Four Disputed Films Yanked From Relativity Media Auction
Among the assets that will not be on the table in today’s auction will be four films whose ownership has been hotly contested since the studio allegedly squandered money it was loaned to release the pics. The auction of the company will not include The Disappointments Room, Masterminds, Kidnap and Before I Wake. The sale of those films “will be adjourned to a date yet to be determined,” says a motion from the company’s lawyers. (VAR)
J.C. Chandor Is Now Officially Replacing Kathryn Bigelow as Director Of ‘Triple Frontier’
The Paramount Pictures drama was to be spearheaded by Zero Dark Thirty helmer Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal. Now Chandor’s deal is done, and the project can move forward with Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Alex Gartner producing. The film, also known as Sleeping Dogs, is set in the organized crime haven that exists in the border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. It has five main roles. (DH)
It’s Been a While Since We’ve Seen Russell Crowe On the Big Screen, but He’s About To Fix That
Oscar-winner is attached to the true tale of shipwreck, slavery and smart thinking called In Sand And Blood. Ronan Bennett has written the script, which follows the story of the ill-fated crew of an American ship in 1815. Wrecked on the coast of the Western Sahara, the starving, dehydrated men were captured, beaten and slaved by locals. Captain James Riley (Crowe) hatches a plan that might lead to freedom, but also leads to a fateful trek across harsh terrain. (EMP)
If You Were Looking Forward To Seeing the Long-Awaited ‘Ring’ Sequel Next Month, Your Wait Just Increased
Paramount has delayed the release of the long-developed sequel Rings. The third film in the supernatural horror franchise was originally slated to arrive in theaters on November 13th, and will now debut sometime in in the first quarter of 2016. Studio moved Adam McKay‘s housing bubble drama The Big Short into this calendar year, along with Charlie Kaufman‘s festival-acclaimed stop-motion drama Anomalisa, which will bow at the end of December. (COL)
Look Out, Golden Globes! Critics’ Choice Awards To Now Combine Film and TV Into a Single Show
A&E Networks home of The Critics’ Choice Television Awards and The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for the past year, will combine the two shows into one star-studded three-hour event. Together, the network and its continued partnership with the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) and the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) will showcase the achievements of some of the biggest names in television and film. (CS)
NBC Changes Its Mind, Won’t Be Doing a 1970s Mini-Series With Adam Levine
Network has scrapped plans for The 1970s, a miniseries produced by Adam Levine and his 222 Productions banner and Sony Pictures Television. The 1970s was poised to explore the decade through the eyes of the music executives and artists who helped create some of the most influential music of the era. Hayden Christensen and Kelsey Grammer were engaged to play the leads, but NBC toyed with the numbers and decided to pull the plug completely. (LF)
On the Eve Of ‘The Martian’s Release, a Handful Of Mars Films That Would Have Killed Mark Watney
If Matt Damon’s character does indeed make it out of the movie alive, he might very well be the first. Mars in movies has never been kind to those who traveled there. Between sentient dust storms, a lack of oxygen, and countless versions of hostile aliens, Hollywood has spent the last quarter-century killing countless explorers who set foot on the red planet. (FSR)
With Its Final Episode Now Having Aired, a Look At the Long, Slow Decline Of ‘CSI’
One of America’s most beloved TV shows in recent years, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ended its 15-year run on Sunday night with a feature-length special, ironically titled “Immortality.” CSI quickly became America’s most-watched show when it debuted in 2000, but like so many former hits, it faded out after years of declining ratings and multiple attempts to reboot its cast. (TA)
Trailer Buzz: ‘The Jungle Book’
Walt Disney Pictures has released an international trailer for director Jon Favreau’s upcoming remake. Starring Neel Sethi and the voice talents of Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, and Christopher Walken, the movie hits theaters April 15th, 2016. (WM)
Screenwriters: Craft — Reveal Your Character In Just One Second
It’s a visual medium. Use it. And we’ve been conditioned for the last 20 years (thank you MTV and Raiders of the Lost Ark) to take in visual data very fast. So dream up something in your script that just takes one second to see but reveals tons of information about your character. (SM)