Saturday, November 22, 2008

From Small To BIG

A three-fer with TV ties

*"Gossip Girl guru Josh Schwartz (pictured) is negotiating to write an X-Men spin-off for the younger demo called X-Men: First Class says Variety.

"First Class" will focus on a younger set of super-powered mutant students attending the school for the gifted as introduced in the trilogy.

It could serve as a prequel - focusing on teen versions of the current film characters--though that option seems remote

Marvel published a short-lived comic book using the same name a few years ago.

Producer Lauren Shuler Donner and "X-Men: The Last Stand" co-writer Simon Kinberg are involved. as well.

Schwartz also has the option to direct but has yet to sign on for double duty

Given Schwartz penchant sudsy melodrama--he makes um urm an interesting choice to oversee the project--Sexed up super-teens?

*Mitchell Hurwitz and Ron Howard have seemingly closed a deal for the long-rumored film version of their sitcom Arrested Development reports Reuters.

Cast members of the show have been quoted in interviews since the show's end that a feature flick was in the works,. Now things have moved beyond wishful thinking and into concrete talk.

Hurwitz is on board to write and call action.

*Meanwhile Howard's pal producer Brian Grazer dismissed talk that Matthew McConaughey was offered the title role in the Magnum, PI film currently in development.

Telling MTV "No. I think the idea for 'Magnum P.I.' is to find a counterpoint. To not try and find the new Tom Selleck but to find someone that is just so different that you go, oh my God! That guy is Magnum?!"

Rawson Marshall Thurber wrote the script-- but casting is key and Grazer knows it- "You have to find the actor that adds through his own personality something to the title."

While I agree that McConaughey is not a perfect fit--it also depends on the tone of the script--Is it played as a parody or serious? to the extent that it can be...

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