August, 2010

Riding his train of popularity, Steve Carrell hops on board another comedy, a remake of an Argentine film, A Boyfriend for My Wife.  Kind of self-explanatory. . . .  The immensely popular comic series (well, sort of--at least for the seventies) Iron Fist is getting a film version, and Angelina Jolie dips her feet in the romance/war drama genre again in an as-of-yet untitled Serbian/Bosnian love story.  And if that doesn't get you crying, don't weep too hard fans of the 1980s (all 12 of you): the Jaden Smith version of Karate Kid will see a sequel.

Other notable sales include:

--Morgan Creek will take on the Tupac story.  Antoine Fuqua is set to direct.

--A 3-D film chronicling the Battle of Midway during WWII.

--Piranha 3-D = sequel. No word yet on what dimension it'll be in. . . .

-- The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are returning to their live-action renditions. Hopefully less retro muppet-like than the last version.

--Take that super-cool Jesse Eisenberg Facebook movie: Google has its own story hitting the screen with Googled: The End of the World As We Know It.

July, 2010

A flood of comic book and graphic novel adaptations continue to move into development, including The Untamed, A Contract with God, Astro City, The Strange Case of Hyde, and the likely much-anticipated Xerxes, the prequel to Frank Miller's bloody and epic masterpiece, 300.  A vampire twist on the biblical story of Cain, a handful of novel adaptations, such as a live-action story of the orignal Little Mermaid tale, and yet another version of South Pacific (not that there's anything wrong with that. . . .) fill out the rest of the month.

Other selected sales include:

--Guillermo del Toro will helm the Disney-inspired pic The Haunted Mansion.

--Also from Disney, Tink, focusing on. . . well, who do you think? Tinkerbell.  Elizabeth Banks will star in the live-action film.

--The Grimm tale Hansel and Gretel will have a 3D re-telling.

--Nia Vardalos to pen Happy Mother's Day, a road comedy involving four moms.

June, 2010
 
Crime/drams, thrillers, and some fairly unusual adaptations in June. . . .  Fresh off his role as Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe will star in a remake of the classic All Quiet on the Western Front.  A sequel to Men in Black, The Bourne Identity, Clash of the Titans, and Ghost Rider are in the works as well.  On the prequel side of things, Carrie Bradshaw's character will give teenage fans a thrill in The Carrie Diaries. And (finally) a live-action version of the extraordinary children's book The Wind in the Willows.

Other selected sales include:

--A live action/animation film adaptation of Legos, appropriately titled Lego.

--The spec script Step Dawg, a comedy about a man whose mother is set to marry his former best friend.  To be produced by Morgan Creek.

--The Marvel character Dr. Strange will see a film version.

--Remake of the 1980s "classic" (well, sort of anyway) The Monster Squad.

May, 2010

A number of novel adaptations, a handful of specs, and some low-to-mid budget projects dot the May script sales landscape.  Disney will remake a live-action version of Cinderella, in addition to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  Cameron Crowe dips back into directing and will helm the family-drama project We Bought a Zoo.  And since it's been so long since we've seen the beginnings of the Spider-Man series, the franchise will get a re-boot (it has been almost eight years since the "original" awesome version came out. . .).

Other selected sales include:

--New Line's MacGyver will see a reload for the big screen.  Jason Richman will pen the adaptation.

--JJ Abram's Bad Robot and writer Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams) will team up on a heist action/thriller revolving around the true story of thieves that robbed a jewelry facility in Belgium.

--A film adaptation of the TV series Gidget.

--The Age of Adelaine, focusing on a women who becomes immortal after an accident.  Katherine Heigl will star.

--Lionel Grandison's story of helping cover up Marilyn Monroe's apparent suicide in Marilyn.

--The comedy Clown Girl, optioned by and starring Kristen Wiig.  Plot is sort of self-explanatory. . . 

March, 2010

Pretty huge month for script sales. . . .

Anyone want to see another Godzilla movie?  Warner Bros. will tackle (or rather re-tackle) one of the world’s most well-known franchises, perhaps to atone for the sins of the previous nineties big-budget spin.  Buck Rodgers will get a modern-day telling (in 3D of course), as will Popeye, at least an animated rendition. Laverne and Shirley—perhaps not in 3D—written by Jamie Foxx, may star Jessica Biel and Jennifer Garner as two street-tough friends.  And, in this writer’s opinion, finally a film version of the classic children’s book A Wrinkle in Time.

Other notable sales:

--30-somethings who want to relive 1999 rejoice: American Pie 4 is on the slate.

--Speaking of part 4s, Scream plans on expanding beyond the trilogy with another installment.

--22 years later, DeNiro will reprise his role in Midnight Run with a sequel.

--Anna Faris will star in a remake of the 1980 film Private Benjamin.

--Oscar-winner Diablo Cody’s new script, Young Adult, focusing on a 30-something young adult fiction writer who returns to her hometown to pursue her ex-boyfriend.

--Based on the series, Baywatch will see a film adaptation.  Genre listed: comedy.

February, 2010 

Novel adaptations, a few remakes, and some frankly off-beat concepts fill the first part of March.  In addition, a former Script Pimp Writers Workshop “Recommend” found success with one of his scripts, “Smashed,” a suspense/thriller.  Best of all, though: “Gilligan’s Island.” The movie.  Believe it.  And a little astounding (and humbling for those of you want to retire at 40), 94-year-old Sherwood Schwartz will co-produce with his son.

Other selected script sales include:

--New Line will helm a remake of the classic 1980s comedy “Police Academy.”

--A feature film version of the hit HBO series “Rome,” with (possibly) the original leads.

--Deepak Chopra’s comic “Beyond” will be adapted for the big screen.

--Biopic of the erratic and controversial figure Herbert Hoover.

--Tim Burton will co-produce an Abraham Lincoln vampire hunter script. . . .  Somehow that sounds pretty awesome.

Star vehicles push January’s script sales—both old stars and rising actors—as well franchise sequels.  “G.I. Joe” was apparently worthy of a second installment, as was “Paranormal Activity” (of course) and “Four Brothers,” with the sequel “Five.”  A handful of scripts, three dramas and a thriller, are also headed into development with Philip Seymour Hoffman’s production company.

Other selected script sales include:

--Tom Hanks and Julia Robert set to star in “Larry Crowne,” revolving around a change of careers for a middle-aged man (surely it’ll be more interesting than that).  Hanks will also direct.

--Comedian Demetri Martin’s script “Will” is set to star Zach Galifianakis and Paul Rudd.  Will Ferrell and Adam McKay to produce.

--A biopic of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Steven Spielberg will co-produce.

--An as-of-yet untitled George Lucas CGI project.