Arthur Ashe
Oscar winner Kevin Willmott (“BlacKkKlansman,” “Da 5 Bloods”) will write the screenplay for a biopic about Wimbledon tennis champion and African American civil rights activist Arthur Ashe. The work reportedly has the full support of the Arthur Ashe Estate and is setup at Hyde Park Entertainment Group and Warner Music Group.
Ashe rose to become the only black man to win Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, achieving a No. 1 ranking in the world. His victory at the 1968 U.S. Open came as the nation struggled with the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., anti-Vietnam protests and the civil rights movement. [Source: Variety]
The Halloween Tree
Will Dunn has been set by Warner Bros. Pictures to adapt Ray Bradbury’s 1972 fantasy novel “The Halloween Tree” into a feature film. The property was previously adapted by Hanna-Barbera into a 1993 animated TV movie which won a Daytime Emmy Award.
The story follows Tom and his schoolmates who begin to investigate the strange happenings in their small town on Halloween night when their friend Pip is abducted by a powerful demon from the Land of the Dead. With the help of an unlikely ally named Moundshroud, Tom and his pals must journey across time and space to save their friend. [Source: Deadline]
Netflix & Imagine
Netflix and Imagine Entertainment’s offshoot Imagine Impact are teaming up develop original content from up-and-coming screenwriters via an open submission process. Through said process, Imagine Impact will identify and develop feature film ideas in four specific genres over the next year that they will then bring to Netflix. Submissions for large scale action-adventure movies for all audiences with a ‘well-thought out idea and writing sample’ are being sought. [Source: Variety]
You Can’t Catch Me
Paramount Television Studios has landed the rights to develop a television series based on Catherine McKenzie’s recently released thriller novel “You Can’t Catch Me”. McKenzie will serve as an executive producer alongside Todd Garner and Spencer Walken.
The story follows Jessica Williams who twelve years prior escaped a cult thanks to the private detective who rescued her. At an airport bar, she meets a woman with an identical name and birth date. Soon after her money and personal information are stolen and so she follows the trail of the grifter’s victims in an attempt to set a trap and wait for the impostor to strike again. [Source: Deadline]
The Twilight Zone
CBS All Access has released a new promo for the second season of sci-fi horror anthology series “The Twilight Zone” launching June 25th. Jordan Peele returns as host and is featured in the new trailer.
Ten new episodes have been created for the new run which will include guest stars like Billy Porter, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Topher Grace, Joel McHale, Ethan Embry, Morena Baccarin, Jimmi Simpson, Daniel Sunjata, Gillian Jacobs, Damon Wayans Jr., Gretchen Mol, David Krumholtz and Thomas Lennon.
