It’s a Close One, but ‘The Perfect Guy’ Beats Out ‘The Visit’ For the Weekend Top Spot
Sony’s erotic thriller came in with $26.7 million to beat out Universal’s M. Night Shyamalan flick, which finished with $25.69 million for second place. The faith-based War Room, which won the Labor Day Weekend, came in third with $7.4 million, while A Walk In the Woods was fourth at $4.62 million and Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation rounded out the top five. (BO)
The Emmys Hand Out Their Creative Arts Awards, and Once Again, HBO Is the Big Winner
There were, of course, the expected wins at Saturday’s ceremony honoring television’s creative and technical talent — such as the eight trophies handed to HBO’s Game of Thrones, including for stunts and visual effects, and the five given to FX’s American Horror Story: Freak Show for its elaborate hairstyling, makeup, special effects and costume designs. Overall, HBO had 29 wins, while NBC was next in line, with 11, and FX followed with 8. (VAR)
No Movie? No Problem: Presales Dominate Early Dealmaking In Toronto
Entering Toronto, most buyers and agents predicted that presales deals would eclipse those for finished films. So far, that forecast is holding up. Buyers are ignoring completed projects to get in early on promising titles: “It’s no longer a situation where you go to a festival and only look at finished films.” (THR)
Together Again, After All These Years: Jane Fonda and Robert Redford To Topline Netflix Film
Online streaming giant is in discussions to back an adaptation of the Kent Haruf novel Our Souls At Night, with Redford producing, and Scott Neustadter & michael H. Weber on scripting duties. Redford and Fonda starred in 1967’s Barefoot in the Park and 1979’s The Electric Horseman, and wanted to work together again. Story follows to widowed Colorado seniors who seek to make a romantic attachment in the time they have left. (DH)
It’s Taken Almost 30 Years, but Octavia Butler’s Seminal Sci-Fi Novel ‘Dawn’ Is Now Coming To TV
The first book in the author’s Xenogenesis series has been acquired for a TV series adaptation. Longtime fans of the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner are agog for many reasons — not least because this will be that rare sci-fi adaptation to prominently feature persons of color. Rights to the book, in which the human race is given a final chance to survive by mating with an alien species, were recently acquired by producer Allen Bain. (WF)
Zoe Saldana Signs Up For Another Comic Book Adaptation, Will Take Key Role In ‘I Kill Giants’
Anders Walter, who won a 2014 Oscar for his short film Helium, is on board to make his feature directing debut. Story follows a misfit young girl who battles both real and imaginary monsters. Saldana will play a key role as the girl’s school psychologist, who forms an inspiring bond with the young girl as she helps her confront her internal and external threats. Madison Wolfe will play the young girl. Chris Columbus, Justin Nappi and Kim Magnusson are producing. (COL)
It Appears That ‘The Animorphs’ Are the Next Iconic 90s Book Series To Get a Movie
Universal is developing a movie based on the bestselling sci-fi book series, written by K.A. Applegate and published by Scholastic, which follows a group of teens who come across a crashed spaceship with a dying alien being inside. The teens are then individually granted an extraordinary gift, the ability to shape-shift into any animal they touch, and use their powers to combat a secret alien invasion of creatures that possess the bodies of humans. (TB)
‘Jurassic World’ Not Only Made the Most Money Of Any Movie This Summer, It Also Took Another Honor
According to the website Movie Mistakes, of all this Summer’s blockbuster releases, the Universal film featured the most errors and mistakes. All told, the film features 18 mistakes – a combination of plot holes, continuity errors, and factual mistakes, among other issues. (MM)
Trailer Buzz: ‘The Program’
StudioCanal and Working Title have released the first look at the upcoming film that follows the life and career of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. Ben Foster stars in the movie, which was directed by Stephen Frears and hits theaters October 16th. (CS)
Screenwriters: Writers’ Room 101 — Show Friends
You’ve probably heard the expression, “It’s not show friends, it’s show business.” People in Hollywood like to say it a lot. But, like most things people in Hollywood like to say, it’s cute and clever yet not really something that should be accepted at face value. Sure, there’s a certain amount of truth to the old adage – the industry is a business, obviously – but there’s also another side to this particular coin, and it’s relevant to your career as a television writer. (SM)