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WIRE Buzz: ABC axes 'The Brides'; NBC orders 'Debris' to series; AMC reopening delayed
ABC has stuck a wooden stake into the heart of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's The Brides pilot, Variety confirmed today. Set to focus on Dracula's loved ones, the supernatural soap opera was reportedly "on the pricier side to produce." In a time when networks and studios are tightening their belts as a result of the pandemic shutdown, ABC made the tough call to scrap the pilot.
Aguirre-Sacasa, who is known for showrunning Riverdale (The CW) and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix), was writing and executive-producing the project, which had Maggie Kiley on board as director. Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter were serving as EPs as well.
Goran Višnjić (Timeless), Gina Torres (Pearson), Katherine Reis (Claws), Barbara Kean (Gotham), Sophia Tatum (I Am Not Okay With This), and Chris Mason (Dirty John) had all been tapped to star.
ABC also rescinded its order for Thirtysomething sequel Thirtysomething(else). As Variety writes, "both shows were pegged as early frontrunners for series pickups prior to the pandemic."
Over at NBC, UFO-based drama Debris has been ordered to series. According to Deadline, it's the first 2020 pilot to receive such an order from the network.
Hailing from Almost Human creator J.H. Wyman, the half-hour genre show is described as a mixture of The X-Files and Men in Black. It follows two agents (played by Jonathan Tucker and Riann Steele) from differing backgrounds, who must uncover the mystery behind an alien craft that has a strange effect on human beings.
Legendary Television & Universal Television are co-producing. Wyman wrote the pilot.
Per Deadline, Debris was one of the rare pilots able to shoot most of its footage before the production shutdown. The remaining scenes were filled in with animated sequences similar to the avenue taken by The Blacklist's Season 7 finale. Despite being incomplete, the finished product still received a positive reception from NBC.
The network is also considering a series pickup for La Brea, which just released most of its cast, save for the two leads played by Natalie Zea and Zyra Gorecki. Written by The Mentalist's David Appelbaum, the show is about a mysterious sinkhole in Los Angeles that leads to "an unexplainable primeval world."
(NBC and SYFY WIRE are both owned by NBCUniversal)
AMC Theatres announced today that it will delay its reopening by two weeks to Thursday, July 30. The original plan was to open up 450 of its 600+ U.S. locations on Wednesday, July 15, but with Mulan, Tenet, and Bill & Ted Face the Music all postponed to new dates in August, there isn't much point anymore.
At the same time, an upsurge in coronavirus cases throughout the country is either slowing or outright stopping reopening phases in certain states. Cities like New York and Los Angeles, whose theaters need to be open in order for studios like Disney and Warner Bros. to turn a profit, have not given the go-ahead for theatrical venues to open back up.
Just yesterday, California governor Gavin Newsom ordered bars to close down in seven counties (while recommending that eight others follow suit) after a spike in virus numbers.
AMC recently sparked a controversy when it announced that it would not require customers to wear masks upon reopening. Following an outcry from patrons, actors, and filmmakers alike, the company reversed its decision. With AMC, Regal, and Alamo Drafthouse now enforcing mandatory mask policies, Cinemark remains the odd chain out.
(certain info via Variety)
