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Projects Announced
Two Writers Sign On For “Too Cool” Comic Adaptation Rocky Russo and Jeremy Sosenko have been signed to adapt “Too Cool To Be Forgotten,” based on the Alex Robinson graphic novel from Top Shelf Productions. The film was set up by Red Crown Productions’ Daniela Taplin Lundberg and Daniel Crown and Anthony Bregman. Bregman’s Likely Story has had a first-look deal with Top Shelf Comix since late 2009. The project revolves around family man Andy Wicks, who goes to a hypnosis clinic to break a 25-year smoking habit. Skepticism gives way to wonderment when he is transformed back to his 15-year-old self, with his 40-year-old mind intact. He’s force to relive the horrors of algebra class, visits to the principal, social hierarchies and intense sexual frustration. Will he relive his mistakes or revise history to make things right? http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/too-cool-to-be-forgotten-lands-scribes/ Jimmy Kimmel Is Getting His Impressario On Tony DiSanto and Liz Gateley’s DiGa are shopping a hybrid reality/scripted project with Jimmy Kimmel’s Jackhole Industries described as “’Borat’ meets ‘Green Acres.’” “It’s a passion project for Jimmy,” says DiSanto, co-owner and founder of DiGa, the production company he created with Gateley after the duo left MTV in 2010. The untitled project will have fictional characters in a non-fiction world, much like Sacha Baron Cohen’s obtuse Kazakh journalist in “Borat.” Kimmel will executive produce but he will not have an on-camera role. DiSanto and Gateley are currently pitching the project to networks. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jimmy-kimmel-reality-show-borat-green-acres-lance-bass-285382 Joe Carnahan Has A “Death Wish” Joe Carnahan must be feeling vindicated this morning. The writer/director broke out with 2002′s terrific, muscular cop thriller “Narc,” but hasn’t had a lot of joy since: his 2006 sub-Guy Ritchie action-comedy “Smokin’ Aces” wasn’t beloved by many, while a director-for-hire gig on the would-be-tentpole “The A-Team” was tepidly received by audiences and critics alike. But from that, he reteamed with star Liam Neeson for a far more personal project, the existential killer-wolf survival tale “The Grey,” and was validated in a big way when the positively-received film topped the box office this weekend with a strong $20 million haul. Now, the director has been recruited by “The A-Team” and “The Grey” producers Scott Free (Ridley & Tony Scott’s company) to remake Michael Winner’s influential 70s vigilante thriller “Death Wish.” The film, based on Brian Garfield’s novel, and a smash hit on its release in 1974, starred Charles Bronson as a mild-mannered architect driven to become a gun-toting vigilante after the rape and murder of his wife, and severe beating of his daughter. After the first film became something a phenomenon, it spawned four further sequels, up to 1994′s “Death Wish V: The Face of Death,” to increasingly diminishing returns. Talk of a remake has been going around for a little while — Sylvester Stallone was considering a new version five years back — but Scott Free has now set up the project at MGM and Paramount, with Carnahan writing and directing and his “The Grey” producer Jules Daly along for the ride too. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/joe-carnahan-to-write-and-direct-remake-of-death-wish James Marsh Is Busy, Busy, Busy James Marsh might have missed out on another Oscar nomination for his excellent film “Project Nim” last week, but he’s not too upset. For one, the DGA gave him their documentary directing award over the weekend for his work on the film. For another, his latest feature, the IRA thriller “Shadow Dancer,” was the toast of Sundance last weekend, picking up excellent reviews. The writer-director is working with Focus on “The Silent Land,” a novel by British writer Graham Joyce. Marsh is writing the script with Nick Drake.” http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/james-marsh-attached-to-direct-silent-land-for-focus-features-talks-about-projects-valiero-el-aura Okay, Now Jim Jarmusch Is Making A Vampire Flick? Really? Tilda Swindon will rejoin her “The Limits of Control” helmer Jim Jarmusch for the director’s new film, a take on the vampire romance genre titled “Only Loves Left Alive.” Fellow Oscar-winner John Hurt, most lately of “Tinker Tailor Solider Spy,” Mia Wasikowska of “Albert Nobbs” and “War Horse” actor Tom Hiddleston also star in the horror drama, described as an unusual love story between two vampires who have been in love for centuries. Jarmusch is producing “Only Lovers Left Alive” together with Cologne-based Pandora films. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tilda-swinton-john-hurt-join-285758 Bradley Cooper And Jennifer Lawrence To Reteam In “Serena”? Hopefully you like the chemistry Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence display onscreen in “The Silver Linings Playbook”! The pair of seemingly mismatched onscreen paramours will team again for an adaptation of “Serena,” a 2008 novel about timber magnates and their iron-fisted rule of North Carolina. Based on Ron Rash’s book, “Serena” follows George and Serena Pemberton (Cooper and Lawrence), a pair of young newlyweds who turn “War of the Roses” on each other when Serena finds out she can’t have children of her own; an issue complicated by the fact that George has an illegitimate son. Cooper and Lawrence will be seen together onscreen this November in “Playbook,” an adaption of Matthew Quick’s quirky novel about a recently released mental patient (Cooper) and the girl who lives next door to his mother, which is directed by David O. Russell. http://news.moviefone.com/2012/01/30/lawrence_n_1242684.html Bryan Bertino Is Back With “Mockingbird” Since “The Strangers” was a surprise hit back in 2008, we might have expected its director to jump straight back behind the camera. What would Bryan Bertino do next, we wondered. The answer is a lot of writing and producing, but he’s now finally set to direct again, with a found-footage affair tentatively titled “Mockingbird.” Bertino has working on the screenplay since November, but this is the first news that he’ll be directing it himself. The film involves a couple who mysteriously receive a videocamera and a list of explicit instructions that they have to follow to prevent somebody dying. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32996 Project Updates Dreams Really Do Come True: Entire “Arrested Development” Team Is Back At Work The entire original cast of “Arrested Development” — Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Jeffrey Tambor, David Cross, Michael Cera, Portia De Rossi, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat and Jessica Walter — will be back for the new season on Netflix, according to writer Dean Lorey. To all the skeptics out there, Lorey confirmed that production is underway, even though the schedule is under wraps. “There are offices and parking spaces,” he wrote. The current plan is for a 10 episode series for Netflix in 2013, followed by a feature film. Series star Bateman confirmed the news shortly after it was announced in October. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/arrested-development-new-episodes-cast_n_1241409.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Ftvsquad+%28TV+Squad%29 Matthew Vaughn Wants Another “X-Men” Go Round According to a report about 20th Century Fox production president Emma Watts signing a new multi-year deal to keep her at the company, there’s a line about the studio closing a contract with Matthew Vaughn to return and direct the sequel to his 2011 hit flick, “X-Men: First Class.” It’s not exactly a shock. “First Class” might not have knocked down any franchise box office records, but it won plenty of acclaim and did well enough that the studio began putting a sequel in motion. But it wasn’t definite that Vaughn would come back and make it. Now? He’s committed. Simon Kinberg, Fox’s in-house superhero veteran, who produced the first movie, is already on board to write the script. But don’t be surprised to see Vaughn (and possibly co-writer Jane Goldman, provided she’s not too busy) taking a pass before the film hits screens. No word on when that would be, or the new flick’s title. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32999 The Non-Bigelow Bin Laden Flick Just Got More Cast When it comes to films depicting the death of Osama Bin Laden, Kathryn Bigelow’s still-untitled action thriller has been receiving most of the attention. But there is another movie out there looking to cover similar territory: John Stockwell’s “Code Name: Geronimo,” which has just set Kathleen Robertson to star. She’ll be playing an eager CIA officer who is part of the team directing the operation that sent two teams of Navy SEALs into Pakistan to track down and kill the Al Qaeda leader. Stockwell will be sticking more with sand than sea this time, as he started shooting yesterday in New Mexico. He’s working from a script by Kendall Lampkin. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32995 Tuesday’s Comic Book Adaptation Updates Our friends at Comic Book Resources have a plethora of updates today, including bits about “The Avengers,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” among others. It’s a lengthy one today, so set aside plenty of time for your perusal. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36687 Vera Farmiga Will Duet With Aaron Eckhart In “The Drummer” Even though she nabbed the biggest exposure and acclaim of her career to date thanks to her Oscar nominated turn in “Up In The Air,” Vera Farmiga has continued to march to the beat of her own drum. The actress continues to take on new challenges, with her next gig providing another intriguing role. In case you forgot, Aaron Eckhart is leading “The Drummer,” a biopic on Dennis Wilson, the Beach Boys beat-keeper, who released a posthumously celebrated solo album “Pacific Ocean Blue” and died tragically at the age of 39. Farmiga has now come aboard, taking the role of Fleetwood Mac singer/songwriter Christine McVie. “Bottle Shock” director Randy Miller is at the helm. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/vera-farmiga-to-play-fleetwood-mac-singer-songwriter-christine-mcvie-in-dennis-wilson-biopic-the-drummer “Stretch Armstrong” Finds A New Home At Relativity Relativity is moving full steam ahead with a production of “Stretch Armstrong,” setting an April 11, 2014, release date for what it is calling a live-action tentpole. Relativity’s Ryan Kavanaugh, Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Bennet Schnier are producing. Stretch was introduced as a toy in 1976. The toy was different from other action figures in the sense he could be stretched out, twisted and folded but he always returned to his original form. The toy had a big relaunch in the 1990s and that’s when Hollywood took serious interest.Stretch was part of a series of properties that were part of a Hasbro-Universal pact made in 2008. It had several release dates (the first one was April 15, 2011) that were pushed back until the project eventually left the studio. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/stretch-armstrong-relativity-taylor-lautner-285783 Lively Out, Mara In, “Side Effects” That Is Rooney Mara has signed on to the lead role in Steven Soderbergh’s “Side Effects,” replacing the previously announced Blake Lively. As reported last week, Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures had backed out of financing the film, unhappy with Lively’s casting. Mara will play Emily Hawkins, a troubled young woman whose husband (to be played by Channing Tatum), is about to be released from prison, while Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones will both play psychiatrists charged with her care. The script comes from Scott Z. Burns (“Contagion”), while Open Road, fresh from the success of “The Grey” this past weekend, will distribute. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/rooney-mara-replaces-blake-lively-as-lead-in-steven-soderberghs-side-effects Ashley Benson Jumps On “Spring Breakers” So is Harmony Korine reaching for the mainstream, or is this all just a ruse to get tweens to watch “Trash Humpers”? Whatever it is, Korine is currently ramping up to start filming “Spring Breakers,” a road trip comedy of sorts that has an improbable cast that includes wholesome Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and James Franco (Emma Roberts recently dropped out). Well, one more unlikely name has come aboard. Ashley Benson, best known for playing Hanna Marin on the ABC Family show “Pretty Little Liars,” is the latest to come aboard the bonkers-sounding pic. The story will follow four college-aged girls who decide to rob a fast food restaurant in order to pay for the annual getaway, and who get thrown in the slammer once they get there. Franco will then show up, playing a rapping drug and arms dealer who bails out the girls, and coaxes them to kill his nemesis named (of course) Arch. http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/pretty-little-liars-star-ashley-benson-joins-harmony-korines-spring-breakers Pilot Season Fox Is Getting Into The Mindy Kaling Business Fox has officially picked up to pilot an untitled comedy from “The Office’s” Mindy Kaling that would star the writer-actress as a young Bridget Jones-type doctor trying to navigate both her personal and professional lives. The project, which hails from Universal TV, would be written and executive produced by Kaling, with “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office’s” Howard Klein on board as a nonwriting executive producer. NBC, which has already picked up more than 10 comedy projects this season, passed on the single-camera project before it landed at Fox. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/offices-mindy-kaling-comedy-fox-pilot-285906 Aaron Sorkin Look Out! Greg Berlanti Continues His Quest For World Domination USA is getting political with Greg Berlanti and Laurence Mark. The network has ordered a six-hour drama event series, “Political Animals,” slated to launch this summer. The truncated series, from Berlanti Productions and Laurence Mark Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television, is about a former first family in turmoil. The project centers on a divorced former First Lady and current Secretary of State, who is struggling to keep her family together while simultaneously dealing with the crises of the State Department. She finds an unlikely ally in a famous D.C. journalist who has spent her career tearing Elaine down. Berlanti wrote and will direct the pilot as well as serve as an executive producer with Mark. Melissa Kellner Berman of Berlanti Productions is attached as a co-executive producer. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/usa-network-greg-berlanti-laurence-mark-285380 One Amazing TV Show Is Apparently Not Enough For Louis C.K. CBS is looking to Louis C.K. and Spike Feresten for laughs. The network has ordered an untitled comedy pilot from the comedic duo, who previously collaborated on a passed over sitcom pilot “Boomtown” more than a decade earlier. The current project centers on an ensemble of young people who are trying to achieve their creative dreams in these tough financial times. The partners, who both spent time writing for the “Late Show With David Letterman” in the mid-1990s, will write and executive produce the comedy, which hails from Berman/Braun in association with Universal Television and CBS TV Studios. Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein are also attached as executive producers. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-greenlights-comedy-louis-ck-spike-feresten-285500 Acquisitions/Film Festivals Outsider Wants A Piece Of “Juan Of The Dead” Outsider Pictures today announced the acquisition of the international hit “Juan of The Dead,” from Guadalajara-based international film sales and distribution company Latinofusion, for US theatrical distribution in the United States. The deal was announced via the Industry Office of the 29th annual Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), produced and presented by Miami Dade College (MDC). “Juan of the Dead” will be screened as part of MIFF’s Gala series at the upcoming Festival, March 2 – 11, 2012, and will be the first theatrical screening of the film under the Outsider Pictures banner. After zombies take over Havana, Juan (Díaz de Villegas) and his friends decide to conquer the marauding undead, reported by the government as being unruly Americans continuing their quest of undermining the regime. Alejandro Brugués’ directed. http://www.miamifilmfestival.com/ SnagFilms Gets Digital Rights To Rwanda Drama SnagFilms has acquired exclusive digital rights to “Kinyarwanda,” which won the world cinema dramatic audience award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where it had its premiere. The film will debut via SnagFilms partners such as Comcast Xfinity, FiOS, DIRECTV, iTunes, Amazon and VUDU. Alrick Brown wrote and directed the fact-based film, which follows six different storylines of people struggling through the Rwandan genocide. Darren Dean and Tommy Oliver produced. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/snagfilms-sundance-kinyarwanda-285918 Business/Legal News
CW Vet Jumps Aboard The “Vampire” Bandwagon “The Vampire Diaries” is bulking up. “Pretty Little Liars” and “The Nine Lives of Chloe King”‘s Chris Grismer has joined the creative team behind the CW vampire drama as a producer and director. The gig reteams Grismer with “Vampire Diaries” showrunners Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, for whom he’s directed episodes of “The Secret Circle” and “Kyle XY,” respectively. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/vampire-diaries-producer-director-chris-grismer-pretty-little-liars-285850 The Multi-Talented Trisha Yearwood Brings A Little Southern Hospitality To The Food Network Grammy winner Trisha Yearwood is cooking up something new. The best-selling author of two cookbooks has inked a deal to star in a six-episode daytime cooking show for the Food Network. In the as-yet-untitled series, Yearwood will share food traditions and display her Southern hospitality, sharing recipes with friends and family and preparing Sunday dinners to planning family reunion barbecues. Each of the six themed episodes will invite viewers into Yearwood’s kitchen for her favorite meals and family stories. Ellen Rakieten Entertainment and RelativityREAL will produce the series, which is in now in production in Nashville and set to bow in April. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/trisha-yearwood-food-network-cooking-series-285374 John Cleese Drops By “Whitney” On Wednesday (Insert Snarky Comment Here) The doctor is in on Wednesday’s episode of NBC’s “Whitney”: “Monty Python’s” and “A Fish Called Wanda’s” John Cleese enters the fold to hand out some relationship advice. Set that DVR!!! http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/whitney-nbc-john-cleese-guest-star-preview-285777 Susan Sarandon Steps Up To “The Big C” Oscar winner Susan Sarandon has booked a multiepisode arc on Season 3 of Showtime’s “The Big C.” On the dark comedy, created by Darlene Hunt, Laura Linney stars as Cathy, a woman diagnosed with cancer who is determined to make the most out of her life. Idris Elba starred in Season 1 as Lenny, a painter with whom Cathy had an affair; Hugh Dancy had a major arc last season as Lee, a fellow clinical trial patient whom Cathy befriended and whose death had a great impact on her. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/big-c-susan-sarandon-guest-star-season-three-280896 In This Life, Shirley Maclaine Joins “Downtown Abbey” (In A Previous One, Too, Probably) Another American is setting up residence at “Downton Abbey.” ITV and Carnival films announced Monday that Shirley MacLaine is joining the U.K. series for its upcoming third season. The Oscar winner’s addition makes her the second American cast member (and character) on the British period drama. She’s set to play Martha Levinson, the American mother of Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), and joins the cast as they begin shooting the new season next month. The third season, which reportedly takes the narrative into the 1920s, is expected to premiere in the U.K. in September, with a U.S. premiere to follow. “Downtown Abbey” is currently in its second stateside season on Masterpiece Classic. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/downton-abbey-shirley-maclaine-elizabeth-mcgovern-285812 Those “Pretty Little Liars” Just Got Some Regular Hunky Company ABC Family wants Tyler Blackburn in its family fold permanently. The “Pretty Little Liars” recurring guest star has been upped to series regular. The actor who plays badboy Caleb Rivers on the Lucy Hale, Ashley Benson, Troian Bellisario and Shay Mitchell series will officially become a regular during season three, which kicks off in the summer. Blackburn’s Caleb, a fan favorite, was first introduced as a foster child whom Hanna (Benson) sought out for help with hacking into “A’s” phone. In the Feb. 13 installment, titled “CTRL:A,” Detectives Wilden and Garrett are now circling Caleb on bogus hacking charges and in possession of his computer, wondering what “A” could have planted. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/pretty-little-liars-tyler-blackburn-caleb-285956 Industry Moves
Fox Really Wants To Keep Emma Watts Around A While Longer Emma Watts has re-upped as president of production for 20th Century Fox through 2015. She’s held the top post since 2009 and is credited for restoring the patina to marquee franchises “Planet of the Apes” and “X-Men” via “The Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and “X-Men: First Class,” both of which were released last year to critical acclaim and box office success. Watts served as co-president of production for Fox from 2007 and 2009, and became the sole president of production in 2009. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/emma-watts-fox-president-production-285810 Warner UK Makes Itself A New PR Hire News Corp. exec Alex Lewis has been brought in to ramp up activities at Warner Bros. Pictures International in the U.K. Lewis has been named vp and director of marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures International, U.K. WBUK svp and group marketing director Polly Cochrane announced the appointment Monday, to whom Lewis will report. Lewis joins from News Corp. in the U.K. where she is currently director of strategy and marketing initiatives, Europe and Asia. She will tasked with consumer and trade marketing for all Warner Bros. Pictures International’s movie releases in the U.K. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/news-international-alex-lewis-warner-bros-uk-285771 Y’Know Those Short Films Nominated For Oscars? You Can See Them In The Theater! ShortsHD working with Magnolia Pictures will release The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2012 in over 200 theatres across the United States and Canada on February 10th, 2012. Three theatrical programs will give audiences around the country an opportunity to watch the nominated shorts in the Animation, Live Action and Documentary categories prior to the 84th Academy Awards ceremony on February 26th. This year will mark the second theatrical outing for the nominated Documentary shorts, after an enthusiastic reception from audiences for last year’s inaugural run. http://theoscarshorts.shorts.tv/ Kirk Kerkorian Is 94 And Just Getting Warmed Up Former multiple-time MGM owner Kirk Kerkorian is on the prowl for a new Hollywood deal, looking to buy a studio, production firm or technology firm playing in the entertainment industry, according to reports.
Jay Rakow, an executive at Kerkorian’s investment vehicle Tracinda Corp., told the paper that the 94-year-old investor who has stayed away from Hollywood since selling MGM in 2005 just before U.S. DVD sales peaked sees opportunities in new forms of online distribution and in emerging markets, such as China, India and Latin America, but wouldn’t name potential targets. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kirk-kerkorian-acquisitions-hollywood-mgm-tracinda-285757 Around The Web
Twenty-Five Things You Probably Didn't Know About Woody Allen's "Radio Days" — MovieFone
It Must Be Very Interesting To Be Nicolas Cage — EmpireOnline
That Ongoing Elton John-Madonna Feud Is Certainly Entertaining — THR.com
A Half Dozen Things We Learned From The SAG And DGA Awards — Movieline
Kalika — Off The Wall
I Had A Dream Our slightly off-kilter Tuesday columnist is back with some dream analysis and more than a little bit of something close to ESP. The one thing we can say about Kalika is that she never fails to be interesting. Click on the link to see for yourself.
http://filmnewsbriefs.com/2012/01/kalika-off-the-wall-i-had-a-dream/ Website to Watch
https://path.com/
This site calls itself a "smart journal that helps you share life with the ones you love." Essentially, the app is a mobile social network, launched in November 2010 and based out of San Francisco, that gives you access to all of the modern conveniences and sharing capabilities of a social network. However, it provides the added wrinkle of being very serious about privacy. How? Well, for one, you can only add up to 150 friends. And you only see posts shared by friends who have accepted your friend request, and vice versa. On top of that, it notifies you when someone views anything you have published to your "path" (a timeline of your updates and activity) and who that person is. Combine these elements together and Path offers a safe environment in which you are sharing personal moments only with the intended audience. Available for both iOS and Android, it's free. Additional Source:
www.cynopsis.com | 
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