He’ll be back (on TV): Schwarzenegger to star in new spy series

He’ll be back (ontv): He’s a world-famous movie star, but it looks like “Terminator” star Arnold Schwarzenegger is moving towardstv.

The former governor of California and star of “True Lies” (1994) has partnered with Skydancetelevision to develop a new scripted TV series. Schwarzenegger will both headline and executive produce this series from “Scorpion” creator Nick Santora. And while few details are known at this time, it is believed that the project is a spy adventure centered on a father-daughter duo, with Schwarzenegger playing the dad.

Deadline was the first to break the news. At the time of the announcement, no network or streamer had officially picked up the series, but it’s safe to say Schwarzenegger’s involvement probably gave this project a big boost.

Both Santora and Schwarzenegger already have a longstanding relationship with Skydance: Santora serves as showrunner on the upcoming Skydance series, Amazon’s “Jack Reacher,” while Schwarzenegger starred in two of the studio’s feature films: “Terminator Genisys” (2015) and “Terminator: Dark Fate” (2019).

If all goes well, this new project will be Schwarzenegger’s first major role in a scripted TV series, though it’s still too early to start planning for its premiere. In the meantime, Amazon subscribers will get to hear his distinctive voice when the new animated series “Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten” launches next spring. Schwarzenegger has provided the voice and inspired the look of its main character, kindergarten teacher Arnold Armstrong.

She’s gone: After seven seasons, actress Anna Faris (“Scary Movie,” 2000) is leaving the CBS sitcom “Mom.”

This is a major cast change considering the Chuck Lorre comedy has been anchored by two main characters since its 2013 premiere: Faris, who played (note the past tense) daughter/single mom Christy, andallison Janney (“Thewest Wing”), who stars as Christy’s mother, Bonnie. The news also comes as a surprise to many, given that Faris and Janney signed twoyear contracts just last year and their contract extension led to the series being renewed through Season 8.

Faris, who also hosts the podcast “Anna Faris Is Unqualified,” reportedly opted out of Season 8 in order to pursue other opportunities. The show’s writers have written her character out of the show, and Christy’s absence will be addressed on screen in the first episode.

If you’re looking for hints of any bad blood, you certainly won’t find it in Faris’ official statement about her exit. Faris’ statement read:“the past seven years on ‘Mom’ have been some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my career. I’m so thankful to Chuck, the writers, and my amazing castmates for creating a truly wonderful work experience. While my journey as Christy has come to an end, allowing me to

Arnold Schwarzenegger to star in new TV series pursue new opportunities, I’ll be watching next season and rooting for mytv family.”

Cortés series canceled: Next year marks the 500th anniversary of the fall of the Aztec Empire and the beginning of Spanish rule in Central Mexico. Much has been written about Moctezuma II (aas well as Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés); their fateful meeting in 1519 was a clash of civilizations that ended in murder, and, in the right hands, the story could make for a thought-provoking TV show.

Amazon certainly thought so. In 2018, the streamer greenlit the four-part miniseries from

Steven Spielberg

(“Schindler’s List,”

1993) and his

Amblintelevision production company. But the series “Cortes y

Moctezuma” is no longer in the works: the big-budget miniseries has been canceled “due to the production constraints created by the COVID-19 global pandemic,” according to a joint statement issued byamazon Studios andamblin. “Cortes y Moctezuma” was something of a passion project for Spielberg, who had originally envisioned it as a feature film. Ultimately, the producer/director felt the story would be better served as a four-part miniseries, with “Schindler’s List” writer Steven Zaillian providing the screenplay.

Some big names were quickly added to the project: Javier Bardem (“No Country For Old Men,” 2007) was set to star as Cortés, Gael García Bernal (“The Motorcycle Diaries,” 2004) and Diego Luna (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” 2016) were on board as executive producers, and award-winning filmmakers Ciro Guerra (“Waiting for the Barbarians,” 2019) and Cristina Galllego (“Embrace of the Serpent,” 2015) were set to direct the four episodes.

Alas, the TV production was not meant to be — not this version, anyway. Time will tell if the project gets picked up again at some point, but HBO’S own attempt at a “Cortes” series had similarly failed to get off the ground some years ago

(“The Irishman” director Martin Scorsese and “The Usual Suspects” actor Benicio Del Toro were attached to that one).