According to Variety, Apple has lost its leading star in one of its most high-profile content efforts. SNL alum Kristen Wiig was set to feature in a new original comedy series but has since dropped out due to scheduling difficulties.
The comedy was based on Curtis Sittenfeld’s short-story collection You Think It, I’ll Say It with Reese Witherspoon serving as producer. Apple had given the series a 10-episode, straight to series order making it the first scripted comedy order. However, Wiig is no longer able to star in the show due to scheduling conflicts with her upcoming film “Wonder Woman 1984”. Apple has confirmed her departure to Variety.
This means that the future of the series is now unclear but the report says that Apple is “eager” to continue and that producers are “regrouping” following Wiig’s departure. Her role in the show was especially notable as, since her appearance on Saturday Night Live, she has primarily focused on feature films. The show would have therefore marked her much anticipated return to television:
An Apple Worldwide Video spokeswoman confirmed the exit is a result of conflicts with Wiig’s shooting schedule for “Wonder Woman 1984,” in which she plays the villain Cheetah.
The 10-episode straight to series order marked Apple’s first scripted comedy order. The role would have been Wiig’s first return to television since her 2005-2012 stint on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” Sources say Apple is still eager to develop the series and that producers are regrouping.
Of course, this isn’t the only departure Apple has faced since it began its original video efforts. A drama set to star Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon swapped showrunners this year due to “creative differences”.
On a better note, it has been reported that Apple has ordered a half-hour shows from Lee Eisenberg (The Office), Alan Young (Master of None, Parks & Rec), Emily Gorden (The Big Sick), and Kumail Nanjiami (The Big Sick, Silicon Valley).
