Quick News – 26/10/11

“The Dark Tower” finds a home… on TV
The ambitious Ron Howard/Brian Grazer/Akiva Goldsman film and TV series adaptation (yep, multiple films and a TV series! No wonder Universal got cold feet and backed out of financing the film) of Stephen King’s literary yarn might not have a film studio to call home at the moment, but it does have a TV network. “We’ll do the TV with HBO and the movie with … to be determined,” Grazer said during an interview to promote ”Tower Heist”. Grazer says Javier Bardem will likely remain onboard as the lead, ‘The Gunslinger’ and that they’ve already shaved $45 million off of the film’s budget. (MTV)

TV Shows : Comings & Goings
“Persons of Interest”, one of the more intriguing offerings of the new Fall TV season, has received it’s back-order for a full season at CBS, as has another of the network’s new series, “Unforgettable”. (TV Line)
“The Walking Dead”, not surprisingly (considering it’s huge season premiere numbers), will get a third season. (Deadline)
Expect “Hart of Dixie” to also be around quite a bit longer; the Rachel Bilson starrer is doing quite well over at The CW. (The Hollywood Reporter)
“Da Vinici’s Demons”, a new adventure series from “Batman Begins” scribe David Goyer, has received an eight-episode order and is slated to start filming in early 2012 for a 2013 premiere. “Written by Goyer, Da Vinci’s Demons is described as a historical fantasy that follows the “untold” story of the world’s greatest genius during his raucous youth in Renaissance Florence. Brash and brilliant, the 25-year-old da Vinci is an artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist. As a free thinker, with intellect and talents that are almost superhuman, he struggles to live within the confines of his own reality and time. He begins to not only see the future, but invent it” (Deadline)
A new untitled comedy, from Jack Black and “30 Minutes or Less” scribe Michael Diliberti, has landed at NBC. The single-camera internet-centric comedy revolves around two sweet but colossally unfit young people who meet online and fall into a sudden, uncontrollable bout of true love, much to the disapproval of most everyone in their lives. (The Hollywood Reporter)

“Grace of Monaco” – Who wll play Grace Kelly?
A film based on the life of Princess Grace of Monaco is in the works. Europacorp co-founder Pierre-Ange Le Pogam has snapped up “Grace of Monaco”, a spec script by Arash Amel that ”sets Kelly’s personal story amid the politics of the time”. The trades say, “Amel’s script, however, isn’t a biopic and instead focuses on a six month period in 1962 when the city-state got into a heated dispute with France, which grew tired of the petite principality being a tax haven. Kelly, still relatively new in her role as princess, maneuvered behind the scenes to save Monaco from a coup. Insiders have compared the script to King’s Speech in scope and tone.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

“Overdrive” – Urban, Barnes set for actioner
Karl Urban (“Dredd”) and Ben Barnes (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) will star in the new actioner for director Antonio Negret (”Seconds Apart”) and producer Pierre Morel (“Taken”). The Derek Haas/Michael Brandt written film will tell of “adventurous siblings who find more trouble than they are looking for in the South of France”. Emilia Clarke is in discussions to play the female lead. (The Hollywood Reporter)

“Dragon Tattoo” – Yet another Poster
This one is a bit more work friendly.

“Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol” – A new poster for it, too
Tom is still covered by the ‘hoodie’, but this time he’s surrounded by his mates.

“Them” – Yes, Them. Remake.
David Alcalde will direct Studio Canal’s english-language remake of the 2006 French horror film. (Variety)

First Look : Tobey Maguire in “The Great Gatsby”
The first pic of Tobey Maguire all garbed up to play Nick Carraway in Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of the dog-earned book classic is online (below; and there’s more at Celebuzz). There’s also a video available showing how much of Sydney has been transformed for the film.

“The Chung Factor” – Ken Jeong to star, produce
“Hangover” alum Ken Jeong is starring in and producing a comedy about ”a nice guy who meets the girl of his dreams after being unlucky in love. But because he’s afraid of screwing up the relationship, he takes advice from an offbeat relationship coach, played by Jeong. As it turns out, the coach is actually the woman’s ex-boyfriend and is out to sabotage the relationship and win her back.” Andy Selsor wrote the script. (The Wrap)

“Tintin 2” after “Hobbit”, says Jackson
Once he wraps “The Hobbit” films, Peter Jackson will start work on a sequel to the well-reviewed “Adventures of Tintin”. “[Sony and Paramount] were willing to do one movie with us and then give us the financial wherewithal to develop a script, do all the visual storyboards and get it really in launch position. So we can launch pretty quickly on a second movie. The script is already written.” (The Playlist)

Slade attached to ”Coward”
“Eclipse” director David Slade will helm a film version of Ed Brubaker’s grapic novel “Coward”. Pic tells the story of Leo, “a master thief and heist planner lives in a world of hustlers, crooked cops, pickpockets and lowlifes.” (Variety)

“Twelve Years a Slave” nabs Pitt
“Tree of Life” scene-stealer Brad Pitt will have a role in Steve McQueen’s next picture. The actor is also producing the film, which features “Serenity” star Chiwetel Ejiofor in the lead role. “Co-written by McQueen and John Ridley (”Bobby,” “Three Kings”), the movie is based on the 1853 autobiography written by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was tricked into slavery. Educated, married and living in New York, Northup was lured by a job offer in Washington only to be kidnapped and put in a slave pen, leading to years of enslavement under various owners. He finally earned back his freedom when a white Canadian carpenter who opposed slavery smuggled letters to Northup’s wife, which helped launch a court case that eventually set him free.” (The Playlist)

First Pic from “A Fantastic Fear of Everything”
The first pic of Simon Pegg in character as a children’s author cum crime novelist who ends up being spooked by “love, laundry, and, serial killers” in his own house is online, thanks to Bloody Disgusting.

Minogue, Mendes in “Holly Motors”
The singing budgie and “Ghost Rider” actress, respectively, will co-star in the last segment of director Leos Carax’s unique body-switching-jumping film (Allocine)

Design a Movie Poster!
Amazon Studios needs creative minds and free-hands to concoct one-sheets. Want more details?

No love for “Apollo 18” Downunder
The Weinstein’s big 2011 hopeful “Apollo 18” is going direct-to-DVD in Australia; Roadshow has confirmed a January 2012 home-vid premiere for the science-fiction thriller.

Eddie Murphy on why he didn’t end up in “Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home”
We all know he was offered the chance to co-star alongside Spock and Kirk in their ‘Earthly’ adventure, so why did Murphy ultimately nix the idea? Here’s what he tells MTV today :