The Talisman has been delayed again...
Steven Spielberg's latest attempt to bring "The Talisman" to the screen has hit a snag.
TNT's six-hour adaptation of the Stephen King-Peter Straub novel, executive produced by Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, has been put on hold because of budgetary issues, sources said.
The limited series, from DreamWorks TV, was announced by TNT with big fanfare in December and slated for a summer 2008 premiere.
After all scripts were recently completed, it became clear that their execution would require a larger budget than previously allocated, sources said.
The fantasy-horror project, about a boy's quest through this world and a parallel world known as the Territories to find a talisman that will save his mother, is said to involve elaborate special effects. TNT and DreamWorks are now addressing the financial issues and looking for ways to make the series, sources said.
"Talisman" has been a passion project for Spielberg and Kennedy, who have developed it since optioning the book about 25 years ago though Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment.
Originally, "Talisman" was envisioned as a feature, with Richard LaGravenese writing a draft in the early 1990s.
In 2000, the project was set up at ABC as a four-hour miniseries executive produced by Spielberg and Kennedy. Mick Garris was brought in to write and direct the mini, but after he delivered the script to the network, ABC opted not to proceed with the project because of what was reported at the time as budget issues.
"I got a call from Kathleen Kennedy saying the network said they can't afford it," Garris told IGN FilmForce in a 2003 interview.
"Talisman" was resurrected as a feature again at Universal Pictures and DreamWorks. After a series of writers, including Ehren Kruger, Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro; directors, including Vadim Perelman and Ed Zwick; and production start dates, including July and then September 2004, the project was put on the back burner until Spielberg mentioned it to TNT's Michael Wright in summer 2005 after TNT and DreamWorks TV's collaboration on the 12-hour mini "Into the West."
Here are some info about the omnibus edition of Gunslinger Born:
On November 7, the year's biggest comic book event will be chronicled in graphic novel format for the first time as Marvel Comics launches an epic, 240-page hard cover edition of "Dark Tower: Gunslinger Born," adapted from the master of modern horror Stephen King’s magnum opus.
The graphic novel will bring together the complete, initial 7-issue story arc of the comic book series that ranks as one of the year’s biggest sellers and generated huge media attention and significant acclaim. The graphic novel will be available for a suggested retail price of $24.99.
Under the direction and guidance of King himself, collaborating with the all-star creative team of "Dark Tower" expert Robin Furth (Stephen King's "The Dark Tower: A Complete Concordance"), The New York Times-bestselling author Peter David, and Eisner Award-winning artist Jae Lee and fan-favorite Richard Isanove, "Dark Tower: Gunslinger Born" expands the saga of King's epic hero, Roland Deschain, whose quest to save the Dark Tower is captured in seven best-selling novels published over the course of twenty-five years.
King's unparalleled storytelling power presents new tales that delve into the life and times of the young Roland, revealing the trials and conflicts that lead to the burden of destiny he must assume as a man, the last Gunslinger from a world that has moved on. The graphic novel works in conjunction with the actual novels, further supplementing and defining the saga's mythology.
In addition to presenting the complete initial story arc, "Dark Tower: Gunslinger Born" will also present fans with exciting bonus material. Leading the way is a series of all-new illustrations from Lee.
"As a lifelong fan of Marvel comic books, and as an adult reader who’s seen comics 'come of age' and take their rightful place in the world of fantasy and science fiction, I'm excited to be a part of Roland's new incarnation," said Stephen King earlier this year when announcing the actual comic book series.
If you’re a fan of The Secretary of Dreams and Glenn Chadbourne this is your chance to get something really cool. Cemetery Dance is selling out Glenn’s original artwork and this is your chance to get a uniqe piece for your collection. Read more here.
Seams King is in Australia on vacation at the moment. Apparently he was taken for a vandal while signing some of his books in a bookstore. Read more here.
Bag of Bones to be a movie by Mick Garris. Here is what Garris told Fangoria:
“We have Matt Venne adapting BAG OF BONES as a feature film,” he revealed, citing King’s novel about a haunted writer. “I will produce and direct. Bruce Willis once had the book tied up after he optioned it. Now Mark Sennet, with whom I did DESPERATION, will produce it with me.
I have learned today that the cover art for Duma Key that I posted yesterday is not the final version. There are several revisions to be made on it and as soon as the finished cover is ready I'll post it here on the site.
I just heard from King’s office that King won’t be narrating the audio version of Duma Key as previously planed. This because it dosn’t fit into his schedule at the moment.
Eli Roth told Comic Con that his adaptation of Cell is on hold:
Eli Roth told Comic Con that his adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Cell” is on hold. Hollywood’s golden horror boy has said that the script for the movie, which he is working on with writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, is yet to be completed.
The project has been put on hold because Roth is busy working on his next film “Trailer Trash”, a movie full of fake trailers. Mad, but we love him!
When he gets round to making The Cell, he has told us he really wants Stephen King to have a cameo role, as he has done with several of his movies before.
The title of the second story arc based on King’s The Dark Tower is The Long Road Home and the first issue in that arc will be released in February 2008.
And here you can find some previews from issue #7 of Gunslinger Born.
Here is more about the plot in Duma Key:
DUMA KEY is the engaging, fascinating story of a man who discovers an incredible talent for painting after a freak accident in which he loses an arm. He moves to a 'new life' in Duma Key, off Florida's West Coast; a deserted strip, part beach, part weed-tangled, owned by a patroness of the arts whose twin sisters went missing in the 1920s.
Duma Key is where out-of-season hurricanes tears lives apart and a powerful undertow lures lost and tormented souls. Here Freemantle is inspired to paint the amazing sunsets. But soon the paintings become predictive, even dangerous. Freemantle knows the only way forward is to discover what happened to the twin sisters -- and what is the secret of the strange old lady who holds the key?
The story is about friendship, about the bond between a father and his daughter. And about memory, truth and art. It is also is a metaphor for the life and inspiration of a writer, and an exploration of the nature, power and influence of fiction.
This was reported by Bloody-Disgusting today:
During an interview to promote Dimension Films' upcoming Stephen King adaptation, The Mist, director Frank Darabont revealed that he is in fact going to helm King's The Long Walk once he has completed Fahrenheit 451. The film is about a walk where the winner gets the ultimate prize - anything they want for life, and the losers get punished with death! The rules are simple - If you walk too slow, you get a warning, 4 warnings and you are shot. There is only one winner, and the story concentrates on a loosely held group of individuals that become friends and enemies during this inhumane walk. One by one Ray Garraty sees the people around him die, and he faces the truths of his own entry into the Long Walk, and those of his new "friends". He is aware that only one will survive all the way, but it is not until the end that he realized the finality of his situation, and he slowly looses his sanity piece by piece.
Here are some info about a new DVD edition of The Shining:
Warner Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Warner Home Video Director's Series: Stanley Kubrick Collection on 23rd October 2007. In the works for some time now, the films of Stanley Kubrick have been restored and remastered for this new collection which is expected to feature a large number of both archive and new bonus features. A full press release is yet to be issued, but we do have some preliminary information, prices and even some artwork for you…
In today's Emmy nominations Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (TNT) received the following nominations:
* Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Non-Prosthetic)
* Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score)
and the big-one:
* Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for William H Macy in 'Umney's Last Case'
Here is a new DVD edition of Misery. It’s being released on October 2nd in the US and the special features includes the following:
- Widescreen Feature Film
- Feature Commentary by Director Rob Reiner
- Feature Commentary by screenwriter William Goldman
- Featurette: Misery Loves Company
- Featurette: Marc Shaiman's Musical Misery Tour
- Featurette: Diagnosing Annie Wilkes
- Featurette: Advice for the Stalked
- Featurette: Profile of a Stalker
- Featurette: Celebrity Stalkers
- Featurette: Anti?Stalking Laws
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Original Theatrical Teaser
Here are two forigne editions of Lisey’s Story. The French (to the left) Histoire De Lisey will be released on September 2nd and the South Korea edition (to the right) Lisey Iyagi will be released in July.
Here is the cover of the 3rd printing of issue #1 (it’s done by Jae Lee), the cover of the 3rd printing of issue #2 (also done by Jae Lee) and the cover of the 2nd printing of issue #3 (done by John Romita Jr) of Gunslinger Born.
In issue #6 of Gunslinger Born there is an ad saying that The Gunslinger Guidebook now is out. That is not the case. The book moved after the ad was printed. The Gunslinger Guidebook is released on August 1st.
The Cell info from yesterday was not correct. No date for when Cell will start shooting has been set yet. Eli Roth said the following to Movieweb.com.
"Right now, I literally, this weekend, I just got back from Europe doing International Press for Hostel: Part II. That was on Saturday that I landed. Cell is a little bit away. I'm gonna have to take some time and decompress and just unwind a little bit and start some time in, probably, 2008."