Monday, February 27, 2012

Abrams' Revolution Finds a Star

Deadline reports that Once Upon A Time's Giancarlo Esposito has scored a potential promotion (assuming it goes to series) as co-star on JJ Abrams' Revolution pilot for NBC. Created by Eric Kripke (Supernatural), the series follows a group of survivors as they try to live in a world mysteriously without energy. Esposito "will play Capt. Neville, a hard-as-steel military man with a genteel southern manner who may not always be what he seems." Jon Farveau is set to direct the pilot, giving a huge boost to the chances of this going to series.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Paramount, Abrams Extend First-Look Deal

Today J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production company have announced they have extended their first-look deal with Paramount Pictures through December 2015. The deal means what it sounds like, any movie ideas that Abrams' company is considering making gives Paramount first dibs on it. The deal led to Mission: Impossible 3, Cloverfield, Star Trek, Super 8 and now many more. The extension of the deal doesn't exactly come as a surprise considering the successful string of films that Abrams has produced, written and directed.

Press release:

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Jon Favreau to Direct Revolution Pilot

Iron Man I & II director Jon Favreau has agreed to direct the pilot episode for JJ Abrams' Revolution. The show was created by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke who will also write the pilot episode. Revolution is an action adventure drama that follows various characters as they attempt to survive in a world where all energy no longer exists. I assume this means man made energy (electricity, possibly gas combustion, etc.) since everything is energy in some form or fashion (wind, fire, water, or even a heartbeat).

According to Deadline, this is the first TV drama that Favreau has directed, normally doing the occasional TV comedy pilot. There are several reasons a movie director often will do the occasional TV pilot (but not direct any further episodes), most of it coming down to money. A feature director can often get executive future credit from that point forward (see Bryan Singer and House), good for building TV production companies (McG, Peter Berg) and because they sometimes get to craft and look and feel of the show with the pilot which continues to be used that point forward (Danny Cannon for CSI). I also understand that depending on the deal, the pilot director can get residuals from every episode for the show that is made after that. Nothing like the potential of continuing to get paid for doing nothing to make someone want to sign up for a pilot.

Friday, February 3, 2012

JJ Abrams Sells Another TV Show

The momentum continues for JJ Abrams. He previousily sold the pilot for Shelter to the CW and now its "Revolution" to NBC. The Hollywood Reporter describes the series as "an epic adventure thriller, the Warner Bros. Television project follows a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist." The show is from Supernatural's Eric Kripke and the pilot episode will be written by Kripe with Bryan Burk and Abrams as executive producers through Bad Robot production company.