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WIRE Buzz: Andy Serkis enlists in Mouse Guard; Dean Israelite wrangles Minotaur; more
The film adaptation of the popular Archaia/Boom! Studios series of graphic novels called Mouse Guard has gained two genre veterans for its cast today — one from Game of Thrones, and another from pretty much every franchise there is.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, genre legend Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Black Panther, War for the Planet of the Apes) has boarded the project, alongside Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Jojen Reed on Game of Thrones). The adaptation is being produced by Fox, and will be directed by Wes Ball (The Maze Runner series).
The original comics (written and illustrated by David Peterson) tell the story of an order of mice in a medieval world. They are gallant protectors of their realm, and their foes include predatory animals as well as other assorted rodents. THR describes the tale as "Game of Thrones with mice." Nice.
Serkis is set to play Midnight, the blacksmith of the Guard who betrays them. Brodie-Sangster will play Lieam, the youngest new recruit to the ranks of the Guard. The adaptation of the Eisner award-winning comic will be shot using motion capture techniques (which Serkis is fairly good at, we hear), and Weta will provide the digital effects. Matt Reeves, who worked with Serkis on the latter two Apes movies, will produce, alongside Ross Rickie, Stephen Christy, and Joe Hartwick Jr.
Production is expected to begin in May.
Amblin has nabbed a pitch from writer/director Dean Israelite, a supernatural thriller called Minotaur.
Deadline reports that Israelite "sold the pitch in the room," and that the film is set in Johnannesburg, where Israelite was raised. It will be produced by Jennifer Todd, with Aron Coleite serving as executive producer. The story was "fleshed out" by both Israelite and Coleite.
Israelite just directed Power Rangers for Lionsgate, which grossed over $142 million globally. This project is part of an overall deal that he has with Amblin.
It's not all mice and Minotaurs today, as another comic property (one that does not star mice) is being prepped for a televised adaptation.
Deadline reports that the comic series Port of Earth is being developed by Skybound Entertainment for a streaming berth at Amazon Studios. The comic series by Zack Kaplan and Andrea Mutti launched in 2017, as part of Image Comics' Top Cow imprint.
The comic tells the tale of The Consortium, an alien alliance that comes to our planet with notions of turning Earth into a spaceport in exchange for advanced technology. The deal is accepted, but it's only a matter of time before restrictions are broken and aliens are causing mayhem all over the place. It's up to Earth Security to bring them back to the Port of Earth.
Kaplan and Top Cow principals Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins will serve as executive producers alongside Skybound. Kaplan's comic series Eclipse is also currently in development with Skybound, and his Lost City Explorer is still moving forward with Universal Television.
