ABC’s Greatest American Hero reboot has found its lead in New Girl actress Hannah Simone.
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After being given a pilot order from ABC, the Greatest American Hero reboot has officially cast its new female lead in New Girl actress Hannah Simone. This casting will see the series, which previously centered on a white male hero played by William Katt, not only gender-swapping the role, but also putting an Indian-American actress at the forefront at a time when many are calling for more diversity in Hollywood. Simone, who is coming off Fox’s New Girl, will play the role of Meera, “a 30-year-old woman who loves tequila and karaoke and has spent her life searching and failing to find meaning.”
With New Girl nearing its end after seven seasons, Simone was said to be a highly sought after actress prior to landing the Greatest American Hero reboot. Outside of New Girl, Simone has also appeared in Odd Squad: The Movie and Killing Gunther. She’s also attached to the comedy Lemonade from writer and director David Matalon.
The pilot episode was written by Fresh Off the Boat‘s Rachna Fruchbom, who will also serve as an executive producer alongside Fierce Baby’s Nahnatchka Khan and Mandy Summers, as well as Tawnia McKiernan. 20th Century Fox television will co-produce with ABC Studios.
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The LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller attempted to reboot the series in 2015 and 2016, but those efforts never took flight. This new project, produced by Fresh Off the Boat writer and producer Rachna Fruchbom and spearheaded by showrunner Nahnatchka Khan, is still only in its pilot stage.
(via Deadline)