Media Murder for Monday

Here's some of the latest crime drama news from stage and screen:

MOVIES

Michael Fassbender is in talks to star as maverick Norwegian cop Harry Hole in the adaptation of Jo Nesbø's thriller The Snowman. The story centers on Hole's investigation of what appears to be Norway’s first serial killer, a murderer who always leaves a snowman near the scene of his crime. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’s Tomas Alfredson was already announced as the director, and Martin Scorsese will serve as executive producer.

Jennifer Lawrence may be reuniting with Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence for 20th Century Fox’s spy thriller Red Sparrow, based on the novel by Jason Matthews. The story centers around a Russian spy and a CIA agent assigned to compromise the other, only to fall into a duel of wills, skills, and forbidden romance. Lawrence would take on the role of the Russian spy, Dominika Egorova, a role for which Rooney Mara was once being considered.

Bruce Willis, Christopher Meloni and Dave Bautista are set to star in Marauders, a Steven C. Miller-directed action thriller centered around an FBI agent who is on the trail of bank robbers who give the stolen loot to charity.

The thriller Hounds of Love is set to start shooting in Western Australia early next year. The project is from writer/director Ben Young and producer Melissa Kelly and is drawn from a real-life case about a teenager's psychological battle to win her freedom after being abducted by a serial killer couple.

The first on-set photo was released from the new untitled Bourne 5 movie that will see the return of Matt Damon returning to the titular role.

If you're a fan of films featuring courtroom theatrics and themes, check out Sergio Angelini's pick of his "Top 25 Courtroom Movies."

The Taste of Cinema blog also chose a list of the "10 Best Movies Written by, Adapted From, or Inspired by Raymond Chandler."

TELEVISION

BBC Two has optioned British author China Miéville‘s fantasy thriller novel, The City & the City, to be developed into a four-part series adapted by screenwriter Tony Grisoni. The story follows Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad in the European city-state of Beszel as he investigates a politically-charged murder.

Hank Azaria has been cast in a lead role opposite Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Alessandro Nivola in the Barry Levinson-directed Wizard Of Lies, the HBO movie about jailed financier Bernie Madoff. Azaria will play Frank Dipascali, Madoff’s right-hand man in the Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of billions.

Former 24 star Dennis Haysbert has joined the six-part BBC One political thriller Undercover, currently filming in Louisiana and the UK. Haysbert plays a man who has been on death row for 20 years, falsely imprisoned for murder

NCIS: New Orleans is recruiting Sniper star Chad Michael Collins for a recurring role on the procedural’s second season, playing a Navy fighter pilot.

Glee’s Jacob Artist has joined ABC’s new series Quantico, which premieres September 27, with a multi-episode arc playing an FBI trainee.

The Blacklist's executive producer John Eisendrath revealed that the show has plans to serialize the story a little more than usual when it returns for Season 3.

Rowan Atkinson has begun filming the ITV adaptation of Georges Simenon's novels featuring French fictional detective Jules Maigret. Titled Maigret Sets A Trap, the drama is one of two standalone movies featuring the iconic literary detective.

PODCASTS/RADIO/VIDEO

Crime writer Mark Billingham and author Michael Carlson are to host a new podcast series for Sphere titled the Crime Vault Live podcast. The first program included a round up and discussion of the summer's crime literature festivals, an interview with Martyn Waites, reviews of new releases, and a round up of recent crime fiction in TV and film.

Hallie Ephron was Nancie Clare’s latest guest on the podcast Speaking of Mysteries, stopping by to chat about her new book Night Night, Sleep Tight.

Crime and Science Radio returned from its August hiatus with an interview of Jan Burke by Hank Phillippi Ryan.

THEATER

The Melbourne Theatre company announced the schedule for the upcoming 2015-2016 season, including a new adaptation by Tom Holloway Of Hitchcock's 1944 noir film Double Indemnity. Holloway plans on incorporating some of the movie script by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, but will also reach back to James M Cain's original novel for inspiration.