends of Tomorrow in its upcoming fifth season. Whether that will be related to the Crisis on Infinite Earths cross-over event is uncertain. Elena Satine (The Gifted) has been cast in Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop. Disney has decided not to move forward with its planned series Book of Enchantment which would have focused on some of its major villains.
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