Behind The Scenes Buzz

JULIA ROBERTS WON’T RETURN FOR HOMECOMING: Julia Roberts is out for Amazon‘s second season of Homecoming. Roberts will remain on board as an executive producer. TBD which members from Season 1- including Stephan James, Bobby Cannavale, Shea Whigham, Alex Karpovsky and Sissy Spacek – will return.

TONY HAWK TO PRODUCE MUSICAL BASED ON NICK HORNBY’S SLAM: Nick Hornby‘s 2007 novel Slam (which includes skateboarding legend Tony Hawk as a character) is getting the Broadway musical treatment. Mark Mothersbaugh will write the music and lyrics, with SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical‘s Kyle Jarrow handling the book. Slam is being billed as “a funny, heartfelt coming-of-age story about 17-year-old Sam, a kid from a troubled background who finds refuge and hope in the world of skateboarding. When he falls in love for the first time, with a girl named Alicia, it seems like everything’s looking up – until she gets unexpectedly pregnant. Suddenly Sam has to grow up fast. Along the way, he finds guidance through imagined conversations with Tony Hawk, his idol.”

JASON REITMAN TO HELM NEXT GHOSTBUSTERS: Jason Reitman, son of the original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, is directing a new Ghostbusters movie. Work has already reportedly begun and is being kept under wraps, though it will reportedly continue the original 1980s film’s narrative. Sony Pictures is eyeing a 2020 release. TBD if any original castmembers will return, though Reitman is reportedly looking to cast two teenage boys and two teenage girls.

CBS ROLLS OUT RED CARPET SPECIAL PRE-GRAMMYS: CBS will air an hourlong red carpet special leading up to the Grammy Awards next month. Nancy O’Dell, Kevin Frazier, Eve and Keltie Knight will host. The party starts at 7 p.m. EST Sunday, February 10^th. The 61st Annual Grammy Awards begins at 8 pm ET, broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Staples Center on CBS.