↧
Awards 2015: ‘Interstellar’ Sound Team, SSN Screening Series With ‘Theory Of Everything,’ Rep Moves For 1/28/15
↧
Pitt Talking About Joining ‘Africa,’ Tyldum Takes On ‘Passengers,’ WME-IMG Buys Dixon Talent, Nick To Get Subscription Service
Brad Pitt Might Just Be Going To ‘Africa’ With His Director Wife
Angelina Jolie has already directed her husband in the upcoming drama By the Sea, and now is preparing for her next project, Africa, written by Oscar winner Eric Roth. Pitt is in talks to play the lead in the biopic about Kenyan Richard Leakey, who came from a line of archaeologists, but turned his attentions to paleontology and most famously to anti-poaching efforts. (TP)Long In Development ‘Passengers’ Finally Gets Itself an Oscar-Nominated Director
Morten Tyldum is signing on to helm the sci-fi project, based on a Jon Spaihts script detailing a love story unfolding aboard a cargo spaceship destined for a far-flung planet. That romance is kicked off when a male passenger is awoken 90 years before the rest of his slumbering crew, leading to him waking up a female passenger for company. (GR)WME-IMG Makes an Enormous Purchase Of a Big Time Talent Firm
James Dixon, whose Dixon Talent represents Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, among others, is selling his business to the sports and entertainment behemoth that has been on a buying spree of late. Dixon's A-list clients are expected to remain with the firm. (THR)Nickelodeon Is Becoming the Latest Network To Get Its Own Standalone Subscription Service
The kid-entertainment giant intends to follow the example of HBO and unveil a direct-to-consumer subscription service in February. More details about the service will be revealed when Nickelodeon hosts its “upfront” meeting with advertisers next month. U.S. TV networks try to sell the bulk of their ad inventory in the upfront market, and TV networks that cater to children typically lead the salvo. (VAR)If You Can Believe It, ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ Has Added Even More Famous People To Its Cast
Now known as Wet Hot American Summer: The First Day, the project from David Wain and Michael Showalter has added Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Chris Pine and Jason Schwartzman. Apparently, Hamm will play a secret spy, Wiig is playing a snobby counselor at the preppy rival camp Camp Tigerclaw, Schwartzman is the boy’s camp head counselor while Pine’s character is described as “mysterious.” (COL)Kevin Spacey and Barry Sonnenfeld Are Teaming To Put the Actor Inside a Cat
In the film Nine Lives, the two-time Oscar winner joins the director of all three Men In Black films for a movie in which Spacey will play a workaholic businessman who gets in an accident and winds up inside his family’s cat. Luc Besson is producing. (FSR)That New ‘Supergirl’ Show Just Cast Its Jimmy Olson
Mehcad Brooks has been tapped to play DC Comics’ famed photographer in CBS’ superhero drama pilot. The project stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Zor-El, who escaped Krypton amid its destruction years ago. Since arriving on Earth, she’s been hiding the powers she shares with her famous cousin. But now at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be. (DH)When ‘Zoolander 2’ Finally Happens, Christine Taylor Will Be a Part Of It
The wife of the first film’s creator and star, Ben Stiller, confirmed that she is involved in the new film, which looks like it will be happening sooner than later. As it stands right now, the film has Stiller back directing a script by Justin Theroux, while Owen Wilson's Hansel and Will Ferrell’s nefarious Mugato are rumored to return. (EMP)Director Isabel Coixet Just Landed a Pair Of Incredible Beauties For Her Next Film
Penelope Cruz and Diane Kruger will headline the upcoming romantic feature film This Man, This Woman. Scripted by Frederic Raphael, film follows an estranged man, Matt, and a woman, Martha (Cruz) who encounter each other by chance on a plane, and relive memories of their turbulent romantic relationship. Kruger will play Kirsty, a talk show host who has an affair with Matt and who changes the course of his whirlwind relationship with Martha. (CS)Screenwriters: Act Two — The Elusive Heart of the Screenplay
Writer and consultant Jengo Robinson talks about Act II, which is the longest and most difficult part of any screenplay. It is the 60-page heart of the script. But it's a broken heart, split into two very distinct halves, and the dividing page contains the most critical part of the story. This must happen at the mid-point on page 60. (MO)↧
↧
Film Development for 1/29/15: Liam Hemsworth Set for Independence Day 2, Chris Weitz to Write Star Wars Spinoff & More
NEW ATTACHMENTS
Consider Yourself Logline: The true life story of Lionel Bart, writer and composer of "Oliver!", who sold his rights to the famous play. Production Company: BBC Films, Mob Film Company, Gold Circle Entertainment Producers: Vadim Jean, Paul Brooks Writer: Elliot Davis Director: Vadim Jean Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Stephen Fry, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Matt Lucas, Michelle Dockery SSN Insight: The film is being sold by Good Universe at the upcoming Berlin Film Festival.
Nine Lives Logline: After a terrible accident, a workaholic businessman finds himself trapped in the body of the family cat. Financier: EuropaCorp Production Company: EuropaCorp Writer: Daniel Antoniazzi, Ben Shiffrin Director: Barry Sonnenfeld Cast: Kevin Spacey SSN Insight: This will be one of EuropaCorp’s first releases through Red, the distribution pipeline it shares with Relativity.
Ghostbusters Reboot Logline: Storyline is under wraps, but this reboot will focus on female Ghostbusters. Studio/ Distributor: Columbia Pictures Production Company: Ocean Pictures, Apatow Productions, The Montecito Picture Company, Quantity Entertainmen Producers: Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, Gene Stupnitsky, Ali Bell, Lee Eisenberg, Alex Plapinger Writer: Katie Dippold, Paul Feig Director: Paul Feig Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon SSN Insight: With the all-female cast finally in place, Sony also announced they will be opening the film July 22, 2016 against Warner Bros. King Arthur and Lionsgate’s Power Rangers.
USS Indianapolis Logline: Story of an 11-year old boy who, in 1996, helped exonerate the court-martialed captain of the USS Indianapolis, which sank during World War II. Studio/ Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures Production Company: Team Downey Producers: Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey Writer: Mike Jones Director: Tate Taylor SSN Insight: Universal first acquired the rights in 1998 when Hunter Scott, the 11 year old boy, was 13, but the project languished. Then Warner Bros. acquired his life rights in 2011.
Independence Day 2 Logline: Enemy aliens return to Earth Studio/ Distributor: 20th Century Fox Production Company: Centropolis Entertainment Producers: Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich, herald Kloser Writer: Carter Blanchard Director: Roland Emmerich Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Michael B. Jordan SSN Insight: Hemsworth would be replacing Will Smith who starred in the original movie.
Passengers Logline: A spaceship passenger is prematurely thawed from a cryogenic slumber a century before anyone else. Studio/ Distributor: Columbia Pictures Production Company: Company Films, Start Media, Keep Your Head Productions, Original Film Producers: Stephen Hamel, Keanu Reeves, Michael Maher, Neal Moritz, Ori Marmur, Anthony Katagas Writer: Jon Spaihts Director: Morten Tyldum SSN Insight: The project was initially scheduled to be released by the Weinstein Company on April 3, 2015 until its star, Rachel McAdams, dropped out. The project has many previous high-profile attachments such as, Marc Forster, Emily Blunt, Keanu Reeves and Reese Witherspoon.
My Cousin Rachel Logline: An orphan believes his cousin Rachel is responsible for the murder of his beloved guardian and plots his revenge, but finds his feelings being complicated as he falls under her spell. Studio/ Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures Writer: Roger Michell Director: Roger Michell
Star Wars Spinoff Logline: Storyline under wraps. Studio/ Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Production Company: Lucasfilm, Ltd. Writer: Chris Weitz Director: Gareth Edwards SSN Insight: After completing a first draft, previous writer Gary Whitta, left the project and Disney hired Weitz. Film is thought to be a heist movie that would take place between Star Wars: A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.
The Jetsons Logline: The live-action misadventures of George, Jane, Judy, Elroy and Astro Jetson, an Earth family in a retro-future 21st century. Studio/ Distributor: Warner Bros. Production Company: Di Novi Pictures, De Line Pictures, Callahan Filmworks, Hanna Barbera Productions Producers: Donald De Line, Alison Greenspan, Michael Ewing Writer: Matt Lieberman SSN Insight: Many a writer has attempted to adapt the classic cartoon for today’s audience. Studio System has 16 plus high profile writers listed in the database as having attempted an updated version of The Jetsons. Lieberman is said to be starting from scratch.
This Man, This Woman Logline: A divorced couple meet again and recount their life together and the affair that led to their parting. They end up reconciling and falling in love again. Financier: Fortitude International Production Company: Mike Lobell Productions Producers: Mike Lobell Writer: Frederic Raphael Director: Isabel Coixet Cast: Penelope Cruz, Diane Kruger SSN Insight: The project was previously in development at Universal Pictures with stars such as Michael Douglas, Kim Basinger and Richard Gere attached to star.
Born to Run Logline: The true story of an American journalist who traveled deep into the hidden valleys of Mexico to discover a secret tribe believed to be the greatest distance runners in the world. Financier: LD Entertainment Production Company: Outlaw Productions, Process Media, LD Entertainment, Di Bonaventura Pictures Producers: Deborah Jelin Newmyer, Michael Glassman, Tim Perell, Mickey Liddell, Lorenzo di Bonaventura Writer: Matthew Carnahan Director: Peter Sarsgaard Cast: Matthew McConaughey Notes: Based on the book "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen " by Christopher McDougall; published by Knopf May 5, 2009. SSN Insight: The book spent 178 weeks on the NYT Bestseller list and is a bestseller in 12 countries and sold 2 million copies in the U.S.
NEW PROJECTS
The Secret Logline: A hardworking young, widowed mother’s life is upended by the arrival of a mysterious stranger. As he shares his philosophy with her and her three children, they find both self-fulfillment and love. Financer: Constantin Film Production Company: Robert Cort Production Producers: Robert Cort, Rhonda Byrne Writer: Bekah Brunstetter Director: Raja Gosnell Notes: Based on the best-selling self-help book by Rhonda Byrne. SSN Insight: It’s taken a long while to get this 2006 novel to the screen but the producers are hoping to be in production by May this year. Darkmouth Logline: In the last town on Earth where monsters still invade, a 12-year-old must follow in his father’s footsteps and prepare for an epic battle to prevent a major attack. Production Company: Alcon Entertainment, Canyon Creek Films, 8:38 Productons Producers: Simon Brooks, Kira Davis, Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove Writer: Shane Hegarty Notes: Based on "Darkmouth," the debut novel in a series of comedic fantasy-adventure children’s stories written by Shane Hegarty and published in the US by HarperCollins Children’s Books in April, 2015. SSN Insight: The comedic fantasy adventure series was acquired by HarperCollins Children’s Books in a big auction at the Bologna Book Fair in 2013.
Untitled Hurricane Katrina Project Logline: A love story and murder mystery unfold during the chaos of Hurricane Katrina. Production Company: Participant Media Producers: Ava Duvernay Writer: Ava Duvernay Director: Ava Duvernay Cast: David Oyelowo SSN Insight: The project will mark the third collaboration between DuVernay and Oyelowo after Selma and Participant’s Middle of Nowhere.
↧
Awards 2015: FVTR ‘Into the Woods,’ How Will DWA Survive?, Film Development For 1/29/15, Reality Launches New Specialty Division
SSN AWARDS ORIGINALS
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Awards 2015: From Vision To Reality — Oscar-Winning Production Designer Dennis Gassner Takes SSN ‘Into the Woods’
From the instant Into the Woods debuted on stage, it was collectively hoped that it would one day become a film. After 27 years, Disney greenlit the film adaptation of the long-awaited classic and the film has since been nominated for numerous awards throughout the season. (SSN)TODAY’S HEADLINES
DreamWorks Animation: Its Momentous Past, Tough Present, and Foreseeable Future
It’s been a tough year for DreamWorks Animation. The former animation powerhouse, which even gave Disney a run for its money, has suffered through an embarrassing slate of costly flops, failed merger attempts, high-profile creative restructuring, an ever-shifting release schedule, and several rounds of devastating lay-offs. Now, two questions remain—what went wrong, and can the company be saved? (SSN)Film Development For 1/29/15: Liam Hemsworth Set For ‘ID2,’ Chris Weitz To Write ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff, and More
A huge amount of info about upcoming films, including many more attachments and developments for movies across the spectrum, both studio-driven and independent. (SSN)Relativity Is Launching a New, Specialty Division, and Has Its First Film To Get Things Rolling
Company has picked up Burden, a racial drama from newcomer Andrew Heckler, and will use it to launch Relativity Squared, aka R2. Run by Robbie Brenner, Relativity president of production and producer of Dallas Buyers Club, the division's mandate is to acquire and produce lower-budget, story-driven films with a unique point of view. (THR)For the First Time In What Seems Like Ages, We Have Some Geoffrey Rush Casting News
The Oscar-winner will play Oliver! composer and lyricist Lionel Bart in director Vadim Jean’s biopic, Consider Yourself. He’ll be joined in the cast by Stephen Fry, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Matt Lucas and Michelle Dockery. Al Weaver will play Bart / Rush as a younger man. (EMP)‘Austin Powers’ Director Jay Roach Is Returning To Feature Films, and Warner Bros. Has Him For ‘Mad Dogs’
Based on a novel by Six Days of the Condor author James Grady — which was, of course, turned into Three Days of the Condor, starring Robert Redford — action comedy centers on five deranged CIA killers who are forced to break out of an asylum after someone murders their psychiatrist and frames them for the deed. (VAR)Superheroes Are Now So Pervasive, Social Media Platform Snapchat Will Now Have Its Own Show About Them
AT&T has announced that it will launch the first original, scripted series on the social networking platform, the one that's popular because messages sent using it, disappear soon afterward. To be titled SnapperHero, it'll be the first scripted Snapchat series where "real-time, immediate engagement meets a fun superhero universe.” The series will roll out with 12 episodes over a 4 week period, beginning soon, with all content living primarily on Snapchat. (SAA)Speaking Of Superheroes, In Case You Were Wondering, Paul Bethany’s Vision Has a Big Future In the Marvel Universe
After lending his voice to Tony Stark’s droll A.I. Jarvis from the first Iron Man onwards, this year’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron will find Bettany in a live-action role, suited up as Avenger android, The Vision. The actor has said he has more such appearances in the future. No specific film was mentioned, but The Vision will likely show up in Captain America: Civil War. (GR)The Bradley Cooper Film ‘Limitless’ Is On Its Way To Being a TV Show, and Cooper Is Involved
Though he will not star in the show, of course, the Oscar nominee will be an executive producer on the pilot, along with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Neil Berger, who directed the film, will also direct the pilot for CBS. (CB)Trailer Buzz: ‘Ted 2’
The first look at the comedic sequel to the monster 2012 hit. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried and the vocal talents of co-writer-director Seth McFarlane, the movie will hit theaters June 26th. (YM)↧
SPC Distributing Woody’s Latest, Disney Confirms Episodes VIII and IX Dates, Slamdance Announces Winners
Sony Pictures Classics Will Continue To Be In Business With Woody Allen
The company has acquired all North American rights to Allen’s upcoming film, Irrational Man, from Gravier Productions. Produced by Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum and Edward Walson, film stars an ensemble including Jamie Blackley, Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey and Emma Stone, who starred in Allen's last film, Magic in the Moonlight. (TOH)Bob Iger Just Confirmed the Release Dates Of ‘Star Wars’ Episodes VIII and IX
In a Disney shareholders report, Iger said that that he has seen “most” of the footage from The Force Awakens and the movie is “worth the wait,” made clear that Episode VIII will be out in 2017, Episode IX in 2019, and hinted that there are more trilogies to come. He also teased the subject of the standalone film, to be directed by Gareth Edwards and scheduled for a December 16th, 2016 release. (SF)A Few Days Ahead Of Sundance, Slamdance Announces Its Winners
Turkish immigrant drama Across the Sea picking up the audience award for narrative feature, Britni West's Tired Moonlight picking up the narrative film jury prize and Sweet Micky for President picking the audience and jury prize for documentary. (THR)It Looks Like Universal Has the Right Guys In Mind To Direct Chris Pratt’s ‘Cowboy Ninja Viking’
Word comes that the studio has entered early talks with David Leitch and Chad Stahelski to be the directors responsible for bringing the comic book adaptation to the big screen. While they may not be household names as filmmakers just yet, their directorial debut, John Wick, was one of the best action movies of 2014. (CB)New Line Lands an Impressive Cast For Its New Comedy, ‘How To Be Single’
Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, Dan Stevens and Leslie Man star in the Christian Ditter-directed comedy. Spanning a multi-year period, film suggests it is not our relationships, but our single times in between, that truly define us. The film will give an honest portrayal of both the female and male views of singlehood. (DH)Gary Sinise Has Found Himself a Co-Star For His ‘Criminal Minds’ Spin-Off
Anna Gunn has found her follow-up to Fox's Gracepoint and Breaking Bad. The two-time Emmy winner has booked the female lead for CBS. The spinoff is currently set as a pilot that will shoot in mid-February and air as a planted episode in the flagship series at a later date. It focuses on the division of the FBI that helps American citizens who find themselves in trouble abroad. (TLF)Who Needs ‘The Twilight Zone’ When You’re Going To Get an American Version Of ‘Black Mirror’?
New co-CEO’s and co-chairmen of Endemol Shine North America, Cris Abrego and Charlie Corwin, confirmed that “there is a plan” for a U.S. adaptation of the buzzed about, mind-bending U.K. series. Black Mirror is an anthology style sci-fi series, with each episode a standalone story, most of which revolve around a new technology and the perverse way that human beings put that technology to use. (COL)Time Heals All Wounds? Eddie Murphy Finally Returning To ‘SNL’ After 30 Years For Anniversary Special
Murphy became a star while a member of the cast in the early ‘80s, and last appeared in 1984. He later cut ties with the show after being insulted during by David Spade during a Hollywood Minute sketch. In an interview, Murphy confirmed that he will be returning for the show’s 40th anniversary special, scheduled for February 15th. (SAA)Trailer Buzz: ‘Terminator: Genisys’
Eight weeks after Paramount premiered the first look at the highly anticipated reboot of the series that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star comes a look at the longer trailer that will premiere during Sunday’s Super Bowl. Film hits theaters on July 1st. (HP)Screenwriters: ‘Snatch’
The 126-page screenplay by Guy Ritchie, dated August 9th, 1999. (DS)↧
↧
Exec Shuffle 1/30/15: Thinkfactory Media Launches Incufactory, Kristine Belson to Sony Pictures Animation
Company Launches
Literary managers Britton Rizzio, Noah Rosen and Greg Shephard have left Circle of Confusion to create their own management and production firm, Writ Large.
The production company behind Hatfield & McCoys and the upcoming Texas Rising, Thinkfactory Media, has launched Incufactory, a new incubator division headed by EVP Adam Reed. It will offer pod deals to select established and developing executive producers and showrunners.
Studios, Networks, Conglomerates
Sony Pictures Entertainment named Oscar nominee Kristine Belson as President, Sony Pictures Animation after Michelle Raimo Kouyate’s departure from the post. Belson comes from DreamWorks Animation where she spent almost 10 years, serving as exec producer on the studio’s Oscar-nominated titles The Croods and How to Train Your Dragon.
Film
Former New Line Cinema exec Dana Belcastro has moved to Alcon Entertainment as the company's executive vice president of physical production. She held the same post at New Line for nearly a decade, overseeing the production of 30 feature films, including Little Children, Hair Spray, About Schmidt and the Final Destination franchise.
Television
Craig Ferguson and his production company, Green Mountain West, have inked a multi-year overall television agreement with Lionsgate. Ferguson will develop and produce scripted and unscripted programming, working with Green Mountain's president Phil Cottone and former The Late Late Show producer Michael Naidus.
Bruce Lefkowitz has been named executive vice president of advertising sales of Fox Networks Group, and will serve as the number-two to Toby Byrne. Former Ryan Seacrest Prods. CEO Adam Sher has joined ITV Studios-owned production company Leftfield Entertainment as Chief Creative Officer. It’s a new position, and Sher will operate across the Leftfield group, which includes flagship Leftfield Pictures (Pawn Stars), Sirens Media (Real Housewives of New Jersey), Loud TV (Tiny House Nation) and Outpost Entertainment (PBS' Icons).
Paul Pastor has been named EVP Network Strategy, Revenue and Operations for the Discovery Channel. Pastor previously served as SVP Strategy and Consumer Analytics for the Disney/ABC Television Group at Disney.
↧
SSN Events Calendar: The Award Shows, Film Releases, New TV & Places to Be in February
In celebration of the month of February, a month that includes the countdown to The Academy Awards, SSN has compiled a list of events for you including film releases, TV premieres, famous birthdays, events around LA and NYC, film festivals around the world and of course award shows.
February Events Calendar
-
Sunday, Feb 1 Happy Birthday Lisa Maria Presley, Harry Styles Comitia (Comic Convention) in Tokyo Oscar-Nominated Short Films screening until Feb 12 Hollywood Costume Exhibit at Wilshire May bldg in LA continues through March 2 Santa Barbara Film Festival continues through Feb 7 Light & Noir: Exiles Hollywood Golden Age Exhibit continues at the Skirball Cultural Center through March 1 Last day of DINE L.A.’s Restaurant Week
Monday, Feb 2 Happy Birthday Shakira Academy Awards Nominations Luncheon Last Chance to see Andy Warhol Shadows at MOCA in LA
Tuesday, Feb 3 Happy Birthday Rebel Wilson and Nathan Lane TV – Street Art Showdown on Oxygen (NEW), Being Mary Jane on BET returns Engage: The Digital Storytelling Conference at Backstage Theater at Sony Studios
Wednesday, Feb 4 Visual Effects Awards TV – Match Made in Heaven on WE (NEW), Mystery Diners on Food Network returns
Thursday, Feb 5 Berlin Film Festival commences (through Feb 15) European Film Market in Berlin commences (through Feb 13) Athena Film Festival in NYC through Feb 8 TV – Allegiance on NBC (NEW), Very Barry Branson on Great American Country (NEW)
Friday, Feb 6 Happy Birthday Ronald Reagan Academy Awards final voting commences DGA final ballots deadline California International Book Fair starts in Oakland, CA TV – Ever After High: Spring Unsprung on Netflix (NEW) FILM RELEASES – 1971, 3 Nights in the Desert, Ballet 422, Enter the Dangerous Mind, Jupiter Ascending, Love, Rosie, Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine, Outcast, Seventh Son, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
Saturday, Feb 7 Happy Birthday Chris Rock, Garth Brooks, Ashton Kutcher, Charles Dickens SciTech Awards DGA Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Miami International Book Fair commences Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga perform at the Wiltern in LA Paley Center NY Event- Orson Welles at 100: On Television through Feb 15
Sunday, Feb 8 BAFTA Awards Grammy’s on CBS CODEX 15 International Book Fair in Richmond, CA through Feb 11 TV – Better Call Saul on AMC (NEW), Legend of the Superstition Mountains on History (NEW)
Monday, Feb 9 Happy Birthday Tom Hiddleston
Tuesday, Feb 10 Happy Birthday Chloe Grace Moretz, Emma Roberts, Elizabeth Banks TV - Fresh Off the Boat on ABC (NEW) Paley Center NY Event- Nancy Dubuc, President and CEO of A&E
Wednesday, Feb 11 Happy Birthday Jennifer Aniston, Taylor Lautner, Kelly Rowland World Content Market in Prague commences (through Feb 13) TV – Schitt’s Creek on Canadian Broadcasting (NEW)
Thursday, Feb 12 Happy Birthday Abraham Lincoln, Jennifer Stone TV – The Slap on ABC (NEW)
Friday, Feb 13 Happy Valentine’s Day Happy Birthday Jerry Springer FILM RELEASES: Fifty Shades of Grey, Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Last Five Years, The Worst Year of My Life TV – Bosch on Amazon (NEW), Style by Jury on TLC (NEW), Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero on Disney XD (NEW)
Saturday, Feb 14 Happy Birthday Simon Pegg WGA Awards hosted by Lisa Kudrow Savannah Book Festival commences
Sunday, Feb 15 TV- Wicked Tuna on NatGeo (NEW)
Monday, Feb 16 Happy President’s Day Happy Birthday Lupe Fiasco, Elizabeth Olsen, Ice T
Tuesday, Feb 17 Happy Birthday Michael Jordon, Billie Joe Armstrong Paris Hilton TV – Repeat After Me on ABC (NEW), Our Little Family on TLC (NEW)
Wednesday, Feb 18 Happy Birthday Dr. Dre, John Travolta, Vanna White FILM RELEASE – Queen and Country
Thursday, Feb 19 Happy Birthday Victoria Justice TV – The Odd Couple on CBS (NEW), Vikings on History returns
Friday, Feb 20 Happy Birthday Rihanna, Miles Teller, Kurt Cobain, Sidney Poitier FILM RELEASES – A Convenient Truth, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, MacFarland, USA, The Duff TV – The Jack and Triumph Show on Cartoon (NEW), Preachers of Detroit on Oxygen (NEW), Insane Pools: Off the Deep End on Animal Planet (NEW)
Saturday, Feb 21 Happy Birthday Ashley Greene, Ellen Page, Alan Rickman, Jennifer Love Hewitt Independent Spirit Awards Chinese New Year Festival in Chinatown in LA
Sunday, Feb 22 Happy Birthday George Washington, Drew Barrymore The Academy Awards on ABC Toronto Comic Book Show
Monday, Feb 23 Happy Birthday Dakota Fanning, Emily Blunt, Josh Gad TV – The Night Shift on NBC (NEW)
Tuesday, Feb 24 Happy Birthday Steve Jobs, Floyd Mayweather Jr. TV – Outlaw Country on WGN (NEW), Gangland Undercover on History (NEW)
Wednesday, Feb 25 Brit Awards FILM RELEASES- Farewell to Hollywood, Wild Canaries TV – Kosher Soul on Lifetime (NEW), Amazing Race and Survivor on CBS return
Thursday, Feb 26 Happy Birthday Johnny Cash TV- Party Down South on CMT returns, Behind the Mask on Hulu returns
Friday, Feb 27 Happy Birthday Elizabeth Taylor FILM RELEASES: ’71, A La Mala, Bluebird, Deli Man, Everly, Focus, Maps to the Stars, The Lazarus Effect, The Salvation TV – Sex Box on WE (NEW), House of Cards on Netflix returns
Saturday, Feb 28 The Long Beach Comic Expo through March 1 TV- The Good Witch on Hallmark (NEW)
--Note that events are subject to change. If you would like to add events to our monthly calendar, please email marketing@ssninsider.com with the details.--
↧
Awards 2015: Annie and ACE Award Nominees, SSN Events Calendar, Exec Shuffle For 1/30/15, Chandor Exits ‘Deepwater Horizon’
SSN AWARDS ORIGINALS
ANNIE AWARD/ACE AWARDS RUNDOWN
Awards 2015: Renowned Ghibli Co-Founder and Director Isao Takahata Takes SSN Behind ‘The Tale Of Princess Kaguya’
The animated film, the latest offering from Japan’s Studio Ghibli, is about a palm-sized princess found in a bamboo stalk. As she rapidly grows in to a young lady and captivates those around her, she tragically learns of her past and ultimate fate. In addition to an Academy Award nomination, Kaguya has earned three Annie Awards nominations. The awards ceremony will be held tomorrow. (SSN)Awards 2015: Were You Rushing or Dragging? An SSN Scene Close-Up With ‘Whiplash’ Editor Tom Cross
Honored with five Oscar nominations, including one for Best Editing, the movie is also up for an American Cinema Editors’ Eddie Award, which will be handed out tonight. SSN sat down with the film’s editor, who guided us through the process of one particularly vital scene, in which Andrew (Miles Teller) first learns the true, extreme teaching style of his instructor, Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). (SSN)TODAY’S HEADLINES
SSN Events Calendar: The Awards Shows, Film Releases, New TV and Places To Be In February
In celebration of the month of February, a month that includes the countdown to The Academy Awards, SSN has compiled a list of events for you including film releases, TV premieres, famous birthdays, events around LA and NYC, film festivals around the world and of course award shows. (SSN)Exec Shuffle For 1/30/15: Thinkfactory Media Launches Incufactory, Kristine Belson To Sony Animation
In other news, a trio of lit managers have left Circle of Confusion to create their own management and production firm, a former New Line exec heads to Alcon, Craig Ferguson’s company signs a development deal with Lionsgate, and plenty more. (SSN)If You’re Keeping Score, It’s Michael C. Hall Out, Karl Urban In For ‘Pete’s Dragon’ Remake
Director David Lowery is busy putting the new version of the story together, working from a script he co-wrote with Toby Halbrooks. It’s Disney’s latest attempt to conjure a fresh take on one of its catalogue titles, this time the live-action/animation-blend 1977 film which saw a young lad befriend a magical dragon. The new movie will apparently deviate from the original by stripping out the musical element and injecting an environmental message into the story. (EMP)Also, J.C. Chandor Has Left the ‘Deepwater Horizon’ Movie, Will Be Replaced By Peter Berg
Chandor cited the always troubling “creative differences” for leaving the Summit project, based on the true-story account of the devastating 2010 BP oil spill. Envisioned as a “big, dramatic blockbuster”, Chandor was writing the screenplay for the movie as well. Mark Wahlberg will star in the film. (COL)James Franco Assembles A Rather Outstanding Cast For His Next Directorial Effort
The actor has gathered Selena Gomez, Vincent D’Onofrio, Robert Duvall, Ed Harris, Bryan Cranston and Danny McBride for his adaptation of John Steinbeck’s In Dubious Battle. The original novel portrays the struggle between labor and capital in 1930s America as close to all-out warfare. Matt Rager is adapting. (VAR)The Long-Awaited English Remake Of Frédéric Jardin’s ‘Sleepless Nights’ Is Back On Track
After being dropped by Warner Bros., Open Road has picked up the rights and is moving forward with the project, with Jamie Foxx and Michelle Monaghan on board to star. Story centers on a corrupt cop who has to navigate a labyrinthine nightclub where his son is being held hostage by a crime boss. (FSR)Joe Swanberg’s Latest Indie Finds Itself a Home At The Orchard
The distributor has landed Digging For Fire, starring Jake Johnson (who co-wrote the script with director Swanberg), Rosemarie DeWitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick and Mike Birbiglia. Film follows the discovery of a bone and a gun, which sends a husband and wife on separate adventures over the course of a weekend. (THR)Trailer Buzz: ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’
A look at the 30-second TV spot set to run during Sunday’s Super Bowl. The blockbuster sequel to the third-highest grossing movie of all time stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and James Spader and is written and directed by Joss Whedon. It opens May 1st. (CB)↧
‘Sniper’ Wins Again At the Box Office, Sony Nabs ‘Descender’ Rights, ACE, Annie and Sundance Winners All Announced
‘American Sniper’ Remains Atop the Box Office With Another Stunning Weekend
The Bradley Cooper film earned an additional $31.85 million this weekend, setting a record for a Super Bowl weekend, and putting its domestic gross over $248 million thus far. Project Almanac, Black or White both opened softly, while Paddington earned $8.5 million and finished second in its third weekend of release. (BO)Sony Goes After Another Comic Book Property, Preemptively Nabs Rights To ‘Descender’
Though the first issue isn't due out until the first week of March, the studio picked up the Image Comics series after a competitive bid. Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Dustin Nguyen, series an incredibly lifelike artificial boy whose machine DNA may very well hold the key to the origin of the robots that have decimated entire planets. Because of this, he is the most wanted robot in a universe that has outlawed androids. (CBR)‘Boyhood’ Takes Another Pre-Oscar Prize, Wins Itself an ACE Eddie Trophy, Regains Frontrunner Status
Sandra Adair won her first such award for cutting Richard Linklater’s 12-years-in-the-making opus, while Barney Pilling took the award for Best Comedy/Musical for his work on The Grand Budapest Hotel. Seven of the last 12 Eddie winners went on to win the Best Picture Oscar. The LEGO Movie, meanwhile, won the award for animated film. (TOH)‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’ Has a Very Big Day At the Annie Awards
The DreamWorks Animation film won big at the 42nd annual gathering, collecting six awards including best animated feature and best director for its writer/director Dean DeBlois. The LEGO Movie won for writing. In addition to best animated feature and director, How To Train Your Dragon 2 was honored for character animation, editing, music and storyboarding. (THR)‘Me and Early & the Dying Girl’ Sweeps Up At Sundance
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s comedy-drama about the friendship between a misfit teenager and a classmate diagnosed with leukemia, received both the grand jury prize and the audience award. Film was acquired by Fox Searchlight earlier this week in one of the festival’s biggest deals. This marks the third year in a row that one movie has taken both top prizes at Sundance, following the lead of Fruitvale Station in 2013 and Whiplash last year. (VAR)Plan B Falls For New David Oyelowo Flick, Takes Flight With ‘Nightingale’
Producing team of Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner will reunite with the Selma star, coming involved in the new feature in an unspecified capacity, joining with BN Films and producers Josh Weinstock, Katrina Wolfe (of BN) and director Elliott Lester. Details of the deal are still being worked out. (DH)After Taking a Movie Off, Rose Byrne Is Returning To the X-Men Universe
The actress, who played the character of Moira MacTaggert to life in director Matthew Vaughn’s 1960s-set film X-Men: First Class, but was not in X-Men: Days of Future Past, will reprise the role in next year’s X-Men: Apocalypse. Bryan Singer returns as director and James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, and Nicholas Hoult all return as cast. (COL)Trailer Buzz: ‘Game of Thrones’
The latest look at the upcoming fifth season of the popular, Emmy-winning HBO series. The new season premieres on the cable network on April 12th. (FSR)Were You Wondering About How Ezra Miller Was Cast as The Flash? Because Now He’s Here To Tell You
When Warner Bros. announced their major plan for the DC Universe, Miller’s casting was one of the biggest surprises. The actor known specifically for odd roles in independent films like We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Perks of Being A Wallflower is about to spend the next several years playing the Fastest Man Alive on the big screen. (SF)Screenwriters: Tips On Writing Dialogue That’s Truthful
The words flowing from your characters’ mouths should be true to who they are. Whether your characters are telling the truth or lying, or believe they are being accurate or not, when you, the screenwriter, have a deep understanding of your characters’ motivations and behaviors, the more believable your dialogue will be. (SM)↧
↧
On the Set for 2/2/15: Eddie Redmayne Starts on The Danish Girl, Martin Scorsese Begins Lensing Silence & More
STARTS
2:22 2/2/2015 Logline: Dylan Boyd’s life as an air traffic controller is derailed when he begins to find himself in Grand Central Station every day at 2:22 p.m., forcing him to solve the mystery of this uncanny occurrence and find his one true love. Production Companies: Icon Productions, Pandemonium, Lightstream Pictures, Walk The Walk Entertainment Director: Paul Currie Executive Producer(s): Garrett Kelleher, Jackie O'Sullivan Producer(s): Lawrence Inglee, Bill Mechanic, Steve Hutensky, Paul Currie Cast: Teresa Palmer, Michiel Huisman Writer(s): Nathan Parker, Paul Currie, Todd Stein, Kerry Williamson SSN Insight: First spec sale for Todd Stein. Previously in development at Gold Circle Films. Its literary sale date was May 14, 2005.
Ben-Hur (Remake) 2/2/2015 Logline: A young Ben-Hur, who encounters Jesus Christ, finds himself betrayed by his best friend but survives after being sold into slavery and extracts revenge. Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Paramount Pictures Production Companies: Mark Burnett Productions, Point Blank Productions, The Sean Daniel Company Director: Timur Bekmambetov Executive Producer(s): Roma Downey, Keith Clarke, Jason F. Brown, John Ridley Producer(s): Sean Daniel, Joni Levin, Mark Burnett Cast: Jack Huston, Nazanin Boniadi, Morgan Freeman, Toby Kebbell, Pedro Pascal Writer(s): John Ridley, Keith Clarke Details: Based on the novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ," written by Lew Wallace and published in 1880. Source material was previously adapted for film in 1925 and then in 1959 directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston. SSN Insight: Gal Gadot was previously in negotiations to play Esther, but had to pass on the project because of production conflicts with "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," in which she played Wonder Woman, as well as ongoing commitments to play the superhero in upcoming Warner Bros. films.
Silence 1/30/2015 Logline: Two 17th century Portuguese missionaries return to Japan to minister to Christians, who've been outlawed. Production Companies: Winkler Films, Sikelia Productions, Cecchi Gori Pictures, FM Films, LLC Director: Martin Scorsese Executive Producer(s): Dale Brown, Matthew Malek, Tyler Zacharia, George Furla, Chad Verdi Producer(s): Irwin Winkler, Gaston Pavlovich, Randall Emmett, Martin Scorsese, Emma Tillinger Koskoff Cast: Andrew Garfield, Issey Ogata, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano Writer(s): Martin Scorsese, Jay Cocks Details: Based on the novel "Silence" written by Shusaku Endo and published by Tuttle Publishing 1969. SSN Insight: Graham King was previously attached to produce for GK Films. Daniel Day-Lewis, Gael Garcia Bernal and Benicio Del Toro were previously in discussions to star.
The Danish Girl 2/2/2015 Logline: A man finds an alter ego when he puts on a dress to pose for his artist wife. Before long, however, they both realize their marriage is in trouble. Studio: Working Title Films Production Companies: Pretty Pictures, Harrison Productions Director: Tom Hooper Producer(s): Gail Mutrux, Anne Harrison, Linda Reisman, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard, Matthias Schoenaerts Writer(s): Lucinda Coxon Details: Based on the book "The Danish Girl" written by David Ebershoff published by Viking February 7, 2000. SSN Insight: Lasse Hallstrom, Tomas Alfredson, Neil LaBute and Anand Tucker were all previously attached to direct. Rachel Weisz, Charlize Theron, and Gwyneth Paltrow were all previously attached to the role of Greta Wegener.
The Trust 1/26/2015 Logline: Two corrupt cops find a mysterious vault while investigating a drug operation and things get complicated when they decide to rob it. Production Company: Hassell Free Productions Director: Alex Brewer, Ben Brewer Executive Producer(s): Michael Nilon, Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier Producer(s): Molly Hassell, Braxton Pope Cast: Nicolas Cage, Jack Huston Writer(s): Ben Brewer, Adam Hirsch SSN Insight: Highland Film Group’s other films include Barely Lethal, starring Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Alba, Kevin Connolly’s The Wright Girls and Your Right Mind, starring Katherine Heigl. Cage recently appeared in David Gordon Green’s Joe and the thriller flick Frozen Ground. Huston, who was recently seen on Boardwalk Empire, was in American Hustle and Kill Your Darlings.
When the Bough Breaks 2/2/2015 Logline: When a professional couple who are unable to conceive hire a young, blue-collar woman as a surrogate, she develops a psychotic fixation on the husband that turns violent and deadly just before the baby is born. Studio: Screen Gems Production Company: Unique Features Director: Jon Cassar Executive Producer(s): Morris Chestnut Producer(s): Robert Shaye, Michael Lynne Cast: Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Jaz Sinclair, Theo Rossi, Michael K. Williams Writer(s): Jack Olsen SSN Insight: Cassar, best known for his work as director and executive producer on the TV series, 24, takes on his first studio feature with this psychological thriller.
WRAPS
Mechanic: Resurrection 1/30/2015 Logline: This sequel continues to follow the adventures of the elite assassin Arthur Bishop, who is known for his skill in cleanly eliminating targets. Studio: Nu Image/Millennium Films Production Companies: Winkler Films, Off The Chart Entertainment Director: Dennis Gansel Executive Producer(s): No Executive Producer Available. Producer(s): Avi Lerner, Billy Chartoff, David Winkler, Frank DeMartini Cast: Jason Statham, Tommy Lee Jones, Jessica Alba, Michelle Yeoh Writer(s): Philip Shelby, Richard Wenk Details: Sequel to the film "The Mechanic," (2011/Nu Image/Chartoff-Winkler) directed by Simon West, which was a remake of "The Mechanic" (1972/UA) directed by Michael Winner and starring Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent. SSN Insight: Simon West was previously attached to direct.
↧
Awards 2015: Costume Designer Mark Bridges, Sundance Wrap-Up, On the Set For 2/2/15, DuVernay and Oprah To Make an OWN Drama
SSN AWARDS ORIGINALS
COSTUME DESIGN
Awards 2015: From Vision To Reality — Behind the Costumes Of ‘Inherent Vice’ With Oscar-Nominated Mark Bridges
Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film earned two Oscar nods, one for his script and the other for prolific costume designer Bridges, who previously won an Oscar, BAFTA, and Critic’s Choice Award for his work on The Artist. Bridges has designed costumes for all of Anderson’s films, so the nod for Vice means a lot to him. (SSN)TODAY’S HEADLINES
Sundance 2015 Wrap-Up: The Bidding Wars, Potential Oscar Contenders and Stand-Out Films
It was a buyer’s market at this year’s festival, as a number of films found homes, and scored big deals, during the fest. Executives from A24, Magnolia, Fox Searchlight, and Sony Pictures Classics stayed busy in Park City, acquiring such titles as The End of the Tour, The Witch, and Mississippi Grind (A24); The Diary of a Teenage Girl and Grandma (SPC); Mistress America, Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, and Brooklyn (Fox Searchlight). (SSN)On the Set For 2/2/15: Eddie Redmayne Starts On ‘The Danish Girl,’ Martin Scorsese Starts Lensing ‘Silence,’ and More
Also starting up is the new Ben-Hur remake, starring Jack Huston, the Nicolas Cage film The Trust and When the Bough Breaks, as well as the romantic, sci-fi thriller 2:22, while the latest Mechanic installment wraps with Jason Statham, Tommy Lee Jones, Jessica Alba and Michelle Yeoh. (SSN)Ava Duvernay Might Not Have Earned Herself an Oscar Nomination, But She Does Have a New TV Partnership With Oprah
The Selma director is reuniting with Winfrey for a new drama series for OWN, on which Winfrey is scheduled to have a recurring role. The director’s first foray into telelvision will be on Queen Sugar, a series based on the novel by Natalie Baszile. DuVernay is writing, directing, and executive producing the show, which marks Winfrey's acting debut on her eponymous network. (MF)Netflix Announces Plans to Raise $1 Billion In More Debt to Fund Content
Company CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells told investors they were planning to raise at least a billion dollars of debt, given the company’s step-up in content investment as well as the “current favorable interest-rate environment.” With the announcement, Standard & Poor’s downgraded its credit rating on the company from “BB-minus” to “B-plus,” meaning the company’s debt carries more risk. (VAR)‘AKA Jessica Jones’ Adds a Veteran of ‘The Matrix’ To Its Cast
Carrie-Anne Moss is on board the Netflix series, coming from Marvel Studios. One of the four series moving forward, beginning with April’s Daredevil, Jones stars Krysten Ritter as the title former hero and current private investigator. Moss will play a no-nonsense woman who could prove a powerful ally to Jessica — if Jessica doesn't completely alienate her first. (THR)TBS’ Broken Lizard Pilot ‘Quality Time’ Adds Three Female Leads
Gillian Vigman, Alexie Gilmore and Jessica Meraz have been cast as the female leads opposite Paul Soter, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme and Erik Stolhanske in the comedy pilot. Written, executive produced by and starring Soter, Heffernan, Lemme and Stolhanske, the semi-autobiographical show is about four college buddies who kept their sophomoric ways in suspended animation throughout their 20s and are now succumbing to reproduction. (DH)Milla Jovovich Is Bringing Three Of George R.R. Martin’s Short Stories to the Big Screen
The star of the Resident Evil franchise and Justin Chatwin will lead In The Lost Lands, a feature based on three of his short stories. Constantin Werner wrote and directed the film, which will shoot later this year. (TP)As Expected, Chris Pratt and Chris Evans Settled Their Epic Super Bowl Bet So That Everyone Wins
Captain America and Star Lord had wagered on their respective teams — Evans is a Patriots fan, Pratt roots for the Seahawks — with the loser visiting sick children at the hospital of the winner’s choice. Even though Evans won the bet, both men will be visiting the other’s hospital in costume, bringing joy to children in both Boston and Seattle. (UR)Trailer Buzz: ‘Ted 2’
The special trailer that premiered yesterday during the Super Bowl, and which confirmed that this will be the only summer movie that has a cameo by a reigning Super Bowl MVP (Tom Brady). Movie hits theaters June 26th. (HP)↧
Cinemax Green Lights New Show, Crowe’s Latest Gets a Title, Sony Sells Sony Online Entertainment, Aspire Makes a Deal With Newsweek
Cinemax Has Been Looking For Its Next Big Show, and Now It’s Found Its ‘Quarry’
From the network that has brought you Banshee and Strike Back will come an adaptation of a series of Max Allan Colins novels, about a Marine who returns home to Memphis from Vietnam in 1972 and finds himself “shunned by those he loves and demonized by the public.” He subsequently becomes drawn into a network of killing and corruption along the Mississippi River. Logan Marshall-Green will star and Greg Yaitanes will direct and executive produce. (COL)Cameron Crowe’s Long-Awaited Next Film Finally Has Itself a Title
After months of being referred to as The Untitled Hawaii Project, the latest from the writer-director of Say Anything …, Singles, Jerry Maguire, and Almost Famous will now be called Aloha. Film stars Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Alec Baldwin, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride and Jay Baruchel, and opens in theaters May 29th. (SF)Sony Online Entertainment No Longer Owned By Sony Or Called Sony Online Entertainment
The game developer announced that in the future they will be owned by Columbus Nova under the name Daybreak Game Company. The developer said it didn’t expect any changes to its games such as DC Universe Online, EverQuest Next and the popular new title H1Z1. In fact, it expects a burst in revenue from the acquisition. (BC)Aspire Entertainment and Newsweek Get Together On a Deal To Make Movies Together
The production company whose chief, Mark Ciardi, produced Million Dollar Arm and Miracle has inked an exclusive two-year development deal with the magazine to create and distribute films, TV series and other content on various platforms based on stories published in the magazine. Despite Ciardi’s background, the Newsweek partnership will not focus solely on sports. (VAR)Actor Asa Butterfield Can’t Get Enough Of Going To Outer Space In the Movies
The Ender’s Game star will go Out Of This World for director Peter Chelsom. Film sees the human race finally colonizing Mars with the help of a billionaire entrepreneur. When an astronaut is found to be pregnant, only to die during childbirth, her son is raised on the Red Planet in secrecy. After years spent communicating with a young woman back on Earth, the now-teenage lad (Butterfield) heads for the planet and a road trip to meet the father he never knew. (EMP)After Directing the Hottest Pilot Of Last Season, Michael Offer Will Direct One Of the Hottest Of This Season
Helmer of How To Get Away With Murder will now direct Runner, which is to guns what Traffic was to drugs and delves into the traditionally masculine world of arms dealing through the lens of a woman. Plot centers on a woman whose seemingly perfect life is ripped apart by one simple twist of fate. To uncover the truth, she must follow a trail of lies that takes her into the world of cartels and the illegal gun trade between the U.S. and Mexico. (DH)Tyrese Gibson Wants To Play ‘Green Lantern,’ But First He’ll Be a ‘Desert Eagle’
The actor has sold an action pitch to Universal Pictures titled "Desert Eagle," which he co-wrote with Mike Le, with the plan being for Gibson to also star. Film follows two border patrol agents who investigate a drug cartel that's being operated out of a Native American reservation casino. Matthew Stuecken and Josh Campbell have been hired to rewrite the script. (SAA)Whit Stillman’s Upcoming Jane Austen Movie Will Feature a ‘Last Days of Disco’ Reunion
Sixteen years after they starred together in Stillman’s third film, Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny are making another one. They will star in the director's characteristically long-gestating Love & Friendship, an adaptation of Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan. Beckinsale's replacing Sienna Miller as the formerly titular Lady Susan, a beautiful widow in 1790s England trying to land husbands for both herself and her daughter. (VUL)Trailer Buzz: ‘Furious 7’
The first look at the upcoming seventh entry in the action franchise, which debuted during Sunday’s Super Bowl, directed by James Wan, starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans, Jason Statham, Lucas Black, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Kurt Russell and Ludacris, as well as being the final screen performance by the late Paul Walker. Film opens April 3rd. (CB)Online Film School: Things Learned From the Commentary For ‘John Wick’
Directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch wax rhapsodic on the commentary track to the action-packed Keanu Reeves revenge film, originally released in theaters last fall. (FSR)↧
TV Development for 2/3/15: Limitless & Rush Hour Snag Pilot Orders Plus All the Pilot News in One Place
ABC
ABC/ Untitled David Marshall Grant Medical Drama Project Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Company: Vendetta Productions Executive Producer(s): David Marshall Grant, Sheldon Turner, Jennifer Klein Writer(s): David Marshall Grant Logline: Centers on a tough, resourceful and at the top of her game type-A business woman, who has a medical scare, only to be dangerously misdiagnosed, and experiences first-hand the hazards of our healthcare system. Shocking her friends and family, she leaves her career behind, becoming instead a brilliant and relentless advocate for anyone caught in the chaotic and ever-changing maze that is modern medicine. SSN Insight: Inspired by the real-life experiences of former agent Byrdie Lifson-Pompan. ABC gave an initial commitment of a put pilot.
ABC/ Untitled Jermaine Fowler Comedy Project Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Company: 3 Arts Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Jermaine Fowler, Avi Gilbert, Michael Rotenberg Writer(s): Jermaine Fowler Logline: A college dropout who winds up living with his estranged grandmother, a former DC cop, who provides the perfect mix of parenting, laughs and adventure that gets him off the couch and out into the world. SSN Insight: ABC gave an initial commitment of a pilot. The script is based on Jermaine Fowler's life.
ABC/ Untitled Jimmy Kimmel / Carson Daly Project Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Executive Producer(s): Jimmy Kimmel, Carson Daly, Dan Fogelman Writer(s): Jimmy Kimmel Logline: A once-massively popular VJ loses it all and is forced to move in with his parents and take a job as host of a local radio "morning zoo." SSN Insight: Loosely based on the real-life experiences of Carson Daly. ABC gave an initial commitment of a script plus penalty.
ABC/ Untitled Johnny Knoxville Family Comedy Project Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Companies: 3 Arts Entertainment, Hello Junior! Executive Producer(s): Johnny Knoxville, Michael Rotenberg, Dave Becky Logline: A Southern family comedy inspired by Johnny Knoxville’s unconventional childhood. SSN Insight: Inspired by Johnny Knoxville’s unconventional childhood. ABC gave an initial commitment of a pilot plus penalty.
ABC/ Untitled Judah Miller Comedy Project Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Production Company: 3 Arts Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Judah Miller, Tom Lassally, Jonathan Berry Writer(s): Judah Miller Logline: Centers on a Tony Award-winning mother and a cerebral, risk-averse father blessed with a natural-born athlete for a son. They are forced to come to terms with the fact that raising their only child won’t come as easily as they thought. SSN Insight: ABC had given an initial commitment of a put pilot.
ABC/Untitled Dan Fogelman NBA Comedy Project Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Companies: Kapital Entertainment, Mandalay Sports Media, Rhode Island Ave. Productions Executive Producer(s): David E. Windsor, Casey Johnson, Dan Fogelman, Peter Guber, Michael Tollin Writer(s): David E. Windsor, Casey Johnson Set in the world of the NBA, the story is about a rookie who doesn’t speak English and a translator who doesn’t speak basketball. SSN Insight: ABC had given an initial commitment of a put pilot. “It’s basically the international Odd Couple set in the NBA,” Fogelman said at the time of the sale in an interview with Deadline.
Boom Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Company: Flame Ventures, LLC Executive Producer(s): Tony Krantz, Josh Pate, Rodes Fishburne Writer(s): Josh Pate, Rodes Fishburne Logline: A young couple move to a contemporary boomtown in North Dakota in pursuit of the American dream and are seduced by the sudden wealth of frontier life. SSN Insight: Previously in development at ABC for the 2012-2013 season. ABC has ordered a pilot.
Chev & Bev Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Company: Kapital Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Aaron Kaplan, Brad Copeland Writer(s): Brad Copeland Logline: A married couple in their 60s are finally enjoying their golden years. They have raised their daughter who is a grown woman and now lives on the other side of the country with her two kids and that’s the way they like it. These selfish grandparents now only need to see their grandchildren a couple of times a year. But, due to circumstances beyond their control, they are now forced to raise their grandchildren. SSN Insight: ABC gave an initial commitment of a pilot with a penalty.
Family Fortune Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: Universal Television Production Company: 3 Arts Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Matt Hubbard, Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, David Miner Writer(s): Matt Hubbard, Fortune Feimster Logline: A popular gym teacher in North Carolina comes out of the closet to her close-knit group of family and friends. Details: Based on the family life and stand-up of Fortune Feimster. SSN Insight: ABC gave an initial commitment with a penalty on October 22 and ordered a pilot on February 1.
Flesh and Blood Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Company: Mandeville Films/TV Executive Producer(s): Jenna Bans, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Laurie Zaks Writer(s): Jenna Bans Logline: The return of a politician's young son who was presumed dead after disappearing more than a decade earlier, sends shockwaves throughout their tight knit community. But as the mysterious young man is welcomed back into his community, the neighbor sitting in jail for his murder is released and the cop responsible is forced to reexamine what truly happened so many years ago. SSN Insight: ABC ordered the pilot on January 28.
Kingmakers Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Executive Producer(s): Sallie Patrick Writer(s): Sallie Patrick Logline: An elite Ivy League university is rocked by a student’s sudden death, prompting her brother to take on a new identity to infiltrate the school and its century-old secret society, consisting of privileged students, ambitious faculty and high-profile alums, in order to investigate her death. SSN Insight: ABC has ordered a pilot. Patrick currently serves as the supervising producer and writer on "Revenge".
The 46 Percenters Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Company: No Production Company Available. Executive Producer(s): Sherry Bilsing Writer(s): Sherry Bilsing Logline: An anti-romantic, romantic comedy about the 46-percent of the population who choose to stay married. SSN Insight: ABC has ordered a pilot.
The Adversaries Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Executive Producer(s): David Zabel Writer(s): David Zabel Logline: Series follows the patriarch of a New York legal dynasty who becomes embroiled in a trial of his own, forcing his federal-prosecutor daughter to decide which side she will fight on. SSN Insight: In addition to "ER", Zabel’s credits include "Lucky 7" and "Betrayal" for ABC and "Red Band Society" for Fox. Project was previously in development at NBC. ABC has ordered a pilot.
The Advocate Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: Warner Bros. TV Production Companies: Vendetta Productions Executive Producer(s): Sheldon Turner, Jennifer Klein Writer(s): Sheldon Turner Logline: Centers on a tough, resourceful and at the top of her game type-A business woman, who has a medical scare, only to be dangerously misdiagnosed, and experiences first-hand the hazards of our healthcare system. Shocking her friends and family, she leaves her career behind, becoming instead a brilliant and relentless advocate for anyone caught in the chaotic and ever-changing maze that is modern medicine. Details: Inspired by the real-life experiences of former agent Byrdie Lifson-Pompan. SSN Insight: ABC initially gave a put pilot commitment on August 28 and has now ordered a pilot. David Marshall grant was previously attached to write. Lifson-Pompan will serve as a consulting producer on the drama project, she was previously Turner’s literary agent at CAA whose clients included Brett Ratner, Paul Haggis and Jason Katims.
The Brainy Bunch Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Production Company: Imagine Television Executive Producer(s): Wendy Molyneux, Lizzie Molyneux, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo Writer(s): Wendy Molyneux, Lizzie Molyneux Logline: Follows an extraordinarily gifted family who find themselves unprepared for their new lives in Orange County, California, a place where beauty is valued more than brains. Inspired by the book, "The Brainy Bunch: The Harding Family’s Method To College Ready By Age Twelve," written by Kip Harding and Mona Lisa Harding and published by Gallery Books on May 6, 2014. SSN Insight: ABC gave an initial commitment with a penalty as of September 11 and ordered the pilot on January 30.
The Broad Squad Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Companies: Fake Empire, Kapital Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Leonard Goldstein, Aaron Kaplan Writer(s): Bess Wohl Logline: Set in 1978, the series is a fictionalized account of the graduating class of Boston’s first female patrol officers. Dubbed "The Broad Squad" by the local press, they arrived at a tumultuous time in Boston’s history, marked by corruption within the police force and a heightened organized crime presence in the city. Navigating rival neighborhoods as well as the conflicting attitudes toward them from everyone, they find themselves tested both on and off duty. SSN Insight: ABC initially committed to a put pilot on September 30.
The Catch Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Company: Shondaland Executive Producer(s): Jennifer Schuur, Julie Anne Robinson, Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers Writer(s): Jennifer Schuur Logline: A gutsy female forensic accountant exposes fraud for a living and has finally found fulfillment both at work and in love until a case comes along that threatens to turn her world upside down. Details: Based on a treatment written by novelist Kate Atkinson and her producing partner, former Channel 4 drama commissioner Helen Gregory. SSN Insight: ABC ordered the pilot on January 26. If the project earns a series pickup, Shondaland would have four shows on ABC’s schedule. The production company currently produces ABC's entire Thursday night lineup, and all should receive renewals.
Uncle Buck Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios, Universal Television Production Company: Will Packer Productions Executive Producer(s): William Packer, Steven Cragg, Brian Bradley Writer(s): Steven Cragg, Brian Bradley Logline: A childish man learns how to be an adult by taking care of his brother’s kids in a very childish way. Details: Based on the film, "Uncle Buck," (1989), directed by John Hughes and starring John Candy. SSN Insight: ABC ordered the pilot on February 1.
CBS
Angel From Hell Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: CBS Television Studios Executive Producer(s): Tad Quill Writer(s): Tad Quill Logline: When Amy enters Allison’s life and claims to be her guardian angel, they form an unlikely friendship and Allison can’t be sure if Amy is an angel or just nuts. SSN Insight: CBS ordered the pilot on January 28.
CBS/ Untitled Dan O'Shannon/ Peter Warren Comedy Project Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Companies: Tannenbaum Company, Erdman/Peterson Productions Executive Producer(s): Dan O'Shannon, Clark Peterson, Dennis Erdman, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Haswell-Tannenbaum Writer(s): Dan O'Shannon, Peter Warren Logline: The story revolves around a group of friends and family at three different times in their lives. SSN Insight: CBS ordered the pilot on January 28.
Code Black Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: CBS Television Studios, ABC Studios Executive Producer(s): Michael Seitzman, Linda Goldstein-Knowlton, Marti Noxon, David Semel, Ryan McGarry Writer(s): Michael Seitzman Logline: One young doctor has just joined the extraordinary staff of Los Angeles’ busiest ER as they struggle in the face of a broken system to protect their ideals and the patients who need them the most. Based on the documentary. Details: Based on the documentary, "Code Black," (2013/USA) directed by Ryan McGarry. SSN Insight: CBS initially gave a put pilot commitment on August 21 and ordered the pilot on January 27.
For Justice Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Companies: Tribeca Films, James Patterson Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Rene Balcer, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, James Patterson, Leopoldo Gout Writer(s): Rene Balcer Logline: An FBI agent who works in the Criminal Section of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division investigates crimes based on civil rights violations across the country. She finds herself caught between the radical family she was born into and the professional family she has chosen. Details: Based on the novel, "The Thomas Berryman Number," written by James Patterson and published by Warner Books in 1976. SSN Insight: CBS initially gave a put pilot commitment on October 10 and ordered the pilot on January 30.
Joe Time Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Company: Here Comes Scrappy Executive Producer(s): Bill Wrubel Writer(s): Bill Wrubel Logline: Centers on a family man who struggles with the fact that everyone around him is pursuing their dreams and enjoying life more than he is, but who ultimately realizes he has everything he’s ever wanted. SSN Insight: CBS initially gave a put pilot commitment on August 28 and ordered the pilot this week.
LFE Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Company: The Dan Jinks Company Executive Producer(s): Dan Jinks Writer(s): Paul Downs Colaizzo Logline: A high-octane medical procedural centering on second-year residents at New York City’s top hospital as they attempt to balance their god complexes with their humanity. SSN Insight: CBS ordered to pilot on January 30.
Limitless Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Companies: K/O Paper Products, Relativity Television, Unnamed Todd Phillips and Bradley Cooper Production Company Executive Producer(s): Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips, Craig Sweeny, Neil Burger, Alex Kurtzman Writer(s): Craig Sweeny Logline: Follows Brian Sinclair as he discovers the power of the mysterious drug NZT and is coerced into using his newfound drug-enhanced abilities to solve weekly cases for the FBI. Based on the film. Details: Based on the 2011 movie, "Limitless," which was based on the novel "Dark Fields" written by Alan Glynn and published in the United Kingdom by Little, Brown, and in the United States by Penguin-Putman. SSN Insight: Project was previously in development last season with Georgetown TV, who are no longer attached to this project. CBS ordered to pilot on January 28.
Rush Hour Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Company: Doozer Productions Executive Producer(s): Bill Lawrence, Blake McCormick, Brett Ratner, Arthur Sarkissian, Jeff Ingold Writer(s): Bill Lawrence, Blake McCormick Logline: A stoic, by-the-book Hong Kong police officer is assigned to a case in Los Angeles, where he’s forced to work with a cocky black LAPD officer who has no interest in a partner. Details: Based on the film, "Rush Hour" (1998), directed by Brett Ratner and starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. SSN Insight: CBS ordered to pilot this week. The pilot was written by “Cougar Town” co-creator Lawrence. It will be an hour-long action comedy series.
Sneaky Pete Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: Sony Pictures Television Production Companies: Shore Z Productions, Moonshot Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Bryan Cranston, David Shore, James Degus Writer(s): Bryan Cranston, David Shore Logline: The story centers on a thirty-something con man who, upon leaving prison, takes cover from his darker past by assuming the identity of a cellmate. "Sneaky Pete" hides out from the mob while working for the cellmate family’s bail bond business, taking down criminals worse than himself. Over time, he discovers a family life he’s never had, and possibly true love with a woman who sees through his BS. SSN Insight: CBS ordered the pilot on January 30.
Super Clyde Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Company: Amigos de Garcia Productions Executive Producer(s): Greg Garcia, Michael Fresco Writer(s): Greg Garcia Logline: A meek fast food worker decides to change his life and become a super hero. SSN Insight: Remake of a pilot Garcia originally produced during the 2013-2014 season. At the time CBS chose to go ahead with The Millers instead from Garcia. Under his overall deal at CBS TV Studios, Garcia negotiated with CBS to release the Super Clyde pilot in fall 2013 so it could have the chance to be picked up this season. CBS signed off an ordered a pilot. Initial Commitment: Script Ordered to Pilot for the 2013-2014 Season.
FOX
DeTour Network: Fox Broadcasting Company Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Production Company: Tagline Pictures Executive Producer(s): Steve Franks, Rivers Cuomo, Dan Field, Chris Henze, Willie Mercer Writer(s): Steve Franks Logline: Centers on a thirty-something rock star who, unable to rationalize his success and worried that he may not have the tools to repeat it, walks away from the spotlight at the height of his fame in an effort to rediscover the parts of his life he missed while he was busy becoming a massive success. SSN Insight: Inspired by the real-life experiences of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. Fox initially gave a put pilot commitment on August 27 and ordered the pilot on January 29.
Fantasy Life Network: Fox Broadcasting Company Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Production Company: 3 Arts Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Kevin Connolly, Tim McAuliffe, Jonathan Berry, Greg Walter, Michael Rotenberg Writer(s): Tim McAuliffe Logline: When a hard-working guy lands his ultimate dream job hosting a fantasy football show, he’s forced to navigate office politics while becoming the star he never thought he could be. Based on the book. Details: Based on the memoir, "Fantasy Life: The Outrageous, Uplifting, and Heartbreaking World of Fantasy Sports from the Guy Who’s Lived It," written by Matthew Berry and published by Riverhead Hardcover on July 16, 2013. SSN Insight: Fox initially gave a put pilot commitment on September 18 and ordered the pilot on January 29.
FOX / Untitled Dana Klein Family Project Network: Fox Broadcasting Company Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Production Company: Kapital Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Dana Klein, Aaron Kaplan Writer(s): Dana Klein Logline: Told from the point-of-view of a working mom who is in constant competition with her perfect, stay-at-home sister-in-law. SSN Insight: Fox gave an initial commitment of a put pilot on January 26.
NBC
Cuckoo Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: Lionsgate Production Company: RoughCut TV Executive Producer(s): Robin French, Kieron Quirke, Tim Long, Ash Atalla, Dan Hine Writer(s): Robin French, Kieron Quirke Logline: The story of a middle-class family whose daughter comes back from a summer abroad married to a charming but infuriating hippie moron, a guy called Cuckoo. SSN Insight: Put pilot based on the BBC Three comedy, "Cuckoo." Previously in development for the 2013-2014 season with a put pilot commitment.
NBC/ Untitled Monica Potter Ellen DeGeneres Comedy Project Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Company: A Very Good Production Executive Producer(s): Ellen DeGeneres, Jeff Kleeman, Sherry Bilsing, Ellen Plummer Writer(s): Sherry Bilsing, Ellen Plummer Logline: A woman juggles her busy family life as well as her three ex-husbands, which proves to be difficult when she starts dating again. Details: Reportedly loosely based on Monica Potter's life. SSN Insight: NBC gave an initial pilot commitment on October 13.
Problem Child Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: Universal Television Production Companies: Imagine Television, American Work, Inc., TBD Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Scot Armstrong, Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan, Brian Grazer Writer(s): Scot Armstrong Logline: A cat-and-mouse game between a set of parents and their brilliant but mischievous child. Based on the film. Details: Based on the film, "Problem Child," (USA/ 1990), directed by Dennis Dugan and starring John Ritter. SSN Insight: Ordered to pilot on January 29.
Sharing Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: Universal Television Production Company: Eight Million Plus Productions Executive Producer(s): Jeremy Bronson, Jimmy Fallon, Rick Schwartz Writer(s): Jeremy Bronson, Damian Lanigan Logline: Different groups of people work side by side in a shared office space. SSN Insight: NBC ordered to pilot on January 26.
Strange Calls Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Production Companies: Kapital Entertainment, Hoodlum Executive Producer(s): Blake McCormick, Aaron Kaplan, Tracey Robertson, Nathan Mayfield Writer(s): Blake McCormick Logline: An affable but down on his luck young police officer is transferred to a rural town where with the help of a peculiar, elderly night watchman, he starts to realize the town has a bizarre supernatural underbelly. Details: Based on the Australian series created by Daley Pearson and airing on ABC2. SSN Insight: A previous version of the project was set up with a put pilot commitment at ABC for the 2012-2013 season and rolled over to the 2013-14 season. But the pilot was never shot because a lead was not cast. NBC ordered to pilot on January 28.
Pay Cable
Lewis and Clark Network: HBO Production Companies: National Geographic Entertainment, Playtone, Plan B Entertainment, Class 5 Films, National Geographic Ventures Executive Producer(s): Brad Pitt, Tim T. Kelly, Adam Leipzig, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman Writer(s): Michelle Ashford, Edward Norton, John Curran Logline: The story of the heroic exploits of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson chose Captain Lewis to lead the first government-backed exploration of the vast and unknown western territory that would eventually become part of the United States. Over three years, Lewis and Clark made their way to the Pacific Ocean over land, mapping the Nortwest wilderness and opening the path toward westward expansion. Details: Based on the book "Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West," written by Stephen Ambrose, and published by Simon & Schuster in 1997. SSN Insight: Originally in development as an MOW with Hallmark Entertainment attached to produce for TNT cable network. Previous writers for the MOW developed version are William D. Wittliff, who wrote an original adaptation of Stephen Ambrose's book, and John Kent Harrison, who did a rewrite of the script and was also attached to direct. Project was then developed as a feature until Edward Norton and Brad Pitt were attached as executive producers whereupon the project was picked up by HBO and it will be a six part miniseries.
Virtuoso Network: HBO Production Company: Your Face Goes Here Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Alan Ball, Peter Macdissi, Elton John, Steve Hamilton-Shaw, David Furnish Writer(s): Alan Ball Logline: Based in Vienna in 1791 amidst a complex climate of political unrest, the series is set at a prestigious and exclusive fledgling music academy set up by the Italian composer Antonio Salieri where a handful of 15 - 22 year-old international music prodigies study to become Europe's next musical sensation - and their wealthy patrons seek to win royal favor and power through their protégés' talents. SSN Insight: Ordered to pilot on January 27, which is due to start filming in the spring in Budapest.
The Driver Network: Showtime Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Companies: Red Production Company, Timberman/Beverly Productions , Silver Lining Entertainment, On The Corner Executive Producer(s): David Morrissey, Jolyon Symonds, Taylor Elmore, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly Writer(s): Taylor Elmore Logline: An ordinary taxi driver, because of family mystery, frustration with his job and his life, makes a terrible decision and starts working for a criminal. Details: Based on the three-part British miniseries, "The Driver," which aired on BBC One in September, 2014. SSN Insight: “Justified” EP Elmore is under an overall deal with CBS TV Studios and will write the adaptation with the original’s writer Brocklehurst.
↧
↧
Awards 2015: Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, Up & Up: 2015 Pilot Actors To Watch, TV Development For 2/3/15, Harper Lee’s New Book
SSN AWARDS ORIGINALS
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Awards 2015 Spotlight: Oscar Winning Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki On the Experiment That Was ‘Birdman’
Fox Searchlight’s Birdman, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, was released on September 17 and has picked up steam during awards season, winning seven Critics Choice Awards, two Golden Globes, and nine Academy Awards nominations, including best cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki, who took some time from shooting The Revenant to talk to SSN. (SSN)TODAY’S HEADLINES
The Up and Up: 2015 Pilot Season Actors To Watch — Who Is This Year’s Gina Rodriguez?
It happens every year. With each new batch of TV shows comes a new batch of fresh faces for viewers to fall in love with. Critics too, like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, singled out Gina Rodriguez as this year’s blessed television angel. As the initial batch of fall pilots are being cast, we decided to take a look at the actors who, come autumn, just might break out. (SSN)TV Development For 2/3/15: ‘Limitless’ and ‘Rush Hour’ Get Pilot Orders, Plus All the Pilot News In One Place
Among the projects moving forward to pilot are several based on real-life people and situations (including Carson Daly), a new team-up of Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo, and new projects from Fake Empire, Tribeca Films, James Patterson and at least one former Oscar nominee. (SSN)Stunningly, It Appears Harper Lee Is Releasing a ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Sequel This Summer
Surprising news arrived today from Harper Publishing, announcing that on July 14th, Lee will unveil her first new book in five decades, Go Set A Watchman. The book was actually written before Mockingbird, and only recently discovered attached to a Mockingbird typescript by Lee's lawyer Tonja Carter. The 304-page book is a sequel of sorts, focusing on Scout as an adult woman, with the story once again set in Maycomb, Alabama, this time during the 1950s. (TP)South By Southwest Has Announced Its 2015 Lineup: Did Your Film Make the Cut?
The 22nd annual version of the festival will host gala premieres next month of Melissa McCarthy’s Spy, Will Ferrell-Kevin Hart starrer Get Hard, Brian Wilson biopic Love and Mercy and Alex Gibney’s documentary Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine. The features lineup has 145 films to be shown between March 13 and 21, including 100 world premieres, 13 North American premieres and 11 U.S. premieres. (VAR)It Looks Like the Lucasfilm Folks Want Felicity Jones To Lead Its Stand Alone Spin-Off
Gareth Edwards’ movie, which will hit theaters December 16th, 2016, had tested Rooney Mara and Tatiana Mislany for the female lead in the film, which just switched writers, from Gary Whitta to Chris Weitz. Now, it appears the producers have entered negotiations with Jones, currently up for a Leading Actress Oscar for her performance in The Theory of Everything. (COL)Harvey Weinstein Sees ‘American Sniper’ Grosses, Options ‘The Reaper’ Memoir For TV Mini-Series
Based on the book, The Reaper: Autobiography Of One Of The Deadliest Special Ops Snipers, tells the story of Nicholas Irving, who accounted for 33 kills in four short months in 2009 while serving in Iraq. The plan is to adapt the book into a five-part mini-series. Weinstein hopes to start production this summer, but has not yet named a writer or a network. (EMP)Now That She’s Got a Golden Globe Under Her Belt, ’Transparent’ Creator Jill Soloway Is Getting Into Business With MTV
The award-winning creator is developing a buddy comedy with #HotMessMoves' Ashley Skidmore and Lyle Friedman. The nameless project spotlights two women who meet at a camp and are struck by lightning. Sharing a passion for feminism, the protagonists will try to save womankind ten years after the incident. (VUL)Charlie Hunnam Is Off His Motorcycle and On His Way To the ‘Lost City of Z’
Fresh off the end of his FX series Sons of Anarchy, Hunnam joins Sienna Miller and Robert Pattinson in director James Gray’s adaptation of the David Grann bestseller. Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner are producing via Plan B along with Dale Johnson and Anthony Katagas. No domestic distributor is yet set for the project, which starts shooting this summer. (DH)Get Ready For a ‘Lost’ Reunion On the USA Network
Carlton Cuse and Josh Holloway’s new show, the alien invasion drama Colony, has earned a 10-episode order from the cable network. The Walking Dead alum Sarah Wayne Callies also stars in the show, which features Holloway as a former FBI agent who toes the line with the new overlords, while Callies plays his wife. Amanda Righetti, formerly of The Mentalist, plays her sister, whose young child is diabetic. (MF)↧
Online Videos Getting Even More Views Than Thought, WB Moves Release Dates, Akerman Joins ‘Billions,’‘Stargate’ Remake Nabs New Writers
Online Video Creators Getting More Page Views Per Month Than Originally Thought
According to the latest numbers, more than 21,000 online-video creators are generating at least 1 million views a month of their work, and some 16,000 individual videos are grabbing at least that many views each per month. Getting more than 1 million views for an online video starts to be of the audience scale of lesser cable networks, though it’s a different kind of viewer and viewing experience than watching traditional TV in traditional ways. (DH)With Announcements On ‘Creed’ and ‘Point Break,’ Warner Bros. Is Once Again Playing Musical Release Dates On Us
The Rocky spinoff, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, will now hit theaters on Thanksgiving, while Paramount’s decision to move Mission: Impossible 5 up to the end of July has caused WB to move its Point Break remake to Christmas, which will put it up against Will Smith’s NFL drama Concussion, the animation/live-action hybrid Monster Trucks, David O. Russell’s Joy, and Alvin and the Chipmunks 4. (COL)Malin Akerman Becomes the Latest To Join Showtime Pilot ‘Billions’
Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis star in the project, which takes a look at the world of high finance by tracking the approaching collision between a whip-smart U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti) and a brilliant ambitious hedge fund king (Lewis). Akerman will play Lewis’s wife. Show is written and executive produced by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin and being directed by Neil Berger. (EW)Roland Emmerich’s Epic Remake Of ‘Stargate’ Just Found Its Writers
Nicolas Wright and James A. Woods are in final negotiations to pen the script of what is intended to be the first of a trilogy that Emmerich is slated to direct. Dean Devlin, who co-wrote the original movie with Emmerich, is producing. Original told of the discovery of a circular device that creates a wormhole allowing for scientists and military person to a distant world, where they discover an enslaved people who are descendants from ancient Egyptians. (THR)Michael Bay’s Benghazi Thriller, ’13 Hours,’ Adds a Bit Of ‘Orange’
Orange Is the New Black star Pablo Schreiber joins the project, along with star John Krasinski, as of the story’s six American security operators. The true Benghazi tale is based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s recently released book. Chuck Hogan has adapted the screenplay for the project, which is set up at Paramount Pictures with Erwin Stoff producing. (CS)Relativity Teams Up With Lantica Media For New Thriller ‘Our Father,’ Hires Frank E. Flowers To Direct
Story tells tale of a hard-nosed FBI Special Agent, with a drug problem, who is removed from his position, and forced to instead take a desk job, training much younger recruits. He eventually defies his superiors and returns to the streets, when he finds out he has a 17-year-old bi-racial son in trouble, and vows to save him. Shooting is set to take place in the Dominican Republic at Lantica-owned Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios. (SAA)Trailer Buzz, Part One: ‘Minions’
The latest look at the upcoming film, the third in the Despicable Me franchise, this one focusing on the fruit-loving creatures of the title. In this film, Kevin, Bob, and Stu hitch a ride to Orlando for Villain Con, the world's biggest gathering of evildoers. There they meet Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock). She is exactly the kind of monster they've been waiting for, but are they the kind of minions who will help her ... or (accidentally) bring her down? Film hits theaters July 10th. (MF)Trailer Buzz: Part Two: ‘Lost River’
The first look at actor Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut, starring Christina Hendricks, Ben Mendelsohn, Eva Mendes and Saoirse Ronan in a drama about a woman who is immersed in a dangerous mystery after her teenage son Bones finds a secret road that leads to an underwater town. There is still no domestic release date for the film, which disappointed critics at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. (IW)Screenwriters: ‘Thief’
The 119-page final shooting draft by Michael Mann, dated March 6th, 1980. (DS)↧
Rep Moves 2/4/15: CAA Snaps Up Multi-Hyphenate Mindy Kaling, Molly Ringwald to ESA & More
CAA: CAA has signed multi-hyphenate Mindy Kaling. The creator, executive producer and star of Fox's The Mindy Project had been without agency representation since she left UTA in April. Kaling is still managed by Howard Klein at 3 Arts Entertainment and by her attorney is P.J. Shapiro.
ESA: Molly Ringwald is now a client at Equitable Stewardship for Artists (ESA), and is represented by Rachel Sheedy. She is also still represented by Untitled Management.
CAA: CAA has signed Ruben Fleischer, director of Zombieland, 30 Minutes Or Less, and Gangster Squad. Fleischer started the TV production company The District with Dave Bernad. He was previously with UTA and he remains with lawyer Warren Dern.
ICM Partners: Actor and musician Jencarlos Canela has signed with ICM Partners. Canela recently booked the male lead opposite Eva Longoria in her new NBC comedy Telenovela. Other TV credits include the top-rated Telemundo series, Mas Sabe El Diablo.
UTA: Matthew Beard is heading to UTA - same agency that reps his The Imitation Game cast mate Benedict Cumberbatch. Beard recently also signed up with Perri Kipperman at Kipperman Management, and the BAFTA and SAG Awards nominee will remain repped by Troika in the U.K.
↧
Awards 2015: VFX Supervisor Paul Franklin, Rep Moves For 2/4/15, FCC Chair Proposes Net Neutrality Plan, Universal Sets Jobs Film Release Date, ‘John Wick’ Sequel In Development
SSN AWARDS ORIGINALS
VISUAL EFFECTS, VES AWARDS
Awards 2015 Spotlight: ‘Interstellar’ VFX Supervisor Paul Franklin On Wormholes, Nolan and On-The-Fly CGI
The VFX expert knows a thing or two about working on a big budget studio blockbuster. He’s collaborated alongside Christopher Nolan on five films, including his Batman trilogy and Inception, for which he won an Oscar. He most recently worked with Nolan on Interstellar. Among the four nominations the Visual Effects Society gave the film, Franklin was nominated for Outstanding Visual Effects, as well as an Oscar in the same category. (SSN)TODAY’S HEADLINES
Rep Moves For 2/4/15: CAA Snaps Up Multi-Hyphenate Mindy Kaling, Molly Ringwald To ESA, and More
CAA makes a couple of moves, actually, while UTA also gets in on the action in an otherwise relatively slow week for people finding new representatives or leaving old ones. (SSN)FCC Chairman Set On Preserving Net Neutrality, Proposes To Reclassify Internet Like a Utility
Commission top man Tom Wheeler has proposed reclassifying the Internet as a Title II telecommunications service, a regulatory maneuver that will allow the agency to set robust rules of the road for the Internet, commonly known as “net neutrality.” If the FCC votes for his proposal on Feb. 26, it would mean that Internet providers like Comcast and AT&T would be prohibited from blocking or throttling content, or from creating fast lanes or slow lanes in delivering traffic to the consumer. (VAR)Universal Sets Its Release Date For Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs Biopic, and It’s October 9th
The studio appears to be aping the plan for The Social Network in 2010, in which that film opened October 1st after a New York Film Festival premiere. Sony, it should be noted, dropped the project after Christian Bale left the project and Michael Fassbender signed on to play Apple co-founder Jobs. Film also stars Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels and Katherine Waterston, and was written by Aaron Sorkin. (DH)Good News For Fans Of Quality Action Films: Directors Of ‘John Wick’ Say a Sequel Is In Development
The co-directors, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, who appear to be set to direct the comic book adaptation Cowboy Ninja Viking, say they’re already in development on a John Wick sequel, and while they didn’t go into any specifics or say if Keanu Reeves would return to play the merciless killer, they did note that they had ideas for the sequel and know how they would up the action. (COL)Fox Is Bringing the Emmy Awards Back To Sunday Night and Back To September
A year after NBC broadcast the show on Monday, August 25th, Fox will take its turn broadcasting it and has scheduled it for Sunday, September 20th. A host has yet to be announced for the 2015 event, to be held once again at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be held a week prior, on Saturday, Sept. 12. They'll again air on FXX at a later date. (THR)In Case You Were Hoping For Some News About a Live Action ‘Astro Boy’ Film, Today Is Your Lucky Day
The classic character is going to star in his own live-action feature with Australia’s Animal Logic Entertainment partnering with Japan’s Tezuka Productions. Zareh Nalbandian from Animal Logic will produce along with Jason Lust as executive producer. Mike Callaghan and Reuben Liber from Ranger 7 Films will also executive produce. No director is currently attached, but the search for a screenwriter on the project has begun. (CS)‘Limitless’ Pilot Lands a Director Familiar With Super Heroics
Marc Webb, who directed The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 for Sony, has singed on to helm the TV remake of the hit Bradley Cooper film. Written and exec produced by Craig Sweeny, Limitless follows the same character from the original film, but with what looks to be a parallel story in which the main character “discovers the power of the mysterious drug NZT and is coerced into using his newfound drug-enhanced abilities to solve weekly cases for the FBI.” (SF)Trailer Buzz, Part One: ‘Magic Mike XXL’
The first look at the sequel to the 2012 sleeper hit, which starred Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Matthew McConaughey, and Alex Pettyfer, though the latter two will not return for the new film, which hits theaters July 1st. (CB)Trailer Buzz, Part Two: ‘Daredevil’
It’s finally here, the first official teaser trailer for the highly anticipated new series from Netflix and Marvel Studios. Starring Charlie Cox, Rosario Dawson, Deborah Ann Woll and Vincent D’Onofrio, the 13-episode series drops at 12:01 PDT on April 10th. (MF)↧
↧
VES Winners, ‘Michelle Darnell’ Adds Dinklage, HBO Makes a Pair of Big Announcements, Stone’s Snowden Pic Adds Trio
The VES Awards Were Handed Out Last Night, and We Have the Full List Of Winners Here
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Big Hero 6 were the big winners at the 13th annual event, which was hosted by Patton Oswald. Dawn won three awards including Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture; Big Hero took all five it was going for, including the big toon prize. J.J. Abrams received the Visionary Award. (DH)Melissa McCarthy’s ‘Michelle Darnell' Just Added a Touch Of Westeros To the Cast
Peter Dinklage is joining the comedy, co-written by McCarthy (who will star) and her husband, Ben Falcone, who will direct. McCarthy will play a former big shot businesswoman whose career and reputation are damaged when she’s sent to prison for insider trading. Upon her release, she attempts to rebrand herself as a lovable heroine, but not everyone she cheated and hurt is ready to forgive her. Dinklage will play her main antagonist. (EMP)HBO Is Branching Out With a Pilot Order For the ‘Awkward Black Girl’-esque ‘Insecure’ …
A year and a half ago, it was announced that Issa Rae was developing a series for HBO, created by her and Larry Wilmore, now the host of The Nightly Show on Comedy Central. The focus of the show was on "the awkward experiences and racy tribulations of a modern day African-American woman.“ Yesterday, HBO gave a pilot order for the project, in which Rae will star and co-write with Wilmore. (SAA)And Network Also Announces Date Of Its ‘The Casual Vacancy’ Premiere
The British mini-series, based on J.K. Rowling’s novel, will hit TV screens on April 29th. EastEnders’ Sarah Phelps is writing while In the Flesh’s Jonny Campbell is directing the series, which will focus on a seemingly picturesque English village with a lot of tension underneath the surface. Michael Gambon, Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Monica Dolan, and Julia McKenzie star. (EW)Three Big Names Join the Cast Of Oliver Stone’s Edward Snowden Pic
With Joseph Gordon-Levitt on board as Snowden and Shailene Woodley as his girlfriend, Oscar-winner Melissa Leo will play Laura Poitras, the journalist/filmmaker who was part of Snowden’s revelations and directed the Best Documentary Oscar nominee, CitizenFour. Zachary Quinto will play Glenn Greenwald, the journalist Snowden chooses to help release the secrets and Oscar-nominee Tom Wilkinson will play Ewen MacAskill, a reporter at The Guardian who fact-checked and helped break these secrets. (SF)After Years Of Development Hell, a ‘Robotech’ Movie Is Back In Play
After kicking up some dust in 2007 with Tobey Maguire attached to produce (and presumably star) the big-screen version of this intergalactic saga has been percolating for quite some time. While the project has pretty much always been at Warner Bros., people like Akiva Goldsman and Lawrence Kasdan have tried and failed to get it off the ground in the ensuing years. Now, Hollywood Gang, another production company on the Warners lot run by Mark Canton and Gianni Nunnari, is taking a crack at it and want Mama‘s Andy Muschietti to develop. (COL)Get Ready For Some High-Speed Action With Nicholas Hoult and Felicity Jones On October 30th
Relativity Studios and IM Global have set Oct. 30 as the U.S. release date for action-thriller Autobahn, which also stars Ben Kingsley and Anthony Hopkins. Story involves Hoult’s character scheming to pull a drug heist for an eccentric gangster (played by Kingsley) to pay for his girlfriend’s medical emergency. Hopkins portrays an evil druglord menacing the girlfriend, played by Jones. (VAR)Milo Ventimiglia Is Going From ‘Heroes’ To Villain With Upcoming ‘Gotham’ Stint
The actor has been cast as a recurring character in a multiple-episode story arc on Fox’s Gotham. The character, Jason Lennon aka The Ogre, first appears in episode 19. Described as handsome, wealthy and seductive, the Ogre is a serial killer who has been preying on the young women of Gotham for nearly a decade, luring them into his web and confronting them with a series of “tests” as he searches for his perfect mate. When the women fail to live up to his impossible standard, Lennon disposes of them quickly and viciously. (BC)Your Creative Calendar: 65 Things To Do, See and Hear This February
This may be the shortest month of the year, but that doesn't mean it's any less packed with movies, shows and other fun stuff to fill the hole in your heart. Get ready to go back in time with Rob Corddry, cover Frank Sinatra with Bob Dylan, read Kim Gordon's memoir, and kill zombies. (FCC)Screenwriters: Rewriting Your Screenplay — The Road To Your Audience
The promise of the rewrite is very sweet. The more authentic the labor put into rewriting your screenplay, the greater the reward, and the reward is high, for whatever lovely, wonderful moments you might have discovered in the frightening process of plowing through the first draft, those moments, those seeds, are only seeds, and they only fulfill their destiny as giant, involving scenes in the movie that screens before people. (MO)↧
Film Development for 2/5/15: News on Star Wars Spinoff, X-Men: Apocalypse, Lost City of Z & More
NEW ATTACHMENTS
Star Wars Spinoff Logline: Storyline under wraps. Production Company: Lucasfilm, Ltd. Writer: Chris Weitz Director: Gareth Edwards Cast: Felicity Jones SSN Insight: After testing actresses such as Rooney Mara and Tatiana Mislany, it seems that the producers have landed on their female lead in the much anticipated Star Wars Spinoff.
The Lost City of Z Logline: The true story of British explorer Col. Percy Harrison Fawcett, who disappeared in 1925 while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon. Financier: MICA Entertainment Production Company: Plan B Entertainment, Keep Your Head Productions Producers: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Anthony Katagas, Dale Armin Johnson Writer: James Gray Director: James Gray Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller Notes: Based on the book "Lost City of Z" written by David Grann; published by Doubleday in February 2009. The book is an expansion of an article, written by Grann, that appeared in The New Yorker magazine in September 2005. SSN Insight: Project previously set up at Paramount Pictures. Inferno Entertainment and Annapurna were previously attached to produce. Brad Pitt and Benedict Cumberbatch were previously attached to star.
Stargate (Reboot) Logline: Original movie told the story of the discovery of a circular device that creates a wormhole allowing for scientists and military personnel to travel to a distant world where they discover an enslaved people who are descendants from ancient Egyptians. Studio/ Distributor: MGM/ Warner Bros. Pictures Production Company: Electric Entertainment Producers: Dean Devlin Writers: Nicolas Wright, James A. Woods Director: Roland Emmerich SSN Insight: This is the first film in what is intended to be a trilogy that Emmerich is slated to direct. Devlin wrote the original movie with Emmerich and Wright and Woods worked with Emmerich on the Independence Day 2 script. Out of this World Logline: A boy born to an American astronaut while on a mission to Mars and raised on a space station returns to Earth as a teen and embarks on a US road trip in search of the father he has never met. Studio: Relativity Media Production Company: Southpaw Entertainment Producers: Richard Barton Lewis, Ryan Kavanaugh Writer: Peter Chelsom, Tinker Lindsay, Allan Loeb Director: Peter Chelsom Cast: Asa Butterfield SSN Insight: Butterfield is quickly becoming one of the hottest young actors in town, originally starring in The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas then Hugo and is now starting Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Love & Friendship Logline: Set in the 1790s, a widow waits out rumors about her dalliances while she seeks a husband for herself, and a husband for her reluctant daughter. Production Company: Blinder Films, Westerly Films, Chic Films, Revolver Films, Irish Film Board, Netherlands Film Board Producers: Katie Holly, Whit Stillman, Lauranne Bourrachot Writer: Whit Stillman Director: Whit Stillman Cast: Chloe Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale, Xavier Samuel, Stephen Fry Notes: Based on the novel/novella "Lady Susan" written by Jane Austen, written sometime between 1794 and 1805, and first published in 1871. SSN Insight: Beckinsale replaces Sienna Miller who was previously attached to play the character Lady Susan. X-Men: Apocalypse Logline: In 1983, ten years after Wolverine traveled to the past to prevent a bleak future, the X-Men team up with Cyclops, Storm, and Jean in a battle to stop an unprecedented apocalypse by an ancient enemy. Studio/ Distributor: 20th Century Fox Production Company: Bad Hat Harry Productions, Donners Company, Marvel Entertainment, Genre Films Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Hutch Parker, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg Writer: Simon Kinberg Director: Bryan Singer Cast: Rose Byrne, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac, Alexandra Shipp, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan SSN Insight: Bryne will reprise her role as Moria MacTaggert in this next installment of the franchise, despite being absent from the X-Men: Days of Future Past. Robotech Logline: When an alien spacecraft crashes in the South Pacific, the people of Earth develop giant robots from the alien technology in order to fend off a wave of alien invasions. Studio/ Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures Production Company: Weed Road Pictures, Material Pictures, Supercool Hollywood Big Time Productions, Hollywood Gang Productions, Atmosphere Entertainment Producers: Akiva Goldsman, Tobey Maguire, Matthew Plouffe, Joby Harold, Tory Tunnell, Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton Writer: Michael Gordon SSN Insight: Robotech has long been a passion development project for many of the attached producers. However, it’s now getting a new chance with the attachment of Hollywood Gang Productions and 300 writer, Michael Gordon.
NEW PROJECTS
The Descender Logline: In a time where anything with artificial intelligence is destroyed by bounty hunters, a self-aware robot and a group of companions fight back. Studio/ Distributor: Columbia Pictures Producer: Josh Bratman Notes: Based on the comic written by Jeff Lemire, drawn by Dustin Nguyen and to be published by Image on March 4, 2015. SSN Insight: Both Lemire and Nguyen are New York Times bestselling authors and illustrators. Producer Josh Bratman set Descender up in a competitive situation and the project marks his second sci-fi adaptation to get setup. He also nabbed the rights to The Themis Files last October for Sony with producer Matt Tolmach. Desert Eagle Logline: Two border patrol agents investigate a drug cartel operating out of a Native American reservation casino. Studio/ Distributor: Universal Pictures Production Company: Bluegrass Films, Voltron Filmz Producers: Tyrese Gibson, Scott Stuber Writer: Tyrese Gibson and Mike Le, Matthew Stuecken and Josh Campbell Cast: Tyrese Gibson SSN Insight: Gibson sold his action pitch to Universal with producer Scott Stuber as a vehicle for Gibson to star, produce and write. Astro Boy Logline: In futuristic Metro City, scientist Tenma creates Astro Boy, an amazing robot with super strength, x-ray vision, incredible speed and the ability to fly. But, what he really wants is to know where he belongs. Production Company: Animal Logic, Tezuka Productions Producers: Zareh Nalbandian SSN Insight: Originating as a Japanese manga created by Osamu Tezuka in 1952, Astro Boy was made into a fully animated feature in 2009 and is now getting a live-action treatment by the visual effects studio, Animal Logic.
Doreen Giuliano Project Logline: The true story of Brooklyn-based mother Doreen Giuliano, who has spent over 10 years trying to overturn her son’s murder conviction, is dramatized. Studio/ Distributor: Columbia Pictures Production Company: Bedford Falls Company, Conde Nast Publications Producers: Marshall Herskovitz, Edward Zwick, Dawn Ostroff, Jeremy Steckler Writer: Marshall Herskovitz Director: Edward Zwick Senior Year Logline: A cheerleader wakes up after a 20-year coma and returns to sit at the cool table and try to become prom queen, as a 37-year-old woman. Studio/ Distributor: CBS Films Production Company: Broken Road Productions, Benderspink Producers: Jeremy Stein, Todd Garner, JC Spink, Jake Wagner Writer: Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli SSN Insight: The R-rated female-driven comedy spec went out on a Sunday afternoon and CBS nabbed it for mid-sic figures.
↧
Amy Pascal Steps Down As Sony Co-Chair, DGA Awards Spotlight: The Imitation Game’s Morten Tyldum, He Said, She Said: BAFTA and DGA Awards
SSN AWARDS ORIGINALS: DGA AWARDS
DGA Awards Spotlight: The Imitation Game's Morten Tyldum
SSN spoke with Tyldum about working with his fellow Oscar nominees—star Benedict Cumberbatch, writer Graham Moore, and production designer Maria Djurkovic—and what went into creating the film that ended up with an impressive eight nominations overall. (SSN)He Said, She Said: BAFTA and DGA Awards Breakdown
SSN's Neil Turitz and Dina Gachman return once again to give you their takes on the DGA and BAFTA Awards, both of which are being handed out this weekend. (SSN)Does Studio Oscar Swag Really Sway Voters? SSN Finds Out
SSN Insider spoke to various critics and guild members and the answer is, while some gifts are cool, they don’t influence voting, and in fact, can have the opposite effect. (SSN)Film Development for 2/5/2015
News about Star Wars spinoff, X-Men: Apocalypse, Lost City of Z and more. (SSN)TODAY'S HEADLINES
Amy Pascal Steps Down As Sony Co-Chair
The studio confirmed that Pascal is leaving her position and will launch a new production venture at the studio. (DH)Damon Wayans Jr. Exits New Girl
A year and a half after returning to New Girl, the actor has opted not to return for the Fox comedy's all-but-certain fifth season. (THR)Thomas Staggs Named COO at Walt Disney Co.
This makes the parks chief the No. 2 executive at the world's largest entertainment company. (LAT)The Problem With Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update
Five months after Lorne Michaels switched up the hosts, the faux-news segment feels stuck in its "rocky start" phase. (ATL)Found-Footage Movies Are in a Rut. Can the Genre Be Revived?
In recent years, found-footage films have lost their novelty value; nowadays, they elicit mostly eye-rolls from critics as well as viewers. (VUL)Career Arc: Bob Odenkirk’s Long, Strange Ride to the Top
A look at the Better Call Saul star's long and winding career path. (GLD)↧