News

Exclusive: That limited series we first told you about based on Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella from Skydance Television, Concord Originals and Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican has landed at Disney+, we hear. The project remains in development.

We understand there was a bidding war between Disney and Amazon for the project, which is from the perspective of the fairy godparents. It is written by Rachel Shukert, who is still attached as EP and showrunner.

The UTA-repped Shukert is an EP on Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, as well as an EP on the streamer’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and the showrunner of Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club.

In addition to Shukert, executive producers include Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina for Nuyorican Productions; Sophia Dilley, EVP of Concord Originals and co-president of Rko; former Concord CEO Scott Pascucci; and Bill Bost.

Skydance Television has a pact with Concord to develop a...

In January 2025, Peacock revealed its plans to adapt Elin Hilderbrand’s New York Times bestselling novel The Five-Star Weekend into a series. Since then, new details have emerged about the production, including its impressive cast lineup.

The Five-Star Weekend is an upcoming drama series produced by Universal Content Production (UCP). Bekah Brunstetter, who is known for writing for shows such as This Is Us and Maid, is the series creator. She also serves as writer and executive producer. Additionally, Beth Schacter is signed on as a writer and executive producer. Hilderbrand executive produces as well.

Jennifer Garner At WSJ's Future of Everything 2025 | Dia Dipasupil/GettyImages

Golden Globe Award-winning actress Jennifer Garner was the first actor to be attached to the project. She not only stars in the series, but is also an executive producer. She takes on the lead role as Hollis Shaw, a famous food influencer who suffers a terrible loss.

Peacock’s upcoming series adaptation of the Elin Hilderbrand novel “The Five-Star Weekend” has added three recurring cast members, Variety has learned exclusively.

Judy Greer, West Duchovny, and Tory Devon Smith have all joined the series in recurring roles. The trio join previously announced cast members including: Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Gemma Chan, D’Arcy Carden, Harlow Jane, Timothy Olyphant, David Denman, Josh Hamilton, and Rob Huebel.

The official description for the series states:

“Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at...

Elin Hilderbrand is opening up about her many books that are being adapted for the small and big screen. At Nantucket Film Festival’s “Flipping the Script: Bestsellers to Screen” panel on Sunday, Hilderbrand was joined by Jenna Lamia, the showrunner of “The Perfect Couple” and the team from the upcoming “Five-Star Weekend” series, writer and producer Bekah Brunstetter, UCP executive Jen Gwartz, NBCUniversal’s Lisa Katz and producer Sue Naegle.

“The Five-Star Weekend” is currently in production, starring Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Gemma Chan, D’Arcy Carden and Timothy Olyphant. But it’s one of many in the works for Hilderbrand, whose first adaptation was “The Perfect Couple.”

“Jenna and I are developing the ‘Winter Street’ series with Netflix,” she laughed on the panel before diving into other adaptations coming. “I have a project going with Universal, which I won’t talk about.”

Gwartz gave her permission to...

Peacock’s upcoming series adaptation of the Elin Hilderbrand novel “The Five-Star Weekend” has added four new cast members.

Variety has learned that Harlow Jane will join the cast as series regular. David Denman, Josh Hamilton, and Rob Huebel will appear in recurring roles.

The four will appear alongside previously announced cast members Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Gemma Chan, D’Arcy Carden, and Timothy Olyphant.

The official description for the series states:

“Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house...

Harlow Jane has joined the Peacock drama series The Five-Star Weekend in a series regular role. Additionally, David Denman, Josh Hamilton, and Rob Huebel (Sex Lives of College Girls, Transparent) will recur.

Bekah Brunstetter created the project based on Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling novel The Perfect Couple. The Five-Star Weekend centers on Hollis Shaw (Jennifer Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor, who suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death exposes the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life — her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers.

In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house...

Timothy Olyphant is the latest addition to the series adaptation of “The Five-Star Weekend” at Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively.

Previously announced cast members for the TV take on the Elin Hilderbrand novel include Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Gemma Chan, and D’Arcy Carden.

The official description for the series states:

“Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her twenties, thirties, and one surprise fifth star.

D’Arcy Carden has been cast in “The Five-Star Weekend,” an upcoming Peacock drama, as a series regular.

She will play Brooke Kirtley, joining previously announced cast members Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny and Gemma Chan.

The official description for the series reads, “Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste and warm demeanor, suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life — her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her 20s, 30s and one surprise fifth star. Set against a luxurious and coastal backdrop, they will...

D’Arcy Carden has joined Peacock’s upcoming drama series The Five-Star Weekend in the series regular role of Brooke Kirtley. She joins star and executive producer Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, and Gemma Chan, who were previously announced.

Bekah Brunstetter created the project based on Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling novel The Perfect Couple.

The Five-Star Weekend centers on Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor, who suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death exposes the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life — her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers.

In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different...

The pieces are slowly starting to come together for the next streaming series adaptation of a best-selling Elin Hilderbrand novel. After the author's hit novel The Perfect Couple came to life on Netflix, Hilderbrand has now become the latest author whose work is being turned into must-watch shows. The next one coming to our screens is the hit 2023 novel The Five-Star Weekend.

Back in January, news broke that Peacock ordered the limited series The Five-Star Weekend to series with Jennifer Garner on board as an executive producer and the leading star of the cast. As production seemingly nears for the limited series, more cast members have been added throughout June 2025. Garner's star power has been multiplied by three more big stars!

Jennifer Garner - WSJ's Future of Everything 2025 | Dia Dipasupil/GettyImages The Five-Star Weekend adds three new stars to cast

Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, and Gemma Chan have all...

Gemma Chan is the latest series regular to join “The Five-Star Weekend” TV series at Peacock, Variety has learned.

Chan will star alongside previously announced cast members Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, and Chloë Sevigny. The series is based on the Elin Hilderbrand novel of the same name.

The official description for the series states:

“Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her twenties, thirties, and one surprise fifth star.

Gemma Chan has joined Peacock’s upcoming drama series The Five-Star Weekend in the series-regular role of Gigi Ling. She joins star and executive producer Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, and Chloë Sevigny, who were previously announced.

Created by Bekah Brunstetter, the project is based on the bestselling novel The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand. It had been in the works at the streamer for about a year under an overall deal Sue Naegle and Ali Krug signed with the Universal Studio Group unit for their Dinner Party Productions. The series greenlight was secured by Garner’s casting as star and executive producer.

The Five-Star Weekend centers on Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor, who suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death exposes the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life — her strained marriage,...

Chloë Sevigny is the latest addition to Peacock’s upcoming series adaptation of the Elin Hilderbrand novel “The Five-Star Weekend.”

The series was originally announced in January with Garner in the lead role, while Hall’s casting was announced last week. The official description for the series states:

“Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her twenties, thirties, and one surprise fifth star. Set against a luxurious and coastal backdrop,...

Chloë Sevigny (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story) has boarded Peacock’s upcoming drama The Five-Star Weekend as a series regular alongside star Jennifer Garner, who also executive produces, and Regina Hall.

The series, created by Bekah Brunstetter based on the bestselling novel by The Perfect Couple author Elin Hilderbrand, centers on Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor who suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life — her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her twenties, thirties, and one surprise fifth star.

Regina Hall is teaming up with Jennifer Garner!

On Friday (June 6), Variety revealed that the 54-year-old Girls Trip actress will be starring opposite the 53-year-old Yes Day actress in Peacock’s upcoming series adaption of The Five-Star Weekend, which is based on Elin Hilderbrand‘s New York Times Best-Selling novel of the same name.

The series was first announced back in January.

Keep reading to find out more…Here’s the story’s synopsis: “Hollis Shaw, a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house...

Regina Hall is set to star opposite Jennifer Garner in the Peacock series adaptation of “The Five-Star Weekend,” Variety has learned.

The series, based on the Elin Hilderbrand novel of the same name, was originally announced in January with Garner in the lead role. The official description of the series states:

“Hollis Shaw (Jennifer Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her twenties, thirties, and one surprise fifth star.

Regina Hall joins Jennifer Garner as a series regular in Peacock’s upcoming drama series, The Five-Star Weekend. Hall will play Dru-Ann Jones.

The project, created by Bekah Brunstetter based on the bestselling novel by The Perfect Couple author Elin Hilderbrand, had been in the works at the streamer for about a year under an overall deal Sue Naegle and Ali Krug signed with the Universal Studio Group unit for their Dinner Party Productions. The series greenlight was secured by Garner’s casting as star and executive producer.

The Five-Star Weekend centers on Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor, who suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life — her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter,...

Plot: Devon thinks her sister Simone has a really creepy relationship with her new boss, the enigmatic socialite Michaela Kell. Michaela’s cult-ish life of luxury is like a drug to Simone, and Devonhas decided it’s time for an intervention, but she has no idea what a formidable opponent Michaela will be. Told over the course of one explosive weekend at The Kells’ lavish beach estate, Sirens is an incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power, and class.

Review: Netflix seems to have a thing for limited series about the filthy rich leading bizarre lives. Last year, Nicole Kidman and Liev Schrieber headlined The Perfect Couple, a soapy drama about murder and lies. With an ensemble cast featuring Meghann Fahy, The Perfect Couple was utterly ridiculous and strange. This year, the streamer is debuting the limited series Sirens starring Julianne Moore and Kevin Bacon, along with Meghann...

Sirensstar Meghann Fahy talks about the possibility of a second season of Netflix's glamorous dark comedy.

Speaking to Variety, touched on the idea of a follow-up to the recently released Netflix series. "It ends in a very natural way," Fahy said of Sirens. "But I can imagine what the characters’ worlds become. I, for one, would love to know what happens to Michaela, where she goes. So I think it’s definitely within the realm of possibility. We didn’t talk about it on set, but I would love to do more."

Based on series creator Molly Smith Metzler's 2011 play, Elemeno Pea, Netflix's Sirens stars Fahy as Devon DeWitt, a woman whose growing concern about her sister Simone's relationship with the latter's ultra-wealthy new boss drives her to take drastic action. After journeying to the expansive beach estate where Simone is employed by the wealthy Michaela "Kiki" Kell,...

The 2025 Nantucket Film Festival has set the feature film lineup, honorees and signature programs for its 30th anniversary edition.

The festival will open with two Sundance Audience Award winners, the Dylan O’Brien-Lauren Graham film Twinless and the documentary Prime Minister about former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz. The closing night film is teen orators documentary Speak, directed by Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman. The centerpiece film is National Geographic’s Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story documentary, providing an authorized look inside the making of Jaws.

“This year’s slate of films continues to celebrate bold and independent voices close to home and across the world,” Nff senior programmer Basil Tsiokos and lead programmer Anita Raswant said in a statement. “We invite our audiences to explore a wide range of work that honors the power of storytelling — and, in turn, our...

The drama series is an adaptation of the Elin Hilderbrand novel of the same name.

What are you up to this weekend? Would you accept an invitation from a grieving friend to a seaside getaway? That’s the basic premise of “The Five-Star Weekend,” a new drama series commissioned by Peacock. The series will be produced by Jennifer Garner, who also stars in the lead role. We’ll fill in all the details we have about the new show so far, and help you get excited for its eventual Peacock premiere!

Everything you need to know about ‘The Five-Star Weekend’

When will ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ come out?

What is ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ about?

Who stars in ‘The Five-Star Weekend’?

Where will ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ stream?

Will you be able to watch ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ for free?

Are other Elin Hildebrand novel adaptations available to stream?

When will ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ come out?...

Gold Derby’s top news stories for Jan. 27, 2025

Emilia Pérez leads Latino Entertainment Journalists Association nominations with 17

Despite criticism over its portrayal of Mexico, the Netflix crime musical dominated the 7th annual Latino Entertainment Film Awards with the most nominations, followed by Dune: Part Two with 10 bids, and The Substance and Wicked with nine apiece. See the full list here. Winners will be announced on Leja’s social media platforms on Feb. 17. Those films all compete for Best Picture against Anora, The Brutalist, Conclave, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, and Sing Sing. Additional honorary awards will go to Adria Arjona (Breakout Award), Edward James Olmos (Rita Moreno Lifetime Achievement Award), and John Leguizamo (Latino Activism Award).

AARP Movies for Grownups Awards rescheduled for Feb. 8

The kudos were postponed due to the Los Angeles wildfires, but now they’re back on, with proceeds to be donated to aid those affected by the wildfires.

Jennifer Garner is heading to Peacock!

On Monday (January 27), it was announced that the 52-year-old Golden Globe-winning actress will be starring in and executive producing the upcoming series adaption of author Elin Hilderbrand‘s New York Times bestselling novel The Five-Star Weekend.

Keep reading to find out more…Here’s the story’s synopsis: “Hollis Shaw, a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her twenties, thirties, and one surprise fifth star.

Influencers’ lives often look glamorous, pampered, and free from ordinary stress. These observations could not be farther from the truth, as being “always on” is exhausting, and sharing so many intimate aspects of your life can erect a glass wall between you and the wonders within your grasp. Jennifer Garner is about to learn about the emotional toll of this lifestyle by starring in Peacock’s series adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand‘s novel The Five-Star Weekend.

The series, created by Bekah Brunstetter, “centers on Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor, who suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life — her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers.

In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again,...

After creating quite the splash on Netflix with the smash-hit limited series The Perfect Couple in 2024, best-selling author Elin Hilderbrand's heading back to the small screen. Hilderbrand's signature blend of beach-side drama, crazy plot twists, and grounded emotional stories will next be coming to Peacock. The NBC streaming service has officially ordered the next Hilderbrand limited series!

On Jan. 27, Peacock announced that a limited series adaptation of Hilderbrand's novel The Five-Star Weekend was ordered to series after being in development for about a year at Universal Content Productions. The series was created by This Is Us and Maid writer Bekah Brunstetter and counts Pam and Tommy executive producers Sue Naegele and Ali Krug as fellow EPs.

As Deadline notes, Peacock giving the limited series an official green light after an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning A-lister came on board as the series' star and executive producer. That star...

Jennifer Garner’s next TV role will take her to the coast of Massachusetts.

The Alias vet will star in and exec-produce The Five-Star Weekend, a newly ordered Peacock series based on Elin Hilderbrand’s 2023 novel, TVLine has confirmed.

More from TVLineLaw & Order: Organized Crime Adds Jason Patric to Season 5 CastTeacup Cancelled at Peacock After One SeasonHow to Watch The Traitors Season 3 Online

Garner will play Hollis Shaw, a famous food influencer who suffers a devastating loss — a death that “starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’ picture-perfect life: her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter and her...

Peacock has acquired the drama The Five-Star Weekend, with Jennifer Garner on board to star and executive produce.

The series from UCP will adapt Elin Hilderbrand’s novel of the same name, with Bekah Brunstetter (Maid, This is Us) creating, writing and also executive producing.

The Five-Star Weekend series will center on Hollis Shaw, a famed food influencer who suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death reveals cracks in her picture-perfect life, including a strained marriage, a complicated relationship with her daughter and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers.

To find herself again, Hollis hosts a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her twenties, thirties, and one surprise fifth star. Set against a luxurious and coastal backdrop, they will mature in ways they could never imagine as boundaries are pushed and secrets are exposed.

Jennifer Garner is headed to Peacock for the TV adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s “Five-Star Weekend.”

Garner will star in the series based on the book by “The Perfect Couple” author, which was granted a series order at the streamer, Peacock announced Monday. In the series, Garner will star as Hollis Shaw, a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor who suffers a devastating loss.

The official logline for the series is as follows: “Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her twenties,...

Peacock has handed a series pickup to The Five-Star Weekend, a drama starring and executive produced by Jennifer Garner, from UCP.

The project, created by Bekah Brunstetter based on the bestselling novel by The Perfect Couple author Elin Hilderbrand, had been in the works at the streamer for about a year under an overall deal Sue Naegle and Ali Krug signed with the Universal Studio Group unit for their Dinner Party Productions. The series green light was secured by Garner coming on board as star and executive producer.

The Five-Star Weekend centers on Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor, who suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life — her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter,...

Peacock has ordered a series adaptation of the Elin Hilderbrand novel “The Five-Star Weekend” with Jennifer Garner attached to star, Variety has learned.

The project was first reported to be in development at Peacock in April 2024 as part Sue Naegle and Ali Krug’s overall deal with UCP under their Dinner Party Productions banner.

The official description of the series states:

“Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor suffers a devastating loss. Unable to move forward, the death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life—her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her followers. In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood,...

Reba McEntire isn’t just a survivor, she’s a thriver, with the country music legend-turned-actress nabbing her latest gig in the upcoming film adaptation of The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion. Deadline broke the exclusive news today that McEntire will not only lead the cast of Fannie Flagg’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name but will also serve as a producer on the project. The title will be under the direction of Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise), with the screenplay adaptation penned by Bekah Brunstetter (Maid). Overseeing McEntire’s latest feature-length role will be Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten and Jon Erwin’s new studio on the block, Wonder Project.

Exclusive: Wonder Project, the recently launched faith-based indie studio from Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten and Jon Erwin, has launched development on The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion, an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel by Fannie Flagg, to be produced by and star Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire.

Oscar winner Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise) will direct from a script by Tony-nominated playwright and screenwriter Bekah Brunstetter (Maid), with McEntire being joined as producer by Jeremy Latcham for Wonder Project, as well as Khouri. Ben Howard and Erin Mae Miller will exec produce for Third Coast Content, with VP of Film Michael Musgrave overseeing the film for Wonder Project.

Published in November 2013, The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion tells the story of Mrs. Sookie Poole of Point Clear, Alabama, who has just married off her daughter and is looking forward to relaxing. The only thing...

The musical adaptation of The Notebook will play its final Broadway performance on Dec. 15.

The musical, which features a score by Ingrid Michaelson and a book by Bekah Brunstetter (This Is Us), opened at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 14, 2024, after premiering at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The musical is set to launch a First National Tour in September 2025 starting at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio.

The musical is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen) and Schele Williams (The Wiz), with choreography by Katie Spelman. The musical is based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and subsequent film and sees three pairs of actors depicting the love story between Allie and Noah across the decades.

While the show is based on a well-known title, the production has not been a blockbuster hit on Broadway. The musical received mixed reviews from critics and received three Tony nominations — for best book and Dorian Harewood...

The Notebook, the stage musical based on the 1996 Nicholas Sparks novel and the 2004 film, will end its Broadway run on December 15 at the Schoenfeld Theatre, producers announced today.

When it closes, The Notebook will have played 35 previews and 317 regular performances since beginning previews on February 10 and opening on March 14.

A national tour is planned, launching September 2025 at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio. Additional cities will be announced at a later date.

Produced by Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch, The Notebook features music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson and a book by playwright Bekah Brunstetter. The production is directed by Michael Greif and Schele Williams, with choreography by Katie Spelman.

The Notebook opened to mixed reviews, with The New York Times critic saying he was bored while USA Today found it “Romantic, life-affirming and ingeniously adapted.” Read Deadline’s review here.

In any case, audiences for the show have been dwindling.

Exclusive: Carolyn Huynh’s debut novel, The Fortunes of Jaded Women, is being adapted as a TV series.

Universal International Studios (Uis)-owned Heyday Television, in partnership with Universal Television, acquired the rights in what’s been called a “highly competitive situation.”

Heyday boss David Heyman partnered with Alan Yang to option the book, and work has begun to set it up for television. Huynh and Bekah Brunstetter will adapt the novel. Heyday and Uis, which is part of Universal Studio Group, will make the show in partnership with Universal Television.

Atria Books published The Fortunes of Jaded Women in the U.S. in 2022. The plot explores how tradition and superstition impacts modern life, and the novel was selected as the Washington Post’s Best Feel-Good Book of the Year.

Synopsis reads: “It started with their ancestor Oanh, who dared...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for The Bikeriders, Kinds of Kindness and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

The Bikeriders premiere

Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Mike Faist and Norman Reedus joined writer-director Jeff Nichols at the L.A. premiere of their Focus Features film on Monday. Jason Momoa also showed his support at the premiere, rolling up on his own motorcycle with daughter Lola.

Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Jeff Nichols and Norman Reedus Lola Iolani Momoa and Jason Momoa

I Am: Celine Dion special screening

Celine Dion made a rare red carpet appearance at the NYC premiere of her new Prime Video documentary on Monday, joining director Irene Taylor.

Director Irene Taylor and Celine Dion

Carol Burnett’s Hand and Footprint Ceremony

Carol Burnett had her hands and feet immortalized in cement in front...

On Sunday, the 77th annual Tony Awards were held, hosted by Broadway and film actress Ariana DeBose at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The ceremony saw wins for Sarah Paulson, Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe. Several notable faces took the stage as presenters, including Angelina Jolie, Brooke Shields, Nick Jonas and even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

This year’s nominations raised some skeptical responses over the omission of the fan-favorite revival of The Wiz and Appropriate‘s nomination for costume design. The ceremony was also deemed “dull” by many viewers citing numerous on-stage speech fumbles and a lack of stage presence from presenters and award winners.

Regardless, fans were excited to see their favorite faces take home their wins. Stereophonic and Alicia Keys‘ musical Hell’s Kitchen swept the categories with 13 nominations. Paulson returned to the stage after 13 years and snagged a win,...

The Tony Awards are being handed out Sunday night.

Ariana DeBose is hosting the live broadcast from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. The ceremony airs live from 8-11 p.m. Et/5-8 p.m. Pt on June 16 on CBS and streams on Paramount+ in the U.S. (See the red carpet photos.)

Among the noteworthy winners so far are Daniel Radcliffe and Jeremy Strong, who both took home their first Tonys, and Dede Ayite, who became the first Black woman to win a Tony for best costume design of a play.

Set to perform at the ceremony are the casts of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Hell’s Kitchen, Illinoise, Merrily We Roll Along, Stereophonic, Suffs, The Outsiders, The Who’s Tommy and Water for Elephants.

Presenters will include Utkarsh Ambudkar, Nate Burleson, Cynthia Erivo, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Gad,...

Tony Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, April 30 by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry. While the nominations for the 77th annual Tony Awards were determined by approximately 60 theatre professionals, winners were decided by hundreds of members of the Broadway community.

A whopping 36 shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there were 10 original works and five revivals in the running for nominations. Over on the musical side, 15 new tuners were in contention for bids as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was Thursday, April 25.

The Tony Awards are set for June 16 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose. The earlier “Tony Awards: Act One” ceremony will be hosted by Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar; Skylar Astin will host...

A musical inspired by the life of Alicia Keys and a play that loosely draws on the story of Fleetwood Mac — Hell’s Kitchen and Stereophonic, respectively — cleaned up at the 2024 Tony Awards nominations. Both received 13 nominations, more than any other show this year.

Hell’s Kitchen was nominated for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical (for Kristoffer Diaz), Best Direction (Michael Greif), and Best Choreography (Camille A. Brown), while its stars Maleah Joi Moon, Shoshana Bean, and Kecia Lewis all picked up acting nods. But despite its impressive haul,...

Broadway fans: the 2024 Tony Award nominations are finally here!

Each year, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre (aka the Tonys), celebrates the best on Broadway. The nominations were announced by two past Tony winners: Take Me Out‘s Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Hamilton‘s Renée Elise Goldsberry.

This year, the Tonys will be held on June 16, 2024 with host Ariana DeBose returning to host for a third time. Just Jared will be live updating throughout the entire event, so stick with us that night!

Head inside to see the full list of Tony Award nominations…

Scroll down for the full list of Tony Award nominees…

Best Musical

Hell’s Kitchen

Illinoise

The Outsiders

Suffs

Water for Elephants

Best Play

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Mary Jane

Mother Play

Prayer for the French Republic

Stereophonic

Best Revival of a Play

Appropriate

An Enemy of the People

Purlie Victorious: A...

The 2024 Tony Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, May 2 by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry. The reveal of the roster of contenders was carried on the Tonys YouTube channel. While the nominations for the 77th annual Tony Awards were determined by a few dozen theater professionals, winners will be decided by upwards of 800 members of the Broadway community.

Three dozen shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there are 10 original works and five revivals in the running. Over on the musical side, 15 new tuners were in contention as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was April 27.

The Tony Awards are set for June 16 at Lincoln Center and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose.

The 2024 Tony Awards nominations list below includes all 26 competitive categories.

Musicals

Best Musical

Hell’s Kitchen

Illinoise...

“I have Alzheimer’s in my family, I have a lot of it, actually, the genetic kind that tends to trickle down through generations,” shares Bekah Brunstetter about why Nicholas Sparks’ “The Notebook” and its film adaptation resonate with her so deeply. As the book writer for the musical adaptation that recently opened on Broadway, she wrote the piece as a way to honor her late grandfather. “The thing that was so beautiful, even when he was slipping away from us, he maintained his sense of humor and his love of life,” reflects the librettist, who hopes to “honor the experience of the disease but also provide some hope and uplift.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

Brunstetter is no stranger to working on tearjerking projects, having served as a writer and producer on the NBC drama series “This Is Us.” “All the work we did on ‘This Is Us...

“I actually did see the movie before getting the script, I think it was the day before,” shares Joy Woods with a laugh, recalling the first time she experienced the 2004 film “The Notebook.” The Nicholas Sparks novel that inspired the movie has now been adapted to the stage with the actress in the role of Middle Allie. “I found myself watching the movie and seeing a very specific demographic and being, like, ‘Oh, this is relatable, but I don’t really see myself in this story,’” remembers the performer, who felt that the script for the musical and its approach to the central characters of Noah and Allie were “very affirming and reaffirming that I was supposed to be where I was.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

In the musical, both Noah and Allie are played by three different performers who depict the character at three distinct moments in her life,...

Ingrid Michaelson is used to people crying when they talk to her about The Notebook. Earlier this year, she tells me on Zoom, her piano in the background, she did an interview about her work on the Broadway musical adaptation of the beloved 2004 film, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks. The journalist she was talking to had lost both of his parents, and Michaelson had lost her parents as well — her mother in 2014, and her father three years later. “We both were staring at each other for like 30 seconds...

Sue Naegle and Ali Krug are re-teaming for a new venture.

The former Annapurna duo and longtime collaborators have launched Dinner Party Productions and signed a multiple-year overall deal with Universal Content Productions.

Naegle, the former content chief at Megan Ellison’s company, and Krug, who was co-head of TV alongside her at Annapurna, will develop and produce new projects for UCP for both NBCUniversal-owned platforms as well as third-party buyers.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Naegle and Krug — who have worked together for 13 years — said the appeal of being able to sell to outside buyers was part of why they wanted to sign with the Beatrice Springborn-led division that is housed within Pearlena Igbokwe’s Universal Studio Group. (Read the Q&a, below.)

As part of the pact, Naegle and Krug have boarded Peacock’s adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s New York Times best-seller The Five-Star Weekend.

Sue Naegle and Ali Krug are in business with Universal Studio Group’s UCP.

The Emmy-winning pair has signed an overall deal with the Universal division through which their newly established Dinner Party Productions will develop and produce series.

This marks the first time former UTA, HBO Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures boss Naegle has worked directly with Universal. She exited her Chief Content Officer role at Annapurna in 2022. As we reported at the time, Krug had initially taken over her TV division responsibilities, but has since reunited with her former boss and long-time production partner to launch Dinner Party.

In development is a series adaptation of Elon Hilderbrand’s novel ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ for Universal’s sister streamer Peacock, with Bekah Brunstetter penning the script. The book follows a popular food blogger, who, after a tragedy, brings friends from distinct times in her life to spend a weekend in Nantucket.

To say The Notebook had a devoted, built-in audience before it sang so much as a note on Broadway would be an understatement this romantic tear-jerker never attempts.

Based on Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 bestseller about a young – then older, then much older – couple who survives a lifetime of tribulations (until they don’t), the musical opening tonight at the Schoenfeld Theatre is the theatrical equivalent of muzak, comforting in its unapologetically manipulative way and unabashed in its disregard for anything approaching the grit of the real world.

The reference to muzak, by the way, isn’t meant to suggest that composer Ingrid Michaelson looks back quite that far for her musical inspirations. She has a lovely way with a melody, even if so many of the songs...

Broadway adaptations of beloved movies are nothing new — and in fact will be increasing like never before this season with “Water for Elephants,” “The Outsiders,” “The Great Gatsby,” and more musical adaptations opening just in the next month.

It’s such a thrill, then, that “The Notebook” musical, based on the Nicholas Sparks book of the same name — which of course was also turned into the beloved movie starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams — is such a romantic, weepy success, managing to honor the tale fans know while also sneaking in a savvier story, one that doesn’t look away from the horrors of dementia but retains the beautiful message of everlasting love.

The book, by Bekah Brunstetter, begins with a few smart updates: The earliest action between Younger Noah (John Cardoza) and Allie (Jordan Tyson) is moved from the WWII-era of the film to Vietnam-era, which Noah and friends get tangled up in,...

“Time, time, time, time, it never was mine, mine, mine, mine,” sings the elderly Noah Calhoun (Dorian Harewood) in the opening number of The Notebook, the new Broadway musical with a gossamer score by indie-pop singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. “But you know what is?/Love, hope, breath, and dreams/As cliché as that seems.”

Cliché is at the heart of The Notebook’s appeal, from Nicholas Sparks’s 1996 novel to the 2004 film starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling as destined lovers Allie and Noah. “You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I ever had,” Sparks banally wrote in the novel. “Every day we are together is the greatest day of my life.” Though Michaelson alludes, with seeming self-awareness, to the platitudes of the source material in that opening song, this production never quite transcends the clichés that it conflictingly both seeks to challenge and embrace.

That’s in large...