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Ted Danson brought his signature charm to CSI as Db Russell, a quirky yet brilliant crime scene investigator. While fans adored his unique take on the role, one of his personal hopes for the character never made it to the screen. Danson envisioned adding a touch of heartwarming flair to Db’s story, but the series had other plans.

Ted Danson | Image by Gage Skidmore, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite this missed opportunity, CSI delivered plenty of gripping moments with Db at the helm, cementing Danson’s place in the franchise.

Ted Danson’s Db Russell: The “what if” that could’ve changed CSI Ted Danson in Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge | Credit: Columbia Pictures

Ted Danson shook things up on CSI when he joined as Db Russell in season 11. Fans were hooked on his David Attenborough-esque charm, but even with all the love for his character,...

Throughout the CSI franchise's 39 seasons and 838 episodes, there have been plenty of memorable moments, but the one that stands out the most happens over the course of three episodes. The CSI franchise debuted in October 2000 when CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered, and it quickly became a hit. Millions of people watched the CSI show, inspiring CBS to expand its universe. Its success resulted in the network ordering the first spinoff, CSI: Miami, in 2002, and the second one, CSI: NY, in 2004. CSI was a cultural phenomenon that forever changed the course of TV (in numerous respects).

As of the writing of this article, the CSI franchise has no current shows airing, as the latest, CSI: Vegas, ended with its season 3 finale in May 2024.

Every series in the franchise revolved around a CSI team, consisting of forensic scientists, detectives, and medical examiners who work together to solve murders. However, as one could tell by their titles,...

Genre-blending artist, actor, and filmmaker Flying Lotus has unveiled a surprise EP titled Spirit Box, his first non-soundtrack project since 2019. Stream it below.

While Steven Ellison (Flying Lotus) is often inspired by influences from anime to outer space, Spirit Box pulls from the mystical and supernatural. According to a statement about the eight-track offering, “Spirit Box arriving near Halloween is no coincidence — it’s a time where everyone gets the chance to transform into something different, something surprising, maybe even something scary.”

The versatile creator has used this project as an official foray into house music, highlighting elements of dance and electronica more than ever before. Spirit Box was preceded by a pair of singles, “Ingo Swann” and “Garmonbozia,” and the full project offers plenty of the jazzy, avant-garde energy typically featured throughout a Flying Lotus album.

Earlier this month, Flying Lotus revealed the trailer for Ash, an upcoming science...

Exclusive: Charades has acquired international sales rights to glam gore zombie comedy Queens of the Dead by Tina Romero, daughter of legendary director George A. Romero, ahead of the AFM.

The cast, revealed by Deadline earlier this year, features Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls), Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Margaret Cho (Fire Island), Brigette Lundy-Paine (I Saw The TV Glow) and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story).

Co-written by Erin Judge and Romero, the movie follows a group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies who must put aside their personal dramas and use their unique skills to fight the brain-thirsty undead when a zombie apocalypse breaks out on the night of a giant warehouse party.

Others featuring in the cast of the film from Vanishing Angle include Nina West (Rupaul’s Drag Race), Tomas Matos (Fire Island), Quincy Dunn-Baker (No Hard Feelings), Becca Blackwell (Bros), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Black Panther), Dominique Jackson...

It might seem like Louis Partridge emerged on the acting scene to play the love interest in Enola Holmes on Netflix seemingly out of nowhere, but that isn't the case. The actor has been steadily working since 2014 with supporting roles in television, movies, and short films. He has a surprisingly good amount of experience for a decade in the industry with most of his work revolving around roles as a teenager so far.

Partridge has had a lot of back-to-back projects since landing his role as Tewkesbury in Enola Holmes, and he's continuing to book future projects as well. Lined up for the actor is the AppleTV+ series Disclaimer, the TV series House of Guinness, and a movie helmed by writer/director Noah Baumbach. Until those projects release, these are the movies and TV shows he's appeared in so far.

Boomers (2014) As Alf

Boomers is his first credited professional role.

The Venice Film Festival got a surprise cameo from one of the world’s most popular pop stars Thursday night.

Olivia Rodrigo — currently on a break from her Guts World Tour before it resumes in Bangkok on Sept. 15 — jetted to Italy and made a low-key appearance to support boyfriend Louis Partridge’s role in the Apple TV+ limited series Disclaimer. The occasion marked the couple’s public debut at an official event though they did not pose on the red carpet together outside Palazzo del Cinema. They did, however, attend a cocktail reception at the Hotel Excelsior before the world premiere as well as a post-screening reception at Palazzina Grassi, and they were captured in paparazzi images going to and fro. Vogue covered Rodrigo’s outing and described her ensemble as “a vision of the ’90s.”

Rodrigo also captured some photographic evidence herself. She was spotted filming Partridge during the...

Geek Girl on Netflix follows Harriet as she transforms from a geek to a teen model, facing challenges and exciting opportunities. Emily Carey shines as Harriet Manners, capturing the essence of a self-professed geek navigating the world of fashion and modeling. With a cast including Emmanuel Imani and Liam Woodrum, Geek Girl promises 10 episodes of glamorous, surprising fun.

Netflix's Geek Girl brings Holly Smale's best-selling book to the small screen with an exciting cast to make it all happen. The teen series, directed by Declan O'Dwyer and created by Jessica Ruston, sees a 16-year-old's life change as she goes from geeky high school student to modeling star. With stars like Emily Carey, Emmanuel Imani, Liam Woodrum, and more, Geek Girl is 10 episodes of surprising, glamourous fun.

Netflix's series follows Harriet Manners, a student at Hollybridge Secondary School who is constantly bullied for her social awkwardness and geeky tendencies. However,...

The Lost Boys wasn’t just a massive box office success, it was also a game-changer in vampire media, making the undead hip again and convincing a whole generation that they too could become juvenile vampire hunters (though I know a lot of people who wouldn’t mind joining Kiefer Sutherland’s punk-rock group of dreamy Nosferatu).

And as is often in the case in Hollywood, the film’s near-instant popularity meant that the studio was immediately interested in a follow-up, with director Joel Schumacher even coming up with a pitch titled “The Lost Girls” meant to follow a different tribe of female vampires. Of course, we all know that this project never materialized, and fans were forever left to wonder about what a proper Lost Boys sequel might look like. Or were they?

What a lot of horror fans don’t realize is that we actually did get not...

Counting On alum Jim Bob Duggar has been silent on social media since the Csam conviction of his son, Josh. The Duggar family’s Ig page hasn’t had an update for almost two years. However, some of the Duggar kids have been actively appearing online, especially those who still live with their parents. Some Redditors also believe it’s a sign that something big is coming, and Jim Bob may be behind all of it. Keep reading to see the shocking speculation.

Counting On: Rarely-Seen Duggar Girls Have Been Appearing Online

It’s been quite some time since fans last got an update about Michelle and Jim Bob’s kids, who still live with them. Until recently, Johannah, Josie, Jennifer, Jordyn, and Jana suddenly became present online. The Counting On alums have been appearing in photos and vlogs of their siblings, especially with Joy-Anna. Many were also surprised to...

There have been dozens of Peter Pan movies since the birth of cinema, from live-action stage adaptations to animated classics, and the Peter Pan movies exemplify why J. M. Barrie's story continues to entertain and delight so long after it was first written. The Scottish author's most famous work tells the story of a sprite-like young boy named Peter Pan who lives in the fantastical realm of Neverland and refuses to grow up. Peter Pan's enchanting story has captured the imaginations of other artists for generations, and there are now dozens of Peter Pan films. Regardless of how true the adaptation is to the source material, nearly every Peter Pan movie has a bit of the magic that Barrie sprinkled throughout his works.

Since the story entered the public consciousness, the themes, and ideas presented in the work have become archetypal aspects of children's stories, and Peter Pan's reach...

The actor’s full-throated performance as Captain Hook is the most distinctive thing in a passable but unnecessary Disney live-action remake

The increasingly rotten trend of turning classic Disney animations into wretched live-action, or photorealistic, remakes looks set to reach its nadir with next month’s release of The Little Mermaid, already a viral nightmare for its horrifying confirmation that adding lips to both a crab and a fish is indeed a crime against humanity. Its looming ugliness does at least help to make this month’s far more hushed release of the inoffensively fine Peter Pan & Wendy seem dreamy in comparison.

It almost seems foolish at this stage to question the necessity of such a thing, given the crushing commercial inevitability of it, but it’s impossible to watch yet another take on Jm Barrie’s impish hero without wondering why we’re here once again. Unlike so many of Disney’s other remakes,...

Exclusive: Former Lucifer co-showrunner, writer and producer Ildy Modrovich has signed with Range Media Partners for representation.

In addition to her duties on Lucifer, which aired its sixth and final season at the end of 2021, Modrovich wrote 22 episodes across five seasons of CSI: Miami.

Modrovich served as executive producer and showrunner on all six seasons of Lucifer. She received a People’s Choice Award for the series, which was also nominated for a Critics Choice Super Award in 2020. Under her leadership, the series became the most streamed original series for 2021.

Modrovich has also produced and written for shows such as Showtime’s Californication, Eleventh Hour and Three Rivers for CBS, ABC’s Forever and she co-executive produced three seasons of Necessary Roughness for USA.

She has developed a number of pilots as well, including an American adaptation of the British series Wire in the Blood, adaptations of James Patterson’s Michael Bennett series,...

Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmaker’s Podcast #283: Producing, Writing, Directing and Starring in your own...

“The Lost Girls” is Vertical Entertainment’s new fantasy drama feature, adapting author J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan”, written and directed by Livia De Paolis, starring Ella-Rae Smith, Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Julian Ovenden, Parker Sawyers and Louis Partridge, now playing:

“.. four generations of the ‘Darling’ family women struggle to cope with the aftermath of their adventures with ‘Peter Pan’ in ‘Neverland’.

“‘Wendy’ tries to retain her creative spirit after her fantastical journeys with Pan. Like her grandmother and her mother ‘Jane’, Wendy must escape Peter’s hold on her and the promises he desperately wants her to keep. As her daughter ‘Berry’ comes into Peter’s orbit, Wendy must fight to save her relationship with her daughter while reconciling her legacy…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Further new releases include ’Good Luck To You Leo Grande’ and ‘Pleasure’.

Lightyear will be hoping to blast to the top of the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, with Disney releasing the animation at 654 locations.

Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear origin story has had a lukewarm reception from critics, but the Angus MacLane-directed title will hope to capitalise on the enduring influence of the Toy Story franchise. When Toy Story 4 was released in 2019, it broke a record for the highest ever three-day opening for an animated title in the UK, opening in 668 venues, and taking £13.3m.

Chris Evans takes...

Actress and filmmaker Livia de Paolis takes on the classic childhood story of Peter Pan in her adaptation of Laurie Fox’s novel “The Lost Girls,” a book that imagines what it would have been like for Peter to continue to visit Wendy Darling’s family as promised.

The result is a strange mix of the modern and the magical, and the attempt to bring this fantastical tale into the contemporary world doesn’t work as intended, as least as executed by de Paolis, who directed, wrote the screenplay, and stars in the film.

De Paolis, whose grandfather founded an Italian movie studio in 1938, plays Wendy Darling, the granddaughter of the original Wendy (Vanessa Redgrave), whom Peter first visited and taught to fly. Nana Wendy’s daughter Jane (Joely Richardson) is young Wendy’s mother, though she’s been long missing, and the young girl has been raised by her loving father Clayton.

Universal’s “Jurassic World: Dominion” debuted atop the U.K. and Ireland box office with £12.1 million (14.8 million), according to numbers released by Comscore.

Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” scored £5.5 million in its third weekend and now has a mighty total of £50 million, jetting towards being one of the highest grossers of the year in the territory.

In third place and in its sixth weekend, Disney’s “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness” collected £398,401 for a total of £41.5 million. A24’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once” took in £205,252 in fourth position on its fifth weekend for a total of £4.4 million.

Rounding off the top five in its 11th weekend was Paramount’s “Sonic The Hedgehog 2” with £181,695 for a total of £26.4 million.

The other debut over the last weekend was Dreamz Entertainment’s Telugu-language “Ante Sundaraniki,” which bowed in 10th place with £68,230.

Coming up this weekend are Disney’s Toy Story franchise film “Lightyear,...

“The Lost Girls” is Vertical Entertainment’s new fantasy drama feature, adapting author J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan”, written and directed by Livia De Paolis, starring Ella-Rae Smith, Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Julian Ovenden, Parker Sawyers, Louis Partridge, opening June 17, 2022:

“.. four generations of the ‘Darling’ family women struggle to cope with the aftermath of their adventures with ‘Peter Pan’ in ‘Neverland’.

“‘Wendy’ tries to retain her creative spirit after her fantastical journeys with Pan. Like her grandmother and her mother ‘Jane’, Wendy must escape Peter’s hold on her and the promises he desperately wants her to keep. As her daughter ‘Berry’ comes into Peter’s orbit, Wendy must fight to save her relationship with her daughter while reconciling her legacy…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Exclusive: World Builder Entertainment, the artist management, production and brand development company founded by Dannie Festa and Marc Manus, has expanded its leadership team with the addition of new managers Nick Terry and Missy Masters. Terry will focus primarily on television/streaming and motion pictures while Masters’ concentration will be books and authors. Both will also seek out IP for development and production.

“At World Builder Entertainment, we resist the notion of categorizing our clients solely as screenwriters, directors, actors, authors, illustrators or game developers,” said Festa. “We embrace creators – artists who have the talent, vision and drive to excel at multiple roles. The expansion we are announcing today is a direct result of the faith and belief the creative community has shown for our reimagined approach to artist representation.”

“Nick and Missy are passionate about developing and cultivating the relentless creative spirit within these artists,” said Manus. “They intuitively...

“The Lost Girls” is Vertical Entertainment’s new fantasy drama feature, adapting J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan”, written and directed by Livia De Paolis, starring Ella-Rae Smith, Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Julian Ovenden, Parker Sawyers, Louis Partridge, opening June 17, 2022:

“.. four generations of the ‘Darling’ family women struggle to cope with the aftermath of their adventures with ‘Peter Pan’ in ‘Neverland’.

“‘Wendy’ tries to retain her creative spirit after her fantastical journeys with Pan. Like her grandmother and her mother ‘Jane’, Wendy must escape Peter’s hold on her and the promises he desperately wants her to keep. As her daughter ‘Berry’ comes into Peter’s orbit, Wendy must fight to save her relationship with her daughter while reconciling her legacy…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

"No one is ever really present in this family." Vertical Entertainment has revealed an official trailer for an indie film titled The Lost Girls, another Peter Pan remix taking the classic "The Lost Boys" premise and turning it into something else fresh. Like her grandmother and her mother Jane before her, Wendy must escape Peter Pan's hold on her and the promise he wants her to keep... As her daughter Berry comes into Peter's orbit, Wendy must fight to save her relationship with her daughter while reconciling her legacy. I didn't realize Peter was such a bad guy! This is written and directed by and stars Livia De Paolis, who's joined in the cast by Julian Ovenden, Parker Sawyers, Louis Partridge, Emily Carey, Ella-Rae Smith, with Vanessa Redgrave and Iain Glen and Joely Richardson. So this looks better than I was expecting, with lots of style to go along with...

TV goes through phases, and from the Peak Era, we've gone to the Streaming Era. Quite simply, you're missing a lot of good content if you aren't in on that action.

This week finds Hulu dropping The Girl From Plainville, Disney+ premiering Moon Knight, and HBO Max tackling a comedic look at Julia Child with Julia.

They're so good, that we hate to imagine you missing them. Here's what else is coming your way this week.

Saturday, March 26

8/7c The Lost Girls (Lifetime)

Adjusting to life again after escaping a harrowing experience within a sex trafficking ring proves to be a challenge for a teen.

As if trying to reconnect with her family isn’t difficult enough, she has a desire to rescue girls like herself still caught up in the trafficking system.

She’ll have to overcome some of her fears and trauma if she hopes to get justice...

Exclusive: Louis Partridge, the British actor who garnered international recognition for his turn as Viscount Tewkesbury in Enola Holmes, has signed with WME for representation in all areas.

Harry Bradbeer’s film based on the YA books of the same name by Nancy Springer centers on Sherlock Holmes’ teen sister Enola (Millie Bobby Brown), who sets off to find her mother when she discovers that she’s missing, and becomes a super-sleuth in her own right, as she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord. Following its debut on Netflix in September of 2020, it became one of the streamer’s most-watched original films ever, with an estimated 76 million households taking it in, over the course of its first four weeks of release. The success of the film has spurred a sequel that is currently in production, which will see Partridge reprise his role opposite Brown and Henry Cavill.

Distributor sets June day-and-date release.

Vertical Entertainment has acquired US rights from UTA Independent Film Group and Myriad Pictures to Livia De Paolis’s Peter Pan-inspired fantasy The Lost Girls heading into the online EFM.

Myriad Pictures will represent international rights on the film at the market. Vertical plans a day-and-date US release on June 17. Photon Films will release the film in Canada and Altitude is releasing in the UK.

Paolis wrote and directed the film based on the novel by Laurie Fox. De Paolis stars alongside Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Julian Ovenden, Parker Sawyers, Emily Carey, Louis Partridge, Ella Rae Smith and Iain Glen.

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired U.S. distribution rights to drama The Lost Girls directed by Livia De Paolis.

The film is inspired by J.M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan and is based on the novel by Laurie Fox. Vertical is planning a day-and-date release in the U.S. on June 17, 2022.

The film is written and directed by De Paolis (Emoticon ;)), who also stars in the film along an ensemble cast including Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck), Vanessa Redgrave (Atonement), Julian Ovenden (The Crown), Parker Sawyers (Southside with You), Emily Carey (Wonder Woman), Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes), Ella Rae Smith (Séance) and Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) as Hook.

Myriad Pictures is handling international sales and will continue to drum up business at the upcoming virtual European Film Market (EFM). Myriad and UTA co-repped the film for the U.S. with UTA Independent Film Group taking the lead on the sale.

Production has wrapped on London-set limited series “Kensal Town,” Variety can confirm.

The six-part drama series, which is set in one of the simultaneously richest and poorest parts of London, features Eric Roberts (“The Expendables”) and Saffron Burrows (“You”).

It is written, directed and produced by William Sarne (“Sean Garnier vs. the World”). Bob Clarke (“Boiling Point”), who raised finance via Samahoma Media Advisors from Insight Media Fund, also produces.

A broadcaster has not yet been lined up but season 1 will launch to the market this month.

Sarne was drawn to writing about the area because of its richly diverse community, both in terms of race, ethnicity, religion and socio-economic status given Kensal Town in north-west London is an area where supermodels and media moguls live side by side with gang members.

The series also stars Callum McGowan (“Jamestown”) as undercover policeman Euan and Emily Carey (“The Lost Girls”) as rich girl Juni,...

Reed Birney, the stage and screen veteran best known for his Tony-winning turn in “The Humans,” has joined the packed cast of Mark Mylod’s “The Menu.” The Searchlight Pictures dark comedy has already lined up an impressive ensemble of heavyweight talent, including the previously announced Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes. The rest of the cast includes such award winners and film favorites as Hong Chau, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, Janet McTeer, and Judith Light.

“The Menu” follows a young couple on a trip to a remote island, where they have traveled to eat at an exclusive restaurant. There, the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.

Mylod, who has helmed episodes of “Succession” and “Entourage,” directs from a script by Will Tracy and Seth Reiss. Adam McKay and Betsy Koch are producing the picture. Overseeing for Searchlight are film production heads DanTram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas,...

Netflix has recently released the trailer for their upcoming true-life drama offering Worth. Michael Keaton stars in the films as American attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who headed the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund set up by Congress after the 9/11 terror attacks. Feinberg was responsible for determining how much the families of 9/11 victims would receive as compensation. You can check out the trailer below.

Based on true events. An attorney learns a lesson in empathy when he is faced with the near-impossible task of determining how to compensate families who suffered incalculable losses as a result of the September 11th attacks in 2001.

Worth premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020 and was picked up for distribution by Netflix in February this year. So far, the critical reception has mostly been positive. Worth is currently sitting at a 65% fresh rating on rotten tomatoes but with only 20 reviews. Worth is set to have a...

Two days after reports surfaced that Kevin Spacey will star in Franco Nero’s upcoming film “The Man Who Drew God” with Vanessa Redgrave, reps for the actress say that she will not appear in the Italian drama.

“Vanessa Redgrave’s name is being included in recent stories relating to the casting of the upcoming film ‘The Man Who Drew God.’ While there have been discussions about the possibility of her joining the cast, she will not appear in the film,” read a statement from Redgrave’s reps obtained by TheWrap.

Redgrave, 84, has been married to Nero since 2006. The Italian actor best known for appearing in the “Django” spaghetti western films has reportedly cast Spacey in his first film role since multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations were raised against him in 2017, including dozens by actors who worked at London’s Old Vic Theatre while Spacey served as creative director...

Eminent actor Vanessa Redgrave has put daylight between herself and “The Man Who Drew God,” the Italian project that’s meant to be Kevin Spacey’s big comeback movie.

Redgrave’s name was widely mentioned as being attached to the film, known in Italian as “L’uomo Che Disegnò Dio,” directed by Franco Nero, her husband of 15 years.

“Vanessa Redgrave’s name is being included in recent stories relating to the casting of the upcoming film ‘The Man Who Drew God,'” said a statement released by her representatives on Wednesday. “While there have been discussions about the possibility of her joining the cast, she will not appear in the film.”

Redgrave, an Oscar winner for “Julia” and Primetime Emmy winner for “If These Walls Could Talk 2,” will not comment further on the matter.

Louis Nero, the producer of the film, had confirmed to Variety that Spacey was on...

South Korea-born executive arrives as company prepares for EFM, Filmart.

Ramping up for the year’s first cycle of online festivals and markets, Myriad Pictures president Kirk D’Amico has hired Jaewoo Kim as vice president, distribution and sales.

Jaewoo most recently served as director of international sales and acquisitions at 13 Films, where she handled sales and distribution on films such as The Current War starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Every Breath You Take with Casey Affleck.

Earlier in her career the South Korea-born executive worked for Korean distribution company 9ers Entertainment as manager of the international business, when she acquired...

Time is always fleeting, but never has it seemed as warped and malleable as it has in 2020. Reality has been a painful pill to swallow at times this past year, but thankfully we’ve seen bright spots through it all, from much-needed movements for social justice to people casting their ballots for a more stable future than what we’ve experienced these past several years.

As important as it was to stay in tune with the world at large in 2020, it was also important to take the time to unplug, unwind, and relax our minds. For many of us last year, occasional escapism wasn’t just a luxury, it was a survival skill, and thankfully there were still plenty of new horror films, books, video games, and other forms of entertainment to enjoy from the comfort (and safety) of our quarantined homes. Here are some of the horror genre’s...

Just over 63 years ago, Theodor Geisel — better known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss — wrote and illustrated a holiday-themed children’s book meant to teach kiddos that Christmas isn’t about spending outrageous sums of money to build a tree-toppling pile of presents; it’s about family, togetherness, and celebrating rebirth at the end of a long year.

So, naturally, “The Grinch” has been adapted a billion times over by every money-hungry corporation out there. It only took nine years for a TV version to hit screens, and that’s before the terrifying Jim Carrey/Ron Howard movie started dominating cable channels every December, or Illumination’s 2018 animated movie sat perched and waiting in Netflix queues for over a year, only to disappear December 4.

But fear not Seuss fans. “The Grinch Musical!” is here to offer two hours of fresh holiday entertainment thanks to NBC’s 2020 adaptation of the 2007 stage production.

NBC marked Thanksgiving by rolling out the first teaser for its upcoming “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical.” Unfortunately, the very brief look at star Matt Morrison’s very campy version of the title character pretty much resulted in social media fingers nervously drumming and people vowing to stop Christmas from coming.

What we’re saying is, the teaser made a lot of people’s hearts shrink two sizes smaller.

Announced two weeks ago, NBC’s two-hour version of “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical!” will star Morrison (“Glee”) as The Grinch with Denis O’Hare as the adult version of his dog, Max, Booboo Stewart (“Descendants 3”) as young Max, and newcomer Amelia Minto (“The Lost Girls”) as Cindy-Lou Who. Unlike a lot of previous TV musicals, this one won’t be live (we assume because of Covid), and instead will be filmed at the Troubadour Theatre in London at some point before its Dec.

Matthew Morrison is set to star in a taped two-hour production of “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical!” at NBC, which will be filmed at the Troubadour Theatre in London and air next month.

The “Glee” alum will play the curmudgeonly Grinch himself for the televised musical adaptation of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” which will air Dec. 9 at 8 p.m.

Per NBC, “Dr. Seuss’ famous book tells the story of a reclusive Grinch who plotted from his cave atop snowy Mt. Crumpit to steal Christmas from the Whos in Who-ville. Then on Christmas Eve, disguised as Santa Claus and enlisting his loyal dog Max as a reindeer, the Grinch traveled to Who-ville to scoop up the Whos’ gifts and decorations. Much to his surprise on Christmas morning, the Whos were unfazed and celebrated the holiday with a heartwarming display of joy and love.”

Along with Morrison, NBC’s “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical!

MTV Films has hired Holly Brix to write The Lost Girls, an adaptation of a teen thriller novel titled Bad Girls. Michelle Manning is producing through her MM Prods. label.

The book, written by Alex McAulay, revolves around a group of privileged female teen troublemakers attending a reformatory school in the Bahamas. When they are sent on a nature hike, things turn dangerous and they must fight for their lives. The book was published in June 2005 by MTV/Pocket Books.

Carrie Beck is overseeing for MTV Films. William Gulliver is overseeing for MM.

Manning is producing The Eye, with Jessica Alba starring, for Lionsgate Films. She also is developing the Motley Crue biopic The Dirt at MTV Films.

Brix's horror spec Mile Zero is set up at Phoenix Pictures, with Erik Van Looy attached to direct. Brix did a rewrite on the Warner Bros. Pictures comedy Smooth Operator, which Jerry Weintraub is producing and Paul Feig is attached to direct. She also has the kids adventure spec The Backyard Resistance set up at Columbia Pictures.