With the incredible success of “The Walking Dead” on AMC, it is no surprise that the author, Robert Kirkman is now working on adapting a third television project.
The Fox International Channels is working with Kirkman’s Skybound imprint at Image Comics and Circle of Confusion to develop a script based on Kirkman’s upcoming comic book series that is reportedly set in the world of exorcism.
Told through the Kirkman prism, the series follows a young man, Kyle Barnes, who has been plagued by possession since he was a child. Now an adult, he embarks on a spiritual journey to find answers but what he uncovers could mean the end of life on Earth as we know it.
Kirkman will work alongside “The Walking Dead” executive producer David Alpert of Circle of Confusion to produce the new series.
“Sharon Tal Yguado and the entire team at FOX International Channels have been instrumental in making The Walking Dead the worldwide success that it has become. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to continue working with this forward-thinking and extremely talented group,” said Kirkman.
Sharon Tal Yguado, EVP Global Scripted Programming and Original Development at FIC, said,
“Exorcism has captivated movie audiences all over the world but has never been explored on television. Robert Kirkman, who forever changed the scope of Cable TV with The Walking Dead, possesses an unparalleled talent of telling big concept stories in a smart and incredibly genuine way. We couldn’t be more excited to be working with him on this project, which we see as a reinvention of the genre.”
Kirkman is currently serving as executive producer on “The Walking Dead” while developing “Thief of Thieves” for AMC.
Rachelle Lefevre, most known for her role as Victoria Sutherland in the first half of The Twilight Saga, has signed on for the leading role in “Under The Dome.” The series, based on the novel of the same name written by Stephen King, comes from CBS and has been adapted for the small screen by Brian K. Vaughan (“Y: The Last Man,” “Ex Machina,” “LOST”). Neils Arden Oplev, the director of the original The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, will helm the pilot.
The story tells of Chester’s Mill, 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. Lefevre has taken the role of Julia Shumway, the owner of Chester’s Mill’s newspaper, The Democrat.
The full cast list thus far includes:
Mike Vogel as Dale “Barbie” Barbara, an Army veteran in town on a mysterious mission.
Rachelle Lefevre as Julia, an investigative reporter who takes an interest in Barbie.
Colin Ford as Joe, a smart teenager whose parents are trapped outside of the barrier.
Natalie Martinez as Deputy Linda, a loyal and ambitious sheriff’s deputy.
Dean Norris as James “Big Jim” Rennie, politician and owner of Jim Rennie’s Used Cars, who seeks to use the dome as a way to gain control of Chester’s Mill.
Alex Koch as Junior Rennie, Big Jim’s emotionally disturbed son.
Britt Robertson as Angie, an aspiring nurse with dreams of escaping the town.
Nicholas Strong as Phil, a popular radio DJ with a dark secret.
Jolene Purdy as Dodee, a radio engineer who makes contact with the outside world.
Aisha Hinds as Carolyn Hill, a Los Angeles entertainment attorney who is trapped in the town with her partner and teenage daughter.
The first season will have 13 episodes. The series is set to debut on June 24 at 10/9c on CBS.
Not much has been revealed about the upcoming television project, “Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D.” The series, which comes from genius Joss Whedon, will be a television counterpart to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We have previously discussed what fans and viewers will want from the series but Whedon recently sat down with TVLine to talk about the plans for the new show.
The pilot episode “Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D” wrapped production last week and is reportedly being fast tracked by ABC so it will be able to premiere this fall. Whedon remains enthusiastic about the series and is confident in its ability to do well with target audiences.
“I’m excited about the show because it’s a very hopeful show,” Whedon told TVLine in an interview. “It’s not about murder, and it’s not about crime, and it’s not people looking into their own belly buttons. It’s about people who are trying to help each other, and that’s one of the things I loved about comic books. They had costumes and the villains were cool [but] they stood for something, and I like doing a show that does that.”
He also quelled fears that the show would be to far off target in regards to the comic book series and the films with in the Marvel Universe.
“We’re trying very hard to be true to [Marvel’s] ethos and also to the structure of their universe. So it is definitely a Marvel show.”
Whedon is also acutely aware of the fact that fans are calling for some guest appearances from the movie characters. The show is about S.H.I.E.L.D. after all, an entity that appears in every film. However, Whedon revealed that guest stars are simply not on their radar at the moment.
“Right now, I want to involve people in the characters that we’ve created for the show and then we’ll worry about the other stuff.”
There is one character who is confirmed to appear at one point. Cobie Smulders, who played Agent Maria Hill in Marvel’s The Avengers, will appear on the show at some point if her current acting schedule on “How I Met Your Mother” allows.
The current cast for “Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D.” includes Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na We as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Gemma Simmons, and Chloe Bennet as Skye.
While the details surrounding the return of Clark Gregg has not been revealed, the studio has stated that the series will take place after the events of Marvel’s The Avengers.
Bryan Fuller’s new series, “Hannibal” is set to premiere on NBC on April 4th and the network has finally debuted its first trailer for the show. The series is based on the characters and word presented in the novel series written by Thomas Harris, published in 1999.
“Hannibal” will also star Hugh Dancy and Lawrence Fishburne. The official plot description is as follows:
One of the most fascinating literary characters comes to life on television for the first time: psychiatrist-turned-serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. In this new drama from Bryan Fuller, based on the characters from Thomas Harris’ classic novels, we see where this incredible story began.
Will Graham is a gifted criminal profiler who is on the hunt for a serial killer with the FBI. Graham’s unique way of thinking gives him the astonishing ability to empathize with anyone – even psychopaths. He seems to know what makes them tick. But when the mind of the twisted killer he’s pursuing is too complicated for even Will to comprehend, he enlists the help of Dr. Lecter, one of the premier psychiatric minds in the country. Armed with the uncanny expertise of the brilliant doctor, Will and Hannibal (known as a serial killer only to the audience) form a brilliant partnership and it seems there’s no villain they can’t catch. If Will only knew…
“Hannibal” will also feature appearances by Gillian Anderson and Lance Henriksen. It should be noted that “Hannibal” should not be confused the other pilot based on Clarice Starling that will be appearing on Lifetime.
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.
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.”
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.
Police procedural dramas always do well on television as they play on viewers neurosis as well as make them feel apart of the crime solving. It is no surprise that Undergo Entertainment, a production company in Los Angeles, California, has attained the film rights and is currently working on the development of a television series based on the lives of Chris DiGiuseppi and Mike Force.
Chris DiGiuseppi and Mike Force are full-time Police Administrators who have successfully published their second book. The Fallen (HCI Books) is the second installment in The Light Bringer trilogy featuring the fantastic adventures of lead protagonist, Police Lieutenant Alan Crane. What most people don’t realize is when Crane is on duty, who he “protects and serves” reaches far beyond the world of the living.
In The Fallen, ex-military man Alan Crane and his supernatural companion Michael Simmons fulfill their duty helping people pass over to the other side. Crane delves even deeper into the mystery of death when good and evil collide once again and he and Michael discover that the darkness is now entering the world of the living. This story takes readers on a quest that leads our heroes to seek the true motives of ‘The Fallen.”
The new series will be based on the entire trilogy written by the Chief of Police and the Deputy Chief of Police of Lake St Louis, Missouri, The Light Bringer trilogy is based on real-life incidents that confront these two heroes on a daily basis. They have tried to find meaning in the tragedies they encounter through writing these books.
This full-length novel should be available in all book stores and online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, both in hardcopy and e-book (Kindle and Nook), on February 5, 2013. You can also watch the book trailer below:
The upcoming CBS series, “Under the Dome,” based on the novel by Stephen King has cast its first actor. Colin Ford, most known for his role in the film We Bought A Zoo, has been added to the series set to air this summer.
“Under The Dome” has a 13-episode order and comes from famed director/producer Steven Spielberg and the author Stephen King.
Based on the 2009 best-selling novel, the series is set in Chester’s Mill, a small New England town suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome. The town’s inhabitants must deal with surviving the post-apocalyptic conditions while searching for answers to what this barrier is, where it came from and if and when it will go away. Ford will play Joe, a teenager living in Chester’s Mill, a very smart kid who’s understandably freaked out when he discovers that the mysterious barrier covers the whole town — and both his parents are outside of it.
Niels Arden Oplev, known for helming The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, is set to direct the first episode based on a script provided by Brian K. Vaughan. Spielberg’s Amblin Television, which developed the project, is co-producing with CBS TV Studios. Neal Baer will serve as showrunner. DreamWorks’ Stacey Snider is executive producing with Spielberg, King, Baer, Vaughn, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.
In addition to playing Matt Damon’s teen son in We Bought A Zoo, Ford played Young Sam Winchester on the CW’s “Supernatural.” He also recently guest starred on NBC’s “Revolution” and voices the title character on the Disney Jr. animated series “Jake And The Never Land Pirates.”
The premiere of “Under the Dome” is scheduled for Monday, June 24, 2013 at 10pm on CBS.
With the incredible success of “The Walking Dead” on AMC, it is no surprise that the author, Robert Kirkman is now working on adapting a third television project.
