Media Murder

 

MOVIES

Judith Law has been signed to play a transvestite in Rage, a murder mystery set in New York's fashion world.

Spencer Quinn's debut mystery Dog On It has been acquired by Universal Pictures in a 6-figure deal. The book, featuring a canine narrator named Chet, was published this month by Atria. Jeff Lowell (Over Her Dead Body, Hotel for Dogs) will write the screenplay. This on the heels of the announcement that Barnes & Noble chose the book as the 12th selection in its B&N Recommends program.

The film adaptation of the movie In the Electric Mist (based on the novel In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead by James Lee Burke) will be released in the U.S. on DVD only on March 3rd. As Variety reported, the producers decided to release two versions, a shorter (and apparently less coherent) one on DVD for the U.S. and a director's cut for cinematic release everywhere else in the world. Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones leads an all-star cast.

Dimension Films is developing a modern-day high school-set thriller take on Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians focusing on social networking (yes, you heard that right).

TV

WETA's Author, Author! program had a recent interview with David Baldacci, author of Divine Justice.

ITV pulled the plug on Wire in the Blood, the series based on novels by crime writer Val McDermid, which has been running for six years and attracted audiences of 4.5 million an episode last year. It has also been sold to 120 channels across the world. The decision was made due to "cost-cutting measures" and means that the cliff-hanger which ended the last series in the autumn may never be concluded.

The PBS Mystery lineup for the Fall includes the new Wallender series based on books by Henning Mankell and starring Kenneth Brannagh.

John Nettles is leaving the show Midsomer Murders and his role of DCI Tom Barnaby, after 12 years and 75 appearances.

ITV announced the return of Foyle's War and also that eight new Agatha Christie films have been ordered, including Murder On The Orient Express (and three other original Agatha Christie Poirots, featuring David Suchet). The other four feature Julia Mackenzie who will make her first appearance as Jane Marple.

In the new ABC series Castle, the mystery writer played by Nathan Fillion gets his storytelling advice from real-life writers James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell over a poker game.

PLAYS

Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago has announced its 2009-10 subscription season, including Fake, a new play written and directed by ensemble member Eric Simonson. it's set In 1914 and revolves around Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's invitation to four guests to his English country home, each with a connection to the infamous "Piltdown Man," purported to be the missing link between ape and man — later exposed as a hoax.  

The new Theatre Northwest troupe in Tacoma, Washington, is opening their season with the Sherlock Holmes-based play by Stuart Kamsinky titled The Final Toast which received its world premiere at the Kentucky International Mystery Writers' Festival.

PODCASTS & AUDIO

The Toronto Sun has an online interview with Jose Latour, a highly praised mystery writer in the Spanish language before the Cuban government blocked publication of his fifth novel and declared him an enemy of the people. Latour simply switched languages to English.

The Audio Publishers Association announced their nominations for the 2009 Audie Awards, including Mystery and Thriller/Suspense categories.