40. “Avatar: The Last Airbender”
A much-anticipated live-action reimagining of the beloved Nickelodeon animated series, “The Last Airbender,” follows Aang (Gordon Cormier), the young Avatar and the last of his kind, as he learns to master the four elements to restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation. The series also stars Ian Ousley, Kiawentiio, Dallas Liu, Ken Leung, with Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Daniel Dae Kim.
Airdate: Feb. 22, 2024, via Netflix.
39. “Monsieur Spade”
After years of being a respected filmmaker and screenwriter (a two-time Oscar nominee for “Out of Sight” and “Logan”), Scott Frank finally broke out into the auteur status he deserved on TV with Netlix’s smash hit “The Queen’s Gambit,” which won all kinds of Emmys. He returns with “Monsieur Spade,” a series based on Dashiell Hammett’s famous Sam Spade detective, now 60 and living as an expat in southern France in 1963. Clive Owen stars alongside Rebecca Root, Oscar Lesage, Denis Ménochet, and Chiara Mastroianni. Frank directs every episode.
Release Date: January 14 on AMC and AMC+.
38. “The Gentlemen”
Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film is getting the series treatment from Netflix (who must have picked up how well it did on its algorithm). Theo James leads an eight-episode journey into the messy underground politics of upper-class weed farms. Joining him are Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Peter Serafinowicz, and veteran on-screen crime lords Giancarlo Esposito and Ritchie regular Vinnie Jones (“Snatch”). Colin Farrell and the original cast are not expected to return, but it was shot in fall 2022, so it will definitely be ready.
Release Date: TBD via Netflix, but it could be on the early side.
37. “Time Bandits”
Taika Waititi’s TV producing foray (”What We Do In The Shadows” and“Our Flag Means Death”) continues to reimagine Terry Gilliam’s movie of the same name, and it’s a comedic journey through time and space with a ragtag group of thieves and an eleven-year-old history nerd. Lisa Kudrow, Charlyne Yi, Kal-El Tuck, Tadhg Murph, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Kiera Thompson, and Rachel House star. Waititi directs the pilot and writes alongside Iain Morris and Jemaine Clement.
Airdate: TBD, but presumably later in the year via Apple TV+.
36. “La Maquina”
Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Eiza Gonzalez are the hot trio behind the Spanish-language Hulu series “La Maquina.” The series follows an aging boxer (García Bernal) whose crafty manager (Luna) secures him one last shot at a title. But they must navigate a mysterious underworld force to make it to fight night.
Airdate: TBD, but it’s in post, so sometime in 2024, via Hulu.
35. “Sugar”
Created by Mark Protosevich (“I Am Legend”) and starring Colin Farrell, who also serves as executive producer, not much is known about this sci-fi series other than it’s a genre-bending contemporary take on the private detective story set in Los Angeles. But all eight episodes were directed by “City Of God” helmer Fernando Meirelles. The supporting cast includes Anna Gunn, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Amy Ryan, Sydney Chandler, Dennis Boutsikaris, Alex Hernandez, and Lindsay Pulsipher.
Airdate: TBD via Apple TV+.
34. “Creature Commandos”
With “Peacemaker” taking a back seat, it will take DC Studios a minute to get back on track. But James Gunn’s first TV plan involves an animated series that follows a group of military superhumans composed of a human leader, a werewolf, a vampire, Frankenstein’s monster, and a gorgon. The voice cast includes Frank Grillo, Maria Bakalova, Zoë Chao, Alan Tudyk, David Harbour, Sean Gunn, and as it connects to live-action, it will also include Viola Davis, Steve Agee, and other potential members of Task Force X.
Airdate: TBD, and it’s unclear how much the strike affected the series.
33. “Poker Face” (Season 2)
“Knives Out” director Rian Johnson had a brilliant idea: make a crime-of-the-week comedy murder mystery series ala “Columbo” and center it around a female protagonist (Natasha Lyonne) with an innate ability to detect lies. Season one featured a litany of guests, and some expected to return (but not confirmed) include Benjamin Bratt, Rhea Pearlman, and more.
Airdate: TBD via Peacock and maybe very late in the year due to the strikes.
32. “Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power” (Season 2)
You know the drill: Jeff Bezos lays down billions of dollars for ‘LOTR’ rights, and a half-decent prequel series is born. J. D. Payne and Patrick McKayne remain showrunners. The sprawling cast includes Morfydd Clark, Nazanin Boniadi, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Peter Mullan, Benjamin Walker, Maxim Baldry, Robert Aramayo and Ciarán Hinds, Rory Kinnear, and Tanya Moodie are among the season two additions for eight episodes total.
Airdate: TBD via Prime Video, and maybe the end of the year.
31. “Presumed Innocent”
“Big Little Lies” creator and writer David E. Kelley returns with another starry A-list project for Apple TV+. Based on the novel by Scott Turow, the mini-series centers on a prosecutor who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of one of his colleagues. Jake Gyllenhaal stars alongside Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Renate Reinsve, Peter Sarsgaard, O-T Fagbenle, Lily Rabe and more. Filming ended long before the strikes started so it could be ready by the fall.
Airdate: TBD via Apple TV+.
