As networks and movie studios try
more and more to take old brands and rework them, they’ve found it profitable
to do prequels or sequels or, as the current flavor of word parsing,
re-imaging. Which is what is happening with Dracula (though Universal, which will coproduce, does own Bram
Stoker’s Dracula) as NBC has given a
10 episode order for a new version of the classic tale. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, late of The Tudors, will play the famed vampire
as he arrives in London in hopes of wreaking havoc on the Victorian society
that centuries ago “ruined his life.” However, his quest for revenge hits a
snag when he falls for a woman who appears to be the second coming of his
long-deceased wife (though Dark Shadows
explored this 45 years ago). The script is by co-executive producer Cole
Haddon. It will be executive produced by 24’s
Tony Krantz, HBO films Cloin Callender and Downton
Abbey producers Carnival Films & Television. It’s a co-production by
Universal and the U.K.’s Sky Living.
With The Wolverine moving quickly towards production, the role of Viper
remains uncast. It was announced that Jessica Biel had been cast in the role,
but talks broke down over financial issues. Then word broke that Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy star
Svetlana Khodchenkova would get the part. But 20th Century Fox is
seemly distancing themselves from that rumor. The movie will be filmed in
Australia (as will the X Men: First
Class sequel in January) and there may be an issue of going with more
European actress versus an American. Or, they’re just finding a difficult role
to cast. I’ll keep you posted.
Michael Ross will adapt BZRK, the young adult novel trilogy by
Michael Grant and Shadow Gang. Sony Pictures acquired the franchise last fall
for producers Sam Raimi and Josh Donen. BZRK
is about a team of gifted teens control biological nanobot robots warriors and
they battle another group that is controlled by conjoined twins whose nanobots
are brainwashing world leaders. The megalomaniacal twins are trying to take
over the world. Michael Grant also co-created the popular 1990’s intermediate
children series, the Animorphs.
As Disney re-works some of the
Pixar movies into 3D, they’ve decided to move –up Monsters, Inc. 3D
from January 2013 to open a week before Christmas, on December 19. With the
prequel movie, Monsters University,
set to debut on June 21, 2013, Disney/Pixar seems to be anxious to get people
motivated. Still, Disney/Pixar has the 3D converted Finding Nemo set for September, which should carry a trailer for Monsters University as well. Speaking
of Finding Nemo, the studio
announced that they’ve given Andrew Stanton a get out of jail free card for the
massive financial write-off that was John Carter and have signed him to helm a
sequel to the 2003′s fish tale that took in $867 million worldwide to become
Pixar’s second-highest-grossing film and the third-biggest Disney animated film
release ever.
Casting...Former Heroes actor Jack Coleman –who spent
the last two seasons recurring on The
Office- will join the cast of Castle…Former Lost actor Ken Leung will guest star on the season opener of
another Lost alumni actor, Michael
Emerson’s Person of Interest…Larry
Fishburn is circling a role on NBC’s midseason drama Hannibal…Clea Duvall has landed a role on the second season of American Horror Story.
Two TV series based on Washington
Irving’s classic tale of a midnight headless rider who cuts people’s heads off
are making their rounds in Hollywood. First one up comes from Missing writers
Grant Scharbo and Patrick Macmanus, which they’re in talks with The CW; a series called Sleepy Hollow, which is a
modern view of classic horror tale by
making Ichabod Crane into an FBI agent who travels to the titular town to check
out a beheading. The second, also called Sleepy
Hollow, is from Fringe and Hawaii Five-0 producers Alex Kurtzman and
Roberto Orci, which landed at FOX with a pilot commitment.
The late Terry Nation, who
created the legendary Daleks for Doctor
Who, also created one the most underrated science fiction series back in
1978 with Blake’s 7. Set 700 years
in the future, the original four-season run followed a small group of rebels
battling against the massive Terran Federation, and featured cool tech concepts
and some pretty interesting themes for a low-budget sci-fi series. Much like
today’s anti-heroes that populate popular shows such as Breaking Bad and Sons of
Anarchy, Blake’s 7 was unique
back in 1978. While Blake is an idealistic freedom fighter, his associates are
petty crooks, smugglers and killers. The character of Avon, a technical genius
who exhibits more interest in self-preservation and seeking personal wealth
than wanting to help others, became the break-out character of the show. Played
by Paul Darrow, Avon became the character everyone loved to hate. While Nation
pitched the show to the BBC as “The
Dirty Dozen” in space, most of Blake and his crew antics were more Robin
Hood in origin. Now a reboot is being shopped around by Georgeville Television,
with Casino Royale director Martin
Campbell signed on to put the pieces together. Joe Pokaski (Heroes, CSI) has been tapped to write
the pilot.
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