Amazon is staying in the Team Palladino business, handing a two-season, 16-episode order to a new ballet-themed series from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel auteurs Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, TVLine has learned.
Titled Étoile, the show — which features Maisel vets Luke Kirby (aka Lenny Bruce; pictured right) and Gideon Glick (aka Susie’s magician-client Alfie; pictured below) as part of the full-time ensemble — will be set in New York City and Paris, and follow the dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies, as they embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars. (Translation: It’s Bunheads with an unlimited budget!)
(FYI: Étoile, pronounced āˈtwäl, is defined as a principal dancer in a ballet company.)
The ensemble also includes Camille Cottin (Call My Agent!), Simon Callow (Outlander), Lou de Laâge (The Innocents) and David Alvarez (West Side Story). Character details are being kept under wraps.
The Palladinos, who have an overall deal with Amazon, serve as Étoile’s creators, writers, directors and exec producers. The new series’ green light comes as Mrs. Maisel approaches the midway point of its fifth and final season at Amazon. The series finale drops May 26.
“Well, guess that plan for early retirement will have to wait,” Sherman-Palladino and Palladino joked in a joint statement. “Instead, we’ve decided to embark on an international journey with an unbelievable group of players and the most talented ballet dancers in the world. We will sleep when we’re dead.”
Added Amazon boss Jennifer Salke: “Amy and Dan are brilliant creators of remarkable and enduring characters and one-of-a-kind storytelling. We’re incredibly excited for Étoile, as we have no doubt Amy, Dan, and their team will continue to produce incredible and impactful event television.”
Bunheads 2.0! Seems like ASP is quite passionate about ballet. The new series doesn’t seem so up my alley, but I’m always happy to see Luke Kirby getting work.
I’m surprised this article didn’t mention that this will be their second ballet-related series after the short-lived Bunheads (both credited as EPs and Amy as co-creator with Lamar Damon). Different premises and settings but still noteworthy IMO.
Maybe the article was updated, but the second paragraph does include: “(Translation: It’s Bunheads with an unlimited budget!)”
It was updated. I even did a word search before my comment just to make sure I hadn’t missed it.
This is the best news I’ve read in a while. I love both those actors and I’m so stoked we’ll see more of them in a Sherman-Palladino production. I love the premise, too.
I am a fan of their writing and Luke Kirby so will be looking forward to this.
Ooooohhh I have such mixed feelings about this!! F Yeah Luke Kirby employment… but oh man Amy and Dan.. the beginning of their stuff is always amazing but their middle and end.. don’t “stick the landing”
(Translation: It’s Bunheads with an unlimited budget!) One of the funniest TVLine quotes ever!!
I miss Bunheads! That was such a good show. That being said, I will be all over this show!
It would be amazing to see one of the original Bunheads all grown up in this show. My money’s on Julia Goldani Telles or Emma Dumont. (Or possibly featured background player Matisse)
How about Bunhead alum, season 5 winner of SYTYCD, and done with Roswell, Jeanine Mason?
PLEASE let this be a Trojan horse as a way to incorporate some characters from
Bunheads. The S-P’s certainly have the cache to do so.
I’ll be there, but it needs a new title. ‘Pirouette’ is at least more familiar to most people. Maybe.
Étoile means star in french. So if the premise is the companies swapping their “star dancers” then the title fits well.
Amazon must be happy to have deal-bound creatives who actually create; one project done, onto the next.
Luke Kirby, you say? I’m in.
I bet the Swap part of the premise eventually gets ditched and it just becomes about the US company snagging a superstar French dancer to try to save it. Even with Covid allegedly on the wane, the transatlantic parallel plots are going to be tougher to pull off logistically than they used to be regardless of the size of the budget.
Sounds like the first project of theirs that could have male leads who are as interesting as the female ones.
I hope they can get Sutton Foster to at least guest star!
Bunheads was a great series, and it was cancelled too soon.
Great news – the Palladinos always need to have a show. We need them to have a show.
too niché. can’t imagine it being a hit
No more niche than Maisel – a period drama about stand-up comedy and gender politics.
Great writing can make any setting compelling, and the Palladinos have the popularity to attract viewers regardless of the concept.
Etoile is just the French word for star. I guess in the ballet world they just call a star a French star? Anyway, I love Luke Kirby and I’m glad they cast him and I hope they’re paying him big bucks, but this show sounds kind of awful. Center Stage Meets The Holiday with a little Black Swan on the side?
I’m happy for the show but I am absolutely thrilled beyond belief that Gideon Glick will be one of the leads. I have never seen such prodigious talent since Leo in Gilbert Grape. Hooray!!
I wish they’d just revive Bunheads :(
If it is “Bunheads with an unlimited budget!” then go get Sutton Foster !
What ever happened to their Ninth Street Women adaptation that was announced for Amazon pre pandemic?
Horrible name