China Mieville to Write Comic for DC Comics!
Word comes from the grand bats themselves (i.e., DC Comics) that China Mieville, author of Perdido Street Station, Embassytown, and the upcoming Railsea, will pen a comic book to be released as part of DC’s “New 52″/”Second Wave” comic “line.” What will Mieville be doing? This: DIAL H – Writer: China Miéville. Artist: Mateus Santoluoco. The first ongoing series from acclaimed novelist China Miéville, this is a bold new take on a cult classic concept about the psychological effects on an everyman who accidentally gains powers to become a hero. The concept may not sound original, but if we know anything about Mieville, it’s his gift for finding the unique, unusual, and weird in practically every “cliche” he takes on. Dial H is likely to be one of the most interesting visual creations to come this year. Who else is looking forward to Dial H? ——————————————- Update: Mieville did an interview with USA Today here (which might be of interest to everyone). It includes some juicy bits about the comic above.
Monthly Movie Madness #7 — January 2012
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.archive.org/download/TheSkiffyAndFantyShow–MonthlyMovieMadness7–January2012/Sandf–MonthlyMovieMadness7–January2012.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSWe’re back with our monthly movie feature, albeit a little late. I’ll spare you the long explanations and introductions! Tune in and enjoy! Here’s the episode: MMM #7 — Download (MP3) The Movies (from IMDB): The Devil Inside Our scores: Shaun (4) / Jen (4) The Divide Our scores: Shaun (4) / Jen (4) Underworld: Awakening Our scores: Shaun (2) / Jen (4) What do the scores mean? 1 — I’d rather kill myself! 2 — Probably Torture Cinema 3 — Eh, maybe… 4 — I’d like to see it! 5 — I’ll be there in costume! The big question: which movies do you want to see and which would you rather throw in the dumpster?
Flick Bits: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest Optioned for Film!
According to Deadline, Cherie Priest‘s 2009 steampunk novel Boneshaker (released through Tor) has been optioned for a film by Cross Creek and Hammer Films: Los Angeles, CA – November 30, 2011 – Brian Oliver, President of Cross Creek Pictures, Simon Oakes, Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media Group and President & CEO of Hammer Films and Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Co-Chairmen of Exclusive Media Group (“Exclusive”) announced today that Hammer has acquired the rights to the novel “Boneshaker” by Cherie Priest for adaptation to the big screen. Project will be co-produced by Hammer and Cross Creek Pictures and co-financed by Exclusive and Cross Creek Pictures. John Hilary Shepherd, a 2010 WGA Award nominee for his work on the first season of the Showtime series, “Nurse Jackie,” is writing the screenplay. Tobin Armbrust, Head of Production is overseeing the project’s development for Hammer Films. Cross Creek recently released The Ides of March, written and directed by and starring George Clooney. It is also the company behind Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman. Exclusive Media Group, another key player here, brought us the 2010 American remake of Let the Right One In (retitled Let Me In), and had a hand in many of Cross Creek’s projects. Overall, that sounds like a pretty awesome crew to have behind Priest’s novel. What do you all think? Congrats to Ms. Priest! Let’s hope for a wicked awesome steampunk film in our near future!
Breaking News: Film Rights for Zoo City (@laurenbeukes) Picked Up by Helena Spring
I’ll let the Angry Robot press release do all the talking: TOP SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCER WINS COVETED FILM RIGHTS IN INTERNATIONAL ‘BID FEST’ TO MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING AND BESTELLING NOVEL “ZOO CITY” by SOUTH AFRICAN AUTHOR LAUREN BEUKES “Beukes’ energetic noir phantasmagoria, the winner of this year’s Arthur C. Clarke Award, crackles with original ideas.” – (Jeff VanderMeer, New York Times Book Review) Helena Spring, widely regarded as one of South Africa’s most accomplished motion picture producers, has just been awarded the highly sought-after film rights to Zoo City, the Sci-Fi thriller penned by South African author Lauren Beukes – who garnered the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award for best Science Fiction novel. In the wake of whopping sales figures, multiple awards and critical acclaim Beukes’ book generated fierce interest from numerous bidders in the entertainment industry, putting Spring alongside major US and UK producers eager to tell Beukes’ unique tale. Zoo City was published first in South Africa by Jacana Media and thereafter internationally by by Angry Robot. The urban fantasy is set in a futuristic, gritty and hard-core Johannesburg where the eponymous ghetto has been colonised by society’s outcasts – like criminals, drug-dealers and psychopaths, and their animal companions. Like the other residents of the Zoo City slum, Zinzi, the anti-heroine, is “animalled”, but she is also a shrewd, street-smart girl with the gift (or burden) of finding lost things. Zinzi wears her power animal, a sloth, on her back. When she is hired to find a missing teenybopper star, she hopes that it will be her ticket out of Hell’s waiting room. “I’m delighted to have secured the film and television rights for Zoo City,” commented Helena Spring. “It is a groundbreaking, magical novel begging for a life on the big screen. Lauren’s storytelling is masterful – edgy and futuristic, unique yet universal. It is high in entertainment value yet emotionally charged, a dream project for any producer.” Beukes positively acknowledges the choice of the winning producer. “Every novelist dreams of a movie deal – but you actually want more than that. You want to find a producer of great vision and integrity and experience who fundamentally gets the book and understands how to transform it into an entirely different creature based on the same genetic material. I’m thrilled that it’s being produced in South Africa – for an international audience.” Spring’s career in the entertainment industry spans nearly three decades, during which time she has produced over twenty motion pictures – including the first ever South African film to receive recognition at the Academy Awards®: Darrell Roodt’s Yesterday earned a Best Foreign Picture nomination in 2004. Spring, who has worked with some of the foremost filmmakers in the world – such as Paul Greengrass who helmed the box office smash hits The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, and Academy Award® winner, Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), will soon be putting the project out to a select party of directors, while Beukes has first look as screenwriter to adapt her novel for the screen. “Lauren is perfectly placed to do this. The characters are alive inside her,” says Spring. Julian Friedmann of Blake Friedmann (the literary agency that reps Beukes), says that: “Helena outbid all the others in a spirited auction for film rights to this extraordinary book. She had an extremely proactive, writer-friendly approach to working with Lauren and offered an imaginative and creative proposal that was irresistible.” Lauren Beukes’ meteoric rise seems unstoppable and recently a new megabucks book deal was announced. The working titles of the two novels – due in 2013 and 2014 – are The Shining Girls and Broken Monsters. They were picked up by publishers in the US, the UK, South Africa, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. Congrats to Lauren! This is incredible news. We can’t wait to see Zoo City on the big screen (or any screen, for that matter). (You can check out our interview with Lauren here.)
Flick Bits: First Pics of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus!
Entertainment Weekly has a sneak peek into the much anticipated new Ridley Scott flick, Prometheus (thanks to Stephen Hunt for bringing these to my attention). Here you go: Scott’s film, set for release next June, is the latest addition to the Alien universe/series, which began with Alien in 1979 and continued under James Cameron with the 1986 film Aliens. Prometheus stars Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace, and Guy Pearce (among others). IMDB describes the film as follows:
RIP: Anne McCaffrey — Queen of the Dragons (In Memoriam)
Mediabistro is reporting that Anne McCaffrey, beloved author of the Dragonriders of Pern series, has passed away at the tender age of 85. Wired picked up on the report and posted their thoughts here. This is indeed sad news. McCaffrey’s impact on the genre is irrefutable. She was, and remains, one of the greats. Our hearts go out to Anne’s family (her son Todd and the many others who were fortunate to know her personally). May they find some joy in knowing Anne McCaffrey will never be forgotten. What will you all remember best about the McCaffrey legacy?
