Hollywood Deals and Drama: A Week in Review

It's been a busy week in Hollywood, with several major deals and projects announced, as well as some drama unfolding among celebrities. Here's a rundown of the top stories:

Apple Original Films has acquired the rights to a Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler as the disgraced cyclist. The film, which is currently untitled, is being directed by Edward Berger and produced by Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt, among others. According to Deadline, the package was highly sought after, with several major studios vying for the rights.

In other news, author and TV writer Alanna Bennett is developing her novel "The Education of Kia Greer" for TV, with Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's production companies on board. The book, which was published in May 2025, has been optioned by Fox Entertainment Studios.

Meanwhile, David J. North, co-creator and executive producer of "NCIS: Origins," has signed an overall deal with CBS Studios. As part of the pact, North will create, develop, and produce projects for broadcast and streaming, and will also take on the role of solo showrunner on "NCIS: Origins" next season.

In casting news, Molly Ringwald has joined the recurring cast of Showtime's "Yellowjackets" for its fourth and final season. Ringwald will play Van's (Lauren Ambrose, Liv Hewson) mom, Vicky, a recently recovered alcoholic trying to make amends for her past.

But not all the news this week was about new projects and deals. Hilary Duff opened up about being at the center of the drama surrounding Ashley Tisdale's "Toxic Mom Group" essay. In the essay, Tisdale reflected on her decision to leave a mom group due to feeling excluded and immature behavior among the members. While Tisdale didn't directly name the members of the group, she has been photographed with Duff, Mandy Moore, and Meghan Trainor's mom group in the past. Duff told the "Call Her Daddy" podcast that she was "taken aback" and "felt used" by Tisdale's essay, and that the drama was "not new" for her.

These stories represent just a few of the many developments in the world of Hollywood this week. As the industry continues to evolve and new projects and deals are announced, it will be interesting to see how these stories play out in the coming weeks and months.

Sources:

• Deadline: "Apple Lands Lance Armstrong Movie From Austin Butler, Edward Berger And Scott Stuber Following Heated Auction"
• Deadline: "Alanna Bennett Developing Her Novel ‘The Education Of Kia Greer’ For TV With Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade"
• Deadline: "‘NCIS: Origins’ Co-Creator David J. North Inks Overall Deal With CBS Studios As He Becomes Solo Showrunner On Prequel Series"
• Deadline: "Molly Ringwald To Recur In ‘Yellowjackets’ 4th & Final Season"
• People: "Hilary Duff Was “Taken Aback” and “Felt Used” Over Ashley Tisdale’s “Toxic Mom Group” Essay"