Sarah Polley and Amy Pascal Are Getting Behind Yet Another Adaptation Of ‘Little Women’
Polley, who wrote and directed Away From Her, Take This Waltz and Stories We Tell, has been hired by producer Pascal to take over scripting duties and possibly direct the project for Sony. Olivia Milch originally had been working on the new adaptation. Robin Swicord and Denise Di Novi are also producing. (EMP)
From Fresh, Golden Globe-Winning TV Star To Movie Star: Gina Rodriguez Heads to ‘Deepwater Horizon’
The Jane the Virgin star will take one of the leading roles in the film, which will revolve around the 2010 explosion in the Gulf Of Mexico of the titular BP rig. This ultimately led to the death of 11 men and injured 17 others as they worked on the platform and the biggest oil spill in the history of the United States. Mark Wahlberg is already on board to star, with Peter Berg directing. (CB)
The YA Hits Keep Coming, as Paramount Books Another Adaptation Of a Hit Tome
First-time author Jasmine Warga’s young-adult novel My Heaet and Other Black Holes. The book was published February 15th by HarperCollins’ Balzer + Bray imprint and centers on a pair of teenagers who meet through an online site matching up suicide partners (these groups actually exist) to help ensure each partner will not back out of their own suicide. In a twist on Romeo and Juliet, they become more and more intimate through the 26-day countdown to their date until one question hangs between them: Will they live or will they die? (DH)
Janis Joplin Biopic Producers Suing To Stop Development, Claim Option Violation
The film, which has Amy Adams set to star as the late singer and which has been in development for years, now has legal issues. LKL Productions and Swiss production company Silver Reel have sued writer-producer Ron Terry, his affiliated companies Morace and Get It While You Can, and a lending firm that invested in the film, claiming they’ve breached their option agreement for the script about the hard-living rock ‘n’ roll queen. (HESQ)
With the Addition Of Edgar Ramirez, the Cast Of Upcoming Drama ‘Gold’ Just Got Even More Handsome
Matthew McConaughey stars in the film from Black Bear Pictures, set to start shooting in June in New York, New Mexico and Thailand. Ramirez will play a geologist whom McConaughey’s prospector teams with to find gold in the uncharted Indonesian jungle. Stephen Gaghan is directing from a script by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. (VAR)
Thought To Be On the Bubble, ‘Sleepy Hollow’ Gets a Third Season and a New Showrunner
Fox closed a deal yesterday to give the history-twisting drama a third, 18-episode season, and hired The Glades’ Clifton Campbell to take over as showrunner. Campbell replaces Mark Goffman, who stepped down earlier this month in the wake of Sleepy‘s rocky second season, which saw ratings slide 40 percent versus Season One. (TVL)
Orion Decides To Take a Nice Visit To ‘Fort Tilden’
Indie distributor focused on multi-platform releases via specialized theatrical runs and premium video on demand services, has acquired U.S. distribution rights to SXSW Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize Winner. Written and directed by Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers and starring Bridey Elliott and Clare McNulty, film is about two slacker Brooklynites experiencing mishap after mishap on a journey to the beach. (IW)
‘The Huntsman’ Is Bringing Some Female Dwarves Into the Fold
Alexandra Roach and Sheridan Smith join returning male dwarf Nick Frost and newcomer Rob Brydon — all of whom will be digitally shortened on screen — in the sequel to Snow White and The Huntsman. Other newcomers to the cast include Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain. The film hits theaters April 22nd, 2016. (FSR)
Watch: ‘The Director’s Chair’
Robert Rodriguez’s talk show, in which he discusses craft with his fellow directors, features a 90-minute conversation with his longtime friend (and occasional collaborator) Quentin Tarantino. (TP)
Screenwriters: Developing Strong Dialogue In Your Screenplay
Writer/producer Glenn M. Benest used to think you couldn’t teach screenwriters how to write better dialogue, but realized he was wrong. Developing your talent for great repartee is not necessarily a god-given talent but can be nurtured and improved like anything else. (SM)