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It doesn’t come as a surprise that AMC’s “The Walking Dead” has dominated the cable ratings as the second half of its season three premiered last week. Sunday’s return brought huge ratings to the cable network with 12.3 million viewers tuning in, shattering the series’ previous high of 10.9 million for the Season 3 premiere last October. To put that in some kind of context, that means the episode outperformed all of the broadcast networks’ shows for the evening with the exception of CBS’ coverage of the Grammy Awards, in terms of total viewers.
The premiere also broke other records. It set a new high for the demographic of adults 18 to 49 for any series in basic cable history with 7.7 million viewers in that particular age range. That makes the season three average rating for the 18-to-49 demo is 6.8 million, a number higher than that for mainstream hits like NCIS, Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. 7.7 million viewers for that demo translates into a 6.1 rating for the episode, meaning that this week’s Walking Dead beat Fox’s American Idol (which got a 4.1 rating).
In case you want to hear that again and rejoice, The Walking Dead beat American Idol in terms of the viewers that advertisers pay attention to this week.
AMC’s president, Charlie Collier said,
“When you look at numbers like this, the first thing that comes to mind is how grateful we are to the fans of this show. They embrace The Walking Dead in a way that we wanted to believe was possible but we never take for granted. The cast and crew put everything they have into making this show. They’re a phenomenally talented group who truly give their all. We congratulate everyone involved.”
The third season of The Walking Dead continues this Sunday on AMC.
Fox 2000 and New Regency has announced their plans to develop a big screen adaptation of John Grisham’s latest novel, “The Racketeer.” Daniel Espinosa, known for his work on the film Safe House, is looking to direct the project.
The official plot description of the novel is as follows:
Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett just became number five.
Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judge’s untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland.
On paper, Malcolm’s situation isn’t looking too good these days, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The judge’s body was found in his remote lakeside cabin. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied.
What was in the safe? The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge Fawcett’s death. And the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday…
Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher are attached to produce with Espinosa and Shelley Browning executive producing.
There is no word on a projected release date or who else will be working on the project.
In 2012 we had dueling Snow White film adaptations in the box office and now it appears that next year moviegoers will have two Oliver Twist films face off for their approval. It was announced today that Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to turn Ahmet Zappa’s conceptual reinterpration of Charles Dicken’s “Oliver Twist” into a feature film called Dodge & Twist.
This particular adaptation will take place 20 years after the events of the original novel written by Charles Dickens. The project will follows Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger as they are at odds with one another. Oliver, now a police officer, tries to prevent the Dodger from a plan to steal the Crown Jewels.
The screenplay is being provided by Cole Haddon, the creator of NBC’s upcoming “Dracula” series. Zappa and Matt Tolmach will produce the feature.
The announcement of Dodge & Twist comes off the heels of the news that CBS Films had acquired the rights to create a film adaptation called Olivia Twisted. Unlike Zappa’s adaptation, Olivia Twisted is being reimagined as a hyper-real, gothic city type tale with its primary focus being a young woman named Olivia. However, she isn’t an ordinary woman. Olivia is part of a highly trained gang of street kids ranging in age from 6 to 19 who work for a criminal named Fagin. When the gang takes on a kidnapping job, it lands in the middle of a turf war between the city’s two major kingpins.
There is no word yet on when each of these films is expected to hit theaters but it seems, similarly to the Snow White battle of 2012, they will release around the same time in the box office.
Even though The Twilight Saga is finally finished, the vampire media trend is not quote ready to die. The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced that they have acquired the U.S. distribution rights to “Blood Sisters.” The adaptation will be the first installment of feature film adaptations based on the “Vampire Academy” series of young adult books.
The feature film adaptation of of Blood Sisters is set to be directed by Mark Waters, who is most known for his work on Mean Girls and The Spiderwick Chronicles. Dan Waters will write the screenplay. The project is being produced by Don Murphy and Susan Montford of Angry Films, Michael Preger and Deepak Nayar of Kintop/Reliance. IM Global CEO Stuart Ford will executive produce.
It is based on the first book in the highly popular “Vampire Academy” series written by Richelle Mead. The book series has sold over 8 million copies in print across 35 countries. To date there are 6 books in the series, with the last 4 on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
The official plot description for Blood Sisters is as follows:
Rose Hathaway develops a mental and spiritual bond with her BVFF (best vampire friend forever) Princess Lissa. The two girls attend a strict school for vampires designed to retain their humanity where it is Rose’s task to protect the Princess. Among the everyday issues faced by teenage vampires Rose falls for Dimitri, their dreamy guardian, and together the three battle the mysterious forces of the evil Moroi who are set on destroying the Princess’s bloodline.
“I am thrilled to be working on the first feature for ‘Vampire Academy.’ This series is fantastic and I am excited to bring it to the screen for diehard fans and introduce the stories to a whole new audience,” said TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein.
The projected release date is set for February 14, 2014.
John Mclean’s nonfiction novel, “The Esperanza Fire” has been acquired by Legendary Pictures to be adapted into a feature film. The novel is the true story of Raymond Oyler, the man charged with a devastating act of arson that caused a wildfire near Cabazon, California, west of Palm Springs, California.
The wildfire burned over 61 square miles (160 km²). Five firefighters were killed defending a vacant house locally known as the “Octagon” that was ultimately destroyed by the fire: Jason McKay, Jess McLean, Daniel Najera, Mark Loutzenhiser, and Pablo Cerda. In June 2009, Raymond Lee Oyler was sentenced to death for starting the fire.
The official plot description is as follows:
With a keen eye and ear for detail and raw emotion, Maclean dissects the tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of five firefighters in 2006 after a wind-driven fire burned over their position on a ridge amidst a sea of chaparral and a few trees. Whether or not you’ve ever been on the front line of a wildfire, this book is a gut-wrenching, compelling narrative. It reads like a taut murder mystery, a whodunit novel you can’t put down, with a cast of fascinating characters that includes shady suspects, a dogged detective, DNA evidence, a divided jury, and the victims’ grieving family, friends, and colleagues.
The fire, started by an arsonist on October 26, 2006, burned about 42,000 acres and destroyed 34 houses. The arsonist was caught, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. Maclean, a seasoned journalist with storytelling in his blood, spent six years piecing together the story of the crime. As for the deaths, he also answers the question, “Why?” as well it can be answered — Why did the crew of Engine 57 hold its position on that hilltop, with a fire driven by Santa Ana winds below them? And was anyone, other than Raymond Lee Oyler, the arsonist, ultimately responsible for the deaths?
Alex Hedlund is attached to oversee development on the film version. There is no word on who will be directing or starring in the project.
The popular racing game is now getting its own full length movie and DreamWorks has announced that Michael Keaton will be joining the project. The film adaptation has already cast Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, Dominic Cooper, Ramon Rodriguez, Rami Malek, Harrison Gilbertson and Scott ‘Kid Cudi’ Mescudi. Continue reading →
The Super Bowl each year is a huge event in the world of sports as well as the world of advertising. This year’s Super Bowl ad spots showed some new teaser trailers for several highly anticipated big and small screen adaptations that are set to hit theaters and televisions throughout the year. We have rounded them up for you below.
Under The Dome
An upcoming CBS television series based on the novel of the same name by famed writer Stephen King. The first episode was helmed by Niels Arden Oplev, most known for his work on the original The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The story tells of a small town in Maine which is cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible dome. With air, food and patience dwindling, societal norms within this town begin to break down.
“Under the Dome” will debut on CBS June 24 at 10/9c.
Oz The Great And Powerful
The Walt Disney Pictures psuedo-adaptation of the classic novel by L. Frank Baum is set to his theaters in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on March 8.
Based on the characters and world created in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” the film follows Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, as he is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot–fame and fortune are his for the taking–that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity–and even a bit of wizardry–Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.
The Walking Dead
Time Warner released three new television spots during the Super Bowl for the upcoming second half of season 3. One of the teasers included a cameo from Norman Reedus who plays fan favorite character Daryl. The last two videos are different versions of the same commercial.
“This campaign uniquely and cleverly captures the spirit of ‘The Walking Dead’ as well as featuring one of the series’ most iconic characters, Daryl Dixon,” said Charlie Collier, President and General Manager of AMC. “We are thrilled to be working with Time Warner Cable to bring fans of ‘The Walking Dead,’ one of television’s most passionate and engaged audiences, even better ways to experience and re-experience the zombie apocalypse.”
World War Z
This (not even close) adaptation of the Max Brooks zombie novel features Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox and David Morse. The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.
Iron Man 3
The next installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios debuted a 30-second Super Bowl spot for Iron Man 3.
Hitting 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on May 3, the Shane Black-directed sequel stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley and Wang Xuequi.
Tony Stark is back and when he finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?
Fans always hoped that the world of “X-Files” would continue on somehow after the television series ended and the 2008 film was released. Bringing joy to many, IDW Publishing has announced that it will partner with Twentieth Century FOX Consumer Products to create a brand-new series of comics that will resume where the 2008 movie “The X-Files: I Want to Believe” left off.
Chris Ryall, IDW’s chief creative officer and editor in chief, commented of the recent announcement saying,
“Few shows have captured the zeitgeist and fans’ imaginations like ‘The X-Files,’ and fewer shows still have left people hungry for more in the way this one did. Our new series will be picking up where the second film left off, which will hopefully be as exciting for fans to read as it is for us to develop.”
“The X-Files” series aired for nine seasons on Fox between 1993 and 2002, and spawned two films. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson starred as two FBI agents investigating a wide variety of paranormal mysteries, while searching for the truth behind government conspiracies to cover up an extraterrestrial plot to colonize the planet.
IDW will be releasing the “X-Files” comic books as well as reprint classic issues that were published between 1995 and 2009. Wildstorm was the last company to hold the license for the beloved property before folding in 2010.
The publishing company is also the one behind much loved comic book series such as “30 Days of Night,” “Doctor Who” and “Star Trek.”
Bryan Singer, the director of the upcoming film X-Men: Days of Future Past, recently discussed the new project and why it is his most ambitious one yet. One of the reasons it is so highly anticipated is that both casts of from the original X-Men films and the most recent X-Men: First Class will appear. Singer talked about X-Men: Days of Future Past in an interview with Empire.
When speaking about the sheer magnitude of the film and those involved, Singer mentioned how it was to work with both casts of the previous films as well as the ideas of time travel!
It’s epic. I don’t think people realize how big this movie’s going to be. We get to bring both casts together. We’ve cracked it in a way that it makes sense. I had a two-hour conversation with James Cameron about time travel, string theory, multiverses and all that. You have to create your rules and stick with them. That’s why Terminator and Back To The Future work so well. And there are certain mechanisms in X-Men, certain powers, perceptions and characters, that make this possible.”
In prospect of the combination cast, Singer addressed fans concerns that film will not adhere to the original source material.
It has a lot of aspects of the comic. The actual comic of Days Of Future Past had a whole ton of stuff going on, so it’s like any of these things; you have to distill it. But I think the fans will be pleased that some of the most exciting parts of Days Of Future Past are going to be connected to this movie.”
One of the major worries about X-Men: Days of Future Past has to do with continuity. Fans wonder whether the film will acknowledge the events of the previous films due to continuity issues, but Singer assures that every film in the series will be taken into account as canon.
“I’m taking into account every movie – I’m not just grabbing my first two movies and First Class and smashing them together. I’m taking into account the entire universe as it’s been laid out so far on the screen, and really respecting it and trying to work with that. People took things in various directions, so there’s some clean-up. But ultimately I’m not just ignoring them either.”
X-Men: Days of Future Past will hit theaters on July 18, 2014. Confirmed cast members for the film include Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore and Hugh Jackman.
Questions are abound regarding the upcoming potential series, “Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D.” especially in regards to casting. However, actress Cobie Smulders revealed she may be joining the highly anticipated series. Smulders, who played Agent Maria Hill in Marvel’s The Avengers is currently set to reprise the role in the soon-to-shoot Captain America: The Winter Soldier though she recently told IAmRogue that she’s in talks to join the cast of the upcoming television project should the pilot go to series.
There was initial worries that Smulders commitments to the hit series, “How I Met Your Mother” would cause her to be unavailable for another series. She says that is frankly not the case.
The commitments to [‘How I Met Your Mother’] don’t affect it,”Smulders told the site. “and I can’t really say but there are definite talks about it… I will do Maria Hill until they fire me and hire someone else to do it.”
“Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D.” has already revealed that Clark Gregg has signed on to return as Agent Coulson though the details of how and why his character will return has not been released. The series pilot is about to begin production and so far only has orders for the one episode. However, as highly as the show is anticipated by fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it shouldn’t have any issue signing a full season order.
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