Jump to the ‘90s: ‘That ‘70s Show’ cast to appear in spinoff
Jump to the ‘90s: Get ready to head back to Point Place, Wisconsin, because Netflix is moving forward with its planned “That ‘70s Show” spinoff.
They say you need to look back to move forward, and that seems to be Netflix’s approach to “That ‘90s Show.” As the title suggests, this new iteration is still set in the past, but in the decade of cropped shirts, wide-leg pants, babydoll dresses and “The Rachel” haircut. It’s just enough of a time jump to push storylines forward, while also tapping into the ‘90s nostalgia that is driving current fashion and entertainment trends once more.
Five of the six main stars of the original series have closed deals to reprise their roles: Topher Grace (“Home Economics”) as Eric Forman, Laura Prepon (“Orange is the New Black”) as Donna Pinciotti, Ashton Kutcher (“The Ranch”) as Michael Kelso, Mila Kunis (“Bad Moms,” 2016) as Jackie Burkhart, and Wilmer Valderrama (“NCIS”) as Fez. Danny Masterson, who played Steven Hyde in the original series, will not be involved due to his ongoing legal issues.
While the original cast’s return is exciting news for fans, they should know that “That ‘90s Show” doesn’t offer a continuation of their story. The original cast will be limited to guest appearances.
Instead, the story will focus on Eric and Donna’s daughter, Leia Forman, played by Callie Haverda (“The Lost Husband”). While spending the summer with her grandparents, Red and Kitty (“That ‘70s Show’s” Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp), Leia befriends a new generation of Point Place kids, who are played by Ashley Aufderheide (“Emergence”), Mace Coronel (“Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn”), Maxwell Acee Donovan (“Gabby Duran & The Unsittables”), Reyn Doi (“Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” 2021) and relative newcomer Sam Morelos.
‘’That 70’s Show‘’ had a highly successful run from 1998 to 2006, and it even spawned a British remake,“Days LikeThese,”which was decidedly less successful — it was canceled after just 10 episodes.
In 2002, Fox launched ‘’That 80’s Show,‘’ which was inspired by the original show’s format but wouldn’t be considered a true spinoff; it was not renewed for a second season, and hopefully “That ‘90s Show” won’t suffer the same fate.
Percy casting: Actors Leah Sava Jeffries (“Empire”) and Aryan Simhadri (“Cheaper by the Dozen,” 2022) will soon star alongside Walker Scobell (“The Adam Project,” 2022) in Disney+’s TV adaptation of the Percy Jackson book series.
In the adaptation, Jeffries and Simhadri will play Percy’s (Scobell) close friends and companions, who must help the 12-year-old demigod in his quest to find Zeus’ stolen master lightning bold and ultimately restore order to Olympus. Filming begins this month in Vancouver.
Simhadri stars as Grover Underwood, a satyr (half boy, half goat) disguised as a 12-year-old boy. Cautious by nature, he cares deeply about others and will throw himself into a fight to protect his friends.
Jeffries will play Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Greek goddess Athena. Fierce, loyal and curious, Annabeth trains Percy to survive the mythological world, and in turn, he helps her connect with her humanity.
But soon after the casting announcement, Jeffries became the target of online harassment, as many took issue with the decision to have a Black actress play a character who is described as white in the books.
Series author Rick Riordan, whose wife is an executive producer of the series, was among those who quickly condemned the online attacks.
“The core message of Percy Jackson has always been that difference is strength,” Riordan wrote in a blog post. “There is power in plurality. The things that distinguish us from one another are often our marks of individual greatness. You should never judge someone by how well they fit your preconceived notions. That neurodivergent kid who has failed out of six schools, for instance, may well be the son of Poseidon.”
He continued: “Anyone can be a hero. If you don’t get that, if you’re still upset about the casting of this marvelous trio, then it doesn’t matter how many times you have read the books.You didn’t learn anything from them.”