Last Looks: Rian Johnson Takes a Break From 'Knives Out', Anna Kendrick Teams with J.K. Simmons

The Dailies

The Dailies reports on the latest in development, greenlights, renewals, and cancellations.

Rian Johnson on the set of Knives Out (Lionsgate)

Film Development 🗒️

• Paul Greengrass has retitled his peasant revolt film ‘The Uprising,’ adding Jamie Bell, Cosmo Jarvis, and Thomasin McKenzie to the cast. (more)
• James Norton is in talks to play Beatles manager Brian Epstein in Sam Mendes’ ‘The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event.’ (more)
• Row K Entertainment set 2026 release dates for ‘Dead Man’s Wire,’ ‘Poetic License,’ ‘Cliffhanger,’ and ‘Charlie Harper.’ (more)
• Appian Way is developing a Universal biopic on young Bela Lugosi, written by ‘Ed Wood’ scribes Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. (more)
• Sony Pictures will release Will Eubank’s action film ‘Archangel,’ starring Jim Caviezel, Olivia Thirlby, and Shea Whigham, on Nov. 6, 2026. (more)
• Ed Helms and Ben Foster have joined Jay Baruchel in Michael Dowse’s comedy ‘The Stunt Driver,’ with Foster playing Evel Knievel. (more)
• Mel Gibson has recast ‘The Resurrection of the Christ,’ with Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus and Mariela Garriga as Mary Magdalene. (more)
• Independent Film Company and Shudder have acquired Adam MacDonald’s zombie horror ‘This Is Not a Test,’ set for a 2026 theatrical release. (more)
• Dominic Sherwood will star alongside Freddie Wise in the action-thriller ‘White Tide,’ now filming in Italy under director Paul Raschid. (more)
• Kiefer Sutherland will star with Al Pacino and Ever Anderson in Luc Besson’s 1990s-set action thriller ‘Father Joe,’ now filming in Manhattan. (more)
• Andy Garcia returns to directing with ‘Diamond,’ a noir thriller starring Brendan Fraser, Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman, and Demián Bichir. (more)
• Nicholas Braun joins Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Peter Dinklage in Macon Blair’s comedy ‘The Sh*theads.’ (more)
• Emma Roberts will star in Amazon MGM’s film adaptation of Rebecca Serle’s bestseller ‘Expiration Dates,’ produced by Featherweight Pictures. (more)
• Rian Johnson says he’s taking a break from ‘Knives Out’ to write an original script before returning to the Netflix franchise. (more)

TV Development 📺

• Sonja Warfield and Susan Fales-Hill will adapt Krystal Marquis’ YA novel ‘The Davenports’ into a series for Amazon. (more)
• A+E Studios is developing Tom Ryan’s YA mystery ‘We Had a Hunch’ into a TV series with producer Peter Johnson. (more)
• Lionsgate Television is developing a YA series based on Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ bestselling ‘The Inheritance Games,’ with Temple Hill producing. (more)
• Anna Kendrick and J.K. Simmons will star in the six-part geopolitical thriller ‘Embassy,’ produced by AGC Television and set to film in 2026. (more)
• C-SPAN launches ‘Ceasefire,’ a new series promoting civil political dialogue, debuting with Mike Pence and Rahm Emanuel. (more)
• ‘X-Men ‘97’ is renewed for S3 ahead of its S2 release. (more)
• ‘Yellowjackets’ will end with S4 at Paramount+. (more)
• ‘Countdown’ and ‘Butterfly’ are cancelled at Prime Video after S1. (more)

Business 🤝

• ITV Studios announced multiple global format deals and revived the Fox reality series ‘Solitary’ ahead of MIPCOM. (more)
• Cinema United has extended CEO and President Michael O’Leary’s contract through 2030 to continue leading the global exhibition group. (more)
• NBA is launching a revamped ‘NBA TV’ and new streaming platform offering live games, highlights, and original programming starting today. (more)
• Kristin Dolan has extended her contract as AMC Networks CEO through 2028, continuing to steer the company’s streaming-focused strategy. (more)
• Bari Weiss asked CBS News staff to share details about their work and feedback in an introductory memo, prompting the WGA to advise employees not to respond until the company clarifies the memo’s purpose. (more)
• Instagram is exploring a dedicated TV app to expand its video reach and compete more directly with YouTube. (more)

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