UPDATED, 2 PM: Marcia Gay Harden has closed her deal to star in CBS’ untitled Mother & Son Legal Drama Pilot, replacing Geena Davis.
EXCLUSIVE, 11 AM: There is a major casting change on CBS’ untitled Mother & Son Legal Drama Pilot. Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden is in negotiations to play the female lead opposite Skylar Astin. She will replace fellow Oscar winner Geena Davis, who was originally cast in the pilot but is no longer part of the project.
I hear the pilot had a table read at the top of last week and had filmed for a couple of days when Davis departed earlier this week. Production has been paused for a few days until a new female lead is locked in.
This would mark Harden’s return to CBS where she headlined medical drama Code Black and also had her first major series role in The Education of Max Bickford. As for recastings, they are unfortunate but common and part of the pilot process.
The untitled mother-son drama follows Todd (Astin), a talented but directionless P.I. who is the black sheep of his family. Despite their opposing personalities, he agrees to work as the in-house investigator for his overbearing mother, Margaret — the role that is being recast — a successful attorney reeling from the recent dissolution of her marriage.
2022 CBS Pilots & Series Orders
Madeline Wise and newcomer Inga Schlingmann also star. Prendergast exec produces alongside Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw and Julia Eisenman via the Stage 29 Productions banner. Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro are executive producers/showrunners. CBS Studios is the studio.
Harden has been recurring on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show and also has a recurring role on Netflix’s upcoming comedy series Uncoupled, from Darren Star and Jeffrey Richman. She is repped by ICM Partners, Framework Entertainment and Schreck Rose Dapello.
