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While James Patterson is certainly one of the most popular American authors of the past several decades, his novels have not exactly inspired many great works of cinema; adaptations like Alex Cross and Maximum Ride were complete disasters, and it’s largely because they took themselves way too seriously. Patterson may deal with a lot of important subject matter as it relates to crime fiction and American politics, but his work is best described as “airport fiction,” as they are generally disposable stories that would seem rather ridiculous if given any serious amount of thought.

James Patterson is one of the most successful authors of his generation, with an enormous catalog of intense thrillers and gripping mysteries that are all different but equally exciting. His stories are the perfect material to be transformed into movies and TV shows: usually standalone adventures, with a central mystery that drives the story forward with fun characters and interesting locations. The writer is best known for his character Alex Cross, who's been adapted several times on the small screen.

Patterson has been writing novels since the late 1970s, since when his output has only gotten more impressive. He has one of the largest bibliographies of any living author, with huge amounts of stories that cater to wildly different audiences. As such, many of his best works have been picked up for TV shows and blockbuster movies throughout the years. While most haven't been able to capture the magic of the original story,...

Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson have signed on to star in the untitled CBS comedy pilot starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., Variety has learned. In addition, Andy Ackerman has signed on to direct the pilot.

The multi-cam pilot was first announced at CBS in February. Per the official logline, “Legendary talk radio host and happily divorced ‘Poppa’ (Wayans) has his point of view challenged at work when a new female co-host (Atkins) is hired, and at home where he finds himself still parenting his adult son (Wayans Jr.), a brilliant dreamer who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband.”

Atkins character is named Dr. Ivy Reed. She is further described as “intelligent, savvy, and bold” and hosts the radio show “Ask Dr. Reed,” where she gives “helpful advice to listeners with a modern approach on life” before she is brought in as Poppa’s new co-host.

Austin, TX: July 8, 2021—LibraryPass, Inc. hasannounced a distributionagreement with Yen Press to make a selection of their digital catalog available to libraries and schools through Comics Plus. With Comics Plus, readers can access thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga through their school or library—with unlimited simultaneous access for online and offline reading.

Founded in 2006, Yen Press has quickly risen to become one of the largest and most prolific publishers of manga and original graphic novels in North America, including popular series like Kingdom Hearts, Maximum Ride, and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel. Jy was founded as a middle-grade imprint in the fall of 2017 and includes the acclaimed Awkward and Brave graphic novels by Svetlana Chmakova, as well as brand new Jy releases, such as Kyle’s Little Sister by BonHyung Jeong.

“With an amazing service such as Comics Plus and a leadership team passionate about serving libraries,...

Exclusive: Prolific author James Patterson has inked a first-look deal with Sharp Objects studio eOne and has set an adaptation of his upcoming novel The Noise as the first project through the deal.

He has signed the deal via his production company James Patterson Entertainment, which has previous credits on series including CBS drama Instinct and Zoo and Netflix’s recent Jeffrey Epstein mini-series.

The deal will include television and new media, including scripted and unscripted with eOne managing worldwide rights and serving as the studio on all projects under the partnership.

James Patterson Entertainment previously struck a first-look deal with CBS Television Studios back in 2014.

His upcoming book The Noise, a thriller surrounding a deadly scientific mystery, will be the first project development under the deal. The book, which is set to be released next year, is told through the eyes of two young sisters living in the Oregon...

Tagline: "Pass on the Curse within 47 Hours or Die!" 47 Hours to Live is set to release this March. The film's first trailer came out in September of last year. Since then, 47 Hours to Live has gone on to appear at several theatrical events, including one recently in Colorado. The film's story involves a killer app' and if you don't pass on this curse, in 47 Hours, then you will die. This indie horror title stars: Allie Marie Evans (Maximum Ride), Annie Hamilton, Alexandra Deberry and Tom Proctor. The latest release details on this title are available here. The filmmakers, including some of the writers, have put out some of their thoughts on the current state of theatrical movies. They mention the declining box office returns: "the 2019 box office is down nine percent from last year (Film Bureau)." Fewer and fewer people are heading out to theatres, to consume movies.

By now, you've heard of fan fiction and the often cringe-worthy writing that kept many a middle school student awake well through the night, hooked on every digital chapter. Lately, it seems nostalgia's sweet grasp has grabbed onto fan fiction, as many One Direction fans recall silly trends that occurred in fan fiction about the British/Irish boy band. Whether it's a description of Harry Styles's "green orbs," a mom selling her daughter to the band for money, or a girl who attracted Niall Horan's attention by reading a book in the front row of their concert to prove that she's "not like most girls," this content is letting fans remember just how ridiculous some of the most popular plots were. Yet, fan fiction isn't all ridiculousness and cliches. A lot of young fan fiction writers go on to write as adults, like me.

I began writing fan...

Imagine Entertainment has set a broad deal with author James Patterson to develop film, TV and digital projects based on his children’s books.

The deal calls for Imagine’s newly launched Imagine Kids and Family division to develop five titles from Patterson’s children’s book imprint with Little, Brown & Co., dubbed Jimmy Patterson Books. Projects in the development pipeline include Patterson’s “House of Robots” series, about a boy and his robot brother; adventure series “Treasure Hunters”; and “I Funny,” about a middle school boy who dreams of becoming a standup comedian. There’s also a young adult series about a warrior princess based on the upcoming novel “Sophia, Princess Among Beasts.”

Demand for high-wattage content aimed at kids and youth has skyrocketed in recent years as Netflix, Amazon and other streaming outlets have barreled into the kidvid space once dominated by Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

The Patterson...

The first trailer is out for the new Bet series Boomerang, co-produced by Lena Waithe and Halle Berry.

Based on the film of the same name, the series picks up roughly 25 years after the 1992 theatrical release. The subversive comedy follows the children of the original cast as they try to balance making their mark on the professional world while navigating the personal struggles of young professionals.

The first-look clip includes interviews and Bts footage with Waithe and showrunner Ben Cory Jones (HBO’s Insecure), who discuss the origins of the show and how it will look at relationships and dating in the 21st Century.

The 10-episode Boomerang half-hour series premieres Feb. 12 on Bet with Tequan Richmond & Tetona Jackson, Leland Martin and Lala Milan. The show executive produced by Halle Berry, Lena Waithe and co-produced by Bet Networks and Paramount Television.

Boomerang follows the lives of Jacqueline Boyer’s son (Richmond...

A director has been announced for Ghost Walk Studios and 333 Productions' Dead Slate and its none other than Staci Layne Wilson (Psycho Therapy). We have the film's production and casting news. Also: a look at the anthology Vault of the Macabre Presents the Witching Hour and a trailer for Morbid Colors.

Dead Slate First Details and Director Announced: Press Release: "Ghost Walk Studios & 333 Productions are proud to announce Staci Layne Wilson as the director of their upcoming horror feature Dead Slate.

Dead Slate takes you behind the scenes of a slasher film production and follows the stereotypical cast as they are stalked by a masked psychopath who slays in homage to classic cinematic murder set pieces. Max Wasa (Death House) will star as Sammie Borden, the film’s director of the movie-within-a-movie, and Brooke Lewis (iMurders) will portray Captain Lisa Jones. John Dugan (the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre...

Ghost Walk Studios & 333 Productions have announced Staci Layne Wilson as the director of their upcoming horror feature Dead Slate.

Dead Slate takes the audience behind the scenes of a slasher film production and follows the stereotypical cast as they are stalked by a masked psychopath who slays in homage to classic cinematic murder set pieces. Max Wasa (Death House) will star as Sammie Borden, the film’s director of the movie-within-a-movie, and Brooke Lewis (iMurders) will portray Captain Lisa Jones. John Dugan (the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre) and Anna Margaret (Rock Paper Dead) round out the leads. Other cast include Shanda Renee (Raising Helen), Raelynn Harper (Demi Lovato’s Sorry Not Sorry music video), and Luke Gregory Crosby (Maximum Ride).

Producer and screenwriter Kerry Fleming – who along with Victor Miller of Friday the 13th fame, also produced and co-wrote the upcoming horror thriller Rock Paper Dead, directed...

Tequan Richmond (Everybody Hates Chris) and Tetona Jackson (All Night) are set as leads in Boomerang, Bet’s reboot of the 1992 film. Leland Martin (All Night) and Lala Milan (Claws) also are set as series regulars in the 10-episode half-hour series, executive produced by Halle Berry, Lena Waithe and co-produced by Bet Networks and Paramount Television

Based on the 1992 American romantic comedy film, Boomerang will follow the lives of Jacqueline Boyer’s son (Richmond) and Marcus and Angela Graham’s daughter (Jackson) as they try to step out of their parents’ shadows and make a legacy of their own.

Richmond’s Bryson is resourceful, tough and charming. Raised by a single mother, he’s self-assured and doesn’t hide his vulnerability. Every bit as driven as Simone, Bryson wants to make his mark on this world.

Jackson’s Simone is privileged, beautiful, cool and driven to a fault. She has...

Hollywood, CA – Based on the phenomenal bestselling book series by acclaimed author James Patterson, Maximum Ride takes flight on DVD

December 6, 2016 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Patterson’s book series spent 144 weeks on the New York Times best seller list, has sold over 20 million books worldwide, and has spawned 11 Manga comics. The film brings to life the extraordinary journey of six DNA-enhanced young orphans with the ability to fly who are on a mission to rescue the youngest of their flock while discovering the diabolical, scientific secrets of how they came to exist. Their leader is Max, wise beyond her years, who must summon all her courage and acumen to outmaneuver the brutal half-human/half-wolf creations known as “Erasers”, confront her own inner demons and ultimately face a stunning betrayal.

Maximum Ride boasts a sensational cast of up-and-coming talent including digital influencers such as Allie Marie Evans (Vanity), Patrick Johnson...

Prank shows are sources of laughter and entertainment, but what if they took a violent, bloody turn? This frightening "what if?" is at the core of Scare Campaign, the new film from Australian filmmakers Colin and Cameron Cairnes (100 Bloody Acres) that will be making its Us digital premiere this October:

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – September 19, 2016 – Studio71 (S71), the digital entertainment company and multichannel network of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group, and YouTube pranking sensation Matteo Moroni “aka” Dm Pranks today announced the U.S. digital premiere of the Australian horror thriller Scare Campaign on Monday, October 24, 2016. Written and directed by brothers Colin and Cameron Cairnes, the team behind 2013’s critically acclaimed 100 Bloody Acres, Scare Campaign explores what happens when a reality TV prank show’s latest victim unexpectedly turns the tables on the cast and crew.

Explains Cameron, "[Scare Campaign] really evolved from us watching YouTube clips – stuff where elaborate pranks get a bit out of hand,...

A quarter-century ago, Disney gave book-lovers a leading lady they could really relate to. Belle became an immediate favorite for any girl who, like Belle, would rather have her nose stuck in a book than doing just about anything else. Beauty and the Beast is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a new home video release of the film. On that edition, there are over five hours of bonus materials from previous releases and a handful of new featurettes — including a couple that the folks who are bookworm Disney fans will particularly enjoy. One featurette spotlights Walt Disney’s two-month trip to Europe in 1935, where he bought 335 books; many of them are those tales as old as time: fairy tale collections that are still in Disney’s archives and that inspired later Disney films. In another featurette, called “Menken & Friends: 25 Years of Musical Inspiration,” Beauty and the Beast’s...

James Patterson’s Maximum Ride Soon to Be Adapted Into a Live Action Film!

James Patterson’s smash-hit series returns for a triumphant conclusion! This September, the Flock is back and they’re tired of running, and it all kicks off in James Patterson’s Max Ride: Final Flight #1! From creators Jody Houser (Max Ride: Ultimate Flight) and Marco Failla (Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and the X-Men) – Max and the Flock are taking the fight directly to Jeb and the Erasers. And all the while, Maximum Ride keeps hearing that voice in her head, the one that says she’s destined to change the world! But things are about to get complicated when the lines between friend and enemy blur. Could this spell the end for Max and her Flock? Find out as the hit series soars into comic shops and digital devices this September in Max Ride: Final Flight #1!

If any of you knew that there was a Maximum Ride movie floating around out there and didn’t tell me, I’ll have you know I’m mad about it. Not like I’ve been following this series for years. And I’m especially mad, given how hilariously awful the first trailer for said movie looks.

I’m still having a hard time believing a Maximum Ride film, directed by someone named Jay Martin, actually exists, given that this property has been in development hell for over a decade, with people like Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke trying to make it happen along the way. There were once plans to do it as a web series, but that idea obviously changed course somewhere in the midst of development (perhaps as Paramount watched shows like Community and Sin City Saints send Yahoo Screen down the tubes).

Based on this trailer, Paramount...

Based on the James Patterson series of the same name, Maximum Ride follows six children genetically cross-bred with avian DNA as they take flight around the country to discover their origins. Yeah! Sure! Why not?!? I'm not sure if those wings come with the ability to do kung fu, but you can check out some of the avian action with the following trailer! I'm not saying that most... Read More...

"So what do we do?" "We fight!" Paramount has released a trailer for the young adult sci-fi adaptation titled Maximum Ride, directed by Jay Martin, about six orphan kids who are genetically cross-bred with avian DNA. This gives them the ability to fly, and they band together to figure out the "diabolical, scientific secrets of how they came to exist". Yep, it's as bad as it sounds. Starring Allie Marie Evans, Patrick Johnson, Lyliana Wray, Luke Gregory Crosby, Gavin Lewis, Tetona Jackson, Zayne Emory, Peter O'Brien & Carrie Wampler. As expected, this looks very cheesy and designed specifically for the "young adult" audience, so tread carefully. The effects don't even look good and the villain seems pretty awful, too. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) Jay Martin's Maximum Ride, direct from YouTube: Based on the phenomenal, bestselling book series by James Patterson, Maximum Ride is the extraordinary journey of six...

As with many other presentations that have taken place over the past week, Collective Digital Studio’s pitch at the 2015 Newfronts was full of content announcements. Several of Cds’ creative partners--including Rhett & Link, Improv Everywhere founder Charlie Todd, and Epic Meal Time sauce boss Harley Morenstein--took the stage at New York’s Sva Theater to discuss projects they will produce alongside their partner network.

Rhett & Link, who create videos on their titular YouTube hub and their Good Mythical Morning channel, served as the event’s hosts, and they also announced Rethink, a series in which they will take “arbitrary formalities” and each give them “a treatment [to] see whose idea is better.” As an example, Rhett suggested a rethought version of the pinata, in which a papier-mache animal is filled with Kool Aid and kids throw spears at it.

Other new projects include Fake Company, Inc., in which Improv Everywhere...

A woman who has emerged as one of the most popular content creators on YouTube has joined forces with a Hollywood talent agency. Jenna Mourey, whose comedy videos have brought nearly 15 million subscribers to her Jenna Marbles YouTube channel, has signed with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for representation in all areas, according to a report from Deadline.

Mourey, who has been making videos on YouTube since 2010, has rolled up more than 1.7 billion views on her main channel. Excluding official YouTube channels and Vevo channels, Mourey’s 14.9 million subscribers are good for fourth-best on YouTube, behind only PewDiePie, HolaSoyGerman, and Smosh. On a secondary channel she runs with her boyfriend, Julien Solomita, she claims another 1.4 million subscribers. A 2013 New York Times profile dubbed her the “queen of YouTube.”

As with many other YouTube stars, she has recently begun to establish herself across multiple platforms. She is the host of a...

On November 24th, prolific author James Patterson will release House of Robots, his latest work of young-adult fiction. The book's launch, however, won't be limited to print. Four days after its arrival, Patterson and Collective Digital Studio will debut a web series of the same name, which will be available on the Fred YouTube channel. House of Robots tells the story of Sammy, a fifth grader whose life changes when his mother invents an intrusive, error-prone robot named E. The web series, which is animated in a claymation style, will illustrate specific scenes from the book. Its trailer is now available on the recently-relaunched Fred channel, which has more than 2.3 million subscribers. The House of Robots web series continues an existing relationship between Collective DS and Patterson. The media company and the bestselling author are also working together to develop a web series version of Maximum Ride, Patterson's highly successful series of Ya novels.

Inspired by the online success of The Hunger Games and The Fault In Our Stars, Collective Digital Studio (Cds) is looking to turn another young adult book franchise into a YouTube hit. The media company/multi-channel network has secured the rights for Maximum Ride, a digital adaptation of James Patterson's series of young adult novels. Maximum Ride is best-selling author Patterson's foray into young adult fiction. Thus far, it spans eight books and follow a group of six protagonists who have escaped from a secret testing facility. While the most recent book is subtitled The Final Maximum Ride Adventure, Patterson has hinted at more sequels on his Facebook page. The web series version of Maximum Ride will attempt to connect with the franchise's young fans on their favorite medium. Patterson's series is similar to the YouTube community's most beloved books; in particular, its strong, resolute female protagonist shares a...

Collective Digital Studio, a YouTube multichannel network, has begun talks for an online series adaptation of author James Patterson's nine-book fantasy series "Maximum Ride".

The company has picked up the exclusive online rights to the young adult franchise and has begun talks with YouTube talent about the programming event.

The series follows Max, a female avian-human hybrid who escapes with other mutants from the lab where they have been raised. More than 30 million copies of the novel series have been sold to date.

Patterson, Gary Binkow, Leopoldo Gout and Bill Robinson will executive produce. The announcement follows the recent event series order by CBS for an adaptation of Patterson's thriller "Zoo" in which nature starts fighting back against humanity.

Source: THR...

Though the books are beloved and bestselling, an adaptation of James Patterson’s Ya Maximum Ride series is currently languishing in development. Columbia Pictures originally snapped up rights to adapt the novels, only to eventually lose them to Universal. However, Universal recently stated that it no longer had immediate plans to adapt Maximum Ride either. So, with the film’s development currently in limbo, Patterson has teamed with Collective Digital Studio to turn the books into a YouTube series.

Patterson and Cds are aiming to fast-track the web series and tap into the same massive audience that made The Hunger Games and Divergent such hits – albeit on a much smaller budget. “Maximum Ride has a massive global fan base and it is very exciting to think about connecting with them online, said Patterson in an official statement. “I’m confident that Cds will help introduce the book series to a completely new audience as well.

Author James Patterson has sold the exclusive online rights for young adult franchise Maximum Ride to Collective Digital Studios. Cds, a YouTube multichannel network formed out of Beverly Hills management company The Collective, said it has already begun talks with YouTube talent about the programming event, which comes from executive producers Gary Binkow, Patterson, Leopoldo Gout and Bill Robinson.  Maximum Ride is a nine-book fantasy series about Max, an avian-human hybrid, who escapes with other mutants from the lab where they have been raised. It has sold more than 30 million copies.  "James Patterson is not

read more...

Collective Digital Studio has optioned the rights to James Patterson's young adult franchise “Maximum Ride” and plans to adapt it into a web series. A movie adaptation of the series has been mired in development for several years – first at Columbia Pictures and then at Universal. With the movie nowhere close to production, Cds’ Gary Binkow approached Patterson about making something for the series’ youthful and engaged online fans. The books have inspired thousands of YouTube videos, and Patterson previously told USA Today his books were ripe for some kind of adaptation because they are so visual. “Maximum Ride” chronicles a flock of.

Writer Don Payne, who began his writing career on TV in the mid-nineties with episodes of Hope and Gloria, Can’t Hurry Love, Men Behaving Badly, Veronica’s Closet and The Brian Benben Show before becoming writer, producer, supervising producer, co-executive producer and consulting producer of The Simpsons, has passed at 48, losing his long battle with bone cancer. The Simpsons’ showrunner Al Jean stated: “Don was a wonderful writer and an even more wonderful man. He was beloved in the ‘Simpsons’ community and his untimely passing is terrible news to us all.” Payne either wrote or co-wrote 18 episodes of the long-running Fox series beginning in 2000. He segued into screenwriting in 2006 with My Super Ex-Girlfriend, followed by Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Thor, Maximum Ride and this fall’s Thor: The Dark World. In 2006, he told the website Cinematical that “I’ve always wanted to write features. That’s...

Screenwriter Don Payne has died, it has been announced.

Payne is best known for writing several episodes of The Simpsons and co-writing the screenplay to Thor and its upcoming sequel Thor: The Dark World.

Details of his death have yet to be released.

Thor stars Kat Dennings and Jaimie Alexander tweeted about Payne's death today (March 27).

Don Payne won four Emmy Awards for his work on The Simpsons. He wrote 16 episodes of the Fox animation, serving as a consulting producer for 100 episodes.

He also wrote the screenplays for Uma Thurman comedy My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and the upcoming Maximum Ride.

Payne had worked on several TV sitcoms in the 1990s, including Hope & Gloria, Pride & Joy, Can't Hurry Love, Men Behaving Badly, Veronica's Closet and The Brian Benben Show.

For many years, he worked with fellow screenwriter John Frink.

Dennings described Payne as "a wonderful,...

Don Payne, whose screenwriting credits include 2011′s Thor, Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer and My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and who was an award-winning writer/producer on The Simpsons, has died. He had been battling cancer. Payne started out in TV, hooking up with writing partner John Frink before graduating with a screenwriting master’s from UCLA. They penned episodes for such series as Hope & Gloria, The Brian Benben Show and Veronica’s Closet. Payne and Frink eventually joined The Simpsons, sharing in four Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program. In 2005, Payne received the WGA’s Paul Selvin Award for penning the Simpsons episode “Fraudcast News”, which skewered the TV news business. Another Simpsons episode — co-written as was the usual case with Frink — was “The Bart Wants What It Wants,” was nominated for a WGA Award for animation in 2003. Among his projects in the works, Payne, who described himself in a...

Don Payne, best known as writer and producer of several episodes of The Simpsons, has sadly passed away from circumstances that're currently unknown. His longtime associate on the animated sitcom, Mike Scully, broke the unfortunate news on Twitter earlier today. Beyond The Simpsons, Payne co-wrote screenplays for comic book films Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Marvel Studios' Thor and its upcoming sequel, The Dark World. While Payne is also expected to receive story credit for the latter film, we can only hope the 2013 Marvel sequel will be dedicated to his memory when it releases this Winter. Another big-screen adaptation in development, that Payne worked on, is based on the novel series Maximum Ride. Upon having the pleasure of chatting with the great writer through many emails, I found out Don Payne was not only an active follower of our little site, among many others, but more importantly...

If you’re not sure what to get your loved ones this Christmas fear not as we’re here to help! We’ve been give a vast array of books from best selling author James Patterson to give away to one lucky HeyUGuys reader. You’ll get a selection of books that you’ll either be able to keep all to yourself or give away to uncles, aunts, mums, dads and keep them all happy this festive season!

James Patterson’s bestselling books tick all the boxes for Christmas 2012 – with a selection of his very best reads available from as little as £7.99 they make the perfect stocking filler!

One of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time, James Patterson’s novels have sold in excess of 260 million copies worldwide, with over 13 million sold in the UK alone. He has penned some of the most popular series of the past decade including; Private,...

With "Harry Potter" done and "The Hunger Games" bathing in the glow of its box office bounty and hotly anticipated sequel "Catching Fire," studios are buying up promising young adult books left, right and center. Warner Bros. is looking to "The Seventh Son," the first installment of the fantasy adventure "The Wardstones Chronicles," hoping to have another lucrative franchise. Then there's "Maximum Ride," a series of sci-fi books about mutant children by James Patterson, produced by Avi Arad of Marvel Studios fame. Also read: With 'Potter' & 'Twilight' Winding Down, Studios Hunger for Young Adult...

Jessica Klewicki Glynn for the Wall Street Journal James Patterson and wife Sue Patterson in their backyard in Palm Beach, Florida.

“Let’s shoot the breeze for a bit,” says James Patterson, exuding a relaxed attitude on a recent morning at his Palm Beach home despite the fact that he has 13 books coming out this year. He had 11 last year. To date, the 65-year-old author has published 95 books—his most recent, “Guilty Wives,” hit shelves this week—and according to...

Walt Disney/ Walden Media Scene from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”

Between Platform 10 and Platform 9 in King’s Cross train station is Platform 9 ¾, which can be reached only by magic.

Somewhere near the town of Forks, Washington, the woods are full of vampires and werewolves.

Opening the door of an ordinary wardrobe takes you to a world where it is always winter and never Christmas.

Being a teenager is being caught between two worlds, occupying a liminal space...

This week’s Reviewing the Mail begins with a long-distance shout-out to Ellen Wright, who started at Wiley the first week I did, but has since moved up and on to working in Publicity with the fine folks at Orbit Us. My pipeline of Yen Press titles — Yen being the manga arm of Orbit — had dwindled recently, probably because I hadn’t reviewed many of their books in that same period [1], but I now have a batch of them here, and I hope they’ll continue. (Though, again, I imagine I’ll need to review some of those books for Yen to want to keep sending me books — it’s really not difficult to see how this works, if you’re capable of consider other people’s point of view.)

So hooray for Yen, which will be the bulk of this week’s post. But, before I get into that,...

The eBook deal of the day today for the Amazon Kindle is Max: A Maximum Ride Novel, by James Patterson, for only $2.99 (that’s 63% off the regular price of $7.99).

Note, this deal is valid only for today, Monday, October 17, 2011, until 11:59 Pst.

If you’d like to own a physical copy of Max: A Maximum Ride Novel, the book is also available in paperback for $7.99 and trade paperback for $8.99. Both paperback editions are currently part of Amazon’s 4-for-3 promotion, where you can purchase four select items for the price of three (see the Special Offers and Product Promotions section of the product pages). [...]...

Universal Pictures is set to remake the indie supernatural thriller "Phasma ex Machina" reports Deadline.

The original followed a man who, after the death of his parents, builds a machine to attempt communication with the spirit world. Nathan Parker will draft the script while commercials director Gary Shore will direct the film.

Shore is expected to direct this before doing feature adaptations of his own short film "The Cup of Tears" and James Patterson's novel "Maximum Ride".

Universal Pictures has acquired the remake rights to writer/director Matt Osterman's debut feature Phasma Ex Machina (a.k.a. Ghost from the Machine). Gary Shore will direct the remake, based on a pitch entitled Our House, for the studio with Nathan Parker attached to pen the script. Phasma Ex Machina premiered last July at the Fantasia Film Festival in Canada and received positive reception both there and during subsequent screenings. The film centers on a young man who is forced to raise his little brother following the untimely death of their parents. As the story goes, he invents a machine that allows him the ability to travel between realms of life and death at a great cost to both himself and those around him. As for Shore, Deadline reports that the director landed the remake gig following on the heels of his short film Cup of Tears which...

With Matt Osterman's Ghost from the Machine (formerly Phasma ex Machina) now readily available on DVD and VOD, you're able to check out this highly buzzed about indie flick anytime that you want! Just how good is it? Good enough to warrant a remake!

According to Deadline, Universal Pictures has acquired remake rights to Phasma ex Machina, the small independent feature directing debut by Matt Osterman that was the toast of the genre film festival circuit.

The studio acquired the project as a pitch for a horror movie called Our House and has attached Gary Shore to direct the remake and Nathan Parker to write it. John Davis is the producer along with Nick Spicer of Xyz Films.

Shore and Parker are already collaborating on a feature version of Cup of Tears for Universal and Working Title, based on the stylized samurai short film that Shore directed. That short...

Matt Osterman's directorial debut Phasma Ex Machina, retitled Ghost From the Machine for its stateside DVD release, is getting remade by Universal Pictures.

Gary Shore will direct this new version of the story, with Nathan Parker penning the screenplay. The original sci-fi thriller tried to bridge the grey area between life and death as a young man is forced to raise his younger brother after both of his parents die in an accident. The young man becomes obsessed with bringing his mother and father back from the dead, and creates a machine for the task that threatens his life and the lives of those around him.

Gary Shore will make Phasma Ex Machina before embarking on an adaptation of the James Patterson novel series Maximum Ride.

Phasma Ex Machina was released in 2010 and stars Sasha Andreev, Michelle Bergh, Lynette Biunno, Matthew Feeney, Emily Fradenburgh, Bill Gorman, Ted Hall, Mari Harris.

Universal Pictures has bought the rights to remake Phasma ex Machina, the indie feature directing debut by Matt Osterman. Deadline reports that the studio acquired the project as a pitch for a horror movie called Our House, and that Gary Shore is directing based on a script to be written by Nathan Parker. The project is being produced by John Davis and Nick Spicer of Xyz Films.

Shore and Parkers have a relationship with Universal. They are working on a feature version of Cup of Tears, based on the stylized samurai short film from Shore. The plan is for Shore to hopefully direct Phasma ex Machina, and then follow with an adaptation of the James Patterson book series Maximum Ride, and then helm a feature version of Cup of Tears.

Phasma ex Machina, (retitled Ghost From the Machine) "ponders the grey area between life and death and how science can bridge the two.

Exclusive: Universal Pictures has acquired remake rights to Phasma ex Machina, the small independent feature directing debut by Matt Osterman that was the toast of the genre film festival circuit. The studio acquired the project as a pitch for a horror movie called Our House, and the studio has attached Gary Shore to direct the remake and Nathan Parker to write it. John Davis is the producer along with Nick Spicer of Xyz Films. Shore and Parkers are already collaborating on a feature version of Cup of Tears for Universal and Working Title, based on the stylized samurai short film that Shore directed. That short has created heat and prompted Universal to make several deals with him.  I'm told that the hope is for Shore to direct Phasma ex Machina, potentially follow with an adaptation of the James Patterson book series Maximum Ride, and then helm a feature version of Cup of Tears.

Getty Authors Rick Riordan, left, and James Patterson

In an Alice Tully Hall neatly packed with children of all ages – including more than a few teachers and parents – best-selling children’s authors Rick Riordan and James Patterson pushed to convince kids to read and parents to help those kids find books worth their time.

“Reading is so important,” Patterson said. “No place else can you meet so many different kinds of people, and learn their different stories, and begin to...

Having taken on supernatural horrors in vampires and werewolves, "Twilight" and "Red Riding Hood" director Catherine Hardwicke is turning to a real life scare: angry teenage girls.

Deadline reports that Hardwicke has signed on to helm the big screen adaptation of the 2006 book "The B*tch Posse," by Martha O'Connor. Here's the synopsis, via Publisher's Weekly:

The story focuses on three friends, Cherry, Amy and Rennie, as high school seniors and as women in their mid-30s. Compelled by miserable home lives to form the B*tch Posse as teenagers, the three girls ricochet dangerously through their last year of high school, sharing a passionate, almost sinister bond until a terrible secret rips them apart. Still damaged--and separated--by the unspeakable event, the three live equally wretched lives as adults, Cherry in a mental institution, Rennie as a promiscuous failed writer and Amy in a loveless marriage.

Hardwicke knows the subject matter well,...

One of the great elements of Catherine Hardwicke's films throughout the years has been a sense of place and community, whether it was the loose-knit family of orphaned Southern California skaters in "Lords of Dogtown," the tenuous, hard-won relationship between the warm-hearted vampire clan of the Cullens and the occasionally chilly human population of Forks, Washington in "Twilight" or even in her latest film "Red Riding Hood," where Amanda Seyfried's titular character goes from beloved daughter and belle of the town to an outcast whose societal freefall after her encounter with the big bad wolf feels particularly cruel given how strongly the director sets up the world around her.

So there's little surprise that Hardwicke's "Director's Workshop" Saturday afternoon at SXSW, which is fast becoming a home away from home for the helmer who went to the University of Texas' School of Architecture after growing up in the Texas bordertown of McAllen,...

We've been following the fairytale reinvention since Catherine Hardwicke chose it as her first post-'Twilight' project.

By Eric Ditzian

Amanda Seyfried in "Red Riding Hood"

Photo: Warner Bros.

While Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart continued on with the franchise Catherine Hardwicke launched on the big screen, the director left the "Twilight" series behind in 2008, bouncing from one project to another until finally committing to one: the "Twilight"-esque "Red Riding Hood."

For a while, she'd been attached to Summit Entertainment's "If I Stay" and had been eyeing both an adaptation of "Hamlet" and a teen-focused fantasy pic called "Maximum Ride." But in the end, Hardwicke settled on "Red Riding Hood," with Amanda Seyfried in the title role, as her first post-"Twilight" project.

Now, more than two years after the debut of the film that made stars out of Pattinson, Stewart and — yes, god bless those ever-faithful Twi-fans — Hardwicke herself,...

We've been following the fairytale reinvention since Catherine Hardwicke chose it as her first post-'Twilight' project.

By Eric Ditzian

Amanda Seyfried in "Red Riding Hood"

Photo: Warner Bros.

While Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart continued on with the franchise Catherine Hardwicke launched on the big screen, the director left the "Twilight" series behind in 2008, bouncing from one project to another until finally committing to one: the "Twilight"-esque "Red Riding Hood."

For a while, she'd been attached to Summit Entertainment's "If I Stay" and had been eyeing both an adaptation of "Hamlet" and a teen-focused fantasy pic called "Maximum Ride." But in the end, Hardwicke settled on "Red Riding Hood," with Amanda Seyfried in the title role, as her first post-"Twilight" project.

Now, more than two years after the debut of the film that made stars out of Pattinson, Stewart and — yes, god bless those ever-faithful Twi-fans — Hardwicke herself,...

In the supernatural thriller Red Riding Hood, the people in the small village of Daggerhorn have maintained a decades long truce with the werewolf who prowls at every full moon, by offering the beast a monthly animal sacrifice, hoping that it will leave the people of the village alone. When the wolf takes the life of one of their own, the village goes into a panic and turns to famed werewolf hunter Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) to kill the beast, once and for all. As the death toll rises and no one is above suspicion, everyone’s lives are quickly turned upside down and the population of the once close-knit village begins to turn on itself. While at the press day for the film, director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) did this exclusive interview with Collider, where she talked about being a fan of this particular fairy tale since she was a...

Hollywood is all about finding the next hot thing, whether that's a script, an actor, a director, a genre (vampires anyone?) or the ultimate discovery, a lucrative film series.

The seven "Harry Potter" movies have so far netted over $6 billion, while the first three installments of "The Twilight Saga" have earned just under $1.8 billion. That's nearing "Oprah" money, people! (As opposed to "Potter," which is nearing "Zuckerberg" money... but we'd rather be Oprah.)

And that's not even counting all the licensing and swag sales... you gotta figure another few hundred thousand in Edward Cullen lunchboxes alone.

Studio executives would happily hand over their firstborns to the Volturi for a lead on "the next 'Twilight' franchise" (trust me, I've prank-called). That's because finding such a rarity is about as easy as winning the lottery.

Paramount developed "Twilight" for three years before getting letting the rights slip to a then-little-known production company Summit Entertainment.