305
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
Studio: Endemol Shine Studios
Production Company(s): Honey I’m Home
Executive Producer(s): Sascha Penn, Jonathan Levine, Pitbull
Writer(s): Sascha Penn
Logline: When Willy is pulled from his rundown high school and sent to live with his uncle, a celebrity chef, and attend the wealthiest private school in Miami, he attempts to acclimate himself to his new surroundings while dealing with relationships, family drama, work and all the problems that more money brings.
SSN Insight: Fox has given an initial commitment of a script plus penalty as of September 24.

Untitled Nicki Minaj Comedy Project
Network: ABC Family
Production Company(s): Kapital Entertainment
Executive Producer(s): Nicki Minaj, Kate Angelo, Aaron Kaplan, Stella Bulochnikov Stolper, Brian Sher
Writer(s): Kate Angelo
Logline: The series focus on Nicki Minaj’s time growing up in Queens in the 1990s with her immigrant family and the personal and musical evolution that lead to her eventual rise to stardom.
Details: Based on the early life of Nicki Minaj.
SSN Insight: ABC Family ordered the series on September 29.

Untitled Zoanne Clack Medical Drama Project
Network: ABC Entertainment Group
Studio: ABC Studios
Production Company(s): Shondaland
Executive Producer(s): Zoanne Clack, Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers
Writer(s): Zoanne Clack
Logline: The story centers on a U.S. Army Medevac (medical evacuation) team whose job it is to save lives while risking their own. They operate out of an oddly Americanized base camp in Baghdad circa 2004, where they get on each others’ nerves, sleep with the wrong people, navigate “office” politics and party like there’s no tomorrow.
SSN Insight: Series in development. Clack has a background in medicine, having attended medical school at UT Southwestern before doing her residency in Emergency Medicine at Emory University. She has a Masters of Public Health in Behavioral Sciences.

Aunt Jill
Network: ABC Entertainment Group
Studio: Universal Television
Production Company(s): 3 Arts Entertainment, Paper Kite Productions
Executive Producer(s): Jordan Roter, Amy Poehler, Brooke Posch, Dave Becky
Writer(s): Jordan Roter
Logline: Jill is a smart, confident, hilarious and lovable 50-year-old who chose a different path than most women her age by focusing on her career and social life instead of getting married and having a family. An independent woman her entire life, Jill now has to depend on her judgmental older sister and neurotic millennial niece as she reinvents herself and her career.
Details: Inspired by Jordan Roter’s real-life aunt.
SSN Insight: ABC has given it a put pilot commitment.

Bonita & Mechelle
Network: NBC Entertainment
Studio: Universal Television
Production Company(s): UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, Will Packer Productions
Executive Producer(s): Kriss Turner Towner, Eva Longoria, Ben Spector, Will Packer
Writer(s): Kriss Turner Towner
Logline: Two women, one Hispanic and one African American, find themselves living together while conquering the ups and downs of single life and parenting.
SSN Insight: Eva Longoria already produces two series with Latino protagonists, Devious Maids and NBC’s upcoming Hot & Bothered, in which she stars.

Dance, Dance, Dance
Production Company(s): Talpa Media
Executive Producer(s): John De Mol
Logline: Celebrities and their partners recreate famous dance routines from movies, music videos and musicals.
Details: Based on the Dutch format, “Dance, Dance, Dance,” which premiered in the Netherlands on RTL4 on September 5, 2015.
SSN Insight: Talpa was acquired by ITV earlier this year, and produces the series, The Voice.

Eat Pray Thug
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Executive Producer(s): Sanjay Shah
Logline: A successful rapper chooses to live with his Indian-American parents in Queens, New York.
Details: Based on the real life of rapper Heems.
SSN Insight: Fox has given an initial commitment of a script plus penalty as of September 28. Utkarsh Ambudkar is set to star in the comedy.

ESL
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
Executive Producer(s): Masi Oka, Ben Queen
Writer(s): Zak Shaikh
Logline: The story follows the students and teacher of an English-as-a-Second Language class.
SSN Insight: Queen is under an overall deal at Warner Bros TV.

Florent
Network: Showtime
Production Company(s): Magic Lantern Entertainment, StoryBy Entertainment
Executive Producer(s): Patricia Resnick, Jonathan Baruch, Rosemary Rodriguez, Howard Braunstein
Writer(s): Patricia Resnick
Logline: Inspired by the life of colorful New York City restauranteur and AIDS activist Florent Morellet. The story will explore the light and dark of that time, as well as the craziness of a place that become a destination for everyone from New York’s literati, to the neighborhood hookers and hustlers, to the NYPD, to the burgeoning LGBT community all through the eyes of Florent.
Details: Inspired by the true story of Florent Morellet.
SSN Insight: The project was previously in development as a drama at the Sundance Channel for the 2014-2015 season. The project is in second position to “The Good Wife” for Cumming.

Untitled Adam Pally Paul Lieberstein Spy Comedy Project
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
Studio: ABC Studios
Production Company(s): 3 Arts Entertainment, Clone Wolf Productions
Executive Producer(s): Adam Pally, Paul Lieberstein, Howard Klein
Writer(s): Paul Lieberstein, Jon Gabrus
Logline: A comedic take on the spy genre.
SSN Insight: This is the first project sold under Clone Wolf’s two-year overall deal with ABC Studios.

Untitled Mike Schur Matt Murray Workplace Comedy
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
Studio: Universal Television
Executive Producer(s): Michael Schur, Matt Murray, David Miner
Writer(s): Matt Murray
Logline: Revolves around a larger-than-life federal judge and the overworked twenty-somethings who clerk for him.
SSN Insight: Fox has given an initial commitment of a put pilot on September 25.

Manhood
Network: NBC Entertainment
Studio: Universal Television
Executive Producer(s): Jay Baxter, Shaun Zaken, Rob Long, David Janollari
Writer(s): Jay Baxter, Shaun Zaken
Logline: Three men explore different sides of masculinity in a weekly men’s group meeting, where they cry, beat drums and fire-walk to find the answer.
SSN Insight: Baxter & Zaken most recently developed the single-camera comedy Panic Years for Pivot last year.

Medici: Masters of Florence
Network: RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana
Production Company(s): Lux Vide, Big Light Productions, Wild Bunch
Executive Producer(s): Frank Spotnitz, Matilde Bernabei, Luca Bernabei
Logline: The Medici family ascends from simple merchants to power brokers who spark an economic and cultural revolution, in the process creating a long list of powerful enemies.
Details: Based on the true story of the Medici family.
SSN Insight: Wild Bunch unveiled a new TV division. This is one of the two drama series set, the other is an Italian series called, Four Seasons in Havana. Both will see sales launch at the MipCom market. Wild Bunch has produced eight episodes of each series.

Ozark
Production Company(s): Media Rights Capital, Aggregate Films
Executive Producer(s): Jason Bateman, Bill Dubuque, Mark Williams
Writer(s): Bill Dubuque
Logline: Set at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, the story takes place in the dark and dangerous world of drug money laundering.
SSN Insight: Planned as a straight-to-series project. Bateman will star and direct in addition to executive producing.

Pre-Madonna
Network: NBC Entertainment
Studio: Universal Television
Production Company(s): 3 Arts Entertainment, Paper Kite Productions
Executive Producer(s): Nisha Ganatra, Tami Sagher, Amy Poehler, Brooke Posch, Dave Becky
Writer(s): Nisha Ganatra
Logline: Sarita Gupta enters a Chicago high school in 1983 and navigates the painful and hilarious path of finding out who she really is.
Details: Inspired by Nisha Ganatra’s adolescence.
SSN Insight: NBC has given an initial commitment of a put pilot as of September 23.

Robbers
Network: TNT
Studio: Sony Pictures Television
Production Company(s): Timberman/Beverly Productions
Executive Producer(s): Michael Dinner, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly
Writer(s): Christopher Cook, Michael Dinner
Logline: The show tells the story of a cop, two running buddies on a crime spree across Texas, and the girl who becomes the complication in a very unique love triangle.
Details: Based on the novel, “Robbers,” written by Christopher Cook and published by Carroll & Graf in November, 2000.
SSN Insight: Tim McGraw has left the project. TNT ordered the pilot.

Say Uncles
Network: NBC Entertainment
Studio: Universal Television
Production Company(s): Thruline Entertainment, Aggregate Films
Executive Producer(s): Jason Bateman, Jim Garavente, Willie Mercer
Writer(s): Elon Gold, Boyce Bugliari, Jamie McLaughlin
Logline: A man is caught in the middle of his interfering brothers and his impressionable children.
Details: Based on the real life of Elon Gold.
SSN Insight: Gold is not attached to star in the project.

Straight Outta Calabasas
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Executive Producer(s): Dave Jeser, Matt Silverstein
Writer(s): Dave Jeser, Matt Silverstein
Logline: Two profoundly white, liberal LA parents discover their 10 year-old-son is a basketball prodigy. They suddenly find themselves wrapped up in a community they can’t possibly understand, forming an unlikely friendship with a family they have nothing in common with.
SSN Insight: Fox has given an initial commitment of a put pilot.

The A-Team
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Production Company(s): Chris Morgan Productions
Executive Producer(s): Albert Kim, Chris Morgan, Tawnia McKiernan
Writer(s): Albert Kim
Logline: A diverse team of American Special Forces operatives has been framed for a crime they didn’t commit and set out to clear their names by uncovering the black-ops conspiracy that set them up. Along the way, they are driven to help those in need by using their singular military skills, high-tech expertise, and often conflicting individual approaches.
Details: Based on the TV series, “The A-Team,” which aired on NBC from 1983-1987.
SSN Insight: Unlike the original all-male team, the new team will include both male and female members.

The Death Of Eva Sofia Valdez
Network: ABC Entertainment Group
Studio: ABC Studios
Production Company(s): Fazekas & Butters
Executive Producer(s): Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters
Writer(s): Charise Castro Smith
Logline: A Cuban-American family on the rise navigates multiple business ventures in Miami, familial rivalries and dark secrets from the past that come back to haunt them.
SSN Insight: This marks the first project sold through Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters’ pod deal the duo inked at ABC Studios this year.

The West
Production Company(s): Stephen David Entertainment, Sundance Productions
Executive Producer(s): Stephen David, Robert Redford, Laura Michalchyshyn
Logline: Recreates the violent world of cowboys, Indians, outlaws and law men and chronicle the intimate, little-known stories of Western legends such as Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Will show how, in the aftermath of the Civil War, the opportunity of land transforms the United States into the “land of opportunity” and creates modern America.
Details: Project was previously in development at Discovery.
SSN Insight: DRG has acquired international rights to Robert Redford’s docu series, The West, and will be handling sales at Mipcom in October. The mini-series has eight episodes.

Wheeler Dealer
Network: ABC Entertainment Group
Studio: ABC Studios
Production Company(s): Thruline Entertainment
Executive Producer(s): Damon Jones, Annie Mumolo, Tim Lovestedt, J.B. Roberts, Willie Mercer
Writer(s): Damon Jones
Logline: A suburban housewife and mother inherits her deceased husband’s struggling car dealership in rural West Texas. In an attempt to make a fresh start, she moves her family out of their plush gated community to run the business, something she knows nothing about.
Details: Inspired by the real life of Damon Jones’ sister.

Amazon Pilot Orders

Edge
Network: Amazon
Studio: Amazon Studios
Production Company(s): Josephson Entertainment
Executive Producer(s): Barry Josephson, David Greenblatt, Shane Black, Fred Dekker
Logline: Set in 1868, Josiah ‘Edge’ Hedges is a Union officer turned cowboy, who prowls the post-Civil War American West doling out his own peculiar (and savage) brand of justice. His mission is personal- to avenge his brother’s murder- and his vengeance hath no fury.
Details: Based on the “Edge” book series written by George Gilman.
SSN Insight: Ordered to pilot. The pilot will screen on Amazon Instant Video, and user feedback will determine if it goes forward as a series.

Good Girls Revolt
Network: Amazon
Studio: Sony Pictures Television, Amazon Studios
Production Company(s): Lynda Obst Productions, TriStar Television
Executive Producer(s): Lynda Obst, Jeff Okin, Dana Calvo, Darlene Hunt, Don Kurt
Writer(s): Dana Calvo
Logline: A group of young female researchers at “News of the Week” simply ask to be treated fairly. Their revolutionary request will spark convulsive changes and upend marriages, careers, sex lives, love lives, and friendships.
Details: Based on the sexual discrimination cases chronicled in “The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued their Bosses and Changed the Workplace,” written by Lynn Povich and published by PublicAffairs on September 10, 2012.
SSN Insight: Ordered to pilot. Lynda Obst also has a pilot she’s producing with Ridley Scott, The Hot Zone over at Fox along wih a slated Disney movie, Further Adventures in Babysitting.

Highston
Network: Amazon
Studio: Amazon Studios
Executive Producer(s): Bob Nelson, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, Todd Hoffman
Writer(s): Bob Nelson
Logline: Highston Liggetts is a 19-year-old with a wide circle of celebrity friends that only he can see. His parents, Jean and Wilbur, force him to get psychiatric help, but his Uncle Billy thinks he’s just fine.
SSN Insight: Ordered to pilot. Sacha Baron Cohen’s upcoming films include Alice Through the Looking Glass and Grimsby for Sony.

One Mississippi
Network: Amazon
Studio: FX Productions, Amazon Studios
Production Company(s): Pig Newton, Inc.
Executive Producer(s): Tig Notaro, Diablo Cody, Louis C.K., Dave Becky, Blair Breard
Writer(s): Tig Notaro, Diablo Cody
Logline: Tig Notaro deals with the complex reentry into her childhood hometown of Bay Saint Lucille, Mississippi, to deal with the unexpected death of her mother, the interminable life of the party, Caroline. Reeling from her own recently declining health, Tig struggles to find her footing with the loss of the one person who actually understood her, with help from her older but not always wiser brother, Remy, and her emotionally distant stepfather, Bill. A surprise visit from Tig’s girlfriend, Brooke, only compounds the reality of how out of place Tig is in a world without her mother.
Details: Loosely inspired by Tig Notaro’s life.
SSN Insight: Ordered to pilot. Project was previously in development at FX. Louis CK was previously attached to direct.

The Patriot
Network: Amazon
Studio: Amazon Studios
Executive Producer(s): Steve Conrad, Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, Charlie Gogolak, Gil Bellows
Writer(s): Steve Conrad
Logline: The story follows the complicated life of intelligence officer John Tavner. His latest assignment is to prevent Iran from going nuclear, requiring him to forgo all safety nets and assume a perilous “non-official cover” — that of a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping firm. A bout with PTSD, the Federal government’s incompetence, and the intricacies of keeping a day job in the “front” industrial piping company, cause a barrage of ever-escalating fiascos that jeopardize Tavner’s mission.
SSN Insight: Ordered to pilot. In addition, Steve Conrad is also writing the features Wonder for Lionsgate and an Untitled John Belushi Project that he will also direct.

Z
Network: Amazon
Studio: Amazon Studios
Production Company(s): Killer Films
Executive Producer(s): Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin, Christina Ricci, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
Writer(s): Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin
Logline: A series based on the novel, “Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald”.
Details: Based on the novel, “Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald” by Therese Anne Fowler (2013).
SSN Insight: Ordered to pilot. Dawn Prestwich is also penning the feature Garlic and Sapphires in active development over at Fox 2000.

BBC One Series Orders

Rush Of Blood
Network: BBC 1
Production Company(s): On The Corner, Murderous Productions Limited
Executive Producer(s): No Executive Producer Available.
Writer(s): Matt Charman
Logline: Three couples return from a holiday in Florida and realize one of them must have been responsible for a murder. Based on the novel.
Details: Based on the novel, “Rush Of Blood,” written by Mark Billingham and published by Little, Brown in 2012.
SSN Insight: BBC ordered the series with an order of three episodes.

Troy- Fall Of A City
Network: BBC 1
Production Company(s): Kudos Film & Television
Executive Producer(s): David Farr, Derek Wax, Matthew Read
Writer(s): David Farr
Logline: The story is set against the backdrop of the war between Greece and Troy and focuses on the collapse of one family. When the baby Paris is born, the omens foretell that he will bring about the downfall of the city. Queen Hecuba and King Priam are forced to choose whether to abandon their newborn son to the wolves or save him, but risk the safety of their kingdom. Their choice will decide not only the fate of their child, but the very existence of Troy.
Details: Based on the classic tale of the Trojan War and the events that preceded it , from Greek Mythology.
SSN Insight: BBC has given a series order.

To Sir, With Love
Network: BBC 1
Production Company(s): Rainmark Films
Writer(s): Hanif Kureishi
Logline: Set in London’s East End in the aftermath of World War II, the story centers on Guyanese engineer Ricky Braithwaite who returns from the RAF to find a cold welcome in a Britain which has turned its back on the black men and women who had fought alongside them in the war. He takes a job as a teacher, finding a class of unruly white working-class kids who test him to his limits but whose lives are transformed under his guidance.
Details: Based on the novel, “To Sir, With Love,” written by E.R. Braithwaite and published by Prentice-Hall in 1959.
SSN Insight: BBC has given a series order.

The Last Post
Network: BBC 1
Production Company(s): Bonafide Films, The Forge
Writer(s): No Writer Available.
Logline: The story of a British Army unit fighting a terrorist insurgency in the Middle East and the women and children who were there with them.
Details: Based on the childhood memories of Peter Moffat.
SSN Insight: BBC has given a series order of eight episodes.

The Cormoran Strike Mysteries
Network: BBC 1
Production Company(s): Bronte Film and Television
Executive Producer(s): J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts, Lucy Richer
Writer(s): Sarah Phelps, Ben Richards
Logline: War veteran turned private detective, Strike investigates shocking crimes together with his female assistant Robin, whose forensic mind and fierce determination he cannot ignore. The murders take them from the hushed streets of Mayfair to the literary haunts of Fitzrovia, exposing the seedy reality lurking beneath seemingly innocent societies. With each crime, they discover a little more about each other and both learn that appearances can be deceptive.
Details: Based on the novels, “The Cuckoo’s Calling” (2013), “The Silkworm” (2014), and “Career of Evil” (2015), written by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) and published by Mulholland.
SSN Insight: BBC has given a series order.

Welcome to the future! October 21, 2015 is the date Marty McFly traveled to the future and it’s right around the corner. While we may not have flying cars or Jaw 19 in 3D, we do have a countless number of sequels in 3D and hoverboards (of a sort). If you’d like to see more of what the future holds, however, look no further than Ridley Scott’s upcoming film, The Martian, about a near-future Astronaut getting stranded on Mars. If you’d like to dig even deeper, though, check out the once annual Jet Propulsion Laboratory Open House going on October 10 with a life-size model of Mars Science Laboratory and the Microdevices Lab, where engineers and scientists use tiny technology to revolutionize space exploration. For the here and now, there’s MipCom, the anticipated global market for entertainment content across all platforms as well as the gigantic New York Comic-Con.

So, take a look below for your guide to the happenings this month and let us know in the comments below if there’s events we should also check out.

October Events Calendar

Thursday, October 1
Happy Birthday Julie Andrews, Zach Galifianakis, Jimmy Carter
TV- Benders (NEW) on IFC, Gigi Does It (NEW) on IFC, Bones on Fox, Sleepy Hollow on Fox, The Blacklist on NBC, Beat Bobby Flay on Food
Boo at the Zoo, at the LA Zoo, Through October 31
Knott’s Halloween Haunt, Through October 31
Halloween Horror Knights at Universal Studios Hollywood, Through November 1

Friday, October 2
Happy Birthday Sting, Kelly Ripa, Camilla Belle, Cian Morrin
FILM- Freeheld, Shanghai, Northern Soul, Hell and Back, The Martian, Partisan, He Named Me Malala, Addicted to Fresno, Brand: A Second Coming, Jafar Panahi’s Taxi, Deathgasm, Manhattan Romance, A Christmas Horror Story, Talvar, Gravy, This Changes Everything, Shout Gladi Gladi, This Is Happening
TV- Dr. Ken (NEW) on ABC, The Jacksons: Next Generation (NEW) on Lifetime, Love at First Swipe (NEW) on TLC, The Kennedys (NEW) on BBC, Sex in Public (NEW) on TLC, Mysteries at the Museum on Travel
LA InnovationWeek(s) Through October 22
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park, Through October 31

Saturday, October 3
Happy Birthday Gwen Stefani, Tommy Lee, Ashlee Simpson, Aramis Knight, Neve Campbell, Seann William Scott, Lena Headey
TV- SNL on NBC, The Graham Norton Show on BBC America
Vegan Oktoberfest at LA Center Studios, Through October 4
Brewery ArtWalk in LA, Through October 4

Sunday, October 4
Happy Birthday Lil Mama, Russell Simmons, Dakota Johnson, Alicia Silverstone, Susan Sarandon
TV- 50/50 (NEW) on Travel, The Widower (NEW) on PBS, The Good Wife on CBS, Homeland on Showtime, The Leftovers on HBO, The Affair on Showtime, Naked & Afraid on Discovery, Madam Secretary on CBS, CSI: Cyber on CBS
Atlanta Film Festival Film Submission Deadline

Monday, October 5
Happy Birthday Kate Winslet, Aaron Carpenter, Jessie Eisenberg
TV- Halloween Baking Championship (NEW) on Food
MIPCOM in Cannes, Through October 8
FlickerFest International Short Film Festival Film Submission Deadline

Tuesday, October 6
Happy Birthday Amy Jo Johnson, Elisabeth Shue, Ioan Gruffudd
TV- Pretty. Strong (NEW) on Oxygen, Together (NEW) on BBC, Storage Wars: Miami (NEW) on A&E, The Flash on CW, iZombie on CW

Wednesday, October 7
Happy Birthday Simon Cowell, Toni Braxton, Yo-Yo Ma, Shawn Ashmore
FILM- The Forbidden Room
TV- Casual (NEW) on Hulu, They Took Our Child: We Got Her Back (NEW) on Lifetime Movie Network, Supernatural on CW, American Horror Story on FX, Arrow on CW, Expedition Unknown on Travel

Thursday, October 8
Happy Birthday Bella Thorne, Bruno Mars, Nick Cannon, Matt Damon
TV- SuperMansion (NEW) on Crackle, The Vampire Diaries on CW, The Originals on CW, Billy on the Street on truTV
New York Comic-Con Through October 11

Friday, October 9
Happy Birthday David Cameron, Sharon Osbourne, Brandon Routh, Tony Shalhoub
FILM- Big Stone Gap, Trash, Steve Jobs, Pan, Knock Knock, Breaking Through, Dukhtar, Victoria, Yakuza Apocalypse, Ladrones, Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom
TV- Red Oaks (NEW) on Amazon, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show (NEW) on Netflix, BBQ Blitz (NEW) on Food, True Monsters (NEW) on History, Undateable on NBC, Reign on CW
Southern Festival of Books in Nashville Through October 11
DTLA Paddle Battle at Spin Standard in LA

Saturday, October 10
Happy Birthday Brett Favre, Mario Lopez, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mya
TV- The Last Kingdom (NEW) on BBC America
Strutt Your Mutt Charity Dog Walk in Exposition Park, LA
Festival Supreme at the Shrine in LA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Open House, Through October 11

Sunday, October 11
Happy Birthday Matt Bomer, Emily Deschanel, Bradley James, Michelle Trachtenberg
TV- The Real Housewives of New Jersey Teresa Checks In (NEW) on Bravo, The Walking Dead on AMC, America’s Funniest Home Videos on ABC, Talking Dead on AMC
ShowEast in Hollywood, FL Through October 15
Foyle Film Festival Film Submission Deadline

Monday, October 12
Happy Birthday Hugh Jackman, Josh Hutcherson, James Graham, Kirk Cameron
TV- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (NEW) on CW, Fargo on FX, Jane the Virgin on CW

Tuesday, October 13
Happy Birthday Ashanti, Noah Crawford, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kate Walsh, Marie Osmond
TV- River (NEW) on BBC, Chicago Fire on NBC, Manhattan on WGN America
AWARDS – BET Hip Hop Awards

Wednesday, October 14
Happy Birthday Usher, Roger Moore, Max Thieriot, Ralph Lauren, Mia Wasikowska, Stacy Keibler
FILM- A Ballerina’s Tale
TV- Kingdom on DirecTV
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Late Deadline

Thursday, October 15
Happy Birthday Vincent Martella, Mimi Kirkland, Paul Logan, Sarah Ferguson, Emeril Lagasse, Canessa Marcil
TV- My Single Life (NEW) on E4, Nathan for You on Comedy Central
New York International Children’s Film Festival Film Submission Deadline

Friday, October 16
Happy Birthday Bryce Harper, Angela Lansbury, John Mayer, Suzanne Somers
FILM- Goosebumps, The Assassin, Crimson Peak, Beasts of No Nation, Cut Snake, Room, Bridge of Spies, The Diabolical, Experimenter, Truth, Woodlawn, Dancin’ It’s On
TV- Truth Be Told (NEW) on NBC, Gold Rush on Discover, The Knick on Cinemax, Satisfaction on USA, Please Like Me on Pivot
Silicon Beach Fest in Downtown LA
Dallas Comic-Con Through October 18

Saturday, October 17
Happy Birthday Eminem, Alan Jackson, Jacob Artist, Wyclef Jean
Texas Book Fair in Austin, Through October 18
Fall Festival at The Original Farmer’s Market in LA, Through October 18

Sunday, October 18
Happy Birthday Jean-Claude Van Damme, Zac Efron, Tyler Posey, Ne-Yo, Mike Ditka
TV- Comic Book Men on AMC
New Economy Film Festival
CicLAvia in LA
Florida Film Festival Film Submission Deadline

Monday, October 19
Happy Birthday Trey Parker, Michael Gambon, Floyd Mayweather, Ty Pennington, Evander Holyfield
TV- Honey I Bought The House (NEW) on UKTV, Hunting Hitler (NEW) on History

Tuesday, October 20
Happy Birthday Snoop Dogg, John Krasinski, Viggo Mortensen, Tom Petty
TV- Sweat, Inc. (NEW) on Spike TV

Wednesday, October 21
Happy Birthday Kim Kardashian, Amber Rose, Carrie Fisher, Andrew Scott, Judge Judy Sheindlin
FILM- Back in Time, Heart of a Dog
TV- RocketJump: The Series (NEW) on Hulu
We’re Going Back Events, Through October 25 Celebrating the Date Marty McFly went Back to the Future

Thursday, October 22
Happy Birthday Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Christopher Lloyd, Shaggy, Jeff Goldblum
FILM- Shaandaar
TV- Chopped: Impossible (NEW) on Food, Great Wild North (NEW) on History, Restaurant: Impossible on Food

Friday, October 23
Happy Birthday Ang Lee, Ryan Reynolds, Amandla Stenberg, Taylor Baxter
FILM- The Last Witch Hunter, Burnt, Suffragette, Asthma, Rock the Kasbah, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, I Smile Back, Jem and the Holograms, Tokyo Tribe, India’s Daughter, Extraordinary Tales
TV- Pacific Warriors (NEW) on Discovery, Hemlock Grove on Netflix
Día de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in LA

Saturday, October 24
Happy Birthday PewDiePie, Drake, BD Wong, Kevin Kline
TV- Legends: OWN at the Apollo (NEW) on OWN, Da Vinci’s Demons on Starz
AWARDS- World Soundtrack Awards
Wisconsin Book Festival in Madison, Through October 24
KCRW Masquerade Ball

Sunday, October 25
Happy Birthday Katy Perry, Ciara, Keean Johnson, Craig Robinson, Adam Goldberg, Josh Henderson
TV- Oprah Presents: Master Class on OWN, Star Talk on NatGeo
AWARDS- MTV Europe Music Awards
Canadian Screen Awards Film Submission Deadline

Monday, October 26
Happy Birthday Hilary Clinton, Keith Urban, Seth MacFarlane, Emilia Clarke, Pat Sajak, Jon Heder
TV- Supergirl (NEW) on CBS, Follow the Rules (NEW) on MTV, Black Ink Crew: Chicago (NEW) on VH1, Cursed: The Bell Witch (NEW) on A&E

Tuesday, October 27
Happy Birthday Kelly Osbourne, T-Wayne, John Cleese
TV- Wicked City (NEW) on ABC, Chopped Junior (NEW) on Food
Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, Through November 1
DOK Leipzig in Germany, Through November 2

Wednesday, October 28
Happy Birthday Bill Gates, Caitlyn Jenner, Matt Smith, Julia Roberts, Sierra McCormick, Brad Paisley

Thursday, October 29
Happy Birthday Gabrielle Union, Derek Theler, Winona Ryder, Ben Foster

Friday, October 30
Happy Birthday Nia Long, Henry Winkler, Matthew Morrison, Jake Brennan, Gavin Rossdale, Ivanka Trump
FILM- Our Brand is Crisis, Scouts’ Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse, Sex, Death and Bowling
TV- Grimm on NBC
Austin Comic-Con Through October 31
UNICEF Black & White Masquerade Ball at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Saturday, October 31
Happy Halloween
Happy Birthday Willow Smith, Vanilla Ice, Rob Schneider, Piper Perabo, Michael Collins
TV- Ash Vs. Evil Dead (NEW) on Starz, The Returned on Sundance Channel
Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge
West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnaval
SXSW Film Festival Film Submission Deadline
Cleveland International Film Festival Film Submission Deadline
Bermuda International Film Festival Film Submission Deadline

–Note all events are subject to change. If you would like to add events to our monthly calendar, please email marketing@ssninsider.com with the details.–

SSN ORIGINALS

TV Development for 9/29/15: Amazon Greenlights 6 Pilots, Jason Bateman to Star/Produce/Direct Ozark, BBC One Orders 5 Series

In addition Nicki Minaj gets a series order at ABC Family, ABC green lights a medical drama project from Shondaland’s Zoanne Clack. Plus Talpa going for another hit after The Voice, with their series Dance, Dance, Dance. (SSN)

SSN Events Calendar: New York Comic-Con, MIPCOM, The Martian, Halloween & More All in October

No need to fuel your DeLorean as just in a couple of weeks, we’ll catch Marty McFly as he arrives in Hill Valley on October 21, 2015. In addition there’s the now gigantic New York Comic-Con, MIPCOM, and more than a few ghostly Halloween events headed for October. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

Ryan Kavanaugh’s Motto? ‘Never Give Up, Never Surrender’ as He Assembles Relativity Bid

In more Relativity bankruptcy news, Kavanaugh is going to make a last ditch effort to assemble a bid to buy Relativity. But he’ll need to contend with Stalking Horse Bidders who have made a $250 million offer. (DL)

It’s Back to Queens for Nicki Minaj as ABC Family Picks Up Series

Nicki Minaj is going behind the cameras to executive produce a half-hour single camera comedy based on her family’s immirgration from Trinidad in the early ’90s. ABC Family has ordered the series, to shoot in Minaj’s hometown of Queens, New York starting this winter. (THR)

Boyhood‘s Ellar Coltrane Mans Up for James Ponsoldt’s The Circle

After breaking out with the film, Boyhood, Ellar Coltrane will join Tom Hanks and Emma Watson in James Ponsoldt’s The Circle. The film is being produced by Hanks and Gary Goetzman for Playtone, Anthony Bregman for Likely Story and Ponsoldt. IM Global is handling international sales with U.S. rights by UTA Independent Film Group and CAA. (VAR)

Warner Bros. Adding Hammerspace To Their Tool Shed As Potential Franchise Property

Warner Bros. has picked up the spec Hammerspace from writer Mike Van Waes in a mid-six figure deal and are eyeing it for a franchise. It centers on a terminally-ill teen who finds a portal to an alternate animated dimension, releasing an unexpected new friend who helps him repair his broken family. (DL)

More Power to Him- 50 Cent Inks Overall Deal with Starz

Upon the success of Starz’s drama Power, with season two averaging more than 6.8 million viewers per episode, the series’ executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has inked an exclusive two-year overall deal to develop new projects while continuing as an exec produce on Power. (VAR)

Nielsen Will Finally Measure Total Audience Across Linear and Digital Platforms

It’s happening- Nielsen will soon be providing metrics for the total audience across all linear and digital platforms. Steve Hasker, Nielsen’s global president, said the new data will give advertisers, buyers and networks “the ammunition to move beyond C3 and C7″ when it comes to advertising metrics. (ADW)

Matthew Vaughn Goes from Directing the Secret Service to Pilgrims

MGM announced the British director has signed on to the adaptation of Terry Hayes’ espionage bestseller, I Am Pilgrim. The book follows the retired head of a covert group who is called back to action to save America from oblivion. The Kingsman director will also produce and co-finance the flick through his banner, Marv Films. (SD)

Screenwriters- Want to Write a Great Speech? You Can Learn from the Film Taken

Taken is the rare case of a movie franchise that has grown out of a single speech. The reasons the Taken speech works and is so memorable is also why people remember other great speeches: These rhetorical structures are built into the substructures of our consciousness. (ESQ)

The 15-Step Guide to Acing Any Job Interview

So you’ve made it past the resume robots and HR to land an in-person interview. This is your chance to wow the hiring manager and stand out from the competition. Nailing a job interview is all about preparation, but where do you start? Time and Business Insider collaborated on this article that answers that question. (TIME)

Look Out, Cannes! Russia Is Planning a Nice-Based Film Festival to Challenge It

Russia’s National Film Foundation Gosfilmofond has announced that its Alternativa international film festival that will take place in Nice concurrently with the Cannes Film Festival, starting next year. The new fest’s mission will be to screen films rejected by other prominent international film festivals like Cannes, Berlin and Venice, with emphasis on films by directors from the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and surrounding regions. (SAA)

Amazon Nabs New ‘Jack Ryan’ Series From Michael Bay and Carlton Cuse

In a competitive situation, Paramount Television’s hot TV series project based on Tom Clancy’s popular CIA hero has landed at Amazon, with the streaming service giving a series order to the drama. Show is not a direct adaptation of the books, as were the first Jack Ryan movies, but a new contemporary take on the character in his prime as a CIA analyst/operative using the novels as source material. (DH)

The Final Nail In ‘Pacific Rim 2’s Coffin? Universal Removes Sequel From Its Calendar

Studio released a statement confirming the followup to Guillermo del Toro’s film will be redated at a later time. Film was originally scheduled for release on August 4th, 2017, but the decision was made to delay the production and release of the sequel so that “the creative team can continue in its efforts to exceed the amazing experience of the first film.” (CBR)

Everything Must End, Even ‘Girls’, Which Lena Dunham Says Will Finish Up After Season Six

In a radio interview yesterday morning, she said that she and show runner Jenni Konner have had discussions with HBO about wrapping up the show after two more seasons. The fifth season has been shot and will premiere in January, which means that the end will almost certainly come in 2017. (HP)

Reese Witherspoon Joins With New Line and The Gotham Group For ‘In a Dark, Dark Wood’ Adaptation

Ruth Ware’s mystery novel is the second book-to-film collaboration between Pacific Standard and New Line, which teamed up on Garth Callaghan’s “Napkin Notes” earlier this year. The book was on the New York Times, USA Today and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists when it debuted in August. Story centers on a reclusive writer who receives an invitation to a bachelorette party of her best friend from high school, who she hasn’t seen in 10 years. (VAR)

That Long-Awaited ‘Enchanted’ Sequel Starts Picking Up Speed At Disney, Even Has a Working Title

Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) remains attached to direct, and the studio is now in the process of punching up the script with the hopes that it will be in greenlight-ready shape very soon. Additionally, it seems the current working title is Disenchanted. No word yet on which stars of the 2007 film — Amy Adams, James Marsden, Patrick Dempsey and Susan Sarandon will return. (COL)

Neal Mortiz’s Original Films Banner Returns To Sony TV, and Names a New Topper At the Same Time

The producer behind AMC’s upcoming comic adaptation Preacher has signed a two-year overall deal with the studio. Under the pact, Moritz and his Original Film banner will create comedy and drama projects for broadcast and cable and tapped a new head of television. Pavun Shetty has been tapped to oversee Original Film’s TV division. He comes from Chernin Entertainment and, before that, Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video. (LF)

Nat Wolff Weens Himself Off John Green, Signs Up For the Horror Movie ‘Death Note’

Actor best known for Green adaptations The Fault In Our Stars and Paper Towns has joined the cast of director Adam Wingard’s adaptation of the Japanese manga. Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s work focuses on a high school student who comes across a handy notebook which allows its owner to kill anyone he pleases by writing their name in the book and picturing their face. He decides to use his newfound power to rid the world of evil. (EMP)

Eighteen Years Later, There’s a ‘Soul Food’ Sequel In Development At Fox 2000

Called More Soul Food, project is based on the 1997 ensemble film. George Tillman Jr., who wrote and directed the original, is writing with Nathan Skulnik. The original, starring Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach and Mekhi Phifer, followed a close-knit African American family with a tradition of eating a big Sunday dinner together. But their bond begins to fall apart after the death of their matriarch. It spawned a long-running Showtime drama. (THR)

Screenwriters: ‘Munich’

The undated, unspecified 163-page screenplay by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, based on the book Vengeance, by George Jonas. (DS)

Gersh: Actor Eric McCormack, best known for Will & Grace, has switched from ICM Partners to Gersh. Last pilot season he had a lead role in Fox’s dramedy, Studio City, which ultimately was not ordered. He will next be seen opposite Parker Posey in the independent film The Architect, which is slated for a 2016 release. McCormack is also repped by manager Leanne Coronel.

WME: Actor/writer/producer Matt Lucas has signed with WME. In the UK, he’s known for co-creating and co-starring in the comedy series Little Britain and Come Fly With Me. His other credits include Bridesmaids, Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland and its latest sequel. On the TV side, he recently was cast in the comedy series Fresh Off The Boat and Galavant in the UK. His next feature is, How To Talk To Girls At Parties, starring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning. Lucas continues to be repped by Melanie Rockcliffe at Troika Talent.

WME: Canadian writer-director Jamie Dagg was just snagged by WME in a competitive situation. His debut film, River, premiered in TIFF’s Discovery section, with XYZ Films handling the U.S. rights. The thriller stars Rossif Sutherland and follows an American volunteer doctor in Laos on a leave of absence. But, after he intervenes in the sexual assault of a young Laotian woman, accidentally killing her assailant, he is forced to go on the run. Elevation Pictures acquired Canadian rights prior to the TIFF premiere.

ICM: Actor Ed Westwick, best known for his role on Gossip Girl, has shifted from WME to ICM Partners. He can next be seen alongside Erika Christensen in the new ABC drama series Wicked City, which premieres October 27. On the feature side, he can next be seen in Sony’s The Kitchen Sink and Bone in the Throat alongside Tom Wilkinson.

WME: Filmmaker Shane Carruth has signed with WME. He is known for directing the Sundance favorite films Primer and Upstream Color which he not only wrote, directed, produced, directed, co-starred, but also composed the music and organize theatrical distribution through his company erpbFilm. WME will package his next film, the big-budgeted action adventure, The Modern Ocean, which he will direct and produce.

ESA/Paul Alan Smith: Director Oded Ruskin is now a client of ESA and Paul Alan Smith. He recently directed an Israeli series, False Flag, which world premiered at the Berlinale’s inaugural Special Series section and won the Grand Prize at Series Mania, with sales launching at MIPCOM ahead of its Kesht Broadcast premiere later this year. He will continue to be repped by Kneller Artists in Israel as well.

Audience measurement firm ComScore is acquiring rival Rentrak through a stock swap. Rentrak, previous to the announcement, had a market value of $702 million. As part of the acquisition, ComScore’s CEO Serge Matta will head the combined company with Magid Abraham will be Executive Chairman and Rentrak chief Bill Livek named President. The merger means major competition for Neilsen in the race to figure out how to measure media content and ad campaigns across TV and digital devices.

Korean movie studio Showbox Corp, Blumhouse Productions and Ivanhoe Pictures have joined forces to co-develop and produce six Korean-language genre films. Ivanhoe will fully finance the films with Showbox overseeing production, marketing and distribution in Korea. Showbox was behind the 10 highest-grossing films in Korea while Blumhouse’s microbudget pictures have grossed more than $1.4 billion worldwide. Production/financing company Ivanhoe recently co-produced and co-financed a slate of Asian films with Fox International Productions. This deal deepens Blumhouse and Ivanhoe’s relationship, as the two companies partnered with Phantom Films to produce local-language genre films in India.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his G Unit Film and Television banner have signed a two-year exclusive overall deal with Starz to develop new projects. He will continue to executive produce Power for Starz, with production beginning on season three this month. The series ranks as Starz’s most watched original series ever with an average of 6.8 million. Jackson is repped by APA and attorneys Stephen Savva and Eric Feig.

Conrad Green has signed an one-year overall deal with Fox to develop original formats and executive produce unscripted series. He previously was the executive producer/showrunner on Dancing with the Stars for 18 seasons, for which he earned nine Emmy nominations, before leaving last year when he signed to executive produce and run Utopia for Fox. Previously, he was an executive at BBC in London.

Endemol Beyond USA, the digital content arm of production company Endemol Shine North America, partnered with Just Entertainment Studios and the style media company Nylon for an exclusive multi-platform partnership. Under the first-look development deal, Endemol and Just Entertainment will develop series and video projects using Nylon’s content. The deal also includes a long-form series about Nylon, as well as cross-promotion for Endemol Beyond USA and Nylon programming using social media.

Steve Harvey and his production banned East 112^th Street Prods. have signed an overall production deal with Endemol Shine North America to develop unscripted, scripted and digital programming. Endemol is the studio behind his nationally syndicated eponymous daytime talk show, now in its fourth season. He also executive produces and hosts FremantleMedia’s long-running syndicated game show Family Feud and ABC’s Celebrity Family Feud, along with hosting the nationally syndicated morning radio show, Steve Harvey Morning Show, with 7 million listeners. Recently, Harvey teamed up with Ellen DeGeneres to executive produce and host the comedy/variety show Little Big Shots airing on NBC primetime in 2016.

Keshet International, the global distribution and production arm of Keshet Media Group, and Telefe, the leading content production, distribution and audiovisual services company out of Argentina, have closed a co-development deal to create new entertainment formats with international appeal. They will aim to develop two pilots a year for initial broadcast in the creators’ territories, with some projects already underway. KI will retain distribution rights for the resulting properties worldwide. Along with the local adaptation of KI’s interactive talent format Rising Star they are producing the game show Boom! to launch in October 2015.

French film giant StudioCanal has acquired 30% of French distributor Mars Films. StudioCanal’s partent, Canal Plus currently accounts for an estimated 15% of France’s annual film production spend around $250 million. As part of the deal, Mars’ Stephane Celerier will become a StudioCanal VP as a result of the deal, and will oversee a development committee made up of industry professionals with StudioCanal appointing Canal Plus’ film division president Didier Lupfer as president at the film unit with Olivier Courson departing. Courson previously executive produced Non-Stop, The Imitation Game, Shaun The Sheep and Paddington.

SSN ORIGINALS

Rep Moves for 9/30/15: Ed Westwick Shifts to ICM, Eric McCormack Moves to Gersh, Actor/Writer Matt Lucas Signs with WME

Other rep moves include two more big signs by WME, filmmaker Shane Carruth (Primer, Upstream Color) and Canadian writer-director Jamie Dagg in a competitive situation. (SSN)

Film & TV Deals for 9/30/15: ComScore Acquires Rentrak, Blumhouse Partners with Ivanhoe and Korean Showbox Corp, 50 Cent Signs Deal with Starz

Other film & TV deals include, Steve Harvey’s production company East 112nd Street Productions signing an overall with Endemol Shine North America and French film giant StudioCanal acquiring 30% of French distributor Mars Films. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

MTV President Stephen Friedman Exits Network

Stephen Friedman is departing his post as president of MTV after seven years.  Wrap has the letter to the staff from Doug Herzog. (WRAP)

Michael Moore’s ‘Where To Invade Next’ Acquired By Radius Pair & Drafthouse Founder’s New Label

Former Radius-TWC founders and co-presidents Tom Quinn and Jason Janego are teaming with Alamo Drafthouse founder and CEO Tim League to form a new distribution label and picked up their first release: Michael Moore’s latest documentary Where To Invade Next. (DH)

‘Concussion’ Nabs Prime Premiere Slot At AFI Fest

Concussion will premiere on Nov. 10 as AFI Fest’s Centerpiece Gala, the American Film Institute announced today. (EW)

CBS Greenlights Real-Life Manhunt Competition Series ‘Hunted’

CBS has given the greenlight to the real-life manhunt in new reality competition series.  Hunted, hailing from Endemol Shine North America, is based on the format of the UK show of the same name, which was created by Shine TV. (VAR)

‘Black Ice’ Remake Set At MGM With Dylan Sellers Producing

MGM just acquired remake rights to the Finnish drama Black Ice for producer Dylan Sellers and his Rivers Edge Films. (DH)

Phil Lord, Chris Miller To Adapt ‘Serial’ Podcast For TV

Writer-director-producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, along with Homeland‘s home, Fox 21 Television Studios, have optioned the rights to the podcast. (THR)

2015 Austin Film Festival Announces Full Lineup, Including ‘Legend,’ ‘Carol’ And More

The 2015 Austin Film Festival has announced its full lineup, which includes award contenders like Legend and Carol. (IW)

Four Disputed Films Yanked From Relativity Media Auction

Among the assets that will not be on the table in today’s auction will be four films whose ownership has been hotly contested since the studio allegedly squandered money it was loaned to release the pics. The auction of the company will not include The Disappointments Room, Masterminds, Kidnap and Before I Wake. The sale of those films “will be adjourned to a date yet to be determined,” says a motion from the company’s lawyers. (VAR)

J.C. Chandor Is Now Officially Replacing Kathryn Bigelow as Director Of ‘Triple Frontier’

The Paramount Pictures drama was to be spearheaded by Zero Dark Thirty helmer Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal. Now Chandor’s deal is done, and the project can move forward with Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Alex Gartner producing. The film, also known as Sleeping Dogs, is set in the organized crime haven that exists in the border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. It has five main roles. (DH)

It’s Been a While Since We’ve Seen Russell Crowe On the Big Screen, but He’s About To Fix That

Oscar-winner is attached to the true tale of shipwreck, slavery and smart thinking called In Sand And Blood. Ronan Bennett has written the script, which follows the story of the ill-fated crew of an American ship in 1815. Wrecked on the coast of the Western Sahara, the starving, dehydrated men were captured, beaten and slaved by locals. Captain James Riley (Crowe) hatches a plan that might lead to freedom, but also leads to a fateful trek across harsh terrain. (EMP)

If You Were Looking Forward To Seeing the Long-Awaited ‘Ring’ Sequel Next Month, Your Wait Just Increased

Paramount has delayed the release of the long-developed sequel Rings. The third film in the supernatural horror franchise was originally slated to arrive in theaters on November 13th, and will now debut sometime in in the first quarter of 2016. Studio moved Adam McKay‘s housing bubble drama The Big Short into this calendar year, along with Charlie Kaufman‘s festival-acclaimed stop-motion drama Anomalisa, which will bow at the end of December. (COL)

Look Out, Golden Globes! Critics’ Choice Awards To Now Combine Film and TV Into a Single Show

A&E Networks home of The Critics’ Choice Television Awards and The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for the past year, will combine the two shows into one star-studded three-hour event. Together, the network and its continued partnership with the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) and the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) will showcase the achievements of some of the biggest names in television and film. (CS)

NBC Changes Its Mind, Won’t Be Doing a 1970s Mini-Series With Adam Levine

Network has scrapped plans for The 1970s, a miniseries produced by Adam Levine and his 222 Productions banner and Sony Pictures Television. The 1970s was poised to explore the decade through the eyes of the music executives and artists who helped create some of the most influential music of the era. Hayden Christensen and Kelsey Grammer were engaged to play the leads, but NBC toyed with the numbers and decided to pull the plug completely. (LF)

On the Eve Of ‘The Martian’s Release, a Handful Of Mars Films That Would Have Killed Mark Watney

If Matt Damon’s character does indeed make it out of the movie alive, he might very well be the first. Mars in movies has never been kind to those who traveled there. Between sentient dust storms, a lack of oxygen, and countless versions of hostile aliens, Hollywood has spent the last quarter-century killing countless explorers who set foot on the red planet. (FSR)

With Its Final Episode Now Having Aired, a Look At the Long, Slow Decline Of ‘CSI’

One of America’s most beloved TV shows in recent years, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ended its 15-year run on Sunday night with a feature-length special, ironically titled “Immortality.” CSI quickly became America’s most-watched show when it debuted in 2000, but like so many former hits, it faded out after years of declining ratings and multiple attempts to reboot its cast. (TA)

Trailer Buzz: ‘The Jungle Book’

Walt Disney Pictures has released an international trailer for director Jon Favreau’s upcoming remake. Starring Neel Sethi and the voice talents of Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, and Christopher Walken, the movie hits theaters April 15th, 2016. (WM)

Screenwriters: Craft — Reveal Your Character In Just One Second

It’s a visual medium. Use it. And we’ve been conditioned for the last 20 years (thank you MTV and Raiders of the Lost Ark) to take in visual data very fast. So dream up something in your script that just takes one second to see but reveals tons of information about your character. (SM)

NEW ATTACHMENTS

Arrivals
Logline: A hypochondriac baggage handler at Cape Town airport winds up on the bucket list of a British teenager which results in him facing up to his deepest fears.
Production Company(s): BCDF Pictures, Kalahari Films & Media
Producer(s): Brice Dal Farra, Claude Dal Farra
Writer(s): Fergal Rock
Director(s): Peter Hutchings
Cast: Nina Dobrev, Asa Butterfield, Maisie Williams
SSN Insight: Dobrev has been cast as American flight attendant Izzy, who is the love interest of Butterfield’s character. The screenplay was a 2013 Academy Nicholl semifinalist.

CHiPs
Logline: California motorcycle cops take down a criminal organization.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Company(s): Panay Films, Primate Pictures
Producer(s): Andrew Panay, Dax Shepard
Writer(s): Dax Shepard, Paul A Kaplan, Mark Torgove
Director(s): Dax Shepard
Cast: Dax Shepard, Michael Pena, Vincent D’Onofrio, Kristen Bell, Rosa Salazar, Jessica McNamee
Details: Feature film version of television series “CHiPs” (1977-1983), which featured Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada.
SSN Insight: Wilmer Valderrama previously attached to star as Ponch. Previously in development with Tapestry Films.

Darling
Logline: A lonely girl is hired as caretaker for a mysterious Manhattan mansion with a twisted past. Living in the old house, she finds herself deeply affected by the troubled lore that surrounds the place.
Studio/Distributor(s): Screen Media Ventures
Production Company(s): Glass Eye Pix
Producer(s): Mickey Keating, Jenn Wexler, Sean Fowler
Writer(s): Mickey Keating
Director(s): Mickey Keating
Cast: Lauren Ashley Carter, Sean Young, Larry Fessenden, Brian Morvant
SSN Insight: Screen Media acquired worldwide rights after the film’s premiere at 2015 Fantastic Fest.

Death Note (Remake)
Logline: A high school student, after discovering a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing the victim’s name, attempts to cleanse the world of evil by using the book.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures,
Production Company(s): Vertigo Entertainment, Witten Pictures, Lin Pictures, VIZ Productions, Mobius Productions
Producer(s): Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Jason Hoffs, Masi Oka
Writer(s): Jeremy Slater, Anthony Bagarozzi, Charles Mondry, Shane Black, Charles Parlapanides
Director(s): Adam Wingard
Cast: Nat Wolff (in final talks)
Details: Based on the manga series “Death Note” created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata and published by Shueisha in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump from December 2003 to May 2006.
SSN Insight: Shane Black was previously attached to direct.

Fist Fight
Logline: Two teachers who work in a broken-down school system wind up in an epic fist fight.
Studio/Distributor(s): New Line Cinema
Production Company(s): 21 Laps Entertainment
Producer(s): Max Greenfield, Billy Rosenberg, Dan Cohen, Shawn Levy
Writer(s): Evan Susser, Van Robichaux, Max Greenfield
Director(s): Richie Keen
Cast: Ice Cube, Charlie Day, Tracy Morgan, Dennis Haysbert, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Kim Whitley
SSN Insight: Whitley has been cast as a 911 operator who gets a call so funny she calls her co-workers over to listen in.

Francofonia
Logline: By focusing on the relationship between art and power, we come to understand what art can teach us about our own selves even during one of the bloodiest conflicts the world has ever seen.
Studio/Distributor(s): Music Box Films
Production Company(s): ARTE, Ideale Audience, Le Musee du Louvre, Zero Film GmbH, N279 Entertainment
Producer(s): Els Vandevorst, Thomas Kufus, Pierre-Olivier Bardet
Writer(s): Alexander Sokurov
Director(s): Alexander Sokurov
Cast: Louis-Do De Lencquesaing, Vincent Nemeth, Benjamin Utzerath, Johanna Korthals Altes
SSN Insight: The film won the Best European Film in Competition, awarded by a group of European and Mediterranean critics, and had its North American premiere at TIFF.

Ghostbusters (Reboot)
Logline: With paranormal activity on the rise, a Columbia University academic, her ghost-chasing friend, the friend’s business partner, and an MTA employee join forces to bust ghosts and save New York.
Studio/Distributor(s): Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
Production Company(s): The Montecito Picture Company, Apatow Productions, Ocean Pictures, Quantity Entertainment, Feigco Entertainment, Pascal Pictures
Producer(s): Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, Gene Stupnitsky, Ali Bell, Lee Eisenberg
Writer(s): Katie Dippold, Paul Feig, Etan Cohen, Dan Aykroyd, Ivan Reitman
Director(s): Paul Feig
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
Details: Reboot of “Ghostbusters” (1984) and “Ghostbusters II” (1989) both directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver.
SSN Insight: Project will reportedly bring back the original team of Ghostbusters and introduce new, younger Ghostbusters front-and-center as well. Harold Ramis was previously attached to star.

I Am Pilgrim
Logline: A former head of a secret espionage unit for US intelligence who returns for an investigation gets involved in a race to save the US from extinction.
Studio/Distributor(s): Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM)
Production Company(s): MARV Films, Whalerock Industries
Producer(s): Lloyd Braun, Matthew Vaughn
Writer(s): Terry Hayes
Director(s): Matthew Vaughn
Details: Based on the novel “I am Pilgrim” written by Terry Hayes and published by Atria/Emily Bestler Books on May 27, 2014.
SSN Insight: Vaughn will also co-finance the film through his banner, Marv Films.

Kong: Skull Island
Logline: Based on the mythic origins of King Kong on his home Skull Island, which is ruled by mutant giant creatures, the story follows a man who visits the island with a rescue party after his brother disappears during a search for a serum thought to cure all ill
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Company(s): Legendary Entertainment, Disruption Entertainment
Producer(s): Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent
Writer(s): Derek Connolly, Tony Gilroy, John Gatins, Max Borenstein
Director(s): Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John C Reilly, Brie Larson, Corey Hawkins, John Goodman
SSN Insight: Joe Cornish was previously mentioned to direct. Michael Keaton and JK Simmons were previously attached as members of the cast. Actors reportedly being considered to replace Michael Keaton and JK Simmons included Samuel L. Jackson for the Simmons role, and Russell Crowe and John C. Reilly for the Keaton role. Jackson and Reilly ultimately joined the project.

Maestra
Logline: An employee at an auction house is fired after identifying a forged painting.
Studio/Distributor(s): Columbia Pictures, TriStar Productions
Production Company(s): Pascal Pictures
Producer(s): Amy Pascal
Writer(s): Erin Cressida Wilson
Details: Based on the novel “Maestra” written by L.S. Hilton which has been purchased by a British publisher, Bonniere, and will be published in the U.S. by Zaffre January 1, 2016.
SSN Insight: Erin Cressida Wilson previouly adapted Girl on The Train.

Maggie’s Plan
Logline: Three years into motherhood and married to a man with whom she is becoming increasingly disenchanted, a young woman schemes to reunite her husband with his ex-wife.
Studio/Distributor(s): Sony Pictures Classics
Production Company(s): Locomotive, Rachael Horovitz Productions, Round Films, Hall Monitor
Producer(s): Rachael Horovitz, Damon Cardasis, Rebecca Miller
Writer(s): Rebecca Miller
Director(s): Rebecca Miller
Cast: Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph
SSN Insight: Clive Owen was previously attached to the role ultimately played by Ethan Hawke.

Marauders
Logline: When an FBI agent is investigating a bank robbery, he uncovers a trail of secrets that the bank owner has been protecting.
Studio/Distributor(s): Lionsgate Premiere
Production Company(s): Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films, 4th Wall Entertainment
Producer(s): Randall Emmett, George Furla, Joshua Harris, Rosie Charbonneau
Writer(s): Michael Cody, Chris Sivertson
Director(s): Steven C. Miller
Cast: Bruce Willis, Christopher Meloni, Dave Bautista, Lydia Hull, Tyler Olson, Adrian Grenier
SSN Insight: Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films will release through its U.S. deal with Lionsgate Premiere. Highland Film Group is handling international.

Marjorie Prime
Logline: As elderly Marjorie’s memories begin to fail her, she subscribes to a service that provides holographic recreations of her deceased loved ones as she would like to remember them.
Production Company(s): BB Films
Producer(s): Uri Singer, Isen Robbins
Writer(s): Michael Almereyda
Director(s): Michael Almereyda
Cast: Lois Smith, Jon Hamm, Geena Davis
Details: Based on the play “Marjorie Prime” written by Jordan Harrison which premiered at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles on September 10, 2014.
SSN Insight: Lois Smith also starred as Marjorie in the original stage production of “Marjorie Prime” at LA’s Mark Taper Forum.

Mother’s Day
Logline: The stories of several mothers intertwine during the day leading up to the Mother’s Day holiday.
Studio/Distributor(s): Open Road Films
Production Company(s): PalmStar Entertainment, Gulfstream Pictures
Producer(s): Wayne Rice, Mike Karz, Daniel Diamond, Kevin Scott Frakes, Brandt Andersen
Writer(s): Anya Kochoff, Lily Hollander, Matt Walker, Tom Hines
Director(s): Garry Marshall
Cast: Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, Ella Anderson, Sarah Chalke
SSN Insight: Chalke previously starred on ABC’s long-running comedy Scrubs and was recently featured on Adult Swim’s Rick And Morty.

Nocturnal Animals
Logline: Susan receives a manuscript from her ex-husband, and reading it causes her recall her first marriage and confront some dark truths about herself.
Studio/Distributor(s): Focus Features
Production Company(s): Fade to Black Productions
Producer(s): Tom Ford, Robert Salerno
Writer(s): Tom Ford
Director(s): Tom Ford
Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon, Kim Basinger, Robert Aramayo
Details: Based on the novel “Tony and Susan” written by Austin Wright and published by Baskerville Publishers in 1993.
SSN Insight: Project was previously in development at Smokehouse Pictures with George Clooney and Grant Heslov attached to produce. Focus Features and Universal Pictures International secured the rights at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival in a reportedly $20 Million deal, marking one of the biggest deal in Cannes history.

Operation Insanity
Logline: The film follows a teenager who teams up with his badass grandfather and his grandfather’s old war buddy to save the girl he loves from a terrible person.
Production Company(s): CCi Entertainment
Producer(s): Arnie Zipursky, Jeff Sackman
Writer(s): Jeff Schechter
Director(s): Erik Canuel
Cast: Paul Sorvino, James Caan, Jessica Walter, Louis Gossett, Jr.
SSN Insight: Gossett, Jr. will play “Mother,” another one of the grandfather’s old war buddies.

The Conjuring: The Enfield Poltergeist
Logline: The story of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren continues.
Studio/Distributor(s): New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Production Company(s): The Safran Company, POV Productions, Atomic Monster
Producer(s): Rob Cowan, Peter Safran, James Wan
Writer(s): David Leslie Johnson, Eric Heisserer, Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes, James Wan
Director(s): James Wan
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Frances O’Connor, Simon McBurney, Lauren Esposito
Details: Sequel to the film “The Conjuring” (2013) directed by James Wan and starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson.
SSN Insight: In August, 2015, the California Film Commission picked “Conjuring 2,” aka “The Conjuring: The Enfield Poltergeist,” as one of 11 films to share $55.2 million in incentives and receive up to 25 percent in tax credits.

The Current War
Logline: Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse battle for dominance in the use of differing electrical currents.
Studio/Distributor(s): The Weinstein Company
Production Company(s): Bazelevs Productions, Film Rites
Producer(s): Timur Bekmambetov, Steven Zaillian, Garrett Basch
Writer(s): Michael Mitnick
Director(s): Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal (in talks), Benedict Cumberbatch (in talks)
SSN Insight: Ben Stiller was previously in talks to direct.

The Idol
Logline: Mohammad Assaf is the Gazan wedding singer who became a worldwide sensation after winning the live-singing competition Arab Idol in 2013.
Studio/Distributor(s): Adopt Films
Production Company(s): Idol Film Production LTD
Producer(s): Amira Diab, Ali Jaafar
Writer(s): Hany Abu-Assad, Sameh Zoabi
Director(s): Hany Abu-Assad
Cast: Kais Attalah, Hiba Attalah, Ahmad Qasem, Abdel Kareem Barakeh, Tawfeek Barhom
SSN Insight: Adopt Films acquired domestic rights after the film’s premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Scorpio Races
Logline: Every November, people compete in the Scorpio Races – a contest in which riders attempt to stay on their water horses until the finish line. Not everyone will survive.
Studio/Distributor(s): Focus Features
Production Company(s): KatzSmith Productions
Producer(s): David Katzenberg, Seth Grahame-Smith
Writer(s): Jack Thorne
Director(s): Matt Sobel
Details: Based on the young adult novel “The Scorpio Races” written by Maggie Stiefvater and published by Scholastic Press on October 18, 2011.
SSN Insight: Previously in development at Warner Bros.

Triple Frontier
Logline: Storyline under wraps.
Studio/Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures
Production Company(s): Atlas Entertainment
Producer(s): Charles Roven, Alex Gartner, Grant Hill
Writer(s): Mark Boal
Director(s): J.C. Chandor
SSN Insight: Tom Hanks was previously attached to star. Kathryn Bigelow was previously attached to direct and executive produce. Mark Boal was previously attached to executive produce.

Where to Invade Next
Logline: Explores the current state of the nation.
Studio/Distributor(s): Unnamed Tom Quinn/Jason Janego Company
Production Company(s): Dog Eat Dog Films, Inc., IMG Worldwide
Producer(s): Michael Moore, Tia Lessin, Carl Deal
Writer(s): Michael Moore
Director(s): Michael Moore
SSN Insight: Tom Quinn, Jason Janego and Tim League’s new distribution label acquired domestic rights following the film’s premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

White Boy Rick
Logline: Richard Wershe Jr. was 14 when he became an undercover informant for law enforcement in the 1980s, and then became a major drug dealer until he was arrested at age 17.
Studio/Distributor(s): Studio 8
Production Company(s): Protozoa Pictures, LBI Entertainment
Producer(s): John Lesher, Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin, Rick Yorn, Julie Yorn
Writer(s): Logan Miller, Noah Miller, Andy Weiss
Director(s): Yann Demange
SSN Insight: Originally, Studio 8 was developing the spec script written by Logan and Noah Miller, but has now also acquired the Andy Weiss script that Protozoa had been separately developing. The projects are now combined.

NEW PROJECTS

The Kingkiller Chronicle
Logline: Follows the life and times of Kvothe, a magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.
Studio/Distributor(s): Lionsgate
Producer(s): Robert Lawrence, Erik Feig, Jeyun Choi Munford, Jessica Switch
Details: Based on the best-selling fantasy book series of the same name by Patrick Rothfuss.
SSN Insight: The book series has sold more than 10 million copies. The deal sets up the simultaneous development of movies, television series and video games with the goal to adapt the many stories across the mediums at the same time. EVP of TV Chris Selak will handle its development for television while the President of Interactive Ventures & Games Peter Levin will handle the gaming side.

Untitled Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton Heist Pitch Project
Logline: Storyline is under wraps.
Studio/Distributor(s): Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
Production Company(s): Mad Chance Productions, Bad Hat Harry Productions
Producer(s): Bryan Singer, Andrew Lazar, Jason Taylor
Writer(s): Ben Lustig, Jake Thornton
Director(s): Bryan Singer
SSN Insight: Columbia bought the spec in a mid-six-against-seven-figure deal.

And Then There Were None
Logline: 10 strangers are marooned on an island as one by one, they start to die.
Studio/Distributor(s): 20th Century Fox
Production Company(s): Acorn Productions, Agatha Christie, Ltd., 21 Laps Entertainment
Producer(s): Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Dan Cohen, Hilary Strong
Writer(s): Eric Heisserer
Director(s): Morten Tyldum
Details: Based on the novel “And Then There Were None” written by Agatha Christie and published in the US by Dodd, Mead & Co. in 1939.
SSN Insight: The novel has sold over 100 million copies, establishing itself as the all-time biggest-selling mystery novel.

Below Her Mouth
Logline: Two women begin an affair that changes their lives forever.
Production Company(s): Serendipity Point Films, Distant Horizon Corporation
Producer(s): Melissa Coghlan
Writer(s): Stephanie Fabrizi
Director(s): April Mullen
Cast: Natalie Krill, Erika Linder
SSN Insight: Toronto-based Serendipity Point Films, based on Toronto, produced Atom Egoyan’s Remember which recently premiered in Venice, garnering strong marks for lead Christopher Plummer.

Black Ice (Remake)
Logline: A complex love triangle between a woman, her husband and his mistress is followed.
Studio/Distributor(s): Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM)
Production Company(s): Rivers Edge Films
Producer(s): Dylan Sellers
Details: Remake of “Black Ice” (Finland/2007) written and directed by Petri Kotwica.
SSN Insight: Sellers formed Rivers Edge Films in a strategic partnership with Kevin Frakes’ finance/production company PalmStar Media. Under the deal, Palmstar funds Sellers’ overhead, production and development. The partners plan to produce four to five films with budgets between $20 million-$40 million range.

Hammerspace
Logline: A terminally-ill teenager looking for answers about his missing father, finds a key that unlocks an opening to an alternate animated dimension, and a new friend helps him repair his broken family.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Company(s): Lin Pictures
Producer(s): Dan Lin, Jonathan Eirich
Writer(s): Mike Van Waes
SSN Insight: Warner Bros. acquired the spec from writer Mike Van Waes for a mid-six figure deal. Studio is considering the property for a potential franchise.

SSN ORIGINALS

The Accidental Turitz: The ‘Total Surprises’ Headed to Theaters This Awards Season

SSN contributor Neil Turitz weighs in on this season’s awards contenders…so far. (SSN)

Film Development for 10/1/15: Lionsgate Nabs Kingkiller Chronicle, Benedict Cumberbatch Circles The Current War, Geena Davis in for Marjorie Prime

Other film development news includes, Sigourney Weaver attaching to the Ghostbusters re-boot, Matthew Vaughn attaching to produce and direct MGM’s I Am Pilgrim and Sony buying a heist pitch for Bryan Singer to direct. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

Yann Demange To Direct Rick Wershe Jr-Inspired Project At Studio 8

In demand British director, Yann Demange is set to direct a Rick Wershe Jr.-inspired project for Jeff Robinov’s Studio 8. (DH)

James Wan To Produce ‘Boy Who Drew Monsters’ Movie Adaptation

New Line has preemptively picked up the movie rights to The Boy Who Drew Monsters, a horror novel by Keith Donohue, for an adaptation to be produced by filmmaker James Wan. (THR)

Lionsgate Adapting ‘The Kingkiller Chronicle’ For Movies And More

Lionsgate has secured a deal for Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle series. Rothfuss’ series, which kicked off in 2007, includes an anchor trilogy and three novellas set in the same world. (EMP)

USA Network’s ‘Graceland’ Cancelled After Three Seasons

USA is closing the doors on Graceland after season 3.  The final season opened with barely 1 million viewers and a 0.4 demo rating and by the finale was drawing just 900K and a 0.3. (TVL)

‘The Wilding’ Supernatural Drama From Tim Kring Gets 2-Hour Pilot Order By USA

USA Network and Universal Cable Prods. have teamed to greenlight two-hour backdoor pilot The Wilding, a supernatural drama from executive producers Tim Kring and writer-creator Silka Luisa. (DH)

CBS Films Gets Movie Rights To Sports Drama ‘Free Agent’

CBS Films has acquired movie rights to Sam Regnier’s sports drama Free Agent, which recently won a Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. (VAR)

Today’s Relativity Bankruptcy news: Ryan Kavanaugh In Negotiations To Get Most Of the Company Back

In a surprise twist, the Relativity Media CEO is in negotiations with the so-called stalking horse bid group to take back all but the TV division of the bankrupt studio. Talks are expected to wrap up by mid-day in New York, where the auction began yesterday for the Chapter 11 studio. The best offer was a $250 million credit offer made by senior lenders including Anchorage Capital, Luxor Capital, Falcon Investment and Colbeck Capital — also known the stalking horse group.(TB)

Daniel Craig Might Not Be Done With James Bond Yet, After All

Despite recently suggesting that next month’s Spectre could be his last Bond film, Craig now contends, “I’ll keep going as long as I’m physically able.” He confirmed in an interview that he is contracted for one more, but refused to make any predictions, one way or the other. That should come as a relief to Eon Productions, MGM and SonyPictures, which aren’t ready to loosen their grip on this 007 just yet. (CBR)

Don’t Hold Your Breath Waiting For Any More ‘Terminator’ Sequels, They’re On Hold Indefinitely

Despite worldwide success to the tune of $440 million, Paramount and financier Skydance have put the franchise on the back burner for the foreseeable future. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the franchise is dead, but Paramount probably won’t be rushing to meet 2017 and 2019 release dates for two more sequels. Having said that, the rights revert back to James Cameron in 2019, so Paramount might do something with the franchise before then. (SF)

Sony Pushes Forward With More ‘Ghostbusters’ Plans, Sets Animated Film In Motion

With the female-driven film less than a year away from its release date, Sony Pictures Animation has called the gang for another project. Studio has begun developing an animated pic with Ivan Reitman producing through his Montecito Picture Company. Ghostbusters has previously gone down the animated path, with an animated series following the success of the first film in the ’80s. Plot details are unknown, and no writer or director are attached at this time. (VAR)

HBO and Zack Snyder Are Now Plotting the Possibility Of a ‘Watchmen’ TV Show

Director of the 2009 comic book adaptation has been meeting with the cable net to talk about the project. While the meetings have taken place, there are no details yet as to whether this would be a prequel series, a re-imagining of the events of the Watchmen story itself, or a sequel series. (COL)

Netflix Sees an Audience Being Neglected, Makes Up For It By Adding Seven New Shows For Older Kids

Beginning in December, the online streaming giant is broadening its offering for tweens and teens, as well as introducing its first ever original animated series produced in Latin America — Las Leyendas (The Legends), which is based on a successful trilogy of children’s films from the Mexican animation studio, Ánima Estudios. The seven shows will debut between December and 2017. (SAA)

And, With That, the Dream Of Ten Million Fan Boys Die: George Miller Will NOT Be Directing ‘Man Of Steel 2’

In an interview, the legendary director of Mad Max: Fury Road said that, while he has met with Warner Bros. about the DC Cinematic Universe, he will not be helming the Superman sequel, nor will be taking the reins of Justice League Dark, which was originally developed by Guillermo Del Toro, before the director left the project. (TP)

‘Doctor Who’ Fans Rejoice! BBC3 Just Announced a New Spinoff Series!

Titled Class, the show will be set in contemporary London and hails from YA author Patrick Ness. Set at the Coal Hill School, the fictional educational facility where Doctor Who began all the way back in 1963’s episode, An Unearthly Child. (CS)

A Sprawling ‘Empire’: How Fox’s Hit Show Has Been Affecting the Music Business

The show’s success hasn’t just been about the on-screen drama. Given that the show centers on a renowned record company, music plays just as big a role as the acting does. And having sold more than 431,000 copies, the soundtrack for the show has been a huge success as well, debuting at the top of the Billboard 200 and remaining on the charts for 19 consecutive weeks. (NS)

Screenwriters: ‘8 Mile (aka Untitled Detroit Project)’

The 111-page screenplay by Scott Silver, dated April 27th, 2001, and dated First Rewrite. (DS)

STARTS

Bridget Jones’ Baby
9/27/2015
Logline: Bridget Jones tries to have a baby.
Studio/Distributor(s): Universal Pictures
Production Company(s): Working Title Films, Monumental Television
Director(s): Sharon Maguire
Producer(s): Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Jonathan Cavendish
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey
Writer(s): Paul Feig, Helen Fielding, David Nicholls
Details: Sequel to “Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001), directed by Sharon Maguire and starring Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, and Colin Firth, and “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” (2004), directed by Beeban Kidron.
SSN Insight: Paul Feig was previously attached to direct. Shooting delayed from a February start due to script changes.

Fist Fight
9/28/2015
Logline: Two teachers who work in a broken-down school system wind up in an epic fist fight.
Studio/Distributor(s): New Line Cinema
Production Company(s): 21 Laps Entertainment
Director(s): Richie Keen
Producer(s): Max Greenfield, Billy Rosenberg, Dan Cohen, Shawn Levy
Cast: Ice Cube, Charlie Day, Tracy Morgan, Dennis Haysbert, JoAnna Garcia Swisher
Writer(s): Evan Susser, Van Robichaux, Max Greenfield
SSN Insight: Marks Richie Keen’s feature directorial debut. He previously directed the pilot Angie Tribeca, which TBS ordered to series and last season directed the pilot Teachers, which TV Land ordered to series.

Kung Fu Yoga
9/28/2015
Logline: A detective from Hong Kong teams up with an American gambler to battle against a notorious Chinese criminal.
Production Company(s): Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Pegasus & Taihe Entertainment International
Director(s): Stanley Tong
Executive Producer(s): Sun Jianjun
Cast: Jackie Chan, Katrina Kaif, Sonu Sood
SSN Insight: The film is the first of a three-movie pact signed by the Indian and Chinese governments during a visit by the Chinese president Xi Jinping to India last year. The film will shoot in Dubai and India.

Men of Granite
9/28/2015
Logline: In 1940s Illinois, a group of poor, immigrant high school boys rise above bigotry when they excel at playing basketball. Based on a true story.
Production Company(s): Blue Raven Films
Director(s): Dwayne Johnson-Cochran
Executive Producer(s): Ziggy Hildebrand, Aaron Millar
Producer(s): Valerie McCaffrey
Cast: William Hurt, Shirley MacLaine, George Finn, Kevin Dunn
Writer(s): Armand Kachigian
Details: Based on the book “Men of Granite” written by Dan Manoyan and published by AuthorHouse on October 16, 2007.
SSN Insight: David Henrie was previously attached to the role played by George Finn.

Passengers
9/28/2015
Logline: A spaceship passenger is prematurely thawed from a cryogenic slumber a century before anyone else.
Studio/Distributor(s): Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
Production Company(s): Original Film, Company Films, Keep Your Head Productions, Start Media
Director(s): Morten Tyldum
Executive Producer(s): Lynwood Spinks
Producer(s): Stephen Hamel, Keanu Reeves, Michael Maher, Neal H. Moritz, Ori Marmur
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne
Writer(s): Jon Spaihts
SSN Insight: Gabriele Muccino was previously attached to direct. Marc Forster was previously attached to direct. Emily Blunt was previously attached to star.

Sully
9/28/2015
Logline: The story of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the airline pilot who safely landed U.S. Airways flight 1549 on the frozen Hudson River in 2009.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Company(s): Kennedy/Marshall Company, Malpaso Productions, Flashlight Films
Director(s): Clint Eastwood
Executive Producer(s): Steven Mnuchin, Kipp Nelson
Producer(s): Frank Marshall, Allyn Stewart, Clint Eastwood, Tim Moore
Cast: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Jamey Sheridan
Writer(s): Todd Komarnicki
Details: Based on the book “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters” written by Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger with Jeffrey Zaslow and published by William Morrow on October 13, 2009.
SSN Insight: Kathleen Kennedy was previously attached to produce.

The Book of Henry
9/28/2015
Logline: A precocious little boy, being raised by his single mother and serving as a surrogate father to his younger brother, develops feelings for the girl next door and, to protect her from ongoing harm at the hands of her father, plots a murder.
Studio/Distributor(s): Focus Features
Production Company(s): Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Double Nickel Entertainment
Director(s): Colin Trevorrow
Executive Producer(s): Jim Tauber, Bruce Toll, John M Penotti, Sue Baden-Powell
Producer(s): Carla Hacken, Sidney Kimmel, Jenette Kahn, Adam Richman, Matt Berenson
Cast: Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher, Jacob Tremblay, Sarah Silverman, Lee Pace
Writer(s): Gregg Hurwitz
SSN Insight: Thea Sharrock was previously attached to direct.

The Dancer
9/28/2015
Logline: Loie Fuller tours with fellow dancer Isadora Duncan creating innovative new techniques at the turn of the 20th century.
Production Company(s): Les Films du Fleuve, Les Films du Tresor, Sirena Film Prague, Wild Bunch AG
Director(s): Stephanie Di Giusto
Producer(s): Alain Attal, Vincent Maraval, Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Artemio Benki
Cast: Lily-Rose Depp, Soko, Gaspard Ulliel, Melanie Thierry, Francois Damiens
Writer(s): Stephanie Di Giusto, Thomas Bidegain, Sarah Thiebaud
SSN Insight: Directorial debut of Stephanie Di Giusto. Elle Fanning was previously attached to star.

The Journey
9/30/2015
Logline: After three decades of not speaking, Ian Paisley, staunch evangelical Protestant and advocate for Northern Ireland, and Martin McGuinness, a former leader of the IRA are forced to ride in a car together. Will their proximity help in the quest for peace?
Production Company(s): Tempo Productions, Generator Entertainment, Greenroom Entertainment
Director(s): Nick Hamm
Executive Producer(s): Stuart Ford, Matt Jackson
Producer(s): Nick Hamm, Mark Huffam, Piers Tempest
Cast: Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, John Hurt, Toby Stephens, Freddie Highmore
Writer(s): Colin Bateman
SSN Insight: CAA and Bloom are selling the project on a promo reel at Cannes. Liam Neeson and Kenneth Branagh were previously attached to star.

The Zookeeper’s Wife
9/29/2015
Logline: The true story about the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, who helped save hundreds of people from Nazi hands during World War II.
Studio/Distributor(s): Focus Features
Production Company(s): Mike Tollin Productions, Scion Films, Annapurna Pictures, Rowe/Miller Productions, Electric City Entertainment
Director(s): Niki Caro
Producer(s): Michael Tollin, Robbie Tollin, Diane Levin, Jeff Abberley, Jamie Patricof
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Daniel Bruhl, Johan Heldenburg
Writer(s): Angela Workman
Details: Based on the book “The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story” written by Diane Ackerman and published by W. W. Norton on September 4, 2007.
SSN Insight: Niki Caro’s past films include McFarland, USA, North Country, and Whale Rider. She’s currently onboard to write and direct the film Dolphin Boy, in development at Disney.

WRAPS

Don’t Think Twice
8/26/2015
Logline: An improv group loses the lease on its home theater just as one of its members gets cast on TV’s biggest sketch-comedy show, resulting in backstabbing and bitterness between friends.
Director(s): Mike Birbiglia
Executive Producer(s): Amanda Marshall, Ira Glass, Jason Beck, Andrew Bohn
Producer(s): Mike Birbiglia, Miranda Bailey
Cast: Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Mike Birbiglia, Tami Sagher
Writer(s): Mike Birbiglia
SSN Insight: Marks the directorial debut of Mike Birbiglia. His acting credits include Cedar Rapids, Adult Beginners, Trainwreck and The Fault in our Stars, among many others.

DriverX
6/25/2015
Logline: When a middle-aged man loses his business, he starts working as a driver at night and taking care of his two young daughters in the daytime.
Production Company(s): Antic Pictures
Director(s): Henry Barrial
Executive Producer(s): Alex Cutler
Producer(s): Mark Stolaroff
Cast: Patrick Fabian, Travis Schuldt, Tanya Clarke, Mark Burnham, Venice Weaver
Writer(s): Henry Barrial
SSN Insight: Henry Barrial previously wrote and directed the horror thriller Pig in 2014 under Antic Pictures.

Eliminators
8/31/2015
Logline: A mysterious man in the witness protection program must go on the run, and save his daughter’s life, when his cover is blown and a world-class assassin is hired to track him down.
Production Company(s): WWE Studios, The Tea Shop & Film Company
Director(s): James Nunn
Executive Producer(s): Richard Lowell
Producer(s): James Harris, Mark Lane, Michael Luisi
Cast: Stu Bennett, Scott Adkins, Wade Barrett, James Cosmo, Olivia Mace
Writer(s): Nathan Brookes, Bobby Darby
SSN Insight: WWE Studios and UK’s Richwater Films co-produced and co-financed this film along with Rampage. Eliminators shot in London.

Going in Style (Remake)
8/3/2015
Logline: A group of retired, bored, senior citizens decide to rob a bank.
Studio/Distributor(s): New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Production Company(s): De Line Pictures
Director(s): Zach Braff
Executive Producer(s): Tony Bill, Jonathan McCoy, Andrew Haas
Producer(s): Donald De Line
Cast: Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin, Matt Dillon, Ann-Margret
Writer(s): Ted Melfi
Details: Remake of the film “Going in Style” (1979) directed by Martin Brest and starring George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg.
SSN Insight: Don Scardino was previously in discussions to direct. Ted Melfi was previously in discussions to direct.

The Sense of an Ending
8/16/2015
Logline: A reclusive older man must face the flawed recollections of his younger self and his long buried secrets.
Production Company(s): Origin Pictures
Director(s): Ritesh Batra
Executive Producer(s): Christine Langan, Ed Wethered, Ben Browning, Glen Basner, Norman Merry
Producer(s): David M. Thompson, Ed Rubin
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, Emily Mortimer
Writer(s): Nick Payne
Details: Based on the novel “The Sense of an Ending” by Julian Barnes; published by Jonathan Cape in 2011.
SSN Insight: Ritesh Batra previously wrote, directed and executive produced the Indian hit, The Lunchbox in 2013 which grossed $4 million in the U.S. The film also won the Critics Week Viewer’s Choice Award at Cannes.

SSN ORIGINALS

Industry Innovators: 3AM Takes SSN Behind A New Way of Theatrical Marketing with ‘The Martian’

A new company, 3AM, is taking a different approach to the standard ways that involves building out the world of the film and starting audiences on a journey before they even hit their seats. (SSN)

On the Set for 10/2/15: Renee Zellweger Starts on ‘Bridget Jones’ Baby’, Clint Eastwood Rolls Cameras on Tom Hanks Starrer ‘Sully’

Other on the set news includes, New Line’s comedy Fist Fight starting production and Zach Braff’s next directorial effort Going In Style wrapping production. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

James McAvoy In Talks To Replace Joaquin Phoenix In M. Night Shyamalan’s New Film

James McAvoy is in talks to set into the role previously eyed by Joaquin Phoenix in M. Night Shyamalan’s new feature project. Jason Blum is producing. (DH)

Taika Waititi In Negotiations To Direct ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ For Marvel

‘Red’ Writers Tackling Sony’s ‘Gran Turismo’ Movie

Jon and Erich Hoeber have been tapped to get Sony’s adaptation of racing video game Gran Turismo back on track.  The duo will work with Joseph Kosinski who is on board to direct the feature project. (THR)

Sky1 Announces An Indiana Jones-Style Adventure Series

Sky1 is making a new Indiana Jones-style drama series with Michael Landes and Ophelia Lovibond to play the title roles in Hooten & The Lady. (DS)

‘Lethal Weapon’ TV Series In Works At Fox

Fox has given a put pilot order to a Warner Bros. TV drama from writer Matt Miller based on the 1987 action pic. The project is shepherded by WB-based producers Dan Lin and Jennifer Gwartz. (VAR)

CBS Renews ‘Zoo’ For Season 2

CBS has renewed its adaptation of the James Patterson novel for Season 2, to air in Summer 2016. (TVL)

‘Assassin’s Creed’ Movie Adds Brendan Gleeson And Jeremy Irons

Jeremy Irons and actor Brendan Gleeson will join Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in Fox’s Assassin’s Creed movie. Irons will be playing Cotillard’s father, while Gleeson plays Fassbender’s dad. (CS)

SSN ORIGINALS

Film Development For 10/8/15: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Starrer ‘In Sight’ Set at Universal, Thor 3 and the Flash Both Closing in on Directors, and More

Among the big news items this week is Live Schreiber and Naomi Watts finding a director for their boxing drama, The Bleeder, George Lopez joining a Christmas movie, actors joining the Michael Fassbender Assassin’s Creed adaptation, and STX Entertainment hopping aboard Jonas Cuarón’s new film. Click on the link to learn more. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

Universal Makes It Official: F. Gary Gray Is Your ‘Furious 8’ Director

Taking a page from franchise star and producer Vin Diesel’s playbook, Gray confirmed the deal via a recent post on his Facebook page. The helmer is coming off the phenomenal success of the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, which was also for the studio. Diesel has not yet reacted to the news of Gray’s hiring. The film is scheduled for release in April of 2017. (COL)

Good News For ‘Ant-Man’ Fans, Marvel Has Found a Spot In Its Schedule For a Sequel

Ant-Man and The Wasp will arrive in theaters July 6th, 2018, which means the studio will move Black Panther  up to February 16th, 2018, and pushing Captain Marvel back to March 8th, 2019. No word yet on any creative team on the project, or if director Peyton Reed will return, but it is assumed that Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly will continue in the title roles. (EMP)

Additionally, Marvel Has Three More Unknown Movies Set For Some Time In 2020

The studio has called dibs on May 1st, July 10th and November 6th of that year, but has yet to reveal what movies or characters might take those spots. It is probably not a huge stretch to imagine that a third Guardians of the Galaxy film, seeing as how the first one came out in 2014 and Volume 2 is due in 2017. A potential Doctor Strange sequel is also a good possibility, as is a second film for the rebooted Spider-Man franchise, starring Tom Holland. (TP)

Meanwhile, Pixar Has Announced Dates For ‘Toy Story 4’ and ‘The Incredibles 2’

The schedule, announced today, features just two original additions out of the studio’s next six films. Those two new films are the The Good Dinosaur (out next month) and the previously untitled Day of the Dead–themed Coco, set for 2017. Brad Bird’s long-awaited Incredibles sequel will bow in 2019. Meanwhile, the fourth Toy Story installment has been pushed back from 2017 to 2018. Finding Dory and Cars 3 will be out in June 2016 and 2017, respectively. (VUL)

It’s About To Get a Wee Bit More Expensive To Watch Your Movies and TV On Netflix

Online streaming giant’s current price of $7.99 per month, or $8.99 for new subscribers, will increase to $9.99 per month. Netflix said that current pricing for existing subscribers on the “standard” plan will remain in place for 12 months, unless they’re already covered by a price guarantee with a longer term. It’s the company’s second price hike in the U.S. in less than two years. (VAR)

Three Months Before Nominations Are Expected, Academy Finalizes Its Foreign Language Film Contenders

Eighty-one countries have submitted official entries for the Foreign-Language Film Oscar race. The only first-time entrant this is Paraguay. Nominations for the 88th Academy Awards will be announced January 14th at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, and the hardware will be doled out February 29th at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. (DH)

Showtime’s ‘Twin Peaks’ Reboot Is Recasting Sheriff Harry S. Truman

Michael Ontkean, who originated the role on the ABC series 25 years ago, will not be returning for the reboot, as he has retired from show business and has no interest in coming out of it. No confirmation on who will take his place, but Robert Forster is rumored to be circling the part. (CB)

‘Halt and Catch Fire’ and ‘Tyrant’ Each Get a Third Season Order From Their Corresponding Networks

AMC is bringing back its period computer drama and FX wants more of its Middle Eastern-set thriller. For Halt, co-creators and writers Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers have been upped to showrunners. Both shows will have their 10-episode third season premiere in the summer of 2016. (CS)

Continuing Its Move Towards Original Programming, Vimeo Offers Up Its First Full Slate

Online service’s announcement includes a second season of The Outs, about young gay life in New York City, as well as Darby Forever, an original short film from Saturday Night Live breakout cast member Aidy Bryant, and Bianca Del Rio’s Rolodex of Hate Comedy Special: Live from Austin, Vimeo’s first original stand-up special. All three Vimeo Originals will premiere this winter exclusively on Vimeo On Demand. (IW)

Not To Be Outdone By Marvel’s Announcement, Warner Bros. Taps Scott Rudin To Oversee ‘Justice League Dark’

Despite the departure of Guillermo Del Toro, it’s now apparent that the adaptation, otherwise known as Dark Universe, is moving forward under Rudin’s supervision. Del Toro is still staying on as a producer, though he’ll no longer direct. Rudin is moving quickly, making updates to the script and approaching directors. The project is now a priority for the studio, as it is looking to shoot the superhero team-up film in 2016. (TB)

Paramount Has Created Its Own YouTube Channel to Let You Stream Movies For Free

The Paramount Vault has technically been around for three weeks, but it arrived with little fanfare. Now, word is spreading that the channel exists. It is the first time a major movie studio has created a YouTube channel that offers viewers the chance to watch a selection of their films for free. (SF)

The Latest Comic-To-TV Adaptation Is Happening, and It’s a Humdinger From Boom! Studios

Universal Cable Productions has picked up the rights to the sci-fi-horror ongoing comic book series The Woods, with Boom! CEO Ross Richie as EP along with the company’s president of development, Stephen Christy. Created by Batman writer James Tynion IV and artist Michael Dialynas, Woods tells of an entire prep school in suburban Milwaukee that vanishes without a trace … only to re-appear light years away in the primordial forest of another planet. (HV)

Fox Is Going Country, Teaming With Jack Black and Dwight Yoakum For New Country Music Family Sitcom

Created by Alex McAulay, single-camera half-hour comedy Belles and Whistles — which has received a script commitment — centers on an unfulfilled father who, after being fired from his comfortable tech job in Silicon Valley, decides to move his dysfunctional family to Nashville in order to pursue his lifelong dream of music stardom. (LF)

Seeing the Success Of CBS’ ‘Madame Secretary’, NBC Now Developing Dreamed On Former Texas Senator Wendy Davis

She made national headlines in 2013 for filibustering anti-abortion legislation in the Texas Senate. Now the former Democratic state senator is poised for more national attention as the inspiration for a dramedy series in development at the Peacock network. Written by Jennifer Cecil, the untitled project centers on a female Democratic senator who, after losing the Texas governor’s race, gets her world turned upside down. (DH)

AFI Changes Its Tune, Will Offer Lifetime Achievement Award To John Williams

This will be the first time the American Film Institute will grant its highest honor to a composer, but it makes sense that Williams would be the first. The man who has scored just about all of Steven Spielberg’s films, as well as Star Wars and Superman, has over 150 film credits, 49 Oscar nominations and five wins. (COL)

Nicholas Hoult, Luke Evans and Henry Cavill Join War Film ‘Sand Castle’

Written by Chris Roessner and directed by Fernando Coimbra, the film is set in Iraq circa 2003 and is based on Roessner’s experience as a machine gunner in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. Mark Gordon of The Mark Gordon Company, Justin Nappi through his company Treehouse Pictures, and Ben Pugh are producing. (CS)

Fresh Off Yesterday’s Marvel Announcement, 10 Movies You Should Expect To See In Phase Four

The news that Ant-Man and The Wasp is coming out in 2018 wasn’t the only big Marvel reveal today. The studio also announced that three movies will arrive in theaters on May 1st, 2020, July 10th, 2020, and November 6th, 2020. However, they didn’t attach any titles to these release dates, leaving it anyone’s guess what the beginning of the next decade holds for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (CB)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Jessica Jones’

Marvel and Netflix have released the latest look at their upcoming series, starring Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter. The trailer gives the first look at the series villain, Zebediah Kilgrave, played by David Tennant. It premieres on the streaming service on November 20th. (EMP)

Screenwriters: ‘Jane Eyre’

The 92-page screenplay by Moira Buffini, based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë, and labeled Green Revisions. (GITS)

STARTS

Bastards
10/5/15
Logline: Two brothers, raised to believe their biological father died, find out their mother slept with many powerful and famous men in the 1970s and the siblings hit the road to find their real father.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Production Company(s): Alcon Entertainment, The Montecito Picture Company, DMG Entertainment
Director(s): Lawrence Sher
Executive Producer(s): Chris Fenton, Chris Cowles
Producer(s): Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove, Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock, Ali Bell
Cast: Owen Wilson, Ed Helms, J.K. Simmons, Ving Rhames, Katt Williams
Writer(s): Justin Malen
SSN Insight:Paramount Pictures acquired the spec script from writer Justin Malen in a reported six-figure deal. Project was previously set up at Paramount, but went into turnaround. Jason Sudeikis was previously attached to co-star.

Gifted
10/7/15
Logline: A thirty year old man attempts to continue raising his deceased sister’s seven year old daughter, a kid-genius, while battling his own mother for custody.
Production Company(s): FilmNation
Director(s): Marc Webb
Producer(s): Karen Lunder, Andy Cohen
Cast: Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer, McKenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan
Writer(s): Tom Flynn
SSN Insight:Webb is also directing and executive producing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend to be seen on the CW. He’s also currently attached to the films Age of Rage, How to Catch a Russian Spy and The Only Living Boy in New York, all in development.

Nocturnal Animals
10/6/15
Logline: Susan receives a manuscript from her ex-husband, and reading it causes her recall her first marriage and confront some dark truths about herself.
Studio/Distributor(s): Focus Features, Focus Features
Production Company(s): Fade to Black Productions
Director(s): Tom Ford
Producer(s): Tom Ford, Robert Salerno, Diane Sabatini
Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon, Kim Basinger
Writer(s): Tom Ford
Details: Based on the novel “Tony and Susan” written by Austin Wright and published by Baskerville Publishers in 1993.
SSN Insight:Project was previously in development at Smokehouse Pictures with George Clooney and Grant Heslov attached to produce. Focus Features and Universal Pictures International secured the rights at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival in a reportedly $20 Million deal, marking one of the biggest deal in Cannes history.

Three Days in August
10/5/15
Logline: A woman who was given up for adoption searches for her birth parents.
Production Company(s): Ubiquimedia
Director(s): Johnathan Brownlee
Executive Producer(s): Shannon Kincaid, Allen Stringer, David Kiger
Producer(s): Johnathan Brownlee, Adam Donaghey
Cast: Barry Bostwick, Mariette Hartley, Edward James Hyland, Mollie Milligan, Meg Foster
Writer(s): Chad Berry, David Langlinais
SSN Insight:Marks the directorial feature debut for Johnathan Brownlee and the first feature for Ubiquimedia.

Underworld V
10/6/15
Logline: In this fifth installment of the “Underworld” franchise, a new, younger generation of vampires and werewolves are embroiled in a supernatural race war.
Studio/Distributor(s): Screen Gems,
Production Company(s): Lakeshore Entertainment
Director(s): Anna Foerster
Producer(s): Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Richard Wright, David Kern, Len Wiseman
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies, Clementine Nicholson, Lara Pulver
Writer(s): Cory Goodman, Kyle Ward
SSN Insight:Anna Foerster is the first woman to direct a film in the “Underworld” franchise.

WRAPS

A Cure for Wellness
10/9/15
Logline: An employee sent to rescue his boss from a European spa soon realizes he’s trapped.
Studio/Distributor(s): New Regency Productions, 20th Century Fox Distribution
Production Company(s): BlindWink Productions
Director(s): Gore Verbinski
Producer(s): Gore Verbinski
Cast: Dane DeHaan, Mia Goth, Jason Isaacs
Writer(s): Justin Haythe
SSN Insight:Gore Verbinski is attached to the features Clean Slate, Driverless Car Race for Sony, Ten Seconds to Hell, The Dubber and Spaceless among others in development.

Mother’s Day
10/7/15
Logline: The stories of several mothers intertwine during the day leading up to the Mother’s Day holiday.
Studio/Distributor(s): Open Road Films
Production Company(s): PalmStar Entertainment, Gulfstream Pictures
Director(s): Garry Marshall
Executive Producer(s): Mark Benton Johnson, Ankur Rungta, Heather Hall
Producer(s): Wayne Rice, Mike Karz, Daniel Diamond, Kevin Scott Frakes, Brandt Andersen
Cast: Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, Ella Anderson
Writer(s): Anya Kochoff, Lily Hollander, Matt Walker, Tom Hines
SSN Insight:Garry Marshall is also signed on to direct and write Royal Ice, about Monaco’s bobsled team. He’s also an executive consultant on the new series Grandfathered.

Running Wild
10/3/15
Logline: A widow works with convicts to rehabilitate a herd of wild horses that wandered on to her ranch.
Production Company(s): ESX Entertainment
Director(s): Alex Ranarivelo
Producer(s): Ali Afshar, Forrest Lucas
Cast: Sharon Stone, Dorian Brown, Jason Lewis, Tommy J Flanagan
Writer(s): Brian Rudnick, Christina Moore
SSN Insight:New studio ESX’s film slate includes social issue drama The Wrong Side Of Right with Lea Thompson, coming-of-age story The Wizard starring Jon Voight and Afshar’s Born To Race franchise which includes a TV series.

SFv1
10/3/15
Logline: In the future when humanity live in interplanetary colonies, a drifter falls in love with a contractor who is trying to save his daughter from danger while avoiding a global crisis caused by his military contracting company.
Production Company(s): Storm Alley Entertainment, Eclectik Vision, Phonetic Images
Director(s): Shane Abbess
Producer(s): Brett Thornquest, Matthew Graham, Sidonie Abbene, Steven Matusko
Cast: Isabel Lucas, Luke Ford, Kellan Lutz, Daniel MacPherson, Teagan Croft
Writer(s): Shane Abbess
SSN Insight:The film was shot in Sydney and the Australian Outback. Worldwide sales are being overseen by XYZ Films.

SSN ORIGINALS

On the Set for 10/9/15: Marc Webb & Chris Evans Start ‘Gifted’, Garry Marshall & Julia Roberts Wrap ‘Mother’s Day’

Along with Gifted and Mother’s Day, Kate Beckinsale and Theo James start shooting Underworld V, Tom Ford rolls cameras on Nocturnal Animals, and Sharon Stone wraps on Running Wild. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

The Massive TV Revolution Took Center-stage at MIPCOM- Here’s A Wrap-Up of All the News, Trends & Sales

The 2015 MIPCOM, ‘TV industry’s greatest bull markets of the modern TV age’, has come to an end. A massive uptick in the demand for and production of content, especially drama was just one of the trends. Find out all the trends, what shows sold and more in this wrap-up. (VAR)

Disney’s Golden Girl, Kelly Marcel Will Now Tackle Writing A Live-Action ‘Cruella’

The studio is fast-tracking the project and has called upon Kelly Marcel, the writer of Saving Mr. Banks to script their live-action Cruella based on the villain from 101 Dalmatians. Disney is cementing its live-action fairy tale empire, dating no fewer than four untitled films through 2020 in addition to several movies already set for release, including The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast. (THR)

No ‘Extant’, No Problem for Halle Berry as She Develops New Show for CBS

It’s on to the next one for Hally Berry, as she doesn’t skip a beat after CBS has decided to pull the plug after two seasons of Extant, and develops a new show for CBS. The new series, Legalease, centers on a biracial lawyer from Chicago who follows a case to New Orleans and partners with a ‘good ol’ boy white attorney’. (DL)

CAA Tell-All Book Promises Jaw-Dropping Surprises When it Hits Shelves Next Spring

Author James Andrew Miller collected more than 300 interviews with CAA founders and current leadership, studio presidents, network chiefs, producers, directors, stars, musicians, athletes and agents for his tell-all book on the powerhouse agency. Geoff Shandler, VP/Editorial director of the book’s publisher, Custom House, says “What I’ve read thus far is jaw dropping.” (DL)

Brie Larson Might Re-Team with ‘Short Term 12′ Helmer Destin Daniel Cretton on ‘The Glass Castle’

Brie Larson is picking up awards buzz heat right now with her amazing turn in Room. She’s also in talks to re-team with her Short Term 12 Director Cretton, after Jennifer Lawrence left the long-gestating project, The Glass Castle. (THR)

Kevin James Marks Return to TV & CBS with New Sitcom

Kevin James, who made his name on CBS’ King of Queens, has been swimming in features as of late with turns in Pixels, Grown Ups and Paul Blart, but CBS has wooed him back. CBS has given a 13-episode order to a multi-camera comedy with James playing a newly retired police officer looking forward to spending more quality time with his family… only to discover he faces much tougher challenges at home than he ever did on the streets. (DL)

Other Studios Take Note- How WB is Taking Native Advertising with LexCorp to a Whole New Level

In a brilliant marketing move to promote Batman v Superman, WB is offering free Wi-Fi courtesy of LexCorp to NY Comic-Con, an event notorious for poor cellular connections. They also launched a very realistic, in-world, LexCorp website that makes it appear to be an Apple-like tech startup and successfully brings Lex Luther to the modern Silicon Valley obsessed age. (SR)

Trailer Buzz: Hail Caesar!

Hollywood loves movies about themselves, and the Coen Brothers’ new film definitely delivers. It has Hollywood movie-star abductions, crises of faith, film-within-a-film shenanigans, and Channing Tatum as a tap-dancing sailor. Also, watch the trailer to see why this could be the most Coen of all Coen Brother films. (RS)

Cutting Out the Middle-Man: How Kylie Jenner Marks a Shift in a New Breed of Celebrity

Not content with just one TV show, the Kardashians have made their mark across the digital landscape and none more so than Kylie Jenner. Like it or not, Kylie is one to watch as she breaks new ground and defines a new breed of celebrity, one who has absolute control of their image and speaks directly with fans. (WIRED)

‘The Martian’ Remains Out Of This World At the Box Office, Takes a Second Straight Weekend

Ridley Scott’s adaptation of the best-selling book nabbed $37 million to finish first again, giving it $108.7 million in its first 10 days. Hotel Transylvania 2 came in second with $20.3 million, while Pan opened flat with just $15.5 million for third. The Intern came in fourth place, with $8.6 million, while Sicario rounded out the top five with $7.3 million. The Walk, meanwhile, continued to perform weakly, with just $3.65 million in its first weekend of wide release. (BO)

Take Don Cheadle Out Of This Year’s Oscar Race: His Miles Davis Biopic Won’t Come Out Until Spring

In a new update published for contributors to the project’s Indiegogo campaign this evening, Cheadle says the film will be released in the spring of 2016, and not this year, even if only for an Oscar-qualifying run. He did not give a specific date. In August, Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide distribution rights to Miles Ahead, which made its World Premiere as the Closing Night film at the 53rd New York Film Festival, last night. (SAA)

George R.R. Martin Has Another Project With the HBO Family, Sets New Project At Cinemax

The premium cable network has ordered a script of Martin’s werewolf noir novel The Skin Trade. Published in the 1980s, story was originally written for an annual horror anthology published by Dark Harvest. Kalinda Vazquez will pen the script, which follows a collections agent who happens to be a werewolf and his friend, a private investigator, as they discover a dark secret behind a series of grisly murders in their decaying industrial city. (LF)

Fox Sees the Future and ‘Minority Report’ Probably Isn’t In It, as Network Cuts Show’s Episode Order

New hourlong will only see 10 episodes for its first season. The low-rated Monday night show was originally handed a 13-episode order. After under-performing for its first three episodes — most recently bringing in just over 2 million viewers — Fox reduced the original order, though sources say the network has not made a decision regarding cancellation. It seems likely, however, that the final episode of this fall’s 10-episode run will serve as the series finale. (VAR)

Morton Tyldum Acquires Bobbie Peers’ Children’s Novel ‘William Wenton And The Luridium Thief’

In a preemptive deal on the eve of the Frankfurt Book Fair, The Imitation Game director and his production company Norse Code have acquired screen rights to the debut children’s novel by Bobbie Peers. It is the first novel in a series of books, and follows a 12-year old code-breaking genius who, when his extraordinary talent for cracking codes is suddenly revealed, faces the dangers that have been lurking around him for years. (DH)

Charlize Theron Signs On To New Spy Thriller For Sony and Joe Roth

Oscar-winning star of Mad Max: Fury Road will star in The Gray Man, based on the novel by Mark Greaney. Joe Russo and Anthony Russo have adapted the script and will produce alongside Roth, DeDe Gardner of Plan B and Elizabeth Murdoch for Shine. Story centers around an American operative known as ‘The Gray Man’, who must  save his daughters from a team of assassins determined to eliminate them. Theron will play the female lead. (TB)

In Case You Were Wondering Who Is Going To Direct ‘xXx 3’, Vin Diesel Just Answered Your Pressing Question

Hot on the heels of landing a director for Furious 8 in F. Gary Gray, another Diesel franchise has finally found a filmmaker to take on the next sequel. xXx 3 has been teased by Diesel since 2008, and now a director has finally been revealed. Diesel confirmed that Eagle Eye director D.J. Caruso would be at the helm of the sequel. Diesel also said that the two projects are now in a race for production, but Furious 8 has an April 14th, 2017 release scheduled. (SF)

R.L. Stine’s ‘Fear Street’ Series Being Developed as Horror Movie Project

Twentieth Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment are already deep in the works to bring the series to the big screen. Stine himself confirmed that the deal is currently being negotiated, and that no talent has officially signed on in terms of cast and crew. Book series focuses on teens being confronted by horror and terrors of all sorts, inside and outside of high school. (COL)

No Surprise Here, as NBC Awards a Full Season Order From Rookie Hit ‘Blindspot’

Peacock Network has done so after only three weeks on the air, during which the show has consistently dominated among adults aged 18-49. The series has averaged roughly 9.6 million viewers per episode, and has seen consistent growth ever since its premiere on September 21th. NBC has ordered what is referred to as the “Back Nine,” meaning they have enough faith in the series to air a full 22-episode season. (CB)

Screenwriters: Meet the Reader — Writing Your First Screenplay

Every screenwriting career begins with a first script – with that first time someone who dreams of telling a story on the big screen sits down and puts pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to construct a blueprint for the (hoped for) movie to be. A lot of heart and soul (and blood, sweat, and tears) go into these initial efforts. Despite all of this emotional and physical investment, however, most first scripts aren’t very good. Why? (SM)

Company Launches & Partnerships

Endemol Beyond USA has started Smasher, a new digital eSports network. The network is available on YouTube and other platforms. Smasher produces several original series, including eSports competition show Legends of Gaming, which debuted yesterday.

Sports-focused digital consulting firm Omnigon has joined forces with sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media. Together they will develop digital solutions and digital monetization strategies for clients.

Orange Digital Ventures, a digital VC company owned by French telecommunications group Orange, is investing in Afrostream, an SVOD platform focusing on African, African American, and African Caribbean TV and movies. The move will help Afrostream expand its service in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and South America. Other investors included TheFamily, Cross Culture Ventures I, L.P., and ACE & Company.

Shutterstock, the stock photography and footage provider has partnered with Red Bull Media House on an exclusive distribution deal. Shutterstock will market and license thousands of aerial, time-lapse, slow motion, adventure, wildlife, and landscape videos, filmed with advanced camera technology and presented in high-quality HD and 4K Ultra HD. The companies have also teamed up to launch Point of View, a content effort to distribute and co-market video highlights featuring Red Bull Media House-partnered athletes who will explore extreme environments.

Univision Deportes, the multimedia sports division of Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), announced that it has joined forces with the NBA to launch NBA.com/enebea, the NBA’s official digital Spanish-language destination. The website has live game updates, post-game highlights, and a range of stats on each player and team in the league. It also features exclusive content for Hispanic NBA fans.

DC Comics, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Mattel and Lego have teamed up to launch DCSuperHeroGirls.com, a website showcasing superheroines ranging from WonderWoman to BatGirl. The site will include stories, quizzes, games, and a new digital animated series aimed at girls six to 12 years old. The series’ first episode, Welcome to Super Hero High, premiered October 1, with new episodes to air weekly.

US-based TV channel Eurocinema announced the launch of Eurocinema World, a live channel and SVOD service. The channel will have acclaimed European films and Euro-centric lifestyle content and launch in early 2016, in the US, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.

Film

Robert Walak will not renew his contract as the London-based President/Managing Director Europe, Production, Acquisitions and Television at the Weinstein Company.

Brad Grey will continue as Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures into 2020 as his contract has been extended.

Lisa Layer has been upped from Assistant Executive Director to Associate Western Executive Director at Directors Guild of America.

Alexis Alexanian is now the President of Production at Locomotive. She was formerly a Co-Producer of Maggie’s Plan.

Jeff Deutchman has been promoted from VP to SVP of Acquisitions & Productions at Alchemy. Brooke Ford is now the EVP of Acquisitions & Productions in addition to Marketing at Alchemy. Scott Guthrie is now the COO of Alchemy. He was previously the COO of Kizzang Sweepstakes in Las Vegas.

Kevin McKeon is now a Creative Executive at The Firm. He was previously the Creative Executive at Relativity Media.

John Partilla is now the CEO of Screenvision. He was previously the CEO of Olson and EVP of Digital Services Group at ICF International.

TV

Dick Costolo is now a consultant on HBO’s comedy Silicon Valley. Previously he was the CEO of Twitter.

Deborah Barak will now be President of Business Operations in addition to the EVP of Business Operations at CBS Network Television Entertainment Group. She will report directly to Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation. This year, Deborah marks her 30^th year at CBS.

Mallory Jaffe is now a Coordinator of Original Series Development at Disney Channel. Mallory was formerly the Creative Executive at AwesomenessTV.

Brooke Karzen has been named the EVP of Alternative Programming & Development at Warner Horizon Television. She was formerly the SVP of Alternative Programming at Warner Horizon Television.

Rob Lee has been named the President of Non-Scripted Programming at Keshet Studios in addition to his role as Founder, President at Bayonne Entertainment.

Sean Atkins has been named the President of MTV. He was previously the General Manager, EVP, Digital Media & Strategy at Discovery Communications.

Deborah Barak has been named the President of Business Operations at CBS Entertainment, CBS Television Studios & CBS News. She was formerly the EVP of Business Operations at CBS Network Television Entertainment Group.

Nichole Bardin has been named the Senior Director, Talent & Development at Megalomedia. She was formerly the Senior Director of Development at Sirens Media.

Dafna Linzer has been named the Managing Editor of Politics for NBC News and MSNBC, and will play a key role in driving coverage across the two networks. In this newly-created position, she will help maximize the many opportunities and competitive advantages arising from the combination of our resources, expertise, experience and deep bench of talent on all things politics. Previously, Dafna joined MSNBC in 2013 as Managing Editor of MSNBC digital, following a series of award-winning assignments.

Nora Skinner has been hired by HBO as the new SVP of HBO Programming. In her new role she will oversee the development and production of current and new original drama series, working with drama execs David Levine and Francesca Orsi. Previously she was the EVP of Production and Development at Indian Paintbrush and an executive producer on the Sundance 2015 Grand Jury Prize Winner Me And Earl And The Dying Girl and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

Mark Ambrose has been named the VP of Talent at Marvel Television. He was previously the VP of Drama Development at 20th Century Fox Television.

Phil Craig is now an Independent Producer. He was previously the EVP of Chief Creative Officer at Discovery Networks International.

Amy Doyle has been upped from EVP of Music & Talent at MTV and VH1 to the EVP, VH1 & Logo.

Dany Meloul has been named the VP of Programming, French-Language TV at Bell Media. Dany was previously the Assistant General Counsel at Bell Media.

Mike Nunes has been upped from Director to the VP of Current Programming at NBC Entertainment.

Denis O’Connor has been named the Head of Unscripted Programming & Development at Buccaneer Media. He was previously the Creative Director at Big Brother Programming, Initial.

Jennifer Sarlin has been named the SVP of Marketing of TLC. She was formerly the Owner, Creative Director at Benzo Creative.

Alex Villalta has been named the Manager of Creative Affairs at TriStar Television. He was previously the Executive Assistant to Tom Rothman at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Teri Weiss has been named the SVP, Head of Kids/Family Development & Production at Universal Kids Productions. Teri was previously the EVP of Original Programming, Preschool Division at Nickelodeon.

Brandon Zimon has been named the SVP of International Television Sales & Co-Productions at Skydance Media. He was previously the VP of International Distribution at Sony Pictures Television.

Management, PR, Agencies

Due to the Relativity Chapter 11 ruling, there has been a major shake-up at Relativity Sports. President of Relativity Sports Happy Walters along with CFO Andrew Matthews and Co-Chief Operating Officer Greg Shamo have been let go. Founding board member Ron Burkle, who founded The Yucaipa Companies, will now be the Chairman of the Board and has committed $30 million of growth capital to develop the agency. All senior baseball agents have renewed their agreements with Relativity Sports. Two junior agents have resigned. Relativity Sports currently represents 400 athletes in the NBA, NFL and MLB and has plans to add management personnel. Relativity Chapter 11 ruling

Niki Montazaran is now an Agent of Motion Picture Literary at ICM Partners. She was formerly a Coordinator of Feature Literary at Paradigm.

Jelani Johnson has been hired by CAA as an agent in their Motion Picture Literary department. Previously Johnson founded management and production shingle The Mission Entertainment, specializing in repping diversity talent.

Adam Weinstein has been named a Partner at Verve. His clients include writer-director Colin Trevorrow and writer Derek Connolly. Prior to joining Verve he began his career in 2002 at UTA where he started as a talent agent trainee.

Music, Digital, Publishing, Misc.

Somasgear has left Microsoft and his position as VP of their Development Division after 27 years at the company. He previously oversaw the engineering of the company’s developer tools and services, programming languages, and runtimes.

Michael Kamprath has been named the CFO of video intelligence platform, Tubular Labs. He was previously VP of Engineering at Quantcast.

Kevin Arrix has been named the Chief Revenue Officer at location-based mobile advertising company Verve. Formerly, he served as EVP of Worldwide Brand Partnerships at SFX Entertainment.

Michael Barra is now the President of Media & Entertainment at The Araca Group. He was previously the CEO of Stageworks Media.

Steve Bellamy is now the President of Motion Picture & Entertainment at Kodak. He was previously the Chairman, CEO at The Ski Channel & The Surf Channel.

Dea Lawrence is now the CMO of Variety. She was formerly the VP of Western Region at TubeMogul.

Jennifer Harkness is now the SVP of Sales & Development at Cream Productions. She was formerly the Co-Founder of Jumpwire Media.

SSN ORIGINALS

Exec Shuffle for 10/12/15: Big Shake-Up at Relativity Sports, DCSuperHeroGirls.com Site Goes Live, Plus Moves at HBO

Girl Power! DC Comics, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Mattel and Lego have teamed up to launch DCSuperHeroGirls.com, a website showcasing superheroines ranging from WonderWoman to BatGirl. Plus all the news from Relativity Sports as the Chapter 11 ruling shakes out. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

L.A. Riots Movie Finally a Go for Filmmaker John Ridley

The film, set up at Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, is based on the L.A. Riots has been in development since 2006 but with Broad Green coming aboard to produce and distribute the movie, it’s finally all engines go for the 12 Years a Slave helmer. (THR)

Ripped from the Headlines – Leonardo DiCaprio to Develop Movie Based on Volkswagen Clean Diesel Scandal

Maybe DiCaprio should be the next Flash, as his company, Appian Way, is set to develop a film based on Volkswagon clean diesel scandal that’s barely a month old from when it was first talked about in the press. Next time you hear about a scandal, you best be quick if you want to nab the rights. (VAR)

The Top 5 TV Highlights from the New York Comic-Con

In case you missed NYCC, ABC has the TV highlights. From Game of Thrones to Supergirl and Jessica Jones, super heroes are kicking just as much butt on TV as they are on the silver screen, here are the trailers and tweets. (ABC)

Quentin Tarantino is Releasing Different Cuts of Hateful Eight to Create Better Viewing Experiences for Auds

Tarantino is releasing the Hateful Eight in a limited roadshow engagement and in addition to the Ultra Panavision 70mm photography, the film will also be longer than the multiplex version. Not a slight to the multiplex, rather Tarantino just wants to better suit the separate viewing experiences.  (VAR)

Want to Breathe New Life into an Old Concept? Add Women- As is the Case with the Revamped Fantasy Island

Producers are always looking for new ways to revamp content. In line with the A-Team and the Ghostbusters film, women are bringing new life into old concepts. Not only is there not going to be an actual island in the revamp of the Fantasy Island series, but the two leads will now be played by women. (DL)

Luther Creator Neil Cross Wants to Escape from New York

The acclaimed creator of Luther, Neil Cross, will script a revamp of the cult classic, Escape from New York for 20th Century Fox. Considering the original film’s future was 1997, the new version will require some reworking. Word is Fox is looking for it to be on par with their Planet of the Apes franchise. (THR)

Another Digital Star Crosses-Over with Viner King Bach Getting Series by Key & Peele

King Bach, Bachelor has become Vine’s biggest star with 14 million followers and an insane 5.1 billion loops. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele know a good thing when they see it and are executive producing a series around the star which just landed at Fox with significant penalty and has been laid off at sibling 20th Century Fox TV. (DL)

Trailer Buzz: Daredevil Season 2

The Daredevil season 2 teaser trailer was leaked over the weekend when it premiered at the New York Comic-Con. But no need to watch a grainy version, as an official version has been released complete with looks at the Punisher and Elektra. (CB)

The Secrets of the Most Productive People: How Oprah Winfrey Maintains Radical Focus

When it comes to enhancing productivity, why not learn from the best? Winfrey is one of the most powerful and influential people in the world, as well as one of the busiest, with a net worth of $3 billion. She is on the same arduous and perpetual journey as everyone else: trying to find a way to get everything done while maintaining some kind of balance…and she gets it done. Here are some of her secrets. (FC)