Another woman has landed her first-ever pilot directing gig. Deadline reports that “Vampire Diaries” co-creator and showrunner Julie Plec will helm the “Roswell” reboot’s pilot. She is the fourth woman set to make her pilot directorial debut for the 2018–2019 broadcast season, after Zetna Fuentes (“Chiefs”), Kat Coiro (“Daddy Issues”) and Lake Bell (“Bless This Mess”).
Written and executive produced by Carina Adly MacKenzie — who writes for “The Originals” alongside Plec — “Roswell” will center on the relationship between a woman and a man who’s revealed to be an extraterrestrial. Unlike its late-’90s predecessor, the reboot’s main female character is the daughter of undocumented immigrants.
Plec will serve as EP on the pilot and, should “Roswell” go to series, she will continue to exec produce through her My So-Called Company banner.
“Kyle XY,” “The Tomorrow People,” and “Containment” are among Plec’s writing and producing credits. She’s previously directed for “The Vampire Diaries,” “Riverdale,” and “Time After Time.”
“The Vampire Diaries” ended last March after eight seasons. Its spinoff, “The Originals,” will return for its fifth and final season in April.
In other TV news, the Bruna Papandrea-exec produced “Deadlier Than the Male” has received a series order at TNT. Per The Hollywood Reporter, “American Horror Story” actress Lily Rabe is starring alongside Amy Brenneman (“The Leftovers”) and Hamish Linklater (“Legion”).
“Deadlier Than the Male,” created by “Call the Midwife’s” Harriet Warner, is described as “a morally complex thriller about three damaged people trying to start over.” “Divines’” Houda Benyamina helmed the pilot, marking her TV directorial debut.
Production on the series kicks off this summer in New Orleans. No word on a premiere date yet.
“‘Deadlier Than the Male’ is the holy grail of complicated female characters, with a thrilling, layered storyline that will excite and shock audiences,” said Sarah Aubrey, exec vp originals at TNT. “Harriet Warner, Bruna Papandrea, Houda Benyamina, Lily Rabe, and Amy Brenneman are truly a dream team.”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled for Made Up Stories’ first TV series to have such incredible women behind and in front of the camera,” Papandrea added, referencing her production company. “Harriet Warner is a sublime talent. Houda Benyamina is a filmmaking force to be reckoned with, and it has already been an amazing experience collaborating with this great cast and the incredible team at TNT.”
Papandrea has produced projects such as “Wild,” “Gone Girl,” and “Big Little Lies.” Made Up Stories, which launched last year, is producing and co-financing “Babadook” director Jennifer Kent’s upcoming revenge drama, “The Nightingale.”
Warner serves as consulting producer on the TNT mystery series “The Alienist.” She’s previously written for “Mistresses” and “Waterloo Road.”
Benyamina’s next film will be “For Assia,” a politically-charged romantic drama set against Algeria’s struggle for independence.
