Person of Interest Renewed

JJ Abrams received some good news yesterday thanks to CBS. The network announced that Abrams' produced Person of Interest has been renewed for a second season. It was part of 15 other shows that the network has officially renewed including CSI, The Good Wife, NCIS and more. Two other Abrams' shows, Fringe and Alcatraz, remain in limbo but the prospects are not looking good for either judging by the ratings.

Cloverfield Sequel Remains Grounded

While promoting The Cabin in the Woods, Cloverfield writer Drew Goddard provided an updated on the sequel. In short, nothing has changed. Everyone wants to do it but no real progress has been made due to other projects everyone is involved with. Unless Abrams' sells the rights for a direct to DVD movie, I would be surprised if a sequel ever happens.

“I wish I had a better answer (laughs), I wish I had an answer where it’s like, ‘Oh the sequel’s starting shooting at this time next year,’ but the truth is, these things take time.”

“I think if you asked J.J., Matt and I, we each have our own ideas of what we would want to do, which is kind of how the first Cloverfield worked, it was sort of a conversation between the three of us. I’ve certainly thought about it a lot and I think Matt said the same and J.J. said the same, we just haven’t got the three of us together in one room to figure out what we would want to do.”

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.

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:

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.