You know, just yesterday I was wondering to myself where Ron Moore — the brilliant storyteller behind Syfy’s modern reimagining of Battlestar Galactica — was going to turn up next. Sure, he’s got Caprica, the prequel to BSG, going strong, but the day-to-day work on that show is being handled by others. And last year, he developed a new pilot for Fox called Virtuality, but it was so high concept that it got canceled before it ever aired. The two-hour pilot was all that was filmed, and Fox aired it as a movie-of-the-week.
So it’s with some excitement that I bring you the news that Moore has signed an exclusive development deal with Sony Television, and that NBC has snatched up his first idea, which is described as a story “set in a world ruled not by science but by magic.” The shorthand going around Hollywood is that it’s an “adult version of Harry Potter,” though knowing Moore, I’m sure there’s way more to it than that. (After all, the same could be said about The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and the reception that movie got would hardly be the kind of thing NBC would be eager to sign on for.)
Even bigger news is that NBC has shelled out something close to $2 million in a pay-or-play development deal for the series.
As much as I enjoyed Virtuality, it would probably be a smart move for Moore to do something a little more audience-friendly and accessible. Here’s hoping big things will come of this!
NBC has been snatching up genre-friendly shows left and right lately. This season alone they’re debuting The Event, Undercovers, and The Cape, alongside the 4th season of fan-favorite Chuck.
Syfy, the network formerly known as Scifi, has development on a television show based on the classic novel The Lotus Caves. Bryan Fuller, creator of Pushing Daisies, is writing the script alongside collaborator Jim Grey.
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In light of star Andy Whitfield’s diagnosis of cancer, Spartacus: Blood and Sand has gone on an indefinite hiatus. But Starz hopes to continue the series’ popularity by launching a six-part prequel series.
Whitfield will make a cameo appearance in the prequel, but the storyline is said to center on the rise of the House of Batiatus, aka John Hannah’s Batiatus and his wife, Lucy Lawless’ Lucretia. Other characters are expected to return as well, but a new major character will be introduced as the gladiator who was champion of the House of Batiatus before Spartacus. No title has been settled on yet for the prequel, which is set to start production this summer in New Zealand.
Starz is hopeful that Whitfield will be able to return to the show sooner than later, reporting that the actor is responding well to his treatments for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Until his return, Starz plans to continue expanding what it calls “the Spartacus franchise” in creative ways.
History Channel is coming up with its first ever scripted project and they sure picked a really good topic for their first – the Kennedys. No doubt the Kennedy family is worthy of its own TV mini series and that is exactly what History Channel will be bringing us come next year (2011).
The new series, which will come as an 8-hour series, has already been casted but is yet to start filming. The present cast lineup include big stars like Greg Kinnear (Pres. John F. Kennedy), Katie Holmes (Jacqueline Kennedy), Tom Wilkinson (Ambassador Joe Kennedy Sr), and Barry Pepper (Robert F Kennedy).
The mini-series will be focusing on the most popular Kennedy family member President John F Kennedy (of course!) but will also look into the story of the entire Kennedy political dynasty. As a story the show will surely be entertaining though we all know it will end with John Kennedy getting shot. Maybe it will just be shown at one of the episodes and it won’t end with that tragedy, which will totally be anti-climactic but who wants a closed ending anyway, right?
Even as early as now the show is already generating much talk not only because of its cast but also because of what critics point out as inaccuracies in the script. Since History Channel is presenting it as a scripted mini-series I guess a little tweaking to make for good TV is allowed, after all if we wanted a pure documentary then we have a lot of stuff on the Kennedys from the network including the DVD sets on both JFK and the Kennedy family.
Oh, George.
Variety is reporting that Lucasfilm is looking to buoy its success with Star Wars: The Clone Wars by launching another animated series, only this one is putting a comedic slant on the Star Wars universe. As a concerned Star Wars fan, I’m wondering if it’s long past time that we stage an intervention before George Lucas milks his cash cow until it’s dead.
Yet one aspect of this news shows a single drop of promise. The creators of Robot Chicken, Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, are members of the show’s creative team, and they’re describing the show less as The Jar-Jar and Battle Droids Laugh-In and more as an irreverent take on the saga that has no problem poking fun at its source material. The writing staff also boasts a scribe from The Daily Show.
Less inspiring is the fact that a writer from The Backyardigans and a director from Back at the Barnyard are onboard. It sounds like Lucasfilm hopes to strike a balance between cheeky and wholesome. Witty enough for mom and dad, but innocent enough for the kids. Precious few animated series have ever been able to conjure a subtle balance between these two ends of the spectrum, and George Lucas isn’t exactly known for his subtlety.
I do dig The Clone Wars, so I’ll check this one out when it debuts, but it’s going to take a lot to win me over.
At present, the untitled show has announced no voice cast, no premiere date, and no network. (Though if Lucas keeps creating shows — he’s also got a Star Wars-for-toddlers cartoon in the works, as well as the much-ballyhooed live action show that’s coming, you know, sometime this century — he’ll be able to start a network of his own.)
Another fantasy series is being developed, and this time it’s HBO who has greenlit the project.
The new proposed series is Game of Thrones, which is based on the novels of George R.R. Martin.
The pilot is written by David Benioff and DB Weiss. Benioff is gaining popularity for having written the new Wolverine movie, as well as writing the prequel to Will Smith’s I Am Legend.
With the success of The Tudors, the people behind the series has decided to make another series and this time they will be mining the Camelot myth.
Michael Hirst and Morgan O’Sullivan will be developing a contemporary series that will be based on Camelot. Hirst will be developing the scripts and will also executive produce with O’Sullivan.
Showtime and BBC will be co-financing the project.
