SSN ORIGINALS
Exec Shuffle for 11/2/15: ESPN Shutters Grantland, Shifts at Magnolia Pictures, BFI Launches SVOD Service
Along with that news Mike Esola has left WME, Lionsgate will extend their long-term partnership with Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films, MastersFX is launching a division dedicated to original TV content and more. (SSN)
OTHER HEADLINES
Paramount to Win the Battle for The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Film
Paramount Pictures is in final talks to acquire The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze And Gave Birth To Modern Black Ops, a book rights package that got a three-party bidding war going last week. It’s reported to be a seven-figure commitment, between the fees for the writers and the rights to UK author Damien Lewis’s book. (DL)
Lionsgate Developing Theme Parks with Attractions Based on Hunger Games and Divergent
Move aside Disney and Universal, Lionsgate is developing theme parks with attractions to be based around the Hunger Games along with other franchises like Divergent and Step Up. Theme parks are entirely new businesses for Lionsgate so to limit risk, the studio is licensing its movie properties to developers, who will in turn pay to build and operate the attractions. (NYT)
Upstart UK Indie Signature Entertainment Inks Six-Picture Deal With Emmett/Furla/Oasis
Signature Entertainment has signed a six-film slate deal with Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films. Still a relatively young company, Signature previously picked up EFO’s forthcoming Precious Cargo, starring Bruce Willis, at this year’s Cannes Film Market. (SI)
Fox Commits to Family Drama From Producer Scott Rudin & Writer Eli Attie
The project stems from Rudin’s first-look deal with Fox Networks Group and Attie’s overall pact with 20th TV. Written by Attie, the untitled drama is described as a family saga about class, power, and the price of ambition. (DL)
Steve Jobs’ Michael Stuhlbarg in Talks to Join Doctor Strange
Michael Stuhlbarg, who is currently on screens as Apple engineer Andy Hertzfeld in the awards contender Steve Jobs, is in negotiations to join the cast of Marvel’s Doctor Strange. Rachel McAdams is set as the female lead with Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, as well as Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mads Mikkelsen. (THR)
Move Aside Buffy- Syfy Developing Female Van Helsing Series with Neil LaBute as Showrunner
Syfy has acquired a female take on Van Helsing from Nomadic Pictures, with Neil LaBute set as showrunner. The 13-episode, hour long series re-imagines the Dracula mythology with the resurrection of Vanessa Helsing, the next in line of a lineage of warriors who now must lead mankind against a world controlled by vampires. (VAR)
21 Jump Street Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller at it Again as Fox Buys Series Based on Greatest American Hero Film
In a preemptive buy, Fox has given a pilot production commitment to Greatest American Hero, a single-camera comedy inspired by Steven J. Cannell’s 1981 cult classic. 20th Century Fox TV, where Lord and Miller are under an overall deal, is the studio. (DL)
Trailer Buzz: Anomalisa
Paramount acquired worldwide rights for an estimated $5 million following a screening at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival of this film about a man who struggles with his inability to connect with other people. (VERGE)
Productivity Hack: How To Craft A Perfect, Productive 40-Hour Workweek
You don’t need to work around the clock if you follow this guide to working smarter, not harder. Here’s how to allocate a 40-hour workweek in order to create maximum sustainable progress. (FC)