GAME OF THRONES Franchise Set to Expand with Animated Series

Could an animated return to Westeros be on the horizon?

Sources report that an animated addition to the Game of Thrones franchise is in very early development at HBO Max, the on-demand service for GOT’s original parent network Warner Media.

Preliminary meetings with writers are already underway, per the Hollywood Reporter, although no deals have been finalised and it’s possible that the series may not make it out of developmental stages.  The series isn’t yet confirmed to have any talent attached, either behind the scenes or for voice roles.  Reps for HBO haven’t issued any comment on the rumours, which were widely reported over the weekend.

If the series were to go ahead, it would join HBO’s House of the Dragon as the only official successor to the wildly popular original, after HBO raised eyebrows by passing on the Naomi Watts-starring untitled prequel last year.

HBO Max is already set to have a big year following Warner Bros startling announcement in December that it intends to release all of their original films in theatres and on the HBO Max platform simultaneously.  HBO Max has struggled to find its place amongst a plethora of popular streaming services, and given the marketability of the Thrones franchise, any new series would be a welcome boost in bringing more viewers to their product.

Game of Thrones, based on George RR Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series of novels, premiered in 2011 and quickly became a commercial and critical favourite, setting a record for 59 Emmy wins, and making household names out of stars Emilia Clarke, Richard Madden and Kit Harington. The finale was watched by a record-setting 13.6 million viewers in the US alone, rising to 19.3m once streaming figures were taken into account.  Original creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have declined involvement in any of the many planned spin-off series.

Lara Croft’s Adventures to Continue in Animated TOMB RAIDER Series

Lara Croft is getting her own animated Tomb Raider series on Netflix.

The video game icon is set to continue her adventures from the recent Tomb Raider reboot, developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal, in a new anime series that’s said to take place after the trilogy’s final instalment in 2018.

The series is being produced by Legendary, which just dropped the trailer for the upcoming Godzilla Vs. Kong, and will join a throng of video game IP being snapped up by streaming services such as Netflix’s popular Castlevania and The Witcher series and upcoming projects like HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us.

The news comes just days after it was announced that Lovecraft Country creator Misha Green will be taking the reins on the upcoming Tomb Raider movie sequel, starring Alicia Vikander, following the departure of director Ben Wheatly.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Tomb Raider franchise, and according to a video over on the official Tomb Raider Twitter page, fans can apparently expect a yearlong celebration of the archaeologist’s globetrotting career, including “lots of surprises”. While some may be disappointed to learn that there are no new games in the works just yet – will our Tomb Raider Ultimate Experience dreams ever come true? – Tomb Raider franchise Game Director Will Kerslake teased “big ambitions for the future of Tomb Raider” which will unify the timelines from both the classic Core Design series and reboot games. Who knows what that may look like but we’re excited to see where Crystal Dynamics takes Lara next.

Netflix and Powerhouse Animation to Take us Back to SKULL ISLAND

Kaiju fans rejoice!

If the rumours of the upcoming clash of the titans Godzilla vs. Kong being the last big-screen outing of the two most famous kaiju in history within Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse are to be believed, at least we now have confirmation that the shared universe is set to continue in the form of an Anime series coming from Netflix and Powerhouse Animation – the studio behind massive hits Castlevania and Blood of Zeus.

As mentioned in the above tweet, Skull Island will be set on Kong’s home island and the King himself taking centre stage amongst other (possibly new) titans joining him – although, with just a brief synopsis, we are still yet to discover where the show will take place within the wider timeline. Most likely, it will be set after the events of Kong: Skull Island (2017) and before Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).

However, what we do know is that Powerhouse Animation, based in Austin, Texas, are famous for creating an art style that resembles that of our incredibly talented friends in Japan – which is fantastic news.

We will continue to update you as more news is revealed – for now, as fans of the MonsterVerse we are at least very happy to see it continue, no matter what happens come March 31st when Godzilla and Kong (amongst other yet to be revealed titans) will duke it out for ultimate supremacy as #OneWillFall.

Netflix Unveil Images for SHADOW AND BONE

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New images have been released for Netflix series Shadow and Bone, which is based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels. The 8-episode season launches on April 23rd.

From the press release:

Shadow and Bone finds us in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. But as she struggles to hone her power, she finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive.

Author Leigh Bardugo said of the show: “Shadow and Bone takes place in a very different kind of fantasy world. Think Imperial Russia, not Medieval England, repeating rifles instead of broadswords. It’s a story about the people who have been told how much they don’t matter proving how much they do. And it’s been incredible to see that story take shape on such an epic scale, the battles, the magic, but also the relationships between the characters. These photos give just a tiny hint at what’s in store – a mapmaker with an extraordinary gift, the people who want to use her, the tracker who will do anything to protect her, and the team of thugs and thieves who are about to cause some very big trouble for everyone involved.”

Showrunner Eric Heisserer said of the images: “These photos offer a glimpse into the expansive, textured world Leigh created in her books. We worked tirelessly to craft a lived-in feel for fictional lands like Ketterdam and Ravka, with invented languages, uniforms, currency, and artistic choices from set design to costuming. You’re immersed in the Grishaverse when you read, and it’s our hope that both new and existing fans have that same feeling when they watch the show. The series has an incredibly passionate fanbase and we can’t wait for new people to discover the magic that is Shadow and Bone.”

Shadow and Bone is a Netflix production from 21 Laps Entertainment, starring Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov), Archie Renaux (Malyen Oretsev), Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker), Amita Suman (Inej), Kit Young (Jesper Fahey), and Ben Barnes (General Kirigan). For more information, head over to www.netflix.com/shadowandbone.

Click on each image to expand.

Richard Kelly Gets Frank About a DONNIE DARKO Follow-Up

While he arrived on the scene to near-universal acclaim with Donnie Darko, writer/director Richard Kelly has never quite lived up to the expectations that his ferociously original debut generated. Not that originality was ever in short supply in his follow-up movies Southland Tales and The Box. They’re jam-packed with ideas equal to anything in Darko. The former so much so, it needed three graphic novels to set up the story! One aspect both lacked, however, was Donnie Darko’s disciplined structure and ultimate cohesion. (And Jake Gyllenhaal.) Both suffered at the box office, and while they have their fans, it’s unsurprising that Kelly would eventually be compelled to one day revisit his one true success. Has that day arrived…?

In an exclusive chat with comingsoon.net, the filmmaker revealed that there has been considerable progress on a project which is somehow connected to Donnie Darko: “There has been an enormous amount of work completed. I’m hopeful that we might get to explore that world in a very big and exciting way. But we’ll see what happens. But there has been a lot of work done.”

“A very big and exciting way” sure is an intriguing choice of words, and really does hint at either a TV series or film. Our money is on the former, but we’ll happily take either. It’s important to note that the previous sequel, 2009’s S. Darko, was a cynical and ultimately cruel cash-grab by its rights-owners made without any involvement from its creator. Is it any wonder Kelly’s been laying low since?

We’ll be keeping our ears to the ground for more information on this one, so stay tuned. In the meantime, it’s worth pointing out that Southland Tales just got the lavish Blu-ray treatment this week in time for its 15th anniversary courtesy of Arrow Video. Get your copy below for the opportunity to finally see the notorious, horribly-received (because it was unfinished!) 160-minute Cannes cut that played a large part in ensuring Southland Tales never got the attention it fully deserved on its actual release. Can we get a deluxe Domino release next, Arrow?

FRAGGLE ROCK Reboot Back on Track

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Henson fans will be pleased to hear that Apple TV+’s acquisition of the beloved ‘80s property Fraggle Rock won’t peak with the quarantine-proof Rock On! shorts of last year, and that the initially reported rebooted series will still go ahead. Even better, production is said to have now started in Canada!

After serving as writers on successful comedy shows such as American Dad!, Community, and New Girl, ‘Silly Creatures’ Matt Fusfeld & Alex Cuthbertson will be taking showrunner duties on the show which will see the return of all our favourites, with puppeteers John Tartaglia, Karen Prell, and Dave Goelz reprising Gobo, Red, and Boober respectively. (They might need a new Wembley however, as Steve Whitmore was fired from voicing Kermit the Frog after 27-years in 2017 over his frequent clashes with Disney over their direction of the Muppet characters. After seeing that dreadful ABC sitcom in 2015, he probably had a point.)

Expect more reports from Fraggle Rock as the production progresses. It may not be so easy to just ‘dance our cares away’ these days as the theme tune suggests, but a little bit of Muppets goes a long way during dark times like these.

What would you like to see from the series? Should each territory have a different lighthouse keeper like the original series? If so, who should man the post in the UK version? Remember when it was Damian from Brookside? That was weird. Let us know over on Twitter @STARBURST_Mag!

Are Warner Bros Secretly Conjuring Up a HARRY POTTER Reboot for TV?

Despite its floundering Fantastic Beasts spin-off series and the exhausting toxic politics of its once-universally beloved creator, J.K. Rowling, The Wizarding World remains one of the biggest commercial franchises in the world to this day. It’s of little surprise then that when it comes to its live-action arm, rights-holders Warner Bros would prioritise some further exploitation of its universe, and being the jewel in that Wizarding crown, a revisiting of the Harry Potter series itself makes the most fiscal sense.

According to a Hollywood Reporter exclusive, Warner Bros and its burgeoning streaming platform HBO Max have been meeting writers to discuss the possibility of launching a Harry Potter TV series. The studio has denied such a project is in development (of course they did), but if these conversations have indeed started to take place, and we stand by THR’s story, you can be rest-assured it’s on its way.

Would you prefer a straight reboot, a sequel, or something original just based at Hogwarts itself? Will Rowlings’ pre-occupation with alienating a seismic portion of her once-loyal fanbase scupper the show’s popularity? There’s lots to discuss, so head over to our social channels and let us know what you guys think!

New DRAGONLANCE Series Announced

Dragonlance

A new trilogy set in the Dragonlance world has been announced. Authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have agreed to a multi-year licensing agreement with Wizards of the Coast, the current owners of the Dragonlance brand. The new books will feature classic characters as well an exciting new protagonist.

Dragonlance is a popular fantasy novel series that began with  Dragons of Autumn Twilight in 1984. It was produced as part of a multi-media project to add further depth to the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game system. The original series details the struggles of a party of adventurers as they attempt to stop seemingly unstoppable evil from destroying their world. The series has been regularly cited as inspiration for shows such as Critical Role, especially Joe Manganiello’s character, Arkhan the Cruel.

“We couldn’t be happier to be returning to the world we love,” says Margaret Weis. “Dragonlance is what brought Tracy and I together so many years ago. We’re thrilled to be able to do this for existing lovers of Krynn while bringing our beloved characters to a new generation of readers.”

The new series almost didn’t happen due to legal wrangles between the authors and Wizards of The Coast. These have since been resolved. The first book in the new series is expected sometime in late 2021. Though no official tie-in RPG books have been announced, it is reasonable to expect a supplement for Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition to be released at the same time as the first novel.

With a new Dungeons and Dragons TV show in development, it is tempting to speculate that an adaptation of the Dragonlance books may be seen as a way to fill the gap the left by A Game of Thrones. Certainly they have the advantage that the Weis and Hickman have many completed fantasy series under their belt, something that was sorely lacking with A Game of Thrones.

 

 

Gareth Powell Sci-Fi Novels Coming to TV

embers of war

Gareth L. Powell’s  award-winning sci-fi novel series Embers of War is to be developed into a television show. Breck Eisner, best known as the director of The Expanse, will direct.  The book will be adapted for the screen by Gary Graham, who is one of the most sought after screenwriters in the industry today.

Embers of War is a cracking piece of space-opera sci-fi. Set in a far future, mankind is split into broadly two factions who have just come out of a bitter war.  The novel focuses mostly on the crew of The Trouble Dog, a sentient former warship which now works for The House of Reclamation, a sort of intergalactic version of The Thunderbirds/International Rescue.

Powell’s work is noted for its breath-taking and cinematic style, and the author has been compared favourably to the likes of Iain M Banks and Peter F Hamilton in terms of tone and storytelling.

Former ABC chief Paul Lee’s independent studio wiip are to produce, alongside former Warner Bros president Greg Silverman’s company Stampede Ventures. We understand that the latter has been keen to produce epic sci-fi for some time.

It is very likely that this show, when complete, will be available via a streaming service. None has been announced as yet, but with The Expanse coming to an end, the smart money is on Amazon.

WILLY WONKA Prequel Gets Release Date

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While 2005’s second adaptation of Roald Dhal’s literary classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory failed to capture the imagination quite like the Gene Wilder-starring 1971 musical, that hasn’t deterred rights-holders Warner Bros, who have pushed on with the development of an original prequel story for the big screen.

Wonka, as it’s simply titled, will explore the early years of the eccentric, candy-loving madman pre-factory (and child murders), and is being helmed by the highly praised Paddington and Paddington 2 director Paul King.

The studio has today announced when we can expect to be buying our (golden) tickets to see the movie*, with a provisional March 17th, 2023 pencilled in. As to who will star in the title role, it’s too early to tell, but given the complications surrounding Johnny Depp over the last few years, we’ll go out on a limb and rule out his return right here.

More Wonka news as we get it!

* That’s if there are still cinemas in 2023, of course.

Source: Deadline