Stay in the loop on industry and casting news with our write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles!
Please note that shoot dates are subject to state and county restrictions and may change. Refer to Call Sheet for updates, and keep checking Backstage for the latest news on project development during this time.
“Disenchanted”
Disney knows how to keep its audience’s attention; one way the studio is doing that is by flipping the script on what people expect from a princess story. Instead of focusing on a woman seeking out a prince to live happily ever after with, the studio is digging into a protagonist’s personal growth. 2007’s “Enchanted” brought Disney fans the expected happy ending—the archetypical animated princess, Giselle, stepped out of her musical world and into live-action New York City. The sequel will be set 10 years in the future as she starts to question her life and sets off a chain of events that wreak havoc on both the real world and the magical kingdom of Andalasia. The Disney+ project, cast by Cindy Tolan, has already secured original stars Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, but has yet to announce the return of any other prominent players from the original film. Production is set to begin in May in Ireland.
“Harrity Elementary”
While education remains a hot topic in the news, ABC will explore the lives of teachers in a new comedy series. Fighting against the hierarchy of public education, “Harrity Elementary” will showcase a group of teachers at one of the worst public schools in America as they try their best to counteract their district’s blasé attitude toward its students. The instructors bond over their love of teaching while relying on each other to survive the frustrations of dealing with a bureaucracy that prevents the betterment of their pupils. Wendy O’Brien is casting the project, which will be created, written, and executive produced by Quinta Brunson (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”), who will also star. Production is set to start in March in Los Angeles.
“Call Jane”
Before the landmark 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States, women seeking the procedure often had to fend for themselves—and look out for each other—while risking their health and safety. Based on the true story of the Jane Collective, a group of women working underground to provide safe abortions in the 1960s and early ’70s, the film will follow a married woman who finds herself in need of the service and whose work inspires other women to take control of their own destinies. The Sheila Jaffe–cast drama will star Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara, and Rupert Friend. Filming is set to begin in early spring in New York.
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This story originally appeared in the March 11 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.