Media Murder for Monday

It's the start of a new week and that means it's time for a brand-new roundup of crime drama news:

THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES

Emile Hirsch has signed on to star in the crime thriller, Gemini Lounge, the first feature from Rush Hour producer Arthur Sarkissian’s new media and entertainment company, Global Ascension Studios. In the film, directed by Danny A. Abeckaser (Mob Town), demoted detective Bobby Belucci (Hirsch) is given the opportunity to go undercover and take down the mob’s most ruthless killer, but his life and only chance at redemption spiral out of control as he loses himself in the role.

A trailer was released for All the Old Knives starring Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton. Directed by Janus Metz and based on the book by Olen Steinhauer (who also penned the script), All the Old Knives follows veteran operative Henry Pelham (Pine) who tries to find out which CIA agent from his former station in Vienna leaked information that led to a tragic plane hijacking. As he travels from Austria to England to California, he is forced to reunite with his former colleague and lover Celia Harrison (Newton) to figure out if she's innocent or guilty. The film, which also stars Laurence Fishburne and Jonathan Pryce, premieres in select theaters and on Prime Video on April 8.

Sony Pictures has released the official trailer for Bullet Train, a new action thriller directed by Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2 filmmaker David Leitch. Based on the novel, Maria Beetle, by Kotaro Isaka, Bullet Train stars Brad Pitt as Ladybug, an experienced assassin who boards a bullet train and encounters several other professional killers: Prince (Joey King), Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Hornet (Zazie Beetz). Also on the train is Kimura (Andrew Koji), a father seeking revenge after Prince put his son in a coma. The killers soon realize that their various targets are all interrelated, and their assignments quickly spiral out of control.

TELEVISION/STREAMING SERVICES

Rufus Sewell and Ali Ahn are set as leads opposite Keri Russell in The Diplomat, a political thriller drama created by Debora Cahn (Homeland; The West Wing). Additionally, Simon Cellan Jones (Arthur the King; Years and Years) will direct and executive produce the first two episodes of the series. In The Diplomat, during an international crisis, career diplomat Kate Wyler (Russell) lands in a high-profile job she’s unsuited for, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future. Sewell will play Hal Wyler and Ahn will portray Eidra Graham.

Shameless alumna, Shanola Hampton, has been tapped as the lead of the NBC pilot, Found. In any given year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the U.S. More than half that number are people of color that the country seems to forget about. In Found, public relations specialist Gabi Mosley (Hampton) — who was once herself one of those forgotten ones — and her crisis management team make sure there is always someone looking out for the forgotten missing people. But unbeknownst to anyone, this everyday hero is hiding a chilling secret of her own.

Milo Ventimiglia is to star in and exec produce The Company You Keep, a con-artist drama that has landed a pilot order at ABC. The project follows con man Charlie and undercover CIA officer, Emma. A night of passion leads to love between the pair, who are unknowingly on a collision course professionally. While Charlie ramps up the "family business" so he can get out for good, Emma’s closing in on the vengeful criminal who holds Charlie’s family debts — forcing them to reckon with the lies they’ve told so they can save themselves and their families from disastrous consequences.

William Jackson Harper and Cristin Milioti have been tapped to star in Peacock’s The Resort, a true-crime love story from Palm Springs writer Andy Siara, Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail, and UCP. Also added to the ensemble cast are Skyler Gisondo, Ben Sinclair, and Parvesh Cheena. The Resort is a multi-generational, coming-of-age love story disguised as a fast-paced mystery about the disappointment of time. An anniversary trip puts a marriage to the test when the couple (Harper and Milioti) finds themselves embroiled in one of the Mayan Riviera’s most bizarre unsolved mysteries that took place fifteen years prior.

Oscar and Emmy winner Barry Levinson has been tapped to direct David E. Kelley’s The Missing, Peacock’s eight-episode series based on Israeli crime writer Dror A. Mishani’s international bestselling novel, The Missing File. Levinson will direct multiple episodes, including the first. Written by Kelley, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer, The Missing tells the story of Detective Avraham (Jeff Wilbusch), whose belief in mankind is his superpower when it comes to uncovering the truth. Guided by a deep sense of spirituality and religious principles, Avraham is left to question his own humanity when a seemingly routine investigation turns upside down.

Dean Georgaris’s agent drama, Blank Slate, has found its pilot director, Richard Shepard. Shepard has directed pilots for series including Ugly Betty and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and will helm and exec produce the pilot episode of the NBC project. Written by The Brave creator Georgaris, Blank Slate is a "high-concept procedural about a government agent who may not be what he seems."

Gary Oldman is a cranky MI5 agent saddled with "absolute losers" in the first trailer for the spy series, Slow Horses, which Apple TV+ released last week. The six-episode series is based on Mick Herron’s first novel in the "Slow Horses" series, with the first two episodes debuting globally on April 1, followed by one episode every Friday.

PODCASTS/VIDEO/RADIO/AUDIO

The latest episodes of Mysterious Journey, a podcast of short radio plays produced by the Artists' Ensemble Theater, Illinois, include productions of work by Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, and Jacques Futrelle. (HT to The Bunburyist blog.)

It Was a Dark and Stormy Book Club welcomed Meredith Jaeger to chat about her 1920s-set crime novel, The Pilot's Daughter.

The latest episode of the Crime Cafe podcast featured Debbi Mack's interview with crime writer Emilya Nawmark.

The Spybrary podcast featured Spywrite's Jeff Quest speaking with author Alma Katsu, formerly with the NSA and CIA. Katsu’s latest book, Red Widow, follows a CIA mole hunt and has been optioned for television.

My Favorite Detective Stories spoke with Karen Odden who's won awards for her historical mysteries and historical fiction. Her fourth mystery is Down a Dark River.

On Wrong Place, Write Crime, Dan Bronson told stories from his long career in the film industry and talked about his novel, Someone to Watch Over Me.

On Crime Time FM, Charlie Higson chatted with Paul Burke about his new adult novel, Whatever Gets You Through the Night; character; Pantocrator; comedy as the spice of life; and shaking up the Tupperware box.

On the latest Red Hot Chili Writers, Anna Mazzola discussed her new novel, The Clockwork Girl, set in 18th century Paris, and hosts Vas and Abir got serious about the war in Ukraine.

The Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine podcast featured William Burton McCormick, who read his story "Pompo's Disguise," set in ancient Rome.

THEATRE

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time returns to Dublin's Bord Gais Energy Theatre, with a run from April 26-30. Based on Mark Haddon's best-selling novel, the story centers on fifteen-year-old Christopher who has an extraordinary brain. He is exceptional at maths, while everyday life presents some barriers. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched, and he distrusts strangers. When he falls under suspicion for killing his neighbor’s dog, it takes him on a journey that upturns his world.