Media Murder for Monday

MOVIES

Christian Bale is in talks to portray the iconic private eye Travis McGhee in the film adaptation of John D. MacDonald's novel The Deep Blue Good-By. Leonardo DiCaprio is producing, and Dennis Lehane wrote the most recent draft of the script.

MGM is developing Terry Hayes’ international bestselling spy thriller I Am Pilgrim, with Hayes adapting his novel for the big screen. Hayes is also an award-winning screenwriter with credits such as Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and Dead Calm. The plot centers on a man who once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence but is called back from retirement and gets caught in a race-against-time to save America from destruction. (Hat tip to Omnimystery News.)

George Clooney and his production company partner Grant Heslov tapped Debora Cahn to write the screenplay for their upcoming drama Coronado High, based on the real-life case of a hippie teacher and swimming coach in 1969 Cornado, California, who enlisted his students in a plan to smuggle pot from Mexico.

The New York Film Festival chose David Fincher‘s adaptation of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl to open the fest, and also just added the Paul Thomas Anderson adaptation of Inherent Vice to be the festival’s centerpiece film.

A new trailer for the adaptation of Gone Girl shows Ben Affleck as Nick being questioned about the disappearance of his wife, whom he's suspected of murdering.

The first official trailer was released for the movie Kite, starring Samuel L. Jackson as a jaded cop looking out for his dead partner's daughter who has morphed into a deadly assassin.

TELEVISION

UK-based Red Union Films and Pinewood Pictures announced plans to co-produce eight-part crime thriller The Killing Pool, set in Liverpool. The project is based on the novel by Kevin Sampson featuring drug surveillance specialist DCI Billy McCartney.

The spinoff show NCIS: New Orleans has added a new series regular, played by Rob Kerkovich (Chasing Life) and has plans to send NCIS stars Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette and David McCallum to the Big Easy for a crossover.

Amanda Setton (formerly of The Crazy Ones) is joining the cast of Hawaii Five-0 for its fifth season, playing medical examiner Dr. Mindy Shaw, who will be Max's (Masi Oka) new trainee.

TNT announced they were renewing Major Crimes for another season, along with The Last Ship, based on the novel of the same name by William Brinkley, and the sci-fi thriller Falling Skies.

Showtime released a trailer for season 4 of Homeland starring Claire Danes, which will premiere Sunday, Octobter 5.

The online media distributor Crackle released a trailer for its new legal thriller Sequestered, starring Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as a juror forced to choose between her beliefs and the safety of her family. Also is in the case is Jesse Bradford (Bring It On), playing an attorney who discovers a political conspiracy. Six episodes will premiere on August 5, followed by another six episodes in October.

Finally, fans of the private series The Rockford Files from the 1970s were sad to hear about the death of series star James Garner at the age of 86. The Hollywood Reporter has An Appreciation look back.

PODCASTS/VIDEO/RADIO

Daniel Silva appeared on the Today Show and CBS This Morning to talk about his latest book, The Heist.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson welcomed Marcia Clark, author of Killer Ambition.

Karin Slaughter is on tour for her latest book Cop Town and joined ExpressUK for a look at her new cast of characters.

WYNC in New York featured The New Yorker's Adam Gopnik talking about seedy, wacky face of Sunshine State crime fiction.

THEATER

New York's Second Stage Theatre will present the U.S. premiere of the musical based on the novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, later made into a film with Christian Bale. The original theatrical production debuted in London last year starring Dr. Who's Matt Smith, althoughn no casting has been announced for the Off-Broadway performances.