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January 26, 2012

January 26, 2012

Prepare For The Return Of “The Saint”

The last time Simon Templar – AKA The Saint – was seen on cinema screens, the avenging angel was played by Val Kilmer and didn’t exactly spawn a franchise. Now someone has decided they want to try to bring him back, with RKO Pictures hiring “Eagle Eye” writer Travis Wright to begin crafting a script. For those who never saw the Kilmer film or the Roger Moore-starring ‘60s TV series, Templar is a sort of charming Robin Hood type, a man who uses unorthodox (and skirting the edge of illegal) methods to take down corrupt politicians, businessmen and other wrong ‘uns. The character originated in writer Leslie Charteris’ book series, which kicked off in 1928 with “Enter The Tiger.”

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32968

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Categories: Production Projects Announced

January 26, 2012

“Crime After Crime” Doc To Become A Feature Film

With Sundance 2012 beginning to wind down, let’s briefly rewind back to the 2011 film festival where Yoav Patash’s “Crime After Crime” premiered to a great reception a year ago. The documentary went on to win a slew of awards at festivals around the country, before being picked up by Oprah’s OWN Documentary Club and receiving its television premiere last November. The doc follows the legal appeal process of Deborah Peagler, the victim of domestic abuse who was sentenced to 25-years-to-life in 1983 for her connection to the murder of her boyfriend. Teaming up with two attorneys who believe they have incontrovertible evidence that could free her, and along the way they encounter an atmosphere of corruption and politically driven resistance against her fight for justice and freedom. We were very impressed when the doc aired on OWN, calling it “a devastating portrait of the power of the human spirit,” and “a fitting tribute to the unlikely spokesmodel for the roughly 100,000 female victims of domestic violence who are behind bars today.” It seems we weren’t the only ones blown away by this story, because Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures is partnering with ro*co prods. to adapt it into a feature film.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/acclaimed-documentary-crime-after-crime-getting-a-feature-film-adaptation

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Categories: Production Projects Announced

January 26, 2012

Jennifer Lynch Gets Into The Detective Business

Director Jennifer Lynch has more dark corners to look into. Lynch will next helm the thriller “A Fall From Grace,” about a homicide detective tracking a serial killer along the Mississippi River who burns his victims. She wrote the screenplay with Eric Wilkinson, who will produce with Apothecary Films partner David Michaels. Filming will take place in the St. Louis area.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/jennifer-lynch-fall-from-grace-285077

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Categories: Production Project Updates

January 27, 2012

Tweet Hints To The Posibility of A “Think Like A Man” Sequel

Words tweeted by Will Packer (Rainforest Films) earlier this morning; let me translate for all of you non-Twitter using folks: the president of Sony subsidiary Screen Gems was apparently on Steve Harvey’s radio show this morning, and announced that a sequel to the film adaptation of Harvey’s best-seller, “Think Like A Man” (the film title) is coming.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/sequel-to-think-like-a-man-coming

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Categories: Production Projects Announced

January 26, 2012

TruTV Has A New Vice President Of Original Programming

TruTV has promoted network executive producer and editorial director Angel Annussek to vice president of original programming. Network SVP of programming, production and development Darren Campo announced Thursday that Annussek will assume her new position, helping expand the cable network’s current slate of original series.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/trutv-angel-annussek-original-programming-285067

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Categories: Biz Industry/Business Moves

January 27, 2012

TNT Is Being Sued For Using Fonts Wrong

Just days after NBC Universal settled a lawsuit that claimed the studio had stolen the font on Harry Potter merchandise sold at Universal theme parks, another entertainment company is facing a font-face problem. Turner Broadcasting is now being sued over the TNT series “Falling Skies,” a show about an alien invasion that is executive produced by Steven Spielberg. The plaintiff in the case is a German designer who is upset about the way the show has been marketed. Matius Gerardo Grieck, founder of the +ISM studio, has brought his claims in a New York federal court, and is alleging that TBS and Titleboy Films have breached the licensing agreement on the company’s Anthropolymorphics font software.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/falling-skies-lawsuit-tnt-font-285103

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Categories: Biz Legal

January 26, 2012

IFC Films Goes Back To College For A “Liberal Arts” Degree

IFC Films has taken North American rights to Josh Radnor’s “Liberal Arts,” which debuted in the Premieres section of the Sundance Film Festival this past weekend. In the film, bookish and newly single Jesse Fisher, played by Radnor, returns to his alma mater for his favorite professor’s retirement dinner. A chance meeting with Elizabeth Olsen’s Zibby – a precocious classical music-loving sophomore – awakens in him long-dormant feelings of possibility and connection.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/ifc-takes-sundances-liberal-arts

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Categories: Acquisitions Acquisitions/Festival

January 26, 2012

Rebel Wilson Heads Over To CBS

Rebel Wilson, “Bridesmaids” other scene-stealer (besides Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy), has sold a comedy to CBS. Wilson will star in “Super Fun Night,” a multi-camera comedy about three nerdy friends who go on a quest to have an epic night every Friday night. The Australian actress will write and co-executive produce the pilot and Conan O’Brien is on board as a producer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/rebel-wilson-cbs-comedy_n_1234202.html?ref=tv

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Categories: Pilot Season

January 26, 2012

Everybody And Their Mothers Got A Pilot At CBS

CBS has ordered to pilot dramas from Nicholas Pileggi, Chris Columbus and Ilene Chaiken. The first, the untitled Ralph Lamb project, is a period piece set in the 1960s revolving around the true story of the former cowboy turned longtime Las Vegas sheriff. From CBS Television Studios, “GoodFellas” scribe Pileggi and “Without a Trace” writer Greg Walker will pen the pilot. Second, the network will produce a pilot for Applebaum, an hourlong drama based on Ayelet Waldman’s “Mommy Track Mysteries” series of books in which a former public defender becomes a private investigator to keep from being bored to death as a stay-at-home mom. Columbus will executive produce and direct the project, alongside Jennifer Levin, Sherri Cooper and Waldlman, who will pen the script for the CBS Television Studios project. Third, “The L Word” creator Chaiken will write and executive produce “Quean,” which revolves around an edgy and independent millennial hacker girl who teams with an Oakland police detective to solve crimes.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cbs-drama-pilots-chris-columbus-nicholas-pileggi-ilene-chaiken-285213

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Categories: Pilot Season

January 26, 2012

IFC Midnight Signed “The Pact”

Hours after IFC Films acquired Josh Radnor’s “Liberal Arts,” IFC Midnight has purchased North American rights to Midnight section fave “The Pact.” Based on director Nicholas McCarthy’s 2011 Sundance short of the same title, McCarthy’s debut feature is a haunted-house tale about a young girl who returne home to attend her much-despised mother’s funeral. The film also stars Casper Van Dien, Haley Hudson, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Sam Ball, and Agnes Bruckner.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/ifc-nabs-haunted-house-thriller-the-pact

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Categories: Acquisitions Acquisitions/Festival

January 26, 2012

A New Comedy Is Brewing At Fox

Fox is opening its door for more Mike O’Malley. The network has given pilot orders to a comedy to be written by the “Glee” guest star based on Hank Perlman’s one-minute movies “Prodigy Bully.” The half-hour single-camera project would also reteam O’Malley – who received an Emmy nomination for his turn as father of the year on Fox’s musical dramedy – with frequent “Glee” director Paris Barclay, John Wells and Andrew Stearn on board to executive produce. O’Malley will co-exec produce.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/comedy-john-wells-glee-mike-o-malley-fox-pilot-285188

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Categories: Pilot Season

January 26, 2012

Brad Pelman Says Goodbye To Alliance Films

Maple Pictures co-founder Brad Pelman has left Alliance Films six months his company was acquired for $38.5 million as part of a three-way deal that included Lionsgate Entertainment. Having helped integrate Maple into Alliance Films, Pelman on Thursday said it was time to step down as executive vp and seek out new opportunities.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brad-pelman-exits-alliance-films-285065

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Categories: Biz Industry/Business Moves

January 26, 2012

Get To Know Selena Gomez’s Wilder Side In “Spring Breakers”

If you were scandalized by Selena Gomez’s midriff-baring concert getups, well, you ain’t seen nothing yet. After the completion of her world tour, Gomez is Florida-bound for the filming of “Spring Breakers” alongside James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens and Emma Roberts. The film follows the party-hungry ladies as they attempt to rob a bank to finance their spring break plans (Franco plays a sketchball drug dealer who bails them out). While Gomez is said to play the role of the “good girl,” it turns out her character has quite the wild side.

http://news.moviefone.com/2012/01/26/selena_n_1233795.html?ref=moviefone

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Categories: Production Project Updates

January 26, 2012

Magnolia Pictures Decides To Ditch Technology And Go Back To “V/H/S”

Magnolia Pictures has bought the North American rights to Sundance Midnight entry “V/H/S.” A “found footage” anthology of twisted tales all recorded on VHS tapes a group of robbers watch during a robbery, the shorts were directed by Adam Wingard, Glenn McQuiad, Radio Silence, David Bruckner, Joe Swamberg and Ti West.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/magnolia-gets-v-h-s

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Categories: Acquisitions Acquisitions/Festival

January 26, 2012

“The Hauntrepreneur” Finds Its Lead In Russell Brand

Russell Brand is aboard “The Hauntrepreneur” for Paramount. If this one makes it to the screen with Brand still attached, he’ll play the titular weirdo, who helps a family adjust to a new town (and settle their differences) by creating a haunted house filled with unusual characters. Sounds a little like Beetlejuice crossed with Willy Wonka. “Con Air” / “High Fidelity” scribe Scott Rosenberg, who last dabbled in out-and-out comedy with “Kangaroo Jack,” sold the idea to the studio as a spec script in October. Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes team, which usually specialises in pure horror, is on board to help shepherd it.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32969

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Categories: Production Project Updates

January 27, 2012

Steven Spielberg To Work Amongst “Gods And Kings”

You just know that the second they hear that Steven Spielberg has so much as looked at their script, all the studio executives involved in a project find their hearts beating faster and their wallets getting itchy. But he’s always so busy and has the absolute power to choose whatever he works on. So you can imagine the scene at Warner Bros. now as the studio creeps closer to locking the director in to make “Gods And Kings,” a new take on the story of Moses. Aside from that slightly popular book starting with the letter B, many people know Moses’ story from Cecil B. DeMille’s epic “The Ten Commandments,” which saw Charlton Heston as the main man. Sent off as baby in a basket down the Nile, adopted, leads the Jews out of slavery in Egypt, forms an army, receives the Ten Commandments and parts the Red Sea on his journey towards the Promised Land.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32970

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Categories: Production Project Updates

January 26, 2012

Winslet And Keener Join Already Star Packed “Frank or Francis”

What we can only imagine as the indie film’s answer to “New Years Eve,” Charlie Kaufman has added two big-name actresses to the celebrity bazaar of “Frank or Francis.” In addition to Steve Carell, Jack Black, Nicolas Cage and Kevin Kline, Kaufman-vets Kate Winslet and Catherine Keener have reportedly joined the production. “Frank or Francis,” Kaufman’s second turn directing, is a satirical musical comedy, which imagines Carell as a director’s who is haunted by a message board commenter who ridicules his movies on a Hollywood website.

http://news.moviefone.com/2012/01/26/winslet_n_1234291.html?ref=moviefone

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Categories: Production Project Updates

January 26, 2012

Kinnear And Connelly Sign Up To Be “Writers”

Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly are in negotiations to star in the indie “Writers,” which will mark the feature film directing debut of Josh Boone, who has also written the original screenplay. The drama will focus on the complicated relationships between a successful novelist, played by Kinnear, his ex-wife  and their collegiate daughter and teenage son.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/greg-kinnear-jennifer-connelly-writers-285216

 

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Categories: Production Projects Announced

January 26, 2012

Sadly, David Fincher’s “The Goon” Is No More

Sad news for all those looking forward to David Fincher’s CG slapstick supernatural noir: it looks very much as if “The Goon” is no longer happening. Fincher always said “adult animation” was a hard sell… Not to be confused with Seann William Scott’s hockey movie (which is still just about playing in cinemas), this “Goon,” based on the comics by Eric Powell, has been in development for some time, and has been a regular fixture at the last few Comic-Cons. It was to be the story of the titular mob enforcer, his short-arse sidekick Frankie and the villainous Priest with his army of the undead. Blur Studios were animating, Clancy Brown and Paul Giamatti were on board for the voices.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32971

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Categories: Production Project Updates

January 26, 2012

“Killshot” Goes To Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. is going for the “Killshot,” picking up a pitch from Ken Woodruff. Plot details are being kept secret but it is known to be an action comedy. No producer is attached.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/warner-bros-killshot-ken-woodruff-285211

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Categories: Production Projects Announced

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