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The popular animated series American Dad! is making its way back to its original home, Fox, for the upcoming Season 22. The return comes after the show had aired on TBS for a little over a decade.

The animated series' future was likely to include its own feature film. However, ahead of its return to Fox next year, the animated series received a four-season renewal. Speaking with ComicBook, co-creator and executive producer Matt Weitzman gave a disappointing update about the movie, highlighting that they want to focus on the series until then.

"We got picked up for four more seasons," Weitzman responded to the possibility of a new American Dad! movie. "That gives us another 56 episodes to make. Maybe when it’s all said and done, there will be an American Dad! movie." He continued, I would be happy to announce and to make happen... at this stage, I think we...

Think Family Guy is peak adult animation? Think again. Adult Swim’s late-night lineup has quietly delivered shows that are not only way funnier but also way smarter and somehow, most people missed them.

While Rick and Morty and Robot Chicken grab all the attention, there’s a treasure trove of weird, witty, and wickedly clever series hiding in plain sight. Some were ahead of their time, others overshadowed by big names, but all of them are criminally underrated. Family Guy might have a legacy, but these shows have bite.

Adult Swim’s long been a playground for experimental storytelling and with streaming making everything old feel new again, now’s the perfect moment to dive into these forgotten gems.

So whether you’re into surreal humor, dark satire, or just need something fresher than a rerun of Quahog chaos, this list’s got you covered.

1. ‘Bob’s Burgers’

If...

With the Emmy-winning adaptation of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale wrapping up the six-season arc of the revolutionary June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), fans can finally celebrate Boston’s liberation from the authoritarian clutches of Gilead. It’s been a harrowing journey for June since the show’s 2017 premiere, and she can't entirely celebrate with her daughter Hannah still behind Gilead’s borders. With Hulu hard at work on The Testaments, an adaptation of Atwood’s 2019 sequel novel set years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale, audiences will get a greater degree of resolution over the future of Hannah and the rest of the women under Gilead’s thumb. Here's how The Handmaid’s Tale’s Season 6 resolution sets up for that highly anticipated follow-up.

How did The Handmaid's Tale end?

At the conclusion of The Handmaid’s Tale, the resistance group Mayday (in collaboration with the U.S. military) successfully...

While Hulu’s television adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale is soon coming to an end, the story will continue in sequel series The Testaments.

From executive producers Bruce Miller and Warren Littlefield, the show will take place in the same world as The Handmaid’s Tale with a time jump after the show.

For everything we know about The Testaments, read on below:

When will The Testaments come out?

A release date is not yet slated for the sequel series, as it is still in early stages of production.

Has The Testaments started production?

Yes, the show began production in April 2025.

Who is in the cast of The Testaments?

Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard will star as a series regular in the sequel series, Deadline exclusively reported. Blanchard’s character Shunammite is a pampered teen from a prominent Gilead family, whose status affords her a certain level of respect and power amongst her peers.

Fox revealed its 2025-2026 schedule Monday ahead of its upfront presentation to advertisers at the Manhattan Center in New York. Among the biggest highlights of the slate were the return of Fox-turned-TBS-now-Fox-again animated series “American Dad!,” as well as Jane Lynch’s “Weakest Link” (moving over from NBC) and a reboot of “Fear Factor.”

Overall, Fox is adding six new series to its lineup over the next broadcast season, including one-hour comedy “Best Medicine,” dramatic thriller “Memory of a Killer,” multi-part scripted event “The Faithful,” and competition series “99 to Beat,” Lynch’s “Celebrity Weakest Link” and “Fear Factor: The Next Chapter” (working title). Fox will also air a new holiday special edition of Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef,” titled “Next Level Baker.”

“Celebrity Weakest Link” and “99 to Beat” will debut on the fall slate, while the other above-mentioned series will premiere in 2026, along with the...

American Dad is coming back for its 20th season, and it is moving to a new network. The animated sitcom has aired on TBS since Season 12. However, it is now joining its fellow animation domination shows, along with The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and Family Guy, and moving to Fox. American Dad! follows a conservative CIA agent and his eccentric family in suburban America, including an alien and a talking goldfish with the brain of a German athlete. The series is cocreated by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman. Here’s everything we know about Season 20, from a premiere date to the cast and more. For how many seasons has American Dad been renewed? American Dad! has been renewed for four more seasons. This will take the show through Season 23 and the 2028-2029 season. When will American Dad Season 20 premiere? A premiere date has not yet been set, but it...

Fox Entertainment has ordered unprecedented, early four-season renewals for 20th Television Animation’s hit series The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers, and announced the return of American Dad! to the network, it was announced today by Michael Thorn, President of Fox Television Network.

The three fan-favorite series – all produced by 20th Television Animation, a part of Disney Television Studios – have each received four additional seasons, continuing their impressive runs on Fox through the 2028-29 broadcast cycle.

The renewals encompass the 16th through 19th Seasons of Bob’s Burgers, the 24th through 27th Seasons of Family Guy, and the record-setting 37th through 40th Seasons of The Simpsons, extending its standing as the longest-running scripted primetime series in television history.

American Dad!, created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman, debuted on Fox in 2005 and was a part of the network’s animation lineup through 2014. The animated comedy will return to...

Fox has given a major commitment to adult animated series “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy” and “Bob’s Burgers.”

The network has renewed all three series for four additional seasons, Fox announced Wednesday. The network also announced that “American Dad!” would be returning to Fox, and granted the series a four-season pickup as well.

The pickups bring the each series through the 2028-29 broadcast season on Fox, renewing “Bob’s Burgers” for Seasons 16-19, “Family Guy” for Seasons 24-27 and “The Simpsons” for Seasons 37-40, extending “The Simpsons'” reign as the longest-running scripted primetime series.

The renewal of “American Dad!” marks a homecoming for the series, which first debuted on Fox in 2005 and ran on the network through 2014 before moving over to TBS, and airing reruns across TBS, TruTV and Adult Swim. The series, which was created Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, now lands back at Fox with a commitment for...

Fox is locking in its animated cornerstones for the remainder of the 2020s.

In a huge commitment to longer-running shows The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers, the network has ordered four more seasons of each show. Additionally, Fox officially announced that American Dad! will return to the network in 2025-26, also with a four-season order.

The renewals will take all four series through the 2028-29 season. The Simpsons will extend its already ludicrous run through its 40th season and, depending on the episode count for the coming seasons, will likely approach 900 episodes by the end of the order. Family Guy will run through its 27th season and Bob’s Burgers through its 19th. The order for American Dad! will encompass seasons 20 through 23, by Fox’s count.

All four shows come from 20th Television Animation.

“This new deal celebrates the eternal popularity of these iconic comedies, as well as the enduring,...

In an unprecedented 4×4 order, Fox has picked up four 20th TV Animation series for four seasons each, renewing animated stalwarts The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers for four more years and confirming American Dad!’s return to the network after an 11-year break, also with a four-season order. Solidifying its status as the top linear home of adult animation, the network called the pact with Disney TV Studios, which had been in the works for months, a “meganimation deal.”

It will take all four animated comedies through the 2028-29 broadcast season. The term is not arbitrary. It matches the length of the $1.5B extension Fox signed with Disney streamer Hulu in November that also runs through 2029. It was that deal, which includes in-season streaming rights to Fox’s slate, that paved the way for the network and 20th TV Animation parent Disney TV Studios to hammer out the blockbuster multi-series,...

Hulu is set to continue its exploration of dystopian Gilead with The Testaments, the anticipated The Handmaid's Tale sequel. The series has just announced nine new cast members, including Mabel Li and Amy Seimetz, who join previously announced castmates Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday, Ann Dowd (who reprises her The Handmaid's Tale role of Aunt Lydia), Rowan Blanchard, and Mattea Conforti. The other seven actors rounding out the cast are Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya, and Kira Guloien.

Based on Margaret Atwood's 2019 novel of the same name, The Testaments is set 15 years after The Handmaid's Tale. The novel is told from the perspectives of three female narrators, Aunt Lydia, Agnes Jemima, and Daisy, and takes place within the dystopian Republic of Gilead. It examines the ways people fight back against oppression and the nature of control.

Li is set to star as Aunt Vidala,...

Hulu has confirmed that The Testaments, the follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale, is officially moving forward. Production begins on April 7, with the series based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel. Set over 15 years after The Handmaid’s Tale, the story follows a new generation of young women growing up in Gilead’s strict and oppressive society.

Elisabeth Moss, who played June Osbourne in The Handmaid’s Tale, will executive produce and may appear as a guest star. Whether she returns depends on how The Handmaid’s Tale concludes in its final season, premiering April 8.

The main cast includes Chase Infiniti as Agnes, Lucy Halliday as Daisy, and Ann Dowd reprising her role as Aunt Lydia. New cast members include Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya, and Kira Guloien.

Related: Kumail Nanjiani Makes Stand-Up Comeback After a Decade with New Hulu Special

They will play characters such as strict Aunts,...

“The Handmaid’s Tale” sequel series “The Testaments” has been greenlit at Hulu.

The new series, which is based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 book of the same name, will begin production on April 7, the streamer announced in a Tuesday social media post. “The Handmaid’s Tale” star Elisabeth Moss will serve as an executive producer for the show.

Additionally, Ann Dowd is set to reprise her role as Aunt Lydia. Other cast members include Chase Infiniti as Agnes, Lucy Halliday as Daisy, Mabel Li as Aunt Vidala, Amy Seimetz as Paula, Brad Alexander as Garth, Zarrin Darnell-Martin as Aunt Gabbana, Eva Foote as Aunt Este, Isolde Ardies as Hulda, Shechinah Mpumlwana as Jehosheba, Birva Pandya as Miriam, Kira Guloien as Rosa, Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite and Mattea Conforti as Becka.

It's official! The Testaments, based on Margaret Atwood's sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, starts production April 7. Ann Dowd will reprise her role...

Welcome back to Gilead. “The Handmaid’s Tale” sequel series “The Testaments” has officially received a series order from Hulu.

The streamer also announced more casting for the show, including series regulars Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander and Mabel Li.

Seimetz plays Paula, the hard-shelled homemaker and fearsome stepmother to Agnes (Chase Infiniti). Before she was renamed, Agnes was known as Hannah in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” in which the character was played by Jordana Blake. Alexander plays Garth, a young Commander who becomes involved in the personal lives of the girls he’s sworn to protect. And Li plays Aunt Vidala, the stern heir-apparent to the women’s sphere of Gilead.

Also joining the cast are Zarrin Darnell-Martin (Aunt Gabbana), Eva Foote (Aunt Estee), Isolde Ardies (Hulda), Shechinah Mpumlwana (Jehosheba), Birva Pandya (Miriam) and Kira Guloien (Rosa). Previously announced cast members are Mattea Conforti, Infiniti, Lucy Halliday, Ann Dowd and Rowan Blanchard.

Hulu has officially ordered The Handmaid’s Tale follow-up The Testaments to series with production set to begin on April 7. From executive producers Bruce Miller and Warren Littlefield, the drama is based on the 2019 Margaret Atwood novel of the same name set in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead more than 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale.

The Handmaid’s Tale lead Elisabeth Moss will also executive produce the project. As Deadline previously reported, the hope is for Moss to guest star in the sequel, reprising the role of June Osbourne, who is linked to Agnes and Daisy. With The Handmaid’s Tale set to premiere its final season on April 8, appearances from June will depend on whether she survives the rebellion unless they opt to go the flashback route.

The Testaments also rounds out its cast with 9 new actors: Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies,...

Over six seasons, “The Handmaid’s Tale” has been gripping, emotional and sometimes draining. And that’s why, as the show draws to a close, the team behind the Emmy-winning Hulu series were determined to bring more light to the story. Speaking Wednesday at PaleyFest LA, co-showrunner and exec producer Yahlin Chang said that the writers wanted the final season to be “a love letter to our fans” and noted that “you guys have really stuck with us through thick and thin.”

She added that by a certain point in the series, after all the emotionally distressing storylines, she became drawn to creating more “feel-good” episodes. Said Chang: “I only want to end with victory and feelings of hope and triumph and uplift.”

“The Handmaid’s Tale” panel at PaleyFest provided a look back at the show’s evolution through retrospective clips highlighting crucial character moments as well as a clip...

With TBS looking to do away with scripted programming due to an overall drop in originals at Warner Bros. Discovery’s cable networks business, late last week it was announced that “American Dad!” would be ending its ten season run on the once well regarded “superstation” and is poised for a return to its former home on Fox as part of the broadcast network’s Animation Domination programming block.

According to Deadline, a deal to have the animated comedy from 20th Television Animation back on Fox is still being finalized and would likely include an order for multiple seasons, starting with Season 20. The show concluded its 19th season finale on Monday, March 24.

“American Dad!”

20th Television Animation

Although representatives for Fox and 20th Television Animation declined to offer comment to the outlet, it’s understood that the move has been in the works for some time, dating back to late...

Hulu‘s The Handmaid’s Tale sequel series The Testaments has added Mattea Conforti to its cast of series regulars, which also includes Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday, Ann Dowd and Rowan Blanchard.

Conforti will play ‘Becka,’ a girl of humble origins who attends school with Gilead’s elite. As she comes of age, she starts to question whether she wants the life she’s being groomed for.

The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments are based on the novel by Margaret Atwood. Like the mothership series, Bruce Miller serves as creator, showrunner and executive producer.

The Testaments takes place in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead more than 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale. The series is a coming-of-age story that finds a new generation of young women in Gilead, grappling with the bleak future that awaits them.

For these young women, growing up in...

Exclusive: Rowan Blanchard has joined the series regular cast of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale sequel series The Testaments, sources confirm to Deadline. She joins the previously announced leads, Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday and Ann Dowd, who returns as her original character, Aunt Lydia.

Blanchard stars as Shunammite, a pampered teen from a prominent Gilead family whose status affords her a certain level of respect and power amongst her peers.

The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments are based on the novel by Margaret Atwood. Like the mothership series, the sequel is created by Bruce Miller, who serves as showrunner and executive producer.

The Testaments takes place in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead more than 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale. The series is a coming-of-age story that finds a new generation of young women in Gilead, grappling with the bleak future that awaits them.

For these young women,...

Fox is looking to add another show to its animation lineup — by bringing one of its former series back to the network.

The broadcaster is close to making a deal with 20th Television Animation, which produces American Dad!, to return the show to the network, sources say. The show, created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, began its life on Fox before moving to TBS in 2014, where it has run for 10 seasons and more than 200 episodes.

Fox declined comment.

The show’s current two-season order with TBS, which dates back to 2021, will end with Monday’s season finale. Should the deal with Fox go through, it would likely be for a multi-season order, allowing the series to have a relatively seamless transition to delivering new episodes at its once and possibly future home.

A key factor in American Dad!’s return to Fox was the network’s re-upping...

Exclusive: Hulu’s Margaret Atwood adaptation of The Testaments has found its first director.

Emmy-nominated The Handmaid’s Tale and Fargo helmer Mike Barker will direct the first three eps and also EP the high-profile MGM Television-produced series, which has been in the works for a while and is nearing greenlight. Other directors are yet to be revealed.

British director Barker has helmed 12 eps of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, recognized with two Emmy noms. His other credits include ITV hit Broadchurch, Fargo and David Duchovny-starring Prime Video thriller Malice, which launches later this year.

Bruce Miller’s Testaments series is one of the hottest TV shows percolating at present. The Handmaid’s Tale sequel has cast Presumed Innocent‘s Chase Infiniti as one of the three leads, joining Ann Dowd, who had been expected to reprise her Emmy-winning role as Lydia, and Lucy Halliday (Blue Jean). We understand cameras will roll soon in Canada.

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Steven Spielberg is one of the most beloved directors in the history of cinema. Stephen King is one of the most prolific writers in all of popular literature. A big collaboration between these two titans has always felt like a wonderful idea. Spielberg has tried hard to make it happen, as the "Jurassic Park" and "Lincoln" director has long held the rights to King and Peter Straub's book "The Talisman." Despite 40 years of trying, no movie ever materialized. Why not?

King was recently a guest on the latest episode of "The Kingcast," co-hosted by Eric Vespe and Anthony Breznican. In the episode, the author discussed Spielberg's never-realized film adaptation of the 1984 epic. Here's what King had to say about it:

"For 40 years man, Spielberg talked about it. The discussions with Spielberg's rabbi, so to speak, Sid Sheinberg, were very difficult,...

Back in 1984, writers Stephen King and Peter Straub collaborated on the fantasy novel The Talisman, in which a 12-year-old boy named Jack Sawyer goes on a cross-country journey to save the life of his ailing mother – a journey that takes him not just through the American heartland but also through a parallel universe called The Territories. In 2001, King and Straub reteamed for the sequel Black House, which found an adult Jack Sawyer working for the LAPD and travelling to Wisconsin to bring down a serial killer called The Fisherman. There have been rumblings of a third book in the series for a decade now… and even though Straub passed away in 2022, King is sticking with the plan to finish the Jack Sawyer trilogy. Back in October, he wrote on social media, “I’m back in Mid-World…and the Territories. Don’t know if it will develop into anything–I never...

TBS’ “American Dad!” and Green Day’s coffee brand Punk Bunny Coffee have brewed up a perfectly blended partnership sure to perk up fans of the iconic animated-comedy series and the five-time Grammy® Award-winning global rock superstars. Fans and coffee lovers can kick-start their day with the limited-edition “Good Morning U.S.A.” blend which is now available for purchase exclusively at Punkbunnycoffee.com.

“This collab with Punk Bunny is a total blast! We’re stoked to celebrate ‘American Dad!’ with a roast that’s as wild and irreverent as the show itself,” said series creator and executive producer Matt Weitzman and executive producer Brian Boyle. “Green Day’s been rocking out almost as long as we’ve been trying to wake up in the morning. And twice as long as we’ve been waking up in the morning and trying to write jokes for ‘American Dad!’ So this collab coffee,...

The voice cast of American Dad never passes up the chance to show off their singing skills on the show. The songs have been so popular with fans that producers of the animated sitcom have decided to release them on a soundtrack album.

Speaking during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 (via Variety), the American Dad cast and producers officially announced the album which will feature 12 to 14 of the show's most popular songs, like "Daddy's Gone" and "When I Dress My Body." The soundtrack will be released on Spotify and Apple Music, in conjunction with the Season 21 premiere on TBS.

Related 10 Best American Dad Episodes, Ranked

American Dad has offered quite a few fantastic episodes in its run. But what are some of the best examples of greatness in the series so far?

American Dad executive producer Matt Weitzman also offered some insight into the upcoming episodes. Storylines include Roger...

In the last few years, animated series have become more popular than ever before, and fortunately, Hulu includes a wide catalog of animated TV shows. What's more, Hulu is soon releasing revivals for some of the most popular animated series ever created: Futurama and King of the Hill.

Animated shows go from well-known family sitcoms, such as King of the Hill to more subversive and interesting takes, like Rick and Morty. Additionally, there are animated series created for children, but that are truly enjoyable for adults for their interesting art and intelligent jokes, such as Adventure Time.

Related: 10 Best Video Games Based On Cartoons

American Dad!

An iconic animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman, American Dad! revolves around a wealthy family, the Smiths. The series follows Stan, a regular father who is also a CIA Agent. However, even though the show portrays classic and archetypical...

New York – July 21, 2023 – Ahead of San Diego Comic Con, TBS announced “American Dad!” returns on Monday, September 4 at 10Pm Et/Pt. New episodes of the 18th season feature the voices of Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, Jeff Fischer, Dee Bradley Baker, and Patrick Stewart, along with special guests Shaggy, Eliza Coupe, Mark McKinney, Debra Wilson, John Cho, Jane Lynch, Breckin Meyer and many more.

“American Dad!” centers on super patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and the misadventures of his unconventional family in Langley Falls, Va. Stan applies the same drastic measures used in his job at the CIA to his home life, where Stan’s blissfully unaware wife, Francine (Wendy Schaal), has an unfaltering loyalty that makes her blind to his unabashed arrogance. His left-wing activist daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), however, doesn’t let him off so easily and knows just how to push her father’s buttons,...

Screen Rant is thrilled to present an exclusive clip from the season 18 premiere of American Dad!, which airs tonight on TBS. The beloved animated series has had a long run so far, first debuting on Fox in 2005 before heading over to TBS in 2014. There have since been changes in the episode numbering, which makes the upcoming season 18 rather than season 20, as some fans might expect. Nevertheless, the show retains the wacky brand of humor that has made it a staple of modern television.

Created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman, American Dad! follows all-American patriot Stan Smith (voiced by McFarlane) as he brings his CIA work home with him and attempts to make his family fall in line. Driven by machismo and the American dream, he is often blind to how horribly he fails at his attempts. Completing his family are housewife Francine (Wendy Schaal), hippie daughter Hayley...

Director Mike Barker unveils Luckiest Girl Alive, based on the book of the same name by Jessica Knoll. In the film, Mila Kunis stars as magazine editor TifAni FaNelli and is set to marry her fiance, Luke Harrison. FaNelli, however, is left to deal with the trauma of being a survivor of a school shooting and a previous gang rape by her previous friends Liam and Dean, with the former being killed and the latter being paralyzed during the school shooting. There might be some improvement needed on its execution but it still has a slappy dose of entertainment coming from Kunis' charismatic and magnetic performance. Maybe we should start with the positives. The film's accomplishments squarely lie in Kunis and her independent attitude. Her...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

In Herman Melville's original 1851 novel "Moby-Dick," not much was known about the vengeful Capt. Ahab beyond his obsession with finding the story's titular whale. In Mike Barker's 2011 miniseries, Ahab (William Hurt) interacts with his on-screen wife Elizabeth (Gillian Anderson). Ethan Hawke plays Starbuck, Raoul Trujillo plays Queequeg, and Charlie Cox plays the stalwart narrator Ishmael. Cox has recently been getting a great deal of attention from Marvel fans for his performance as the superhero Daredevil in his own show, and for guest spots on "She Hulk: Attorney at Law" and in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." This author first noticed Cox for his performance as Lorenzo in Michael Radford's 2004 adaptation of "The Merchant of Venice." His appearance in "Moby Dick" would immediately be followed by 23 episode of the hit show "Boardwalk Empire," putting the actor on the map.

Filming on "Moby Dick" took place in Malta in 2009. As its story demands,...

Exclusive: Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories and Fifth Season have optioned the rights to Hayley Krischer’s young adult novel The Falling Girls for television. Chloe Stearns and John Wynn are set to write the series.

Set against the backdrop of a high school cheerleading squad, The Falling Girls is a thriller about the dark, intense and all-consuming paths female friendships can take.

Made Up Stories’ Jodi Matterson, Steve Hutensky and Papandrea will exec produce in partnership with Fifth Season.

“We got so excited at the prospect of delving into this world of teenage girl conflict because Hayley has created a mystery at the center of this story that makes it irresistible,” said Made Up Stories execs. “With Chloe and John at the helm, this show is going to take the drama – that we all remember so well from high school and which so often felt like a life...

Universal Pictures has snapped up rights to This Bird Has Flown, the upcoming debut novel from The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs, who will adapt her own work for the screen.

Liza Chasin and Bruna Papandrea — who recently partnered for the first time on the Netflix limited series Anatomy of a Scandal, based on Sarah Vaughan’s same-name novel — will reteam to produce the film adaptation for 3Dot Productions and Made Up Stories, respectively.

Set for publication via Little, Brown and Company on April 4, 2023, This Bird Has Flown is billed as a romantic comedy pulling back the curtain on the music business via the introduction of a very endearing character and her equally charming cohort.

Steve Hutensky and Sarah Harvey on behalf of Made Up Stories and Margaret Chernin on behalf...

Click here to read the full article.

FX is looking for a different take on The Americans.

The Disney-backed cable network has handed out a pilot order for drama The Bends, from writer Paul Attanasio (House, Quiz Show, Donnie Brasco) and The Handmaid’s Tale exec producer Warren Littlefield.

The drama follows a seemingly perfect American family in Berlin whose secrets come to light when they hire a new nanny, unaware that she is trying to expose the parents’ corrupt financial and familial ties. The Bends is based on Gerald Seymour’s book, Killing Ground.

Attanasio will write the script and exec produce the drama, which is produced in-house at Disney’s 20th Television and Warren Littlefield’s studio-based The Littlefield Co. Mike Barker, who worked with FX on Fargo and Littlefield on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, will direct the pilot.Exec producers also include Littlefield, who expands his relationship...

Paul Attanasio has set a drama pilot at FX based on the Gerald Seymour book “Killing Ground.”

The one-hour pilot is titled “The Bends.” Per the official logline, “the series follows a seemingly perfect American family in Berlin whose secrets come to light when they hire a new nanny, unaware that she is trying to expose the parents’ corrupt financial and familial ties.”

Attanasio is writing and executive producing, with Mike Barker set to direct and executive produce the pilot. Warren Littlefield, Ann Johnson, Graham Littlefield, and Lisa Harrison of The Littlefield Company also executive produce, as will Kathy Ciric. 20th Television is the studio. The Littlefield Company is currently under an overall deal with Disney, which owns 20th TV.

Attanasio has been nominated for two Academy Awards in his career, both for best adapted screenplay. The first was for “Quiz Show,” while the second was for “Donnie Brasco.” His...

FX has given a pilot green light to The Bends, a drama from Homicide creator Paul Attanasio and Fargo and Dopesick executive producer Warren Littlefield.

Written by Attanasio based on the novel Killing Ground by Gerald Seymour, the thriller series follows a seemingly perfect American family in Berlin whose secrets come to light when they hire a new nanny, unaware that she is trying to expose the parents’ corrupt financial and familial ties.

Mike Barker (Hit & Run) will direct the pilot, which will be produced by 20th Television and The Littlefield Company and stems from The Littlefield Co.’s overall deal with 20th TV and ABC Signature.

Attanasio executive produces alongside Barker as well as Warren Littlefield, Ann Johnson, Graham Littlefield and Lisa Harrison of The Littlefield Company, and Kathy Ciric.

Related Story ‘Feud: Capote's Women': Newcomer Ella Beatty Joins Ryan Murphy's FX Series In Key Role Related...

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Even when it’s not Halloween, there isn’t much that beats a night of curling up and watching a scary horror movie. The genre lends itself to slashers, paranormal tales, stories about witches, and more. Some of the greatest and most iconic films in cinema history are horror movies, with those classics being joined by a steady flow of new releases. Whether it’s the greats like Alfred Hitchcock and Wes Craven, rising horror minds like Jordan Peele and Ari Aster,...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for “Luckiest Girl Alive,” now streaming on Netflix.

In 2015, Jessica Knoll’s “Luckiest Girl Alive” was the book in everyone’s bag. It spent 17 consecutive weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Before Hello Sunshine — or Reese Witherspoon’s book club — even existed, Witherspoon signed on to produce a film adaptation.

It took seven years, but ultimately, the movie landed at Netflix. First set to have a theatrical release, the Mike Barker-directed movie, written by Knoll, took off the moment it dropped. Currently, it’s in its second week in the No. 1 slot on the streaming service: 57 million hours of the movie have been watched this week alone.

Still, the release hasn’t been without a bit of backlash on social media. The story follows Ani FaNelli — played by Mila Kunis as an adult, and Chiara Aurelia as a teenager — when...

For the second week in a row, Luckiest Girl Alive topped the Netflix Top 10 Film Chart globally. The mystery thriller film starring Mila Kunis was the most-watched movie with 57,010,000 hours viewed for the week starting October 10 and ending on October 16.

Hours viewed for the second week were up from its premiere week when it reached 43,080,000 hours, the week of October 3 through October 9.

Luckiest Girl Alive was directed by Mike Barker and it is based on the 2015 Jessica Knoll novel of the same name. The film was produced by Bruna Papandrea and Jeanne Snow for Made Up Stories, Erik Feig and Lucy Kitada for Picturestart and Mila Kunis for Orchard Farm Productions.

For independent producer Papandrea, having Luckiest Girl Alive at the top of the charts in 2022 is quite the feat as she had previously scored major wins with the series Pieces of Her and Anatomy of a Scandal.

Luckiest Girl Alive centers on Ani FaNelli,...

A hollow adaptation of Jessica Knoll’s 2015 novel centers on a woman whose perfect life is corroded by past trauma

The book cover for Luckiest Girl Alive, Jessica Knoll’s bestselling 2015 debut novel about a woman’s seemingly perfect life corroded by past trauma, features large, blaring font over a cheap-looking black rose – a symbol of rebirth rendered tacky, a bit emo. It’s of the time for a mid-2010s literary hit, but also seems to anticipate the 2022 Netflix adaptation, which wrings the novel of its caustic wit and serrated observations of New York careerists into a hollow, unearned empowerment anthem.

The film version, directed by Mike Barker from a screenplay by Knoll, suffers from a similar problem to this summer’s Where the Crawdads Sing, another adaptation of a literary smash about a jagged female protagonist tapped by Reese Witherspoon. Both films inherit and reify the flaws of its source material.

The irony of “Luckiest Girl Alive” isn’t just reserved for the title: Isn’t it ironic how those who brutalize others are the ones who never seem to feel pain? In the vein of viral ’90s-set series “Yellowjackets” and “Cruel Summer,” “Luckiest Girl Alive” relies on flashbacks to frame the tentacles of trauma more than two decades later.

Mila Kunis stars as women’s magazine editor Ani FaNelli, who seems to have the perfect Manhattan life in the perfect apartment with the perfect fiancé (Finn Wittrock). That is, until a true crime documentarian approaches Ani to find out what really happened at her prestigious high school all those years ago that lead up to the deadliest private school shooting in American history. “Luckiest Girl Alive” is based on Jessica Knoll’s bestselling 2015 novel of the same name, and Knoll adapted the screenplay herself, with “Handmaid’s Tale” director Mike Barker helming the film.

Mirrors reflect who we are, or at least how we want to appear to others. Director Mike Barker’s “Luckiest Girl Alive” uses them as a motif throughout this tale centered on a woman whose pristine, calculated image disguises a mess of insecurities and intense psychological pain. Yet the picture portrayed in author Jessica Knoll’s adaptation of her own novel struggles with its tone, poor character construction and annoying screenwriting contrivances. Utilizing a traditionally glossy, chick-lit-retrofitted heroine as a mouthpiece for somber, serious activist sentiments isn’t so much provocative as just downright batty.

Ani (Mila Kunis) seemingly has it all: She’s sharp-witted, gorgeous, holds a coveted position at a Cosmopolitan-like magazine and shares a palatial apartment in New York City with her loving, upper-crust fiancé Luke (Finn Wittrock). She’s even earned her demanding boss Lolo’s (Jennifer Beals) adoration. But she’s also secretly abrasive, judging by her acid-tinged voiceover.

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Ani FaNelli (Mila Kunis) lives an opulent, regimented and, some people might consider, enviable life. The protagonist of Netflix’s Luckiest Girl Alive writes for a glossy women’s magazine, is engaged to a poster boy for summers in Nantucket and wears designer clothes tailored to her svelte form. She has discerning taste, a sharp personality and a caustic tongue.

When we meet Ani, shopping at Williams-Sonoma with her fiancé, Luke Harrison IV (Finn Wittrock), the contours of her meticulously curated existence are evident. But so is the anxious energy percolating beneath it. The wide-eyed brunette wrestles with memories of a traumatic high-school experience, marked by gun violence and sexual assault.

Adapted from Jessica Knoll’s best-selling novel of the same name, Luckiest Girl Alive struggles to balance its dual aspirations: delivering an emotionally wrought tale about survival and wrapping its gravity in...

Following along in the not-too-distant footsteps of popular women’s suspense novels such as Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, Luckiest Girl Alive tells the tony yet unsavory tale of a successful career woman who struggles to once and for all come to terms with a highly traumatic youthful episode. The emotions expressed here are nearly all negative, understandably so given the dreadful backstory that eventually comes to the fore. What’s more, the characters, most of all the leading lady, hardly represent the best of company. But what it’s ultimately getting at in the final scenes does provide some tough emotional reality and self-searching in a what-might-you-have-done-in-the-same-situation sort of way, which is at least a bit more than what other tales of this ilk provide.

Jessica Knoll’s 2015 novel, her second, takes place many floors beneath those occupied by the likes of Succession, but it’s roughly the same Manhattan neighborhood,...

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After Jessica Knoll’s 2015 best-seller Luckiest Girl Alive was optioned early on, she was determined to be the one to bring the story to life for the screen. The only caveat: She didn’t have any experience in screenwriting.

“I was completely 100 percent obsessed [and] fixated on being the one to adapt it myself, even though I didn’t have any screenwriting experience. I would have these conversations with my agent constantly: ‘How do we do this? How do we get them to give me a shot? I know if they’ll just give me a shot that I can do this,'” Knoll told The Hollywood Reporter.

While Knoll quips that she was considered “cheap labor,” she ultimately signed on to not only adapt the novel for the screen but to serve as an executive producer. The dual titles see her following squarely...

Big Little Lies producer Bruna Papandrea’s production company, Made Up Stories, is expanding with a new UK office run by Sarah Harvey, who has joined the company as a producer and creative director. Harvey officially began her new position in August.

“I’ve long admired Bruna’s tenacity and stellar storytelling instincts, and I’m thrilled to have joined the incredibly talented Made Up Stories Team,” said Harvey.

Harvey has worked across film and TV for over 20 years and has held positions at several production companies, including Blueprint Pictures, Intermedia Films, and Working Title Films. As Head of Film at Blueprint, she developed and co-produced The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, directed by John Madden. The film picked up BAFTA and Golden Globe nods. She also co-produced Martin McDonagh’s directorial debut In Bruges, starring Colin Farrell.

Most recent credits from Harvey include Ol Parker’s romantic comedy Ticket To Paradise,...

"Luckiest Girl Alive" is a new mystery thriller directed by Mike Barker from a screenplay by Jessica Knoll, based on her novel, starring Mila Kunis, Finn Wittrock, Scoot McNairy, Thomas Barbusca, Jennifer Beals and Connie Britton, streaming October 7, 2022 on Netflix:

"...at first glance, 'Ani' appears to have a perfect life. She works as an editor at a glamorous women's magazine and has a loving fiancé from a good family.

"Yet Ani also hides a secret – as a teenager she underwent a series of emotionally crippling events..."

Click the images to enlarge...

What happens when Lady Luck is down, out, and in need of a reinvention after a traumatic attack?

Mila Kunis stars as the titular “Luckiest Girl Alive” in the Netflix adaptation of Jessica Knoll’s bestselling 2015 novel of the same name. The film premieres in select theaters September 30 and will stream on Netflix October 7.

Kunis plays New York Times Magazine editor Ani FaNelli, who seems to be living the perfect New York City life: with the best fashion, best friends, and best fiancé (Finn Wittrock). Ani has it all — until the director of a true crime documentary approaches her to relive a shocking incident from her prestigious high school. Ani is forced to confront a past that threatens her future.

“I don’t know what’s me, and what part I invented,” Kunis as Ani says in the trailer.

“Cruel Summer” breakout Chiara Aurelia plays the teen version of Ani,...

Based on the best-selling novel, Ani FaNelli (Mila Kunis), a sharp-tongued New Yorker appears to have it all: a sought-after position at a glossy magazine, a killer wardrobe and a dream Nantucket wedding on the horizon. But when the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of the shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Brentley School, Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life.

Also stars Finn Wittrock, Connie Britton, Scoot McNairy and Jennifer Beals.

Directed by Mike Barker and written by Jessica Knoll. “Knoll admits that she never imagined Ani as a brunette. “In my eyes, she’s [that girl] who starts as a bottled blonde and then ends up paying 1,000 for highlights.” So, when Mila Kunis’ name first came up, she was floored at how natural it felt. “I never would...

The trailer for Netflix's latest original mystery-thriller is here, and "Luckiest Girl Alive" looks like it actually could be a cut above the streamer's recent lackluster movie offerings. While Netflix adaptations like "The Woman in the Window" offered more groans than thrills, this latest page-to-screen story already appears to be a more lively take on a popular mystery novel. The new film stars Mila Kunis in "Black Swan" paranoid thriller mode, and the "That '70s Show" actor suspiciously side-eyes her way through an intriguing storyline about secrets from her adolescence that come back to haunt her right when her life finally seems to be going perfectly. 

Also, huge news for us "Halt and Catch Fire" fans out there: Scoot McNairy pops up! Here's the full trailer.

Maybe She's Not So Lucky

This trailer has all of the hallmarks of a thriller based on a book from the height of the post-"Gone Girl" era,...

Content warning: this post contains descriptions of sexual assault.

Mila Kunis is the "Luckiest Girl Alive" in Netflix's latest book-to-movie adaptation. The movie, based on New York Times bestselling author Jessica Knoll's 2015 novel of the same name, stars Kunis as Ani FaNelli, "a sharp-tongued New Yorker" living in her own perfect world - until a crime documentary that revisits her dark high school past threatens to unravel everything. Netflix released the trailer for the film on Sept. 6.

Though "Luckiest Girl Alive" is a fictional story, Knoll previously told the "Today" show that her novel - which sold over 450,000 copies - was shaped by her own experiences. In the book, Ani survives a gang rape, a similar experience the author had when she was 15 years old and assaulted by three boys at a party. "I knew it the morning that I opened my eyes. I just felt horrible and...