Motherland gets US remake starring Kimmy Schmidt's Ellie Kemper
The Office US star is reportedly playing Anna Maxwell Martin's character in an American remake of the sitcom.
Much like The Office, Ghosts and Shameless before it, Motherland is getting the American treatment with ABC reportedly remaking the BBC Two sitcom.
The US channel is bringing the BAFTA Award-winning comedy to American audiences, according to Deadline, with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Ellie Kemper in negotiations to star in the pilot.
Kemper is tipped to play Julia, who is portrayed by Anna Maxwell Martin in the UK version, a working mother struggling to balance her work life with her parenting duties, while Deadpool's Karan Soni is reportedly in talks to play Calvin – the US version of Kevin (Paul Ready).
Actress and comedian Kemper is best known for playing Erin in The Office US before starring in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bridesmaids and Home Sweet Home Alone, while Soni has appeared in Miracle Workers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Goldbergs, The People We Hate at the Wedding and the Deadpool films.
Grace and Frankie's Julieanne Smolinski will join forces with Motherland creators Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford to adapt the sitcom for American audiences, while Bridesmaids director Paul Feig is producing and The Big Sick's Michael Showalter is on board to direct.
Read more:
- Motherland star says “there have been conversations” about season 4
- Motherland "has a shelf life", says Kevin star Paul Ready
The ABC show will follow Julia, "a working mum for whom nothing is working", as she enlists the help of new friends Calvin and Liz when dealing with school gate duty.
While the role of Liz has not yet been cast, in the UK version, the character is played by Diane Morgan, who recently told RadioTimes.com that "there have been conversations" about the original sitcom returning for season 4.
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Motherland last aired in the UK in 2022, however BBC Two is yet to confirm whether Julia, Kevin and Liz will be returning to school for a fourth year.
Motherland season 1-3 is available to watch on Netflix. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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