Tag Archives: spinoff

‘Spider-Man’ spinoff features in the works

On the heels of launching the marketing campaign for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony announced two Spidey spinoff features that will focus on villains from that Marvel franchise: Venom and The Sinister Six. Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Ed Solomon have been tasked with writing the screenplay for the Venom movie, which Kurtzman will direct. Drew Goddard will write “with an eye to direct” The Sinister Six flick. The studio is referring to Kurtzman, Orci, Pinkner, Solomon, and Goddard as a “franchise brain trust to expand the universe for the brand and to develop a continuous tone and thread throughout the films.” The Amazing Spider-Man 3, being written by Kurtzman, Orci, and Pinkner, with original and upcoming sequel director Marc Webb hoping to return to the helm, is slated to hit theatres June 10, 2016.

Producers of the spawned spinoffs Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach commented on the announcement: “This collaboration was born out of the great experience we and Marc had working with Alex, Bob, and Jeff on The Amazing Spider-Man 2. With more than fifty years’ wealth of stories in the comic books to draw upon for inspiration, the Spider-Man universe is truly boundless; in addition, the Spider-Man comics have the greatest rogues gallery of any series, and to have the chance to explore that on film is truly thrilling. Until now, we have approached each film as a separate, self-contained entity, but with this move, we have the opportunity to grow the franchise by looking to the future as we develop a continuous arc for the story. That is what Alex, Bob, Jeff, Ed, and Drew will do in this unprecedented collaboration, and we’re excited about the directions they are taking the character and the world.”

More superhero/villain movies? Yes, please.

First look at ‘Paranormal Activity’ spinoff ‘The Marked Ones’

Paramount is not releasing Paranormal Activity 5 this Halloween season; it’s being held until October 2014. Taking its place, however, is a PA spinoff called Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. The found-footage spinoff, written and directed by franchise vet Christopher Landon, is a departure from the movies that come before it as it takes place in Oxnard, California and features a mostly Latino cast. This was done on purpose; the studio is targeting PA‘s Latino audience here. Fans of the franchise, though, will pickup clues sprinkled throughout the official trailer that tie this movie directly to the other ones: the Katie & Kristi tapes are mentioned, Kristi’s step-daughter Ali Rey (played by Molly Ephraim, last seen in PA 2) aids the new protagonist, and that demon-summoning triangle symbol is rampant throughout. The trailer, embedded above, says “this is only the beginning;” could this mean fans should expect more PA spinoffs set in the same demonic, found footage universe in the future?

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones hits theatres January 2.

AMC greenlights a ‘Walking Dead’ companion series with Robert Kirkman at the helm

Shortly after announcing a spinoff series from the land of Breaking Bad in the tentatively titled Better Call Saul, AMC is more than kicking around the idea of launching a new series set in the post-apocalyptic world of their other hugely successful show The Walking Dead. The cabler is calling it a “companion series” and Walking Dead executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and David Alpert are all on board with it. Essentially the new series will take place in the world that Kirkman created in the comics, but it won’t be shackled to his story since it will follow a completely different group of people surviving the zombie apocalypse. The following statements paint a clearer picture for what’s in mind.

Kirkman: “After 10 years of writing the comic book series and being so close to the debut of our fourth, and in my opinion, best season of the TV series, I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of The Walking Dead universe. The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.”

AMC president Charlie Collier: “Building on the success of the most popular show on television for adults 18-49 is literally a no-brainer. We look forward to working with Robert, Gale and Dave again as we develop an entirely new story and cast of characters. It’s a big world and we can’t wait to give fans another unforgettable view of the zombie apocalypse.”

Seems like a fun idea to me. Can you imagine if storylines intertwined and all of a sudden you saw Rick’s camp interfere with the people in the spinoff. It’s not so far-fetched since the same creative minds are in control of both series. We shall wait and see.

The Walking Dead spinoff won’t air until 2015, so for now you can look forward to the return of the flagship series on October 13.

‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff series starring Saul Goodman is happening!

For those of you who are experience great anxiety as we near the end of Breaking Bad, I have some very, very exciting news for you. After the AMC staple concludes, one of its most memorable characters will live on. That’s right, I’m talking about the one and only Saul Goodman. Walter White’s fast-talking lawyer and absolute scene-stealer is getting his very own spinoff series imagined by Breaking Bad mastermind Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, the man who invented the sly comic relief character.

Perhaps the aforementioned phrase “live on” isn’t so appropriate here. Goodman very well may die a bloody death before the series comes to a close and yet the spinoff will remain in tact. Are you connecting the dots here? The spinoff is a prequel series meaning it will take place before Goodman was even acquainted with The One Who Knocks. Tentatively titled Better Call Saul, the prequel spinoff “will focus on the evolution” of the well-connected lawyer. Bob Odenkirk, the comic who currently portrays Goodman, is expected to sign on to reprise the role.

The Goodman spinoff will be a one-hour drama despite its main character being as funny as Odenkirk can be. In an exchange with EW, Gould shares his early vision and tells Breaking Bad fans to expect–what else–the unexpected. “We’re using the kind of storytelling that we did on Breaking Bad but in a really new way. When people think of a Saul Goodman spin-off, they tend to think in terms of a laugh-a-minute comedy, and we’re going for something that has a very very unique tone. To play with a main character who has the unique morality that Saul Goodman does is going to be in its own way as much of an experiment as Breaking Bad was.”

When asked why give someone like Saul Goodman his own series, Gould was quick to answer: “He’s not a character I’ve seen before. So much of Breaking Bad is about playing out ideas of morality and how you live in the world, and this is a guy who has a philosophy which is internally consistent but is also kind of strange. In addition to the fact that he always amuses us and we’re always ready to see more, the guy is a problem solver. He solves problems in his own way. He’s just as innovative as Walt is, so that really gives us a lot of stories and a lot of places to go with him.”

AMC and Sony Pictures Television reached a licensing agreement to make the show, and in time a pilot and/or series order is fully expected to be greenlit. Stay tuned.

[Via Deadline; EW]

ABC picks up ‘Once Upon A Time In Wonderland’

Here’s the first production still from the Once Upon A Time spinoff now titled Once Upon A Time In Wonderland. English born actress Sophie Lowe stars as Alice, seen for the very first time in the image posted above. Here’s the latest synopsis provided by ABC:

In Victorian England, the young and beautiful Alice (Sophie Lowe) tells a tale of a strange new land that exists on the other side of a rabbit hole.  An invisible cat, a hookah smoking caterpillar and playing cards that talk are just some of the fantastic things she’s seen during this impossible adventure.  Surely this troubled girl must be insane and her doctors aim to cure her with a treatment that will make her forget everything.  Alice seems ready to put it all behind her, especially the painful memory of the genie she fell in love with and lost forever — the handsome and mysterious Cyrus (Peter Gadiot).  But deep down Alice knows this world is real and just in the nick of time, the sardonic Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) and the irrepressible White Rabbit (John Lithgow) arrive to save her from a doomed fate. Together, the trio will take a tumble down the rabbit hole to this Wonderland where nothing is impossible.

This fresh adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s tale down the rabbit hole comes from Once co-creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and will be executive produced by Steve Perlman and Zack Estrin. Wonderland is envisioned as a standalone, limited series that will air when the flagship series is on its winter hiatus. In a way, it will bridge the gap during the break. Next week ABC will be unveiling its entire slate of new series for next season and there the network will likely shed even more light on the exciting promise of a new realm to be explored.

‘Once Upon A Time’ spinoff set in Wonderland in the works [Update: series get a title & three stars]

It’s true: a Once Upon A Time spinoff is in the works! Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, creators of the ABC fantasy series based on classic fairy tale characters, are imagining a new realm to explore in a completely new series separate from their current show. They are working closely with Once consulting producer Jane Espenson and writer Zack Estrin (Zero HourThe RiverNo Ordinary FamilyPrison Break) to make Wonderland the main setting for the spinoff series. The original plan was to make the Mad Hatter (played by Sebastian Stan in Once) the protagonist of the new series. But there’s a reason why the charming actor hasn’t been featured in the current season of Once a whole lot–he’s a very busy actor and for this reason he unfortunately likely won’t be able to headline the proposed spinoff. The latest rumor to come out of the mill says that the Once spinoff in Wonderland will star Alice, a classic fairytale character we still haven’t met in Once just yet. According to Deadline the new series will surround Alice with other new characters including “Amahl, described as exotic, soulful and optimistic; and The Knave, a sardonic adventurer, a man of action, a loner and a heart-breaker.” The site also reports that the spinoff will take place in a post-curse world but will indeed feature flashbacks so viewers may once again be acquainted with (spoiler alert) the not-so-dearly departed Cora who once ruled Wonderland as the Queen of Hearts.

Interestingly, the Once spinoff set in Wonderland starring Alice is being envisioned as a 13-episode anthology series a la American Horror Story, meaning it will have a solid beginning, middle, and end to simply serve as a bridge between the fall and winter episodes of the main series Once Upon A Time. Most of this is simply speculation at the moment, as we won’t know more until Kitsis, Horowitz and their creative team present their spinoff ideas to ABC later this year after Once wraps its second season. Still, intriguing news for fans of the show!

Update (3/29): In the past week the Once spinoff really started to make some headway. Though shooting is not set to begin until May after the flagship series wraps its second season, a title has been bestowed unto the offshoot and its three main characters have been casted. Aussie actress Sophie Lowe has been cast as the protagonist Alice in Once: Wonderland. Her character is described as one “who has a generous heart but carries the scars of a long hard life.” Surrounding Lowe are British actors Peter Gadiot and Michael Socha who are set to play Cyrus (“Alice’s love interest with a background shrouded in mystery”) and The Knave of Hearts (“a sardonic adventurer, a man of action, a loner and a heart-breaker”). A fourth lead named Amahl (“an exotic, soulful and optimistic character”) has yet to be cast. With a name and a cast forming, Once: Wonderland is slowly but surely spinning into reality.

[Via Deadline 1, 2, 3]

Motion poster: Hugh Jackman is ‘The Wolverine’

Here’s something you don’t see everyday. A motion poster for a motion picture. It bears no title or release date or any words or numbers for that matter. It’s simply a muscular mutant wielding a samurai sword with retractable bone claws. Hugh Jackman reprises his role as The Wolverine in yet another upcoming X-Men film (X-Men: Days of Future Past is on the way, too). The Wolverine, directed by James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma), is in fact not serving as a sequel to the 2009 spinoff X-Men Origins: Wolverine. “We’ve deliberately not called it Wolverine 2 because we want it to be placed and feel like a standalone picture,” Jackman told reporters. “With an all new cast and setting it in Japan, it’s going to give us a whole new visual aesthetic.” Yes, that is the Land of the Rising Sun all lit up in the poster’s background. Why the sudden contemplation, Logan? “The approach to character means [the movie] won’t be overloaded with mutants and teams and the like, so it’ll be more character-based,” adds Jackson. “I think in many ways it will feel like a completely different X-Men film.”

The official synopsis reads like this: “Based on the celebrated comic book arc, ‘The Wolverine’ finds Logan, the eternal warrior and outsider, in Japan. There, samurai steel will clash with adamantium claw as Logan confronts a mysterious figure from his past in an epic battle that will leave him forever changed.”

The Wolverine releases July 26, 2013. Look in the gallery below to see a more traditional poster and a first look at Hugh Jackman jacked up for the role.

‘Phineas and Ferb’ renewed for fourth season, movie and possible spin-off on the way

This month the Disney Channel renewed is highly rated children’s animated series Phineas and Ferb for a fourth season. The pickup guarantees new episodes of the musically-inclined adventure series through the year 2014. I’m a sucker for kid’s programming that likes to acknowledge an older audience, so this is really great news. Though series creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh recently pushed out a made-for-TV Phineas and Ferb movie titled Across the 2nd Dimension, the ingenious duo are ready for an entirely new level of popularity. In August they signed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar deal with Disney Television Animation to develop a feature film based on the show. They are currently writing the script. Rumor has it that the movie will be a mix of live action and the animation viewers are used to. More on this as details surface. In addition to the movie attachment, the Disney deal also has Povenmire and Swampy imagining a new animated show for the Disney Channel, likely a spin-off series based in the Phineas and Ferb universe. According to a NYT article, it will follow the adventures of Isabella and the Fireside Girls. No word on when such a series will make it to air. Expect the movie to hit theatres summer 2013. Celebrate the news with some “Gitchee Gitchee Goo” as perfomed by Phineas and the Ferb-Tones featuring Candace after the break!

[Via Deadline 1, 2] Continue reading ‘Phineas and Ferb’ renewed for fourth season, movie and possible spin-off on the way

Trailer: Puss in Boots

DreamWorks Animation is readying its first Shrek spinoff franchise Puss In Boots. Antonio Banderas is back to lend his voice to the Zorro-like kitty. And I’ve got to say–this trailer is highly entertaining. Shrek got stale quick; lets hope that Puss and his gang of furry friends can reinvigorate the vibrant world inhabited by the green ogre. The film serves as a prequel, so the cast of characters haven’t met Shrek and Donkey just yet. Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis voice Puss’ friends Kitty Softpaws and Humpty Dumpty, respectively. Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris are Jack & Jill, the film’s antagonists.

Puss in Boots hits theatres in 3D on November 4, 2011.

History picks up ‘Pawn Stars’ spinoff ‘American Restoration’

If you’ve ever watched a marathon of Pawn Stars on the History Channel surely you’ve encountered Rick’s go-to guy for restoring antique items. The man’s name is Rick Dale, and History has decided to create a spinoff show that takes us inside Rick’s Restorations.

AMERICAN RESTORATION features Rick Dale and his crew of loose screws at Rick’s Restorations in Las Vegas, Nevada, as they take rusty, beat-up items and restore them to their original glory. Whether it’s a giant gas pump from the 1940s or a Hopalong Cassidy bicycle from the 1950s, every restoration is a high-stakes business project where worthless rust is transformed into a valuable collectible. However, these restorations aren’t easy. Every project presents unique challenges for Rick and his team [including his younger brother and son], who develop inventive processes to finish each job flawlessly and on time. From old gas carts to timeless slot machines, the items Rick restores are part of the fabric that makes up American culture. Things just aren’t made like they used to be, but at Rick’s Restorations, old becomes new again.

American Restoration premieres Friday, April 15 at 10PM on History.

[Via EW; History]