Joseph Kosinski follows Tron Legacy with Oblivion sci-fi

Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski is developing Oblivion, based on his own concept, as a feature for Radical Pictures.

Kosinski has signed to direct the action feature and will produce along with Radical principal Barry Levine, filmmaker David Fincher and Anonymous Content's David Morrison.

"Oblivion" also will become an illustrated novel, Radical Publishing's first venture beyond comic books, done in a format featuring 40 fully painted landscape images that will accompany the prose.

Described as a “big sci-fi epic” set in a “post-apocalyptic Earth,” where civilization lives above the clouds and scavengers illegally collect artifacts from the polluted and destroyed surface below. The story centers on a battle-damaged soldier who, assigned to a desolate planet after a court-martial, patrols the bleak landscape in an effort to destroy the last vestiges of a primitive alien race. One day, he discovers a crashed spacecraft planetside- and a beautiful women within, who left on a science mission 60 years earlier. When she wakes up, she knows who he is, which doesn’t make any sense to him and together they have to unravel this mystery.

Radical's Jesse Berger will executive produce.

Kosinski began Oblivion when he moved to Los Angeles four years ago, coming up with the concept as something to kick-start a feature directing career.

"I was looking to make a science fiction film that I could do on a budget," Kosinski said of the initial concept. "It's grown since then, but it's intended to be a very spare science fiction film, with a small cast but big ideas and big landscapes."

Kosinski met Levine during the recent WGA strike. Kosinski was impressed with Radical's graphic novels and high-end art, and conversations led to "Oblivion" being turned into a book and film.

Source: THR

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Len Wiseman takes on Shrapnel

Len Wiseman has signed to develop and direct a film adaptation of the graphic novel Shrapnel for Radical Pictures.

Wiseman said was browsing comic-book stores with his 10-year-old daughter, Lily, when he happened upon the comic the day it hit shelves. He quickly had his agent at ICM scout the rights.

The graphic novel, which Radical Publishing teased at last year's Comic-Con, describes a sci-fi future where humans have colonized the solar system and formed a Solar Alliance to govern the planets. The story focuses on Venus, the last rebellious holdout, and a self-exiled former Marine who teaches the colonists how to fight back.

"I am really drawn to the reluctant-hero story," said Wiseman, who noted that the last hero he directed -- John McClane in "Live Free or Die Hard" -- fit that archetypal mold.

Being developed as a live-action pic, a 3D approach is considered possible. A video game is planned with Zombie Studios.

Wiseman is attached to direct "Motorcade" at DreamWorks from a Billy Ray screenplay and also will helm DreamWorks' adaptation of the comic book "Atlantis Rising," penned by Joby Harold, for a summer 2011 release.

Wiseman also plans to direct the video game adaptation "Gears of War" for Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. and is producing the original sci-fi action thriller "Nonstop" for DreamWorks.

Source: THR

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Bousman to direct Abattoir

Darren Lynn Bousman (Repo! The Genetic Opera) will write and direct Abattoir for Radical Pictures.

Radical principal Barry Levine will produce with Bousman, and Jess Berger will be executive producer.

Radical's publishing arm is in the process of turning the property into a graphic novel, based on the concept by Bousman and writing-producing partner Michael Peterson. Artwork for the graphic novel will be unveiled at Comic-Con.

In Abattoir a real estate agent assigned to clean up the remnants of a massacre that took place in a mansion he hopes to sell is visited by a twisted old man who draws the agent into a web of shadows, murders and massacres.

Source: Variety

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Bryan Singer to take the Freedom Formula

I mentioned Bryan Singer's attachment to this back in July last year, but now there is a bit more information about it.

New Regency has acquired "Freedom Formula: Ghost of the Wasteland," an adaptation of the Radical Publishing comicbook series that will be developed as a potential directing vehicle for Bryan Singer.

Michael Finch has been hired to write the script.

The comicbook has a futuristic premise in which fighter jets have been replaced by pilots who battle in racing exo-suits. The protag is a genetically engineered racer who learns his bloodline has the power to change society.

"Mike Finch came up with an incredible take that goes deeper into the mythology of the source material," said Radical's Levine, who is also working with Universal and Spyglass on the Radical comicbook title "Hercules: The Thracian Wars," with director Peter Berg attached and Ryan Condal writing the script, based on Steve Moore's five-issue comicbook series.

Finch just made a sizable spec deal with Regency for "Medieval," an action script set in the Middle Ages that he wrote with Alex Litvak.

Source: Variety

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Depp is going all Western - The Lone Ranger shooting soon and Caliber comic book continues

The Midland Reporter-Telegram out of Midland Texas reported on 2-8-09 that the Texas State Railroad's new owner, the American Heritage Railway, said part of the Johnny Depp movie The Lone Ranger will be filmed on the railway in the coming months.

It's still not clear who will be playing the Lone Ranger opposite Depp's Tonto.

It was also recently announced at the New York Comic Con that Sam Sarkar’s Caliber, which along with Hercules was one of Radical Publishing’s debut books, will continue. Sarkar described the series as “King Arthur as a Western.” There is also a movie in the works, with Johnny Depp’s company producing and John Woo slated to direct.

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