ABC Family is stocking up on pilots for the 2015-2016 season. The cable network has ordered supernatural drama Beyond from Heroes creator Tim Kring and comedy Gorgeous Morons from The Office writers Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky and Danny Chun. In Beyond, a young man wakes up from a coma to discover he has new abilities that place him in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy. While in Gorgeous Morons, two brothers decide to makeover their brainy new roommate who they think is in desperate need of help. These two pilots join Tough Cookie, Famous in Love, Kevin From Work and series pickup Shadowhunters. [THR]
Rocky Horror Picture Show has been a cult classic for almost 40 years, and on the eve of its anniversary, Fox plans to bring the hit musical back into the mainstream as a TV remake. The 1975 film’s producer Lou Adler along with Gail Berman and Kenny Ortega, who is set to direct and choreograph, are prepping a two-hour event special with a cast-contingent order. Tentatively titled The Rocky Horror Picture Show Event, the project will reportedly be faithful to the original script and score and only be a visual regimagination. [Deadline]
Fresh off his box office hit Furious 7, director James Wan is reportedly Warner Bros.’ first choice to direct their next superhero film, Aquaman. Jason Momoa is already attached to star as the Atlantean king who can breathe underwater and will make his first appearance as the character in next year’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Currently, two different scripts are being written for the project, one by Will Beall and the other by Kurt Johnstad. The film is scheduled to debut in theaters on July 27, 2018. [THR]
Kingsman: The Secret Service actress Sofia Boutella has joined the cast of Star Trek 3, which will be directed by Justin Lin (Fast 6) from a script by cast member Simon Pegg and writer Doug Jung. There’s no word yet on who she’ll play, but it’s rumored that Klingons will play a large part in the new film. Idris Elba remains in talks to star as the lead villain. Paramount will release the film on July 8, 2016 for the franchise’s 50th anniversary. [Deadline]
Meet the Harry Potter universe’s next big star: Eddie Redmayne, who recently won an Oscar for his role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, will play Newt Scamander in spinoff movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Set in New York decades before the original series, the film follows Scamander as he travels the world in search of magical creatures. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling will make her screenwriting debut for the first film of the trilogy, which arrives in theaters on November 18, 2016. [Updated 6/1: The Wrap]
Lionsgate and Saban Films have made the next move in bringing their Power Rangers reboot to life. Project Almanac director Dean Israelite is in negotiations to lead the project about a group of high school teenagers who gain special powers and machines to defeat evil aliens trying to conquer earth. Written by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class), the third film in the franchise is scheduled to release in theaters on July 22, 2016. [TheWrap]
Lumière from Beauty and the Beast has officially met his match. Ian McKellen is set to play the French candelabra’s best friend Cogsworth, a clock, in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the animated classic. More of a control freak compared to Lumière’s free-spirited nature, Cogsworth keeps everything in order around the castle by ordering the other servants around. Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad and Emma Thompson will also star in the film directed by Bill Condon for a March 17, 2017 [Variety]