‘SNL’ Star Cecily Strong Nabs New Apple TV+ Musical Comedy Series

Cecily Strong’s days might be numbered at Saturday Night Live. The longtime cast member has signed on to star in a musical comedy series for Apple TV+, created by the writers behind the Despicable Me movies. The series is set in a fictional world where everyone acts like they live in a 1940s Hollywood musical and can only leave once they find “true love.”

The show, which still does not have a title, was created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio of Despicable Me fame, reports Variety. Apple TV+ is close to putting in a series order for the project.

Paul will be the showrunner and Daurio is a consulting producer. The studio behind the project is Universal Television, with Lorne Michaels and Andrew Singer of Broadway Video. Strong will also serve as a producer.

Strong, 35, has been on SNL since 2012, joining alongside current stars Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant. She briefly served as “Weekend Update” co-anchor before the current Michael Che and Colin Jost team. In 2014, she returned to doing sketches as part of the main cast.

The comedian, who got her start at Chicago’s Second City and iO Chicago, has appeared on other shows during her SNL tenure. She had small roles in Scream Queens, Angie Tribeca, Superstore, Man Seeking Woman and The Awesomes. Strong also had roles in The Boss, The Bronze and Ghostbusters.

Strong did not say anything about her future on SNL on social media, although she did thank co-star Heidi Gardner for congratulating her on the gig.

“Lots of the kindest people I know posting really sweet things,” Strong wrote on her Instagram Story. “So just another reminder that it’s really great to have good news, but it’s FABULOUS to have good friends with the biggest shining hearts. Love you [Gardner].”

According to Deadline, Strong is in the last year of her SNL contract. However, it is possible to do both a scripted show and appear on SNL, as Bryant is doing now with Hulu’s Shrill. Kenan Thompson is also working on a series for NBC called The Kenan Show, but is expected to stay on SNL while making it.

As for Apple TV+, the recently-launched streaming platform gained some awards buzz for the Jennifer Aniston/Reese Witherspoon series The Morning Show. It is also home to Dickinson, Servant, Little America and For All Mankind. On Wednesday, the platform said it was close to a series order for Physical, a series starring Rose Byrne as a housewife during the 1980s aerobics craze.