Melissa McCarthy To Star In Netflix’s ‘God’s Favorite Idiot,’ ‘Masked Dancer’ To Stream on Tubi
Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy will star in and executive produce “God’s Favorite Idiot” for Netflix. The 16-episode series is a workplace comedy. The married couple is producing via their On The Day company. Falcone created the series, in which he plays a messenger of God. McCarthy is known for both her comedy and dramatic work (“Bridesmaids,” “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) The series description also promises “roller skating, a lake of fire and an impending apocalypse.”
“The Masked Dancer” will debut on Tubi, Fox’s AVOD, Dec. 27. after appearing on Fox. Craig Robinson (“The Office”) hosts the dance-themed series, in which costumed performers keep their identity secret. Panelists Ken Jeong, Paula Abdul, Brian Austin Green and Ashley Tisdale use clues to reveal the person behind the mask — and the moves. Tubi hit 33 million monthly active users in August.
Here’s a look at other deals and upcoming projects:
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“Penguin Bloom,” starring Naomi Watts, has been secured by Netflix. The film will debut in Jan 27. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Watts portrays Samantha Bloom, a real-life Australian mom paralyzed on vacation with her family. A wounded magpie her kids name Penguin provides unexpected help.
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“Surface” got a series order from Apple+. The psychological thriller stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw. The streamer is short on details, only that it’s an eight-episode series and production begins in 2021. Veronica West, Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter will executive produce via Hello Sunshine, which also brought “The Morning Show” to the streamer. Mbatha-Raw starred in the first season of “The Morning Show” with Witherspoon and “Black Mirror.”
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“Willow” may be adding Erin Kellyman, Cailee Spaeny and Ellie Bamber to the Disney+ show cast. While character details are not forthcoming, the show would take place years after the original. Kellyman is known for “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and Spaeny was recently in “The Craft: Legacy.” Bamber, like Kellyman, appeared in “Les Misérables.” Ron Howard directed the 1988 fantasy film set in a world of myth and magic.
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Charlie Booker, the creator of “Black Mirror,” has a new project for Netflix, a mockumentary about 2020. Hugh Grant will star as a vile historian. Brooker creates his “Annual Wipe” series for the BBC, which takes a comedic look at news events over the past years.
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Jada Pinkett Smith” will star in an upcoming Netflix drama “Redd Zone,” based on a true story. Pinkett Smith plays a single mom who helps her sons and their high-school football teammates after their friend Dominic Redd is murdered.
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Netflix is going to pony up tax dollars in Britain — UK revenue will now be paid in the UK. Previously, the streamer ran all revs via the Netherlands, which has a lower tax base. The move comes in 2021, similar initiatives have been happening in Western Europe, too. A company rep said: “So from next year, revenue generated in the U.K. will be recognized in the U.K., and we will pay corporate income tax accordingly.” In 2018, its last full accounts filed on Companies House, Netflix U.K. reported just revenues of $57 million.