Media Bits: del Toro on the doom of 'Mountains', another 'Tarzan' project, FOX cancels 'Alcatraz' orders new seasons of animated Sunday block

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus may have finally put the nail in the coffin of Guillermo del Toro's life-long dream project, his adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At The Mountains Of Madness. The basic reason, Scott’s film and Madness have too many similar themes. Del Toro explains: "Prometheus started filming a while ago - right at the time we were in preproduction on Pacific Rim. The title itself gave me pause- knowing that Alien was heavily influenced by Lovecraft and his novella.    This time, decades later with the budget and place Ridley Scott occupied, I assumed the greek metaphor alluded at the creation aspects of the HPL book. I believe I am right and if so, as a fan, I am delighted to see a new RS science fiction film, but this will probably mark a long pause -if not the demise- of At the Mountains of Madness. The sad part is- I have been pursuing At the Mountains of Madness for over a decade now - and, well, after Hellboy II two projects I dearly loved were not brought to fruition for me.   The good part is: One project did... And I am loving it and grateful for the blessings I have received."

Even though the movie shares nothing with real life Trayvon Martin shooting case, 20^th Century Fox has decided to rename their potty-mouth alien invasion movie Neighborhood Watch to just The Watch. The film will bow out on July 27.

Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment is planning a remake of the Spanish comedy Ghost Graduation. The story centers on a teacher with paranormal abilities who helps a group of ghosts confined to the high school where they died years earlier in a fire. 

An umpteenth new version of Tarzan is in the works. This will be a performance-capture 3D feature and will re-image Edgar Rice Burroughs classic jungle hero who will now have billionaire adventurer parents who are killed in an airplane crash. Meanwhile, Jane Porter is the daughter of an African guide and committed to conservation of the African jungle. She eventually works with Tarzan to defeat the mercenary army of Greystoke Energies led by the film's villain - the CEO that took over the company after the death of Tarzan's parents. Twilight hunk Kellan Lutz and Resident Evil actress Spencer Locke have been cast. 

Due to scheduling conflicts, Jessica Chastain has dropped out of Iron Man 3. The Town actress Rebecca Hall will replace her. 

FOX has renewed Touch for a second season, while they’ve put an end to Alcatraz. Meanwhile, renewal notices for Family Guy and American Dad have been given. As with the nature of animation, needing a long lead-time, both shows already has next season’s episodes in the can. These renewals effect the 2013-14 TV season. FOX is delaying notification on another season of The Cleveland Show, which will end its third season this month, which has a fourth season ready to air beginning in the fall. Meanwhile, Allen Gregory is axed, while Napoleon Dynamite remains on the “bubble.”

The Stephen King short story The Reach, (from the 1985 collection Skeleton Crew, which also contained The Mist) and which follows a 95-year-old lady who embarks on a troubled journey to the mainland from the island after the Reach freezes over for the first time in 50 years, is in development from Park Entertainment and DownEast Village Productions. The search is on for a distributor.