Media Murder for Monday

MOVIES

Canadian author Linwoodo Barclay's novel Trust Your Eyes is being developed by Warner Brothers with Todd Phillips as director, his first thriller for the studio. The plot centers on a schizophrenic, map-obsessed savant who witnesses a murder online and investigates, along with his older brother. In the process, they cross paths with a politically connected ex-cop and his ice pick-wielding henchwoman.

A federal judge in New York ruled in favor of Paramount Studios over the estate of Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather. Puzo's family had sought to prevent Paramount from making additional movies based on Puzo's writing, and to cancel a contract made with the author. There's a lot more to the story (and many layers of legalities) that will likely continue in the courts for some time to come, so don't epect another Godfather film any time soon.

This may just be an item in the "wishful thinking" category, but Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC's Sherlock), is rumored to be the next James Bond villain. If that turns out to be true, we'll have to wait until 2014 to see him in the role. Meanwhile, it was reported last week that the upcoming Bond film Skyfall will be released in IMAX theaters a day early.

Speaking of all things James Bond, Digial Spy celebrates James Bond turning 50 on screen with "highlights" videos of all the 007s.

TV

Omnimystery News reported on not one, not two, but four new crime drama projects (here and here). CBS is developing three of them: a crime drama titled Solve For X in which a San Francisco game developer consults for a local police task force; Motor City Shakedown, based on characters created by novelist Jonathan Watkins featuring two very different lawyers forced to work together on cases; and Near Dead, centered on a NYPD detective who may have witnessed his wife's murder while undergoing a near-death experience. The fourth is from ABC, a pilot titled Wrongful Death, set in Florida where "a former cop-turned-felon-turned-Tampa insurance adjuster teams with an energetic but unpolished millennial at a private investigation firm to investigate wrongful deaths."

Deadline also reported that CBS is teaming up with Jerry Bruckheimer for an FBI drama pilot written by Aron Eli Coleite. Titled The Bureau, the project is described simply as "a character drama set at the NY field office of the FBI."

Meanwhile, NBC has a period crime drama pilot in the works titled Edison. As you can possibly guess from the title, it features a young Thomas Alva Edison who works "as a secret consultant to the under-trained and under-equipped New York Police force."

NBC and The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Anne Hurd will produce 11th Commandment, a series adaptation of UK author Jeffrey Archer’s 1998 thriller. Patrick Harbinson (Person of Interest, 24) is writing the script for the project.

The USA Network announced that Covert Affairs, Royal Pains and White Collar have all been renewed for new seasons. (Hat tip to Crimespree.)

TNT renewed Major Crimes for a second season. The show is the follow-up to The Closer, which ended its run after the departure of Kyra Sedgwick.

ABC has ordered a pilot commitment titled Dress To Kill, a drama from writer Jessica Sharzer (American Horror Story), described as "an erotic thriller/soap set in the New York fashion world with whodunit mystery at the heart of it."

John Larroquette has been added to the cast of NBC's midseason drama, Infamous, playing Senator Dwight Haverstock. He joins actress Meagan Good who will play a female detective trying to solve the murder of heiress Victoria Lawson.

FX Networks is developing a drama based on the 1996 crime thriller Fargo from the Coen Brothers. The film featured Frances McDormand as a pregnant police chief who investigates a series of homicides.

ITV renewed Whitechapel, the crime drama set in Victorian London's Whitechapel district, for a fourth season. (Hat tip to Omnimystery News.)

PODCASTS

The Guardian books podcast discusses a never-before-published essay on crime writing from Agatha Christie; takes a look at author Attica Locke and race and history in the American south; and Tanya Byrne talks about young readers who are turning to crime.

Harlan Coben recently appered on the CBS Morning Show to talk about his Myron Bolitar thrillers and his latest YA novel, Seconds Away.

THEATER

A new staged production of Stephen King's novel Misery is set to open at the Bucks County Playhouse in Pennsylvania in November. The play was adapted by William Goldman, who penned the screenplay for the Oscar-winning film version.