It's now officially autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. No matter where you live, though, it's the start of a new week, and that means it's time for the latest roundup of crime drama news:
THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES
Emmy-Award-winning filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (who also directed Oscar Award-winning documentaries), will make her narrative feature directorial debut on Brilliance, the Paramount Pictures adaptation of the Marcus Sakey novel. The Brilliance novel trilogy is set in a future where non-neurotypical people—demonized by society as "twists" or "abnorms"—are threatening the status quo of the "normal" population with their unique gifts. They are officially labeled as "Brilliants" and are carefully tracked by the government. There was interest from Will Smith to play the lead role of Nick Cooper, a federal agent who works for the Department of Analysis and Response and is tasked with tracking down and terminating criminal abnorms who use their gifts for ill, but he has yet to commit to the project.
Oscar winners Alan Arkin and Kathy Bates, as well as Teyana Taylor, have joined Casey Affleck in indie heist thriller, The Smack. The trio join a growing cast that already includes Marisa Tomei, Isabel May, and Yul Vázquez. David M. Rosenthal, who directed thrillers The Perfect Guy and the remake of Jacob’s Ladder, is helming the feature, which starts shooting in L.A. later this fall. Rosenthal and Keith Kjarval wrote the script, adapting the novel by Richard Lange. Smack centers on a con man (Affleck) who has hit rock bottom when he meets an upstart hustler (Taylor). After a tip from an older, wiser, con artist (Arkin), the two of them head to L.A. to pull off the biggest scam of their lives … but they learn they aren’t the only ones looking for the money, with a list of schemers including the con man's ambitious ex (Tomei). As the con unfolds, the man can’t figure out if he and the woman are actually falling in love or being set up for the ultimate grift.
Cinema Blend noted how Knives Out paved the way for more murder mysteries In Hollywood. After Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc was released to the public, the film scored critical acclaim and made over $311 million worldwide off a $40 million budget, which was more than enough to get a sequel and spawn other projects like the recently released mystery-comedy film, See How They Run. That film's director, Tom George, added that there's "been a bit of a resurgence for Agatha Christie-inspired whodunnits." [And I, for one, say that's a good thing.]
Speaking of Knives Out, there's a new clip from the upcoming sequel, Glass Onion, in which a group of old friends become embroiled in a mystery that begins with a puzzle box and ends in murder. Glass Onion will premiere in select theaters at a yet-to-be-announced date before hitting Netflix on Dec. 23.
Thanks to Covid, it's been three years since Elizabeth Banks was honored as Pioneer Of The Year in 2019 by the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation. The event returned Wednesday night with their Pioneer Of The Year dinner, this time honoring James Bond franchise producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The industry charity, awarded since 1947 when Adolph Zukor became the first recipient, raised $1.5M dollars for the cause.
It seems there is a mystery behind a mystery in Hollywood. The upcoming Henry Cavill-led spy thriller, Argylle, is allegedly based on a debut book by author Elly Conway, for which Apple Studios is ponying up $200 million. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, those figures are rare for a first-time author, and Conway's book isn't even for sale yet, with only a German-language version scheduled for publication in January. Attempts to get an advance copy of the book—a common industry practice—were unsuccessful. According to Conway’s two-line bio, she "lives in the United States and is currently working on the next installment in the series." Beyond that, however, there exists virtually no information about Conway, and Internet searches of her name turn up only references to a fictional character on the long-running Australian soap opera, Neighbors. Adding to the mystery, an alternate spelling of her name, Ellie Conway, appears elsewhere on the Penguin Random House website and in news reports on the rights deal.
TELEVISION/STREAMING SERVICES
Good Girls star, Retta, and the series’ creator/executive producer/co-showrunners, Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs, are re-teaming for Murder By the Book, a new NBC hour-long crime drama, which has received a put pilot commitment by NBC. Murder By the Book follows a big-city Instafamous book reviewer (Retta) who takes a page out of the murder mystery books she reviews and becomes an unlikely detective to uncover the shocking truths about an eccentric seaside town. In addition to her film and TV credits, Retta is also the author of a book of essays, So Close to Being the Sh*t Y’all Don’t Even Know, and is the title voice on the Audible Original audiobook Tinaca Jones.
Harlan Coben’s Shelter, the YA action-thriller series, is rounding out its recurring cast. Didi Conn (Grease), Missi Pyle (Y: The Last Man), Hunter Emery (Orange Is The New Black), Antonio Cipriano (National Treasure: Edge of History), Peter Riegert (Local Hero), Adrienne Barbeau (Criminal Minds), Stephanie March (Law & Order: SVU) and Kristoffer Polaha (Jurassic World Dominion) join lead star Jaden Michael in the series adaptation of Coben’s Mickey Bolitar novels. Shelter tells the story of high school junior Mickey Bolitar (Michael), whose search for his missing father and friend thrusts him into a world of conspiracy, lies, and the darkest aspects of humanity.
Female sleuths rule the upcoming MASTERPIECE Mystery! fall lineup on PBS. October 16 will see the premieres of Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 2 at 8/7c (Season 3 is slated for January 8, 2023), with Magpie Murders, adapted by author Anthony Horowitz from his novel, following at 9/8c, and finally Annika, the new series starring Nicola Walker, which airs at 10/9c. Also coming up is the premiere of the new season of Van Der Velk, on Sunday, September 25, with the second and third full-length installments scheduled for October 2 and 9. PBS released a teaser-trailer of the lineup, which you can watch here.
Millie Bobby Brown is on the run and going under cover in the new trailer for the second Enola Holmes installment on Netflix. Brown returns in the title role, alongside Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter in the film, where a major case will take more than one Holmes sibling to solve. Enola Holmes 2, based on young adult mystery fiction series of the same name by Nancy Springer, will stream exclusively on Netflix starting November 4.
PODCASTS/VIDEO/RADIO/AUDIO
The Spectator Book Club talked about "the best crime writer you’ve (probably) never heard of," Josephine Tey, on the eve of Penguin gearing up to reissue three of her classic Golden Age novels.
The Red Hot Chili Writers podcast reflected on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II; interviewed Carnegie-winning children's writer Anthony McGowan about his new book Dogs of the Deadlands; and chatted with book blogger, Tracy Fenton as she rounded up her favorite crime novels of the past six months.
On Crime Time FM, filmmaker, screenwriter, and novelist, John Brownlow, chatted with Paul Burke about his latest thriller novel, Seventeen: Last Man Standing.
Jeffrey Round joined Queer Writers of Crime to discuss his writing career plus his work as a model, film maker, musician, and poet.
All About Agatha featured a live episode from the International Agatha Christie Festival as they discussed the legendary author's greatest novel.
Meet the Thriller Author spoke with Ryan Steck, a freelance editor, author, and the founder and editor-in-chief of The Real Book Spy. His debut novel, Fields of Fire, was released on September 6, 2022.
My Favorite Detective Stories welcomed Barbarajean Magnani, a professor of anatomic and clinical pathology and medicine who's internationally recognized for her expertise in clinical chemistry and toxicology. Her works of fiction include Lily Robinson and the Art of Secret Poisoning, and the Dr. Lily Robinson mystery series, The Queen of All Poisons, The Power of Poison, and A Message in Poison.
Read or Dead hosts, Katie McClain and Kendra Winchester, discussed books for Banned Books Week.
The latest episode of the Crime Cafe podcast featured Debbi Mack's interview with crime writer Indy Perro, who teaches philosophy, religious studies, writing, and literature. His debut novel is Central City.
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