HBO Unveils New Movies, Miniseries & More

NEW YORK: HBO has lined up the miniseries Olive Kitteridge, starring Frances McDormand and Richard Jenkins, along with a movie adaptation of Master Class featuring Meryl Streep, a biopic of the legendary blues singer Bessie Smith with Queen Latifah, and a number of other concert and series highlights.

McDormand (Fargo) and Jenkins (The Visitor) star in the four-part drama Olive Kitteridge, from director Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right). The mini is based on Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name and written by Jane Anderson (The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom). It is due to debut on HBO this winter. Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman are among the executive producers, marking the fifth miniseries the pair have done with HBO under the Playtone banner.

Oscar-winner Mike Nichols (The Graduate) will direct Streep (The Iron Lady) in Master Class. It is based on the Tony Award-winning play of the same name by Terrence McNally, who will adapt the work for HBO. Master Class will start production in early 2015, with Nichols, Streep and Celia Costas executive producing.

Queen Latifah stars in and executive produces HBO Films' Bessie. The project sees Latifah (Chicago) playing the legendary blues singer Bessie Smith. The movie is written and directed by Dee Rees (Pariah). It is currently in production, slated for a 2015 debut.

HBO also announced that the offbeat comedy Getting On, about the dysfunctional staff of a beleaguered hospital, is returning for a second season this November. It comes from creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, who were also co-creators of HBO's Big Love. The show is set for six new episodes this fall.

Boardwalk Empire is returning for its fifth and final season on September 7, with eight new episodes. The final season takes place in the depths of the Depression in 1931.

The Comeback, starring Lisa Kudrow and created and executive produced by Michael Patrick King and Kudrow, returns as a limited comedy series this November. The show will come back with six episodes.

The premium cable network has also slated an exclusive new series featuring the Grammy-winning musical act Foo Fighters. Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways documents an eight-city journey that explores America's musical identity. The one-hour series, directed by frontman Dave Grohl, debuts in October.

Another musical highlight for the channel is On the Run Tour: Beyonce and Jay Z. Taping September 12 and 13 in Paris, the special features the music superstars and husband-wife duo performing more than 40 songs on their first collaborative tour.