Exclusive: There is a little-discussed Hollywood rumor, explains Nicolas Winding Refn and his long-time collaborator Matthew Read, that Scooby Doo only came to be because Warners failed to land the rights to adapt The Famous Five.
And when you look at the two properties and their uncanny similarities, this argument does begin to hold some weight. Both have daring female characters from a bygone era, ridiculous story-of-the-week capers that always end neatly, and, of course, those lovable pooches — in the former case Scooby and in the latter, Timmy.
If the rumor is true, Winding Refn is thankful for how things played out, as he credits both generation-traversing works with influencing his career and driving his love for the screen. Now, more than 50 years on from when Warner Bros. allegedly failed to land the rights, the Denmark-born director has become the latest to take on best-selling English children’s writer Enid Blyton’s iconic novel series,...
And when you look at the two properties and their uncanny similarities, this argument does begin to hold some weight. Both have daring female characters from a bygone era, ridiculous story-of-the-week capers that always end neatly, and, of course, those lovable pooches — in the former case Scooby and in the latter, Timmy.
If the rumor is true, Winding Refn is thankful for how things played out, as he credits both generation-traversing works with influencing his career and driving his love for the screen. Now, more than 50 years on from when Warner Bros. allegedly failed to land the rights, the Denmark-born director has become the latest to take on best-selling English children’s writer Enid Blyton’s iconic novel series,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Screenwriter Matt Lopez has signed with CAA for representation just ahead of the premiere of his adaptation of “Father of the Bride” for HBO Max. The new movie, starring Andy Garcia as the titular father, Gloria Estefan, Adria Arjona, and Isabela Merced, will debut on June 16, timed to Father’s Day Weekend.
Lopez also penned the script for another upcoming adaptation — this time, Walt Disney Studios’ “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” movie, with 21 Laps and the Jim Henson Company producing. Like “Father of the Bride,” the new movie will reportedly center a Latino family’s story. In 2020, Netflix acquired the rights to his spec feature script “Wraith,” based on the novel “Cyberstorm” by Matthew Mather. Sebastian Hoffman is set to direct that project, which is produced by Emile Gladstone.
In television, Lopez inked a multi-year overall deal with ABC Signature in Nov. 2021. He most recently created,...
Lopez also penned the script for another upcoming adaptation — this time, Walt Disney Studios’ “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” movie, with 21 Laps and the Jim Henson Company producing. Like “Father of the Bride,” the new movie will reportedly center a Latino family’s story. In 2020, Netflix acquired the rights to his spec feature script “Wraith,” based on the novel “Cyberstorm” by Matthew Mather. Sebastian Hoffman is set to direct that project, which is produced by Emile Gladstone.
In television, Lopez inked a multi-year overall deal with ABC Signature in Nov. 2021. He most recently created,...
- 5/24/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Lopez’s Latinx family drama Promised Land is the latest hourlong project to secure a pilot order at ABC.
Previously known as American Heritage, the project is an epic, generation-spanning drama about two Latinx families vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley.
ABC bought the project pre-emptively with a put-pilot commitment last year.
Lopez, who has written feature films including Bedtime Stories, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Race to Witch Mountain, writes and exec produces. Adam Kolbrenner of Lit Entertainment Group (Raised by Wolves) also exec produces.
ABC Signature is the studio.
2021 ABC Pilots & Series Orders
Lopez created the NBCUniversal International drama series Gone, starring Chris Noth, which aired on WGN America in the U.S. He also is adapting Helen Cresswell’s young-adult novel Moondial into an ambitious time-travel drama for Fulwell 73. On the feature side, he is writing a new Father of the Bride movie...
Previously known as American Heritage, the project is an epic, generation-spanning drama about two Latinx families vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley.
ABC bought the project pre-emptively with a put-pilot commitment last year.
Lopez, who has written feature films including Bedtime Stories, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Race to Witch Mountain, writes and exec produces. Adam Kolbrenner of Lit Entertainment Group (Raised by Wolves) also exec produces.
ABC Signature is the studio.
2021 ABC Pilots & Series Orders
Lopez created the NBCUniversal International drama series Gone, starring Chris Noth, which aired on WGN America in the U.S. He also is adapting Helen Cresswell’s young-adult novel Moondial into an ambitious time-travel drama for Fulwell 73. On the feature side, he is writing a new Father of the Bride movie...
- 2/22/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: ABC is developing American Heritage, a drama from writer Matt Lopez (Bedtime Stories). The network bought the project preemptively with a put pilot commitment.
Written by Lopez, American Heritage is an epic drama about two Latinx immigrant families vying for wealth, power, and the American Dream in California’s Sonoma Valley.
Lopez executive produces with Adam Kolbrenner of Lit Entertainment Group (Raised By Wolves). ABC Signature is the studio.
American Heritage expands Lopez’s longstanding relationship with Disney on the feature side where he has been a go-to writer, working on such movies as Bedtime Stories, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Race to Witch Mountain. At ABC and ABC Signature (form. ABC Studios), Lopez previously developed drama Gothica, which went to pilot.
Lopez created the NBCUniversal International drama series Gone starring Chris Noth, which aired on Wgn America in the U.S. He also is adapting Helen Cresswell’s young...
Written by Lopez, American Heritage is an epic drama about two Latinx immigrant families vying for wealth, power, and the American Dream in California’s Sonoma Valley.
Lopez executive produces with Adam Kolbrenner of Lit Entertainment Group (Raised By Wolves). ABC Signature is the studio.
American Heritage expands Lopez’s longstanding relationship with Disney on the feature side where he has been a go-to writer, working on such movies as Bedtime Stories, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Race to Witch Mountain. At ABC and ABC Signature (form. ABC Studios), Lopez previously developed drama Gothica, which went to pilot.
Lopez created the NBCUniversal International drama series Gone starring Chris Noth, which aired on Wgn America in the U.S. He also is adapting Helen Cresswell’s young...
- 10/9/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Independent U.K. production outfits Fulwell73 and Empty Room Productions have partnered to develop and co-produce a feature film based on the true story of a Welsh community that hosted a drag show to raise funds needed to bring their church back from disrepair.
The project, which has the working title “Dragged to Church,” is inspired by the story of a desperate church priest in Wales who contacted local LGBTQ+ radio presenters and asked for help to repair the church, as a last resort. The result was a Christmas drag show and concert that ended up embodying the spirit of the festive season and literally raised the roof of the church once again.
Empty Room was formed last year by BAFTA-winning actor Eve Myles (“Keeping Faith”), Pip Broughton and Adrian Bate as a sister company to Vox Pictures. Myles is also set to star and will co-write the screenplay with...
The project, which has the working title “Dragged to Church,” is inspired by the story of a desperate church priest in Wales who contacted local LGBTQ+ radio presenters and asked for help to repair the church, as a last resort. The result was a Christmas drag show and concert that ended up embodying the spirit of the festive season and literally raised the roof of the church once again.
Empty Room was formed last year by BAFTA-winning actor Eve Myles (“Keeping Faith”), Pip Broughton and Adrian Bate as a sister company to Vox Pictures. Myles is also set to star and will co-write the screenplay with...
- 9/3/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Myles will produce through Empty Room Productions.
Welsh actress Eve Myles is partnering with UK outfit Fulwell73 to co-produce Dragged To Church, based on the true story of a Welsh community hosting a drag show to raise funds for their church.
Myles, renowned for the TV series Keeping Faith and Torchwood, will star in the project and produce through her Empty Room Productions, as well as co-writing the screenplay with Peter Darney.
Leo Pearlman and Heather Greenwood will executive produce for Fulwell73, alongside Adrian Bate and Pip Broughton for Empty Room.
The film is inspired by the true story of...
Welsh actress Eve Myles is partnering with UK outfit Fulwell73 to co-produce Dragged To Church, based on the true story of a Welsh community hosting a drag show to raise funds for their church.
Myles, renowned for the TV series Keeping Faith and Torchwood, will star in the project and produce through her Empty Room Productions, as well as co-writing the screenplay with Peter Darney.
Leo Pearlman and Heather Greenwood will executive produce for Fulwell73, alongside Adrian Bate and Pip Broughton for Empty Room.
The film is inspired by the true story of...
- 9/3/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Hello International Insider friends, and happy Friday. Jake Kanter with you this week, and here’s everything you need to know about the global film and TV business. If you want to subscribe to get this alert in a timely fashion, sign up here.
‘Mulan’ Mayhem
Another turbulent week in the world of cinemas: If you thought the recent backlash against Universal and AMC after they shook hands on a deal to shorten the theatrical window on certain mid-level titles was strong, think again, as evidenced this week when Disney dropped a bomb in announcing that it would bypass cinemas entirely by placing Mulan directly on Disney+. Deadline spoke to UK cinema owners, who called it a “f**k you to exhibitors,” while we also tracked down a Parisian operator who took a baseball bat to a Mulan pop-up poster.
It all started so well: Earlier this week, there had...
‘Mulan’ Mayhem
Another turbulent week in the world of cinemas: If you thought the recent backlash against Universal and AMC after they shook hands on a deal to shorten the theatrical window on certain mid-level titles was strong, think again, as evidenced this week when Disney dropped a bomb in announcing that it would bypass cinemas entirely by placing Mulan directly on Disney+. Deadline spoke to UK cinema owners, who called it a “f**k you to exhibitors,” while we also tracked down a Parisian operator who took a baseball bat to a Mulan pop-up poster.
It all started so well: Earlier this week, there had...
- 8/7/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Fulwell 73 has secured the rights to turn Helen Cresswell’s young adult novel Moondial into an ambitious time travel drama after the book inspired a popular BBC series of the same name in 1988.
The James Corden-backed company will team with Matt Lopez, who wrote Nicolas Cage starrer The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Dwayne Johnson’s Race To Witch Mountain, to reimagine the book, which follows a teenage girl as she discovers a portal through time while wandering the grounds of a nearby mansion.
Also partnering on the project is Wiip, the indie studio run by former BBC and ABC executive Paul Lee. Executive producers are Lopez; Leo Pearlman, Jeff Grosvenor and Heather Greenwood for Fulwell 73; and Lee and Nne Ebong for Wiip.
Fulwell 73 partner Pearlman said the BBC drama was a big inspiration for the series, with Greenwood being a “fan of all things BBC Ya” from the 1980s.
The James Corden-backed company will team with Matt Lopez, who wrote Nicolas Cage starrer The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Dwayne Johnson’s Race To Witch Mountain, to reimagine the book, which follows a teenage girl as she discovers a portal through time while wandering the grounds of a nearby mansion.
Also partnering on the project is Wiip, the indie studio run by former BBC and ABC executive Paul Lee. Executive producers are Lopez; Leo Pearlman, Jeff Grosvenor and Heather Greenwood for Fulwell 73; and Lee and Nne Ebong for Wiip.
Fulwell 73 partner Pearlman said the BBC drama was a big inspiration for the series, with Greenwood being a “fan of all things BBC Ya” from the 1980s.
- 8/7/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Alex Westthorp Sep 19, 2016
We revisit Tom's Midnight Garden, Moondial, The Chronicles Of Narnia and a few lesser-known UK children's TV series...
Read our look-back at UK kids' fantasy dramas 1980 - 1984 here.
By 1985 British TV's children's drama had really hit its stride, achieving "a balanced diet of programmes" as Edward Barnes, the head of the BBC children's department observed. The late 80s, arguably, saw a new golden age for spooky and magical kids drama. Excellent production values, improved significantly by well-honed special effects work using Quantel, Paintbox and Harry, and moreover some interesting casting - often of very talented newcomers - produced some of the most memorable dramas of the era.
The second half of the decade saw the BBC riding high on the back of the success of their state-of-the-art adaptation of John Masefield's Box Of Delights. Meanwhile, anthology series Dramarama was going from strength to strength on ITV.
We revisit Tom's Midnight Garden, Moondial, The Chronicles Of Narnia and a few lesser-known UK children's TV series...
Read our look-back at UK kids' fantasy dramas 1980 - 1984 here.
By 1985 British TV's children's drama had really hit its stride, achieving "a balanced diet of programmes" as Edward Barnes, the head of the BBC children's department observed. The late 80s, arguably, saw a new golden age for spooky and magical kids drama. Excellent production values, improved significantly by well-honed special effects work using Quantel, Paintbox and Harry, and moreover some interesting casting - often of very talented newcomers - produced some of the most memorable dramas of the era.
The second half of the decade saw the BBC riding high on the back of the success of their state-of-the-art adaptation of John Masefield's Box Of Delights. Meanwhile, anthology series Dramarama was going from strength to strength on ITV.
- 8/16/2016
- Den of Geek
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