THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES
MGM has acquired the rights to director Ridley Scott’s drama, Gucci, based on the non-fiction book by Sara Gay Forden called The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed. Lady Gaga is in negotiations to star as Patrizia Reggiani, who was convicted with ordering the killing of her husband, Maurizio Gucci, the grandson to Gucci founder and fashion magnate Guccio Gucci. The public trial led to her being called the "Black Widow" in the media, and she served 18 years in prison in connection to the murder.
Matt Orton (Operation Finale) has been tapped to adapt the screenplay for Universal Pictures’s remake of The Night of the Hunter, based on the novel by Davis Grubb. The 1955 film directed by actor Charles Laughton (and the only film he ever directed), starred Robert Mitchum as a sublimely sinister traveling preacher turned serial killer named Harry Powell, who had tattooed knuckles and nefarious motives for marrying a fragile widow played by Shelley Winters.
Saban Films has acquired the rights to the crime-thriller Most Wanted, which stars Antoine Olivier Pilon, Jim Gaffigan, and Josh Hartnett. Most Wanted follows an investigative journalist (Hartnett) as he unravels a twisted case of entrapment in which Daniel (Pilon) is forced into a dangerous drug deal and is sentenced to 100 years in a Thai prison. As he endures torture and abuse, the journalist has to track down the shady cops and fight for Daniel’s freedom.
IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to The Rental, the thriller that marks the directorial debut of Dave Franco. The film stars Alison Brie, Dan Stevens, Jeremy Allen White, and Sheila Vand as two couples who embark on a weekend getaway to a seemingly perfect house they’ve booked online. What begins as a celebratory weekend for the quartet turns into something far more sinister, as secrets they’ve kept from each other are exposed. It also becomes clear they may not be alone in the house.
Rob Lowe is in very preliminary discussions with producer Ryan Murphy for a film about Joe Exotic, the central character from Netflix’s hugely popular docuseries, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. The project is based on the true story of Joe Maldonado-Passage, currently serving 22 years in prison after he was sentenced on multiple charges, including a murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin, the operator of Big Cat Rescue.
Universal is moving its Bob Odenkirk and Connie Nielsen action-thriller Nobody from August 14 of this year to Feb. 26, 2021. Nobody, directed by Ilya Naishuller and written by Derek Kolstad, follows a bystander who intervenes to help a woman being harassed by a group of men and then becomes the target of a vengeful drug lord.
The trailer was released for the upcoming WWII-set action-drama, The Spy, to be released on digital in June. Set in 1941 Stockholm, the story follows an actress who has been enlisted by the Swedish security service and tasked with the mission of infiltrating the Nazis in Oslo. But when she starts falling for a German officer she has been ordered to seduce, the murky field of love, double crossing and espionage becomes fatal.
TELEVISION/STREAMING SERVICES
Starz has given the green light to a new series from Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Randy Huggins. Titled Black Mafia Family, the project is inspired by the true story of two brothers who rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980s and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in this country.
Father-son duo, Craig T. Nelson and Noah Nelson, have partnered with Landmark Studio Group to develop the spy thriller, The Operative, loosely based on Harvey Gomberg’s book, Code Name Stinger. Noah Nelson, who has written on shows including Hawaii Five-0 and Secrets and Lies, has created the drama to be headlined by his father (star of Coach and Parenthood). The ten-part series follows retired intelligence operative John Straw, mysteriously forced to end his career following the Cold War, who re-emerges to warn of an upcoming attack on American soil.
Sundance Now has picked up the U.S. rights to the Australian drama, Bad Mothers, starring Treadstone’s Tess Haubrich. On May 7, the streaming service will launch the eight-part drama which explores the underbelly of modern motherhood through the prism of four very different women as they juggle life’s big issues: love, family, careers, infidelity and murder.
MGM-owned broadcaster Epix has ordered the six-part documentary series, Helter Skelter, a comprehensive re-telling of the story of how Manson and his cult terrorized California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It will chronicle the Manson Family history, featuring never-before-accessed interviews from former family members and journalists, archival footage, and newly-unearthed images.
Daredevil alumna Elodie Yung has joined the cast of Fox’s drama pilot, The Cleaning Lady, an adaptation of the Argentinean series of the same name. Yung will play the title character, Reyna Salona, and takes over for Shannyn Sossamon who was originally cast in the pilot earlier this year. The series is described as "a darkly aspirational character drama about a whip-smart doctor who comes to the U.S. for a medical treatment to save her ailing son. But when the system fails and pushes her into hiding, she refuses to be beaten down and marginalized. Instead, she becomes a cleaning lady for the mob and starts playing the game by her own rules."
Netflix dropped the trailer Tuesday for the new action-thriller, Extraction. Chris Hemsworth stars as a black market mercenary who takes a job to rescue a drug kingpin’s teenage son from a warring gang, only to get stuck in the crossfire and constantly on the run with the kid when the city goes on lockdown.
PODCASTS/VIDEO/RADIO
Authors on the Air featured authors Tim Maleeny (Cape Weathers Mystery series) and J.T. Ellison (Lieutenant Taylor Jackson series) in conversation.
Two Crime Writers and a Microphone welcomed Ian Rankin to talk about lockdowns, moving to a smaller apartment just before it hit, how Rebus would deal with not being able to leave the house, reveals a secret about his upcoming novel, and much more.
Writer Types guest co-host Laura McHugh joined Eric Beetner to talk with authors Peter Swanson (Eight Perfect Murders) and Maxine Mei-Fung Chung (The Eighth Girl).
Read or Dead hosts, Katie McClean Horner and Rincey Abraham, talked about some changing release dates, Tiger King, and the books they turn to when they need some comfort.
The special guest on Speaking of Mysteries was Cara Black to discuss Three Hours in Paris, her first stand-alone thriller
Suspense Radio's Beyond the Cover chatted with Allison Brennan about her Lucy Kincaid series and her latest book, The Third To Die.
Author Lee Goldberg joined Meet the Thriller Author to chat about his latest release, Fake Truth (the third book in his Ian Ludlow series).
Dr. DP Lyle's Criminal Mischief podcast tackled the topic of identifying corpses, especially in remote or odd areas.
Listening to the Dead host Lynda La Plante discussed fiber analysis, one of the most important resources in forensic science.
Writer's Detective Bureau host, veteran Police Detective Adam Richardson, discussed COVID-19 philanthropy, the 50th anniversary of the Newhall Incident, reasons for undercover investigations, and whether homicide by a third party can be justifiable.
Wrong Place, Write Crime spoke with Hilary Davidson about her time as a travel writer, her short stories, and her new novel, Don't Look Down; Lance Wright also had some Down & Out release news, and there were book recommendations from Holly West, Warren Moore, JJ Hensley, and Sam Wiebe.
It Was a Dark & Stormy Book Club chatted with the husband-and-wife writing duo, Tara Laskowski and Art Taylor.
The second installment of the new Tartan Noir podcast welcomed award winning Scottish author and academic Liam McIlvanney
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