What’s Filming Now at Broadway Stages: From Marvel to Ryan Murphy’s Latest
/As we head into summer, Broadway Stages is proud to be the production studio partner-of-choice for several exciting television series. Find out more about the latest happening at our NYC area facilities.
Ryan Murphy's Kennedy Saga, "American Love Story," Casts John-John and Jackie O.
We previously reported that Ryan Murphy's production company is expanding its "American Story" franchise with the upcoming "American Love Story," which will detail the ultimately tragic romance of John F. Kennedy Jr. (commonly known as John-John) and Carolyn Bessette. The paparazzi followed the couple's every move, leading them to wed in a top secret ceremony on a sparsely populated island off the coast of Georgia in 1996. Tragically, three years later both died in a plane crash near Martha's Vineyard.
Sarah Pidgeon ("The Wilds") is set to star as Bessette, who was a fashion publicist before entering into a high-profile relationship with John-John. Pidgeon made her Broadway debut last year in the acclaimed play "Stereophonic," which earned a record 13 Tony Award nominations. She originated the role of Diana, the vocalist for a rock band consisting of several feuding couples.
Pidgeon finally has a romantic co-lead in model-turned-actor Paul Kelly, who will make his onscreen debut as John-John. As an actor, Kelly is best known for appearing in several stage productions with the Los Angeles theater company The Group Rep, so this casting will surely raise the newcomer's profile. Reportedly more than a thousand actors auditioned for the coveted role.
The biggest name attached to the project is Naomi Watts, who will portray the iconic former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Last year, Watts played the socialite and fashion icon Babe Paley on Murphy's "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans," the second season of his "Feud" anthology series. Her performance earned her several major award nominations.
In additional casting news, Grace Gummer will play Caroline Kennedy, daughter of Jackie and sister of John-John. Gummer should have no difficulty playing a member of a famous family, as she is the daughter of the legendary Meryl Streep and older sister of Louisa Jacobson, who stars on HBO's "The Gilded Age" (also filmed at our facilities). Gummer previously worked with Murphy on three seasons of "American Horror Story." Both Watts and Gummer are set to appear on Murphy's upcoming legal drama, "All's Fair," which will debut on Hulu this fall.
"American Love Story" is Murphy's latest anthology offering following "American Horror Story" (and its spin-off "American Horror Stories"), "American Crime Story," and "American Sports Story." Murphy's non-"American Story" anthologies include the previously mentioned "Feud," and "Monsters," which have both run for two seasons. Broadway Stages provided facilities for Murphy's groundbreaking series "Pose" (2018-2021) and his miniseries "Halston" (2021). His upcoming project "The Beauty" recently filmed at our Brooklyn facilities.
"American Love Story" does not have a release date just yet, but it will air on FX, like Murphy's other anthology shows. Be sure to follow our blog as we find out more.
Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones Will Return to the MCU in "Daredevil: Born Again"
Season two of "Daredevil: Born Again" is currently filming, and Marvel fans are ecstatic to see a leaked set video of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones. When the show returns to Disney+ next year, it will mark Jones' first time back in the MCU since 2019 when her dedicated series "Jessica Jones" ended after three seasons. We were happy to be the production studio partner-of-choice then, and we are thrilled to provide our facilities again now for her return.
Earlier this year, Charlie Cox returned to the small screen as Daredevil, a vigilante crime fighter with superhuman senses. "Daredevil: Born Again" brought back much of the same cast from Netflix's "Daredevil," which last aired in 2018. Both "Daredevil" and "Daredevil: Born Again" include scenes filmed at the former Arthur Kill Correctional Facility on Staten Island, which is part of our 69-acre waterfront campus that has been redesigned as a full-service production facility. In addition to those two shows and "Jessica Jones" (2015-2019), Netflix's "Luke Cage" (2016-2018), "Iron Fist" (2017-2018), and "The Punisher" (2017-2019) also include scenes filmed at our soundstages, as does Netflix's 2017 miniseries "The Defenders."
The second season of "Daredevil: Born Again" will most certainly focus on the vigilantes taking on Kingpin's Anti-Vigilante Taskforce that outlawed superheroes in New York City. Does this mean that a full reunion of the Defenders is in store for next year? We'll let you know as we find out more.
NBC Greenlights New Tracy Morgan Comedy Series
"Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" alum Tracy Morgan is set to star in a new comedy series on NBC titled "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins." Per the series tagline, Morgan will play a former football star seeking redemption and a chance to restore his tarnished reputation.
Daniel Radcliffe will co-star as Arthur Tobin, a filmmaker who moves in with Reggie in order to shoot a documentary about the fallen star. Erika Alexander ("Living Single") will play Reggie's ex-wife Monica, and Bobby Moynihan ("Saturday Night Live") will appear as Gator, Reggie's close friend and former teammate. Precious Way ("Days of Our Lives") has joined the cast as Reggie's fiancee, Brina, and Jalyn Hall ("Till") will play Carmelo, the teenage son of Reggie and Monica.
Many of Morgan's "30 Rock" collaborators will serve as executive producers on "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins," including Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Sam Means, Eric Gurian, and David Miner. Fey and Carlock served as co-showrunners of NBC's "30 Rock" (2006-2013) and Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (2015-2019), the latter of which the two also co-created. Carlock and Means will serve as co-lead writers of Morgan's new show; both wrote episodes of the Fey-produced series "Girls5eva" (2021-2024) and the aforementioned "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."
Rhys Thomas, who has directed numerous episodes of "Documentary Now!" and "Saturday Night Live," directed the pilot episode, which filmed at our Greenpoint facilities. He is also serving as an executive producer, as is Morgan himself.
It is always exciting when a pilot filmed at our facilities gets picked up. Congrats to the cast and crew!
Dick Wolf's "CIA" Filming at Broadway Stages
When one door closes, another one opens. That's the case with CBS's "FBI" franchise as the curtain falls on "FBI: Most Wanted" and "FBI: International" but rises for the latest spin-off — "CIA," a straight-to-series vehicle (i.e., no pilot episode) that is expected to air this fall and will likely be a key piece of CBS's 2025-2026 lineup.
Despite its name, the series will not be set in Langley, Virginia, where the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is headquartered. Instead, the show will focus on the CIA's New York Station and center around a team of agents investigating domestic terrorism threats.
"Lucifer" star Tom Ellis will helm the series playing CIA case officer Hart Hoxton who, according to CBS, is "a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon." The network has not yet announced who will portray his partner, a straight-laced and more disciplined FBI agent.
Dick Wolf and veteran television writer David Hudgins have co-created the series, and both will serve as executive producers. Hudgins was most recently the showrunner of "FBI: Most Wanted" and has also written episodes of "Friday Night Lights," "Parenthood," and "Everwood."
Former CIA officer David Chasteen and screenwriter Nicole Perlman are also in the writer's room. Chasteen has served as a technical consultant on several films as well as the Prime Video series "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan" (2018-2023). Perlman co-wrote 2014's blockbuster "Guardians of the Galaxy" and drafted the story for 2019's "Pokémon: Detective Pikachu," among other writing credits.
Eriq La Salle of "ER" fame will direct the first episode of "CIA" and also serve as an executive producer alongside Wolf, Hudgins, Chasteen, Perlman, and President and Chief Operating Officer of Wolf Entertainment Peter Jankowski.
We are so happy to play a role in the expansion of this popular franchise and look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with Wolf Entertainment.
Carra Patterson Stepping Back From "Elsbeth"
Near the end of the second season of CBS's hit whodunit "Elsbeth," Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson) made a life-changing decision about her future. Although Blanke will no longer be working side by side with Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston) or Captain C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce), she will remain in the "Elsbeth" universe, as Patterson is expected to make guest appearances in the third season.
In the season finale, Elsbeth found herself imprisoned, facing charges of felony harassment and surrounded by inmates who she helped put behind bars (returning guest stars Retta, Gina Gershon, Elizabeth Lail, Alyssa Milano, and Mary Louise Parker). One night, Elsbeth dreamt of her fellow prisoners performing a show-stopping rendition of "Cell Block Tango" from the musical "Chicago." Clad in bedazzled jewel-toned jumpsuits, the merry murderesses sang and danced in Stage 4 of our Greenpoint facility, on a set specially designed for use in this episode.
We are thrilled that CBS renewed "Elsbeth" for a third season and can't wait for the cast and crew to return to our stages!
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