Media Murder for Monday

MOVIES

Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan has been tapped to play the lead in the psychological thriller The Ninth Life of Louis Drax, adapted from the novel by Liz Jensen.  

Screen Media Films has acquired U.S. rights to writer-director Riley Stearns’ indie thriller Faults, which stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Leland Orser, Beth Grant, Chris Ellis, Jon Gries and Lance Reddick. The story centers on a woman under the grip of a mysterious cult called Faults and the battle of wills between her and the deprogrammer the woman's parents hire to kidnap their daughter.

Millennium Entertainment acquired all domestic rights to the movie adaptation of The World Made Straight based on the thriller novel by Ron Rash.  The project stars Jeremy Irvine, Minka Kelly, Noah Wyle, Adelaide Clemens and Haley Joel Osment in the tale of a rebellious young man (Irving) who struggles to decide between the dark path he is on and the chance at a new life.

A new trailer was released for the adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel Gone Girl, which arrives in theaters on October 3.

Gaumont Film Company and Drafthouse Films released an international teaser for Cédric Jimenez’s 1975-set crime thriller The Connection, starring The Artist Oscar winner Jean Dujardin and based on real-life events.

A poster was released for the comic noir caper Kill Me Three Times, which premieres in Toronto September 6th. The ensemble cast is headed by Simon Pegg who plays a "beleaguered, kvetching assassin."

TELEVISION

Crime dramas scored well at last week's Emmy Awards: the departing series Breaking Bad won several awards, including Best Drama Series, Best Actor, and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series; Sherlock: His Last Vow brought home awards for Benedict Cumberbatch (actor, miniseries or movie), Martin Freeman (supporting actor, miniseries or movie), Stephen Moffat (writing, miniseries, movie or dramatic special), and cinematography. True Detective also won a Best Director nod for Cary Joji Fukunaga, and Fargo was awarded for Best Direction in a Miniseries (Colin Bucksey).

After three seasons, A&E canceled Longmire, the series based on the novels of Craig Johnson, but the producers of the show will shop it around in hopes of landing a new network home.

Fox is developing the crime drama Jack Irish, an adaptation of the 2012 Australian mini-series starring Guy Pearce, which in turn was based on the detective novels by Peter Temple. The new adaptation once again centers on Jack Irish, a part-time lawyer, debt collector, and apprentice cabinet maker, who is getting his life back together after the murder of his wife.

HBO and Paramount Television are developing the TV drama Ashecliffe, a origin tale based on Martin Scorsese’s crime thriller Shutter Island, which was in turn an adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name.

The Iain Banks novel Stonemouth is being developed as a two-part drama by BBC Scotland and Slate North, the first TV adaptation of Banks's work since his death in 2013. The project will be adapted by David Kane (Prime Suspect) and directed by Charles Martin (Wallander) and start filming on location in Scotland this October.

The BBC optioned author Peter May's Lewis crime fiction Lewis Trilogy, set in the Outer Hebrides, with plans to create three separate two-hour TV movies, beginning with The Blackhouse.

Author Ed Gorman reported that his novella Moonchasers will be optioned for a feature film—for the ninth time. Ed and his fans hope the ninth time is the charm.

The NBC series The Blacklist, which stars James Spader, has been acquired by Netflix syndication for $2 million per episode.

PODCASTS/VIDEO/RADIO

NPR's summer "Crime in the City" series continues with a profile of Selcuk Altun and her mysteries set in Istanbul amid the monuments and history of Byzantium.

Authors Stephen Maitland, Jeff Ayers, and D.P. Lyle were featured on the recent Suspense Radio podcast.

THEATER

The Vineyard Theater in New York City will stage a production of Billy & Ray this fall. The play follows the antagonistic relationship between Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler during the creation of the 1944 film Double Indemnity.