![Franchise Wars Slider]()
SSN ORIGINALS
Well ahead of the summer movie popcorn season, audiences have been bombarded with heavy marketing from the mighty studios flaunting their next film in various franchises. To that end, SSN will be taking a deeper look at not only the numbers but the reasons why franchises work or don’t work and how studios have to evolve their beloved properties or die.
(SSN)
TODAY’S HEADLINES
Comcast Corp. is planning to walk away from its proposed $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable Inc. A final announcement is expected tomorrow, after U.S. Federal Communications Commission staff joined lawyers at the Justice Department in opposing the planned transaction. FCC officials told the two biggest U.S. cable companies yesterday that they are leaning toward concluding the merger doesn’t help consumers.
(BN)
The studio is pursuing Cruise to star in
Bob the Musical, a comedy about a guy whose life turns into a musical after he receives a blow to his head. Michel Hazanavicius is being courted to direct. The script by Allan Loeb follows an ordinary guy suffering from an extraordinary affliction. After getting hit on the head, he suddenly gains the ability to hear the song in everyone’s hearts.
(SF)
About a dozen Native American actors walked off the New Mexico set of the Adam Sandler pic
Ridiculous Six yesterday over depictions in the script. They are saying that the Western was insulting to “native women and elders and grossly misrepresented Apache culture.” However, Netflix says today that is part of what
the movie is supposed to be about.
(DH)
Nightcrawler star Riz Ahmed appears to be Disney’s top choice to star opposite Felicity Jones in the first spinoff film, to be directed by Gareth Edwards. The plot revolves around the heist of Death Star plans by a group of rebel fighters, and would take place between
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and
Episode IV: A New Hope. It is set to open December 16th, 2016.
(VAR)
Dunham and her
Girls collaborators Jenni Konner and Ericka Naegle have established A Casual Romance in an effort to “push the ball forward on gender and sexuality in interesting ways” in television and film. Meanwhile, Byrne’s The Dollhouse Collection, formed with fellow Aussies Gracie Otto, Shannon Murphy, Krew Boylan and Jessica Carrera, develop film, television, and theatre projects with "a strong female presence.”
(WAH)
The
Breaking Bad creator has written a detailed outline, but will hand off scripting duties to Tom Schnauz, with whom Gilligan has worked repeatedly. Gilligan is considering directing the project, which would be a revisionist take on the classic tale. Story obviously finds a farm boy sent to sell a cow at market who instead swaps the animal for magic beans. They then grow into a massive beanstalk that leads Jack to an adventure in a land of giants.
(EMP)
Sony is beginning development on the classic H.G. Wells tale, with Lucy Fisher and Douglas Wick being named as the producers shepherding the project into reality. Apparently, The studio is developing a new spin that will make the Invisible Man the villain of the film, with the audience following the hero that is tasked to hunt him down. Meanwhile, Universal continues its development of the character as part of its Monsters shared universe project.
(CB)
The first trailer from the long-delayed second feature by
Paranormal Activity director Oren Peli. Originally shot in 2008, the film has been on a shelf, but will finally see the light of day with a limited theatrical engagement and a VOD release on May 15th.
(COL)
The first clip from this summer’s second Marvel movie,
Ant-Man, has hit the internet, showcasing star Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang stealing the Ant-Man suit. The film, which also stars Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, and Evangeline Lilly, hits theaters July 17th.
(GR)
