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Penny Dreadful (2014 - 16)
Samuel001
Moderator
With the latest James Bond movie Skyfall already smashing box office records, the film’s co-writer John Logan and director Sam Mendes are re-teaming on the TV side. In what would be both Logan and Mendes’ series debut, the two have partnered for a drama project. We’ve learned that the script, written by Logan with Mendes attached to produce and possibly direct, has been sent to premium cable networks.
It is described as an origin story set in the 1800s London in the vein of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which also was set in 19th century Europe, including London, and featured an assortment of fictional literary characters. The Logan/Mendes project features such characters as Van Helsing and Doctor Frankenstein as they hunt for vampires. The drama is unlikely to have spy elements as Eon Prods., which produces the Bond films, has a long history of preventing its writers and directors from working on other ‘spy’ material, even when they’re done with a 007 movie and have moved on. In the case of Logan, he is far from done with Bond – he already has been tapped to write the next two installments, Bond 24 and 25. Meanwhile, Mendes was the first Oscar winner to direct a Bond pic with Skyfall. He is producing the TV project through his Neal Street Prods.
Skyfall is breaking box office records overseas and opens this Thursday on IMAX screens and this Friday wide in North American theaters. Hollywood expects this installment to top both 2008′s Quantum Of Solace, which went on to gross $586M (£367.4M) worldwide, and 2006′s Casino Royale, which grossed $594.2M (£372.5M) making it the highest-grossing film in the Bond franchise (not adjusted for inflation or higher ticket prices). That includes the U.S., where all-in guesstimates top $215M – much better than Quantum Of Solace‘s $168.3M or Casino Royale’s $167.4M.
Mendes and Logan share a stage background. Mendes was a top theater director and Logan an accomplished playwright before they segued to feature directing/writing. Logan has been nominated for three Oscars for co-writing Gladiator, and scripting Hugo and The Aviator. His work also includes Rango, Coriolanus, Sweeney Todd, The Last Samurai and Any Given Sunday, and he won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle awards for his play Red. Mendes won an Oscar for his feature directorial debut, American Beauty. His directing credits also include Revolutionary Road and Away We Go. Both are repped by CAA.
http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/skyfall-duo-john-logan-sam-mendes-reteam-for-tv-vampire-hunter-drama/
It is described as an origin story set in the 1800s London in the vein of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which also was set in 19th century Europe, including London, and featured an assortment of fictional literary characters. The Logan/Mendes project features such characters as Van Helsing and Doctor Frankenstein as they hunt for vampires. The drama is unlikely to have spy elements as Eon Prods., which produces the Bond films, has a long history of preventing its writers and directors from working on other ‘spy’ material, even when they’re done with a 007 movie and have moved on. In the case of Logan, he is far from done with Bond – he already has been tapped to write the next two installments, Bond 24 and 25. Meanwhile, Mendes was the first Oscar winner to direct a Bond pic with Skyfall. He is producing the TV project through his Neal Street Prods.
Skyfall is breaking box office records overseas and opens this Thursday on IMAX screens and this Friday wide in North American theaters. Hollywood expects this installment to top both 2008′s Quantum Of Solace, which went on to gross $586M (£367.4M) worldwide, and 2006′s Casino Royale, which grossed $594.2M (£372.5M) making it the highest-grossing film in the Bond franchise (not adjusted for inflation or higher ticket prices). That includes the U.S., where all-in guesstimates top $215M – much better than Quantum Of Solace‘s $168.3M or Casino Royale’s $167.4M.
Mendes and Logan share a stage background. Mendes was a top theater director and Logan an accomplished playwright before they segued to feature directing/writing. Logan has been nominated for three Oscars for co-writing Gladiator, and scripting Hugo and The Aviator. His work also includes Rango, Coriolanus, Sweeney Todd, The Last Samurai and Any Given Sunday, and he won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle awards for his play Red. Mendes won an Oscar for his feature directorial debut, American Beauty. His directing credits also include Revolutionary Road and Away We Go. Both are repped by CAA.
http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/skyfall-duo-john-logan-sam-mendes-reteam-for-tv-vampire-hunter-drama/
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A couple of weeks ago, Skyfall became the first movie in the 50-year history of the James Bond franchise to cross the $1 billion worldwide box office mark. Tipped as a potential best picture contender, the movie missed out on the top category but landed five Oscar nominations yesterday, including best song for Adele’s Skyfall. Logan is far from done with Bond – he already has been tapped to write the next two installments, Bond 24 and Bond 25. Meanwhile, Mendes was the first Oscar winner to direct a Bond pic with Skyfall.
Mendes and Logan share a stage background. Mendes was a top theater director and Logan an accomplished playwright before they segued to feature directing/writing. Logan has been nominated for three Oscars for co-writing Gladiator, and scripting Hugo and The Aviator. His work also includes Rango, Coriolanus, Sweeney Todd, The Last Samurai and Any Given Sunday, and he won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle awards for his play Red. Mendes won an Oscar for his feature directorial debut, American Beauty. His directing credits also include Revolutionary Road and Away We Go. Both are repped by CAA.
http://www.deadline.com/2013/01/showtime-lands-high-concept-drama-from-‘skyfall’-duo-john-logan-and-sam-mendes/
In PENNY DREADFUL, some of literature’s most famously terrifying characters – including Dr. Frankenstein and his creature, Dorian Gray and iconic figures from the novel Dracula – become embroiled in Victorian London. The series weaves together these classic horror origin stories as the characters grapple with their monstrous alienation. This project marks Logan and Mendes’ second major collaboration, following Skyfall, their recent critically-acclaimed and box office record-breaking James Bond film, which Mendes directed and Logan co-wrote; and their first ever collaboration for television. The project will be produced by Mendes’ production company Neal Street Productions.
“John Logan and Sam Mendes are two of the great storytellers of our time,” said Nevins. ”The visual spectacle combined with the psychological insight in their reimagining of these iconic literary characters seems totally mesmerizing to me. This promises to be a wholly original television show.”
http://www.deadline.com/2013/01/its-official-showtime-lands-horror-drama-from-skyfalls-john-logan-sam-mendes/
With filming beginning later this year, that should give Mendes enough to squeeze this in before Bond 24. ;) Logan will have his hands full writing every episode of the series and the next Bond film.
Filming for the show is taking place in the second half 2013...the time that Bond 24 will likely be gearing up for production if a 2014 release is on the cards.
I think Logan will likely have finished or is finishing his draft of the script for the film now before concentrating solely on the show (after all he aims to write every episode for the whole first season) then with him elsewhere it is likely a new writer will be sought out to continue the script for later revisions. I do hope Mendes sticks around but his commitment to the pilot may deter him and not to mention the sheer pressure of following up SF may be too tall an order. I'm convinced Mendes will return to the Bond franchise, but I doubt it will be for the next film.
I'm sure all will become clear soon.
I could see him returning for Bond 25 as it would be his friend Dan's last Bond film so it would a) be their last chance to do another Bond film together, b) help to give Craig a quality sendoff, and c) being the 25th film it would be another big "event" film which would up the prestige of working on it.
I tried bringing this up in the Bond 24 Production thread, but fish weren't biting it seems.
Maybe it will take a while for some to cotton onto the idea. There is a reason you brought it up afterall.
http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/juan-antonio-bayona-to-direct-john-logan-sam-mendes-penny-dreadful-at-showtime
Hmm... I wonder why Sam wasn't able to direct the first episodes? /:)
CR's Eva Green has now joined the cast. Looks like a very Bondian affair indeed especially with Mendes and Logan involved.
Eva Green is great (and slightly obvious) casting for this rather gothic sounding series.
I hope some more Bond names turn up later. Production begins in October and it will air next Spring.
Here is what Showtime's President of Entertainment, David Nevins, recently said about the series:
What can people expect from the upcoming series Penny Dreadful?
DAVID NEVINS: Penny Dreadful begins production of its eight episodes this October. We expect to have it on the air as soon as next spring. I’m so excited about this psychological horror series, from John Logan and Sam Mendes, who are teaming up again for the next James Bond film. Logan has already written all eight hours, and we secured Juan Antonio Bayona, the wonderful director of The Impossible and The Orphanage, to direct. I’m very happy to be able to announce what is shaping up to be a pretty remarkable cast, with Josh Hartnett and Eva Green, and more high-profile names are expected to be named soon.
What can you say about the characters that Josh Hartnett and Evan Green are playing? And are you thinking of casting well-known actors for Dracula, Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and such?
NEVINS: There will be more announcements. I can’t say anything more today. But, what Josh Hartnett plays is an American fake cowboy. He’s in turn-of-century London, where American cowboy shows were very popular. He impresses the London society women. There’s an intense dark side to his character that I’m going to wait until January to give you more details about. I don’t want to say too much about Penny Dreadful because John Logan is extremely protective about it. And Eva Green plays Vanessa, who is the fulcrum of the show.
Does the performance of Penny Dreadful dictate whether or not Showtime will entertain more genre development, or do you take it on a case-by-case basis?
NEVINS: It’s always a case-by-case basis. I’m trying really hard to offer a broad portfolio of programming. We have all sorts of different kinds of dramas. And whether Penny Dreadful works or not, I don’t think it means it’s going to tell the tale of the future of genre programming on our air. We’re trying to do stuff that’s got depth and psychology. I find Penny Dreadful to be a totally fascinating project. It’s got one of the great writers working in Hollywood. Logan wrote Gladiator, Hugo and Skyfall, and he just wrote the Bette Midler play that was on Broadway this winter. This is a show that he’s been obsessed with since he was 13 years old. And it’s an interesting mix of genres because it’s really literary horror. It’s really smart and psychological, but we’re not going to be gentle with the horror. We hired a true horror master director. If anybody has seen The Orphanage, Bayona is a great horror technician, as well as being a great actor’s director. I think it’s going to scare the shit out of people, and be really creepy and interesting. I have high hopes. I think it will resonate with people who are watching Homeland and Ray Donovan, which are more today’s social realism.
Timothy Dalton will play Sir Malcolm, a hardened African explorer on a deeply personal quest. He's the third lead and main character for the series.
Along with Rory Kinnear.
So come on then, how many people on here will be watching this now?
And why not add in Billie Piper as well. Can anyone say 'great cast'?
Production begins 7th October and lasts until March. The series will be filmed in Ireland.
http://www.deadline.com/2013/08/timothy-dalton-to-co-star-in-john-logans-showtime-series-penny-dreadful
http://iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4286363&tpl=archnews&force=1
Horror and psychological thriller is usually not my favorite cup of tea, but I do want to see this. I bet @DarthDimi is already salivating about it.
Billie Piper has said in an interview she expects to do this for a few years, so the plan is to make this for a while. Logan will be busy. Meanwhile, get Piper in a Bond film, she's great.
I'm drooling over it, @4EverBonded. ;-)
If only Pavlov was still with us, you would make a great human test group. ;)