News

Amazon is finally bringing two of its entertainment divisions closer together in the world of podcasts, film and TV.

Amazon MGM Studios will adapt a number of Audible podcasts for TV and film as part of a deal to co-develop and co-produce projects.

The move includes the adaptation of podcasts including The Prophecy, Hot White Heist, Nut Jobs, Oracle, Daniel X: Genesis, Words + Music and Breakthrough.

Randy McKinnon is attached to write supernatural thriller The Prophecy, which has been acquired by ABC Signature and Amazon MGM Studios as a one-hour drama series with Simpson Street, QCode and Station26 attached to produce.

John Riggi and Adam Goldman are attached to adapt comedy Hot White Heist as a half-hour series with Broadway Video and Alan Cumming attached to produce alongside Amazon MGM Studios.

Suits duo Aaron Korsh and Rick Muirragui are behind heist drama Nut Jobs, which is in the works at...

Audible Inc. has pacted with its sibling Amazon MGM Studios unit to develop TV series based on a slew of podcasts and other original audio-only content featuring such notables as Kerry Washington, author James Patterson, “Suits” creator Aaron Korsh and more.

The deal brings together two high-profile content operations under the Amazon umbrella in the hopes of hitting a few home runs by by developing series from podcasts and other Audible-produced originals that have been successful with listeners in the U.S. and elsewhere. Among the properties in development are the scripted podcasts “The Prophecy,” “Hot White Heist,” “Oracle” and “Nut Jobs” and unscripted concepts such as “Words+Music,” a look at award-winning tunesmiths, and “Breakthrough,” a singing competition.

Audible, the audio entertainment pioneer that Amazon acquired in 2008, will co-develop and co-produce the projects with Amazon MGM Studios. The titles will be shopped to sibling outlets Amazon Prime Video...

ICM motion picture agent Andrew Murphy has joined Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment as a manager.

Murphy spent the past five years at ICM, where he worked with filmmakers, writers and playwrights. While at the agency, he repped such clients as Nisha Ganatra, Tig Notaro, Julian Simpson, Tina Landau and Ramon Salazar, among others.

“Andrew has a terrific eye for discovering talented voices and storytellers,” Kaplan/Perrone partners said Monday in a statement. “His ability to represent clients across a diverse area of disciplines make him an ideal fit at Kaplan/Perrone. Not only is he a talented representative, but both artists ...

ICM motion picture agent Andrew Murphy has joined Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment as a manager.

Murphy spent the past five years at ICM, where he worked with filmmakers, writers and playwrights. While at the agency, he repped such clients as Nisha Ganatra, Tig Notaro, Julian Simpson, Tina Landau and Ramon Salazar, among others.

“Andrew has a terrific eye for discovering talented voices and storytellers,” Kaplan/Perrone partners said Monday in a statement. “His ability to represent clients across a diverse area of disciplines make him an ideal fit at Kaplan/Perrone. Not only is he a talented representative, but both artists ...

Remember that 2008 sci-fi movie Jumper? It told the story of certain individuals would have the ability to transport themselves any place they can imagine. it starred Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jamie Bell. It was a fun movie, but I've never had the urge to watch it again.

That series is now being turned into a TV series and Jamie Bell is coming on board to help develop it and reprise his role from the film. Doctor Who's writer and director Julian Simpson is also involved with the development of the project, which is set up at Lionsgate and New Regency.

There are no details on why the story for the series would entail, but I imagine it will continue the story of Bell's character if he's reprising his role. There is a series of novels that have been written by Steven Gould, so there's plenty of source material to pull from.

Jamie Bell is not stepping back from that ledge, my friend.

A small-screen version of the 2008 film Jumper — which starred Bell, among others, as a man with the ability to “jump” from one place to another in an instant — is being developed for Studio Canal, New Regency and Lionsgate, our sister site Deadline reports. Bell, who may reprise his role from the movie, is developing the project with writer/director Julian Simpson.

The original film, which grossed more than $220 million worldwide, also starred the likes of Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Diane Lane, Samuel L. Jackson and Kristen Stewart.

This news...

Exclusive: Jamie Bell and Julian Simpson (Doctor Who) are helping to develop a TV reboot of the successful 2008 feature film Jumper for Studio Canal, New Regency and Lionsgate. Bell may be reprising his role from the film for the series which is in development through the multi-faceted TV production and distribution deal between Lionsgate and New Regency. Jumper tells the story of a teenager with teleportation abilities who suddenly finds himself in the middle of an…...

Exclusive: With cyber-hacking such a critical topic across the county and especially in the entertainment industry with HBO the latest to be victimized, The Hacker is Watching at 20th Century Fox just got UK-based screenwriter/director Julian Simpson (Dr. Who) signed on to pen the cyber-thriller. The Hacker is Watching is based on a 2012 GQ investigative article written by David Kushner about the origins, causes, and cycles of cyber hacks and the countermeasures of…...

Exclusive: With cyber-hacking such a critical topic across the county and especially in the entertainment industry with HBO the latest to be victimized, The Hacker is Watching at 20th Century Fox just got UK-based screenwriter/director Julian Simpson (Dr. Who) signed on to pen the cyber-thriller. The Hacker is Watching is based on a 2012 GQ investigative article written by David Kushner about the origins, causes, and cycles of cyber hacks and the countermeasures of…...

'New Tricks' writer Julian Simpson has hit back at Amanda Redman's claims the show has become ''bland''. The actress claimed in an interview the new series of the BBC crime drama - which follows the work of the Metropolitan Police Service's Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad - has become duller because writers sometimes think people are stupid, but Julian has claimed actors should not get involved in such discussions. He wrote in a series of posts on twitter: ''I was going to be writing today, instead I'm just going to hand the actors a pad and pen. I wish I'd learned...

At the first official "Doctor Who" Convention of the new era in late March in Wales, stars and creators, including showrunner Steven Moffat and executive producer Caroline Skinner, gathered to give Whovians updates on all things Tardis.

Teasing the upcoming Season 7 Moffat told reporters: "There'll be utter heartbreaking tragedy to knock about, silly fun ... But if you're laughing one minute, expect to be crying in five minutes."

But Moffat generally adhered to his spoiler-averse reputation and stuck to his maxim of, "If you want to know what happens in 'Doctor Who,' watch it!" However, both he and Skinner were more forthcoming in panel sessions where they and more members of the "Doctor Who" cast and crew took questions from attendees.

And, in a masterstroke that underlined the value they place on the knowledgeable and engaging Whovians, the pair even presented the world premiere of the Season 7 teaser trailer...

At the first official "Doctor Who" Convention of the new era in late March in Wales, stars and creators, including showrunner Steven Moffat and executive producer Caroline Skinner, gathered to give Whovians updates on all things Tardis.

Teasing the upcoming Season 7 Moffat told reporters: "There'll be utter heartbreaking tragedy to knock about, silly fun ... But if you're laughing one minute, expect to be crying in five minutes."

But Moffat generally adhered to his spoiler-averse reputation and stuck to his maxim of, "If you want to know what happens in 'Doctor Who,' watch it!" However, both he and Skinner were more forthcoming in panel sessions where they and more members of the "Doctor Who" cast and crew took questions from attendees.

And, in a masterstroke that underlined the value they place on the knowledgeable and engaging Whovians, the pair even presented the world premiere of the Season 7 teaser trailer...

Here’s great holiday news: our good friends over at BBC America have given us a ridiculously generous and wonderful prize pack to give away to one of our lucky readers. We want it for ourselves, but since we have to give it away, we hope you win! This prize pack includes Doctor Who Series Six, Part 1 & Series Six, Part 2, The Hour, BBC Holiday Gift Set, a Doctor Who Tardis Mini Set, Doctor Who Suit Shirt, Doctor Who Talking Pen, and a Guinness Baseball Cap. No, we’re not kidding.

Check out all the details on the prizes, and learn how to enter for your chance to win below, and good luck!

SciFiMafia.com & BBC America Holiday Prize Pack

Doctor Who: Series 6 Part 1

Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston

Directed by: Julian Simpson, Toby Haynes, Jeremy Webb, Richard Clark

Written by: Steven Moffat, Matthew Graham, Neil Gaiman...

Doctor Who

Series Six Part One

DVD | Blu-Ray

Starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston, Stuart Milligan, Mark Sheppard, Suranne Jones, Frances Barber

Written by Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson, Neil Gaiman, Matthew Graham Directed by Toby Haynes, Jeremy Webb, Richard Clark, Julian Simpson, Peter Hoar

BBC

Warner Home Video

Release Date: July 19, 2011

The BBC release of the first half of Doctor Who Series 6 presents fans a chance to grab a hold of the episodes aired this year before the second half airs on August 27. With fascination with the Time Lord at an all time high in America since the days of Tom Baker, it makes sense that the BBC would officially release Series 6 Part 1 while the time is ripe.

Series 6 of Doctor Who does not kick off immediately after the previous adventures in Series 5. Instead, some time has passed, and companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams...

to fine start before meeting an untimely end

"The Criminal" is a low-budget, film noirish crime thriller with lots of things to commend it, including impressive performances, beautiful cinematography and some fine dialogue. Where it lets itself down, though, is in the second half, when the intriguing (if hardly original) story lurches from crime chiller to conspiracy thriller and ends up in an uninspiring dead end.

"The Criminal", the first U.K. film to be funded and co-produced by Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures, screened at the recent London Film Festival. While it's a fine calling card for many of the talents involved, theatrical prospects are probably limited because the United Kingdom is bulging with crime movies at the moment.

In an attractive titles sequence, neophyte writer-director Julian Simpson sets up the premise of an ordinary guy named J (Steven Mackintosh) who meets Sarah in a bar and takes her back to his place. When the beautiful blonde is murdered in his flat, the scene is set for that good, old-fashioned scenario of the innocent man trying to find the truth while killers and cops are hot on his trail.

The initial setup is helped by inspired use of flashbacks, which offer tantalizing clues about Sarah's background, and by the introduction of a terrific pair of bickering cops, excellently played by Bernard Hill and Holly Aird.

But as J tries to track down the killer, it becomes clear that this is no simple murder but rather a crime complicated by global conspiracies, a trained assassin and the obligatory bent copper. The story gets too convoluted for its own good, tries far too hard -- making the mistake of introducing an interesting character late in the day but quickly killing her off -- and, finally, runs out of steam.

On the plus side, Simpson the director shows a good deal of talent and makes good use of cinematographer Nic Morris (who did the impressive second-unit work on "Alien3") and editor Mark Aarons. Too much effort, however, is put into the sound editing and music, which tends to distract at times.

Mackintosh is fine as the everyman J, while comedian Eddie Izzard is impressive as the forensic scientist Hume, dressed wonderfully against type in an unfashionable brown suit and sporting a mustache.

Best of all, though, are Hill (fresh from playing the doomed captain in "Titanic") and Aird (best known in the United Kingdom for her comedy work) as the detective duo. They spark wonderfully, and the great shame is that Aird's character has to meet a sticky end halfway through the movie. Also worth a mention is intriguing work done by Natasha Little (who recently played Becky Sharp in the acclaimed TV adaptation of "Vanity Fair") as Sarah.

-- Mark Adams in London

THE CRIMINAL

Palm Pictures

In association with Storm Entertainment and the Christopher Johnson Co.

Credits: Producers: Christopher Johnson, Mark Aarons, David Chapman; Writer-director: Julian Simpson; Executive producers: Dan Genetti, H. Michael Heuser, Suzette Newman; Director of photography: Nic Morris; Production designer: Martyn John; Music: The Music Sculpters, Tolga Kashif, Mark Sayer Wade; Costume designer: Rosie Hackett; Editor: Mark Aarons. Cast: J: Steven Mackintosh; Hume: Eddie Izzard; Detective Walker: Bernard Hill; Detective White: Holly Aird; Sarah: Natasha Little; Mason: Yvan Attal; Noble: Barry Stearn; Barker: Justin Shevlin; Grace: Jana Carpenter. No MPAA rating. Color/stereo. Running time -- 98 minutes.