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Exclusive: Netflix has optioned The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, with Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster set to adapt the debut novel by Anna Johnston. The scribes brought the book to Netflix and will produce through their Blue Harp banner.

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At 82, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home.

William Morrow

The writers have won the Peabody Award, the Pen Award and the Humanitas Prize for their work as screenwriters. They’ve also been nominated for the Emmy,...

In addition to its immense library of licensed shows and movies, Prime Video has a growing catalog of original television programming. From postmodern superhero shows like "The Boys" to hard-hitting thrillers like "Reacher," Prime Video has been enormously successful with its exclusive content. However, with so much to choose from on the streaming service, there are always TV shows that fall through the cracks compared to their more prominent counterparts. Fortunately, we're here to help you find those shows that you might've missed looking for the next great series to binge.

Whether it's shows that were canceled far too soon or series overshadowed by similar, more buzzed-about programming, there are plenty of overlooked Prime Video originals. These shows range from series backed by all-star talent that flew just under the radar to international productions that didn't quite get noticed in the United States, from comedies to high fantasy, even revisionist Westerns,...

The feel-good dramedy series wrapped up its three-season run this past weekend, but there are plenty of other shows to watch next.

Pour out one last tiny ‘tini or margarini for TV’s best feel-good series. This past Sunday, Dec. 8, HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere,” starring Bridget Everett, finished airing its third and final season. Everett starred as Sam, a woman in her 40s who returns to her hometown of Manhattan, Kansas, to navigate the death of her sister, where she finds a new and renewed community amongst her family and friends.

Few shows in recent memory have felt as warm and authentic as “Somebody Somewhere,” which also co-starred Jeff Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison, Murray Hill, and more, never shying away from sadness or loneliness but instead embracing it with empathy toward being alive.

If you, too, have a Kansas-sized hole in your heart and are looking for more comedies about moving forward through life,...

Ann Lowe — the pioneering fashion designer and American couturier — is getting the biopic treatment at TriStar thanks to Serena Williams and Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter.

Sony’s TriStar Pictures acquired the pitch for the project, titled The Dress, about Lowe, one of the country’s most prolific but also least-known couturiers. Lowe, who died in 1981, designed mid-century wardrobes for the biggest names in American society and industry, including members of the Rockefeller, Roosevelt, Du Pont and Whitney families.

The story will focus on how Lowe, who was the first Black woman to own a shop on Madison Avenue, was commissioned to design the wedding dress that Jackie Bouvier wore at her 1953 wedding to John F. Kennedy.

Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, the writers behind the Mister Rogers movie A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood, will pen the screenplay based on the book By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley.

Disney can’t seem to catch a break as filmmaker Sarah Polley exits from the upcoming Disney remake – Bambi. Sarah Polley, who is known for her thought-stirring work like Women Talking, has recently decided to step away from the upcoming live-action remake for creative reasons.

Sarah Polley is not the only one to walk off the sets of Bambi; screenwriter Lindsey Anderson Beer also reportedly left the project last year. Disney’s trouble with live-action remakes is not a new issue; the last release, The Little Mermaid, faced backlash from fans, and the upcoming Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs remake generated negative reactions before release.

A still from Women Talking | Source: Women Talking

Bambi In The Wild

Disney has been trying desperately to bank on the success of existing projects, and the success of The Lion King and The Jungle Book has played a major role in greenlighting several live-action remakes.

Greta Gerwig could be in line for a hattrick of Oscar nominations this year for Picture, Director, and Original Screenplay for her marvelous work on Warner Bros.’s “Barbie.” The multi-hyphenate co-wrote the movie with her partner, Noah Baumbach, while she brought to life the world of Barbie as a visionary helmer of one of the biggest films of the year. She has reaped three Oscar bids to date for two of her previous pictures. Let’s take a closer look at those races.

Her first bids came in 2018 for “Lady Bird,” which tells the story of a 17-year-old girl who comes of age in Sacramento, California, in 2002. Saoirse Ronan stars in the lead role while Timothée Chalamet, Lucas Hedges, and Laurie Metcalf also featured. “Lady Bird” was a critical darling, which meant that Gerwig enjoyed a good time at the Critics Choice Awards, securing nominations for both Original Screenplay and Director.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil left the door open for a potential Maleficent 3, with a happy ending but a promise for future conflict. Disney has not confirmed the rumors of a Maleficent 3, but they have not shut them down either, giving hope for a continued story. If Maleficent 3 were to happen, it would likely take several years to be released due to the ambitious production scope of the franchise.

Disney's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil perfectly set up a continued story for the reimagined villain - so will there ever be a Maleficent 3? Based on the famous Sleeping Beauty tale, the franchise stars Angelina Jolie as the titular character. The original Maleficent premiered in 2014 and introduced the new idea that the old villain and her relationship with Princess Aurora were misunderstood. Then, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, released in October 2019, explored how the pair's story progressed after King Stefan's...

When Barry Meier first published what would become his explosive book Pain Killer back in 2003, which investigated the billionaire scions behind Purdue Pharma and the drug OxyContin, it was optioned by production firm Anonymous Content. But, the author says, Hollywood wasn’t actually ready to tell the story. “They had a very hard time selling a script at that point, because Purdue had not been indicted yet by the Justice Department,” Meier tells The Hollywood Reporter. “So people in Hollywood were going, ‘Are these good guys; are they bad guys? How do we cast this?’ Well, by 2007, it was pretty clear that this company had pled guilty to a federal crime, and that OxyContin had planted the seed and was the gateway drug to this horrible opioid epidemic that was still unfolding.”

Nearly 20 years later, after Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker article “The Family That Built the Empire of...

Warning: The following article contains spoilers from Painkiller.

In Netflix's Painkiller, Dr. Curtis Wright played a significant role in the Fda approval of OxyContin despite concerns about its dangerous side effects. After leaving the Fda, Dr. Wright joined Purdue Pharma, raising suspicions about his involvement in the opioid crisis. The scandal led to numerous lawsuits and depositions, but Dr. Wright was never indicted for his role in OxyContin's misleading marketing.

Netflix's Painkiller is inspired by a true story — Purdue Pharma's involvement in the opioid crisis following the manufacturing of their drug, OxyContin.The drama limited series explores the development of the drug, the lengths the pharmaceutical company went through to get the United States Food and Drug Administration (Fda) to approve the painkiller, and the persecution Purdue Pharma faced after it was discovered how addictive OxyContin was. One of the most significant figures in the drug's Fda approval was Dr.

Uzo Aduba's character, Edie Flowers, is a fictional composite of real investigators who looked into Purdue Pharma and OxyContin. Edie Flowers, the fictional character, opposes the real-life pharmaceutical tycoon Richard Sackler, who was involved in the development of OxyContin. The show's creators wanted a singular hero to represent the investigators' efforts, which is why they created Edie Flowers as the central character for dramatic purposes.

Uzo Aduba stars in Painkiller, which was inspired by the opioid crisis, and some wonder if Aduba's character, Edie Flowers, is based on a real person or is entirely fictional. The Netflix limited series centers around Edie, an investigator with the United States Attorney's Office tasked with looking into Purdue Pharma and the company's manufactured drug, OxyContin. The story is based on Barry Meier's 2003 non-fiction book Pain Killer and Patrick Radden Keefe's 2017 New Yorker article "The Family That Built an Empire of Pain.

HBO’s Ballers, the docuseries Depp v. Heard, the Adam Sandler-produced You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and interactive rom-com Choose Love are among the new projects debuting on Netflix in August.

After adding all five seasons of Insecure last month, in the first time an HBO original series was available on Netflix in the U.S., Netflix is adding yet another HBO title on Aug. 15: the Dwayne Johnson-fronted Ballers.

The streamer is also set to add HBO series Band of Brothers, The Pacific and Six Feet Under at a future date, due to a co-exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s headline-making 2022 defamation case, over a Washington Post op-ed in which Heard called herself a domestic abuse survivor, is the subject of the three-part Depp v. Heard docuseries, which combines footage that was televised and livestreamed...

Creators Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster are sending a weighty message with their new Netflix miniseries Painkiller. Pulling from Patrick Radden Keefe's New Yorker article "The Family That Built an Empire of Pain" and Barry Meier’s novel Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic, the series explores the genesis of the opioid crisis from the perspective of Purdue Pharma and its wealthy CEO Richard Sackler as well as the victims whose lives were destroyed because of the vital yet highly addictive drug OxyContin. For as deeply troubling as the story is, it's one worth telling and understanding as it demonstrates how the wealthiest benefactors can profit under everyone's nose while real people suffer.

If the facts don’t rattle you, then surely Painkiller, the new Netflix miniseries about the sketchy rise of OxyContin and the alarming opioid crisis it spawned will. Let’s start with the facts: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 44 people died each day in 2020 “from overdoses involving prescription opioids, totaling more than 16,000 deaths.” Additionally, prescription opioids were involved in nearly 24% of all opioid overdose deaths that year, which was a 16% increase in prescription opioid-involved deaths from 2019 to 2020.

Now, on to Painkiller, the miniseries with director Peter Berg and editor Geofrey Hildrew at the helm. The outing is a fictionalized retelling of the origins and aftermath of America’s opioid crisis, shining the spotlight on the victims, perpetrators, and justice-seekers whose lives were forever altered by the birth of OxyContin.

This might be yet another outing that looks so glaringly at billionaire Richard Sackler,...

There are more than a handful of moments when watching Painkiller that it seems obvious this Netflix miniseries is bound to rack up several Emmy nominations. Director Peter Berg’s (Friday Night Lights) directing is on the mark, as is Geofrey Hildrew’s (Once Upon a Time) exceptional editing, making these episodes move along at a lightning speed pace. Showrunners/creators Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster are at the top of their game, and the overall story, which tracks the rise of OxyContin, and the opioid epidemic that followed, has never been timelier.

Then there’s the delightful Uzo Aduba, who stands out as Edie Flowers, an investigator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office whose relentless quest to uncover the truth about the OxyContin crisis drives this boldly executed endeavor toward must-see status.

Sure, Matthew Broderick chews up scenery as billionaire Richard Sackler, the money-hungry yet flighty (as he’s portrayed...

Cults come in many shapes, sizes and forms, not all of them involving a charismatic figurehead, secluded hideaway, or cache of weapons. Sometimes, as in Netflix’s lively new Sackler family takedown Painkiller, the angels of death are short-skirted sales reps, heroin Barbies who scream their heads off at sales “conferences” and seduce doctors with gifts, hefty speaker fees, and, sometimes, sex. They’re paid handsomely, plied with Porsches and luxury apartments, all for spreading the lethal lies that Oxycontin isn’t terribly addictive and doctors are professionally if not...

It’s hard to say how “Painkiller,” a fictionalized Netflix limited series based on America’s opioid crisis, would play had one never seen the similarly themed and structured – and vastly superior – 2021 Hulu limited series “Dopesick.”

The new show’s misuse of lead actors Uzo Aduba, who plays a crusading U.S. Attorney’s office investigator, and Matthew Broderick, who plays real-life former Purdue Pharma head Richard Sackler – would be evident either way. So would director Peter Berg’s overuse of early aughts-style rock ‘em sock ‘em shaky camera work, quick edits and blue light.

But “Painkiller” likely would not seem so wholly unnecessary if “Dopesick” did not exist.

Unfolding over six hour-long episodes, “Painkiller” makes compelling points about Purdue, the pharmaceutical company that overhyped the painkilling potential of its drug OxyContin while underplaying its addictive qualities. Characters repeatedly call OxyContin what it is: heroin in candy coating. Such frankness...

Where to Watch Powered by Painkiller is a Netflix miniseries that takes a fictionalized approach to exploring the events that led to the opioid epidemic in America. The show provides multiple perspectives on the story, including investigators, the Sackler family, drug reps, and those affected by addiction. The cast, led by Uzo Aduba and Clark Gregg, delivers standout performances, bringing authenticity and depth to their characters.

Painkiller is a fictionalized retelling of the events that led to the opioid epidemic in America. The show depicts the origins of OxyContin's invention, the marketing scheme that got so many doctors prescribing it and so many patients addicted to it, and how one family started this chain of events. The miniseries tells this story from the perspectives of investigators, the Sackler family, the drug reps, and the people whose lives were destroyed by OxyContin.

Painkiller stars a powerhouse cast led by Uzo Aduba,...

Netflix has tons of TV series being released in August. Some great old TV series are returning, and some exciting new series are just being released. Truly, there’s something for everyone on Netflix in August. A TV show for every temperament is coming to Netflix’s catalog. There are incredible Sci-Fi adventures, charming LGBTQ+ romances, darkly true tales of greed, and live-action adaptations of popular anime. Netflix is continually giving people what they want, and this month is no exception.

In one of the most delightful and loveable romances in recent memory, Heartstopper tells the story of two teen boys as they come of age in modern Britain. LGBTQ+ teens rarely get to take center stage in romances, and this show does a great job of putting them in the spotlight in a safe and supportive manner. Mech Cadets is a new Sci-Fi series from experienced studio Polygon Pictures.

"Painkiller" is a new 6-episode drama TV series, created by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, based on Patrick Radden Keefe's "New Yorker" magazine article "The Family That Built an Empire of Pain" and the book "Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic" by Barry Meier, streaming August 10, 2023 on Netflix:

"...the series follows the birth of the opioid crisis...

"...with an emphasis on 'Purdue Pharma', manufacturer of 'OxyContin'..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Calling all Bravoholics! Fans will be able to purchase three-day tickets for the upcoming BravoCon beginning Friday, July 21 at 12 p.m. Et/ 9 a.m. Pt, NBCU announced on Thursday.

Fans who decide to purchase tickets on July 21, will have the choice between the three-day “Bravoholic” general admission and “Future Bravolebrity” VIP tickets for the Las Vegas event.

The annual convention will relocate for the 2023 event and take place from Nov. 3-5 at Caesars Forum on the Las Vegas Strip. Fans will have the opportunity to attend over 60 live events that will host their favorite cast members, from several Bravo franchises including “The Real Housewives,” “Vanderpump Rules,” “Below Deck,” “Southern Charm,” “Summer House” and “Winter House.” In between attending live events, fans will have the opportunity to shop around the Bravo Bazaar, attend VIP talent meet and greets and participate in immersive activations.

In addition to panels with the casts, fans...

Painkiller finally has its arrival date. The limited drama was first announced by Netflix in 2021 with the reveal of its cast. Six episodes were produced for the series, which arrives on August 10th.

Starring Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny, John Rothman, Clark Gregg, Jack Mulhern, Sam Anderson, Ana Cruz Kayne, Brian Markinson, Noah Harpster, John Ales, Johnny Sneed, Tyler Ritter, and Carolina Bartczak, the series tells the story of the opioid crisis.Read More…...

The trailer for Netflix’s new limited series “Painkiller” has arrived.

Inspired by real events based on America’s opioid crisis, the look-ahead clip sees an investigator with the US attorney’s office (Uzo Aduba) look into “how something so legally prescribed could be killing so many people.”

Read More: Uzo Aduba Expecting Her First Child With Husband Robert Sweeting: ‘I Am Beyond Excited’

Uzo Aduba as Edie in episode 102 of “Painkiller”. — Photo: Keri Anderson/Netflix

The official synopsis reads: “A fictionalized retelling of events, ‘Painkiller’ is a scripted limited series that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin.”

Taylor Kitsch as Glen Kryger, Carolina Bartczak as Lily Kryger in episode 101 of “Painkiller”. — Photo: Keri Anderson/Netflix West Duchovny as Shannon Shaeffer in episode...

Netflix has dropped the official trailer for the new series Painkiller. Starring Matthew Broderick and Uzo Aduba, the series is inspired by the real-life opioid crisis that has plagued America in recent years. The limited series will premiere on Netflix on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. For now, you can get a sneak peek at the show by watching the brand new trailer below.

Per the synopsis, Painkiller is a fictionalized retelling of events that "explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin. [It is an] examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans."

Painkiller is based on the book Pain Killer by Barry Meier and the New Yorker Magazine article "The Family That Built the Empire of Pain" by Patrick Radden Keefe. The...

Netflix this morning dropped the official trailer for the six-part limited series “Painkiller” starring Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dana Shihabi and West Duchovny that premieres August 10 on the streamer. The scripted series – inspired by real events and based on the book “Pain Killer” by Barry Meier and the New Yorker magazine article “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain” by Patrick Radden Keefe, both of whom are consultants on the series – surrounds America’s opioid crisis and the Sackler family. All six installments are directed by two-time Emmy nominee Pete Berg, who also serves as an executive producer. See the official trailer above.

The series will highlight “the stories of the perpetrators, victims and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin.” “Painkillers” also examines “the crime, accountability and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans.” Writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and...

It’s Matthew Broderick like you’ve never seen him (and never wanted to see him) before.

The actor takes center stage in Netflix’s just-released trailer for Painkiller, a six-episode limited series about the origins of America’s opioid crisis, looming large as a key figure in the rise of OxyContin.

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Described...

Painkiller, Netflix’s anticipated and upcoming new limited series about the U.S. opioid crisis, has dropped its first trailer.

The six-episode series releasing Aug. 10 from the EP team of Eric Newman (Narcos, True Story) and director Pete Berg (Friday Night Lights, Spenser Confidential) is inspired by real events amid the country’s opioid crisis and features a cast including Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch (marking a Fnl reunion with Berg), Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny and John Rothman.

Alex Gibney (The Crime of the Century, Going Clear) also executive produces with creators, showrunners and writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood).

The trailer introduces Aduba’s character as Edie, the investigator leading the case against Purdue Pharma, with Broderick playing Richard Sackler, a scion of the billionaire family that controls Purdue and a senior executive at the company.

Sackler explains that human behavior is...

Netflix’s upcoming limited series “Painkiller” is lifting the veil on America’s opioid crisis, investigating the role of one family in making OxyContin “the No. 1 opioid in the country.”

“All of human behavior is essentially comprised of two things: run from pain, run toward pleasure; pain, pleasure,” Matthew Broderick’s Richard Sackler said in the series’ official trailer. “If we place ourselves right there between pain and pleasure, we will never have to worry about money again.”

As the Sackler dynasty’s Purdue Pharma recruits a batch of fresh-faced sales workers who they claim will convince doctors to “take pain seriously,” an investor from the U.S. attorneys office (Uzo Aduba) is determined to take the family responsible for countless deaths down.

“You lie, you hurt people, you go down,” Aduba said. “They are doing the exact same thing as crack dealers but they are getting rewarded it.”

Also...

With a release date on the books for the live-action version of Moana thanks to Disney's giant new announcement about shuffled movie arrivals, the Mouse House's love for live-action versions of its animated canon remains unabated. It has been planning a new take on Bambi since at least 2020, and Deadline reports that Oscar-winning writer/director Sarah Polley is now in talks to handle the film.

Polley, who took home the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar at this year's awards for Women Talking, might not seem like the first thought when it comes to a big, likely CG-heavy Disney fable, since her work has largely been in smaller-scale and documentary fare. But given what the likes of David Lowery have been able to do (he with Pete's Dragon and this year's Peter Pan & Wendy) where directors with blockbuster experience have fallen down (Robert Zemeckis and Pinocchio), we're intrigued to see what Polley might do.

Sarah Polley is in talks to direct a live-action remake of Walt Disney’s “Bambi,” TheWrap has learned. Details on the project are scarce, but she will work off a recent screenplay draft penned by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster and the film will be a musical featuring music from Kacey Musgraves.

The news comes as Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is lighting up the box office and could follow in the footsteps of the photoreal CG-filled “The Lion King” and “The Jungle Book.” While those films were blockbusters, it has not been confirmed as to whether this seemingly less epic offering will be intended for theaters or, as we saw with “Pinocchio,” “Lady and the Tramp” and “Peter Pan and Wendy,” Disney+.

Sarah Polley is coming off an Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay for the critically acclaimed “Women Talking,” which was her first directorial effort in over a...

Exclusive: After winning the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Women Talking, Sarah Polley is on to the most epic undertaking of her filmmaking career thus far, as Deadline understands that the filmmaker is in talks to helm a live-action take on Bambi in very early development at Disney.

Multiple sources tell Deadline that the project is a musical to feature music from six-time Grammy-winning country star Kacey Musgraves. Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster (Transparent) wrote the most recent draft of the script, and Chris and Paul Weitz’s Depth of Field will produce.

The studio first signaled its intention to adapt Bambi for live-action back in early 2020, bringing Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer aboard as writers and Depth of Field to produce in January of that year. No word yet on when the project might be put in motion, given unpredictable strike conditions, for starters.

The film is of course the coming-of-age story of Bambi,...

Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders in Aladdin Photo: Disney Now that The Little Mermaid has become a bona fide hit in theaters, the list of animated films set to get their own live-action remakes continues to grow. According to Deadline, the previously announced Bambi remake is one step closer to coming of age,...

New images from the upcoming Netflix drama Painkiller see Matthew Broderick as Purdue Pharma President Richard Sackler at the height of the opioid crisis in America. The last time Netflix collaborated with the Ferris Bueller's Day Off star was in 2019, when the adventure comedy show Daybreak threw Broderick into the apocalypse. Painkiller also marks Broderick's first TV role since 2019.

Now, Entertainment Weekly has released images from Painkiller, revealing Broderick as Sackler at the height of America's opioid crisis. The series of images also reveal the other characters in the series whose lives are impacted by Purdue's OxyContin, alongside those seeking justice for the affected. A release date of August 10 was also revealed. Check out the behind-the-scenes images below:

8 Images

Close Everything We Know About Painkiller

Painkiller will be a six-episode limited series focusing on the beginning of the opioid crisis and the role of OxyContin, a pain management drug sold by Purdue.

Netflix has another limited series on tap for later this year, and it's sure to be one of the most talked-about shows of the year.

The streaming service on Monday dropped the first look photos and premiere date for Painkiller.

The highly-anticipated drama touches down on Thursday, August 10.

Netflix stresses that the series is "a fictionalized retelling of events."

Painkiller "explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin."

"An examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans, Painkiller is based on the book Pain Killer by Barry Meier and the New Yorker Magazine article 'The Family That Built the Empire of Pain' by Patrick Radden Keefe."

The series is executive produced by Eric Newman, Pete Berg, Alex Gibney,...

Netflix has just released an exclusive first look at the new limited series drama that’s due to hit the service later this summer. Painkiller features an all-star cast and deals with one of the many crises that currently plagues our world — the opioid epidemic. The series will feature six episodes that clock in at an hour an episode. It stars an ensemble that includes Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny, and John Rothman.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads,

“A fictionalized retelling of events, Painkiller is a scripted limited series that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin. An examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans, Painkiller is based on the...

The Netflix six-part limited series “Painkiller” starring Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dana Shihabi and West Duchovny will premiere August 10 on the streamer, it was announced this morning. The scripted series – inspired by real events and based on the book “Pain Killer” by Barry Meier and the New Yorker magazine article “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain” by Patrick Radden Keefe, both of whom are consultants on the series – surrounds America’s opioid epidemic and the Sackler family. All six installments are directed by two-time Emmy nominee Peter Berg, who also serves as an executive producer.

The series will highlight “the stories of the perpetrators, victims and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin.” “Painkillers” also examines “the crime, accountability and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans.” Writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster are the creators/showrunners, while...

Matthew Broderick and Uzo Aduba are teaming up in Netflix’s limited series Painkiller, which will make its debut on Thursday, Aug. 10, the streamer announced Monday.

According to the official synopsis, Painkiller is a fictionalized retelling of events “that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin.” The series serves as “an examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans.”

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Netflix has unveiled the first look images for “Painkiller,” a new series that explores the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America through a fictional retelling of events.

The six-part limited series, which stars Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, John Rothman and West Duchovny, will premiere on Netflix Aug. 10.

Billed as an “examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans,” the series will spotlight stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin,” per the official logline.

Courtesy of Keri Anderson/Netflix

The scripted series is based on the book of the same name by Barry Meier as well as Patrick Radden Keefe’s article in the New Yorker Magazine titled “The Family That Built the Empire of Pain,” which exposes the Sackler Dynasty’s pivotal role in the opioid epidemic.

Fernandomania is coming back.

Universal Content Productions is teaming up with the beloved Dodgers pitcher-turned-broadcaster for a scripted limited series based on his life and career. A network/platform is not yet attached.

The project, which is in development, hails from writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, the writing duo whose credits include the upcoming Netflix limited series Painkiller and who are adapting Disney’s Bambi remake. Major League Baseball’s Nick Trotta (The Captain, 30 for 30) also attached to exec produce via MLB Studios.

Here’s how UCP describes the limited series: “The first time Fernando Valenzuela has ever told his story, this series will follow the legendary Dodgers pitcher from his time playing on dirt fields in rural Mexico to winning the World Series in 1981 — and changing baseball forever.”

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Current War) is attached to exec produce and will direct...

Exclusive: Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak’s production company Pastel has hired Kiva Reardon as VP of Film, appointing Karolina Peysakhov as VP of Television. Both have already started working out of Pastel’s Los Angeles office.

Prior to joining Pastel, Reardon served as Associate Director of Film Programs at the Academy Museum, and Lead Programmer of Contemporary World Cinema at the Toronto International Film Festival. She also previously worked with the Miami International Film Festival, Hot Docs, and the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and in 2013 founded cléo journal, an online publication dedicated to creating space for feminist voices in film criticism, which ran until 2019. Reardon has spoken on numerous panels and served on festival juries around the world.

Peysakhov most recently served as VP of Film and Television at Blue Harp, where she helped set up projects for Netflix, Amazon, Showtime, FX, Lionsgate, Sony, UCP, Peacock and Gaumont.

Vince McMahon is getting in the ring for another scripted wrestling series.

NBCUniversal is developing Pinned, a drama set in the world of fictional wrestling promotion.

Craig O’Neill, exec producer of the recent CSI: Vegas sequel series and MacGyver, is writing and exec producing the project with Fox Sports reporter Tom Rinaldi and WWE chief McMahon.

The project is described as an “adrenalized” upstairs-downstairs soap that gives a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional wrestling promotion and the “unforgettable” characters that populate it. Pinned offers a front-row seat into the eccentric wrestling culture and the mayhem that exists between the locker room and the boardroom.

Pinned, which has secured a script sale, comes from UCP. It is currently not set up at a specific NBCU network or streamer, as per the company’s recent development moves.

WWE’s Kevin Dunn and Chris Kaiser also exec produce.

It is the latest...

NBCUniversal has announced that it is developing “Pinned,” a new dramatic scripted series about the world of wrestling.

“Pinned” comes from Universal Content Productions and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. The production is billed as a dramatic series with a logline touting “an adrenalized upstairs-downstairs soap that gives a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional wrestling promotion and the unforgettable characters that populate it.”

“Pinned” will offer a look into the world of wrestling culture, documenting the mayhem both within the locker room and the boardroom of wrestling organizations.

Craig O’Neill serves as an executive producer on the series, alongside Tom Rinaldi. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. chief executive officer Vince McMahon also serves as an executive producer, alongside Kevin Dunn and Chris Kaiser.

NBCUniversal has not announced which platform it intends to launch “Pinned” on, whether one of its broadcast television networks or through its growing streaming platform, Peacock.

“Pinned” is...

NBCUniversal is developing a fictional series based on the beind-the-scenes goings on in wrestling culture with producers from the WWE. It’s titled “Pinned.”

The show is being described as an “adrenalized upstairs-downstairs soap that gives a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional wrestling promotion and the unforgettable characters that populate it,” per NBCU. “‘Pinned’ offers a front-row seat into the eccentric wrestling culture and the mayhem that exists between the locker room and the boardroom.”

NBCU hasn’t landed on a platform for the show, which comes from the UCP studio branch of the company.

Craig O’Neil is writer and executive producer. Tom Rinaldi also executive produces.

Vince McMahon, Kevin Dunn and Chris Kaiser are EPs for WWE.

“Pinned” is the second show with WWE involvement to make big news this week. On Wednesday, Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster were announced as co-showrunners of “The United States of America Vs.

Blumhouse is taking on the WWE — with a little help from Emmy nominees Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, who met critical acclaim as writers and consulting producers on the comedy series “Transparent.”

First announced in 2021, “The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon” has tapped as showrunners “Transparent” team Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster. The Writers Guild Award nominees, both for “Transparent” and Adapted Screenplay for feature “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” will take on the 1994 trial of WWE CEO Vince McMahon, who was accused of supplying steroids to WWE talent.

“Vince McMahon is a living legend. We are thrilled to tell his larger-than-life story with our partners at Blumhouse and WWE,” Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster said in a press statement.

Chris McCumber, president of Blumhouse Television, added, “Blumhouse is thrilled to be partnering with Noah and Micah on this project. Their ability to bring iconic characters to life in a nuanced,...

The scripted series about WWE boss Vince McMahon’s federal steroids trial has brought on Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, Variety has learned.

The pair will serve as writers, executive producers, and co-showrunners on the limited series, which is titled “The United States of America vs. Vince McMahon.” It was first announced as being in development back in July 2021. WWE and Blumhouse Television will produce.

“Vince McMahon is a living legend,” Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster said. “We are thrilled to tell his larger than life story with our partners at Blumhouse and WWE.”

Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster recently wrote the screenplays for films like “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” which starred Tom Hanks as iconic children’s TV host Fred Rogers. They also worked on the script for “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” starring Angelina Jolie and wrote multiple episodes of the critically-acclaimed Amazon series “Transparent.” “Painkiller,” the Netflix limited series they...

Emmy-nominated writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster (Transparent) have been tapped as co-showrunners for The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon, a limited series in development by WWE and Blumhouse TV.

The project, announced last year, will be the first scripted portrayal of McMahon, the Chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment

The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon will delve into WWE during the 1990s, a time when McMahon was repeatedly censured by infamous New York Post writer Phil Mushnick whose columns eventually drew the attention of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York. McMahon was indicted by the U.S. government for allegedly supplying anabolic steroids to WWE talent, stood trial after refusing to take a plea, but was unanimously acquitted by the jury.

McMahon, Kevin Dunn, Jason Blum, Chris McCumber and Jeremy Gold will also executive produce.

Fitzerman-Blue...

“The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon” has found its showrunners.

Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster will co-showrun, write and executive produce the series from WWE and Blumhouse Television.

The show was in development last year. “The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon” is the first scripted drama featuring McMahon. The series is set in the ‘90s, when, “Mahon was indicted by the U.S. government for allegedly supplying anabolic steroids to WWE talent, stood trial after refusing to take a plea, but was unanimously acquitted by the jury,” per the logline from WWE and Blumhouse.

“Blumhouse is thrilled to be partnering with Noah and Micah on this project. Their ability to bring iconic characters to life in a nuanced, dramatic, and fully realized way is the reason they are the perfect fit to tell the story of ‘The United States Vs. Vince McMahon,’” Chris McCumber, president, Blumhouse Television,...

Friday night was coming up fives in primetime for the major networks, as five – count ’em – five shows tied for the top demo mark on the evening.

The CBS crime drama lineup was the king of Friday night, as Swat, Magnum Pi, and Blue Bloods all came in with an 0.5 rating in the 8 Pm to 11 Pm span. Blue Bloods also had the highest overall total viewership at – you guessed it – 5.90 million.

Not to be outdone, ABC’s Shark Tank also came in with an 0.5 on the night. Its trailing 20/20 newsmag had an 0.3 for its examination of the Rust on-set shooting incident, a program that included more of George Stephanopoulos’ exclusive talk with Alec Baldwin from last week. But the real point of the show was the featured analysis, which included by Deadline’s own Dominic Patten and former editor Anita Busch.

Also scoring an 0.5 on the night was Fox’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown,...

Taylor Kitsch has joined the cast of Netflix’s opioid crisis drama Painkiller.

The Waco and Friday Night Lights star is one of eight actors to come aboard the series from showrunners Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) and Narcos executive producer Eric Newman. John Ales, Sam Anderson, Carolina Bartczak, Jack Mulhern, Ana Cruz Kayne, Ron Lea and Tyler Ritter have also joined the series.

The show’s previously announced cast includes Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, West Duchovny, Dina Shihabi and John Rothman.

Painkiller is a reunion for Kitsch and director and executive producer Peter Berg. The two worked together on Friday Night Lights and Battleship.

Painkiller will dramatize the origins of the opioid crisis with a focus on Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma. The show is based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker article “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain” and Barry Meier...

Netflix’s Painkiller has added Taylor Kitsch, Ana Cruz Kayne (Jerry and Marge Go Large), Tyler Ritter, John Ales, Sam Anderson, Carolina Bartczak (X-Men: Apocalypse), Jack Mulhern (Mare of Easttown), and Ron Lea (This Is Wonderland) to its cast.

Previously announced cast of the limited drama series about the origins of the opioid crisis and the role of Purdue Pharma include Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, West Duchovny, Dina Shihabi, and John Rothman.

Kitsch will portray Glen Kryger, a hardworking family man whose life is upended after an injury; Kayne plays Brianna Ortiz, an ambitious young attorney; Ritter will bring to life U.S. Attorney John Brownlee; Ales stars as Gregory Fitzgibbons, a doctor in rural Virginia; Anderson plays Raymond Sackler, co-owner of Purdue Pharma; Bartczak portrays Lily Kryger, Glen’s wife,...

Netflix released a trailer for Dave Chappelle’s newest comedy special, “The Closer,” which premieres globally on the service Oct. 5.

The trailer features Morgan Freeman narrating over footage of Chappelle driving down a country road. “He’s deep in thought, back in the trance. Five specials in as many years. How do you close a body of work that profound?” asks Morgan. This stand-up special completes a body of work which includes previous specials “The Age of Spin,” “Deep In The Heart Of Texas” “Equanimity,” “The Bird Revelation” and “Stick & Stones.”

Stan Lathan returns to direct “The Closer,” having directed all of Chappelle’s previous specials. Watch the trailer below.

Also in today’s TV news roundup:

First Looks

HBO released a trailer for the second season of “We’re Here,” which premieres Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. With eight episodes total, each episode will debut weekly on HBO and will be...