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

Amazon MGM Studios and Safehouse Pictures are developing a film adaptation of Lincoln Child's series of novels featuring Jeremy Logan. The film will center on Logan, who is a self-proclaimed "enigmatologist," an investigator who works to debunk the paranormal and unexplained using modern science. The Jeremy Logan books include Child’s novels Deep Storm, Terminal Freeze, The Third Gate, The Forgotten Room, Full Wolf Moon, and Chrysalis. Jeremy Lott and Cory Goodman (the duo who are also adapting the comic series Proof for Fox) are writing the script.

Academy Award Winner Al Pacino is set to join the upcoming hostage thriller, Dead Man’s Wire, to be directed by Academy Award nominee Gus Van Sant. He joins previously announced Bill Skarsgard, Dacre Montgomery, Myha’la, Cary Elwes, and Colman Domingo. The project centers on Anthony G. "Tony" Kiritsis, 44, who enters the office of Richard O. Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and takes him hostage with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun rigged with a "dead man’s wire" from the trigger to Tony’s own neck. It's based on a the true story of the stand-off that took the world by storm as Tony demanded $5 million, no charges or prosecution, and a personal apology from the Halls for cheating him out of what he was "owed." 

TELEVISION/STREAMING

AMC has renwed Dark Winds for a fourth season. The series, which is based on Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee books, follows Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) of the Navajo Tribal Police solving mysteries on their reservation as it is besieged by increasingly violent crimes in the 1970s. The third season, which premieres on March 9, picks up six months after the events of Season 2 and follows Leaphorn and Chee as they investigate the disappearance of two boys, with only an abandoned bicycle and blood-stained patch of ground left in their wake. Meanwhile, Manuelito attempts to settle into her new life 500 miles from home with the Border Patrol, but stumbles across a conspiracy involving human and drug smuggling with far-reaching implications.

The Reacher spinoff series centered on Frances Neagley at Amazon Prime Video has added five series regulars. Now officially titled Neagley, the series will star Greyston Holt (The Night Agent) as Detective Hudson Riley; Jasper Jones (King Ivory) as Keno; Adeline Rudolph (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Renee; Matthew Del Negro (Mayor of Kingstown) as Pierce Woodrow; and Damon Herriman (Justified) as Lawrence Cole. The five new additions join previously announced series lead Maria Sten, who will reprise the role of Neagley from Reacher, who is a private investigator in Chicago. When she learns a beloved friend from her past has been killed in a suspicious accident, she becomes hell-bent on justice. Using everything she’s learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.

Apple TV+ has picked up Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, a 10-episode series starring Emmy Award winner Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black). The half-hour darkly comedic thriller, written and executive produced by creator and showrunner David J. Rosen (Citadel), follows a newly divorced mom (Maslany) who falls down a dangerous rabbit hole of blackmail, murder, and youth soccer. Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed will be directed and co-executive produced by David Gordon Green (Nutcrackers).

PODCASTS/RADIO

On the Culture Point podcast, author and screenwriter Walter Mosley joined Aaron Philip Clark to discuss his recent book, Been Wrong So Long it Feels Like Right, the third novel in the King Oliver series. The pair also talked about the array of characters that populate Mosley's fiction, such as Easy Rawlins and Mouse, explored what makes Joe Oliver a hero, and learned about Mosley's upcoming projects.

Meet the Thriller Author celebrated ten years of the podcast with a look back and highlights.

Debbi Mack chatted with Priscilla Paton on the Crime Cafe podcast about her Twin Cities mysteries and the inspiration behind her dual detectives Eric Jansson and Deb Metzger.

On Crime Time FM, Tania Malik chatted with Paul Burke about her novel, just out in the UK, Hope You are Satisfied; Dubai; the immigrant experience; spooks, smugglers and tourists.

Murder Junction hosts Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee spoke with crime writer Nina Badhreshwar about her debut novel, The Day of the Roaring, and discussed some fun facts about Sheffield.

On the Pick Your Poison podcast, Dr. Jen Prosser investigated which toxin causes excruciating pain and death in minutes, which one has been treated with amputation, and when petroleum jelly (brand name Vaseline) is used to treat poisoning.