Various movie adaptions of Neil Gaiman’s highly-acclaimed and much-beloved Sandman comic series have ended up stuck in development hell over the years – much to the relief of the fans.
Now, however, a new challenger emerges: TV. The Hollywood Reporter said Wednesday that Warner Bros. is looking to get the rights for the series from DC Entertainment, and Supernatural creator Eric Kripke is their first choice to helm it. Neil Gaiman is not (yet?) involved.
As a fan of Sandman, I’ve never really wanted it on screen: The story works wonderfully as a comic, and I can’t see how doing it otherwise would any favors. (With all apologies to Dark Horse and their Star Wars folks, it was Sandman that finally showed me of the heights the format was capable of.)
I can’t pretend to be an expert on Kripke, but his name does not exactly install faith in the project: I’ve never been able to make it through an entire episode of Supernatural, and little I’ve heard about the series makes me want to keep trying.
If Gaiman gets on board, I would be a little less OH HELL NO about the very idea. But for now? Here’s hoping for another round of development hell.
One way or another, now is a good time to check the series out if you haven’t already. The first volume is a tad shaky, as all newborn comics are, but things start shaping up with the second.
It’s that time of year when the major networks start to announce their renewals. Here is what I’ve been able to gather, thus far:
Chuck – Renewed for 13 episodes. Not ideal, but not cancellation.
Heroes – No decision, but Grunny is saying the Fat Lady may or may not be warming up. (Does this mean a 13-episode, like the others?) [I'm guessing no. - Dunc.]And the Fat Lady sings….
The SyFy shows don’t tend to announce, yet. So while we know that Stargate: Universe got the greenlight for Season 2 (they’re currently in production), the fact that MGM is financially shaky makes that tenuous for Season 3. But, hey, at least we know that wrestling is safe.
HBO’s A Game of Thrones adaption has announced casting for many of the major roles since we last checked in. But the one making the most waves online since Sean Bean is the news that Lena Headey will play Cersai Lannister, the ambitious wife of King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) and a main foil of the series. Headey is plenty familiar to genre fans from her turn as the title character in The Sarah Conner Chronicles and as Queen Gorgo in 300. (Or maybe even 2005′s The Brothers Grimm, as seen at right.) Here’s hoping she can pull it off.
Other familiar faces include Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Prejudice ’95) as Catelyn Stark, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (New Amsterdam, Virtuality) as Cersei’s brother Jaime Lannister, Iain Glen (Kingdom of Heaven) as Ser Jorah Mormont, and Tamzin Merchant (The Tudors) as Daenerys Targaryen. Check out George R. R. Martin’s blog for more on theyoungeractors.
SyFy.Warehouse 13 is setting records for the recently remonikered network; the show’s sixth episode was the most-watched series telecast in the channel’s history. It beat out… Episode five of the same series! Huh. In less hopeful rumors, they’re reportedly considering a cooking show. ‘Imagine greater’ indeed.
Poor Vampire Diaries. Though the original L.J. Smith books were published back in the early 90′s, the TV series seems doomed to be compared to Twilight and lead-inSupernatural. And yes, that is Lost’s Ian Somerhalder as the bad brother.
Vampire Diaries isn’t the only new genre show we’ll see next fall – ABC has Eastwick based on the Updike book that was last adapted as a 1987 movie, while Fox has the reincarnation drama Past Life. (See the trailers for those at SciFi Wire.) I’m feeling a resounding meh… You?
So it seems that on last week’s Supernatural episode ‘The Monster at the End of This Book,’ the main characters, Dean and that guy played Dean on Gilmore Girls Sam, discover fandom. And slash. Incest slash, of course, since the main focus of both the show and the psuedo-fandom within the show are the two brothers. Naturally, some in the fandom are less than amused…
I gotta say, I tend to eat this kind of thing up with a spoon. (See Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, Avatar’s ‘The Ember Island Players,’ and I’m sure some of you know the names of the X-Files episodes I’m thinking of…) But what’s your take? Is it okay for the canon to take a mocking stance on not only itself but the fans?
A Supernatural fan asks security to remove Jensen Ackles’ girlfriend from the convention. Or at least claims to have done so on her Livejournal. Key quote:
I was actually pissed to see her sitting behind him killing my fan squee, she was a total buzz kill, I mean seriously to sit there while he is with fans was tacky IMO.
Speaking of Heroes, TV Guide is also offering up a bit of a sneak peek into the sexy of Season 3. (Hey, if we can get more shirtless Mohinder? I am all for it.)
As for the new shows, JJ Abrams talks to them about Fringe and a little film he’s doing for the Trek franchise.
Firefly and Dr. Horrible‘s Nathan Fillion has had his new series picked up. Not sci-fi, but we wish him luck, all the same. (And could we get a little shirtless action there, too?)
So Supernatural is getting a fourth season, which I can understand, because they seem to have a huge following, at least on Livejournal. (The show itself? I don’t get it. But then I always liked Jess more, anyway.) Smallville’s continued existence is a little more puzzling, but it is Superman, so go figure.
Yes, there’s a lot of corporate doublespeak going around, but it looks like Veronica Mars is indeed canceled, surprising absolutely no one. I’ll still miss the show, but you know, that’s TV for you.
And yes, Supernatural and Smallville are returning.
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Various movie adaptions of Neil Gaiman’s highly-acclaimed and much-beloved Sandman comic series have ended up stuck in development hell over the years – much to the relief of the fans.
It’s that time of year when the major networks start to announce their renewals. Here is what I’ve been able to gather, thus far:
HBO’s A Game of Thrones adaption has announced casting for many of the major roles since we last checked in. But the one making the most waves online since 
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