Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
WIRE Buzz: Discworld coming to TV; Snowpiercer timeline; Ryan Renolds talks Free Guy
Terry Pratchett's magnum opus, the Discworld book series, is finally getting the adaptation treatment it deserves. According to Variety, Motive Pictures and Endeavor Content will develop a number of "absolutely faithful" TV adaptations in tandem with the late author's production company, Narrativia.
“Discworld teems with unique characters, witty narrative and incredible literary tropes, and we feel these should be realised on screen in a form that my father would be proud of. It’s wonderful to embark on this journey with Motive and Endeavor Content, who both perfectly share our vision to make this a reality," Rhianna Pratchett, co-director of Narrativia and Terry Pratchett’s daughter, said in a statement published by Variety.
Forty-one Discworld novels were published between 1983 and 2015. The final installment (The Shepherd's Crown) was released several months after Pratchett's death in March 2015. Known for their satiric tone, grand worldbuilding, and famous literary influences, the books are set in a land that resides upon the backs of four massive elephants. In turn, those pachyderms stand upon the back of an even bigger turtle, A'Tuin, that glides through space.
"Discworld is a national treasure and we are thrilled to be forging this new partnership with Narrativia and Endeavor Content. Together we will produce shows that will be loved by millions of Discworld fans worldwide, whilst also opening up Sir Terry Pratchett’s epic creations and legacy to new audiences," added Simon Maxwell, CEO of Motive Pictures.
With this new deal in place, it is unclear whether the BBC is still pursuing its own TV translation of the books. The eight-part project (titled The Watch) was first reported on in the summer of 2018. Adam Hugill (Pennyworth) and Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones) joined the cast last year.
A feature-length animated adaptation of The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents is also in development and scheduled for release in 2022.
Good Omens, the satirical novel Pratchett co-wrote with Neil Gaiman, became a series on Amazon in 2019.
Are you excited for TNT's upcoming Snowpiercer TV series, but confused about where it falls in relation to the original French comic and Bong Joon-ho's 2013 film version? Titan Comics now has you covered with an official timeline for the now-famous dystopian, multimedia property.
Based on a new infographic, the TV show is set seven years after the "Extinction Event" and eight years before Bong's big-screen feature. Apocalypse, the second installment in Titan's prequel comic series, goes on sale this summer. Part 3, Annihilation, arrives in summer 2021.
Piggybacking on the buzz surrounding the TNT series arrival, the publisher is re-releasing the original series in special trade paperbacks with new covers in June and July of this year.
“You haven't experienced Snowpiercer until you've read the graphic novel collection — this timeline is the perfect guide to those who want to jump aboard but don't know where to start, and those who want to take the journey all over again from the very beginning," Titan editor Jake Devin said in a statement.
Snowpiercer makes its television debut Sunday, May 17, at 9 p.m. EST.
It seems like Ryan Reynolds' love of Deadpool must take second place to his love for Free Guy.
Posting the new Total Film cover that features the video game comedy, the actor wrote: "Love this #FreeGuy cover by @totalfilm. It’s my all time favorite film I’ve ever done. Just an absolute fastball of joy. #JodieComer."
Directed by Shawn Levy (Stranger Things), the movie centers on a non-playable character named guy (Reynolds), who gains sentience in the open-world video game that birthed him. Comer (Killing Eve) plays Milly, one of the developers who devised the code that helped Guy become self-aware. Milly's in-game avatar, known as "Molotov Girl," allows her to interact with him.
“It’s a cross between Grand Theft Auto and The Truman Show, and I’m finding it to be one of the biggest musical challenges of my career," the film's composer, Christophe Beck, told SYFY WIRE last year.
Reynolds apparently loved working with Levy so much that the two have already found their next project together: the time-travel adventure Our Name Is Adam.
Free Guy presses play in theaters Friday, Dec. 11. Written by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn, it co-stars Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Taika Waititi, and Sean McLoughlin.
