THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES
Benedict Cumberbatch has confirmed he remains committed to adapting Rogue Male, the classic British novel he says inspired Ian Fleming to write James Bond. Cumberbatch and his production company, SunnyMarch, announced in 2016 they planned to adapt Geoffrey Household’s book, but the feature film has yet to get off the ground. Speaking on the SmartLess podcast, Cumberbatch said he hoped to slate the shoot for 2026. Published in 1939, Rogue Male follows an unnamed English sportsman who attempts to assassinate a European dictator, strongly implied to be Adolf Hitler. He is caught, tortured, and left for dead, but escapes back to England, where he hides out in the countryside with enemy agents and police in pursuit.
TELEVISION/STREAMING
Jay Ellis (Running Point, All Her Fault) is set to headline The Rookie: North, Alexi Hawley’s anticipated spinoff from his long-running ABC drama, The Rookie. Unlike the first Rookie spinoff, The Rookie: Feds, which starred Niecy Nash as the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy, The Rookie: North follows closely the premise of the mothership series starring Nathan Fillion, centering on a middle-aged guy who becomes the oldest rookie cop, while transplanting the setting from urban Los Angeles to rural Washington state. Alex Holland (Ellis) believed his mid-life wasn’t worthy of a crisis. But after a violent home invasion ignites a dormant purpose, Alex battles a lifetime of failed commitments by joining the Pierce County Police Department as its oldest rookie. Policing from the urban coast to the rural forest where backup isn’t five minutes away, Alex must prove to his skeptical training officer, his fellow rookies, and himself, that he’s finally found something worthy of the fight.
FX has given a series order to Far Cry, based on the popular video game franchise. The limited anthology series hails from Noah Hawley (Fargo, Alien: Earth) and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator Rob Mac, with Mac set to star. The series will stream on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally. Like Fargo, each season will retain Far Cry‘s signature standalone storytelling format, according to producers, with each season set in a new setting following a new cast of characters. Far Cry is a long-running first-person shooter franchise published by Ubisoft, which has generally been praised for its gameplay and memorable villains.
In more gaming adaptation news, Toby Wallace (Euphoria, Bikeriders) has become the first actor officially set as a series regular in Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed live-action series, based on Ubisoft’s best-selling video game franchise. Wallace is said to be playing the co-lead in Assassin’s Creed, a high-octane thriller centered on the secret war between two shadowy factions — one set on determining mankind’s future through control and manipulation, while the other fights to preserve free will. The series follows its characters, said to be different from the games, across pivotal historical events as they battle to shape humanity’s destiny.
If you're wondering when your favorite shows are returning to mid-season schedules in the U.S, Deadline has a handy list of 2026 premiere dates for new and returning series on broadcast, cable, and streaming.
PODCASTS/RADIO/AUDIO
T. Jefferson Parker was in conversation with Barbara Peters on the Poisoned Pen podcast, discussing his new thriller, Wild Instinct, featuring former Marine sniper Lew Gale, now a detective with the Orange County California Sheriff’s Department.
Get to Know podcast host, Tracey Devlyn, sat down with bestselling authors Simon Gervais and Ryan Steck to talk about The Second Song, their new high-octane espionage thriller.
Debbi Mack's latest guest interview on the Crime Cafe podcast was semi-retired attorney and crime writer, James Polkinghorn.
On Meet the Thriller Author, Alan Petersen had the pleasure of speaking with Brian Andrews—one half of the powerhouse writing duo Andrews & Wilson—about their newest thriller, Tom Clancy: Executive Power. This marks the 26th novel in the Jack Ryan saga and the third time Andrews & Wilson have carried forward the legacy of one of the most iconic names in the thriller world.
On Crime Time FM, AA Dhand (Harry Virdee) and Alex Dahl (Playdate/Stolen Girl) discussed what it's like seeing your novel come to life on the screen, and tips for wannabe script writers.
On the Pick Your Poison podcast, Dr. Jen Prosser looked at which ingredient in beer other than alcohol causes disease in humans; what might be defense attorneys' favorite medical diagnosis; and why everyone has a positive blood alcohol level, even if they don’t drink a drop.
