Beloved Cult Movie ‘Galaxy Quest’ Moves Forward as an Amazon TV Series
The streaming outlet is partnering with producer Paramount Television on the project. Last April, Paramount was shopping a Galaxy Quest title to prospective buyers. The show’s development is at an early stage. It’s not clear if members of the film’s cast will be sought for the show, or if the series will be a complete reboot, but the film’s co-writer Robert Gordon will pen the script, and the film’s director Dean Parisot will direct. (EW)
Jon Hamm in Talks For ‘Marjorie Prime’, Sci-Fi Drama Based On Play Short-Listed For Pulitzer
Play’s story follows an elderly, arthritic former violinist named Marjorie, staring headlong into the decline of old age as her memories begin to fail her. Availing herself of a service that provides holographic recreations of deceased loved ones as their survivors would like them remembered, Marjorie spends her time with her daughter and son in law, and with an imperfect copy of her deceased husband, Walter, as he looked in his 30s and 40s. Hamm would play Walter. (DH)
With ‘Fantastic Four’ Firmly In His Rearview, Michael B. Jordan Circles MGM’s Vampire Comedy, ‘Blood Brothers’
Jordan’s in talks to nab the role of Tree, one of the key leads in the edgy two-hander, which follows two blood-sucking best friends whose relationship enters a crisis. The pic is based on the Dark Horse comic series of the same name written by Mike Gagerman and Andrew Waller. Dark Horse Entertainment is producing the action/comedy, with Keith Goldberg overseeing. Etan Cohen, Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly have all worked on the script. (TB)
Sam Worthington and Ruth Wilson Sign Up For Roles In Sci-Fi Adventure, ‘The Titan’
Shooting is set to begin in Europe in January. Producers are Brian Kavanaugh-Jones’ Automatik, Ben Pugh, Rory Aitken’s 42 and Arash Amel. Leon Clarance and Motion Picture Capital will also produce and fully finance. Lennart Ruff is directing from a script by Max Hurwitz, based on a story by Amel about a military family that’s relocated to take part in a ground-breaking experiment about genetic evolution in space. (VAR)
Focus Wants To Win the Race To Theaters, So It’s Moving Up Its Jesse Owens Biopic To February
Taking no chances, Focus Features is moving up the release of Jesse Owens biopic Race from April 8th, 2016, to Feb. 19th. Race, directed by Stephen Hopkins and starring Stephan James in the title role, is one of several films in the works chronicling the life of the famous track and field athlete. It is the first to have a release date, and earned strong scores at a recent test screening. William Hurt, Jeremy Irons, Jason Sudeikis and Carice van Houten also star. (THR)
Years After They Were First Optioned, Conn Iggulden’s ‘Emperor’ Novels End Up At Lionsgate
The series, currently up to five books, begins with Caesar and Marcus Brutus as boys, and follows their rise through the Roman Empire and the machinations that lead to “Et tu, Brute?” and the endgame at the Senate. The first film in the projected franchise stays with Julius and Marcus long enough to see them making waves and regarded as threats within the Roman political establishment. (EMP)
After Spending a Lifetime Building a Network, Here Are Some Secrets as To How It Came Together
One’s collection of contacts isn’t just the result of a peripatetic career. Working in and around technology for a long time means that in addition to one’s own moves, virtually all of one’s acquaintances, friends and friends-of-friends have also changed places in our always-be-disrupting world. (MC)
‘Chicago Med’ Finds Its New Showrunners, and They’re ‘Sopranos’ Veterans
Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov have inked a deal to become the new showrunners of the freshman NBC drama. The husband-and-wife team, who won an Emmy writing for the HBO drama, replaces Andrew Dettmann, who was brought on to the project in early July but departed last Friday over “creative differences.” (TLF)
Fox’s New Midseason Show ‘Frankenstein Code’ Has Itself a Brand New Title
Now known as Lookinglass, the new title refers to the Lookinglass Project, aka the next-gen science lab founded by Otto Goodwin (played by Rules of Engagement‘s Adhir Kalyan) and his bioengineer twin sister, Mary (Greek‘s Dilshad Vadsaria). Fun fact: this is technically the second name change for this particular series. Before going by The Frankenstein Code, it was briefly known as simply Frankenstein. (TVL)
Screenwriters: ‘Saboteur’
The 164-page shooting draft screenplay by Alfred Hitchcock, Peter Viertel and Joan Harrison. Script is dated October 30th, 1941. (DS)