Melissa Benoist to Star in HBO Max’s The Girls on the Bus, Inspired by Memoir About Hillary Clinton Campaign Trail
Melissa Benoist has now officially set her first series-regular TV role since hanging up her cape last year.
The actress formerly known as Kara Danvers is now confirmed to star in HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television’s upcoming drama The Girls on the Bus, reuniting her with Supergirl executive producer Greg Berlanti. The series is inspired by a chapter in Amy Chozick’s 2018 novel Chasing Hillary, which was based on the author’s time covering Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign as a political reporter.
Benoist will play Sadie McCarthy, “a journalist who romanticizes the original ‘Boys on the Bus’ and who scrapped her whole life for her own shot at covering a presidential campaign for the paper of record. Sadie hits the trail and eventually bonds with three female competitors,” per the official logline. “Despite their differences, these women become a found family with a front-row seat to the greatest soap opera in town: the battle for the White House.”
The series was developed by Chozick and Julie Plec, both of whom will executive-produce alongside showrunner Rina Mimoun, as well as Berlanti and Sarah Schechter for Berlanti Productions.
Warner Bros. Television Group has also renewed its overall deal with Benoist and her production company, Three Things Productions. Under the exclusive, multi-year agreement, Benoist and Three Things — including Sahar Kashi, Vice President of Development — “will continue to develop and produce new television dramas, comedies, limited series and more for Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max, as well as external streaming services, cable and the broadcast networks.”
The Girls on the Bus has traveled a winding road to get on the air: It was first ordered by Netflix in 2019, then quietly dropped and picked back up by The CW. HBO Max handed it a straight-to-series order in February of this year.
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I thought this was announced awhile ago? Did they re-announce it today?
In any event, I hope they don’t actually make it about the Hillary/Trump campaign and just tie the concept to fictional candidates and make it more about the reporters and less about the political stuff.
LOL…and the clueless hits are already starting. Politics will be one of the main aspects of the show, since characters will be on the campaign trail. Read the series character description.
THR reported she was “nearing a deal” back in mid-February. I guess these things take time.
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Some big names involved behind the scenes, but their track record is very mixed: some iconic shows, some lame ones. Guess we’ll have to wait and see where this one falls.
Melissa is a born star, though – hopefully it works out for her.
I was so sure I’d heard that HBO Max cancelled this after the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger. My dreams are getting too specific.
I guess this worked out for her. Normally, I wouldn’t recommend that anyone follow in the footsteps of Rory Gilmore.
LOL
After they had turned the former comic adaption “Supergirl” to a propaganda show, it was wise for Melissa to leave it.
I hope her new show won’t turn into exactly the same.
“had turned the former comic adaption “Supergirl” to a propaganda show…”
Nope, the character of Supergirl was always about female empowerment. Gender politics naturally comes into play with her character (unless comics writers get lazy and merely distract with tired tropes that miss the point, such as ‘stronger than Superman’ fanboy teases.
Based on one chapter of the book? I look forward to seeing Benoist in something new.
Now that we have Melissa confirmed for this project. How about Stella Baker of Republic Of Sarah gets one of the other lead roles. This project is also right up her alley!
Alec Baldwin reprising his Trump impersonation?
.Melissa can get me squashed completely flat onto her hi heeled sandals forever