TV
Daniels on returning to The Office
IESB shares the latest hints from executive producer Greg Daniels of upcoming plots for The Office. A special dinner, a website failure and an exploration of nightclubs are all involved in the next six episodes of the show. Interestingly, Daniels and actor Rainn Wilson denied rumors of an Office spin-off, explaining that talk of such began with a joke Wilson made regarding a series based on his character, Dwight Schrute.
Garth lands lead in Best Friend’s Girl
Jennie Garth will star as the female lead in the CBS pilot My Best Friend’s Girl, says The Hollywood Reporter. Produced by Sony, the show “centers on two best friends and co-owners of a biker shop whose relationship becomes complicated when one (Tim Peper) begins dating the ex-wife (Garth) of the other (Josh Cooke).” Eric Ladin has also been cast in Girl as a worker in the shop, who is “the world’s worst salesman.”
HBO takes on David’s Situation
HBO has greenlit a new comedy pilot from Mr. Show duo Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, notes The Hollywood Reporter. Odenkirk and Cross co-wrote the project, titled David’s Situation. Starring Cross as himself, the show finds the actor as he “leaves Hollywood to move into a suburban, gated community where he has two roommates, a right-wing conservative and a liberal hippie.”
Paul Scofield, dead at 86
Respected thespian of stage and screen Paul Scofield has died at the age of 86 years. His agent, Rosalind Chatto, stated Thursday that Scofield passed away Wednesday, in a hospital near his home in southern England. He had been suffering from leukemia.
Scofield’s most famous and celebrated role may have been that of Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons (1966), which won him an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and numerous other honors. Over the course of his distinguished career, he also starred in That Lady (1955), King Lear (1971), Quiz Show (1994) and The Crucible (1996).
For more information on the life and death of Paul Scofield, please visit The Associated Press as well as the Internet Movie Database.
20Mar2008 | Josh E Armstrong | ContinuedCW grabs Fuller drama
The CW network has picked up the pilot to a real-time medical drama from Simon Fuller, the creator of American Idol. Austin Golden Hour “follows a close-knit team of young emergency room surgeons and EMTs during the critical, adrenaline-filled 60 minutes immediately following a trauma.” The pilot was written by Lance Gentile and Mal Young, who are also executive producing the program. The Hollywood Reporter delivers the news.
Disney greenlights Jonas series
Pop-rock singers the Jonas Brothers are being a given a reality series to air this spring on the Disney Channel, writes The Hollywood Reporter. The show, titled Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream, “will follow the on- and off-stage lives of the platinum-selling trio - Kevin, Joe and Nick - on their current Look Me in the Eyes tour.”
Anthony Minghella, dead at 54
Film writer and director Anthony Minghella died in a London hospital on Tuesday, at the age of 54. His death was the result of complications following surgery last week for cancer of the tonsils and neck. “The surgery had gone well and they were very optimistic,” explained agent Leslee Dart. “But he developed a haemorrhage last night and they were not able to stop it.”
Among Minghella’s most respected works are Truly Madly Deeply (1990), The English Patient (1996), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and Cold Mountain (2003). He was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning the Best Director Oscar for Patient.
For more information on the life and death of Anthony Minghella, please visit Reuters and IMDb.
18Mar2008 | Josh E Armstrong | ContinuedLucas talks live-action Star Wars TV series
With Entertainment Weekly, George Lucas reveals some interesting tidbits about the upcoming Star Wars live-action television series. Regarding the show’s association with the blockbuster Star Wars trilogies, Lucas elaborates, “The live-action has [none of the characters from the Star Wars movies], because it’s after Episode III, so everybody’s dead, basically, or hiding somewhere.” Still, he admits, “Some of the characters from the features find their way in there, so it’s not completely divorced.”
Andromeda Strain trailer now online
A longform trailer for the latest adaptation of The Andromeda Strain is now available to view at the project’s official site. Produced by Ridley and Tony Scott and directed by Mikael Salomon, the miniseries stars Benjamin Bratt, Eric McCormack, Christa Miller, Ricky Schroder and Andre Braugher. Andromeda Strain is expected to air on A&E this May.
Turner meets the Browns
Variety indicates that Turner Broadcasting’s TBS/TNT and Lionsgate have arranged a four-picture transaction valued at $8-10 million. The deal includes Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, Witless Protection, Lord of War and In the Mix.
Idol Gives Back charities announced
The charities to be supported by the American Idol special Idol Gives Back are listed at Coming Soon. The lineup includes: Children’s Defense Fund; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Make It Right; Malaria No More; Save the Children; and Children’s Health Fund. Idol Gives Back will air Wednesday, April 9 (7:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox.
FX lands ‘Marvel-ous’ deal
Variety records that Marvel Studios has presold the cable rights to Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, as well as three additional movies still to be determined, to cable network FX. Like with most basic-cable pre-buys, FX will pay a license free of approximately 11% of each film’s domestic gross up to $200 million. Hence, if each of the five noted films grabs over $200 million domestically, FX will pay the maximum $22 million apiece, coming to a total of $110 million.
Ehrlich to executive produce 60th Emmys
The Hollywood Reporter spreads the word that veteran award show producer Ken Ehrlich will once again be the executive producer of the Primetime Emmy Awards. The show’s 60th celebration will air live September 21 on ABC. “Ken is a creative producer with a deep love of television, and we are glad and honored to have him back,” expressed John Shaffner, chairman and CEO of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Clooney to visit E.R.?
According to IMDB/W.E.N.N., George Clooney may make a brief return to E.R. for the show’s final season. The series’ producer David Zabel is reportedly eager to get past and current E.R. characters, particularly Clooney’s Dr. Douglas Ross, for a one-off special to celebrate the show’s run. Even Anthony Edwards, whose character Dr. Mark Greene died of a brain tumor, is being sought for a return. Zabel explains, “There are ways to do it that we’ve thought about - even if it were like a lost episode from 1996.”
[UPDATED] Sopranos movie in the works?
Slash Film provides a few reasons regarding why it is not unreasonable to believe a film based on HBO’s The Sopranos is in development. One item in particular comes from Nick D’Urso, manager of the Satin Dolls strip club in North Jersey, which served as the Bada Bing strip club in the show. According to D’Urso, he received a phone call telling him not to do any renovations to the club due to an upcoming Sopranos movie. “I got an inside tip that they’re going to do a movie, so I don’t want to make any major changes,” D’Urso said Wednesday. “I’m not going to reveal my sources, but we got a call from somebody (working) on the script.”
UPDATE: According to an official representative of HBO, a feature based on The Sopranos is not currently being developed.
17Mar2008 | Josh E Armstrong | ContinuedStrauss steps down at HBO
The Hollywood Reporter shows that Carolyn Strauss, a 22-year HBO veteran, has stepped down as entertainment president of the pay cable network. The news was confirmed by HBO on Sunday, after rumors of Strauss’ leaving spread last Friday. She is expected to continue at HBO in some way, perhaps under a production deal. Deadline Hollywood Daily has inside info on the story.
Lucas on the future of Star Wars
Coming Soon had the opportunity to chat with George Lucas about the upcoming animated and live-action Star Wars television series. Interestingly, the possibility of a new Star Wars film trilogy was raised, with Lucas responding that he has no story for such since the tale of Anakin Skywalker has been told.
Revolution for low-budget filmmaking
BBC News highlights the increasing popularity and accessibility of low-budget filmmaking. From camcorders to editing software, the price of creating a professional-looking motion picture is considerably lower than it once was. Furthermore, thanks to video-sharing sites such as YouTube, getting one’s masterpiece viewed by many people is likewise easier.
CBS reads Birbiglia’s Journal
CBS has greenlit the comedy pilot Mike Birbiglia’s Secret Public Journal, based on Birbiglia’s weekly blog that chronicles his daily life, says The Hollywood Reporter. The series will star Birbiglia as “a stand-up comedian who lives with his girlfriend in Brooklyn and struggles in his efforts to be a grown up, have a relationship, and do the right things.” Birbiglia and Andrew Secunda created the CBS Paramount Network TV-produced pilot, which Secunda also wrote.
Seasons 3 and 4 of TV’s Incredible Hulk announced
In time for the theatrical release of the Edward Norton-starring The Incredible Hulk, Universal Home Video will release the third and fourth seasons of the Incredible Hulk television series. Featuring Lou Ferrigno in the title role, the live-action show’s noted seasons will hit stores on April 29. DVDActive has the specs and artwork for the releases.
