In Brief: Anthony Anderson goes from ‘black-ish’ to ‘Public Defenders’ for ABC, and more

Black-ish alum Anthony Anderson has been tapped to star in the ABC comedy pilot Public Defenders, according to Variety. The pilot follows “four inexperienced public defenders” swimming in student loan debt and “working tirelessly to keep their clients out of jail,” according to the show’s official logline. “Along the way, they have to rely on each other to navigate their first defendants, the absurd court system, and the copy machine that always jams.” Anderson will play Marshall, the public defenders’ angry boss…

Dawson’s Creek alum James Van Der Beek is in talks to star alongside Rebel Wilson and Leslie Mann in the upcoming Netflix comedy Rock the Boat, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The story centers on “four best friends from high school who were obsessed with a famous boy band back in the ’90s. When the band announces a reunion tour aboard a cruise ship, our four women reunite and try to recapture who they were and who they always wanted to be, per the streamer. “…friendships will be tested, alliances will be formed, and bad decisions will definitely be made…” Van Der Beek would play one of the band members. Netflix is reportedly eyeing other 1990s mainstays for the band roles. Rock the Boat is set to start shooting this spring…

Deadline reports Ted Danson will reunite with The Good Place creator Mike Schur in a Netflix comedy series based on the 2020 Chilean feature documentary The Mole Agent. The as yet untitled project, which has landed an eight-episode straight-to-series order, stars Danson as a retiree who gets a new lease on life after answering an ad from a PI and becomes a mole in a secret investigation. Most recently, Danson starred in NBC’s comedy series Mr. Mayor, which aired for two seasons from 2021-22, and continues to appear in a recurring role on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm…

Halle Bailey, Antonio Banderas, Elizabeth Banks, Jessica Chastain, John Cho, Andrew Garfield, Hugh Grant, Danai Gurira, Salma Hayek Pinault, Nicole Kidman, Florence Pugh and Sigourney Weaver have been added to the list of presenters at this year’s Oscars ceremony, joining previously announced presenters Riz Ahmed, Emily Blunt, Glenn Close, Jennifer Connelly, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Troy Kotsur, Jonathan Majors, Melissa McCarthy, Janelle Monáe, Deepika Padukone, Questlove, Zoe Saldana and Donnie Yen. The 95th Oscars air live the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC…

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