Author Archives: Sarah Sommer

About Sarah Sommer

Sarah is a journalist and an artist who lives in the city. She loves movies and television. She reads early and often. Sarah also helps out over at BSCkids.com and our other sites!

Zach Helm Writing the Jumanji Remake

It was announced a few months ago that beloved film and children’s book, Jumanji, was getting a remake. Now, Heat Vision has reported that the project has hired a screenwriter.

Zach Helm, most know for his work on Stranger Than Fiction and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, has been hired to write the script for the Columbia Pictures re-imagining.

Most will remember the 1995 film starring Robin Williams, though the story was originally a short story of the same name written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. The children’s book was released in 1981.

The plot followed two kids who play an old magic boardgame and release a man (Robin Williams) as well as many dangers that can be stopped only by finishing the game. The new film will likely tweak the premise and refashion the story for present day.

Jumanji initially grossed $263 million worldwide and the remake is expected to do extremely well.

Matt Tolmach and Bill Teitler are producing the reimagining of the story. Ted Field and Mike Weber are executive producing.

There is no word on who is attached to star in the project or a projected release date for the film.

Johnny Depp And Disney Planning A Don Quixote Adaptation

Disney recently closed a deal on an new Don Quixote film pitch that was written by Steve Pink and Jeff Morris. The project will be produced by Infinitum Nihil’s Johnny Depp and Christi Dembrowski.

Rather than be another straight forward adaptation, the project is being described as being a modern re-imagining of Don Quixote. Depp has long been intrigued with that character, and at one time was attached to the Quixote film that Terry Gilliam has tried to make.

Don Quixote will be based off the novel “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha,” written by Miguel de Cervantes. The novel follows the adventures of Alonso Quijano, an hidalgo who reads so many chivalric novels, that he decides to set out to revive chivalry under the name of Don Quixote. He recruits a simple farmer,Sancho Panza, as his squire, who frequently deals with Don Quixote’s rhetorical orations on antiquated knighthood with a unique, earthy wit. He is met by the world as it is, initiating themes like intertextuality, realism,metatheatre and literary representation.

The original novel was published in two separate volumes that were a decade apart, in 1605 and 1615 respectively. Remaining one of the more loves and respected literary novels in the world, it regularly appears on “best” lists around the world, and on a 2002 list, Don Quixote was cited as the “best literary work ever written”.

At Disney, Infinitum Nihil just wrapped the Depp-starrer Disney The Lone Ranger. The company’s feature credits also include Hugo, Dark Shadows and The Rum Diary. UTA reps Pink, Morris and Infinitum Nihil, while Pink’s managed by Mosaic and Morris by Caliber Media.

New Photo From Ender’s Game Featuring Harrison Ford Released

The Ender’s Game big screen adaptation is still months away from being released, but Entertainment Weekly has released a brand new photo from the project that features Harrison Ford as Colonel Gruff. The new adaptation comes from director Gavin Hood and stars Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Viola Davis, Nonso Anozie, Stevie Ray Dillmore, Andrea Powell, Moises Arias, Conor Carroll, Aramis Knight, Brendan Meyer, Jimmy “Jax” Pinchak, Suraj Parthasarathy and Khylin Rhambo.

The Ender’s Game book series was written by Orson Scott Card. The book originated as the short story “Ender’s Game”, published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional books to form the Ender’s Game series. Card released an updated version of Ender’s Game in 1991, changing some political facts to accurately reflect the times.

Ender’s Game won the 1985 Nebula Award for best novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for best novel. Its sequels, Ender in Exile, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind, follow Ender’s subsequent travels to many different worlds in the galaxy. In addition, the later novella A War of Gifts and novel Ender’s Shadow take place during the same time period as the original.Ender’s Game has been adapted into two comic series.

The official plot summary of the novel and film is as follows:

In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite.

Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military’s next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.

Ender’s Game is expected to hit theaters November 1st, 2013.

Game of Thrones Season 3 Production Video Released

Our first glimpse into the world of season three of “Game Of Thrones” from HBO has graced the internet. A brand new 2-minute clip was released last night before the  Boardwalk Empire finale and it has finally made it’s way online.

In the clip, creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, as well as cast members including Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clark, talk about the upcoming season and tease the story lines fans are eager to see.

However, what fans are talking about most is the small glimpse we see of this seasons new characters such as Queen of Thorns Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) and the Reed siblings, Jojen (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Meera (Ellie Kendirck).

Benioff and Weiss agree that this may well be the best season of Thrones yet:

“This is the season that Dan and I have been anticipating from the very beginning,” the former explains. Weiss adds that he and his partner have always “envisioned season 3 as sort of the place we needed to get. If we made it through season 3 and if we could do season 3 right, then it would all be worthwhile.”

It is known: Game of Thrones‘s third season premieres March 21. You can watch the 2 minute clip below:

First Photos From Spook’s Apprentice Adaptation Seventh Son

USA Today recently released the first two photos from the upcoming project from Warner Bros. Pictures,’ Seventh Son. The adaptation features Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Kit Harrington, Olivia Williams, and Julianne Moore.

The script came from Matt Greenberg and Chuck Leavitt is adapted from the first of Joseph Delaney’s book series, “The Wardstone Chronicles” called The Spook’s Apprentice; for Americans it’s titled The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch.

Seventh Son has the official description below:

In a time long past, an evil is about to be unleashed that will reignite the war between the forces of the supernatural and humankind once more. Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) is a knight who had imprisoned the malevolently powerful witch, Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore), centuries ago. But now she has escaped and is seeking vengeance. Summoning her followers of every incarnation, Mother Malkin is preparing to unleash her terrible wrath on an unsuspecting world. Only one thing stands in her way: Master Gregory.

In a deadly reunion, Gregory comes face to face with the evil he always feared would someday return. Now he has only until the next full moon to do what usually takes years: train his new apprentice, Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) to fight a dark magic unlike any other. Man’s only hope lies in the seventh son of a seventh son.

The Sergei Bodrov-directed film hits 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on October 18, 2013 and also stars Alicia Vikander, Antje Traue, Olivia Williams and Kit Harington.

You can see the new photos below:

CW Releases Details About New Wonder Woman Series

After the success of their most recent comic book adaptation, “Arrow,” The CW is eyeing a new project. Warner Bros. TV is working to create a pilot for a potential new series based on the Wonder Woman comic book series. The studio has already hired a director to search for the titular heroine in the adaptation.

The project will also include the Wonder Woman origin story written by Allan Heinberg that chronicles the female superhero’s life as a young Amazonian, before she becomes a warrior princess with super powers.

The studio has released an official breakdown of the character for the project which states,

“She comes from a remote, secluded country and until now has spent most of her life as a soldier and a leader on the battlefield. Because of relentless brutality of her life at home, Iris looks at our world with absolute awe and astonishment. She’s delighted ­and just as often horrified ­ by the aspects of everyday life that we take for granted: skyscrapers, traffic, ice cream. It’s all new and fascinating and sometimes slightly troubling ­to her. Iris is completely unschooled in our world, our culture, our customs. And she’s completely inexperienced at interpersonal relationships. She has no social filter, does not suffer fools, and tends to do and say exactly what’s on her mind at all times. She’s bluntly, refreshingly honest. She can tell when you’re lying to her. And she doesn’t have time or patience for politics or tact because she’s too busy trying to experience everything our world has to offer. There are too many sights to see ­and things to learn ­and people to care for. Hers is a true, noble, and generous heart. And she will fight and die for the people she loves. Iris is a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic and she will fight to the death to make the world safe for innocents and true romantics everywhere.”

As the script continues to be written, the cast for project is still being hired. There is no word on when the pilot may be done or which actresses they are looking toward to fill the lead role.

Game of Thrones: The Mobile Game Edition

If you are anxiously awaiting the new season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” you are not alone. However, there is a new mobile app that might help make the wait a little easier to bear. “A World of Ice and Fire” is a brand new iPhone and iPad app that helps fans of the book and television series keep track of the ever mounting list of characters, locations, and Houses throughout the series.

Although the app uses the book for references rather than the television series, fans of the “Game of Thrones” should have no trouble using the app.

The app is free, but without buying content the app only gives basic information on some characters and places. for $1.99, you can gain access to more information about the characters for the first book  and $0.99 for each subsequent novel or $4.99 for everything in the app. The $4.99 purchase saves $1 over buying the pack individually. After buying the “InfoPacks” users can tell the app where they read to in the series so they can avoid any spoilers.

The app seems to be most helpful to those reading the series as the ever growing character list can get confusing as well as the different Houses and the locations of Essos and Westeros.  The maps will help readers find where the characters are in relation to one another, which is especially useful when war breaks out in the realm.

A World of Ice and Fire is currently available for iPhone and iPad, though Mashable says versions of the app are coming for Android and Nook tablets sometime in the future.

Lionsgate Attempts to Acquire Film Rights To ‘Wonder’

Lionsgate announced that they have entered final negotiations to aquire the film rights to R.J. Palacio’s bestselling debut novel “Wonder” and has entered talks with “Frankenweenie” scribe John August to adapt the pre-teen tale, which David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman are producing for Mandeville Films.

Wonder follows a 10-year-old boy named Auggie whose facial deformity prevented him from attending a mainstream school. Starting fifth grade at a new school, he struggles to convince his new classmates that, despite appearances, he’s just like them. Story explores the theme of bullying and is told from multiple points of view.

The novel has done extremely well since it’s release. It has sold more than 15,000 copies worldwide between print and ebooks and spent 32 weeks on the New York Times’ bestseller list since its publication in February. It has been long-listed for the Carnegie Medal and the UKLA Book Award, two of the most prestigious and well-known children’s book awards in the U.K.

Lionsgate is currently working on several other major adaptation such as the adaptation of Patrick Ness’ dystopian sci-fi tale “Chaos Walking” and the last two “Hunger Games” pics based on Suzanne Collins’ “Mockingjay.”

Mandelville also has a few high profile adaptation readying for release such as developing “Swiss Family Robinson” and “Jungle Cruise” for Disney and Summit’s zombie romancer “Warm Bodies” and Relativity Media’s comedy “21 and Over.”

August previously worked with Tim Burton on writing “Big Fish,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Corpse Bride” and “Frankenweenie. He also aided in the adaptation of “Dark Shadows,” to film. He recently adapted the Monsterpocalypse strategy game for a DreamWorks film and Garth Ennis’ comicbook “Preacher” for Sony.

While the deal has yet to be closed, it appears to be lining up to be final in the next few weeks.

You can watch the book trailer below:

Game of Thrones Season 2 DVD & Blu-Ray Release Date And List of Bonus Features Released

Winter has already came and with it news of the DVD release for season 2 of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Similarly to last year, the second season DVD will be available for purchase one month before the premiere of season 3. Both the Blu-ray and DVD versions of the season will hit store shelves on February 13, 2013.

While the DVD and Blu-ray offering is expensive, sitting at roughly $59.99 and 79.99 respectively, the collections are both beautifully presented and chock full of extras. However, it is wise to note that Amazon currently lists the DVD and Blu-ray for $41.99 and $55.99, respectively.

Both the DVD and Blu-ray will contain audio commentaries for all 10 of season 2′s episodes, featuring observations from the stars, producers, and even A Song of Ice and Fire scribe George R.R. Martin. A half-hour featurette on the effort that went into creating the series-defining Battle of Blackwater Bay will also be included on both versions.

Also, the Blu-ray edition will have a bit more to it when compared to the DVD. Shipping under the HBO Select logo, the Blu-ray of Game of Thrones season 2 will feature an option for in-episode informational pop-ups, an animated history lesson about the continents of Westeros and Essos, a massive battle map tracking the movements of the five armies vying for the Iron Throne, and an apparent plethora of Easter eggs.

The complete list of special features for Game of Thrones season 2 is as follows:

DVD and Blu-Ray Features

  • Creating the Battle of Blackwater Bay: A 30-minute documentary on the trials and tribulations of putting together one of Game of Throne‘s most intense episodes.
  • The Religions of Westeros: George R.R. Martin, author of the novels that inspired Game of Thrones, presides over an explanation of the various faiths that move behind the scenes of the show.
  • Game of Thrones: Inner Circle: Primary Game of Thrones actors participate in a roundtable discussion of what it was like to shoot season 2. Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss moderate.
  • Audio Commentaries: All episodes will have an accompanying commentary track by stars such as Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke, producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and George R.R. Martin.

Blu-ray Exclusive Features:

  • War of the Five Kings: An interactive guide to Westeros’s fog of war. Lists the accomplishments, failures, tactics, and key players of the fiver would-be Kings struggling for the soul of the continent.
  • Histories and Lore: A series of animated history lessons that will reveal the great events that have shaped Westeros and the lands beyond the Narrow Sea. Expect detailed explanations of the Nine Free Cities, the Andals and the First Men, and the dragon-riding Freehold of Valyria. Features llustrations from “Game of Thrones” storyboard artist Will Simpson.
  • In-Episode Guide: An option for pop-up information and resources during viewing.
  • Hidden Dragon Eggs: Hidden Easter eggs lead to even more bonus content.

Game of Thrones‘ season 2 will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on February 13, 2013.

Motion Poster For Catching Fire Revealed

Lionsgate is already promoting the highly anticipated next film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire which releases in theaters and IMAX on November 22, 2013. The studio has begun the promotions by releasing a brand new motion poster that can be seen above.

Catching Fire is directed by Francis Lawrence and sees the return of main cast members Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland. However, with a new set of games comes a new set of tributes and actors. New cast additions include Jena Malone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amanda Plummer, Lynn Cohen, Patrick St. Esprit, Meta Golding, Bruno Gunn, Alan Ritchson, E. Roger Mitchell, Maria Howell, Stephanie Leigh Schlund, Sam Claflin and Jeffrey Wright.

Beginning where the first film and novel left off, Catching Fire shows the aftermath of Katniss and Peeta returning from the 74th Hunger Games both as victors. Embarking on a Victor’s Tour, Katniss and Peeta realize the implications of their actions while civil unrest grows throughout Panem. Soon the 75th Hunger Games, Quarter Quell edition, are being prepared and its revealed that there is a special twist that will change Panem forever.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be released November 22, 2013.