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Prime Video's latest mystery series, The Edge of Sleep, is a Lovecraftian mixture of classic horror premises related to nightmares. Originally released as a podcast and novel under the same name, the streaming service expertly adapts the story of Dave (played by YouTuber and independent filmmaker Markiplier), an overnight security guard troubled with bad dreams and sleepless nights. One morning after his shift, Dave and his co-worker Matteo (Franz Drameh) discover that everyone who went to sleep the night before has inexplicably died.

Through partial flashbacks, surreal dream sequences, and iconographic symbols, the series keeps viewers hooked as they figure out what is going on alongside its clueless cast. By employing several plotlines of horror stories past dreams that kill, astral projection, an eerily-clad cult, sleep-deprivation hallucinations, and a shapeshifting villain audiences bounce between their familiar patterns, unable to confidently guess its resolution. Maintaining that uncertainty in its final episode,...

In 2019, The Edge of Sleep, the latest offering from Mark Fischbach, known to his 37 million YouTube subscribers as Markiplier, was pitched to every major platform in Hollywood.

By then, Edge of Sleep was already a popular podcast. In fact, it quickly became the biggest genre narrative podcast of all time, with some 6 million downloads and counting. And for the television adaptation, Markiplier would be reprising his role as a night watchman who attempts to survive a mysterious global crisis where anyone who goes to sleep dies. The podcast’s creators, Jake Emanuel and Willie Block, were on board to write and run the TV version, and Longlegs producer Brian Kavanaugh Jones was attached to produce. There would be six episodes, made on a relative shoestring budget, served up to a rapt audience that Markiplier has cultivated for more than a decade with a channel primarily focused on Let’s Play videos.

Despite having its roots in the individual worldview, experiences, and memories, dreams tend to be the common gateway to the world of the unknown at the same time. Building its fascinating realms upon repressed trauma, desires, emotions, and dark recesses of the human psyche—it almost seems there’s a separate dimension where dreams and nightmares reign supreme. With the intention to find a cosmic connection to the world of dreaming, Jake Emanuel and Willie Block had created the thriller podcast series The Edge of Sleep, with Youtuber Markiplier playing the lead. The podcast gained immense popularity in no time, resulting in multiple adaptations in the form of novels and a recently released six-episode miniseries, which is streaming on Amazon Prime.

As a thriller series that combines psychological intrigue and metaphysical dread, The Edge of Sleep fares brilliantly, drawing upon several elements from world mythology and iconographies to provide a...

Your browser does not support the video tag. Nina Dobrev raved about working with Lil Rel Howery on the new ensemble murder mystery comedy, Reunion. Dobrev detailed the importance of hanging out with Howery while filming to create a more natural relationship, and praised Rel Howery's comedic timing and commitment. Dobrev highlights the strong chemistry between Howery and Magnussen, praising their dynamic on and off set.

If youre going to be in an ensemble comedy about a gaggle of old school friends at a reunion that turns into a murder mystery whodunit, you better take time to bond before diving deep into production. The Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev loved doing that for her recent comedy, Reunion, directed by Chris Nelson. The engaging romp stars Lil Rel Howery (Get Out), Billy Magnussen (Road House), Jillian Bell (The Drop), Chace Crawford (The Boys), and others.

We actually had a couple of outside-of-work bonding hangs,...

Your browser does not support the video tag. Screen Rant presents the first trailer and official poster for the upcoming murder mystery comedy Reunion. The Reunion tells the story of a murder at a high school reunion that also sees attendees snowed in at a mansion. Reunion may fill the void left by The Afterparty's cancellation, with classic murder mystery tropes and archetypal characters.

Reunion is a new murder mystery comedy from Republic Pictures, and Screen Rant has a first look at the movies trailer and official poster. The movie was directed by Chris Nelson, whose past work includes The Perfect Date and multiple episodes of the show My Dead Ex. Reunion was written by Willie Block and Jake Emanuel, both of whom have written on The Edge of Sleep television series and The Callisto Protocol: Helix Station podcast.

Screen Rant is excited to debut the trailer for Reunion, which...

Exclusive: Markiplier, otherwise known as Mark Fischbach, the creator who has over 60M followers across social media, has signed with UTA.

The agency has signed Markiplier and his newly formed global content company in all areas.

It will help him build his business across publishing, film, television, brand partnerships, digital and audio, identify new IP for film and TV, launch products and partner with emerging and established voices.

He was previously repped by WME.

The move comes as Markiplier and UTA prepare to take out a fully shot television series, based on his The Edge of Sleep podcast.

As Deadline revealed in 20201, Markiplier signed up to star in and exec produce a TV series based on his QCode podcast, created by Reunion writers Jake Emanuel and Willie Block. Analeight Tipton and Eve Harlow also star.

The thriller, which follows a night watchman who finishes his shift at work to discover...

If Striking Distance Studios’ “Mastering Horror” docuseries wasn’t enough to tide you over until the release of The Callisto Protocol, then how about a horror podcast prequel? That’s exactly what you’re getting with Helix Station, a six-part series starring Gwendoline Christie, Kevin Durand and Michael Ironside. The first two episodes are out now.

Showrun and directed by Willie Block and Jake Emanuel, Helix Station takes place in the year 2320 (the same year as The Callisto Protocol), and centres around two skip tracers, Percy (Christie) and Kane (Ironside), as hunt down bounties. The pair eventually find their ship commandeered by Black Iron Prison officer Metzger (Kevin Durand), and soon find themselves in a once-in-a-lifetime job on Helix Station, hunting down a dangerous escaped criminal. Of course, the duo eventually learn that the derelict metropolis holds dark secrets about the true nature of the United Jupiter Company.

“We’ve...

Striking Distance Studios, a Krafton, Inc. studio, today announced the launch of Helix Station a six-part sci-fi horror podcast prequel to the highly anticipated video game “The Callisto Protocol.” The podcast, starring Emmy-nominated actress Gwendoline Christie, takes fans deep into the world of Black Iron Prison and The United Jupiter Company before the game releases worldwide for PC and Consoles on December 2, 2022. The first two episodes of “Helix Station” are available now, with new episodes launching weekly in November wherever podcasts are available.

“‘Helix Station’ is a dark, thrilling piece of science fiction horror,” Gwendoline Christie said. “It was amazing to work with the team at Striking Distance Studios to bring the character Percy to life and lay the narrative foundation for ‘The Callisto Protocol.’”

“Helix Station” follows two of the most feared skip tracers in the Jovian system, Percy (Gwendoline Christie) and Kane (Michael Ironside), as they take on...

Storytellers are constantly looking for new mediums to explore their narratives. While television has become the go-to episode method to bring a tale to an audience, podcasting platforms are providing new and unique opportunities to present concepts, much in the way the radio drama once captivated listeners.

Redditors have taken to the social media page to point out some of the best audio stories, that use all of the techniques available to their advantage. Whether it's the quality of the voice acting, the sound editing that accompanies it, or perhaps even the writing itself, these podcasts could rival beloved TV shows.

The Edge Of Sleep

Redditor FelixD1ed created a thread noting that in regards to podcasts they "don't like ones that are like radio stations I want to be immersed with background sounds and different locations that I can picture in my head." They thus point to The Edge of Sleep...

Exclusive: Mystery podcast series, The Edge of Sleep, starring and produced by Mark Fischbach (aka Markiplier), will return for a second season.

Coming later this year, The Edge Of Sleep season 2 will see Dave Torres living thousands of miles from home as a stranger in a strange land. In the heart of the jungle, he must learn to fight the mysterious nightmare that has ravaged the world.

Created by Jake Emanuel and Willie Block, The Edge Of Sleep stars and is produced by U.S. YouTuber Markiplier. As we previously revealed, QCode and New Regency have partnered to adapt the series for TV. Markiplier is set to star in and executive-produce the TV series with Emanuel and Block serving as writers/showrunners.

Series creators Jake Emanuel and Willie Block wrote the upcoming ensemble comedy film Reunion for Artists Road, starring Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, and Billy Magnussen. They are...

Exclusive: ICM Partners has signed screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel, the pair behind upcoming Lil Rel Howery comedy feature Reunion, for representation in all areas.

The pair wrote and directed QCode Media podcast series The Edge of Sleep and are serving as showrunners on a live-action TV adaptation of the audio project from New Regency.

Block and Emanuel recently set up feature Prowl, a genre-bending home invasion thriller set over the course of one evening, with Flynn Pictures and New Line Cinema.

They also wrote and co-produced Reunion, an ensemble comedy starring Howery, Jillian Bell, Billy Magnussen, Nina Dobrev, Michael Hitchcock and Jamie Chung. The movie is the first greenlit project for Artists Road.

Previously, the pair have written and developed projects for Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Sacha Baron Cohen and Danny McBride and they got their start as staff writers for FX animated series Chozen.

Exclusive: Peter Greene, Joseph D’Onofrio and Myles Clohessy (The Bog) have signed on to star in Cross, an indie drama from director Judy San Roman (The Wrong Path), which will go before cameras in October.

They join an ensemble that includes Christopher Brian Roach, Mario Polit, Andrew Koss, Rayvin Disla and Deanna Mayo.

The film, written by San Roman and Joanne Tamburro (Jesse), centers on a 22-year-old (Disla) who is falsely accused of robbery, watching as his girlfriend (Mayo) makes a deal with criminals to secure the money necessary to bail him out. While the young woman’s overprotective father (Greene) tries to help, both are nonetheless drawn into the underbelly of a local drug ring, intersecting with cops, criminals and scoundrels, who all have their own secret agendas. Ultimately, Disla’s character turns to a boxing match with a grand...

Dianne Doan has joined the cast of “Reunion.”

The film centers on a murder that takes place during a high school reunion party and has already attracted a cast of comedy heavyweights and in-demand actors. Doan will appear alongside Lil Rel Howery, Billy Magnussen, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, Jamie Chung, Michael Hitchcock and Chace Crawford. Chris Nelson (“The Perfect Date”) is directing the film from a screenplay by the “The Edge of Sleep” writing duo, Jake Emanuel and Willie Block.

Doan was part of the main cast of Cinemax’s “Warrior,” playing Mai Ling. She also appeared as Lonnie in the Disney Channel original movies “Descendants” and “Descendants 2.” Other credits include “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Good Trouble” and “Vikings.” It’s unclear what role she will play in “Reunion.”

“Reunion” puts a whodunit spin on the genre of awkward, post-graduation gatherings with former classmates — it unfolds during a snowstorm that...

Nina Dobrev, Jamie Chung, Michael Hitchcock and Chace Crawford will round out the cast of “Reunion,” an ensemble comedy from Artists Road. They join the previously announced Lil Rel Howery, Billy Magnussen and Jillian Bell in the film about a murder that takes place during a high school reunion party. The story puts a whodunit spin on the genre of awkward, post-graduation gatherings with former classmates — it unfolds during a snowstorm that leaves guests trapped in an isolated mansion. Production begins this week in Los Angles.

Chris Nelson (“The Perfect Date”) is directing the film from a screenplay by the “The Edge of Sleep” writing duo, Jake Emanuel and Willie Block. Producing are Artists Road’s principals, Todd Garner, Ben Silverman, Peter Principato and Mark Korshak as well as Mickey Schiff and Lil Rel Howery. Executive producing are Unique Features’ Bob Shaye alongside Magnussen and Bell.

Peter Oillataguerre, Spyglass’ President of Production,...

Lil Rel Howery, Billy Magnussen and Jillian Bell will star in the ensemble comedy film “Reunion.”

The movie is the first greenlit project for Artists Road, the comedy film joint venture that was formed in October by Spyglass Media Group, Propagate Content, Artists First and Off-Road Productions. The pic puts a darkly humorous spin on the classic whodunnit. It centers on a murder that takes place during a snowstorm at a high school reunion party, which leaves guests trapped in an isolated mansion trying to piece together clues.

Chris Nelson (“The Perfect Date”) is directing the movie from a screenplay by the “The Edge of Sleep” writing duo, Jake Emanuel and Willie Block.

Howery and Bell previously appeared together in “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” the acclaimed 2019 Amazon comedy. Bell’s credits also include “Rough Night,” “Cowboys,” and “Godmothered,” while Howery has appeared in the likes of “Get Out,” “Tag” and the upcoming “Free Guy.

Beau Flynn’s FlynnPictureCo., one of the producers behind Disney’s upcoming Jungle Cruise, is teaming up with New Line for a home invasion thriller.

New Line has picked up Prowl, a pitch from writing duo Jake Emanuel and Willie Block who will now write the script. Flynn will produce the project via his FlynnPictureCo., which has a long-term first-look deal with both New Line and Warner Bros.

Plot details are being kept in the basement but the project is being described as a genre-bending female-driven home invasion thriller set over the course of one evening.

FlynnPictureCo.’s Scott Sheldon will act as executive ...

Beau Flynn’s FlynnPictureCo., one of the producers behind Disney’s upcoming Jungle Cruise, is teaming up with New Line for a home invasion thriller.

New Line has picked up Prowl, a pitch from writing duo Jake Emanuel and Willie Block who will now write the script. Flynn will produce the project via his FlynnPictureCo., which has a long-term first-look deal with both New Line and Warner Bros.

Plot details are being kept in the basement but the project is being described as a genre-bending female-driven home invasion thriller set over the course of one evening.

FlynnPictureCo.’s Scott Sheldon will act as executive ...

Exclusive: Popular YouTuber Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier, is set to star in, and executive produce The Edge of Sleep, a TV series based on his QCode podcast of the same name created by Chozen writers Jake Emanuel and Willie Block.

In addition to Markiplier, who will reprise his role from the original podcast, Analeigh Tipton and Eve Harlow (Next) will also star.

The post-apocalyptic mystery-thriller will follow a night watchman who finishes his shift at work to discover that everyone in the world who went to sleep the previous night has died. He and a band of survivors must stay awake and uncover the secret of the terrifying global epidemic before they too fall asleep.

The Revenant and The Beast Must Die producer New Regency will serve as the studio and independently finance the under-the-radar project. Corey Adams will direct all eps, with filming set to begin next month in Kamloops,...

Qcode Announces Horror Anthology Series, Bad Vibes, Narrated By Justin McElroy Created by The Edge Of Sleep writers Jake Emanuel & Willie Block, the 8-Episode Podcast Series Premieres Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Wherever Podcasts are Available Listen to the Teaser Here (Apple Podcasts) Links to the Trailer Here (Apple Podcasts) and Here (Spotify) …

The post Qcode Announces Horror Anthology Series, Bad Vibes appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

YouTube superstar Mark ‘Markiplier’ Fischbach is lending his dulset tones to a new podcast from audio studio Qcode -- which is perhaps best known for the apocalyptic thriller Blackout, for which Rami Malek serves as producer and star.

The scripted project is titled The Edge Of Sleep. Fischbach will play a night watchman who discovers that everyone who went to sleep the previous night died, per The Hollywood Reporter, and therefore he must stay awake -- alongside a band of fellow survivors -- in order to solve the mystery. The show will bow on Sept. 24.

The Edge Of Sleep hails from a new label within Qcode dubbed Wood Elf, which seeks to match digital creators with original narrative genre podcasts, according to the Reporter. Fischbach also serves as co-producer of Sleep, which was created by Jake Emanuel and Willie Block. Other voice actors who are rounding out the cast include: Cara Santana,...

It is an immediate, knee-jerk response for me to be cynical towards new projects announced by Hollywood these days. But despite my admission that too much negativity is unhealthy (for both fans and the industry), it does allow me to be more surprised and excited when something proves me wrong. And I certainly appreciate when filmmakers call us bloggers out on the cynicism, as did screenwriters Will Block and Jake Emanuel, who are working on that new action/comedy version if The Hunchback of Notre Dame I wrote about last week.

In an interview with an old friend at Moviefone's Inside Movies, while recognizing that it's and honor and a hazing ritual to be made fun of by us, they take Cinematical and others to task by defending their script and the idea behind it, partly by reminding us of great recent reboots (The Dark Knight and Star Trek) and...

Just when you think the shamelessness and the senselessness of Hollywood can’t possibly get any shamelesser or senselesser, Variety is there to correct this misapprehension: Paramount has snagged an untitled action/comedy pitch from the scripting team of Will Block and Jake Emanuel for Lorenzo Di Bonaventura to produce. Story is based on the framework from Victor Hugo's original "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Hugo's novel, published in 1831, is set in the 15th century and centers on the tragic romance between Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, and the gypsy woman Esmeralda. Surely this will pave the way for all the other long-awaited action-comedy adaptations from literature, including The Count of Monte Cristo starring Will Farrell and Adam Sandler, Medea starring Tina Fey, The Confessions of Saint Augustine starring Steve Carell, Hamlet starring Russell Brand (with The Stranger as Claudius), The Great Gatsby...

Share The Hunchback Of Notre Dame is set to be given a live-action make-over thanks to Paramount Pictures and screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel. Hot on the heels of news that The Little Mermaid will be receiving the live-action treatment courtesy of Joe Wright (we don’t expect a fairytale ending in his version), this new re-do is being touted as similar in style to Pirates Of The Caribbean. The plot’s currently a closely-guarded secret, but we do know that the high concept premise will involve an action-adventure...

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Robot Chicken and Adult Swim have announced via press release they will premiere Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III Dec. 12. Zac Efron has signed on to voice Anakin Skywalker. So fingers crossed for a song-and-dance number “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You…On Lake Naboo.”

True Blood’s Sam Trammell will appear in indie crime thriller Guns, Girls and Gambling. The actor will play a sheriff working with a corrupt sheriff (Dane Cook). The partnership works because Cook has also been associated with things that suck. [Variety]

Aidan Gillen (The Wire) will play Littlefinger, manipulative adviser to King Robert...

News has come out today that Paramount Pictures are planning to make a new take on the classic story of the ugly-yet-kind man living among the bells of Notre Dame.

The studio received a pitched about the so called “action-adventure” concept from rookie screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel, who will keep the original framework of the story and mix their own ideas to make the film appealing for modern audiences.

The Producers, Loranzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian are currently remaining silent about the plot of the exact movie except to say that the movie will have similar vein to that of Jerry Bruckheimers’ Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy.

Even with brief details released so far, what do you think about Paramount’s decision? Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Paramount Pictures has bought an original pitch from screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel. According to Risky Bussiness, “The high-concept action-adventure story mixes original ideas with the framework of the traditional Hunchback of Notre Dame story. Though said to be in the vein of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, its plotline is being kept secret by producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian.” This purchase should help my pitch for The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter done in the style of 300.

Block and Emanuel first gained attention because of their action-comedy spec script, Fuck You I Win which I’m sure is much more intelligent than the title makes it sound. This bodes well for my spec script, Are You Fucking Kidding Me.

Jake Emanuel and Willie Block are pumping the creative adrenaline into Paramount's veins as their pitch is scooped up by the studio for production. The only thing that's a bit strange and cool about the production is just what the story line is said to be reflecting off of. From what's been gathered so far, it's some what revolving around the story structure of the Hunchback of Notre Dame with a few original ideas. No idea what the hell that means, but if Paramount if drooling over it then more power to those two guys. Di Bonaventura Pictures is attached to this project with Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian set to produce this action/comedy. If there's one studio that's constantly under my radar for the most part this year it's Paramount. Okay, so they helped bring out "Shrek Forever After" and "The Last Airbender" into theaters, but they...

Last time we saw a movie take on The Hunchback of Notre Dame it was Disney's fairly traditional animated version in 1996. Now Disney has moved on to live-action adventures like Pirates of the Caribbean and its many knockoffs, and Paramount thinks it's time to combine old and new Disney with their own take on the hunchback. According to THR, Paramount has picked up a pitch from newbie screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel that's a "high-concept action-adventure" take on the Hunchback of Notre Dame, with some original ideas mixed in with the classic story framework. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, he of Transformers and G.I. Joe and tons of other blockbusters, is producing along with Mark Vahradian. There's no telling just how different this movie will be from the Victor Hugo novel, but if the standard is how faithful Pirates of the Caribbean movie was to the original theme park ride,...

With the recent fixation on making big budget action-oriented versions of classic stories and characters like Sherlock Holmes, the Three Musketeers and Don Quixote, it should come as no surprise that one more classic has fallen into the studio mill. Paramount has bought a pitch by Willie Block and Jake Emanuel that jumps off from the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. See, the great thing about these adaptations is that nobody reads anymore, but they do recognize classic titles like this one. So it's an easy goldmine. What will the potential film entail? If you've seen one of the Pirates films, or Sherlock Holmes, you should already be able to predict it. THR says that Block and Emanuel have mixed their own original ideas with the framework of the Hunchback story to create a film that's in the vein of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. No real...

There's been a real push in Hollywood lately to re-mold classic licenses and characters for more contemporary audiences. "Sherlock Holmes" and "Alice in Wonderland" are two very high-profile examples from the past year, but there are plenty of others, and across multiple mediums of entertainment. Gregory Maguire wowed the reading world as far back as 1995 with "Wicked," in which he gave new context to the "Wizard of Oz" story by pulling back the curtain on the Wicked Witch of the West's origins.

The latest subject for a contemporary update is the Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Very few details have been revealed, but Paramount has picked up a pitch from newcomers Willie Block and Jake Emanuel that will add "original ideas" to the "Hunchback" tale, an adventure described as being akin to Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. You can head over to The Hollywood Reporter for the full story.

Looks as if Paramount is ready to have Quasimodo come back for a quasi-retelling of the Victor Hugo classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame. That's right, kids! It's almost time once again to do the hump!

According to Variety Paramount has snagged an untitled action/comedy pitch from the scripting team of Will Block and Jake Emanuel for Lorenzo Di Bonaventura to produce.

The story is based on the framework from Victor Hugo's original The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Hugo's novel, published in 1831, is set in the 15th century and centers on the tragic romance between Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, and the gypsy woman Esmeralda.

Not sure exactly how much this retelling will dabble in our genre, but we'll keep our eyes open!

- Uncle Creepy

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I never thought I’d hear the words action flick and Hunchback of Notre Dame in the same sentence let alone a comparison to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. It seems as though Paramount pictures loves the idea and is set to produce a pitch made on the infamous literary character.

Risky Business reports that the studio has bought the high-concept action-adventure pitch from screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel. The trade reports that the film plans to “mix the traditional Hunchback of Notre Dame story in the vein of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.”

The plotline is being kept under wraps though. Hollywood seems to be keen on taking famous and literary and non-fiction characters like Hunchback, Pride and Prejudice, Abraham Lincoln and even DaVinci and putting them into action roles. Warner Brothers is developing a live action DaVinci adventure where he battles demons. Film adaptations...

Paramount Pictures has picked up Willie Block and Jake Emanuel's untitled "Hunchback of Notre Dame"-style story pitch says Risky Biz Blog.

The project is described as a "high-concept action-adventure" which mixes both original ideas and the general structure of Victor Hugo's 1831 novel. The actual storyline though is being kept secret.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian will produce.

· Happy Monday! Paramount bought a pitch tweaking elements of The Hunchback of Notre Dame into an action-comedy -- to be co-produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers 3, G.I. Joe). The specific "elements" of writers Will Block and Jake Emanuel's update of Victor Hugo's 1831 novel are not noted, but this should have been the throwback tentpole to reunite Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Missed opportunities! Also: Wtf??? [Variety]

Brad Pitt gets a new wife for Moneyball, Demi Moore gets a new mother for Lol, and more Hollywood Ink after the jump.

Maybe Alice in Wonderland was too much of a success, as this is what we get in return, more of these classic Disney fairtales "reimagined" as dark, epic thrillers. Yes, I know it's based on a Victor Hugo's original novel, but I have yet to be impressed with one of these pitches. RiskyBiz reports that Paramount picked up a pitch from rookie screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel that is a high concept action-adventure pitch which mixes original ideas with the framework of the traditional The Hunchback of Notre Dame story. Obviously Pirates of the Caribbean comparisons are being made, but the actual plot is being kept a secret. Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, best known for producing Transformers and G.I. Joe, is developing the project at Paramount. Screenwriters Block and Emanuel first gained recognition in town with an action comedy spec titled Fuck You I Win which has been floating around town,...

Can a new Hunchback project find legs in today's Hollywood? Will audiences connect with the poor sap? Paramount's going to find out with producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura ( Transformers ). Will Block and Jake Emanuel have pitched the studio with an action/comedy scenario that is, according to Variety, "based on the framework" of Victor Hugo's 1831 "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Based on the framework. Nowhere does it say it's a straight-up adaptation, so we'll have to track this untitle film's development to see what they've got cooking. It is curious to see this is the second Hunchback-related project to hit the scene in a matter of a few months. Earlier this year, a spec script went out to various studios called The Hunchback by Peter Carlisle....

With Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland grossing a whopping $1 billion-plus worldwide, it’s no surprise that Hollywood is taking advantage of audience’s fond memories by making new big-budget versions of fairytales and other classic stories.

There’s already everything from multiple versions of The Three Musketeers to a new live-action Cinderella in the works, but as Risky Business reports, the latest example is a new action-adventure film that’s inspired by the classic Hunchback of Notre Dame story.

The original pitch is by relative newcomers Willie Block and Jake Emanuel and it must be impressive as Paramount Pictures has already snapped it up.

The new film isn’t exactly a retelling of the Notre Dame story but is said to mix original ideas within the framework of that story. Not at all surprising, the…

Click to continue reading ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ Inspires New Action-Adventure Movie...

Paramount Pictures has pre-emptively picked up an original pitch from rookie screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel. The high-concept action-adventure story mixes original ideas with the traditional "Hunchback of Notre Dame" story. Though said to be in the vein of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, its plotline is being kept secret by producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, GI Joe) and Mark Vahradian, where the concept was originally created. Block and Emanuel became known around town for their action-comedy script for "F*ck You I Win."...

Paramount has picked up an untitled comedy/action pitch from writing duo Will Block and Jake Emanuel. Lorenzo Di Bonaventura will produce the film based on Victor Hugo's original "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." The novel was published in 1831 and is set in the 15th century. Story tells of the tragic romance between a deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame called Quasimodo and Esmeralda, a gypsy woman . Bonaventura is in production on "Transformers 3" which finds theaters July 1st next year and is serving as producer on Sony's upcoming "Salt" with Angelina Jolie and Liev Schreiber in the lead. That film finds theaters July 23rd. Additionally, Bonaventura produced "Red" starring Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker and John Malkovich among others, which opens October 15th.

Paramount Pictures recently bought a pitch from two newbie screenwriters by the names of Willie Block and Jake Emanuel for The Hunchback of Notre Dame. THR reports that this was an "original pitch", but The Hunchback of Nortre Dame is hardly an original idea. Apparently this is a high-concept action adventure story that mixes original ideas with the framework of the traditional Hunchback of Notre Dame story.

The idea is described as being in the same vein of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but of course its plotline is being kept secret by the films producers, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian of Di Bonaventura Pictures, where the concept was originally born. The plotline is hardly a secret though. My guess is, if you know the story of The Hunchback of Notre Dame then you pretty much get the basic idea of what the film will be about, just a lot more action packed.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame pitch has been picked up Paramount Pictures has picked up a high-concept action-adventure pitch from screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel, according to Risky Business.

The story mixes the traditional Hunchback of Notre Dame story in the vein of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

The plotline is being kept under wraps. No production date has been set.

Risky Business is reporting that Paramount Pictures has bought an original pitch from rookie screenwriters Willie Block and Jake Emanuel. The high-concept action-adventure story mixes original ideas with the framework of the traditional Hunchback of Notre Dame story. Said to be in the vein of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, the film's plotline is being kept under wraps by producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura ("Transformers") and Mark Vahradian of Di Bonaventura Pictures. Block and Emanuel also wrote the action-comedy spec script F*ck You I Win .