David Hyde Pierce has joined HBO Max and Lionsgate’s Julia Child pilot, taking over for Tom Hollander as the legendary chef’s husband, Paul Child, the streamer announced Tuesday.
Ordered to pilot back in March, the hourlong series from is described as an exploration into “an evolving time in American history – the emergence of a new social institution called public television, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity, and America’s cultural growth” through the lens of Child’s life “and her singular can-do spirit.”
“At its heart, the show is a portrait of a marriage with an evolving and complicated power dynamic,” according to the series description.
“Happy Valley” star Sarah Lancashire is set to star as Child, with “Bird Box” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” actor Tom Hollander initially cast as Child’s “loving and devoted” husband, Paul. Additional cast members include Jefferson Mays (“I Am the Night”), Brittany Bradford (Broadway’s “Macbeth”), Fran Kranz (“The Loudest Voice”), Fiona Glascott (“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”), Bebe Neuwirth (“Cheers,” “Frasier”), and Isabella Rossellini (“Joy”).
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” Daniel Goldfarb is writer on the pilot, with “The Society’s” Chris Keyser as showrunner. Charles McDougall (“House of Cards,” “The Secret Agent”) will direct, and Todd Schulkin serves as consulting producer on behalf of the Julia Child Foundation.
Goldfarb, Keyser and MacDougall executive produce alongside Erwin Stoff and Kimberly Carver of 3 Arts Entertainment.