Category Archives: DVD Releases

Divergent Adaptation Adds Three New Actors To Cast List

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You may remember the novel, “Divergent” from our BSC Book Tournament last year and now it is getting its own big screen adaptation. It was announced a few weeks ago that Shailene Woodley had been cast in the lead role but her costars have finally been revealed. Ansel Elgort (Carrie), Zoe Kravitz (X-Men: First Class) and Maggie Q (Live Free or Die Hard) have joined the cast of Neil Burger’s adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Q will play Tori, a tattoo artist that befriends Tris while Kravitz plays another of Tris’ allies, Christina. Elgort, meanwhile, will play Tris’ twin brother, Caleb.

Here is the synopsis of the dystopian project:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher are producing via their Red Wagon Entertainment banner along with Pouya Shahbazian. The novel was written by Veronica Roth and was released in 2012.

Divergent is planned to hit theaters on March 21, 2014.

“So Cold the River” To Be Adapted By Ben Coccio

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New Regency recently announced that they would be working on adapting Michael Koryta’s “So Cold the River,” for the big screen. Now, they have hired Ben Coccio, one of the writers behind this month’s The Place Beyond the Pines, to pen the upcoming adaptation.

“So Cold The River” was published in 2010 and follows the tale of a beautiful woman and a challenge.

As a gift for her husband, Alyssa Bradford approaches Eric Shaw to make a documentary about her father-in-law, Campbell Bradford, a 95-year-old millionaire whose past is wrapped in mystery. Eric grabs the job even though there are few clues to the man’s story—just the name of his hometown and an antique water bottle he’s kept his entire life.

In Bradford’s hometown, Eric discovers an extraordinary history—a glorious domed hotel where movie stars, presidents, athletes, and mobsters once mingled, and mineral springs whose miraculous waters were reputed to cure everything from insomnia to malaria. Neglected for years, the resort has been restored to its former grandeur just in time for Eric’s stay.

Just hours after his arrival, Eric experiences a frighteningly vivid vision. As the days pass, the frequency and intensity of his hallucinations increase and draw Eric deeper into the area’s dark history. He discovers that something besides the historic resort town has been restored—a long-forgotten evil that will stop at nothing to regain its lost glory. Brilliantly imagined and terrifyingly real, So Cold the River is a tale of irresistible suspense with a racing, unstoppable current.

The project has not yet hired a director and there is no word yet on who is expected to star in the film. However, both Kevin Misher and Scott Silver have signed on to produce.

Rules of Civility Adaptation Heading To The Big Screen

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Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber has officially signed on to double team the screenwriting duties for the upcoming film adaptation of Armor Towles’ period novel, Rules of Civility, for Lionsgate.

The novel, which was published in 2011, is officially described as follows:

Set in New York City in 1938, Rules of Civility tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twenty-five-year-old named Katey Kontent. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, Katey embarks on a journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool through the upper echelons of New York society in search of a brighter future.

The story opens on New Year’s Eve in a Greenwich Village jazz bar, where Katey and her boardinghouse roommate Eve happen to meet Tinker Grey, a handsome banker with royal blue eyes and a ready smile. This chance encounter and its startling consequences cast Katey off her current course, but end up providing her unexpected access to the rarified offices of Conde Nast and a glittering new social circle. Befriended in turn by a shy, principled multimillionaire, an Upper East Side ne’er-do-well, and a single-minded widow who is ahead of her times, Katey has the chance to experience first hand the poise secured by wealth and station, but also the aspirations, envy, disloyalty, and desires that reside just below the surface. Even as she waits for circumstances to bring Tinker back into her orbit, she will learn how individual choices become the means by which life crystallizes loss.

The duo recently finished their other adaptation, The Spectacular Now, with the film version set to hit theaters on August 2. There is no word yet on who is expected to star in the film or a projected release date for the project.

Netflix Gets Exclusive Streaming Rights for The Hunger Games

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The dvd/streaming giant, Netflix, announced today that it will be offering The Hunger Games on its subscription-based streaming service from March 3 in the UK and Ireland, followed by a later release in the US.

Netflix will be the only subscription based service steaming the film although competitors will likely try to pick it up in the future. It’s also worth noting, however, that the film is already available on Blinkbox, the Tesco-owned video on demand (VOD) service which uses a pay-per-film pricing model.

Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer, said,

“We are thrilled to be the exclusive online home for The Hunger Games in the UK and Ireland. Since launching in the UK and Ireland in January 2012, we have continued to expand our offering of great movies and TV programmes, and we think our members are going to love the latest addition to the service.”

The Hunger Games, the first film in a planned franchise based on the trilogy written by Suzanne Collins stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson,Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Donald Sutherland.

Catching Fire, the film and novel sequel is planned for a November 22, 2013.

Tina Fey and Jason Bateman In Negotiations For “This Is Where I Leave You” Adaptation

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Tina Fey may have finished up with “30 Rock” but that doesn’t mean she is necessarily slowing down. The actress is currently in negotiations with Jason Bateman to star in the upcoming big screen adaptation of This Is Where I Leave You, a Warner Bros.’ adaptation of the book by Jonathan Tropper. Continue reading →

Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams’ YA Novel “Tunnels” Signs Director

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Relativity Media announced today that their adaptation of Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams’ YA Novel “Tunnels” has found its director. The company has officially signed on Mikael Håfström, known for his work on The Tomb and 1408, to direct a film based on the New York Times‘ best-selling, internationally-acclaimed fantasy adventure book series.

The script for the adaptation is coming from Andrew Lobel and is based on the adapted screenplay originally written by Joel Bergvall & Simon Sandquist.

The series takes place beneath the streets of London, two teenage boys discover an incredible, hidden underground world where a secret civilization has been desperately waiting for a hero to save them all. The deeper they go, the closer they get to unearthing an evil that could destroy the world above and put an end to the lives they once lived.

“Tunnels” is the film adaptation of the first installment of the novel series from Scholastic/Chicken House publishing, by authors Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams, which has sold over one million copies and has been published in nearly forty countries worldwide. The authors have already almost completed the series with five sequels written and the sixth and final one to be released this fall.

The property was unearthed by Barry Cunningham, the man credited with discovering “Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling and whose boutique Chicken House imprint is part of Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and the U.S. publisher of the “Harry Potter” and “The Hunger Games” series.

“Only a few times in my life have I felt that rush of imagination in a story that I know is going to sweep up an audience in its grip, ‘Tunnels’ made me believe in adventure, bravery and a new world,” said Cunningham.

Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade, said,

“Barry Cunningham clearly has a keen eye for spotting authors whose epic stories appeal to readers of all ages around the globe. Scholastic is proud to be the American publisher of the bestselling ‘Tunnels’ series, and we look forward to seeing this underground and imaginative world expand through film.”

There is no word yet on a projected release date for the film or who the studio is looking at to cast in the adaption.

Sci-Fi YA Novel, Arclight, Heading To The Silver Screen

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YA sci-fi and supernatural adaptations are all the rage right now and Universal is not missing a beat. the company recently picked up the film rights to the novel, “Arclight” written by Josin L. McQuein. Currently, Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer will produce while Matthew Sand, best known for writing the 2009 Wachowski-produced action movie Ninja Assassin, will pen the screenplay.

“Arclight” is a sci-fi tale set in a post-apocalyptic future. Naturally, humanity has hunkered down in an outpost that is surrounded by a wall of light (aptly named Arclight). What lies out in the darkness? Creatures only known as the Fade. Into this enclave enters a lone teenage girl with no memory of who she is and how she survived in what is called the Dark but one who holds the key to its survival.

The YA novel has not yet been released but is set to hit shelves on April 23, 2013. Optioning not yet released novels seems to be the next big step for studios has they fight for the next “Twilight” or “The Hunger Games” franchise.

“Arclight” seems to have a lot of support other than being optioned so early on. The publisher, Greenwillow Books, initially made a large investment in the novel by paying McQuein $500,000 in 2011 in a two-book deal.

Pouya Shahbazian of New Leaf Literary & Media will produce with Grazer. Imagine’s Erica Huggins and Sarah Bowen will exec produce. Universal’s vp of production Maradith Frenkel and creative executive Chloe Yellin will oversee the project.

There is no word on when the project will begin production or a projected release date for the finished film.

New ULTRAMARINES WARHAMMER blu-ray featurette: “Creating the Daemon”

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With the March 5th release of the Sci-Fi CGI animated film Ultramarines™ on Blu-ray™, DVD and digital download looming closer,  Anchor Bay Entertainment has released an exclusive featurette called “Creating the Daemon.” Continue reading →

Bradley Cooper To Star In Dark Invasion Adaptation

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Warner Bros. recently acquired the film rights to the upcoming novel from Howard Blum entitled, “Dark Invasion.” The deal closed as a high six figure negotiation and is planned as a vehicle for star Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper. The nonfiction book will be published by Crown/Random on 9/11/13. The date is significant, as the book is about what is considered the first attacks on U.S. soil since its formative years. Continue reading →

Daniel Espinosa To Adapt John Grisham’s The Racketeer

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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.