Media Murder for Monday

MOVIES

William Landay's third novel, Defending Jacob, has been optioned by Warner Brothers, after its debut on the bestsellers list this year. The book centers on Massachusetts assistant district attorney Andy Barber, whose teenage son is accused of murder.

Warner Bros. is planning a film based on Mandrake The Magician, created in 1934 by Lee Falk. The classic graphic novel series follows the adventures of an illusionist with the power to hypnotize his foes, who's assisted by an African strongman and opposed by a twin brother using his own powers for evil. Warner wants to give the character a 21st century makeover in the the same way it did for Sherlock Holmes

Producer McG is rumored to be turning to Jonathan Levine to direct Dead Spy Running, based on the novel by British author Jon Stock. The project  is described as a mix between The Bourne Identity and the works of John Le Carré. It's the first book in Stock's planned triology, and no doubt the studio hopes to make the movie a potential franchise, as well.

The cast of the thriller Blood Ties is growing, adding Clive Owen, Mila Kunis and Marion Cotillard to the already-signed Zoe Saldana, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard and James Caan. The film is an adaptation of the French novel Les liens du sang and centers on a younger brother (Crudup), who asks his ex-con older brother (Owen) to return to the world of underground crime to protect their family.

Hugh Jackman will star in Alcon Entertainment's thriller Prisoners, directed by Denis Villeneuve. Jackman will play a small-town carpenter who races to find his young daughter and her best friend after they're kidnapped, running up against the big city detective assigned to the case.

Halle Berry will headline The Hive, to be directed by Brad Anderson, with filming starting this summer. Berry will play a 911 emergency operator who must face her own fears to save a teenage girl from a disturbed killer.

TV

Author Gregg Hurwitz is teaming up with Shawn Ryan of Sony Pictures TV to develop a series for TNT based on Hurwitz's novels  (The Kill Clause, The Program, Troubleshooter and Last Shot) feauturing deputy U.S. marshal Tim Rackley. 

The upcoming eighth "Jesse Stone" movie, based on a character created by Robert B. Parker, is scheduled for broadcast on May 20th. Titular star Tom Selleck says it may be the last Stone movie on CBS, although the actor hinted the franchise might find another network. (Hat tip to Omnimystery News.)

NBC renewed its freshman supernatural police procedural series Grimm, starring David Giuntoli and Silas Weir Mitchell.

CBS has renewed several crime dramas, and fans can start breathing easier. They include Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, CSI, Hawaii Five-0, The Mentalist, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and Person of Interest. Both CSI: New York and CSI: Miami are on the bubble, so there's no word on their renewal—or lack thereof—just yet. (Hat tip to Omnimystery News.)

Tate Donovan (Damages) has been added to the cast of the NBC drama pilot Notorious, which follows a female detective raised by a wealthy heiress. When the heiress is murdered, the detective goes undercover to investigate

Simon Pegg is in talks to guest star in the pilot L.A. Noir based on the book by John Buntin, which follows an ex-Marine turned police officer (Jon Bernthal) who ends up in a battle between his corrupt police captain (Neil McDonough) and a a mob leader.

John C McGinley is joining Burn Notice in a recurring role, playing an old CIA mentor of Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan).

Keri Russell (Felicity) and Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters) will star in a pilot for FX titled The Americans that follows the arranged marriage of two KGB spies living in the US and running a network of spies during the Cold War.

PODCASTS/RADIO

Coming up March 22 on Crime Beat Radio, journalist David J. Krajicek will discuss his book Gotti and Me: A Crime Reporter's Close Encounters with the New York Mafia. Also, there is a command appearance by Deidre Capone grand niece of famous gangster Al Capone and author of the best-selling Uncle Al Capone: The Untold Story from Inside his Family. Check out the podcast archives, too; last week, crime writer Anthony Bruno discussed his book, Ice Man, the story of mafia hit man Richard Kuklinsky, set to be made into a movie.

THEATER

The 2012 Olivier Award nominations for the finest in British Theatre were announced. Among the honorees are Danny Boyle's production of Frankenstein, with a joint nod for Benedict Cumberbatch (star of the BBC's Sherlock series) and Jonny Lee Miller, who nightly alternated the roles of the creature
and creator.