Court time
Kate Hudson to star in basketball series
Court time: Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson (“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” 2003) has teamed up with actress/screenwriter/ producer Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project”) to star in a basketball comedy series that is coming soon(ish) to Netflix.
The Kaling-produced project is reportedly inspired by Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss, who was portrayed by Hadley Robinson in HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.” Buss is also an executive producer on the Netflix series, which was handed a straight-to-series order back in June 2021.
When it was first announced, news outlets reported that the series would center on Eliza Reed, the governor of a fictional basketball team, as she navigates NBA ownership and family drama with her best friend by her side (that’s how it was officially described).The lead character, who will be played by Hudson, is now named Isla Gordon, though the premise remains the same.
Isla (Hudson) is appointed president of the Los Angeles Waves after a scandal forces her brother to resign, and according to the official description, she “will have to prove to her skeptical brothers, the board and the larger sports community that she was the right choice for the job, especially in the unpredictable, male-dominated world of sports.”
The friend character has also been cast: Brenda Song (“The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”) will play Ali Lee, chief of staff of the Waves, who has known Isla since the two shared a dorm room in college.
Drew Tarver (“The Other Two”) and Scott MacArthur (“The Righteous Gemstones”) have also been tapped to play Isla’s competitive brothers Sandy and Ness.As chief financial officer, Sandy (Tarver) thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room and is working hard to prove he can return the franchise to greatness — at least financially speaking.
As for Ness (MacArthur), the team’s general manager is a former player who is hoping his stellar performance in the front office will make his siblings forget about his alltoo-brief pro career.
A premiere date has yet to be announced.
O'Hara on HBO:
Fresh off a memorable performance in the fun spy thriller “Argyle” (2023), actress Catherine O’Hara has booked her next TV gig, and it promises to be a far less comedic role than the last one — but perhaps even more action-packed.
The talented performer is the latest to board Season 2 of HBO’s monster hit, “The Last of Us.” The video gameinspired series is set 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed and follows hardened survivor Joel (Pedro Pascal, “The Mandalorian”) and 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey, “Game of Thrones”) on their trek across a post-apocalyptic America.
Where does O’Hara fit into that continuing story? That’s a bit of a mystery, because few details about her character have been shared at this time.
We do, however, know some details about a few other new cast members. Kaitlyn Dever (“No One Will Save You”) joins the cast as Abby, a skilled soldier whose view of the world comes to be challenged as she embarks on a quest for revenge. Isabela Merced (“Madame Web”) will play the role of Dana, “a freewheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit” (according to the official description). And Young Mazino (“Beef”) has been cast in the role of Jesse, “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own.”
Production on Season 2 is expected to begin this spring, and the premiere will likely be in 2025.
Streamin' on a prayer:
There’s been a recent surge of biopic movies at the box office, but documentaries have always been a big draw on TV, thanks to our endless fascination with real-life stories and larger-than-life figures — and there is certainly no shortage of those in the music industry.
For those who love stories about the making of a band, song or album — and there are many of us — a new documentary is poised to peel back the curtain on one of the bestselling arena rock bands: Bon Jovi.
Set to premiere Friday, April 26, on Hulu, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” is being touted as the first retrospective on the band’s history that includes contributions from all past and present band members.
The timing is significant because last month marked the 40th anniversary of the release of the band’s selftitled first album. That album, which included their first hit * single, “Runaway,” peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200 chart, but their next album, 1986’s “Slippery When Wet,” vaulted them to the top of the charts on the backs of singles such as “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Wanted Dead or Alive.”
Directed by documentarian Gotham Chopra (“Kobe Bryant’s Muse,” 2015), “Thank You, Goodnight” will cover all the highs and lows experienced by the band during their decades of fame and rock music, including some “public moments of friction” (per the official description). Fans will want to tune in for the behind-the-scenes stories and interviews, but they can also see personal footage and photos, and hear unreleased demos.