Here's this week's news from the world of crime dramas on screen and on the air:
MOVIES
20th Century Fox is rebooting the Die Hard series with a prequel, Die Hard Year One. The project will once again center on protagonist John McClane's story, but the new Len Wiseman-directed prequel will star a younger actor to depict how McClane "became a die hard kind of guy."
Neil Cross, the creator of the BBC crime series Luther, has been tapped to pen Escape from New York, 20th Century Fox’s remake of the 1980s cult classic originally written and directed by John Carpenter (along with co-writer with Nick Castle). The studio is hoping to relaunch the property as it did with its Planet of the Apes movie series.
Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron is in talks for the lead role in The Gray Man, a role that was originally filled by Brad Pitt. Written by Captain America helmers Joe and Anthony Russo, the project centers on a CIA agent-turned-assassin who must save daughters he didn't know he had, although details haven't been revealed on how the storyline will be revamped for Theron.
A new trailer/featurette has been released for Secret in Their Eyes, a film based on the book by Eduardo Sacheri and adapted by director and screenwriter Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games). The crime novel also inspired El secreto de sus ojos, the 2009 Oscar-winning Argentinian film, and follows a tight-knit team of rising investigators and their supervisor who are suddenly torn apart when they discover one of their own teenage daughters has been brutally murdered.
TELEVISION
ABC has picked up its freshman drama Quantico for a full season, following its impressive start as Sunday’s number one broadcast program in the coveted 18-49 demographic. The series follows a diverse group of FBI recruits in training at Quantico headquarters - one of whom is suspected of masterminding the biggest attack on New York City since 9/11.
Likewise, Fox picked up the freshman drama Rosewood for a full season. The procedural stars Morris Chestnut as Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr., a Miami pathologist with a heart condition who assists Det. Villa (Jaina Lee Ortiz) solve cases. Lorraine Toussaint, Domenick Lombardozzi, Anna Konkle and Gabrielle Dennis also star, and in a few episodes, the drama will also introduce Taye Diggs in a recurring role.
The Canadian cop drama Rookie Blue's recent sixth season finale will serve as a series finale. Producers Entertainment One and U.S. distributor ABC have opted to cancel the series after six seasons and 74 episodes. The producers indicates that the homegrown cop drama had reached a "natural conclusion," especially with Andy (Missy Peregrym) and Sam (Ben Bass) getting married in the season-six finale.
Kris Polaha (Life UneXpected and Ringer) has landed a recurring role on Castle. He'll play Caleb Brown, a public defender who will go toe-to-toe with Captain Beckett (Stana Katic) by mere virtue of his job and the criminals he represents.
Fox unveiled a stylish new X-Files promo.
PODCASTS/RADIO/VIDEO
CrimeFictionFM welcomed author Nikki Nelson-Hicks to discuss her new book, the first volume in the Accidental Detective series.
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