Back to the small screen

> A number of big-name stars have returned to TV, signing on for roles in the coming months

Witherspoon in a series produced for Apple.

Similarly, James Franco ( Freaks and Geeks) has joined the cast of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a Western anthology series from the Coen brothers for Netflix.

Some stars of the big screen are set to make the move too, taking starring roles in TV series for the first time in their careers.

Amy Adams stars in Sharp Objects, screening on HBO this summer.

The cable channel has also snared Julia Roberts for its adaptation of Maria Semple’s book Today Will Be Different, Mahershala Ali ( Moonlight) for the third season of True Detective, and Meryl Streep for Big Little Lies season two.

Direct rival Showtime recently signed up John Malkovich for the third series of Billions, which premieres March 25, and is readying Escape at Dannemora with Ben Stiller behind the camera, and Benicio del Toro, Patricia Arquette and Paul Dano on the cast.

From March 25, FX will screen Danny Boyle-directed Trust, starring Donald Sutherland and Hilary Swank.

Subscription-based platforms have also bagged some big names for upcoming shows.

Emma Stone and Jonah Hill will be playing patients in a psychiatric hospital in Maniac on Netflix, while Ellen Page ( Juno, Inception) stars in comicbook adaptation The Umbrella Academy and Carey Mulligan stars in Collateral.

Sean Penn is coming to Hulu in sci-fi series The First.

Plus, the American streaming site reportedly has Bill Skarsgard ( It) lined up for its anthology series based on Stephen King’s Castle Rock.

Amazon, on the other hand, has Orlando Bloom in Carnival Row, although Guillermo del Toro is no longer at the helm. – AFPRelaxnews