Continuation novels

EXCLUSIVE : Novel , the growing British podcast studio behind the likes of The Superhero Complex, has made one its most significant hires yet, bringing in PRX and Radiotopia exec Julie Shapiro as Executive Creative Director. Shapiro will steer Novel’s creative output, coming a few weeks after the outfit hired The Daily Senior Audio Producer Austin Mitchell as Creative Director, Production and Today in Focus ‘ Joint Exec Mythili Rao as Managing Editor. Shapiro has spent the past six years overseeing the growth and evolution of independent podcast studio Radiotopia, where she was instrumental in developing Peabody-nominated and Pulitzer-finalist Ear Hustle. She also co-founded the Third Coast International Audio Festival in 2000 and has been a vocal advocate of women in the podcast and radio industries. She said she is “deeply impressed by [Novel’s] creative ambitions and dedication to craft,” adding: “ I’m keen to bring my experience and artistic vision … [Read more...] about British Podcast Studio Novel Continues Hiring Spree By Signing PRX & Radiotopia Exec Julie Shapiro As Executive Creative Director

This post contains spoilers for the whole first season of Obi-Wan Kenobi (now streaming on Disney+ ) and the season to date of Star Trek : Strange New Worlds (now streaming on Paramount+ ). There’s plenty of overlap between the audiences for Star Wars and Star Trek , yet for decades the two fan bases have been pitted against each other like reluctant gladiators dropped into an arena (whether the one where a shirtless Captain Kirk fought in “The Gamesters of Triskelion” or the one where Padme Amidala got her midriff exposed in Attack of the Clones ). Which is superior, they have argued: the action-adventure bent of Star Wars or the more philosophical science fiction of Star Trek ? Which stoic group of people is more compelling: the mystical Jedi knights, or the logic-driven Vulcan race? Is Jim Kirk a more charming rascal than Han Solo? And on and on and on. This spring saw the arrival of new streaming series from both franchises — Obi-Wan Kenobi and … [Read more...] about ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Was Stuck in Star Wars’ Past. Here’s How ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Does It Better

Riley Cote ’s journey to enlightenment began in earnest when a hulking man punched him in the face. Cote, now 40 and retired from professional hockey, remembers the moment with a dark laugh. He’d gotten into this particular bust-up one night during the 2009 season with one of the NHL ’s most vicious fighters, and took the worst of it, waking the next day with his left eye blackened shut. “What,” he asked himself, “am I doing?” He drove to the Philadelphia Flyers training facility and got into the shower. Feeling congested, he reached for a tissue. He didn’t realize he’d suffered a cracked sinus, so what happened next was physics. When he blew his nose, the air — rather than coming out of his nostrils — inflated his face. The pressure surged instantly behind his good eye and closed it tight. Team trainer Derek Settlemyre heard Cote scream. “His whole face had swollen up,” Settlemyre recalls. “We tell them, if they think they have a fracture, ‘Don’t blow your nose’ — and he … [Read more...] about How an NHL Enforcer Broke His Body — and Turned to Psychedelics to Heal His Brain

EXCLUSIVE: During Sundance, Jeremy Blacklow, Director of Entertainment Media at GLAAD and The Black List ’s Kate Hagen revealed the second annual catalog for the GLAAD List which is a roster of the most promising unmade LGBTQ -inclusive film scripts. From stories about Tennessee Williams to the bohemian ‘80s arts scene in NYC to a family fighting for survival as the world might be ending, the scripts on The GLAAD List represent the type of stories that GLAAD would like to see studios producing. With the proper attention, and with the collaboration of the right directors and actors, these scripts show tremendous promise and should one day become films that will both entertain audiences and change hearts and minds around the world. “GLAAD is thrilled to present this incredible list of unmade LGBTQ-inclusive scripts to the entertainment industry at large for a second year in a row,” said Blacklow. “We have read a lot of scripts this past year, in order to settle on … [Read more...] about The GLAAD List: The Black List And GLAAD Unveil Second Annual Roster Of Unmade LGBTQ-Inclusive Film Scripts

5th Update Sunday AM FINAL writethru w/chart after Saturday 10:41PM : In the back and forth for No. 1 between Disney/ 20th Century Studios ’ The Call of the Wild and Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog , the blue critter is back on top. Paramount is reporting this morning a $26.3M 3-day (-55%) after a Saturday of $12.1M , +89% over Friday. That will bring Sonic to a 10-day gross of $106.6M . worldwide at $203.1M , Sonic is the clear global winner for the second weekend in a row with a deafening roar of $64.6M, powering over The Call of the Wild . In weekend 2 exits, Sonic remains a great 4 stars with general audiences, parents, and kids under 12. Sonic ‘s Saturday was higher than the feature adaptation of the Jack London novel, which is estimated to have made $10M yesterday, +24% over Friday, for a 3-day of $24.8M . Disney sees those exact numbers this morning as well, with an overall $40M global in 40 material markets, including … [Read more...] about ‘Hedgehog’ Bites Back At ‘Wild’ Dog As ‘Sonic’ Speeds To No. 1 With $26M+; $203M+ WW – Sunday AM Update

5th UPDATE Monday, 2:49 PM: As expected, Sunday’s NFL championship games prior to the big Super Bowl negatively impacted box office , as did the continuing woes on the East Coast, where theaters reopened among several inches (and in some cases feet) of snow. The many hopeful estimates the studios made yesterday just didn’t come to pass. Box office was off 8%-12% across the board, observers noted. The winter doldrums at the box office will be lifted in a big way next weekend with the return of the beloved franchise in Kung Fu Panda 3 , with the third installment of the DreamWorks Animation family film playing in 3D. The way things look right now, it could have an opening of about $45M. Also in wide release will be spoof comedy Fifty Shades Of Black , written by and starring Marlon Wayans and released by Open Road, as well as Disney’s The Finest Hours . The maritime drama, which contains visuals along the lines of A Perfect Storm, will be bolstered by its … [Read more...] about ‘The Revenant’ Leads Box Office Through Historic 2016 Snowstorm

EXCLUSIVE : WME has signed Eric Warren Singer , one of the screenwriters behind Paramount’s summer smash Top Gun: Maverick . The Tom Cruise sequel nearly 30 years in the making hit theaters on May 27 and has thus far grossed over $907 million worldwide, registering as the highest grossing film of 2022. Singer shares screenplay credit on the Navy aviator action-drama with Ehren Kruger and Christopher McQuarrie, having worked from a story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, which was based on characters created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. Singer came to Top: Gun Maverick after collaborating with its director Joseph Kosinski on the critically acclaimed drama Only the Brave , based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, which starred Josh Brolin, Miles Teller and Jeff Bridges. He co-wrote that film, based on Sean Flynn’s GQ article “No Exit”, with Ken Nolan. The screenwriter’s first script, The Sky Is Falling , sold to Sony and cemented him as as … [Read more...] about ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ And ‘American Hustle’ Scribe Eric Warren Singer Signs With WME