MGM picks up ‘Adventures in the Land of Zametherea’
Continuing its buying streak, MGM has pre-emptively picked up a high-concept fantasy comedy spec script from Peter Speakman and Michael M.B. Galvin that might be up for the longest title of the year award: “Executive VP, David M. Murch’s Adventures in the Land of Zametherea.”Rick Alexander, Rick Benattar and Jim Wedaa are producing.
The story centers on a boy who has the ability to travel to a magical land, but after coming home and telling his parents about his adventures, they have him committed. The boy grows into a coldhearted executive, then gets the call to return to the magical land. The man must get help from his estranged son to save the land.
Cale Boyter is overseeing for MGM.
The script went out Wednesday morning and sold by mid-afternoon. The deal was $850,000 against $1.35 million.
Guillermo Del Toro Is directing ‘The Hobbit’!
The news that everyone was betting their One Rings on has finally been confirmed yesterday after Variety have reported that Guillermo Del Toro will be directing ‘The Hobbit‘.
The announcement was made by the original master of Middle Earth, producer Peter Jackson, co-producer Fran Walsh, New Line President, Toby Emmerich and recently titled chief of MGM’s Worldwide Motion Picture Group, Mary Parent.
Del Toro will direct two films back to back with second instalment focusing on the 60 year space between ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring‘, a demanding job that will lead Del Toro to move over to New Zealand for four years – cripes!
After the post production of ‘Hellboy II‘ is polished off Del Toro will be on his merry way to crack on with ‘The Hobbit’ with a released date planned for 2011 and 2012.
MGM Buys Ludlum’s ‘The Matarese Circle’ for $3 million
With an eye on the success of the Bourne spy franchise, MGM has snapped up movie rights to another Robert Ludlum thriller.
In its first major material deal made since Mary Parent took over as head of MGM’s worldwide motion picture group, the studio ponied up for “The Matarese Circle,” a 1979 book by Robert Ludlum.
The book sold for $3 million, with another seven-figures to be paid to screenwriters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas according to Variety.
Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media will co-finance the film, and Denzel Washington is attached to star.
Like many books by the late Ludlum, “The Matarese Circle” is set during the Cold War. The book pairs rival spies, one from the CIA and the other from the KGB, who bury the hatchet for the moment because only they possess the smarts and killing abilities to go up against an international circle of criminals called the Matarese. Insiders said the Cold War tensions will be dropped and the storyline contemporized.
Ludlum wrote a second book — “The Matarese Countdown” — that was not part of the deal. More than likely, a screen sequel would come from an original story.
While MGM’s $3 million buy is likely the largest sum paid for a book so far this year, it’s not extreme for Ludlum. Universal recently reengaged Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon to return for a fourth Jason Bourne thriller, and in 2005, Paramount paid $4 million for Ludlum’s “The Chancellor Manuscript,” a thriller that sold with a Leonardo DiCaprio attachment.
