Category Archives: Movie Adaptations

Philip K. Dick Trustees Suing Makers of “The Adjustment Bureau” Again

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Deadline has reported that the trustees for author Philip K. Dick are suing those who made the 2011 film, The Adjustment Bureau for more than $500,000. The trustees filed a 14-page com plait today with the LA Superior Court where they stated that the director the film, George Nolfi, as well as the producer, Michael Hacket, and Media Rights Capitol and it’s subsidiaries owe them the money plus fees and damages regarding the film.

They are citing breach of contract and four other claims since the defendants have continuously refused repeated requests to open the accounting books in relation to the film. They are also claiming they have been shortchanged payments from the film’s net profits and that the defendants have “demanded the return” of the $1.4 million feed that they paid Dick in April 2009 for the film rights.

This new suit comes only a few months after the trustees abandoned a previous federal case against Nolfi and MRC after the judge dismissed the claims citing lack of jurisdiction.

Dick wrote a short story called “Adjustment Team” which the film The Adjustment Bureau is based on. It featured Matt Damon and Emily Blunt as the main characters. Since its release in 2011, the suit claims the film made around $128 million in the global box office as well as $10 million in DVD sales. The suit also mentions the unknown international DVD sales and TV sales.

Nolfi and MRC are adamant to fight the suit as they are claiming that the original story was actually public domain, and therefore didn’t owe the Trust anything. The trust denies that the story was public domain however, stating that Nolfi optioned the film rights back in 2001. It was revealed that Nolfi initially paid  $25,000 for an initial one-year option and the same on later options, subsequently entered into extension agreements on the option in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

According to Deadline:

The trustee’s suit, […] says that Nolfi agreed to pay an eventual purchase price for the rights based on the “approved budget” for the film. The director/producer also agreed to pay a “breakeven” fee of $100,000 when worldwide gross receipts, minus certain deductions, equaled double the cost of production plus marketing, overhead and interest costs. Nolfi, who “assigned” all his rights to MRC’s Oaktree Entertainment in the spring of 2009, additionally agreed to pay the Trust 2.5% of the film’s net profits and a “further $100,000 for each additional $10 million in worldwide gross receipts in excess of Breakeven up to the point the Trust received a total of $2 million in payments.” Oaktree exercised the option on the film, with a projected budget of around $50 million, and “wired payment of $1,400,000 to the Trust” soon after.”

The Philip K. Dick Testamentary Trust adds that they also helped writing the script for the movie as well the marketing of movie per the request of Universal, who distributed the film. Although Universal is not named as a defendant in the suit.

Lionsgate Options Another Young Adult Trilogy, Chaos Walking

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Lionsgate hopes to duplicate the success of The Hunger Games franchise with yet another young-adult novel series, Chaos Walking, by Patrick Ness. The trilogy is set in a dystopian world and centers around two children (Sound familiar?). The two children, named Todd Hewitt and Viola Eade encounter several moral issues as the planet around them erupts into war.

The twist is that there are no women and everyone can hear each others’ thoughts through a stream of images and words called “Noise.” Trippy.

The Knife of Never Letting Go was published in 2008 and follows Todd as he is forced to flee town after the discovery of a patch of silence, a place that is free of Noise. The novel is follows by, The Ask and the Answer (2009) and the final book Monster of Men (2010). The first novel is narrated entirely by Todd while the second one has the viewpoints of both children. Whether the film adaptation will follow this formula or not has not been revealed.

The official description for the book is as follows:

Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him — something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn’t she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd’s gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

Charlie Kaufman most known for his work on Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, has signed on to adapt the first book in the series, The Knife of Never Letting Go.

Kaufman has previously adapted Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief into Spike Jonze’s 2002 crowd-pleaser, Adaptation, as well as 2002’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, directed by George Clooney. Kaufman is known for his dreamlike collaborations with directors like Jonze and Michel Gondry  (The Science of Sleep).

And considering the subject matter, it’s entirely possible that the screenplay might be a little more bizarre than the average tween novel-to-movie adaptation. But the guy helped revise the Kung Fu Panda 2 script, so who knows?

Doug Davidson’s production company, Quadrant Pictures, has also signed on to produce.

There is no word on an expected release date or who will star in this adaptation as of yet.

Ender’s Game Producer Talks Working With Nasa Sound Stage

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2013 is a long time away, but most of us are still pumped for the year of movies already expected to drop during the year. The film adaptation of Ender’s Game is one of the more highly anticipated of the new released. Recently, Bobby Cohen, one of the producers along side Roberto Orci, spoke with MTV News about how excited he is to work on the film.

He also opening admitted that he is pretty thrilled with the casting of the novel adaptation.

I have the great pleasure to work with Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci, who wrote ‘Mission: Impossible’ and ‘Star Trek,'” he said. “Our other movie is ‘Ender’s Game,’ based on the incredible book that people have been trying to make forever. A lot of directors have tried to do it. We have an amazing script. Gavin Hood is directing, we’ve got Harrison Ford, Sir Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Hailee Steinfeld from ‘True Grit,’ Asa Butterfield from ‘Hugo.'”

Cohen works with director Gavin Hood and Orci on the set of the film. He mentioned the unique set they get to work on.

There is a NASA stage where they literally used to build the rockets for the space shuttle that is now actually a sound stage,” he said. “They will be spending 65 some odd days about 45 minutes from here on a big giant set. So that’s going well.”

Producer, Alex Kurtzman has similarly excited feelings toward the project. He went on to add:

We’re just happy to support the vision of the book,” he added. “It’s such a treasured novel and it’s very rare that you get an opportunity to work on something like that so we were very psyched.”

You can watch video of the interview below:


The project is currently filming, and is scheduled to be released November 1, 2013. It is being directed by Gavin Hood with an all star cast.

Written by Orson Scott Card, the story is set in a future utopian version of Earth. It follows a young boy who is a strategist of the genius level who becomes drafted by the International Fleet to battle and destroy to Formics. Formics are a dangerous alien race that threaten mankind. And if Ender fails, then Earth will be gone forever.

The cast, which includes several award winners, is as follows:

  • Asa Butterfield – Ender Wiggin
  • Harrison Ford – Colonel Hyrum Graff
  • Abigail Breslin – Valentine Wiggin
  • Hailee Steinfeld – Petra
  • Aramis Knight – Bean
  • Moises Arias – Bonzo
  • Jimmy Pinchak – Peter Wiggin
  • Suraj Parthasarathy – Alai
  • Conor Carroll – Bernard
  • Khylin Rhambo – Dink
  • Brandon Soo Hoo – Fly Molo
  • Ben Kingsley – Mazer Rackham
  • Viola Davis – Major Anderson
  • Caleb J. Thaggard – Stilson
  • Stevie Ray Dallimore – John Wiggin
  • Andrea Powell – Theresa Wiggin
  • Nonso Anozie – Sergeant Dap

Jaden Smith To Star In Adaptation of Thriller Trilogy

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Sony Pictures and Overbrook Entertainment have joined several other production companies and have optioned a novel for the big screen before it has even been released. Sony and Overbrook have entered the early stages of a plan to turn an upcoming novel series into a film starring Jaden Smith (Pursuit of Happyness).

Boy Nobody, currently being penned by award-winning novelist Allen Zadoff, is the first installment of a planned young adult thriller trilogy. According to Variety, the story is about a teenage assassin who has been trained not to feel, but begins to regain his emotions.

The main character “could function in every situation without fear, sympathy or anger… could assassinate strangers and then walk away emotionally unscathed,” Zadoff said.

The author is best known for his adult memoir Hungry: Lessons Learned on the Journey from Fat to Thin, released in 2007. At age 28 and weighing 350 pounds, Zadoff realized how urgently he needed to lose weight. In Hungry, he chronicled his progress approaching the matter by addressing not only food issues, but also physical and emotional causes of what he called his “disease.”

The book received positive reviews, being called “gentle, funny, uncommonly appealing” in a Los Angeles Times review.

Zadoff also has experience writing for young adults. 2009’s Food, Girls and Other Things I Can’t Have received positive reviews and won the 2010 Sid Fleischman Humor Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and was a finalist for the Georgia Peach Book Awards.

The young star of the upcoming film adaptation, Smith, is the actor son of superstar actor Will Smith. His big breakthrough came from acting with his father in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness. He has since starred in other hits such as The Day The Earth Stood Still and The Karate Kid. He will also appear in the upcoming sci-fi film After Earth which is currently filming.

The novel version of Boy Nobody will be released in Spring 2013. To follow the progress of Boy Nobody and Zadoff’s other projects, visit the author’s official website.

The Hunger Games Loses Box Office Throne To Fellow Book Adaptations

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The box office has been kind to optioned projects in recent weeks. After the immense success of The Hunger Games, based on the first novel of Suzanne Collins’ post-apocalyptic trilogy. The film spent the last four weeks at number one but was replaced during their fifth week last weekend by a fellow book-to-film project.

The film, Think Like a Man has taken the top spot on the chart, earning $33 million in its opening weekend edging out The Hunger Games.  Think Like a Man, is a comedy directed by Tim Story who previously worked on The Fantastic Four. It was adapted for the big screen from a novel written by comedian and television show host, Steve Harvey. The adaptation was done by Keith Merryman and David Newman.

The official plot synopsis follows:

Four friends conspire to turn the tables on their women when they discover the ladies have been using Steve Harvey’s relationship advice against them,”

So far, the film has received mixed reviews, including a 49% rating from Rotten Tomatoes and an 86% from audience reviewers. While it seems that audience have enjoyed the film, critics have not.

Drastically overlong, burdened by too many stories about too many couples who are too one-dimensional to be relatable,” Eric Snider, a film.com critic said.

This sentiment was mirrored by numerous other critics, though audience reviewers seemed to think differently.

“Don’t listen to the negative reviews,” Nichole W., a Rotten Tomatoes audience reviewer said. “I haven’t been to a movie this funny in a very long time! The audience had a good time. Yeah, some of the scenarios were a little unrealistic, but what movie isn’t? The point is that it was entertaining. The men were very easy on the eyes, I must say! I would say it’s a must-see!”

The other film that premiered this weekend, The Lucky One, rose to spot number two, earning $22.8 million during its opening weekend. It is an adaptation of the 2008 novel of the same name, by Nicholas Sparks, the mind behind such love stories as The Notebook and Dear John. The film stars Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, and Blythe Danner.

The Hunger Games is now number three, earning $13.5 million in its fifth weekend. IMDB states that the film has earned $357 million in the US and over $500 million worldwide.

The Dark Knight Rises Logo

Final The Dark Knight Rises Trailer To Play Before The Avengers

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The Dark Knight Rises Logo

Courtesy of Nolan Fans, a screenshot from the Warner Bros. Pictures Exhibitor site confirms that the final new trailer for The Dark Knight Rises will be shown in the 3D, 2D, and IMAX theaters may 4th with the release of Marvel’s The Avengers. 

This similarly happened when the trailer for The Dark Knight was debuted with the release of Iron Man back in 2008. Then another Nolan film, Inception, premiered their final trailer before Iron Man 2 in 2010.

The Dark Knight Rises begins after the death of Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for the crimes committed by Dent. He is subsequently hunted down by the police of Gotham City. Then eight years later, Batman returns to Gotham City where he meets the mysterious and alluring Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, as he tries to stop villainous Bane from destroying the city.

The Dark Knight Rises will be released in theaters on July 20th, 2012.

Marvel’s The Avengers will hit screens in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on May 4.  Directed by Joss Whedon, the film stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson.

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel’s The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.”

Those who will be seeing The Avengers of the big screen will be treated to the new trailer. As of now, there isn’t word of whether the trailer will be available online immediately after or not.

Will Francis Lawrence Be Good For Catching Fire?

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It was announced last week that Lionsgate had officially offered director Francis Lawrence the job of directing Catching Fire. As of now, fans are still unsure of the decision as many felt that the departure of Gary Ross was the first step into disappointment for the mega popular trilogy written by Suzanne Collins.

However,  Lawrence may just surprise fans. He is qualified for the position and his previous experience may lend itself to the expansive setting of Catching Fire.

Lawrence definitely has more experience when it comes to large-scale action scenes and settings. After his previous work on I Am Legend, he has proven himself to be adept at creating worlds where CG and live action merge harmoniously for the audience. Considering the large-scale world of Arena, Lawrence may be more at home than Gary Ross was during the first installment.

Another reason we may be able to trust Lawrence with the beloved second installment is his previous film experience is just as apocalyptic as The Hunger Games. He definitely knows the genre and has a love for it. He has proven through his past films that he can create a post-apocalyptic world that is not only familiar but also far removed from the society we know. Creating the tone of Catching Fire should be easy for him.

Also, the second book and upcoming movie will have a ton of new elements including characters, settings, and most importantly the Arena. Lawrence won’t be boxed into being influenced by Ross’ directing style. He can strike out with his own style while creating a world fans already love.

On the professional side of things, however, Lawrence is basically guaranteed that he will have a hit film. With the large fan base already in place, the movie is going to take off. Thankfully, Lawrence is willing to compromise with the studio to make the film happen, and to further the creation that Ross began. Catching Fire HAS to begin very soon if it expects to stay on track and based on Lionsgate offering Lawrence the job, they must have faith that he can get the ball moving on the project.

It seems that Catching Fire might just be a fantastic blend of the Lawrence’s directing strengths.

Catching Fire has a release date of November 22, 2013 with the major stars all confirmed for the sequel.

Francis Lawrence Offered Catching Fire Directing Gig

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The Internet has been swirling with rumors over the past week of which director was going to land the coveted gig of directing the sequel to The Hunger Games, called Catching Fire. It was revealed to be between two directors, Francis Lawrence and Bennett Miller. The scramble to find a new director began after director Gary Ross opted out of returning to direct its sequel.

Now, EW has confirmed that Francis Lawrence has been offered the job.

Lawrence (no relation to Jennifer Lawrence, star of the franchise) previously helmed I Am Legend. They have reported that Lawrence won the job after a Miller’s commitment to shoot the biopic Foxcatcher ultimately proved he would not be able to do the film.

It was no secret that Lionsgate needed a new director fast after Ross bowed out. The film was scheduled to begin production this fall in order to stay on course for their already planned release date of November 22, 2013. In order to stay on track, the film must finish shooting by December for production to begin and for Jennifer Lawrence to begin production of her other film, the sequel to X-Men: First Class.

Considering that Catching Fire is on a considerably larger scale with several locations as well as a tropical-type Arena, Lionsgate is putting their trust in Lawrence’s ability to handle this bigger and more exotic canvas of the setting and story. Lawrence already has extensive experience with incorporating visual effects-drive action scenes and large scale worlds from his first two films, 2005′s supernatural thriller Constantine and 2007′s post-apocalyptic thriller I Am Legend. However, despite his ability, one reservation occurs and that is the romantic angle of Catching Fire. Lawrence previously director the drama Water for Elephants, which fizzled at the box office with many critics giving bad reviews for the romance between between Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. However, the romance between Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, is a huge part of the sequel. Some worry he will stick with the less romance more action angle that the first film put in place, much to the dismay of diehard fans everywhere.

Lawrence will have to prove himself to fans and critics alike for this highly anticipated sequel.

As the sequel to The Hunger Games, Catching Fire continues the story of Katniss and Peeta. Following the events of the previous novel, a rebellion against the oppressive Capitol has begun, and Katniss and fellow tribute Peeta Mellark are forced to return to the arena in a special edition of the Hunger Games in the 75th Hunger Games Quarter Quell.

The sequel will see the return of stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, and Woody Harrelson.

Fifty Shades of Grey Author Admits She’s Not A Great Writer

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Universal Pictures recently bought the film rights to adapt London-based author E.L. James’ erotic fiction novel Fifty Shades of Grey for the big screen. The book, which James said was inspired by the Twilight series, is currently at the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list.

The official synopsis:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms. Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.”

Though Twilight received backlash for its portrayal of a dominant/submissive relationship, James has addressed whether Grey would be realistic relationship material.

“That’s really attractive on paper,” she said. “I think in their fantasies, yes. In real life I think it’s something very, very different. You want someone who does the dishes.”

Grey, according to E News, is far more sexually charged than Stephanie Meyers’ creation. So erotic, in fact, that James described discussing her novel as “excruciating” on The Today Show Tuesday.

“This is my midlife crisis—all my fantasies out there,” James said.

Though James is now a bestselling author, she isn’t letting the success inflate her ego. She relates that she never saw the book getting so popular, and is still amazed by its popularity. James also admitted to having flaws as a writer.

“I did this in a very undisciplined way,” she said. “I’m a very undisciplined writer. It’s really kind of raw, and, you know, I’m not a great writer.”

As for the film adaptation, few decisions have been announced. Though no official casting decisions have been released, there is speculation over who will play the lead roles of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.

Popular choices include Dakota Fanning, Amanda Seyfried and Emmy Rossum as Steele, and Chris Hemsworth, Ryan Gosling and Chris Pine as Grey.

iStoryTime Hoists Flag with The Pirates! Band of Misfits Storybook App

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The Pirates! Band of Misfits is the new upcoming 3-D stop motion animated film that will be hitting theaters later this month. The film, based on the first two books from Gideon Defoe’s The Pirates! series, now has a new story time app that children will love to read before and after seeing the movie.

iStoryTime is launching the The Pirates! Band of Misfits storybook app for Apple Devices for an introductory price of only $.99 cents. It will got back up to #3.99 soon, so get it while you can at the great introductory offer.

The app includes several fun opportunities along with storybook itself. One feature, called “Piratize Yourself” will allow your children to utilize the face tracking features of iOS 5 to make themselves look like a pirate in real time, snap a photo and share with their friends. They can also become “Pirate of the Year!” by collection the eight hidden prop items they need through out the app.

The story follows the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side, and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz to the much coveted “Pirate Of The Year Award.”

This is a great app to encourage children to read. Parents can either read the lovable story with their children or allow them to forage the high seas alone with the “read to myself” function.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits storybook app will be released for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Remember it is only going to be $.99 cents for a short time before it returns to its regular price of $3.99 so get it now and just in time before the film hits theaters.