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The 90s was a great time for adaptations. Jurassic Park is the gold standard, of course, but there was so much more. That book’s author, Michael Crichton, also had Sphere and Congo get greenlit and released while we would see non-horror output like Forrest Gump and Shawshank Redemption, which account for the greatest film of all time… and Forrest Gump. On the horror side we would have Silence of the Lambs, the wonderful It TV miniseries, Exorcist III, and a fun little monster movie throwback called The Relic. At the time, I just thought it was a cool creature feature designed specifically for 12-year-olds like me but looking back all these years later I found out it was an adaptation of a book by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child in what would be the first of 22 separate stories for one of the chief protagonists. That’s all well and...

This article contains spoilers for True Detective: Night Country episode 1.

True Detective season 4, subtitled True Detective: Night Country, isn’t shy about acknowledging its influences. In the first episode alone, the series showcases a DVD copy of John Carpenter’s The Thing, a well-worn edition of Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, and even several instances of the swirly “Carcosa” symbol from True Detective season 1.

There’s another major influence at play, however, and it comes directly from the terrifying annals of history. While episode 1 didn’t explicitly shout it out as an inspiration, showrunner Issa López mentioned it when speaking to Den of Geek and other outlets before season 1 premiered.

“Some mysteries that obsessed me as a child were the Dyatlov Pass incident and the Mary Celeste,” Lopez said.

The Mary Celeste refers to an 1872 mystery in which the American sailing vessel, the Mary Celeste, was discovered in the middle...

Game of Thrones writer George R. R. Martin and other famous authors have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming that their copyrighted work has been used without permission for training an artificial intelligence. The authors argue that they should have the right to opt into having their works used and should be compensated for the use of their data by OpenAI. The class action lawsuit includes a number of high-profile authors, such as John Grisham, Michael Connelly, and Jodi Picoult.

Game of Thrones writer George R. R. Martin and a group of other authors have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI. OpenAI is the company behind the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. OpenAI's artificial intelligence models are trained using large datasets that help them learn how to mimic human writing.

Per Deadline, The Authors Guild and a group of famous authors have filed a class action lawsuit against OpenAI for using their copyrighted work as "training data.

The Authors Guild, John Grisham, George R.R. Martin, Michael Connelly, Jodi Picoult and a group of other famous fiction writers filed a class action lawsuit on Wednesday against OpenAI, claiming that their technology is infringing on their works.

It’s the latest lawsuit to challenge AI’s use of copyrighted works as “training data” for their system.

In their complaint, the authors claim that OpenAI copied their works “wholesale, without permission or consideration.” The plaintiffs contend that the company fed their works into large language models, “algorithms designed to output human-seeming text responses to users’ prompts and queries.”

“Generative AI is a vast new field for Silicon Valley’s longstanding exploitation of content providers. Authors should have the right to decide when their works are used to ‘train’ AI. If they choose to opt in, they should be appropriately compensated,” author Jonathan Franzen said in a statement. Read the complaint.

Summer’s here, and if you’re looking for new movies to watch this June, we’ve got you covered. Newly streaming titles this month include the third (and final?) “Magic Mike” movie, Chris Hemsworth’s highly anticipated “Extraction” sequel on Netflix, the “Nicolas Cage as Dracula” new release “Renfield” and at long last, “Avatar: The Way of Water” makes its streaming debut on multiple streaming services. As always, we’ve also rounded up a number of library titles newly streaming on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Paramount+, Hulu, Peacock and Disney+ throughout the month of June, so not only is there a little something for everyone, there’s enough to get you through those days when it’s just to hot to step outside.

Check out our list of some of the best new movies to stream in June 2023 below.

Also Read:

What’s New on Amazon Prime Video in...

Game of Thrones, The Sandman, and other fantasy authors join the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike on the picket lines. George R.R. Martin is the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire saga, which was adapted into the wildly-popular series Game of Thrones. He also wrote Fire & Blood, which serves as the basis for the prequel series House of the Dragon, and other source material that HBO is adapting into spinoffs. Neil Gaiman, on the other hand, is the author of The Sandman comics, which Netflix adapted into a series of the same name.

Since the WGA strike started in May 2023, all television and film writers have halted their work as the union continues to negotiate for fair wages. As the strike enters its fourth week, a recent photo shows the fantasy authors George R.R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, and Nnedi Okorafor finally entering the fray on...

George R.R. Martin, Nnedi Okorafor, and Neil Gaiman joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on the picket lines.

In a photo posted by George R.R. Martin to both his own website and Twitter account on May 29, the Game of Thrones author can be seen alongside Gaiman and Okorafor, the latter two of whom are holding signs in support of the strike. Martin noted that the trio was in attendance at the Greer Garson Studios lot for most of the day in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as part of protests in Santa Fe and Albuquerque that successfully shut down multiple shoots. "Santa Fe does not have as many WGA members as California, of course, but while we don’t have the numbers, we yield nothing to California when it comes to determination," Martin wrote.

Related: The Tick Creator Enlists the Big Blue Hero to Support the WGA Writers' Strike...

Last month, actor Tom Sizemore passed away from a brain aneurysm at the age of just 61. To pay tribute to him, The Arrow in the Head Show hosts John “The Arrow” Fallon and Lance are looking back at a horror film Sizemore starred in back in 1997, The Relic (watch it Here). To find out what they had to say about The Relic, check out the video embedded above.

Directed by Peter Hyams from a screenplay that came from the combined forces of Amy Holden Jones, John Raffo, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver, The Relic was based on a novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The film has the following synopsis: Come in – if you dare. The opening-night gala for a new exhibit at Chicago’s natural history museum is under way. But be advised: something terrifying wants to make sure no one ever leaves.

Sizemore is joined in the cast by Penelope Ann Miller,...

Almost every horror fan enjoys a good creature feature, but sometimes it can be hard to find one that plays it mostly straight without descending into complete self-parody. Peter Hyams’ The Relic is just that kind of monster movie, presenting an air of sophistication that distracts you from its roots in outright schlock.

It was one of the few times that Hyams—who has many thriller, sci-fi, and action films in his credits—jumped into the horror pool. Previously, he ventured into supernatural territory with the 1992 fantasy comedy Stay Tuned, which saw John Ritter and Pam Dawber running through a satellite dish system powered by Hell. It wasn’t exactly what many would call horror, but still, check it out if you haven’t—there’s some good dark comedy jokes that would make readers of this site cackle.

The Relic—based on the novel Relic by Douglas Preston and...

Antonio Banderas is to play an Italian crime reporter in his latest TV role.

The actor, who starred as Pablo Picasso in Nat Geo’s Genius, will play Mario Spezi, a reporter who alongside American fiction writer Douglas Preston, investigated one of the most notorious serial murder cases in Europe.

The limited series project, which comes from Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) and Anders Thomas Jensen (Riders of Justice), is in development with Studiocanal.

It is based on Preston and Spezi’s book The Monster of Florence: A True Story, the investigation into a serial killer who killed 14 people between 1974 and 1985 in the Italian province. Preston and Spezi uncovered mistakes made by police in their investigations of the crimes, all of which were tied to young couples killed during romantic rendezvous in the Italian countryside.

Preston and Spezi at one point became entangled in the case and accused by police...

Academy Award nominee Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”) is set to star in Studiocanal’s ”The Monster of Florence,” a six-hour limited series based on The New York Times bestseller “The Monster Of Florence: A True Story” by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi.

“The Monster of Florence” relates the extraordinary real life investigation carried out by American fiction writer Preston and Italian crime reporter Spezi into what Studiocanal describes as “one of the most riveting and notorious serial murder cases in European history. Banderas will play Spezi.

Denmark’s Nikolaj Arcel, Academy Award nominated for “A Royal Affair,” will direct from scripts written by Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen, who penned the screenplay for Susanne Bier’s Oscar winner “In a Better World.” Arcel also co-wrote the original “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” starring Noomi Rapace. Banderas and Emanuel Nuñez will serve as executive producers.

Delivering an original twist...

Antonio Banderas will return to TV to play Italian crime reporter Mario Spezi in The Monster of Florence, a limited series adaptation of the best-selling true-crime novel from 2008.

Spezi co-wrote The Monster of Florence: A True Story with American fiction writer Douglas Preston. It details their investigation into a notorious series of murders in Italy from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s. The two writers became part of the story when Italian prosecutors began to suspect them of being behind the killings.

“The book, and the series based on it, tell the true story of our search for — and identification ...

Antonio Banderas will return to TV to play Italian crime reporter Mario Spezi in The Monster of Florence, a limited series adaptation of the best-selling true-crime novel from 2008.

Spezi co-wrote The Monster of Florence: A True Story with American fiction writer Douglas Preston. It details their investigation into a notorious series of murders in Italy from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s. The two writers became part of the story when Italian prosecutors began to suspect them of being behind the killings.

“The book, and the series based on it, tell the true story of our search for — and identification ...

Released today in 1997: The Relic Based on the novel Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, The Relic follows a shipment of relics from a South American tribe to the United States. When the shipment arrives via boat, the entire crew is dead. Anthropologist […]

The post This Day in Horror: The Relic Premiered in Theaters appeared first on Dread Central.

Spike TV has ordered an event series pilot based on famed author Stephen King's classic 1980 novella "The Mist".

Dimension Television will produce the project which kicks off when a strange mist seeps into a small town, anyone who becomes engulfed in it soon finds themselves food for the nasty creatures that lurk inside. The action follows a group of townsfolk trapped in a supermarket and the tensions that quickly build.

Christian Torpe will executive produce the series which would order several series the network has in the works following orders for adaptations of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy and "Pendergast" based on the book series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

Frank Darabont directed a previous film adaptation of the work in 2007.

Source: The Live Feed...

Spike is developing the Pendergast TV series drama, with Paramount Television and Universal Cable Productions. The Walking Dead's Gale Anne Hurd is executive producing, with Black Swan's John McLaughlin, who is also set as writer. Sharon Levy, Ted Gold, and Lauren Ruggiero will oversee the project for Spike.

Based on the novels Relic and Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Pendergast features Aloysius Pendergast, an eccentric FBI special agent. In the first season he will investigate a current crime that mirrors a century old mystery and is tied to his own family history.

Read More…...

Spike TV is expanding its focus on scripted television. The Viacom-owned cable network is teaming with The Walking Dead producer Gale Anne Hurd to adapt Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's best-selling book series Relic and Cabinet of Curiosities, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The scripted series, titled Pendergast after its central special FBI agent, is set in a contemporary New York City, with season one focused on Pendergast investigating a present-day crime mimicking a century-old mystery — that links to his own family's dark past. { "nid": 644454, "type": "news", "title": "'Walking Dead' Producer Gale Anne

read more...

Spike TV and "The Walking Dead" producer Gale Anne Hurd are teaming for "Pendergast," a TV drama series adaptation of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's best-selling novel series following the character of FBI special agent Aloysius Pendergast.

In the novels the character is a highly intelligent, well-mannered, aloof and eccentric slender man who comes from a rich Louisiana family, most of whom are committed or deceased. His wife was killed by a lion years before in Africa, and his brother driven criminally insane during a traumatic childhood incident. Agent Pendergast usually investigates various serial killings, many of which have a highly unusual style to them.

Fifteen novels in the series have been published so far and dealt with everything from diamond heists and zombie cults to a genetically altered beast in the museum of natural history. The first novel in the series, "Relic," was adapted into the 1997 feature "The Relic" but omitted Pendergast's character,...

"Jack Reacher" writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has come onboard to pen and direct the Cold War thriller remake "Ice Station Zebra" at Warner Bros. Pictures.

Based on the novel by Alistair McLean ("Where Eagles Dare," "The Guns of Navarone"), the original 1968 John Sturges-directed feature begins when a spy satellite containing a highly valuable payload comes down in the Arctic Circle just north of Greenland.

A U.S. nuclear submarine stationed in Scotland is sent to rescue the personnel onboard a civilian weather station in the same area, the captain (Rock Hudson) forced to bring along a British intelligence agent (Patrick McGoohan), a Russian defector (Ernest Borgnine) and a troop of marines who have their own top secret mission - get to that payload before the Soviets do.

How this will affect "Mission: Impossible 5" is unsure as McQuarrie has long been the favorite to direct it, but the film's production schedule remains unsure.

I attended a small roundtable with filmmaker and Hollywood's famous go-to scribe Christopher McQuarrie earlier this afternoon to talk about "Jack Reacher," an adaptation of Lee Child's "One Shot".

During the conversation, Graffiti with Punctuation asked about the status of "Mission: Impossible 5" and if McQuarrie had any new updates on "The Wolverine" which he wrote.

I followed that up with a question listing a half dozen projects McQuarrie's name has been attached to in recent years, and I asked what the status of each was. Here's his answers for all of them, plus he also amusingly confirmed he is Not in the running to direct the next "Star Wars" film:

Mission Impossible 5

With "Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol" director Brad Bird confirmed to not be returning, McQuarrie's name became attached as a possible director for a fifth "Mission: Impossible" a few weeks ago. Paramount is reportedly very pleased with...

After the New York Film Festival premiere of “The Descendants” on Sunday night, George Clooney spoke with The Playlist about his future projects.

Clooney says he's no longer part of the heist film “Belmont Boys” and has opted not to direct the narrative film adaptation of the 2005 doco "Our Brand Is Crisis".

One film he did speak at length about though was his adaptation of Douglas Preston’s true-crime book "The Monster of Florence".

The book follows Preston who moved to Italy in 2000 and learned that an olive grove on his family's new property had been the scene of a brutal murder. Teaming with Italian journalist Mario Spezi, Preston began investigating the crime which was part of a series of eight double homicides between 1968-1985.

The pair became embroiled in a web of intrigue that grew all the more sinister when they themselves were implicated by the authorities for the slayings.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker and documentarian Errol Morris tells The Playlist that he's planning an adaptation of Richard Preston’s non-fiction work "The Demon in the Freezer".

Preston’s 2002 book explores the U.S. government’s relationship with the biological weapons anthrax and smallpox, focusing on both the “Smallpox Eradication Program” in the ‘60s and ‘70s and the threat of anthrax circa 9/11. Much like 'Hot Zone' or films like "Traffic", the text follows several different storylines in different countries and times.

Preston authored 1994's "The Hot Zone" which was a hot property that Hollywood tried to adapt in the mid-90's until rival project "Outbreak" opened and beat it to the punch. Preston also penned 2007's "The Wild Trees", while his brother Douglas Preston is the best-selling co-author of the Pendergast book series along with Lincoln Child.

Morris is best known for his documentaries like "The Fog of War," "The Thin Blue Line,...

George Clooney is now attached to "The Monster Of Florence", which has been picked up by Fox 2000, reports Deadline. The film is being scripted by Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects", "The Way Of The Gun") and his friend, Nathan Alexander, with whom he previously teamed for Valkyrie. Based on the besteller by by Douglas Preston (with Italian journalist Mario Spezi), "The Monster Of Florence" would star Clooney as the author who, along with Spezi, tried to bring up evidence against who they felt was responsible for a string of serial murders in Florence that began in the late 1960's....

Deadline has just reported that Fox 2000 has closed a deal to adapt the best selling crime novel The Monster of Florence, with George Clooney attached as the lead. The film will be produced by Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, as well as Grant Heslov and Christopher McQuarrie. Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander are also on board to write the script for The Monster of Florence.

George Clooney is set to play the role of Douglas Preston, who wrote the nonfiction bestseller The Monster of Florence with Italian crime reporter Mario Spezi.

Deadline explains:

Preston is a thriller writer who met Spezi after moving to Italy. Together, they set out to solve a 30-year old serial murder case. Seven couples were savagely murdered between 1974 and 1985 while they sat in cars parked just outside Florence. The trail was cold when Preston moved into a nearby farmhouse and began asking questions. By that time,...

London, Jan 6 – George Clooney will now be seen in a movie based on the famous book ‘The Monster of Florence’.

The American actor would be portraying the character of Douglas Preston, the author of the best-selling non-fiction book of the same name, reports The Daily Express.

In the book, Preston tries to resolve the case of brutal killing of couples.

George Clooney is attached to 'The Monster of Florence', an adaptation of the non-fiction best-seller of the same name, written by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi who solved the cold case of a serial killer.According to <a href='http://www.deadline.com/2011/01/fox-2000-acquires-the-monster-of-florence-with-george-clooney-attached-to-star/' target=_blank>Deadline</a>

Total Videos: (12)

Total Images: (8)');">Valkyrie co-writers Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander will write the script based on Preston and Spezi's book and Clooney will play Peterson in the movie that retell the story of duo who uncovered the identity of the serial killer who killed seven couples outside Florence between 1968 and 1985.Clooney's producing partner Grant Heslov will produce along with Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen.Source: <a href='http://www.slashfilm.com/george-clooney-attached-star-the-monster-florence/' target=_blank>/Film</a>...

Fox 2000 have acquired the rights to The Monster of Florence, a crime novel written by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi about their real life investigation into the unsolved case of a killer or killers (known as Il Mostro) who murdered 7 couples/14 people between 1974 and 1985. According to THR, George Clooney is attached to produce and star as Preston, an American who teamed with Spezi, a local crime author, to solve the case.

Tom Cruise was interested in bringing the novel to the big screen a couple of years back and hired his Valkyrie screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander to work on the script, but the Cruiser seemingly lost interest and the script then found its way to Clooney, who recently filmed The American in Italy (and has a home there) and his producing partner Grant Heslov.

No director is attached at this time but Heslov, whose last film The Men Who Stare at Goats...

George Clooney, quite busy guy indeed.

So, ladies and gentlemen, check this out: Clooney is now attached to star in Fox 2000’s adaptation of The Monster of Florence, the best-selling book by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi.

And if that sounds familiar to you, let us remind you that once upon a time (actually it was 2008) Tom Cruise acquired the rights to the same novel, and even recruited his Valkyrie screenwriter Chris McQuarrie to write and co-produce a big screen adaptation of the book.

Sound’s like some interesting story…

Here’s The Monster of Florence synopsis part:

“In 2000, Douglas Preston fulfilled a dream to move his family to Italy. Then he discovered that the olive grove in front of their 14th century farmhouse had been the scene of the most infamous double-murders in Italian history, committed by a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence.

Preston, intrigued, meets...

George Clooney will produce and possibly star in the serial-killer thriller "The Monster of Florence" for Fox 2000.According to Variety, Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks and Clooney's Smoke House partner Grant Heslov are producing.The project was picked up in turnaround from MGM, which optioned the book by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi as a starring vehicle in 2008 for Tom Cruise when he was running United Artists. "Florence" details eight double homicides believed to have been committed by one man between 1968 and 1985 in Florence. Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander will adapt the screenplay.Clooney will be seen in Fox Searchlight's upcoming comedy "The Descendants" and will direct and star in "The Ides of March," an adaptation of the Broadway play...

George Clooney is currently in competition with James Franco for the prize of hardest working actor in Hollywood.

His role in Alexander Payne’s next featureAlexander Payne(he was one of the director’s original choices for Sideways) is now complete and the film is in post-production, he’s prepping his forth directorial effort The Ides of March (formally Farragut North) and he was recently announced as the lead in Alfonso Cuaron’s long-in-development sci-fi thriller Gravity. There’s also whispers of him re-teaming with old buddy Steven Soderbergh for a big screen version of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Now Deadline are reporting that Fox 2000 are turning crime book The Monster of Florence into a star vehicle for the actor, which he’ll also produce under his Smokehouse banner with partner Grant Heslov and one of the film’s scriptwriters, Christopher McQuarrie.

Clooney will play Douglas Preston,...

The Monster of Florence is a crime drama based on a true story of a serial killer who committed 16 murders in Florence, Italy from 1968 to 1985 which later became a nonfiction book by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi.

Tom Cruise was first considered for the part in 2008, but Deadline Hollywood reports that George Clooney will now play the lead role of Douglas Preston.

George Clooney is attached to Fox 2000′s planned adaptation of The Monster of Florence, Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi’s best-selling book about a serial killer who terrorized the Italian city for two decades. Variety initially reported the story, and a source close to the project confirms that Clooney will star in a script to be written by Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) and Nathan Alexander (Valkyrie).

Read more:

George Clooney pulled to ‘Gravity’

George Clooney’s ‘Enron’ movie will likely seek bigger stars...

It’s certainly shaping up to be a good week for monsters. “Monsters” director Gareth Edwards is directing the new “Godzilla,” and now George Clooney is attached to “The Monster of Florence.”

“Florence” is based on the best-selling 2008 book by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, a true-crime account of Il Mostro, a serial killer (or killers) that murdered over a dozen people from the late ’60s through the mid-’80s. Preston himself ended up being investigated by the police when he was doing research for the book, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The book was initially optioned by Tom Cruise, who commissioned his “Valkyrie” screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander to pen the script. The project went into turnaround with the whole MGM financial debacle and is now in Clooney’s lap.

The earliest “The Monster of Florence” could begin shooting is sometime in the fall, as the ever-busy Clooney...

• Jeremy Renner's Hansel has found his Gretel. Gemma Arterton will star alongside the rising Hurt Locker and Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol star in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, which sets the fairy tale duo fifteen years later, chasing witches. Despite having suffered three less-than-stellar films in 2010 (Tamara Drewe, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Clash of the Titans), Brit Gemma Arterton beat out Diane Kruger, Eva Green and Noomi Rapace to fill these fairy tale shoes. Director Tommy Wirkola wants to shoot in Berlin starting March 7. Let's hope this fairy tale update rises above the pack. - Fox 2000 is bringing to life The Monster of Florence, based on the book by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, with George Clooney starring ...

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As if George Clooney weren't already one of the busiest men in Hollywood, he's adding another film to his growing to-do list.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox 2000 has acquired the rights to Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi's best-selling book "The Monster of Florence," with Clooney attached to star. "Valkyrie" co-writers Chris McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander are writing the screenplay.

The story is about an investigation into the murderer (or murderers) known as Il Mostro, who killed more than a dozen people between the late 1960s and mid 1980s without being caught. While digging for facts for their book, writers Preston and Spezi were both investigated by the police in connection to the murders. Presumably, Clooney would play one of them.

Tom Cruise had originally optioned the rights to the project for United Artists as his own star vehicle, but the project went into a turnaround after UA had some problems during MGMs restructuring.

Clooney to feature in film about series of killings in Italy attributed to the so-called monster of Florence, reports say

George Clooney looks set to star in a film based on a book about a series of killings in Italy attributed to a serial killer known as the "monster of Florence", according to the Hollywood Reporter. Studio Fox 2000 has picked up the screen rights to Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi's bestselling book about a murderer who may have killed more than a dozen people in the late 60s to the 80s.

The "monster" was said to locate couples in public places and murder them, often with a .22 Beretta gun. The killer or killers would sometimes cut out the woman's pubic area with a knife. It is not yet known which role Clooney might play, but the screenplay is being written by Valkyrie's Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander.

Tom Cruise...

George Clooney is attached to star while Fox 2000 have acquired the film rights to serial-killer thriller "The Monster of Florence" reports Variety.

Based on the novel by Douglas Preston ("The Cabinet of Curiosities," "The Relic") and Mario Spezi, the story is a reconstruction of eight grisly double homicides believed to have been committed single-handedly between 1968 and 1985 in and around the Italian city.

"Valkyrie" co-writers Chris McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander are penning the script while Clooney, Grant Heslov, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen are producing.

Tom Cruise was attached to produce and possibly star in the project at United Artists back in 2008.

George Clooney has signed up to star in 'The Monster of Florence'. The 'American' actor will take the starring role in the film, about a man who writes a book concerning the truth about a series of 30-year-old murders which took place outside the Italian city of Florence between 1974 and 1985. Douglas Preston wrote the book about his own move to Italy with Italian reporter Mario Spezi, chronicling the trouble caused when they begin asking questions. Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander will script the project, while Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen will produce it. 'The Monster of Florence' will see Clooney - who spends the majority of his free time in Italy - film a project in the Mediterranean for the second time following his work on 'The American'. His future projects include directing and starring in 'The Ides of March' as well as a minor role, originally intended for Robert Downey Jr.,...

George Clooney has signed up to bring the story of notorious Italian serial killer the Monster of Florence to the big screen.

The actor will play Douglas Preston, the author of the best-selling non-fiction book of the same name, who moved to Italy and set out to solve the famous case, which centred on a number of couples brutally killed in and around Florence between 1968 and 1985.

Oscar-winning The Usual Suspects screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie has been hired to write the script, along with Valkyrie writer Nathan Alexander, according to Deadline.com.

Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

Dimension Films has acquired distribution rights to 'The Home,' an old folks' home-set horror movie starring Ed Asner, Louis Gossett Jr., Louise Fletcher and Cloris Leachman. Pre-production began this week on the Kristoffer Aaron Morgan-directed film, which will go in front of cameras next month in Austin, TX. Pictured above is a piece of Weta-designed concept art for the film.

After directorship passing back and forth between the two, it looks like the big screen adaptation of sci-fi novel 'Cloud Atlas' will be directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis. That's according to Natalie Portman, at least, who will have some kind of role in the film since she's the one who first introduced all of the parties to David Mitchell's novel.

Sam Rockwell has committed to an undisclosed role in 'Cogan's Trade' alongside Brad Pitt, which...

Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

Dimension Films has acquired distribution rights to 'The Home,' an old folks' home-set horror movie starring Ed Asner, Louis Gossett Jr., Louise Fletcher and Cloris Leachman. Pre-production began this week on the Kristoffer Aaron Morgan-directed film, which will go in front of cameras next month in Austin, TX. Pictured above is a piece of Weta-designed concept art for the film.

After directorship passing back and forth between the two, it looks like the big screen adaptation of sci-fi novel 'Cloud Atlas' will be directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis. That's according to Natalie Portman, at least, who will have some kind of role in the film since she's the one who first introduced all of the parties to David Mitchell's novel.

Sam Rockwell has committed to an undisclosed role in 'Cogan's Trade' alongside Brad Pitt, which...

Now this is a George Clooney flick I can get behind: the true story of how an American thriller writer moved to Italy, teamed up with a fellow Italian writer, and together, solved a 30-year old serial murder case that claimed the lives of six couples between 1974 and 1985 who were just trying to get a little somethin’ somethin’. The killer was essentially Italy’s version of Jack The Ripper, or the Zodiac Killer, and he was never caught. That’s just one of the book’s intriguing plots — the other is how the Italian authorities really, really didn’t want authors Douglas Preston and his colleague Mario Spezi to get involved, and did everything they could to stop them. More about the book from Amazon: When author Douglas Preston moved his family to Florence he never expected he would soon become obsessed and entwined in a horrific crime story whose...

An amateur would be detective with an obsession about a bunch of unsolved murders in Italy is on the cards for George Clooney, who will play Douglas Preston. Preston is a writer who teams up with Mario Spezi (an Italian crime reporter) and they thunder off trying to solve a number of murders which saw 7 couples meet their maker between 1974 and 1985. Couple this with non welcome authorities and a spell in jail, The Monster Of Florence could well have us on the edge of our seats!

Serial killers will always be fascinating fodder for cinematic storytelling, and this is especially true when the tale is based on a real-life killer who was never caught. Bong Joon-ho’s Memories Of Murder and David Fincher’s Zodiac are probably the two finest examples of the mini-genre, but a new contender has just been announced that combines a strong film-maker pedigree alongside some truly heinous unsolved crimes. The Monster Of Florence is based on the 2008 non-fiction bestseller from Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, and it explores a series of gruesome killings that took place in Florence, Italy between 1968 and 1985. Sixteen people were killed in all, mostly couples, with the victims typically shot and stabbed multiple times. Many of the women also had their breasts and/or pubic areas mutilated. So that’s pretty effed up and gross. A handful of men were arrested and imprisoned over the years, but the killings continued as they sat in...

Star George Clooney was understandably taken with the gorgeous countryside and ancient architecture of Italy while filming the overseas thriller The American – enough so that he’s agreed to appear in another engaging drama set in the country, titled The Monster of Florence.

Fox 2000 has acquired the rights to the real-life crime novel The Monster of Florence and has fashioned the cinematic adaptation as a starring vehicle for Clooney, who will work form a script by Valkyrie co-writers Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander.

The bestseller was jointly written by American author Douglas Preston and Italian crime reporter Mario Spezi. It recounts the pair’s efforts to solve a 30-year old serial murder case concerning seven couples who were brutally killed between 1974 and 1985 just outside the city of Florence – a case long since abandoned by ...

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George Clooney has replaced Tom Cruise to portray novelist Douglas Preston in an upcoming movie about the search for the Monster of Florence serial killer, Cinemablend.com is reporting. While news of Cruise’s casting and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie being hired to pen the script first surfaced in 2008, the latter still appears to be attached to the film. Preston is an American thriller writer who worked with Italian crime reporter Mario Spezi to investigate the almost 40-year-old case. The two made headlines after they caught the killer, who murdered seven couples between 1974 and 1985, despite facing resistance from the Italian police. However, the movie won’t begin filming anytime soon, as McQuarrie is [...]...

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: After a relatively quiet year in which he released only one film (“The American”), George Clooney is diving back into the game with both feet.

The A-list actor-director has been lining up projects over the last few months, with another one dropping this morning. It appears Clooney is attached to star in “The Monster of Florence,” an adaptation of Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi’s best-selling book about Il Mostro, a legendary murderer who killed more than a dozen people from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s without being caught, according to THR.

In a strange twist of fate, both Preston and Spezi were investigated by police as they dug deeper into their own investigation of the cold case.

In addition to starring, Clooney will produce with his partner, Grant Heslov. As of right now, Chris McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander will co-write the “Monster” screenplay.

At some point back in 2008 Tom Cruise was considering going on a killing spree in Italy. Ok, Ok, fine, not really-- Cruise was just considering starring in a movie about a killing spree in Italy, based on Douglas Preston's account of his hunt for a mysterious serial killer in Florence. It's been two years since we heard anything about the project, and though writer Christopher McQuarrie is still on board to handle the script, starring duties have been handed over to George Clooney. As Deadline reports, Clooney will play Preston, an American thriller novelist who teamed up with Italian crime reporter Mario Spezi to investigate the 30-year-old case of the Monster of Florence. Despite serious resistance from the Italian police, Spezi and Preston managed to find the killer, who was responsible for the death of seven couples between 1974 and 1985. Clooney, who famously spends a lot of time at his...

After spending time there recently shooting Anton Corbijn's anti-thriller "The American," George Clooney is set to return to Italy for another major production with the actor-producer attached to star in Fox 2000's adaptation of crime tale "Monster Of Florence." Clooney will play the actual writer of the non-fiction story, Douglas Preston, who teams with local crime reporter Mario Spezi upon moving to Florence to try and solve a 30 year old murder mystery haunting the city. "Valkyrie" co-writers Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects") and Nathan Alexander are on board for scripting duties after being brought on in 2008 when the…...

No, it’s not a Godzilla-like creature that terrorises the most beautiful city in Europe, a place where I one actually got a case of Stendhal Syndrome – I really did! Any-hoo… Clooney, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is a hot tip to star in a film adaptation of Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi’s non-fiction book, which focused on the infamous Italian serial killer, The Monster of Florence.

I read the book a couple of years ago now and realised Borgo San Lorenzo, a small town outside Florence and murder site, was where I once got stranded after getting on the wrong train. Bloody tourists! But this project has definitely got ‘movie adaptation’ written all over it. You probably haven’t heard of The Monster of Florence, but it’s a bit like an Italian version of the Zodiac Killer. Young lovers were shot point blank in the heavenly bucolic...