TVLine Items: Judy Blume Adaptation Sets Cast, Invincible Trailer and More
Netflix’s adaptation of Judy Blume’s iconic 1975 novel Forever has found its leads.
Lovie Simone (Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Greenleaf) and Michael Cooper Jr. (On the Come Up) will star in the series from showrunner/executive producer Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, The Game).
Forever is described as “an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018,” per the official synopsis.
Simone will play Keisha Clark, “a young confident, smart, and fiery track star with clear dreams for life after high school.” Meanwhile, Cooper Jr.’s Justin Edwards is “a young man who is a nerd at heart disguised in an athlete’s body. Justin dreams of playing D1 basketball and achieving more than his successful parents. Love will lead him to who he truly is.”
Additionally, Regina King (One Night in Miami) has been tapped to direct the first episode and executive-produce alongside Brock Akil, Blume, Susie Fitzgerald, Erika Harrison, Sara White, Reina King and Shana C. Waterman.
Ready for some more recent newsy nuggets? Well…
* Jon Hamm (Fargo, Mad Men) will recur in Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming Paramount+ drama Landman, starring Billy Bob Thornton. Hamm will play Monty Miller, “a titan of the Texas oil industry who has a long personal and professional relationship with Tommy Norris (Thornton).”
* The Netflix Slam, a live tennis match between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, will stream globally on Sunday, March 3 at 12:30 pm PT/9:30pm CET. The event will be hosted by Kay Adams and feature commentary from tennis greats Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mary Joe Fernández and Patrick McEnroe as well as tennis analyst Prakash Amritraj. In Spanish markets, Feliciano López and David Ferrer will be calling the shots.
* Fox News Channel will host town halls with presidential candidates former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 5 pm ET, led by John Roberts) and former President Donald Trump (Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 pm, led by Laura Ingraham).
* Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, starring Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix, will begin streaming Friday, March 1 on Apple TV+.
* Peacock will stream two versions of Trolls Band Together — the original, theatrical release and a new sing-along version — on Friday, March 15.
* Prime Video has released a trailer for Invincible Season 2 Part 2, debuting Thursday, March 14, with new episodes airing weekly:
* Fox has released a trailer for Animal Control Season 2, premiering Wednesday, March 6 at 9/8c:
Which of today’s TVLine Items pique your interest?
