- Iconic cartoon “Speed Racer” is being developed by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros. TV for Apple TV+. The Japanese franchise about auto racing first launched as a manga series in 1966, titled “Mach GoGoGo,” before spawning multiple animated versions from 1967 to 2002 and a live-action film in 2008. The new series’ writers Hiram Martinez (“Snowpiercer”) and Ron Fitzgerald (“Westworld”) will return to the original material for inspiration.
Upcoming shows and deals:
- The CNN documentary “Navalny” is now streaming on HBO Max. The film focuses on the anti-corruption Russian government opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who survived an assassination attempt by Putin’s government. Though Navalny was poisoned in 2020 with a lethal nerve agent, he returned to Russia in January 2021 and was arrested after landing in Moscow. The film won the highest honors at the Sundance Film Festival.
- Disney+ will debut a six-part series “Family Reboot” on June 15. The show follows real families that are so busy with their personal lives that they’ve become disconnected from each other. The series takes them on an emotional, one-of-a-kind journey to re-establish the ties that bind.
Check out the trailer for Disney+ series “Family Reboot”:
- Netflix has had success with Spanish-language shows recently including “Money Heist” and “Elite.” Now the streamer is giving a second season to “Welcome to Eden.” Created by Joaquín Górriz, and Guillermo López, the show centers on a group invited to a party on the remote island of Eden. But far from a paradise, Eden is home to a dangerous cult.
- “Monsieur Spade,” a drama starring Clive Owen, has been acquired by AMC Networks. The story revolves around Sam Spade, the legendary detective from writer Dashiell Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon.” It’s now 1963, and Spade is in retirement in the south of France — until a case changes everything.
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Podcast company Meet Cute, which focuses on romantic comedies, has made a deal with Range Media Partners and backed by A+E Networks. The partnership will see Meet Cute’s stories turned into TV series and films. Range clients will also be added to Meet Cute’s audio series.
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MagellanTV, a documentary streaming service just debuted its first War & Military Week, beginning with the series “Beyond the Myth: The SS Unveiled.” The series gives a detailed, unflinching look at the origins and motivations of the SS, Nazi Germany’s paramilitary unit, a key participant in the Holocaust.