Exclusive: Jean Smart (Hacks) is developing a limited series about the relationship between a grandmother and her grandson in the final months of her life, which the Emmy winner will star in and executive produce.
Inspired by Kevin Hershey’s New York Times article “Love Letter: When My Grandmother Stopped Eating“, the project hails from Smart and her producing partner, Angeliki Giannakopoulos, and their SmartAngel Entertainment. Dennis Erdman and Clark Peterson acquired Hershey’s life rights and will executive produce the potential series along with Smart and Giannakopoulos.
The poignant — and funny — story centers around a grandmother, played by Smart, at the end of her life and her 20-something gay grandson who reluctantly becomes her caretaker. He moves into her Catholic senior living facility, where she lives alongside a mix of traditional and hippie nuns.
The team is currently out to writers to pen the script.
Smart is a five-time Emmy award winner,...
Inspired by Kevin Hershey’s New York Times article “Love Letter: When My Grandmother Stopped Eating“, the project hails from Smart and her producing partner, Angeliki Giannakopoulos, and their SmartAngel Entertainment. Dennis Erdman and Clark Peterson acquired Hershey’s life rights and will executive produce the potential series along with Smart and Giannakopoulos.
The poignant — and funny — story centers around a grandmother, played by Smart, at the end of her life and her 20-something gay grandson who reluctantly becomes her caretaker. He moves into her Catholic senior living facility, where she lives alongside a mix of traditional and hippie nuns.
The team is currently out to writers to pen the script.
Smart is a five-time Emmy award winner,...
- 2/20/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Emmy-nominated “Orange is the New Black” actress Laverne Cox isn’t just a fan of “Sex and the City,” she’s a scholar. Cox knows most of the HBO series’ episodes by heart, and can even list the various Emmys and Golden Globes that the show and its performers received over the years.
She admits, however, that the show stumbled in one disappointing way: Its depiction of transgender individuals, particularly black trans women. In the show’s season 3 finale, “Cock a Doodle Do,” Samantha is kept awake by a group of loud prostitutes who happen to be trans, but aren’t explored beyond that.
“It was disappointing to me, as a black trans woman, to see black trans women enter the world of ‘Sex and the City’ and be so thoroughly othered,” Cox told Variety‘s “My Favorite Episode” podcast. “But being critical of the show in that way didn...
She admits, however, that the show stumbled in one disappointing way: Its depiction of transgender individuals, particularly black trans women. In the show’s season 3 finale, “Cock a Doodle Do,” Samantha is kept awake by a group of loud prostitutes who happen to be trans, but aren’t explored beyond that.
“It was disappointing to me, as a black trans woman, to see black trans women enter the world of ‘Sex and the City’ and be so thoroughly othered,” Cox told Variety‘s “My Favorite Episode” podcast. “But being critical of the show in that way didn...
- 8/20/2019
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
CBS is putting John Leguizamo in the driver’s seat.
The Emmy winner has been tapped to star in Taxi-22, a single-camera comedy pilot based on a popular French Canadian series, our sister site Deadline reports.
As the title suggests, Leguizamo will play a New York City cab driver — and a “politically incorrect” one at that.
If this project sounds familiar to you, it’s because the late James Gandolfini had been trying to develop it for years, originally at HBO. At one time, the Sopranos actor was even loosely attached to star in it.
Taxi-22 will be executive-produced by Dennis Erdman,...
The Emmy winner has been tapped to star in Taxi-22, a single-camera comedy pilot based on a popular French Canadian series, our sister site Deadline reports.
As the title suggests, Leguizamo will play a New York City cab driver — and a “politically incorrect” one at that.
If this project sounds familiar to you, it’s because the late James Gandolfini had been trying to develop it for years, originally at HBO. At one time, the Sopranos actor was even loosely attached to star in it.
Taxi-22 will be executive-produced by Dennis Erdman,...
- 1/23/2015
- TVLine.com
CBS‘ single-camera comedy pilot Taxi-22 is being put on hold because of problems casting the lead. The project, which had been shepherded by the late James Gandolfini, is a one-lead show, with the casting of the central character considered crucial to its success. CBS brass liked the script and gave the pilot the best shot possible by giving it an early pickup in mid-January. (Taxi-22 was actually the first CBS pilot to be greenlighted this season aside from the How I Met Your Mother spinoff). In the end, after a slew of offers, the role couldn’t be cast on time for next fall but CBS plans to keep at it, rolling the pilot to the next development cycle. An adaptation of the hit French Canadian single-camera comedy created by and starring top Canadian comedian Patrick Huard, Taxi-22 is about a misanthropic and politically incorrect NYC cab driver in the vein of Archie Bunker.
- 3/18/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
CBS kicked off its pilot pickup season today with a order to Taxi-22, a single-camera comedy that had been shepherded by the late James Gandolfini. CBS bought the project, with Gandolfini on board to executive produce, in early June, just two weeks before the Emmy-winning actor’s tragic death. Taxi-22, an adaptation of the hit French Canadian single-camera comedy, had been a passion project for Gandolfini, who first developed it at HBO where his Attaboy banner had a deal. The project went through three incarnations at the pay cable network with different writers and Gandolfini loosely attached to play the lead at one point. When the project, about a misanthropic and politically incorrect NYC cab driver in the vein of Archie Bunker, was sold to CBS in June, there was no writer attached, with Gandolfini executive producing alongside Dennis Erdman and Clark Peterson, the original series’ creator/star, top Canadian comedian Patrick Huard,...
- 1/14/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Darren Star's next TV project is an adaptation of a book -- no surprise there, considering his work as creator of "Sex and the City" and executive producer of "Gcb" and "Kitchen Confidential," both of which were based on books.
What the new project doesn't have in common with the others, though, is that a child will be at the center of it. Star will develop an adaptation of "The Honest Toddler," a newly published book based on the website and Twitter feed of writer Bunmi Laditan, Deadline reports.
The Honest Toddler purports to be observations of life and the strange behavior of adults through the eyes of a 2-year-old. Sample tweets: "All this talk about flaunting your curves but strip naked in a public library and you're the bad guy. The librarian clearly said 'Make yourself comfortable.' That's what I get for following directions."
Laditan will executive produce the show with Star,...
What the new project doesn't have in common with the others, though, is that a child will be at the center of it. Star will develop an adaptation of "The Honest Toddler," a newly published book based on the website and Twitter feed of writer Bunmi Laditan, Deadline reports.
The Honest Toddler purports to be observations of life and the strange behavior of adults through the eyes of a 2-year-old. Sample tweets: "All this talk about flaunting your curves but strip naked in a public library and you're the bad guy. The librarian clearly said 'Make yourself comfortable.' That's what I get for following directions."
Laditan will executive produce the show with Star,...
- 6/12/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Exclusive: In 1998, Darren Star took a book based on newspaper columns by a female writer, Candace Bushnell, and turned it into a hit comedy series, HBO’s Sex And The City. Fifteen years later, as the Internet and social media have taken over newspapers, Star is looking to do the same with The Honest Toddler, a book by Bunmi Laditan based on her successful Twitter feed. Star will develop and executive produce the adaptation of The Honest Toddler, which was published last month by Simon and Shuster’s Scribner imprint, with Laditan and producers Clark Peterson and Dennis Erdman. The show, described as “a Modern Family from a toddler’s point of view,” is eyed for broadcast or cable. Laditan launched the Twitter account anonymously in May 2012 after a particularly difficult week with her then 2-year old daughter as means of cathartic release through humor. Laditan, who revealed her identity...
- 6/12/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: In an early buy for this coming development cycle, CBS has given a script commitment to Taxi-22, an adaptation of the hit French Canadian single-camera comedy, with James Gandolfini attached to executive produce through his Attaboy Prods. For the past three years, the project was set at HBO where Attaboy has a deal. It went through three incarnations with different writers and Gandolfini loosely attached to play the lead at one point. Search is now underway for a new writer to write the CBS version, which is being produced by CBS TV Studios. There are no plans for Gandolfini to star in the show, which centers on a NYC cab driver who is politically incorrect in the vein of Archie Bunker. Gandolfini is executive producing with his managers Nancy Sanders and Mark Armstrong, Dennis Erdman, Clark Peterson, as well as the original series’ creator/star, top Canadian comedian Patrick Huard,...
- 6/6/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
No, your proverbial chain ain’t being yanked. You indeed heard correctly. Flying straight out of Cannes comes this latest spot of casting news. From the man behind the gushy flimflam that is Sex And The City, comes a film…of an entirely different ouvre. Based on a true story, Anita tells the tale of real life anti-gay activist Anita Bryant, and now has hot tamale Uma Thurman confirmed to star.
The devout Christian singer spent most of her life peddling anti-gay bigotry to all and sundry. Quite the driven and determined woman, Bryant successfully campaigned to repeal a gay rights bill in Florida. She had a ton of Top 40 hits, no doubt crammed full of backwards rhetoric whittling on about the demonic proclivities of gays. Needless to say, her staunch homophobia cost her the career she worked her whole life to attain. Aw…boo hoo. This also caused her...
The devout Christian singer spent most of her life peddling anti-gay bigotry to all and sundry. Quite the driven and determined woman, Bryant successfully campaigned to repeal a gay rights bill in Florida. She had a ton of Top 40 hits, no doubt crammed full of backwards rhetoric whittling on about the demonic proclivities of gays. Needless to say, her staunch homophobia cost her the career she worked her whole life to attain. Aw…boo hoo. This also caused her...
- 5/16/2013
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
Uma Thurman is set to play anti-gay activist Anita Bryant in the biopic "Anita".
The story follows the singer and orange juice spokeswoman who, after allowing a gay screenwriter into her home, is forced to confront her past as an anti-gay Christian crusader.
Bryant successfully campaigned to overturn a gay rights law in Florida and destroyed her show biz career in the process.
Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman ("The Times of Harvey Milk") helm from a screenplay by Chad Hodge ("The Playboy Club"). "Sex And the City" creator Darren Star, Howard Rosenman, Jeffrey Schwarz and Dennis Erdman will produce.
Source: Deadline...
The story follows the singer and orange juice spokeswoman who, after allowing a gay screenwriter into her home, is forced to confront her past as an anti-gay Christian crusader.
Bryant successfully campaigned to overturn a gay rights law in Florida and destroyed her show biz career in the process.
Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman ("The Times of Harvey Milk") helm from a screenplay by Chad Hodge ("The Playboy Club"). "Sex And the City" creator Darren Star, Howard Rosenman, Jeffrey Schwarz and Dennis Erdman will produce.
Source: Deadline...
- 5/16/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Breaking: Uma Thurman will star as controversial Anita Bryant in Anita, produced by Sex And the City creator Darren Star, Howard Rosenman, Jeffrey Schwarz and Dennis Erdman. Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman will direct from a screenplay by Chad Hodge. Those filmmakers, who most recently helmed Lovelace, won Oscars for Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt and The Times Of Harvey Milk. The film will be shopped here at Cannes. It follows the singer and orange juice spokeswoman who, after allowing a gay screenwriter into her home, confronts her past and her politics which included successfully campaigning to overturn a gay rights law in Florida. Thurman next stars in Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac, and the next film by the directors is The Battle Of AmFAR, which HBO broadcasts in December. UTA Independent and Wme are co-repping domestic.
- 5/16/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Director Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's Anita has cast Uma Thurman of Lars von Trier's upcoming Nymphomaniac where she'll star as the anti-gay activist Anita Bryant, reports Deadline. Sex And the City creator Darren Star, Howard Rosenman, Jeffrey Schwarz and Dennis Erdman produce the film which follows the singer who, after she allows a gay scribe into her house, confronts her past as an anti-gay crusader campaigning to overturn a gay rights law in Florida, and crashing her career in doing so.
- 5/16/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Exclusive: Hung writer-producer Brett C. Leonard has been tapped to write a new script for Taxi-22, HBO’s adaptation of the hit French Canadian series, which is being produced by James Gandolfini’s Attaboy Prods. Taxi-22, developed as a potential starring vehicle for Gandolfini, centers on a politically incorrect cab driver in NYC struggling to keep his life together. Gandolfini, Leonard, Dennis Erdman, Clark Peterson, Nancy Sanders and Mark Armstrong are executive producing. Leonard is the third writer assigned with adapting the French Canadian original created by Patrick Huard and Francois Flamand and starring Huard. He succeeds Kenneth Lonergan and Dave Flebotte who wrote previous versions. Writer-playwright Leonard, repped by UTA, serves as producer on HBO’s dark comedy Hung. His play The Long Red Road was recently staged at Chicago’s Owen Theatre with Philip Seymour Hoffman directing. Gandolfini is with CAA.
- 11/22/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Oscar-nominated writer Kenneth Lonergan has come on board to pen Taxi-22, HBO's adaptation of the hit French Canadian single-camera comedy executive produced by James Gandolfini and developed as a potential starring vehicle for the Sopranos star through his Attaboy Films production company. Lonergan replaces Dave Flebotte who was originally tapped to write the adaptation. Taxi-22, which centers on a politically incorrect cab driver in New York City struggling to keep his life together, marks the TV debut of Lonergan, a playwright and feature writer-director who earned Oscar nominations for writing his first movie, You Can Count on Me, and co-writing Gangs of New York. Gandolfini and Lonergan are executive producing with Nancy Sanders, Mark Armstrong, Clark Peterson, Dennis Erdman and the creators of the original show Patrick Huard and Francois Flamand. Huard, a top Canadian comedian, also stars on the Canadian series. Erdman and Peterson licensed the format rights...
- 12/15/2010
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
"The Sopranos" star James Gandolfini and HBO may be getting together again -- this time for a comedy series.
Gandolfini and his company, Attaboy Films, are developing an American version of "Taxi 0-22," a French-Canadian series about an opinionated Montreal cab driver. He's also considering starring in the show, which would be set in New York, according to several reports.
Dave Flebotte, a veteran comedy writer who's worked on "Desperate Housewives," "Will & Grace" and "The Bernie Mac Show," is writing a pilot script for HBO. He'll also executive produce with Gandolfini, Dennis Erdman, Nancy Sanders, Mark Armstrong, Clark Peterson and the Canadian show's creators, Patrick Huard (who also stars) and Francois Flamand.
Flebotte, incidentally, also co-wrote the 2002 "Sopranos" episode "Calling All Cars."
If the project goes forward, it would be Gandolfini's first TV role since "The Sopranos" ended in 2007. He's also developing a movie with HBO about Ernest Hemingway.
Follow...
Gandolfini and his company, Attaboy Films, are developing an American version of "Taxi 0-22," a French-Canadian series about an opinionated Montreal cab driver. He's also considering starring in the show, which would be set in New York, according to several reports.
Dave Flebotte, a veteran comedy writer who's worked on "Desperate Housewives," "Will & Grace" and "The Bernie Mac Show," is writing a pilot script for HBO. He'll also executive produce with Gandolfini, Dennis Erdman, Nancy Sanders, Mark Armstrong, Clark Peterson and the Canadian show's creators, Patrick Huard (who also stars) and Francois Flamand.
Flebotte, incidentally, also co-wrote the 2002 "Sopranos" episode "Calling All Cars."
If the project goes forward, it would be Gandolfini's first TV role since "The Sopranos" ended in 2007. He's also developing a movie with HBO about Ernest Hemingway.
Follow...
- 5/6/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
James Gandolfini is executive producing an adaptation of the French Canadian series "Taxi 22" which is being developed as a potential starring vehicle for the actor who played Tony Soprano in "The Sopranos." Dave Flebotte is writing and the story revolves around a politically incorrect cab driver in New York City. Also executive producing alongside Flebotte and Gandolfini are Nancy Sanders, Mark Armstrong, Dennis Erdman, Clark Peterson, Huard and Francois Flamand. Gandolfini's Attaboy Films is producing since it has a production deal at HBO. Gandolfini's recent work includes "The Taking of Pelham 123," "In the Loop," "Where the Wild Things Are" and "Welcome to the Rileys."...
- 5/6/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Tony Soprano is coming home to HBO. Actor James Gandolfini and his Attaboy production company will develop a French language Canadian single-camera comedy series Taxi-22 with HBO, reports Variety. The project will be scripted by Dave Flebotte. The premise centers on a politically incorrect cab driver (Gandolfini) in New York City trying to keep his life together. According to Variety, Gandolfini is executive producing with Flebotte, Gandolfini.s managers Nancy Sanders and Mark Armstrong, Dennis Erdman, Clark Peterson and the creators of the original series Patrick Huard and Francois Flamand. Huard, a comedian, also stars on the Canadian series, now in its fourth season. Erdman and Peterson licensed the format rights from Huard and Flamand and brought the...
- 5/6/2010
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
HBO is teaming with James Gandolfini to develop an U.S. version of the hit French Canadian single-camera comedy series Taxi-22 as a potential starring vehicle for the Sopranos star. The project, to be written by comedy veteran Dave Flebotte, (Desperate Housewives) centers on a politically incorrect cab driver in New York City struggling to keep his life together. It is being developed at Gandolfini’s Attaboy Films production company, which has a deal with HBO. Gandolfini is executive producing with Flebotte, Gandolfini’s managers Nancy Sanders and Mark Armstrong, Dennis Erdman, Clark Peterson and the creators of the original series Patrick Huard [...]...
- 5/6/2010
- by MIKE FLEMING AND NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline Hollywood
HBO is developing a biopic of former beauty queen, singer and celebrity pitchwoman Anita Bryant, who is known mostly for her work as an anti-gay activist.
"Sex and the City" creator Darren Star is on board to direct the film, which is being written by "Runaway" creator Chad Hodge. Star also is executive producing with Dennis Erdman.
"She is a fascinating person on every single level," said Hodge, who has a connection to Bryant -- they both attended Northwestern. "The twists and turns of her life are incredible."
By age 18, Bryant, who was born to a religious Oklahoma family in 1940, had won Arthur Godfrey's talent show and a Miss Oklahoma pageant and finished as second runner-up for Miss America.
In 1959 and '60, she was a major pop star with three million-selling records. After marrying and settling in Florida, she reverted to Christian music and, projecting a wholesome image, began...
"Sex and the City" creator Darren Star is on board to direct the film, which is being written by "Runaway" creator Chad Hodge. Star also is executive producing with Dennis Erdman.
"She is a fascinating person on every single level," said Hodge, who has a connection to Bryant -- they both attended Northwestern. "The twists and turns of her life are incredible."
By age 18, Bryant, who was born to a religious Oklahoma family in 1940, had won Arthur Godfrey's talent show and a Miss Oklahoma pageant and finished as second runner-up for Miss America.
In 1959 and '60, she was a major pop star with three million-selling records. After marrying and settling in Florida, she reverted to Christian music and, projecting a wholesome image, began...
- 2/1/2010
- by By Nellie Andreeva and Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Producers Dennis Erdman and Clark Peterson have acquired TV format rights to the hit French-Canadian comedy series "Taxi 0-22."
The two will be shopping an American version of the series, which centers on Rogatien Dubois, an outspoken and politically incorrect taxi driver. A modern-day Archie Bunker type, Dubois wrestles with his many prejudices and the fact that his 20-year-old son is gay.
"The comedy and humanity in this universal character should truly resonate with an American audience," Peterson said.
The original series was created by and stars French-Canadian comedy star Patrick Huard. The show airs on leading Quebec broadcaster Tva network and draws more than a million viewers in the market of 6 million French-speaking Canadians, with the Dubois character quickly becoming part of popular culture.
Since forming Erdman/Peterson Prods. last year to pursue TV projects, CAA-repped Erdman and Peterson have set up the half-hour comedy "We Need Girlfriends," based on the Web series,...
The two will be shopping an American version of the series, which centers on Rogatien Dubois, an outspoken and politically incorrect taxi driver. A modern-day Archie Bunker type, Dubois wrestles with his many prejudices and the fact that his 20-year-old son is gay.
"The comedy and humanity in this universal character should truly resonate with an American audience," Peterson said.
The original series was created by and stars French-Canadian comedy star Patrick Huard. The show airs on leading Quebec broadcaster Tva network and draws more than a million viewers in the market of 6 million French-speaking Canadians, with the Dubois character quickly becoming part of popular culture.
Since forming Erdman/Peterson Prods. last year to pursue TV projects, CAA-repped Erdman and Peterson have set up the half-hour comedy "We Need Girlfriends," based on the Web series,...
- 10/14/2008
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.