Director Alexandre Aja Talks ‘Horns,’ TV Casting for 10/29/14, Clooney and Heslov Hire ‘Hack Attack’ Writer

SSN ORIGINALS

Anatomy of a Horror Director: Alexandre Aja Talks the Suspenseful, Supernatural ‘Horns,’ Early Influences and Fear

The accomplished French filmmaker’s latest stars Daniel Radcliff as a guy suspected of killing his girlfriend who wakes up to find horns growing out of his head. (SSN)

TV Casting for 10/29/14: NPH to Visit ‘American Horror Story,’ Damien Lewis and Paul Giamatti Set to Make ‘Billions’

Also, new castings for USA’s Colony and Queen of the South, WE TV’s South of Hell, and Syfy’s The Expanse, as well as over a dozen current shows. (SSN)

TODAY’S HEADLINES

George Clooney and Grant Heslov Hire A Writer For Their ‘Hack Attack’ Project

Pair’s Smokehouse Pictures nabs Theory of Everything writer-producer Anthony McCarten to adapt the Nick Davies bestseller for Sony, with Clooney planning to direct. (DH)

There’s a New Animation Company in Town, and It Shall Be Known as ZAG Animation Studios

Haim Saban combines with Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Jeremy Zag for the venture, which will focus on family entertainment franchises and already has 10 projects in development. (THR)

FCC Considering Major Rule Change That Would Put Internet TV Providers on Par With Cable Companies

Commission chairman Tom Wheeler wants to make it so that broadcasters wouldn't be able to refuse to let an internet TV provider carry their content. (TV)

Microsoft Finishes Another Round of Cutbacks by Laying Off Another 3,000 Workers

The tech giant eliminated 14 percent of its workforce, or about 18,000 positions, ending several rounds of cuts the company has made to meet its target figure of around 110,000 employees. (VAR)

A24 Picks Up Domestic Rights to Alex Garland’s Directorial Debut, ‘Ex Machina’

Sci-fi epic from the writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine stars Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander, will hit theaters April 10, 2015. (IW)

Jason Bateman Is Getting His Hyphenate On Again, Will Direct Himself in ‘IPO Man’

Fox Searchlight will distribute real-life story of a guy who sold shares of himself and then let shareholders make his decisions for him, to fairly disastrous result. (SF)

Yet Another Comic Book Character Is Getting the TV Treatment, Thanks to Netflix

But he’s not a superhero, he’s Richie Rich, and he’s nabbed a 21-episode order from the online service, with Jake Brennan attached to star and Awesomeness TV on board as production company. (CB)

Trailer Buzz: ‘Marco Polo’

The first look at Netflix’s next big project, a 10-part, $90 million epic that premieres on December 12th. (MF)