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

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.

Twilight Star Heads To CBS’s Under The Dome

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.

Joss Whedon Talks Upcoming Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. Project

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.

Safety Not Guaranteed – One of the Best Movies On Time Travel You Will Ever See

I know this movie is a bit of a stretch for this niche website. However, I think I can make it work. Check it: Safety Not Guaranteed is based on a classified ad that was run in a 1997 issue of “Backwoods Home Magazine.” Yes, the ad was initially a joke meant to fill the extra space, but it was printed and intrigued thousands of people. So it works, right? It’s settled.

Safety Not Guaranteed is not just a sci-fi film or just an indie film. It is a romance film, a science fiction film, and indie film, a comedy, and a drama all rolled into one beautiful package that I want to watch a million more times (and possibly have the scene where they are camping on loop, amiright?)

Initially, what first intrigued me to see this movie when it was announced last year was the actual ad it is based on.

The ad that is the basis for the film (which you can see below), reads,

“Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.”

I mean who doesn’t love a good time travel movie? The ad is fascinating but doesn’t give away anything about the film. For a brief (spoiler free) synopsis we have two interns and a writer from a magazine in Seattle investigating the ad. Darius (played by Plaza) connects with the young man claiming time travel as they finish the machine and plan out their first mission together.

But what really sealed the deal for me was the cast. The film sports an indie cast that you can’t help but fall in love with. We have a main character played by Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation”), her colleague Jake Johnson (“New Girl”) and the self-proclaimed time traveller played Mark Duplass (“The League”). If you haven’t watched these actor’s televisions shows, you are missing out. Each actor has their own personality that they infuse into the character without losing the essence of their character. Not once during the film was I seeing April from “Parks and Rec” or Nick from “New Girl.” Even Duplass was able to separate his Pete character from his role in this film.

The time travel aspect of this film is approached perfectly. The film is mostly about the characters and their relationships with each other with this time machine concept sitting in the background. The science behind it is barely elaborated on (something with lasers and a boat is about all we get) while most of the movie is spent watching our two travellers prepare for their mission.

I also want to note that the film is gorgeous. The director, Colin Trevorrow, knew exactly what he wanted so the film was shot on the Sony F3 using old Panavision lenses, which gave the film a desired “Hal Ashby look.” The result is that the film utilizing a lot of flat colors and pale tones that somehow add to the characters disillusioned state of mind.

:::: Spoilers Ahead ::::

Safety Not Guaranteed is one of those rare films that is able to capture that feeling that most of us just miss. The pain and isolation that comes with growing up, with evolving, with the always-scary idea of change. For Darius the isolation is self-imposed. After the death of her mother, which she believes was her fault, she is unable to connect with anyone, to let anyone in, or even let herself be happy. For Jeff we see him becoming disillusioned with love and relationships. Arnau, on the other hand, yearns for relationships with people but is so introversive that he can barely talk to anyone openly. All of us can identify with one of the three main characters. What is wonderful though, is that we get to see these characters move forward after so long of being stagnant in their lives. Darius finally opens up and Kenneth see the real her and even lets him in romantically. This fact is only intensified by the knowledge that she has never had a boyfriend or been with someone in such a way. Jeff attempts to find what he is missing in his life by revisiting his past, but not by time traveling. Instead he tracks down an old girlfriend in a misguided attempt to feel like young and innocent love he once experienced with her. Once she rejects him he realizes that he can never go back to being young again but he can also feel real love again. Arnau, with a little pushing from Jeff, is able to overcome his shyness to actually have a relationship with a woman (albeit is a one night stand, but it remains a huge step for the character.)

It is arguable that Kenneth is the only one who truly open and honest with himself even when others think he is weird or crazy. He is probably the most mentally healthy character in the film. Though his relationship with Belinda and the truth behind her is debatable and up to the viewer to decide.

Possibly the best part of the entire film is the ending. The whole movie you have this feeling of something building. Something small at first. You think it is the romantic feelings between Darius and Kenneth (which let’s face it, was fucking adorable and I just want to hug both of them). However, the moment comes when she finally boards the boat/time machine, this exact moment is what the entire film was leading. It is the moment Darius boards the machine and in an instant they are gone. It is such a powerful and astonishing moment that for a second you are left staring at the screen, speechless.

As one of my friends said when we were talking about the film, “I still get chills thinking of the ending.” Don’t we all…

The First Trailer For NBC’s Hannibal Released

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.

You can see the trailer courtesy of EW below:

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

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

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 →

The Walking Dead Once Again Dominates Cable Ratings Records

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.

Daniel Espinosa To Adapt John Grisham’s The Racketeer

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.

Two Oliver Twist Adaptations Heading To The Big Screen In 2014

In 2012 we had dueling Snow White film adaptations in the box office and now it appears that next year moviegoers will have two Oliver Twist films face off for their approval. It was announced today that Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to turn Ahmet Zappa’s conceptual reinterpration of Charles Dicken’s “Oliver Twist” into a feature film called Dodge & Twist.

This particular adaptation will take place 20 years after the events of the original novel written by Charles Dickens. The project will follows Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger as they are at odds with one another. Oliver, now a police officer, tries to prevent the Dodger from a plan to steal the Crown Jewels.

The screenplay is being provided by Cole Haddon, the creator of NBC’s upcoming “Dracula” series. Zappa and Matt Tolmach will produce the feature.

The announcement of Dodge & Twist comes off the heels of the news that CBS Films had acquired the rights to create a film adaptation called Olivia Twisted. Unlike Zappa’s adaptation, Olivia Twisted is being reimagined as a hyper-real, gothic city type tale with its primary focus being a young woman named Olivia. However, she isn’t an ordinary woman. Olivia is part of a highly trained gang of street kids ranging in age from 6 to 19 who work for a criminal named Fagin. When the gang takes on a kidnapping job, it lands in the middle of a turf war between the city’s two major kingpins.

There is no word yet on when each of these films is expected to hit theaters but it seems, similarly to the Snow White battle of 2012, they will release around the same time in the box office.

Optionated

Books being Optioned to Movies, Television Shows, Video Games