GK Films rides '5th Wave' with Tobey Maguire

MaguireGK Films has acquired "The 5th Wave," a proposal for a young adult sci-fi trilogy from author Rick Yancey that will also be produced by Tobey Maguire's Material Pictures, with Sony Pictures the most likely to co-finance and distribute.Series follows a teenage girl who survives an alien invasion only to then search for her brother, who may or may not have been abducted by human-looking extra-terrestrials. There's also a romantic angle, as the heroine is helped by a boy who might also be an alien in disguise.GK Films principals Graham King and Tim Headington will produce with Maguire and Matthew Plouffe.Jennifer Besser at Putnam Books for Young Readers pre-emptively purchased the book in a major deal for world English rights that was negotiated by Brian DeFiore of DeFiore and Company.Yancey's 2010 young adult novel The Monstrumologist was published by Simon & Schuster and the manuscript is currently making the Hollywood rounds, with CAA handling film rights.GK recently teamed with Maguire on Gary Ross' sci-fi action film "Outback," which has Carey Mulligan attached to star.CAA negotiated the deal. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

Viola Davis dives directly into Barbara Jordan biopic

DavisShe was the flourishing voice from the nation's conscience throughout the Watergate proceedings, as well as an African-American pioneer in politics along with other areas. Now Barbara Jordan may be the focus of the biopic being produced by Viola Davis and helmer Paris Barclay. Davis is thinking of getting the project like a starring vehicle that they will produce together with her husband, Julius Tennon, through their JuVee banner together with Barclay, Shelly Glasser and Diane Nabatoff. Glasser and Nabatoff optioned privileges towards the biography "Barbara Jordan: American Hero," by Mary Janet Rogers. Scribe Paris Qualles is adapting it for any pic that traces Jordan's rise from the poor Houston neighborhood for an chosen person in Congress as well as an influential estimate liberal politics. Glasser and Nabatoff started the project a couple of years back making separate overtures to Davis and Barclay. The thesp and also the helmer happen to be searching for a task to collaborate on since Davis starred in Barclay's CBS medical drama "Town of Angels" in 2000. The possibilities of telling the storyline of Jordan, who died at 59 of leukemia in 1996, resonated immediately with each of them. "In an enormous amount of movies about titans and Martians and toys arrived at existence, if you're able to really try a film in regards to a human who single-handedly transformed American politics, you say 'yes,'?" Barclay told Variety. "We are wishing this turns into a movie that shows the planet exactly what Viola can perform. People haven't seen exactly what she's able to, which role is really effective." Jordan transformed the discrimination from the era against femmes and African-People in america to grew to become an attorney. She made head lines in 1966 because the first African-American lady to become chosen towards the Texas senate. In 1972, she grew to become the very first black lady in the South chosen towards the U.S. House of Reps (and just the 2nd chosen to Congress after Shirley Chisolm in 1968). Jordan was noted for her oratory as well as for her distinctive, stentorian delivery. She commanded the country's ears in This summer 1974 when she addressed Congress around the impeachment of Leader Nixon throughout the Watergate proceedings, that have been public in primetime. Her speech is credited with assisting to construct the essential legal and ethical issues on the line, in unambiguous terms, assisting to sway public opinion. Within an oft-cited passage, Jordan intoned: "My belief within the Metabolic rate is whole it's complete it's total. And i'm not likely to sit here and become an idle spectator towards the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, from the Metabolic rate." Jordan also gave memorable addresses in the 1976 and 1992 Democratic national conventions. After 4 years in the home, Jordan came back to Texas, where she trained law in the U. of Texas as she fought ms. Leader Clinton granted Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. Initial growth and development of the biopic continues to be funded by Chicago property developer David "Buzz" Ruttenberg. Qualles (ABC's "A Raisin the sun's rays,Inch "The Tuskegee Airmen") is beginning focus on the script once it's completed the producers will shop the work for distribution. "Should you consider Jordan to be probably the most commanding and articulate loudspeakers of her era, desire can you think about (for that role) than Viola Davis," Nabatoff stated. "She's so commanding, and she gets the voice." Davis' star has increased previously year around the heels of "The Assistance,Inch which gained her an Oscar nom and diverse other kudos. Barclay is one kind of TV's most searched for-after helmers, who at the moment is being employed as an professional producer on FX's "Sons of Anarchy." Feature producers Glasser ("The Great Girl") and Nabatoff ("Move forwardInch) lately were co-professional producers on TNT pilot "Scent from the Missing." Davis and Qualles are repped by APA. Barclay's with Paradigm. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Keri Russell mounted on FX's 'Americans'

RussellKeri Russell is aboard because the female lead within the Forex drama pilot "The People in america."Project, created by Fox Television Galleries and Forex Prods., examines an intricate arranged marriage of two KGB spies appearing as People in america in suburban Washington, D.C., in early eighties. While Russell will have the wife, Elizabeth Jennings, no actor continues to be cast yet on her husband, Phillip Jennings.The plot thickens once the Russians start to grow an interest in both America and one another.Pilot was compiled by Joe Weisberg, who'll professional produce with "Justified" showrunner Graham Yost, and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey of DreamWorks Television. "Warrior" helmer Gavin O'Connor will directProduction on "The People in america" is scheduled to start at the end of spring, meaning other casting must be closed soon to ensure that cameras to begin moving.Forex continues to be discussing the fate of "Forces," starring Jason Patric. The new sony Television-created sci-fi pilot from author Charles Eglee has gone through several revisions and it is waiting for a reshoot.Russell grew to become a TV star when she toplined the WB drama "Felicity," which went from 1998-2002. This Year she and can Arnett starred within the Fox comedy "Running Wilde," however the series survived only 13 episodes. Bigscreen projects include "Waitress" and "Mission: Impossible III." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Adventures in Hunger Games Marketing: Effie Trinket, Style Icon

Since The Hunger Games' March 23 release fast approaches, Lionsgate is creating a regular flow of stills and goodies and tie-inches to stoke the fires of fandom and they've put an unpredicted bit of marketing muscle behind not only star Jennifer Lawrence, but co-star Elizabeth Banks and her supporting character, Effie Trinket. On second thought, maybe that is not so surprising Effie's strikingly gaudy visual look, connected with image-obsessed Capitol culture inside the imaginary nation of Panem, provides more if this involves marketing options than Katniss Everdeen's tomboy-switched-teen warrior ensembles. To wit: Effie, as carried out by Banks, might be the face area in the official Hunger Games nail polish line, made up of various shades representing the districts of Panem. ("The options never for homely nails," she preaches round the Hunger Games offshoot site CapitolCouture.pn.) Ironically, Capitol styles are regarded as as absurdly garish within the Hunger Games world, which describes Banks's clownish getups as Effie, District 12's government-designated escort. The information will receive a little muddled when Lionsgate which is corporate partners sell "Capitol Couture" to fans by having an positive spin being coveted and copied, but fans have a very soft spot for Effie as well as the sentiment signifies really a cosplay vibe than any legitimate espousal of Capitol culture. (Right?) Anyway, expect if you see Effie's styles was similar to IRL eventually Halloween 2012 needs to be rife with Effie-inspired fan styles, once the franchise's enormous recognition is any suggestion. Right here are a handful of of Effie's looks to help you get started -- she never wears the identical makeup exceeding one outfit, airbrushes on pink foundation, and wears butterfly-adorned falsies, and then we clearly have that to keep. [Facebook, CapitolCouture.pn, Glamour]

Variety, Chopard team

Chopard has joined with Variety to choose honorees for that twelfth annual Chopard Trophy, to salute the job of more youthful-generation thesps. The jury will choose one actor and something actress, using the trophies to become presented in Cannes in a Chopard-located party in a date to become set. The kudos is going to be succumbed the existence of festival leader Gilles Jacobs the those who win is going to be introduced yesterday the fete. The jury includes "Bullhead" helmer Michael Roskam Sarah Siegel-Magness, a producer of "Precious" actress Sharon Lawrence Chopard worldwide communications director Raffaella Rossiello (representing company co-prexy Caroline Scheufele) and Steven Gaydos, executive editor of Variety. Previous honorees include Marion Cotillard, Diane Kruger and Gael Garcia Bernal. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Johnny Depp Joins Edgar Wright For 'Night Stalker'

It looks like Johnny Depp and Edgar Wright may be teaming up to hunt the supernatural in Disney's adaptation of two 1970's telepics and the ABC series "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." Deadline reports that Depp would potentially star as Carl Kolchak in "The Night Stalker." He's a hardboiled reporter who tackles stories that law enforcement doesn't want to touch. Most of the cases in the original tales involved monstrous creatures like vampires and zombies, but Kolchak also explored the dark world of witches and other occult mysteries. With the "Shaun of the Dead" director usually having a hand in the writing side of his projects, it'd be great to see Disney hand this responsibility over to Wright. No scribe has been named yet, though. The quirky stylings of the director and Depp should be fascinating to watch. While we anticipate more news about this inspired collaboration, head past the break for a look at the rest of this week's horror news. Popular Manga Tale 'Bleach' Getting American Adaptation Fans of Tite Kubo's manga/anime tale "Bleach" will be seeing an American adaptation from Warner Bros. soon. The studio has acquired the rights to the story and is setting "Wrath of the Titans" scribe Dan Mazeau to the task of revamping it. The film will follow teen Ichigo who can see ghosts. A malevolent spirit known as a Hollow attacks his family, and the young man becomes a Hollow hunter dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace in the afterlife. The popular story has been adapted for videogames, trading cards, musicals, and more. Can Warner Bros. find the right combination of the supernatural, action, and comedy to create a worthy remake? Will the casting of this one be another "Akira?" The 'Demonologist' Fights Fiends from Hell "Back to the Future" director Robert Zemeckis has found his new producing project in "Demonologist." Universal snatched up the story, which comes from a novel written by Andrew Pyper. It follows a professor who has been studying the epic John Milton poem "Paradise Lost." He accepts a free trip to Italy, but while there a demonic spirit "appears to kill his daughter." The professor embarks on a dark journey to save her from the wicked entities. Will the studio play it safe and make this the next "Da Vinci Code," or will they bring on the horror in full force? Vampires on a Plane in 'Night Wings' We've had "Snakes on a Plane," but get ready for vamps traveling the friendly skies. THR is reporting that a "Fright Night-esque" story is on the way from Ember Entertainment. The company has been granted distribution rights for "Night Wings." When a 12-year-old boy takes a redeye flight, he soon discovers that there are bloodsucking vampires all around him. He tries to convince the crew that the vamps are on-board from Romania, but only one passenger believes him. The guy also happens to be a mourning father, seeking revenge against the vamp clan. Syfy writer Paul Birkett and visual effects producer Dusan Strugar are working on this one which hopefully means these vampires will actually be of the terrifying variety and not the romantic version we've been getting a lot of lately. Disney Makes a Creature Feature Disney and the writer behind fright flicks like "The Ring" and "Scream 4" are teaming up for a creature feature. The Mickey Mouse studio has wanted to create a project associated with their theme park ride, The Matterhorn. They're aiming for an adventure story and have given the job to first-time director Brian Beletic. Justin Springer ("Tron Legacy") will be producing. Five adventure seekers including a travel guide, a cartographer, an escape artist, an extreme sports enthusiast, and an archeologist head to the Alps "for mysterious reasons" and face a group of yetis (think mountain dwelling Bigfoot creatures) guarding a secret. Yetis make everything better, so here's hoping Disney allows its team to play up the gnarly beastie angle. Amanda Seyfried Evades Abductors in 'Gone' Yesterday we found out that Red Riding Hood actress Amanda Seyfried has a taxidermy collection, which made us love her even more. Her new movie "Gone" opens tomorrow. Seyfried stars as a young women trying to escape abduction, haunted by the kidnapping of her sister two years earlier. Having evaded capture before, she believes the mysterious abductor has come back to finish the job, but no one will believe her. Listen to the actress talk about the film on Dread Central. Tell us what you think of this week's Horror Bites in the comments and on Twitter!

Del Toro Creating Day's The Dead

Guillermo's shepherding another 'toonBecause he's clearly made the decision that such things as sleeping are for that weak, Guillermo del Toro has added another project to his sprawling workload. That one, however, he will not directly write or direct, but basically produce, because he creates to supervise Day's The Dead.No, it isn't a Romero remake: it's being co-written and directed by Jorge R Gutierrez, that has cooked up a Romeo And Juliet-style story which will occur from the backdrop from the Mexican holiday referred to as Dia p los Muertos.Celebrated between the foremost and second of November, the vacation honours the deceased, with festivals, parades, hopes and choices of food.Gutierrez, that has composed the script with Doug Langdale, will conjure the film up in CG via Mexican company Reel Forex. It will be a heavily musical film and also the del Toro and co are searching to obtain worldwide artists to lead.All being well, Day's The Dead should be prepared for release at the end of 2014. Del Toro, meanwhile, has already been busy making massive monster adventure film Off-shore Rim, that will hit our shores in 2013.