SSN ORIGINALS

Exec Shuffle for 11/23/15: Tony Sella Launches Branding Firm AKS Content, Endemol Signs Deal to Project Star Holograms, Shifts at APA

In addition Comedy Gives Back CEO Amber Lawson has launched new MCN Good Amplified, Eric Weinberger is now the president of Bill Simmons Media Group and Nick Collins has been promoted from talent agent to partner at the Gersh Agency among other moves. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

Netflix Expanding Indie Film Slate, Nabbing Chris Sparling’s ‘Mercy’ and the Bob Odenkirk Starrer ‘Girlfriend’s Day’

Netflix is ramping up its movie ambitions, scooping up two new indie films as it campaigns Beasts for an Oscar. “We’re excited to expand our independent film slate and work hand-in-hand with some of today’s great creators,” says CCO Ted Sarandos. (THR)

Need to Clear a Cast-Contingent Pilot for Production? Just Sign On Matt Bomer

Matt Bomer (White Collar, AHS: Hotel) has been tapped as the lead in The Last Tycoon, Amazon Studios’ drama pilot based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s final unfinished novel. The casting of Bomer lifts the cast-contingent order given by Sony’s TriStar Television, clearing the pilot for production. (DL)

Adele’s ’25’ is Only the Second Album to Sell More than 2 Million Copies in a Week

Since Nielsen Music began tracking sales in 1991, Adele’s 25 is only the second album to top 2 million in sales in a week with 2.3 million copies sold and should surpass the single-week sales record, currently held by *NSYNC’s No Strings Attached. (BB)

HBO Takes on Israeli Drama Adaptation ‘Nevelot’ from Happy Madison

Described as a thriller with dark comedic overtones, Bastards follows two elderly Vietnam vets in contemporary Miami, whose resentment of today’s entitled youth causes a small act of self-defense to snowball into something much bigger. (DL)

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Has a New View on Life and Will Leave ‘Fox & Friends’

Hasselbeck, who signed on to Fox News in 2013 after nearly a decade at ABC’s The View, is putting her TV career on hold to devote more time to raising her three children, the network said. (CNN)

Will ‘By the Sea’s Sinking Box Office Drown Future Star Passion Projects?

With the failures of Universal’s By the Sea and Warner Bros.’ Sandra Bullock political drama Our Brand Is Crisis many believe the major studios will be now be more hesitant to finance and put their marketing muscle behind star passion projects. (THR)

Trailer Buzz: Star-Studded ‘The Big Short’ Trailer Drops

The film investigates the housing and credit bubble of the 2000s through the story of four economic “outsiders”, played by Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt. (COL)

TV Trailer Buzz: ‘Full Frontal’ Trailer Takes Notes from ‘Star Wars’

“If you like smart, edgy satire about world events then you are going to love my show,” Samantha Bee says of her new late-night talk show premiering on TBS in February. (VAR)

Try This Unbelievably Easy Productivity Hack

Want to up your productivity? Then learn to use this simple lifehack and hint- it’s something you probably already do. (MON)

Basketball Moms
Network: WETV
Production Company(s): A. Smith & Co. Productions
Executive Producer(s): Arthur Smith, Kent Weed, Frank Sinton, Christmas Rini
Logline: An unscripted series based on five Houston-area mothers whose sons play on rival youth teams and dream of making it to the NBA
SSN Insight: A. Smith & Co. Productions also produce the hit, Hell’s Kitchen. The company’s upcoming shows include Team Ninja Warrior for Esquire and Spartan Race for NBC.

Bastards
Network: HBO
Production Company(s): Happy Madison, Boku Films
Executive Producer(s): Alan Poul, Branden Jacobs Jenkins, Doug Robinson, Mirit Toovi, Yoran Mokady, Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein
Writer(s): Branden Jacobs Jenkins
Logline: Follows two elderly Vietnam vets in contemporary Miami, whose resentment of today’s entitled youth causes a small act of self-defense to snowball into something much bigger.
Details: Based on the Israeli series Nevelot created by Dror Sabo, Daphna Levin, Lee Yardeni and Aviram Buchris and produced by MYtv for the HOT network.
SSN Insight: Poul is attached to direct under his overall deal at HBO. Happy Madison also produces The Goldbergs, now in season 3.

Cat’s Cradle
Network: FX Network
Studio: FX Productions
Production Company(s): Elkins Entertainment, IM Global
Executive Producer(s): Noah Hawley
Writer(s): Noah Hawley
Logline: An apocalyptic tale of this planet’s ultimate fate, featuring a little person as the protagonist and a complete, original theology created by a calypso singer. Based on the novel.
Details: Based on the novel, “Cat’s Cradle,” written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Holt, Rinehardt and Winston in 1963.
SSN Insight: In addition to creating the series Fargo, Noah Hawley is also the executive producer and writer of Legion, the series picked up by FX.

Channel Zero
Network: Syfy
Studio: Universal Cable Productions
Executive Producer(s): Max Landis, Nick Antosca
Writer(s): Nick Antosca
Logline: Each season of this horror anthology will feature new storylines. In the first season, it tells the story of a mysterious children’s television show from the 1980s and the show’s role in a series of murders and one man’s dark secret.
Details: Based on Kris Straub’s “Candle Cove,” a short story that originated from the user-generated Internet horror phenomenon known as creepypasta.
SSN Insight: SyFy has given a straight to series order for two seasons.

Cold Feet
Network: ITV 1
Studio: ITV Studios
Production Company(s): Big Talk Productions
Executive Producer(s): Mike Bullen, Kenton Allen
Writer(s): Mike Bullen
Logline: Thirteen years after the death of Rachel, the series revival explores how Adam has coped without his soulmate, raising their son on his own and answers questions about how the other members of the gang have fared.
Details: The project is a revival of the British series “Cold Feet,” which aired on ITV from 1998-2003. It picks up 13 years after the events of the prior series.
SSN Insight: ITV has given a series order. Stateside, the original series, Cold Feet aired on Bravo and BBC America.

Corporate
Network: Comedy Central
Writer(s): Matt Ingebretson, Jake Weisman, Pat Bishop
Logline: A dark, satirical workplace comedy that follows Matt Ingebretson and Jake Weisman, two junior executives-in-training who are forced to do the dirty work of the higher-ups at one of the world’s largest corporations, Hampton DeVille.
SSN Insight: Comedy Central has given a pilot order. WOMEN sketch group members Jake Weisman and Pat Bishop will also direct.

Cry
Network: The CW
Studio: CBS TV Studios
Production Company(s): Paulist Productions
Executive Producer(s): Kerry Lenhart, John J. Sakmar, Chris Donahue and Marybeth Sprows
Writer(s): Kerry Lenhart, John J. Sakmar
Logline: The story of a doctor who makes the astonishing medical breakthrough to bring cryogenically preserved people back to life, starting with the unfreezing of his own father — but he never expects that restoring life will have both glorious and devastating consequences.
SSN Insight: Begun in 1960, Paulist Productions has produced film and television projects with writers such as John Wells, Michael Crichton, Rod Serling and Tom Fontana. Paulist Productions also formed the Humanitas Prize to celebrate writers who affirm human dignity and explore the meaning of life.

Dead of Summer
Network: ABC Family
Studio: ABC Studios
Production Company(s): Kitsis/Horowitz
Executive Producer(s): Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Ian Goldberg
Writer(s): Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Ian Goldberg
Logline: Set in the late 1980s, school is out for the summer, and a sun-drenched season of firsts beckons the counselors at Camp Clearwater, a seemingly idyllic Midwestern summer camp, including first loves, first kisses – and first kills. Clearwater’s dark, ancient mythology awakens, and what was supposed to be a summer of fun soon turns into one of unforgettable scares and evil at every turn.
SSN Insight: ABC Family gave an initial commitment of multiple scripts plus penalty and has since given a straight to series order.

Haunted
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Production Company(s): Chris Morgan Productions
Executive Producer(s): William Brent Bell, Chris Morgan, Ainsley Davies
Writer(s): William Brent Bell
Logline: A military agent is partnered with her ex-boyfriend, now a rogue demonologist, to help a family overcome a deadly demonic infestation of their home. Based on the book.
Details: Based on the book, “The Demon of Brownsville Road: A Pittsburgh Family’s Battle with Evil in Their Home,” written by Bob Cranmer and published by Berkley Books on August 5, 2014.
SSN Insight: William Brent Bell is the director of STX’s upcoming film, The Boy and he previously was the filmmaker behind the horror films Stay Alive, The Devil Inside and Wer.

Hawaiian Dick
Network: NBC Entertainment
Studio: Universal Television
Executive Producer(s): Johnny Knoxville, David Janollari, Eric Gitter, Michael Rotenberg
Writer(s): Paul Lovett, David Elliot
Logline: Stateside cop, Byrd, is exiled to Hawaii in the early 1950’s and finds himself immersed in a dark and dangerous paradise. Based on a graphic novel.
Details: Based on the graphic novel “Hawaiian Dick,” written by B. Clay Moore, illustrated by Steven Griffin and published by Image Comics January 10, 2008.
SSN Insight: Project was previously in development with New Line Cinema as a feature film in 2004.

Him
Network: ITV 1
Studio: ITV Studios
Production Company(s): Mainstreet Pictures
Executive Producer(s): Laura Mackie, Sally Haynes
Writer(s): Paula Milne
Logline: The story of a 17-year-old boy — known only as “Him” — who is caught in the limbo between childhood and adulthood and the homes of his divorced parents. The teenager tends to act out, but his behavior also is triggered by something else: He’s engaged in a primal struggle to contain the terrifying secret of a supernatural power he inherited from his grandfather — a power that only his aging grandmother understands.
SSN Insight: ITV has given a series order for the three-part horror drama. Shooting starts in London in January.

Hype
Network: TBS
Production Company(s): Underground, Five All in the Fifth Entertainment
Executive Producer(s): Irvine Welsh, Trevor Engelson, Doug Banker
Writer(s): Irvine Welsh
Logline: Set in the world of the Miami art scene.
SSN Insight: A number of novels by Welsh have been adapted to the screen including Filth with James McAvoy. His novel, Porno, a sequel to Trainspotting, will be adapted for film with Boyle and the original cast expected to return.

Lost In Space
Network: Netflix
Production Company(s): Synthesis Entertainment, Legendary Entertainment, Applebox Entertainment
Executive Producer(s): Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Marc Helwig, Neil Marshall, Kevin Burns
Writer(s): Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless
Logline: This is an update of the series about an attempt by the U.S. to colonize deep space by sending a single family, the Robinsons, on a 5 1/2-year journey to another planet. But a foreign secret agent, Dr. Zachary Smith, sabotages the mission, causing the ship to veer off course and become lost in space.
Details: Based on the series, “Lost In Space,” which aired on CBS from 1965-1968.
SSN Insight: Lost in Space was also adapted for the 1998 film starring William Hurt and Mimi Rogers which grossed $135 million worldwide.

Nicole & Jionni’s Shore Flip
Network: FYI
Studio: eOne Television
Production Company(s): No Production Company Available.
Executive Producer(s): Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jionni Lavalle, John Morayniss, Tara Long, Mark Herwick
Writer(s): No Writer Available.
Logline: Reality TV personality turned interior design maven and entrepreneur Nicole Polizzi and her husband, Jionni Lavalle, start a new business together flipping homes on the New Jersey shore.
SSN Insight: FYI has given a series order of 8 episodes.

Read Bottom Up
Network: ABC Entertainment Group
Studio: ABC Studios
Production Company(s): Fake Empire
Executive Producer(s): Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Ben Karlin, Neel Shah, Sloane Crosley
Writer(s): Neel Shah, Sloane Crosley
Logline: Follows young New Yorker’s Madeline and Elliot, who meet then embark on a relationship. Much of it plays out online, under the scrutiny and well-intentioned interference of their respective best friends and confidants Emily and David.
Details: Based on the novel “Read Bottom Up: A Novel,” written by Neel Shah and Skye Chatham and published by Dey Street Books on April 7, 2015.
SSN Insight: ABC has given an initial commitment of a put pilot.

The Beautiful Bureaucrat
Network: CW Television Network
Studio: CBS Television Studios
Production Company(s): Baer Bones, Inc.
Executive Producer(s): Alexandra McNally, Neal Baer
Writer(s): Alexandra McNally
Logline: When a young woman gets a data entry job at a mysterious corporation, she discovers that the information she is logging is building a database that has the power to affect fate – including her own.
Details: Based on the novel, “The Beautiful Bureaucrat,” written by Helen Phillips and published by Henry Holt and Co. on August 11, 2015.
SSN Insight: Last season Baer joined with Marc Cherry for prep school spy drama Cheerleader Death Squad, which went to pilot at the CW.

The Good Karma Hospital
Network: ITV 1
Studio: ITV Studios
Production Company(s): Tiger Aspect
Executive Producer(s): Will Gould, Frith Tiplady, and Iona Vrolyk
Writer(s): Dan Sefton
Logline: it’s set in the tropical paradise of Goa and follows a team of British and Indian medics as they cope with work, life and love at a cottage hospital. Run by a gloriously eccentric Englishwoman, the Good Karma turns no one away.
SSN Insight: ITV has given a series order of six episodes of this series by Peaky Blinders maker Tiger Aspect.

Toward the Light
Network: CBS Entertainment
Studio: CBS Television Studios
Executive Producer(s): Michael Rauch, Jonathan Levin, Jason Egenberg
Writer(s): Michael Rauch
Logline: Based on the book that acts a guide dedicated solely to spirit rescue and its role in saving earthbound spirits from their self-imposed exile on earth.
Details: Based on the book, “Toward the Light: Rescuing Spirits, Trapped Souls, and Earthbound Ghosts,” written by Amy Major and published by New Page Books on May 18, 2015.
SSN Insight: Falls under the two-year overall deal at CBS Television Studios with Royal Pains executive producer/co-showrunner Michael Rauch.

Untitled Eve Babitz Project
Studio: TriStar Television
Production Company(s): The Cantillon Co., Pascal Pictures
Executive Producer(s): Amy Pascal, Elizabeth Cantillon, Suzanne Patmore Gibbs
Logline: Based on the books of Eve Babitz, about her life as a writer, artist, party girl and muse in Los Angeles in the 1970s and 1980s, romancing the likes of Jim Morrison, Steve Martin and Harrison Ford. She became an icon of sexual liberation when at the age of 20 she was photographed playing chess in the nude with the artist Marcel Duchamp.
Details: Based on four books by Eve Babitz: Eve’s Hollywood, Slow Days, Fast Company, Sex And Rage, and LA Woman.
SSN Insight: Sony-based producers Amy Pascal and Elizabeth Cantillon are currently collaborating on the sequel to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl In The Spider Web.

Winsanity
Network: Game Show Network
Production Company(s): Electus, Barracuda Television Productions
Executive Producer(s): Christopher Grant, Barry Poznick
Logline: Each episode features a contestant attempting to rank ten compelling and surprising facts in numerical order, from lowest to highest (i.e.: Which is greater: the number of times a man thinks about sex in a day, or the number of words a woman speaks in a day?). Every time a contestant is correct and wins a prize, so does a randomly selected portion of the studio audience. However, if a contestant gives a wrong answer at any point, they, and the audience lose everything, and a new contestant takes his or her place and continues the game, trying to win prizes that increase in value with each round.
SSN Insight: GSN has given a series order of 40 episodes. Donald Faison of Scrubs and Clueless fame is set to host.

SSN ORIGINALS

TV Development for 11/24/15: Johnny Knoxville Producing NBC Series, Happy Madison Developing ‘Bastards’ for HBO, Amy Pascal Giving New Life to Eve Babitz’s Novels

Among the myriad of other projects moving forward are a sci-fi adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle from Fargo creator Noah Hawley, a new Syfy show from Max Landis, the rebirth of the British series Cold Feet and a new series from Transporting author Irvine Walsh. Click the link for more. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

The Indie Spirit Nominations Are Out, Did Your Film Make the Cut?

Film Independent has announced the nominees for the 31st Independent Spirt Awards, with Carol leading all films with six nominations total, while Spotlight and Beasts of No Nation were next with five, and smaller films Anomalisa and Tangerine each walked away with four nominations in some of the biggest categories. The full list is available if you click the link. The awards will be handed out on Saturday, February 27th. (CW)

Legitimately Big Indie Film News, as The Weinstein Company Will Scale Back On Films To Focus On TV

As the company heads into the holiday season with one of the year’s most acclaimed titles (Carol) and one of its most anticipated awards contenders (The Hateful Eight), it looks like they are already making a surprising New Year’s resolution. TWC will cut back the number of films it releases from 18 a year to between eight and 10, and instead boost its TV presence. The news comes after word that the company would bet letting go of 40 and 50 staffers. (IW)

In the Midst Of a Killer Second Season Comes Word That FX Wants Even More ‘Fargo’

While there is, of course, no word on what the third season of the crime anthology series will be about, what is known is that creator Noah Hawley and executive producers Warren Littlefield, Joel and Ethan Coen, and John Cameron will return. Literally nothing else was revealed. The connective tissue through the first two seasons is the Solverson family, and the locations of Bemidji, Minnesota, Fargo, North Dakota and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. (SF)

Tom Cruise Appears To Be Packing His Schedule Even Tighter, Is In Talks To Headline Universal’s ‘The Mummy’

Studio has been looking for a big star to anchor the film, and is hoping Cruise will fill that role. Alex Kurtzman is helming the film, which will be set in modern day and is set for release on March 24th, 2017. Jon Spaihts wrote the script. Film is planned as the first in a series of interconnected monster films in Universal’s hope to build a cinematic universe out of its vault of classic creature features, including Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Invisible Man. (HV)

Today In Remake News: There Is a ‘Tremors’ Series In Development, and Kevin Bacon Is Attached To Star

The actor is developing a TV-series adaptation of his 1990 cult hit in which he would reprise his role as Valentine McKee. No network is currently attached, which is being shepherded by Universal Cable Productions with Bacon and Andrew Miller on board as EPs. Sci-Fi Channel took a stab at a Tremors series in 2003, but it was cancelled after one season. The franchise also spawned four direct-to-video sequels, none of which Bacon took part in. (TVL)

File Under the ‘It Was Inevitable’ File: Fox Drops ‘Fantastic Four 2’ From Its Schedule

What was considered a surety has now become official, as the studio has removed the proposed sequel from its release schedule. Josh Trank‘s Fantastic Four got a critical lambasting earlier this year which, bundled with rumors of some intense infighting between Trank and his cast and crew, made for a dismal opening weekend and a lot of disappointed fans. Now, it appears Fox has, at least temporarily, abandoned hopes to continue the franchise. (COL)

Meanwhile, the Next ‘Star Trek’ Movie Is Going To Open Big, Agrees To IMAX Release

Star Trek Beyond will receive a worldwide IMAX release when the third film in the rebooted franchise opens on July 22nd. Paramount decided in September to move the film back two weeks from its original July 8th date. It will face Warner Bros.’ King Arthur and Fox’s animated sequel Ice Age: Collision Course. The film will mark the 50th anniversary of the television launch of the landmark science-fiction series. (VAR)

Trudie Styler Snags Abigail Breslin To Star In Her Directorial Debut

Breslin is set to lead an adaptation of Freak Show, based on the cult high school novel. Story revolves around a kid who fights back against being ostracized and bullied by running for Homecoming Queen. Alex Lawther has been cast as the boy, and Breslin will be the head cheerleader and school’s Queen Bee. Bette Midler, AnnaSophia Robb, Ian Nelson and Lorraine Toussaint also star. (EMP)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’

New Line Cinema has released the first look at the theird entry in the popular Ice Cube-led franchise. The movie, which stars Cube, Nicki Minaj, Common, Cedric the Entertainer, Regina Hall, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve, Anthony Anderson, Jaszmine Lewis, and JB Smoove and is directed by Malcolm Lee, hits theaters April 15th, 2016. (CS)

Suki Waterhouse Joins ‘Billionaire Boys Club’ Remake

Suki Waterhouse is joining Ansel Elgort, Taron Egerton and Kevin Spacey in the movie remake of Billionaire Boys Club. (VAR)

College Sex Scandal Drama From Jessica Mecklenburg & Rod Lurie Lands At NBC

NBC has put into development a university-set hourlong drama penned by Jessica Mecklenburg that has Rod Lurie attached to direct the pilot and executive produce. The project, titled Fated, is from Michael Eisner’s Tornante TV and Universal Television. (DH)

David Letterman’s Company Hit With Contract Lawsuit From Lee Gabler

Lee Gabler has sued The Late Show With David Letterman producer Worldwide Pants claiming the company owes him $280,000 after after it abruptly stopped paying him under a consulting contract. (THR)

Jason Street Will Play Coach Taylor In The Unauthorized Musical Of ‘Friday Night Lights’

The team that brought you unauthorized musical productions of The O.C. and Cruel Intentions is taking on another one of your nostalgic favorites: Friday Night Lights. (VUL)

5 Tips For Documentary Filmmakers On How To Make The Most Of Your Producers

Last week, three documentarians came together for DOC NYC to discuss the “Anatomy of Producing.” Here are their tips for independent filmmakers on how to help get their projects funded. (IW)

A Mother Lets The Balance Tip Toward Work—And Doesn’t Apologize

Work and parenting are rarely separate in the life of Austin Film Festival founder Barbara Morgan. (FC)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Captain America: Civil War’

Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. joined forces to reveal the teaser trailer for the May 6, 2016 movie on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. (EW)

Screenwriters: ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’

The June 22, 1960 second draft by George Axelrod. (DS)

CAA: In-demand young actor Joe Alwyn has been snagged by CAA. He will continue to be co-repped by his previous agency, Independent Talent Group in the UK. He will next be seen starring in Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk alongside Vin Diesel, Chris Tucker, Kristen Stewart and Steve Martin. He also co-stars in Ritesh Batra’s The Sense Of An Ending opposite Jim Broadbent and Emily Mortimer.

UTA: Actress Shailene Woodley has moved to UTA for representation following her point agent, Ryan Bartlett, after he moved from Paradigm to UTA. Woodley has starred in Lionsgate’s Divergent franchise. The third film is set for a release in 2016. She also will appear opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Oliver Stone’s Snowden. Her previous film, The Fault in Our Stars, grossed more than $300 million worldwide last year.

CAA: Filmmaker David Robert Mitchell has shifted from WME to CAA. His first film, The Myth Of The American Sleepover, premiered at SXSW in 2010 and won the Special Jury Prize. He wrote/directed/produced the horror film It Follows, which premiered at Cannes last year. Radius-TWC released it domestically, and it grossed close to $15 million to make it Radius-TWC’s most successful film to date. On the TV side he is writing an original pilot he sold to Universal Cable for an hourlong noir drama, Mr. Postman.

Brillstein: Social media star and digital media personality Cameron Dallas has signed with Brillstein Entertainment Partners. He recently won the Male Web Star trophy at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards, Dallas ranks as the No. 11 most-followed Viner, has more than 4 million YouTube subscribers and 27 million followers across his social media accounts. Dallas made his film debut in 2014, starring in Awesomeness TV’s Expelled. He will continue to be repped by WME and Hanson Jacobsen.

APA: Writer Sarah Tarkoff has signed up with APA for representation. She is a writer on ABC’s Mistresses and in 2015 sold her debut YA sci-fi novel Eye Of The Beholder to HarperCollins in a competitive three-book deal. She has also written episodes of Arrow and The Witches Of East End.

Primary Wave: Actor/Producer Mark Roberts has signed with Primary Wave Entertainment. He previously created Mike & Molly and exited the show after three seasons in 2013. He has also written for Two And A Half Men. On the film side, he produced the film In a World.. and executive produced the film Big Sur, both released in 2013.

WME: Educational YouTube mashup artist John Boswell, also known as Melodysheep, has signed with WME. He’s known for using clips from science documentaries and lectures, auto-tuning the spoken words, and turning them into music video mashups. He is best known for his Symphony of Science music video series, which has garnered more than 110 million views on YouTube and been used as an educational tool in classrooms around the world. Boswell also created the video series PBS Icons Remixed, featuring Bob Ross, Julia Child, LeVar Burton and Mr. Rogers.

Awesomeness Films, the feature production arm of multi-platform producer and MCN AwesomenessTV, has inked a first look deal with Jurassic Party, a new production company targeting young adult content headed by Brian Duffield and Nicki Cortese. Duffield is the EP and writer of the feature The Babysitter, currently in production and being directed by McG. Cortese spent two years as VP of film and television at producers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher’s Red Wagon Entertainment.

Writer-director-producers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg have signed a first-look television deal with Lionsgate to develop and produce original, scripted comedy programming. The first project in the deal is Fair and Balanced, a single-camera comedy that was set up at ABC with Kal Penn attached to star and executive produce. They previously were the team behind the Harold & Kumar films. On the film side the duo are producing The Pact at Good Universe, along with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey Pictures for Kay Cannon to direct.

Indie distributor Front Row Entertainment has signed a five-year first-run output deal for the Middle East and North Africa with Qatar’s Al-Jazeera Media Network, beIN Media. Titles under the deal include Oliver Stone’s Snowden, Mel Gibson’s thriller Blood Father, and Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire. beIN Media is the dominant sports broadcaster in the Arab world after re-branding from Al Jazeera Sports in 2014. The platform is available across the Middle East and North Africa, France, the U.S., Canada, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines and Australia.

Pure Flix Entertainment, has formed its own U.S. theatrical distribution arm and hired Regal Entertainment VP of Film, Ken Rather to head the new division, with former Disney exec Daniel Lange signed on as their General Sales Manager. The company was behind the very successful faith-based film, God’s Not Dead which grossed $60 million and is also prepping the sequel for a April 1 release. The company released Do You Believe? and Woodlawn this year as part of a plan to release four films per year.

Producers Peter Pastorelli, Marshall Johnson and Eddie Rubin have together launched Long Road Film, a production company with the target of producing multiple films per year with budgets in the $5 million to $10 million range. Gersh will rep the venture. Their first project will be the The Last Poker Game, a drama starring Martin Landau, Paul Sorvino and Maria Dizzia. Also in development from Long Road is the film Consume, written by Milan Tomasevic.

SSN ORIGINALS

Film & TV Deals for 11/25/15: Awesomeness Films Signs Jurassic Party, Harold & Kumar’s Hurwitz and Schlossberg Ink with Lionsgate, Pure Flix Launches Distribution Arm

A very light week leading up to holiday sees only a handful of deals, most of which are referenced in the headline above. Still, to get more facts about each one, you should probably click on the link to read on and get the full skinny. (SSN)

Rep Moves for 11/25/15: Shailene Woodley Follows Her Agent to UTA, CAA Snags Joe Alwyn, WME Signs YouTuber John Boswell aka Melodysheep

Meanwhile, it was a busier week in rep moves, as several talented folks found themselves with new representation. Among those are the writer-director-producer of this year’s horror hit It Follows, not to mention one of the former stars of Mike and Molly. Celebrate Thanksgiving a day early by checking out all the relevant info. (SSN)

OTHER HEADLINES

Almost One Year Later, Sony Hacking Suit Settlement Gets Preliminary Approval

U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner wrote that the settlement agreement for ex-employees who sued over last year’s massive cyber attack “appears to be fair and reasonable on its face.” The settlement, reached in September, includes additional years of identity protection services, a $2 million fund to compensate for unreimbursed expenses and up to $2.5 million for losses from ID theft. (VAR)

Add “Director” To the List Of Things Describing Jennifer Lawrence, as the Girl On Fire Signs On To Make Helming Debut

With her run as Katniss Everdeen coming to an end, and her upcoming role in David O. Russell’s Joy in theaters on Christmas Day, Lawrence has announced that she is planning to make her directorial debut with a film called Project Delirium, about the mental warfare of the 1960s. There is no time frame for when she would get behind the camera and no word on a script. (COL)

One Small Step, Indeed: Ryan Gosling In Talks To Play Neil Armstrong In Biopic

Whiplash director Damien Chazelle is behind the project, which Spotlight co-writer Josh Singer is busy adapting is based on the book First Man: The Life Of Neil A. Armstrong by James Hansen. It’ll chronicle his time as a Navy bomber flyer and then test pilot, where he would push planes to the limit and beyond. In the 1960s, he was recruited to work for NASA, rising up the ranks and ending up leading 1969’s Apollo 11 mission to the moon. (EMP)

Bollywood Remake Alert! Jon Favreau’s ‘Chef’ To Get a Whole New Hindi Language Version

While a director is still to be named, the Hindi-language remake will star Saif Ali Khan as a professional chef (played by Favreau in the original) who quits his job to run his own food truck in Los Angeles. The project is backed by Abundantia Entertainment, Eros International and Alumbra Entertainment. (THR)

‘Girl Meets World’ Earns a Season Three, Which Means It’s More Like ‘Girl Meets High School’

Disney Channel has ordered a third season of the show, which will see the show’s stars — Rowan Blanchard, Sabrina Carpenter, Peyton Meyer and Corey Fogelmanis — heading into the next phase of their education/world-meeting. This won’t be the first major shake-up for the sophomore series, as the recently introduced love triangle between original trio Riley, Lucas and Maya will come to a head in next week’s episode, “Girl Meets the New Year.” (TVL)

So, We Will See Superman On ‘Supergirl’ After All, Sort Of

The series is looking to cast a 13-year-old actor with “future leading man looks” for the role of Kal-El in a series of flashbacks set to establish his bond with Kara. The problem, of course, is that in the context of the series, Kara was trapped in The Phantom Zone when Kal was that age. Melissa Benoist leads the cast in the title role, alongside Mehcad Brooks, Laura Benanti, Calista Flockhart, Chyler Leigh, Jeremy Jordan, David Harewood, Dean Cain and Helen Slater. (CS)

How They Shot That: the Spectacular War Rig Chase From This Summer’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

Veteran cinematographer John Seale came out of retirement to collaborate once again with George Miller. Only this was no Lorenzo’s Oil, the last film he shot for Miller. With usual Mad Max DP Dean Semler out of the picture, Seale stepped out of his comfort zone to tackle the reboot, which turned out to be the best action film in years — and in what is still the best post-apocalyptic franchise. Here, he discusses the climactic sequence. (TOH)

Trailer Buzz: ‘The Little Prince’

Paramount Pictures has released the first extended trailer for the upcoming animated feature, based on the beloved children’s book. Starring the voice talents of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdam, Paul Rudd, Bud Cort, Marion Cotillard, Benicio Del Toro, James Franco, Ricky Gervais, Paul Giamatti, Albert Brooks and Mackenzie Foy, and directed by Kung Fu Panda’s Mark Osbourne, the film hits theaters in March. (SF)

Pixar Dominates Annie Awards Nominations With ‘Inside Out’ And ‘Good Dinosaur’

Inside Out garnered 13 nominations and The Good Dinosaur 10, giving the Disney-owned company the two top nominees. Illumination Entertainment’s Minions received seven noms, while Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson’s unconventional Anomalisa received five. (WRAP)

‘Spotlight’ Wins Big At 2015 Gotham Awards

Spotlight was named best feature at the 2015 Gotham Awards, capping an evening of wins for the film that also included the award for screenplay and a previously announced special jury prize for its acting ensemble. (VAR)

Reese Witherspoon Developing Movie About Barbie Creator, With An Eye To Star

Witherspoon’s production banner Pacific Standard is teaming with Bold Films to develop a movie based on Robin Gerber’s book Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her.  The project is a potential starring vehicle for Witherspoon. (EW)

Tupac Biopic Finds New Director

With the clock ticking on Morgan Creek’s Tupac Shakur movie, the company is in the midst of hiring music video and commercial director Benny Boom to replace Carl Franklin as director. (THR)

Joe Shrapnel And Anna Waterhouse Close Deal To Rewrite ‘The Gray Man’ For Charlize Theron

Writing team Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse have closed a deal to rewrite The Gray Man, based on the novel by Mark Greaney, at Sony. Christopher McQuarrie is attached to direct with Charlize Theron attached to star. (DH)

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ China Release Set for January

The Walt Disney Company announced that the Star Wars: The Force Awakens China release has been set for January 9, 2016 on screens across the country. A Chinese poster was also released. (CS)

‘Point Break’s’ China World Premiere Is First Of Its Kind

Beijing was the host city for the world premiere of Point Break from DMG Entertainment, Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. This is the first time that a global launch of a Hollywood title has taken place in the Middle Kingdom. (DH)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Batman vs. Superman’ Teaser

Online Film School: Thirteen Things You Can Do To Become a Better First AD

Assistant Directors are one of the most valuable crew members on a production. Your AD is responsible for on-set communication, department coordination, maintaining the shooting schedule, conflict resolution and safety. Want to become a better AD on set? Follow these 13 principles to fast-track yourself. (IW)

It happened so fast. Suddenly it’s the holiday and awards season and time to bust out the credit cards for gifts and your pens for film ballots. This year is no different as December promises a month full of award nomination polls opening and a busy holiday season. Against the backdrop of sure-to-be Oscar nominated films like Macbeth headed to theaters, the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is being heralded as the juggernaut to beat at the box office with nary a competitor that will come close. Come Christmas day, there will be an onslaught of major releases, though, in the form of The Hateful Eight, The Revenant, Daddy’s Home, Point Break, Joy and Concussion. On the TV side, Netflix will stack up your queue with new shows that include F is for Family and Dawn of the Croods, among others. There’s also of live and in person events throughout Los Angeles including boat parades and pop-up markets to find unique gifts. So bundle up and read on below for what’s coming your way in December.

December Events Calendar

Tuesday, December 1
Happy Birthday Zoe Kravitz, Bette Midler, Sarah Silverman
TV – Full Throttle Saloon on Destination America, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce on Bravo, Real Rob (New) on Netflix, Married at First Sight on FYI, Fixer Upper on HGTV
Annie Award Nominations Announced
National Board of Review Winners Announced
WGA: Preliminary Screenplay Online Voting Begins
LA Zoo Lights at the Los Angeles Zoo Through January 3
Taking Back Tuesday: Emo Night LA at the Echoplex
Porto/Post/Doc: Film & Media Festival in Portugal Through December 8

Wednesday, December 2
Happy Birthday Britney Spears, Nelly Furtado, Lucy Liu
TV – Top Chef on Bravo, The Challenge on MTV, Santa’s in the Barn (NEW) on truTV, RocketJump: The Show (NEW) on Hulu, Rev Runs Around the World (New) on Travel
DGA: Online Voting For Feature Film Nominations Opens
HFPA, Golden Globes Final Screening Date For Motion Pictures
Funny Women Festival at IO West in Hollywood, Through December 5

Thursday, December 3
Happy Birthday Jenna Dewan, Ozzy Osbourne, Amanda Seyfried
WGA: Television, New Media, Radio, News, Promotional Writing, and Graphic Animation Nominations Announced
Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me Live at the Dolby Theater

Friday, December 4
Happy Birthday Jay Z, Tyra Banks, Orlando Bloom
FILM – Macbeth, Everything Will Be Fine, A Royal Night Out, Life, The Wannabe, Youth, MI-5, Night Owls, Dementia, Krampus, The Lady in the Van, dream/killer, Orion: The Man Who Would Be King, My Friend Victoria, The Messenger, Christmas Eve, The Letters: The Epic Life Story of Mother Teresa
TV – Marriage Boot Camp on WE

Saturday, December 5
Happy Birthday Frankie Muniz, Little Richard, Paula Patton
HFPA, Golden Globes Final Date For Motion Picture Press Conference
Los Angeles Harbor Holiday Afloat Parade at Battleship Iowa, San Pedro
Artisanal LA Holiday City Market at Various LA Locations
Unique USA LA Holiday Market at the California Market Center Through December 6

Sunday, December 6
Happy Hanukkah (Through December 14)
Happy Birthday Judd Apatow, Lindsay Price, Nick Park
TV – Work Out New York (New) on Bravo
British Independent Film Awards

Monday, December 7
Happy Birthday Nicholas Hoult, Terrell Owens, Jennifer Carpenter
TV – The Great Christmas Light Fight on ABC, Telenovela (New) on NBC
AFI: Honorees Announced
SAG Nomination Ballots Deadline
HFPA, Golden Globe Nomination Ballots Deadline
Film Independent’s Documentary Lab Application Deadline

Tuesday, December 8
Happy Birthday Nicki Minaj, Ian Somerhalder, AnnaSophia Robb
TV – Kate Plus 8 on TLC, Tripped (New) on E4, Born This Way (New) on A&E
PGA: Nomination Polls Open

Wednesday, December 9
Happy Birthday Simon Helberg, Kirk Douglas, Judi Dench
TV – Finding My Father (New) on Oxygen, Rich in Faith (New) on Oxygen
BAFTA: Round One Voting Opens
SAG: Nominations Announced

Thursday, December 10
Happy Birthday Raven Symone, Nia Peeples, Bobby Flay
HFPA, Golden Globes Nominations Announced
Taiwan International Documentary Festival Deadline
Vincent Laforet: Air Exhibit at the Fahey/Klein Gallery Through January 30
American Country Awards
Hilary Hahn at Walt Disney Concert Hall Through December 12

Friday, December 11
Happy Birthday Hailee Steinfeld, Mo’Nique, Rider Strong
FILM – The Big Short, In the Heart of the Sea, The Girl in the Book, The Boy and the World, Don Verdean, Bleeding Heart, Close Range, Snervous Tyler Oakley, American Hero
TV – Transparent on Amazon

Saturday, December 12
Happy Birthday Mayim Bialik, Regina Hall, Jennifer Connelly
AFI DOCS (formerly Silverdocs) Early Deadline
European Film Awards
Marina Del Rey Boat Parade at Fisherman’s Village
Bergamot Station Holiday Open House in Santa Monica
A Current Affair: Pop Up Vintage Marketplace at Cooper Design Space Through December 13

Sunday, December 13
Happy Birthday Taylor Swift, Dick Van Dyke, Jamie Foxx
TV – Married by Mom and Dad (New) on TLC, Then and Now (New) on Bravo

Monday, December 14
Happy Birthday Vanessa Hudgens, Patty Duke, Miranda Hart
TV – Love & Hip Hop on VH1, The Expanse (New) on Syfy
Los Angeles Film Festival Official Deadline

Tuesday, December 15
Happy Birthday Erika Tham, Adam Brody, Don Johnson
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Late Submission Deadline
Live Talks LA at New Roads School in Santa Monica

Wednesday, December 16
Happy Birthday Theo James, Anna Popplewell, Benjamin Bratt
AFI Awards Announced
SAG Final Ballots Mailed
Seinfeld: The Apartment Installation Presented by Hulu at 8445 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, Through December 20
Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade Through December 20

Thursday, December 17
Happy Birthday Pope Francis, Sarah Paulson, Milla Jovovich
BAFTA: Qualified Films Must Screen To BAFTA Members Before This Date
Star Wars Marathon at El Capitan

Friday, December 18
Happy Birthday Brad Pitt, Christina Aguilera, Steven Spielberg
FILM – Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Sisters, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, Extraction, Noma My Perfect Storm, Anguish
TV – F is for Family (New) on Netflix, Glitter Force (New) on Netflix, Making a Murderer (New) on Netflix
The Music Center Holiday Sing-Along at the Music Center
Muse at the Staples Center

Saturday, December 19
Happy Birthday Jake Gyllenhaal, Alyssa Milano, Cicely Tyson

Sunday, December 20
Happy Birthday Jonah Hill, Dick Wolf, Ramon Rodriguez
TV – Undercover Boss on CBS

Monday, December 21
Happy Birthday Samuel L. Jackson, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Collins
HFPA, Golden Globes Final Ballots Mailed To All HFPA Members

Tuesday, December 22
Happy Birthday Ralph Fiennes, Meghan Trainor, Jordin Sparks

Wednesday, December 23
Happy Birthday Susan Lucci, Harry Shearer, Estella Warren
FILM – 45 Years, Where to Invade Next
Tribeca Film Festival: Late Deadline

Thursday, December 24
Happy Birthday Ricky Martin, Ryan Seacrest, Stephenie Meyer
TV – Dawn of the Croods (New) on Netflix
LA County Holiday Celebration at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Friday, December 25
Merry Christmas
Happy Birthday Jimmy Buffet, Annie Lennox, Sissy Spacek
FILM – The Revenant, Daddy’s Home, Point Break, Joy, Concussion, The Hateful Eight
TV – Fungus the Bogey Man (New) on Sky 1

Saturday, December 26
Happy Birthday Jared Leto, Kit Harington, Samantha Boscarino
Tribeca Film Festival Film Submission Deadline

Sunday, December 27
Happy Birthday Emilie De Ravin, Masi Oka, Olivia Cooke

Monday, December 28
Happy Birthday Stan Lee, John Legend, Denzel Washington

Tuesday, December 29
Happy Birthday Jude Law, Alison Brie, Jon Voight, Mary Tyler Moore, Danny McBride, Ted Danson
TV – Almost Genius (New) on truTV

Wednesday, December 30
Happy Birthday LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Ellie Goulding, Tyrese Gibson
FILM – Anomalisa
AMPAS: Nominations Voting Opens

Thursday, December 31
New Year’s Eve
Happy Birthday Gabby Douglas, Anthony Hopkins, Nicholas Sparks, Ben Kingsley

–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.–

Killing Patton
Network: National Geographic Channel
Production Company(s): Ridley Scott Films
Executive Producer(s): Bill O’Reilly, Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Mary Lisio
Writer(s): Tony Peckham
Logline: The story focuses on the death of the World War II general. It explores the final year of the war and recounts the events surrounding Patton’s suspicious demise, which may have been an assassination by any number of powerful individuals who wanted him silenced. Based on the book.
Details: Based on the book, “Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious General,” written by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard and published by Henry Holt and Company on September 23, 2014.
SSN Insight: NatGeo has ordered the project as a 4-hour miniseries.

My Friend 50
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
Studio: Universal Television
Production Company(s): Will Packer Productions, G-Unit Film & Television Inc.
Executive Producer(s): Will Packer, 50 Cent
Writer(s): Ava Tramer
Logline: Amanda Kramer is an unstable twenty-something who believes that joining 50 Cent’s entourage is the answer to all her problems. Her unlikely journey with 50 Cent’s crew takes the form of a bizarre documentary commissioned by the most unreliable narrator in history: Amanda.
SSN Insight: Fox has given an initial script commitment.

No Tomorrow
Network: CW Television Network
Studio: CBS Television Studios
Production Company(s): Electus
Executive Producer(s): Corinne Brinkerhoff, Ben Silverman, Sean Canino
Writer(s): Corinne Brinkerhoff, Scott McCabe, Tory Stanton
Logline: Sarah is a risk-averse quality-control assessor who falls for free-spirited thrill seeker Xavier, only to find out he lives his life that way because he believes the apocalypse is coming.
Details: Based on the Brazilian format, “How To Enjoy The End Of the World.”
SSN Insight: Brinkerhoff previously worked on The Good Wife and is the creator and executive producer of CBS’s recently picked-up American Gothic set to launch in summer of 2016.

Rambo: New Blood
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
Production Company(s): Millennium Films, eOne Television
Executive Producer(s): Avi Lerner, John Morayniss, Sylvester Stallone, Jeb Stuart
Writer(s): Jeb Stuart
Logline: About a troubled Vietnam War veteran and former Green Beret who is skilled in many aspects of survival, weaponry, hand to hand combat and guerrilla warfare.
Details: Based on the novel, “First Blood,” written by David Morrell and published by Lippincott in 1972.
SSN Insight: Rambo rights owner Nu Image/Millenium Films and eOne originally joined forces to develop a Rambo TV series in 2013. Stuart just penned two miniseries projects for History, The Liberators and Boys of 67. It’s not confirmed whether Stallone will act in the series.

Tremors
Studio: Universal Cable Productions
Production Company(s): Blumhouse Productions
Executive Producer(s): Kevin Bacon
Writer(s): Andrew Miller
Logline: An adaptation of the film “Tremors” about a giant man eating worm.
Details: Based on the 1990 film “Tremors.”
SSN Insight: No network is attached yet, but per UCP, there are multiple bidders interested. Kevin Bacon is attached to star.

Trial
Network: Amazon
Studio: Amazon Studios
Production Company(s): No Production Company Available.
Executive Producer(s): David E. Kelley, Jonathan Shapiro, Ross Fineman, David Semel
Writer(s): David E. Kelley, Jonathan Shapiro
Logline: Having been expelled from his lucrative, respectable, even legendary career as an attorney under a very dark cloud, Billy spends most of his days getting drunk, with the occasional case tossed his way by his ex-wife, Julie, who works for the same high-powered, high profile firm he co-founded. When Billy becomes involved with a wrongful death case brought to him by a young lawyer, who’s just been punitively fired from his old firm, he finds himself up against a formidable opponent.
SSN Insight: Kevin Costner was previously in discussions to play the lead role, but opted not to proceed. Amazon has given a series order of ten episodes.

The Long Road Home
Network: National Geographic Channel
Executive Producer(s): Mike Medavoy, Jason Clark, Benjamin Anderson and Edward McGurn
Writer(s): Mikko Alanne
Logline: It will chronicle the events of April 4, 2004, a day that became known in military annals as “Black Sunday,” when a newly-arrived Platoon from the First Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas, was ambushed in Sadr City in Baghdad.
Details: Based on Martha Raddatz’s bestselling novel, “The Long Road Home”.
SSN Insight: The adaptation will be a miniseries. Alanne previously scripted the film, The 33 starring Antonio Banderas.

Rattle
Production Company(s): Archery Pictures
Executive Producer(s): Liza Marshall and Kris Thykier
Logline: About a sinister bone collector who has a macabre obsession with his museum of medical oddities. Now it seems the time has come for a fresh harvest, and it’s down to Detective Etta Fitzroy to hunt down this psychopath before he can add to his collection.
Details: Based on the debut novel by former Daily Mirror showbiz reporter Fiona Cummins entitled “Rattle” published by Pan Macmillan.
SSN Insight: Archery Pictures, which launched last year, also is developing a 10-part series entitled Mafiya, penned by William Nicholson and picked up by ITV and The Weinstein Company.

AWARDS HEADLINES

Awards 2016: Producer Finola Dwyer Walks Us Through the Streets of ‘Brooklyn’s Serendipitous Journey to the Screen

The producer loves moves. She loves talking about them, going to them, and especially making them. Now, the movie she considers her most personal is considered one of the year’s finest and, six years after getting her first Oscar nomination for producing An Education, she is getting ready to ride the awards train all over again. (SSN)

National Board Of Review Announces Its Winners, With ‘Mad Max’ and ‘The Martian’ Coming Up Big

Mysterious organization named George Miller’s film the best of the year, while handing out Best Director, Actor and Adapted Screenplay honors to Ridley Scott, Matt Damon and Drew Goddard, respectively, the team behind the blockbuster adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel. Brie Larson won Best Actress for her brilliant turn in Room. Click the link for the full list. (TP)

There Will Be Blood: How Will Two Highly Anticipated Films, Brutal Films Be Received By Oscar?

With everything but the still under-wraps Star Wars: The Force Awakens now having unspooled for Oscar voters this year, the season’s cards are pretty much on the table. On December 30th, ballots will be in hand, and Academy members will start to decide on nominees. But Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s The Revenant and Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight will be sending them to the polls with a violent pair of final salvos. (IC)

OTHER HEADLINES

SSN Events Calendar: ‘Star Wars’, ‘The Reverant’, ‘Macbeth’, Holiday Events in LA & All the Award Nomination Starts in December

It happened so fast. Suddenly it’s the holiday and awards season and time to bust out the credit cards for gifts and your pens for film ballots. This year is no different as December promises a month full of award nomination polls opening and a busy holiday season. So bundle up and read on below for what’s coming your way in December. (SSN)

TV Development For 12/1/15: Kevin Bacon to Star in ‘Tremors’, Fox Developing Series with 50 Cent, and More

Lots of new stuff on the horizon, both on the networks and on cable, including projects from Nat Geo and Amazon. Updates on new shows from Mike Medavoy, David E. Kelley, and an adaptation of the Bill O’Reilly book Killing Patton are all in the news. Click the link for all the info. (SSN)

Riding a High With His Latest Portrayal Of ‘Rocky’, Sylvester Stallone Is Now Developing a ‘Rambo’ TV Show

Fox is currently working with Sly to make a father-son show based off of his Rambo franchise. Network closed the development deal early this week on Rambo: New Blood, which will focus on Rambo’s relationship with his ex-Navy Seal son, J.R., with the focus largely being on an aging John Rambo. Stallone is expected to return to the role he originated. Jeb Stuart wrote the pilot and would likely lead the writer’s room if the series was okayed (COL)

With So Many Christmas Movies Under His Belt, It’s Only Natural Chris Columbus Is Developing a New One

Previously behind the first two Home Alones, Gremlins, Jingle All The Way and Christmas With The Cranks, the producer/director is developing yet another seasonal movie. He’s part of the team putting together a family adventure called 12/24. Story involves two brothers who find an old home video proving the existence of Santa. They then set a trap to catch him, but when it goes wrong and Santa gets injured, our boys have to save Christmas. (EMP)

Sierra Pictures Corrals ‘The Perfect Guy’ Helmer To Direct Its Thriller, ‘How It Ends’

David M. Rosenthal, who hit a home run helming the September box office hit, has boarded the production company’s action thriller. The Black List script from Brooks McLaren centers on a mysterious apocalyptic event that turns the roads into mayhem, and a young father will stop at nothing to get home to his pregnant wife on the other side of the country. (DH)

TruTV Renews Comedy ‘Those Who Can’t,’ Puts Three New Scripted Pilots in Development

Continuing to ramp up scripted programming, cable net has renewed its first-ever scripted series for a second season months ahead of its premiere. The cabler has also put three new scripted projects into development. The pre-launch renewal is an unprecedented move for the cable net, which has ordered 13 episodes for the second season of Those Who Can’t. (VAR)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Outlander’

Starz has released the teaser trailer for the upcoming second season of the hit show, adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling series of novels. The show will return in the spring. (CS)

Mark Zuckerberg Vows To Donate 99% Of His Facebook Shares For Charity

Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and chief executive of Facebook, announced that he and his wife would give 99 percent of their Facebook shares “during our lives” — holdings currently worth more than $45 billion — to charitable purposes. (NYT)

15 Documentary Features Advance In 2015 Oscar Race – See What Made The Cut

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards. The 15 were culled from 154 films that were originally submitted in the category. (IW)

Helen Mirren Joining Will Smith In ‘Collateral Beauty’

Helen Mirren is in talks to join Will Smith in New Line’s comedic drama Collateral Beauty. David Frankel is directing the project, which has a script by Allan Loeb. (THR)

50 Cent Developing ‘My Friend 50′ Comedy For Fox

The veteran rapper (real name Curtis Jackson) is teaming with Will Packer to produce the My Friend 50 comedy for Fox, in which he’s also expected to make occasional appearances as a version of himself. (BILL)

ABC Developing Latino Family Comedy From ‘Accepted’ Scribe Mark Perez

ABC has bought Accidentes, a Latino family comedy pitch from Mark Perez, Eric Tannenbaum and CBS TV Studios. Perez also executive produces with the Tannenbaum Company’s Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum.  (DH)

Reese Witherspoon’s ‘Opening Belle’ Movie Draws Writer

Warner Bros. is moving ahead with Reese Witherspoon’s Wall Street comedy Opening Belle, tapping Matthew Aldrich to adapt Maureen Sherry Klinsky’s upcoming novel. (VAR)

Oprah Winfrey Memoir Auction Hits 8-Figures; Flatiron Books Leads Pack

Oprah Winfrey is headed toward an eight-figure payday to write her remarkable life story. Flatiron Books — a division of Macmillan — is the front-runner. (DH)

‘Spectre’ Is 2nd-Highest-Grossing James Bond Movie

The latest Daniel Craig thriller fails to match the U.K. and U.S. numbers of Skyfall, which will remain the only 007 film to top $1 billion globally. (WRAP)

Screenwriters: ‘Cliffhanger’

The March 30, 1992 shooting draft by Michael France, Terry Hayes, Sylvester Stallone. (DS)

CAA: Oscar-winning screenwriter of Argo, Chris Terrio, has re-signed with CAA. Previously he was with WME for two years. He recently wrote the script for the highly anticipated tentpole Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and will also pen the Justice League films. His writing credits also include A Foreigner at Paramount, Tell No One at Warner Bros and Universal, and The Ends Of The Earth at The Weinstein Company.

WME: Mega-reality star and producer Simon Cowell and his shingle Syco Entertainment have shifted from CAA to WME. Cowell will work with WME to expand Syco’s film, scripted and unscripted television departments as well as its music brands. He will next be seen on the judging panel of NBC’s new season of America’s Got Talent, which he co-created and executive produces. On the film side, Syco produced the 2013 One Direction 3D documentary This Is Us. Earlier in 2015, Syco joined with Kenny Ortega on a music-driven film set up at Sony Pictures.

UTA: Two-time Oscar nominee for In America and Lowdown, Samantha Morton has been signed by UTA. The English actress will next be seen in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the spinoff trilogy from the Harry Potter franchise. Further out she will appear in the British TV series The Last Panthers. Previously she starred in BBC’s Cider With Rosie and made her directorial debut on Oscilloscope Pictures’ The Unloved, which won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Single Drama.

CAA: Digital star Logan Paul has shifted from UTA to CAA for representation in all areas. He is the 2015 winner of the Streamy Award for Best Short Form Comedian. He has a combined audience of more than 20 million including 8.8 million on Vine. He also has 300 million video views and counting via Facebook. He’s a multi-hyphenate as a comedian, actor, writer, director and digital creator. He’s partnered with Pepsi, HBO, Virgin Mobile, Disney, Nike’s Air Jordan, Hanes and Verizon, among others, for digital marketing campaigns.

UTA: Digital star Deva Dalporto has signed with UTA. She’s known for creating mom-themed parody videos to popular songs including the viral hit “I Just Need Some Space” which garnered over 10 million views. Previously she was a Senior Editor for Nickelodeon’s parenting website. Dalporto’s videos have received a combined 50 million views across YouTube, her blog mylifesuckers.com and major parenting websites. This year, whe was awarded with a BlogHer Voice of the Year Award for her work in video.

AWARDS HEADLINES

Awards 2016: Director Lenny Abrahamson Delves into ‘Room’, The Film That ‘Made Grown Agents Cry’

If there is any lesson to be learned from Lenny Abrahamson, any single kernel of knowledge to be gleaned from his experiences, it might be this: know how to write a proper letter. That is, after all, how he got the attention of the book’s author, Emma Donoghue, and eventually snagged the job. (SSN)

New York Film Critics Circle Announces Its Awards, Makes ‘Carol’ the Year’s Big Winner

While the movie took top honors for Film, Director, Cinematography and Screenplay, Cate Blanchett was beaten out for Best Actress by Brooklyn star Saorise Ronan. Michael Keaton took Best Actor honors, while Kristen Stewart and Mark Rylance were the other big acting winners. Click the link for the full list. (VUL)

With the NYFCC Announcement, Something To Think About: How Critics Awards Can Widen Oscar’s Playing Field

In 2011, the organization had seemingly had enough of lagging behind other groups in the year-end superlatives game. That year, it surprisingly set a November 29 date for voting, leaping ahead of the National Board of Review — a compendium of film enthusiasts, filmmakers and academics that dates back to 1909 — and far out in front of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. That’s where they’ve remained, first to pass judgment on the year in cinema. (IC)

OTHER HEADLINES

Rep Moves for 12/2/15: Simon Cowell Shifts to WME, CAA Snags Oscar Winner Chris Terrio & Digital Star Logan Paul

Despite a short week, some serious action on the representation front. Samantha Morton is also on the list of talented people who found new reps, as well as another digital star aside from Paul. SSN has the full skinny. (SSN)

Film & TV Deals for 12/2/15: FX Signs Stephen Falk, Bethenny Frankel & Leftfield Pair Up, Sander/Moses Inks with NBCUni

Plenty of action on this front over the last few days, as Morgan Spurlock gets in on things, while indie financier and producer Big Beach gets some new digs in Venice, and a new office manager as well. Check it all out here. (SSN)

Disney Doesn’t Mess Around, Has Already Seen Over 2,500 Actors For the Young Han Solo Film

It seems at least that many have met on the project or put themselves on tape, with casting director Jeanne McCarthy running point on finding the man to fill the vest made famous by Harrison Ford. The contenders are being whittled down before Star Wars spinoff directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller hone in on their Han. Dave Franco, Miles Teller, Chandler Riggs, Ansel Elgort and Rami Malek are among those on the list. (HV)

Fox To Adapt Australian Series ‘The Code’ With ‘Justified’ Team Led By Graham Yost

Network has given a script commitment with significant penalty to the political thriller drama from Yost, executive producer/director Michael Dinner and executive producer Fred Golan. Written by Yost and Golan, show is based on the well received Australian series of the same name. It tells the story of two very different brothers, a journalist and a hacker, who unearth information that those at the highest levels of political power will kill to keep secret. (DH)

Bryan Cranston Gets Some Comely Company In His New Film, ‘Wakefield’, as Jennifer Garner Joins the Cast

Robin Swicord wrote the screenplay and is directing the film, based on an E.L. Doctors short story which was in turn a riff on Nathanaiel Hawthorne’s 1837 original. The plot finds Cranston as a married lawyer in New York in the midst of a nervous breakdown after his wife, to be played by Garner, discovers he’s been having an affair. When he spots a raccoon in the attic of his home, he decides to live up in the cramped space for several months. (EMP)

As It Brings Its Triumphant Second Season To a Close, ‘You’re the Worst’ Gets a Third Season From FXX

Despite low ratings, the critical and cult sensation earned enough buzz throughout a brave and superb new season to land another year at FXX. Originally paired with Married on FX, the two shows went their separate ways in Season Two. You’re the Worst moved to FXX and Married remained on FX, where its ratings continued to drop before the series was canceled in late October. (IW)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Girls’

HBO has released the first look at the fifth season of the hit show, created by and starring Lena Dunham. Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, and Zosia Mamet also star in the series, which will return on the pay cable network on Sunday, February 21st, 2016. (SF)

Sundance Announces Its 2016 Lineup, Offering An Array Of Timely Films

Sundance announced its lineup yesterday, disclosing 65 world premieres in narrative and documentary categories. The competition slate includes movies about abortion rights, a prominent ISIS victim, fraternity hazing, embattled LGBT teens, the current tech investment spree and the Sandy Hook tragedy. (LAT)

The CW Buys ‘Transylvania’ Monster Drama From ‘Zoo’ Executive Producers

The CW is heading to the 1880s with Transylvania, a drama project executive produced by Midnight Radio, the team of Jeff Pinkner, Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg, who are behind CBS’ summer series Zoo. (DH)

‘Thor 3′ Lands New Writer

Screenwriter Toolkit: You Finished Your First Draft….Now What?

SSN contributor, Pen Densham, weighs in on next steps after your first draft and who to trust into your story process. (SSN)

New Attachments

12/24
Logline: Two brothers try to prove Santa Claus is real, but they accidentally cause his sleigh to crash and they have to save Christmas.
Production Company(s): 1492 Pictures, Madhouse Entertainment, Ocean Blue Entertainment, Zag Animation Studios
Producer(s): Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, Mark Radcliffe
Writer(s): Matt Lieberman
Details: Based on an original idea by David Guggenheim.
SSN Insight: The film will be in the found footage style. Family entertainment company ZAG is joining 1492 Pictures and Ocean Blue Entertainment to finance and produce the live-action/hybrid Christmas film.

Class Rank
Logline: Follows teenagers Bernard, who lives with his quirky grandfather Oswald, and Veronica, a type-A personality with Ivy League aspirations who aims to step out from under her TV Producer-mother’s shadow. When Veronica approaches Bernard to run for the Board of Education, he sees it as a chance to reform the local school system to enable him to better care for his grandfather. As their campaign progresses, the two discover the meaning of love and the importance of helping others.
Production Company(s): Single Cell Pictures, SSS Entertainment
Producer(s): Shaun S. Sanghani, Sandy Stern
Writer(s): Benjamin August
Director(s): Eric Stoltz
Cast: Olivia Holt, Bruce Dern, Kristin Chenoweth, Skyler Gisondo, Kathleen Chalfant
SSN Insight: Shaun Sanghani and SSS Entertainment recently wrapped on the James Franco-starrer King Cobra.

Freak Show
Logline: Cross-dressing teen Billy is a new student at an ultra-conservative high school who takes a stand for his individuality by running for Homecoming Queen.
Production Company(s): Flower Films, Maven Pictures
Producer(s): Trudie Styler, Charlotte Ubben, Celine Rattray, Chris Miller, Ember Truesdell
Writer(s): Beth Rigazio, P.J. Clifton
Director(s): Trudie Styler
Cast: Bette Midler, AnnaSophia Robb, Ian Nelson, Lorraine Toussaint, Alex Lawther, Abigail Breslin
Details: Based on the novel “Freak Show” written by James St. James and published by Dutton Children’s Books in 2007.
SSN Insight: Oscar nominated actress Breslin is currently appearing in Scream Queens and also just published a book, This May Sound Crazy.

How It Ends
Logline: In the midst of an apocalypse, a man struggles to reach his pregnant wife, who is thousands of miles away.
Production Company(s): Paul Schiff Productions, Sierra/Affinity
Producer(s): Paul Schiff, Tai Duncan
Writer(s): Brooks McLaren
Director(s): David M Rosenthal
SSN Insight: Project was included on the 2010 Black List. Breck Eisner was previously attached to direct.
Mission: Impossible 6
Logline: Storyline is under wraps.
Studio/Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures,
Production Company(s): Bad Robot, Skydance Productions
Producer(s): Tom Cruise, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, J.J. Abrams, Don Granger
Writer(s): Christopher McQuarrie
Director(s): Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson
Details: Based on the Paramount Television series “Mission: Impossible,” which aired on CBS from 1966 to 1973 and was created by Bruce Geller. Fifth sequel to “Mission: Impossible” (1996), directed by Brian De Palma and starring Tom Cruise.
SSN Insight: McQuarrie has written and directed two of Tom Cruise’s films- Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation and Jack Reacher and also wrote his Edge Of Tomorrow and Valkyrie.

Murder on the Orient Express
Logline: While his train is stopped by deep snow, famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is enlisted to solve the murder of a man who was killed in his car the night before.
Studio/Distributor(s): 20th Century Fox
Production Company(s): Ridley Scott Films , Mark Gordon Company, Acorn Productions, Genre Films
Producer(s): Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg, Mark R. Gordon, Kenneth Branagh, Aditya Sood
Writer(s): Michael Green
Director(s): Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Kenneth Branagh
Details: Remake of “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974) directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman. The film was based on the book “Murder on the Orient Express” written by Agatha Christie and published by Collins in 1934.
SSN Insight: Jennifer Todd was previously attached to produce.

Opening Belle
Logline: A woman who is balancing a Wall Street career and motherhood in 2007 has to deal with the impending financial crisis while raising three children.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Company(s): Pacific Standard
Producer(s): Reese Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea
Writer(s): Matthew Aldrich
Cast: Reese Witherspoon
Details: Based on the novel “Opening Belle” written by Maureen Sherry Klinsky; published by Simon and Schuster February 2, 2016.
SSN Insight: Aldrich wrote two scripts that made the Black List scripts in back-to-back years with The Ballad Of Pablo Escobar and Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery And Eskimo Kisses.

The Bye Bye Man
Logline: Inspired by a series of events that occurred in Wisconsin in the 1990s, three college students play with a Ouija board and summon a spirit with a dangerous story.
Studio/Distributor(s): STX Entertainment
Production Company(s): Intrepid Pictures, Los Angeles Media Fund
Producer(s): Trevor Macy, Simon Horsman, Jeffrey Soros
Writer(s): Jonathan Penner, David Britten Prior
Director(s): Stacy Title
Cast: Douglas Smith, Cressida Bonas, Lucien Laviscount, Doug Jones, Carrie-Anne Moss, Faye Dunaway
Details: Based on the short story: “The Bridge to Body Island” from anthology “The President’s Vampire: Strange-but-True Tales of the United States of America”; published by Anomalist Books November 1, 2005.
SSN Insight: David Britten Prior was previously attached to write and direct. The deal with TWC-Dimension includes a proceed-to-production commitment.

The Gray Man
Logline: American operative Court Gentry, also known as the Gray Man, races against time and battles teams of government assassins in an effort to save his handler and his handler’s family.
Studio/Distributor(s): Columbia Pictures
Production Company(s): Denver & Delilah Films, Roth Kirschenbaum Films
Producer(s): Joe Roth, Charlize Theron, Beth Kono, A.J. Dix
Writer(s): Joe Shrapnel, Anna Waterhouse, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Adam Cozad
Cast: Charlize Theron
Details: Based on the novel “The Gray Man” written by Mark Greaney and published by Jove on September 29, 2009.
SSN Insight: Writing duo Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse closed the deal to rewrite The Gray Man. Shine is producing through its overall deal with New Regency. Brad Pitt was previously mentioned to star.

The Stars My Destination
Logline: The story follows Gully Foyle, a merchant traveling through the Solar System who, after an attack by unknown forces, finds himself alternately stranded, abandoned to die by people working for the same company, then imprisoned when it comes out that unknown to him he was carrying a secret and highly valuable metal necessary for an ongoing war effort. Upon escape, he sets about settling scores as he learns who set him along that course, and why.
Studio/Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures
Production Company(s): Disruption Entertainment
Producer(s): Mary Parent
Writer(s): David DiGilio
Director(s): Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Details: Based on the novel “The Stars My Destination” written by Alfred Bester published by Berkley Books 1956.
SSN Insight: Betty Thomas previously attached to direct. Tall Trees and Jenno Topping previously attached to produce until the company dissolved in 2004.

White Knight
Logline: When a Secret Service agent’s relationship with his employer goes bad, he takes a job protecting the family of an arms dealer and ends up in the middle of a worldwide CIA manhunt.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Company(s): Le Grisbi Productions
Producer(s): John Lesher, Mark Williams
Writer(s): Scott Cooper, Bill Dubuque
Director(s): Scott Cooper
SSN Insight: Cooper will rewrite the original script by Bill Dubuque. Cooper recently directed Black Mass and his other directing credits include Crazy Heart and Out of the Furnace.

New Projects

Challenger Deep
Logline: The book tells the story about a 15-year-old boy afflicted with schizophrenia who imagines himself on a pirate ship voyaging through the Pacific Ocean.
Studio/Distributor(s): Studio, Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Production Company(s): Chernin Entertainment
Producer(s): Trevor Engelson, Neal Shusterman
Writer(s): Neal Shusterman
Details: Based on the YA novel of the same name written by Neal Shusterman and published by HarperCollins.
SSN Insight: Chernin Entertainment acquired the novel after a bidding battle. The novel just won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Featured in SSN Insider’s The Yallwest 2015 Hit List: 8 Available YA Titles (click to read here).

Ain’t No Half Steppin’
Logline: To get into the law school of her dreams, an ambitious black sorority girl agrees to teach the art of black Greek stepping to some wild, white sorority girls whose charter is about to be revoked.
Production Company(s): Broad Green Pictures
Producer(s): Matt Alvarez, Lena Waithe, Benjamin Cory Jones
Writer(s): Chuck Hayward
Director(s): Charles Stone III
SSN Insight: Producer Matt Alvarez recently boarded Broad Green’s development and production team in an exclusive deal.

Balanchine
Logline: The coming-of-age story of choreographer George Balanchine, who began his career during the Russian revolution and went on to revolutionize modern ballet.
Production Company(s): Gulfstream Pictures
Producer(s): Mike Karz, Bill Bindley
Writer(s): David K. Israel
Details: Based on the biography “Balanchine & the Lost Muse: Revolution & the Making of a Choreographer” written by Elizabeth Kendall and published by University Press in 2013.
SSN Insight: Israel formerly worked for Leonard Bernstein’s estate, serving to edit and publish West Side Story, among other Bernstein properties.

Barbie and Ruth
Logline: The story of Ruth Handler, who created the iconic Barbie doll in 1959 and changed the toy industry.
Production Company(s): Bold Films, Pacific Standard
Producer(s): Reese Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea, Michel Litvak
Cast: Reese Witherspoon (in talks)
Details: Based on the book “Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her” written by Robin Gerber and published by Collins Business in 2009.
SSN Insight: The original Barbie premiered at the American International Toy Fair in 1959. Reese Witherspoon is in talks for the starring role of Barbie creator Ruth Handler.

Blame
Logline: When a substitute drama teacher at a suburban high school develops a taboo relationship with an unstable student, a jealous classmate tries to destroy her.
Producer(s): Quinn Shephard, Laurie Shephard, Larissa Rhodes
Writer(s): Quinn Shephard
Director(s): Quinn Shephard
Cast: Chris Messina, Tate Donovan, Nadia Alexander, Quinn Shephard, Trieste Dunn
SSN Insight: Shepherd will next be seen in the YA romantic drama Midnight Sun opposite Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Evel Knievel On Tour
Logline: Daredevil Evel Knievel’s colorful life is depicted, including his infamous attempt at jumping Snake River Canyon.
Studio/Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures
Production Company(s): LBI Entertainment, Cold Front Productions
Producer(s): Terence Winter, Rachel Winter
Writer(s): William Monahan
Details: Based on the book “Evel Knivel on Tour” written by Sheldon Saltman and published by Dell in 1977.
SSN Insight: Scorsese is being eyed as a director but nothing is confirmed. Monahan and Scorsese both have deals at Paramount.

Hello Again
Logline: Ten lost souls are followed during ten periods in New York City history, falling in and out of relationships with each other.
Production Company(s): Martian Entertainment
Producer(s): Thomas Gustafson, Cory James Krueckeberg, Ash Christian, Hunter Arnold
Writer(s): Cory James Krueckeberg
Director(s): Thomas Gustafson
Cast: Tyler Blackburn, Jenna Ushkowitz, Audra McDonald, Martha Plimpton, T.R. Knight
Details: Based on the chamber musical “Hello Again” written by Michael John LaChiusa and originally produced by Lincoln Center Theatre in 1994. That play was inspired by the 1897 play “La Ronde: Hello Again” written by Arthur Schnitzler.
Project Delirium
Logline: The film revolves around experiments of “mental warfare” during the Cold War that went horribly wrong.
Production Company(s): 2929 Productions
Producer(s): Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Ciarrocchi, Todd Wagner, Ben Cosgrove
Director(s): Jennifer Lawrence
Details: Based on the article “Operation Delirium” written by Raffi Khatchadourian and published in The New Yorker on December 17, 2012.
SSN Insight: Marks the feature directorial debut for Jennifer Lawrence. She will not be in the cast.

The Girl Before
Logline: A troubled woman who is infatuated with a house and its designer learns than another woman died there years earlier.
Studio/Distributor(s): Universal Pictures
Production Company(s): Imagine Entertainment, Michael De Luca Productions
Producer(s): Michael De Luca, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Erica Huggins
Director(s): Ron Howard
Details: Based on the novel “The Girl Before” written by J.P. Delaney; to be published by Ballantine Bantam Dell Random House fall 2016.
SSN Insight: Howard recently directed the upcoming In The Heart Of The Sea.

Uncanny Valley
Logline: In a dystopian future, poor people in a slum are exploited by virtual reality addicts, playing violent for a paltry wage while also serving as the workforce for real world wars.
Production Company(s): Ground Control
Producer(s): Scott Glassgold
Writer(s): Carter Blanchard
Details: Based on the short film “Uncanny Valley” (USA/2015) written and directed by Federico Heller.
SSN Insight: The feature adaptation of Uncanny Valley is planned as part of a unique multimedia production that will include VR experiences tied to the film’s release. Private screenings have included proof of concept demos of virtual reality segments inspired by the film via the Oculus Rift headset.

AWARDS HEADLINES

Awards 2016: Actress Brie Larson Opens Up About ‘Room’ and ‘The Most Powerful Thing I Ever Felt In My Life’

The actress’ performance in the indie film is arguably the most talked about for this year’s Best Actress Oscar category. Based on author/screenwriter Emma Donoghue’s best selling novel, film sees Larson play Ma, a young woman living against her will in a 10-by-10 foot space with her five-year old son, Jack. One day, she orchestrates a risky escape, but life in the vast open real world presents a new set of challenges. (SSN)

Oscar Odds: When It Comes To the Best Supporting Actress Race, Rooney Mara Is the Earlier Leader

According to most experts at Gold Derby, the Carol star is out front to win the Oscar, but that’s a tricky call to make. The Golden Globes put her in the lead category, while Academy members can put actors in either race and they sometimes ignore campaigns. Will Mara split her Oscar vote? (IC)

Kate Winslet On Bucking Hollywood Stardom, That Femme Pay Issue & Pursuing The “Girl Part” In ‘Steve Jobs’

Academy voters relish a riveting behind-the-scenes story when it comes to a contender. If there is one this season it’s about how the Oscar-winning actress — who, since her first nomination for Sense And Sensibility at the age of 21, has sifted through a sea of offers — fought for the role of Joanna Hoffman, Steve Jobs’ feisty Polish-Armenian head of marketing at Apple Computer. (AL)

A Whole Slew Of Big Oscar Films Are Not Eligible For WGA Awards

Each year, countless films are disqualified or ineligible from WGA awards contention, and this is generally followed by a lot of complaints and dumbfounded wonder. However, this year in particular, it seems many big Oscar contenders are being left out of the loop for two main reasons: the screenwriter(s) are not WGA members or the production didn’t get the sign off from the guild. For a list of those not eligible, click the link. (TP)

OTHER HEADLINES

Film Development for 12/3/15: Christopher McQuarrie Accepts Mission to Direct M:I 6, Reese Witherspoon Circling Starring Role in Barbie Biopic

Lots of new stuff this week, including Trudie Styler’s directorial debut, Kenneth Branagh taking on double duty for his new film, new writers for a Charlize Theron flick, and plenty more. SSN has the full skinny. (SSN)

The WGA Has Announced Its TV Award Nominees, and ‘Mr. Robot’ Was a Big Winner

New shows were cited alongside veteran favorites. In the drama series category, The Americans, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones, Mad Men and Mr. Robot garnered nominations. For comedy, Broad City, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Veep got the call. (VAR)

Platinum Dunes Hires A Stud Writer For Its ‘Friday the 13th’ Remake

Prisoners writer Aaron Guzikowski is negotiating to draft the latest iteration of the script for Paramount and Michael Bay’s team, which has been reticent to release any information on this 13th film in the franchise, which follows the most recent attempt to bring Jason back to our screens in 2009. Guzikowski’s also coming up with a new film about The Wolf Man as part of Universal’s huge plan to create a shared cinematic universe from its classic creatures. (EMP)

Busy John Ridley Gets Early Pilot Order from ABC for Crime Drama with a Woman Private Eye Lead

Network has given an early pilot order to Ridley’s new crime drama titled Presence, with next season eyed as a premiere — assuming it goes to series.  The show, which is being fast-tracked, follows a former Army Counter Insurgency Operative named Presence Foster, beginning a new career as a PI in Los Angeles. A search is now underway for an actress to play the lead, who is expected to be African American or Latino. (SAA)

‘Roots’ Mini For A+E Adds Cast: Tip “T.I.” Harris, Mekhi Phifer, James Purefoy, Matthew Goode, Lane Garrison & More

Cable net is building out its cast for the eight-hour event miniseries, a remake of the iconic 1977 ABC mini. The new actors, including Lane Garrison, Emayatzy Corinealdi, and G. Hannelius, join previously announced Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anika Noni Rose, Laurence Fishburne, Chad L. Colman, Erica Tazel, Derek Luke, and newcomers Malachi Kirby and Regé-Jean Page. (DH)

Jason Priestley Is Getting Behind the Camera Again, This Time To Direct a Biopic Of Phil Hartman

Film is called Nice Guy Phil and will be produced by Tyler Levine, while screenwriter Jonas Chernick penned the screenplay. Actor Daran Norris will portray Hartman in the film. Just a reminder, Norris voiced a number of characters on Nickelodeon’s The Fairly OddParents, as well as Spottswoode in Team America: World Police. (COL)

No Need for Pixie Dust as ‘The Wiz Live!’ Flies Above ‘Peter Pan Live’ in Ratings

The Wiz Live! posted a 4.4 rating among adults 18-49, up from Peter Pan Live, which managed a 2.3 rating with adults 18-49 and 9.1 million viewers. The rating also gives NBC the highest-rated Thursday for any network, excluding sports, since an American Idol episode in 2013. (THR)

Barbra Streisand to Direct Catherine the Great Biopic

Barbra Streisand is planning a return to the director’s chair to tackle the story of one of history’s most powerful women, Catherine the Great for her first dramatic movie since 1996’s The Mirror Has Two Faces. (THR)

Stone Temple Pilots’ Scott Weiland Passes Away at 48

Rocker Scott Weiland, ex-frontman of the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver who battled substance abuse over the years, was found dead on Thursday. He was 48. (VAR)

Amazon Studios to Uncover Mike Wallace’s Secrets in New Series

Max Hurwitz has sold his spec script Forgive Me to Amazon Studios. The script was on the 2014 Black List and chronicles the story of legendary newscaster Mike Wallace. (DL)

Former Superman Tom Welling Heads Undercover for New CBS Series

Smallville’s Tom Welling is set to both star in and produce CBS drama project Section 13. The in-development WBTV series, written by Bones’ Carla Kettner, focuses on a CIA black ops officer-turned-private contractor who joins a covert organization devoted to carrying out the most difficult high-stakes assignments. (EW)

The Firm Developing Film Centering on a WWII Teenage Assassin

The Firm and new film boss Robbie Brenner, among others are producing a movie based on Brian Garfield’s historical novel The Paladin, the true story of how Winston Churchill orchestrated a shift in the war through a top-secret program where he turned a 15-year-old boy into one of England’s deadliest assassins. (DL)

Disney Just Found its Perfect ‘Star Wars’ Ambassador for China

Superstar Lu Han was unveiled as Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ official Middle Kingdom ambassador. With the movie-going demographic in China skewing increasingly younger, the former member of boy band EXO looks like a marketer’s dream. (DL)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Game of Thrones’ Teaser Hits

You know nothing, Jon Snow! Game of Thrones is back with is first teaser for Season 6. So is Jon Snow alive? Maybe yes, maybe no in the new 45 second teaser for season six. (WIRED)

Nick Offerman Enjoys Whiskey and Turns a Concept Ad into Concept Art

Park and Recreation‘s Nick Offerman sells whiskey in a new type of commercial. Other celebs and their agents should take note as it’s nothing short of a conceptual-ad turned conceptual-art triumph.  (CO)

Screenwriter Toolkit: How Challenging Yourself to Create Biologically True Characters Will Up Your Greenlight Chances

Contributor Pen Densham describes why screenwriters should be challenging themselves to create characters that ring biologically true and capture the viewer by their close similarity to their own feelings. The more powerfully you do this the better chance your script will make it’s way to the screen. (SSN)

STARTS

Aardvark
11/30/2015
Logline: A mentally ill man goes to a therapist who falls in love with his brother, and all the while the patient thinks he’s found his soul mate, a woman who may not exist.
Production Company(s): Susie Q Productions, Before the Door Pictures
Director(s): Brian Shoaf
Executive Producer(s): Brian Shoaf, Corey Moosa, Robert Halmi Jr.
Producer(s): Neal Dodson, Zachary Quinto, Susan Leber
Cast: Zachary Quinto, Jenny Slate
Writer(s): Brian Shoaf
SSN Insight: Zachary Quinto will also appear in the upcoming films Snowden and I Am Michael and is executive producing Holidaysburg for Starz.

Bushwick
12/02/2015
Logline: When Lucy comes out of the Brooklyn subway and finds her neighborhood under attack, she crosses five dangerous blocks of Bushwick with her new companion Stupe to get home to her grandmother.
Production Company(s): XYZ Films, Bullet Pictures
Director(s): Cary Murnion, Jonathan Milott
Producer(s): Nate Bolotin, Adam Folk
Cast: Dave Bautista, Brittany Snow
Writer(s): Nick Damici, Graham Reznick
SSN Insight: Dave Bautista’s upcoming films include Kickboxer: Vengeance, Marauders and The Warrior’s Gate. He’s also attached to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Highlander.

Coldest City
11/22/2015
Logline: Days before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the chase is on to find a list which names the identities of all Cold War spies … on BOTH sides.
Studio/Distributor(s): Focus Features
Production Company(s): Denver & Delilah Films, Closed On Mondays Entertainment, 87eleven, Sierra/Affinity
Director(s): David Leitch
Executive Producer(s): Nicolas Meyer, Joe Nozemack, David Guillod, Marc Schaberg
Producer(s): Charlize Theron, David Leitch, Beth Kono, A.J. Dix, Eric Gitter
Cast: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Sofia Boutella, John Goodman
Writer(s): Kurt Johnstad
Details: Based on the graphic novel “The Coldest City” by Antony Johnston; published by Oni Press May 29, 2012.
SSN Insight: Daniel Espinosa was previously attached to direct.

Collateral Beauty
11/30/2015
Logline: A man who works in a New York ad agency finds his life turned upside down when a tragedy sends him into a depression, and his colleagues set out to lift his spirits.
Production Company(s): Overbrook Entertainment, Anonymous Content, PalmStar Entertainment, Scarlet Fire Entertainment, Likely Story
Director(s): David Frankel
Executive Producer(s): Kevin Scott Frakes, Anthony Bregman, Steven Pearl
Producer(s): Michael Sugar, Bard Dorros, Will Smith, Allan Loeb
Cast: Jason Segel, Will Smith, Helen Mirren
Writer(s): Allan Loeb
SSN Insight: Hugh Jackman, Johnny Depp and Rooney Mara were all previously attached to co-star.

Dude
11/30/2015
Logline: Four high school senior girls party hard before parting ways for college.
Production Company(s): Mosaic
Director(s): Olivia Milch
Producer(s): Langley Perer, Lawrence Inglee, Rob Ree, Heather Rae, Jimmy Miller
Cast: Lucy Hale, Kathryn Prescott, Alexandra Shipp, Awkwafina, Nat Wolff
Writer(s): Olivia Milch
SSN Insight: Project was included on the 2013 Black List.

Girlfriend’s Day
11/30/2015
Logline: In a city where greeting card writers are celebrated like movie stars, Romance writer Ray used to be the king. In trying to recapture the feelings that once made him the greatest, he gets entangled in a web of murder and deceit as writers vie to create the perfect card for a new holiday: Girlfriend’s Day.
Production Company(s): Magic Stone Productions, Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment
Director(s): Michael Stephenson
Producer(s): Bob Odenkirk, Michael Stephenson, Lindsay Stephenson, Marc Provissiero, M. Elizabeth Hughes
Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Amber Tamblyn
Writer(s): Phil Zlotorynski, Bob Odenkirk, Eric Hoffman
SSN Insight: Krysten Ritter, Rainn Wilson, and Dennis Farina previously attached to star. Project was previously in development at Next Wednesday Productions and BiteSize Entertainment. David Cross, Bryan Cranston, David Koechner and Fred Armisen were previously attached to co-star.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
11/21/2015
Logline: The trials and triumphs of Rafe Khatchadorian as he uses all of his wits to battle bullies, hormones and the tyrannical test-obsessed Principal Dwight.
Studio/Distributor(s): CBS Films, Lionsgate
Production Company(s): James Patterson Entertainment
Director(s): Steve Carr
Executive Producer(s): James Patterson, Steve Bowen, Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King, Michael Flynn
Producer(s): Leopoldo Gout, Bill Robinson
Cast: Griffin Gluck, Lauren Graham, Rob Riggle, Adam Pally, Thomas Barbusca
Writer(s): Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Kara Holden
Details: Based on the book “Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life,” written by James Patterson and published by Little, Brown and Company on November 6, 2012.
SSN Insight: James Patterson novels Guilty Wives, Maximum Ride, The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, Virgin and The Postcard Killings are all in development right now to be made into features.

Overdrive
11/30/2015
Logline: Two car thief brothers journey to the south of France for new challenges and wind up in the crosshairs of the local crime boss.
Production Company(s): Sentient Entertainment, Elastic Confusion
Director(s): Antonio Negret
Executive Producer(s): Renee Tab
Producer(s): Pierre Morel, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Christopher Tuffin
Cast: Ana de Armas, Scott Eastwood, Freddie Thorp
Writer(s): Michael Brandt, Derek Haas
SSN Insight: Alex Pettyfer and Matthew Goode were previously attached to star. Karl Urban, Ben Barnes, Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin were previously attached to co-star.

The Keeping Hours
12/01/2015
Logline: A lawyer sees the ghost of his dead son, which leads the man’s estranged wife back into his life.
Production Company(s): Voltage Pictures
Director(s): Karen Moncrieff
Executive Producer(s): John Miranda, Charles Layton, Couper Samuelson
Producer(s): Jason Blum
Cast: Lee Pace, Carrie Coon
Writer(s): Rebecca Sonnenshine
SSN Insight: Lee Pace will also be seen in the upcoming films Revolt, produced by Voltage and IM Global and The Book of Henry, to be released by Focus Features.

Wakefield
11/30/2015
Logline: A man moves into his attic after a nervous breakdown.
Production Company(s): Mockingbird Pictures
Director(s): Robin Swicord
Producer(s): Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Garner
Writer(s): Robin Swicord
Details: Based on the short story “Wakefield” written by E.L. Doctorow and published in The New Yorker on January 14, 2008.
SSN Insight: Bryan Cranston can currently be seen starring in Trumbo and will next be seen in the films The Infiltrator and In Dubious Battle and be heard in Kung Fu Panda 3.

Wonder Woman
11/23/2015
Logline: A woman from the closely guarded amazon homeland of Paradise Island travels to the outside world and becomes Wonder Woman.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Company(s): DC Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, Cruel & Unusual Films
Director(s): Patty Jenkins
Executive Producer(s): Richard Suckle, Stephen Jones, Wesley Coller, Geoff Johns, Rebecca Steel Roven
Producer(s): Charles Roven, Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Ewen Bremner
Writer(s): Patty Jenkins, Jason Fuchs, Michael Goldenberg, Matthew Jennison, Brent Strickland
Details: Based on the comic book “Wonder Woman” written by William Moulton Marston published by DC Comics.
SSN Insight: Warner Bros and Silver Pictures bought a “Wonder Woman” spec script by Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland in February 2007. Their take was Wonder Woman set against the backdrop of World War II. Ivan Reitman previously attached to direct. George Miller previously attached to direct. Joss Whedon previously attached to direct, but left due to creative differences.

WRAPS

Besties
12/03/2015
Logline: The friendship of two high school girls is disrupted when one girl starts dating the other one’s older brother.
Production Company(s): Gracie Films, STX Entertainment
Director(s): Kelly Fremon Craig
Producer(s): James L. Brooks, Richard Sakai, Julie Ansell
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, Blake Jenner, Hayden Szeto
Writer(s): Kelly Fremon Craig
SSN Insight: Kelly Fremon Craig previously wrote the screenplay for Post Grad and has written a new draft for Paramount’s in development film, Intimate Strangers. This film marks her feature directoral debut.

Bridget Jones’ Baby
11/27/2015
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” (UK/USA/2004), directed by Beeban Kidron.
SSN Insight: Paul Feig was previously attached to direct. Shooting delayed from a February start due to script changes.

Kung Fu Yoga
11/28/2015
Logline: Jack, a renowned professor of archeology at the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi’an, teams up with beautiful Indian professor Ashmita and assistant Kyra to locate India’s lost Magadha treasure in Tibet.
Production Company(s): Pegasus & Taihe Entertainment International
Director(s): Stanley Tong
Cast: Jackie Chan, Sonu Sood
SSN Insight: Viacom18 was previously attached as production company, but exited the project during principal photography.

Resident Evil 6
12/01/2015
Logline: Alice must save humankind from the Red Queen.
Studio/Distributor(s): Screen Gems
Production Company(s): Constantin Film Development, Inc., Impact Pictures, Davis Films
Director(s): Paul W.S. Anderson
Executive Producer(s): Martin Moszkowicz
Producer(s): Robert Kulzer, Jeremy Bolt, Samuel Hadida, Paul W.S. Anderson
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Iain Glen, Shawn Roberts, Ruby Rose
Writer(s): Paul W.S. Anderson
Details: Based on the Camcom videogame “Resident Evil.” Sequel to “Resident Evil (2002),”Resident Evil: Apocalypse” (2004), “Resident Evil: Extinction” (2007), “Resident Evil: Afterlife” (2010) and “Resident Evil” Retibution” (2012).
SSN Insight: The film will pick up immediately after the events in Resident Evil: Retribution. Filming took place in Cape Town / Hartbeespoort Dam, South Africa.

The Bleeder
12/04/2015
Logline: The true story of New Jersey heavyweight boxer and womanizer Chuck Wepner.
Production Company(s): Hyde Park Entertainment, Campbell Grobman Films, Mandalay Sports Media
Director(s): Philippe Falardeau
Executive Producer(s): Jeff Rice, Ashok Amritraj, Matty Beckerman, Linda Zander
Producer(s): Michael Tollin, Liev Schreiber, Carl Hampe, Christa Campbell, Lati Dana Grobman
Cast: Liev Schreiber, Naomi Watts, Elisabeth Moss, Jim Gaffigan, Michael Rapaport
Writer(s): Jeff Feurerzeig, Jerry Stahl, Michael Cristofer
SSN Insight: Jeff Feurerzeig was previously attached to direct. Christina Hendricks was previously attached to co-star.

The Conjuring: The Enfield Poltergeist
12/04/2015
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
Director(s): James Wan
Producer(s): Rob Cowan, Peter Safran, James Wan
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Frances O’Connor, Simon McBurney, Lauren Esposito
Writer(s): David Leslie Johnson, Eric Heisserer, Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes, James Wan
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 Zookeeper’s Wife
11/29/2015
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 Brühl, 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: Angela Workman previously wrote Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and The War Bride.

Colossal
11/25/2015
Logline: After a giant lizard starts destroying Tokyo, a young woman in New York comes to realize that the power of her mind is connected to the far-off events and she tries to halt the destruction.
Production Company(s): Brightlight Pictures, Voltage Pictures, Sayaka Producciones
Director(s): Nacho Vigalondo
Executive Producer(s): Nacho Vigalondo, Garrett Basch
Producer(s): Nicolas Chartier, Shawn Williamson, Nahikari Ipina, Anne Hathaway
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Austin Stowell, Dan Stevens
Writer(s): Nacho Vigalondo
SSN Insight: Anne Hathaway is attached to Cover Your Assets, Robopocalypse, The Burning Woman, The Lifeboat, The Low Self Esteem of Lizzie Gillespie and The Modern Ocean– all in active development.

Dog Eat Dog
11/23/2015
Logline: A group of criminals target other criminals as their victims.
Production Company(s): Arclight Films Pty Ltd., Pure Dopamine
Director(s): Paul Schrader
Executive Producer(s): Gary Hamilton, Don Rivers, Tim Peternel, Shaun Redick, Raymond Mansfield
Producer(s): Mark Earl Burman, David Hillary
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Willem Dafoe
Writer(s): Paul Schrader, Matthew Wilder
Details: Based on the novel “Dog Eat Dog” written by Edward Bunker and published in 1995.
SSN Insight: Project was previously in development at Hand Picked Films and Michael Mailer Films with Michel Shane, Anthony Romano and Michael Mailer attached to produce an adaptation written by Edward Bunker and Richard Stratton. Richard Stratton was previously attached to direct.

Fist Fight
11/23/2015
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: Ice Cube’s upcoming films include Ride Along 2 and Barbershop: The Next Cut.

Freak Show
11/25/2015
Logline: Cross-dressing teen Billy is a new student at an ultra-conservative high school who takes a stand for his individuality by running for Homecoming Queen.
Production Company(s): Flower Films, Maven Pictures
Director(s): Trudie Styler
Producer(s): Trudie Styler, Charlotte Ubben, Celine Rattray, Chris Miller, Ember Truesdell
Cast: Bette Midler, AnnaSophia Robb, Ian Nelson, Lorraine Toussaint, Alex Lawther
Writer(s): Beth Rigazio, P.J. Clifton
Details: Based on the novel “Freak Show” written by James St. James and published by Dutton Children’s Books in 2007.
SSN Insight: Bette Midler is also attached to MGM’s Avon Ladies of Amazon as well as Sweet Baby Jesus, both in development.

Gifted
11/20/2015
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: Project was included on the 2014 Black List.

Imperium
11/21/2015
Logline: An FBI agent goes undercover to infiltrate a white supremacist group that is planning on making a dirty bomb.
Studio/Distributor(s): Lionsgate
Production Company(s): Greenlight Group, Tycor International Film Company
Director(s): Daniel Ragussis
Executive Producer(s): Andrew Mann, Jeff Elliot, Chad Moore, Barry Brooker, Stan Wertlieb
Producer(s): Ty Walker, Dennis Lee, Simon Taufique, Daniel Ragussis
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Toni Collette, Tracy Letts, Sam Trammell
Writer(s): Daniel Ragussis
Details: Based on the real-life experiences of former FBI agent Michael German, who spent years undercover with U.S.-based neo-Nazi and militia groups.
SSN Insight: Daniel Radcliffe can next be seen in Now You See Me 2 and Swiss Army Man.

The Book of Henry
11/21/2015
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.

War Machine
11/22/2015
Logline: A satirical fictionalized behind-the-scenes look at the Afghanistan war from the military commanders with their high-stakes decisions and infighting, to the soldiers on patrol.
Studio/Distributor(s): Regency Enterprises, RatPac Entertainment, Netflix
Production Company(s): New Regency Productions, Plan B Entertainment, Ian Bryce Productions
Director(s): David Michôd
Executive Producer(s): Brett Ratner
Producer(s): Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Ian Bryce
Cast: Brad Pitt, Anthony Michael Hall, Topher Grace, Scoot McNairy, Keith Stanfield
Writer(s): David Michôd
Details: Based on the book “The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan,” written by Michael Hastings and published by Penguin on January 5, 2012.
SSN Insight: When “War Machine” was in preproduction, Netflix acquired distribution rights for both theatrical and digital streaming for an estimated $30 million, marking the company’s biggest investment to date in a single feature film. Brad Pitt’s character is based on real-life General Stanley McChrystal, US Army, retired.