Category Archives: Movie Adaptations

Lionsgate Attempts to Acquire Film Rights To ‘Wonder’

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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:

Motion Poster For Catching Fire Revealed

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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.

Dark Horse Comic “The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde” Heads To Big Screen

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There are tons and tons of adaptations of the famous tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but none perhaps as fun as the Dark Horse comic book series, “The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde,” by Cole Haddon and M.S. Corley. It was only a matter of time before a movie studio realized this and would want to option it. Now, the time has come.

The Wrap has reported that screenwriter Albert Torres (Henry Poole Is Here) has signed on to re-write the script for the feature adaptation.

The project has been picked up by Skydance Productions, Dark Horse Entertainment and the Mark Gordon Company.

“The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde” was published early in 2012 and wove together elements of Jack the Ripper and the mysterious tale we all know as Jekyll and Hyde. The comic book plot is as follows:

Five years after Mr. Edward Hyde’s bloody reign of terror, the streets of London run red once again when a series of prostitutes are murdered with surgical precision. Convinced that the killer is using the same serum that birthed Hyde, Inspector Thomas Adye of Scotland Yard seeks assistance from its creator, the imprisoned Dr. Henry Jekyll. But even as Jekyll convinces Adye that he can best aid in the hunt if freed from prison, evidence mounts that he is not completely cured of Hyde. With the two monsters set to collide, can Adye-or his soul-survive intact?

The comic was based on the original novella “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” written by the famous Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886. It follows a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde.

There is no word on a projected release date or who the studio is looking to star in the adaptation.

School of Fear Adaptation Picked Up By McG

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McG’s Wonderland Sound & Vision and Red Crown Prods. have announced that they are adapting “School of Fear” for the big screen. The children’s book series was written by Gitty Daneshvari. McG will be producing the adaptation and will be looking for a director.

The first book in the trilogy was published in 2010 and follows four children, all suffering from phobias, who are sent to the exclusive yet secretive school where they conquer their fears and survive a perilous final test.

Graham King acquired the movie feature rights to “School of Fear” back in 2007 before it had been published. However, the rights lapsed and Red Crown picked up the project. They later brought the project to Wonderland and McG.

It was also announced that Mary Viola and Scott Fischer will produce for Wonderland with Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Daniel Crown and Riva Marker producing for Red Crown. Mike Saunders and Daneshvari will executive produce.

“We’re a bunch neurotic New Yorkers so Gitty’s story really resonated with us,” Marker told Variety. “We get a ton of submissions but we think this has franchise potential.”

Daniel Mackey is set to write the script. He recently wrote the second season of Wonderland’s “Aim High” series.

There is no word on a project release date or who will be directing the project.

Jamie Foxx Could Potentially Play Electro in Amazing Spider-Man Sequel

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Jamie Foxx recently confirmed to Access Hollywood that his casting in the upcoming sequel was “in the works.” He also commented that his daughter would be overjoyed if he landed the badass role of  voltage-wielding villain.

The character of Electro would be the main villain of the sequel. An enemy who gained the ability to control electricity after being struck by lightning while working on a power line. Electro has been depicted more than several times throughout the  Spider-Man cartoons and video games. IGN also ranked the character in 2009 as IGN‘s 87th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.

Jamie told Access at the GQ Men of the Year 2012 party in Los Angeles this week, when asked about his potential involvement in the Marc Webb-directed project,

“I have a little daughter, 4 years old, and what’s crazy is like, this past year she had a birthday where Spider-Man was the theme. Fingers crossed [that] it all works out.”

Earlier this month, Jamie took to Twitter to hint at the possible casting news.

“Dressed up as Electro for Halloween last night,” he Tweeted on November 1. “Costume fits well.”

The script is set to be written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man was announced by the studio quickly after the first film’s release. It was later announced that Shailene Woodley was offered the role of Mary Jane Watson.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 sequel will swing into theaters on May 2, 2014.

Multipicture Rights Acquired For Susan Ee’s Bestselling Series ANGELFALL.

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It was recently announced that Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Good Universe have acquired multipicture rights to Susan Ee’s bestselling Amazon Publishing book series ANGELFALL. Raimi, most know for his work on the Spider-Man trilogy, and Tapert, known for his work on The Possession, are set to produce the adaptation.

The novel was initially self-published and later released through Amazon Children’s Publishing after being courted by multiple publishing houses.  Angelfall became an instant success across a broad demographic of readers resonating with the ravenous young adult crowd as well as adults.  The book ranked #1 on Amazon’s Most Wished For Teen Book list and #1 best seller in Sci-fi & Fantasy. Susan Ee is a lawyer turned writer and Angelfall is her debut novel.

Lucy Stille of Paradigm brokered the deal on behalf of Susan Ee whose book she first read as a self-published e-book and took on the project immediately because she so believed in the potential of the franchise.  The deal was negotiated for the producers by Dan Freedman. Aaron Lam brought the book to the producers. Nicole Brown will oversee for Good Universe.

Raimi commented on the acquisition saying.

“Susan is a brilliant writer.  She has created a fantastic world with instantly engaging and real characters. I immediately connected with the material and knew that she had conceived the perfect combination for a great fantasy film.”

The official synopsis of the novel is as follows:

Six weeks after angels of the apocalypse descend to demolish the modern world, street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back… even if that means making a deal with an enemy angel Raffe, a warrior who has been left bleeding and wingless.  Having only each other to rely on for survival, the two journey towards the angel’s stronghold where she must risk everything to rescue her sister and he must decide whether to put himself at the mercy of his enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

The second book in the series will release in Fall 2013.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Trailer Officially Released

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Sony has officially released the debut trailer and a brand new poster for the upcoming big screen adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Opening in theaters on August 23, 2013, the Harald Zwart-directed film stars Lily Collins, Jaime Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Jemima West, Kevin Segers, Kevin Durand, Robert Maillet, Lena Headey, Jared Harris, Godfrey Gao, Aidan Turner, CCH Pounder and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

City of Bones is the first novel of the hit YA series, The Mortal Instruments, written by Cassandra Clare.

The official plot description of the novel is as follows:

Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray, discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother, Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures.

It is set to be released in theaters on August 23, 2013.

You can see the trailer for the upcoming adaptation below:

Sean Penn To Star In Film Adaptation of “Prone Gunman”

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It was announced today that actor Sean Penn is set to star in an upcoming action movie franchise. Penn is currently in negotiations for the upcoming film adaptation of Prone Gunman, an action thriller being produced by Silver Pictures’ Joel Silver and Andrew Rona.

Prone Gunman is based on the novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette. The story centers on an international operative named Martin Terrier (Penn) who is betrayed by the organization he works for and must go on the run in a relentless game of cat-and-mouse across Europe.

Martin Terrier is a hired killer who wants out of the game—so he can settle down and marry his childhood sweetheart. After all, that’s why he took up this profession! But the Organization won’t let him go: they have other plans. Once again, the gunman must assume the prone shooting position. A tour de force, this violent tale shatters as many illusions about life and politics as bodies.

Manchette has been described as leftist French author, and his books — in the French noir genre — as an existentialist and involving explorations of politics as well as the human condition. Sound’s right up Penn’s alley who is most known for his high-profile roles such as gay politician in Milk to a lost soul in Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, as well as winning a pair of Oscars along the way.

Peter Travis is writing the script. StudioCanal is financing the project and is currently looking for a director to helm the adaptation.

There is no word of who else may be attached to the project or an anticipated release date.

Patrick Lee’s The Breach Heads To The Big Screen

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Lorenzo di Bonaventura and David Goyer has announced they are teaming up to produce a feature film adaptation of The Breach, written by Patrick Lee. Justin Rhodes is set to adapt the screenplay and Goyer is the only producer attached. No director has been officially announced.

The novel which was published in 2009 and Patrick’s other novels include Ghost Country and Deep Sky.

The official plot of the novel is as follows:

Travis Chase, a man putting his life back together after fifteen years in prison, takes a solo hike into the Alaskan Rockies. He’s just looking for a quiet place to think about his future, but what he finds is trouble: a 747, downed in remote wilderness, the wreck impossibly undiscovered by authorities. Those aboard are dead, though not because of the crash. They’ve been shot.

This aircraft, along with the terrifying object it was transporting, is only the beginning for Travis. Within hours he finds himself at the center of a violent conflict that spans the globe, and a secret war that dates back three decades. A war for possession of radically advanced technology—that wasn’t created by human hands.

There has been no word yet on who will star in the adaptation or a projected release date.

World War Z Adaptation Releases First Trailer

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It has long been known that the big screen adaptation of the Max Brooks novel, World War Z, has been plagued with issues from day one. At one point, it was felt that the massive project might be better off being scrapped for a better story, director, and budget. The film had been delayed several times, reworked over and over, and even had the script re-written. However, through all of that, we finally have a trailer for the long anticipated adaptation.

The movie follows 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. Those who have read the book will notice that the movie barely resembles the novel and has changed drastically.

I already have huge issues for the adaptation of this novel from the mess that Marc Forster has created to the fact that Brad Pitt has replaced the actual oral documentary feel from the novel in favor of a more pressing generic “must save the world” storyline.

So will this be another generic, run of the mill zombie feature that cost billions but grosses half that?

World War Z comes from Paramount Pictures and stars Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox and David Morse. Directed by Marc Forster, the action thriller hits theaters on June 21, 2013.

You can watch the trailer for World War Z below: