Jack Black vs. Snakes
Jack Black vs. Snakes
Anya Taylor-Joy’s Killer Instinct, Megalopolis PR, Paramount gets courted, Chick-fil-A and Rotten Tomatoes.
Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Anya Taylor-Joy’s Killer Instinct, Megalopolis PR, Paramount gets courted, Chick-fil-A and Rotten Tomatoes.
Let’s go!
Two Announcements:
We’ve reached over 1 million views in the last 30 days. 🎉
We have a live event happening with Ted Hope (former Amazon Studios head of motion picture development) next week. Details here: https://theindustry.co/p/how-to-pitch-your-screenplay
Jack Black vs. Snakes.
It’s time for a reboot. Columbia Pictures is looking to revive Anaconda (1997), the action-horror-survival-Owen Wilson-Jon Voight-Jennifer Lopez-Ice Cube film that spawned three sequels and a Chinese remake.
Jack Black and Paul Rudd are said to be in early talks.
Here’s the re-booted synopsis:
A group of friends facing mid-life crises remake their favorite movie from their youth. They head to the rainforest only to find themselves into a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.
It’s been a while since Black has been in anything that tilted more towards horror, save a brilliantly ridiculous caricatured portrayal of R.L. Stine in Goosebumps (2015).
This will certainly play into his more gamified portrayals of being in danger (See: Jumanji, King Kong, and yes, Borderlands… although you might be better off watching his hilarious interview on the film).
There’s something that feels safe about watching Jack Black in danger, like Wile E. Coyote.
Tom Gormican (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) will write and direct.
No word on any other development updates for the Anaconda reboot, but I may have uncovered Jack Black in a sneak peek photo.
For More:
Anaconda (1997) trailer.
Anaconda (2024) Chinese remake trailer.
Jack Black as R.L. Stine in Goosebumps (2015) Monsters leap off the page! clip.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
It’s Big, It’s bold. It’s Megalopolis. At this point Lionsgate pulled the first full trailer for the film down because it opened with a bunch of fake quotes which painted director Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpieces like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now as misunderstood masterpieces. But what’s even more intriguing in the trailer is the beautiful imagery by Mihai Mălaimare Jr. (The Master) and The Atlas Shrugged-esque vibe of Adam Driver’s musings and his entire ability to manipulate time while creating his architectural vision for utopia.
Trailer here (still available at the time of publishing).
Megalopolis will be dawning in theatres on September 27th.
Paramount is extending their go-shop window to Sept. 5, as Edgar Bronfman Jr.(Chairperson Fubo, former CEO Warner Music Group) ups his acquisition offer to $6bn.
Here’s the new breakdown:
$2.4 bn to Shari Redstone
Majority shareholder of Paramount’s parent company, National Amusements
$1.7 bn to non-voting shareholders
Premium cash-out option $16/share
$1.5 bn to lower Paramount’s debt ($14.6 bn)
$400 M for Skydance break-up fee
Of course, they will be competing against the deep pockets of David Ellison’s (Skydance, CEO) father Larry Elison, founder oracle and the 7th richest person on earth.
Wahlberg's American Weekend Warriors: Apple Original Films has acquired the film Weekend Warriors starring Mark Wahlberg, a remake of the German sports comedy-drama Weekend Rebels (2023). The film, written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, is in early development and will be produced by Plan B (Brad Pitts production company) and the basketball focused SpringHill Company (Shooting Stars). The story, originally about a father and his autistic son exploring different soccer clubs, will be adapted to focus on the NBA, leveraging SpringHill’s ties.
Three Book Adaptations in the the Works:
Dungeon Crawler Carl: Universal International Studios and Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door are adapting Matt Dinniman’s novel Dungeon Crawler Carl into a TV series. The novel, which has sold over a million copies, follows a Coast Guard vet and his ex-girlfriend’s cat as they navigate a deadly intergalactic game show after an alien invasion. Chris Yost (Thor: Ragnarok, The Mandalorian) is set to write.
The Paris Window: A TV series based on Kimberly Belle’s thriller novel The Paris Widow is being developed by production company Little Bell Productions, under a first-look deal with Universal Television. The novel follows a married couple whose dream vacation in Paris turns deadly due to past secrets. This adaptation marks the beginning of Little Bell's collaboration with Universal Television.
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Netflix is developing a contemporary TV series adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, titled The Grays. This reimagined version is set against the backdrop of the modern beauty industry and follows siblings Basil and Doran Gray as they navigate the dark allure of eternal youth. The series is written by Katie Rose Rogers (Fellow Travelers), who also serves as an EP. With Rina Mimoun (Mistresses) as showrunner and Lee Toland Krieger (The Age of Adaline) directing, the project is a collaboration between Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
Tidbits:
Rotten Tomatoes is getting an update. They will be introducing a “Verified Hot” rating, which will indicate a top-reviewed film from audiences, the analog to Certified Fresh (top reviewed from critics). They’re also building a verification system to make sure those reviewing have bought tickets–down with review bombing!
RT has an asymmetrical ability to influence which movies people choose to watch. And some of my favorite films from the last 10+ years wouldn’t make the 90% or higher threshold: Under the Skin (55%), Holy Motors (71%).
If this discourages people from watching art house cinema, it’ll be a real shame.
New stills released of A Thousand Blows, an upcoming period drama from Peaky Blinders creator, Steven Knight. The Hulu boxing show takes a close look at the criminal dealings and business behind the sport set in Victorian London (still). A Thousand Blows is set to premiere on Hulu and Disney+ (in select countries) in 2025.
Chick-Fil-A is starting a family-friendly streaming service. Unscripted seems to be the priority but there are also talks of scripted and animation. Word around the chicken coop is they’re paying $400K half hour episodes…. That could buy a lot of waffle fries.
David Shore, creator of House and The Good Doctor, leaves Sony after 12 years for a three-year deal with Disney’s 20th Television, developing original series.
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
