Mandalay Thinks The "Unthinkable"

Mandalay Pictures recently acquired film rights to the Boom! Studios’ comics series "Unthinkable", to be produced by Peter "Batman" Guber, Boom!'s Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby.

Created by Mark Sable, "Unthinkable" focuses on a brilliant man who was recruited just after 9/11 into a government think tank consisting of America's most imaginative minds, then tasked with dreaming up wild scenarios of possible attacks on US soil.

Years after the program is disbanded, the attacks the man concocted begin to occur and he now becomes the only one who can stop them...

"Alice": A Whole New Wonderland- December 6

"Alice" is the Vancouver-lensed Syfy mini-series, updating the classic "Alice In Wonderland" story.

Starring Toronto actress Caterina Scorsone as 'Alice', a stranger in a city of twisted towers and casinos built out of playing cards, under the rule of the 'Queen of Hearts' (Kathy Bates), the show is from the same production team as "The Wizard Of Oz" update "Tin Man".

Cast includes Philip Winchester as 'Jack Chase', Allan Gray as 'White Rabbit', Colm Meaney as the 'King of Hearts', Andrew Lee Potts as 'Hatter', Tim Curry as 'Dodo', Matt Frewer as the 'White Knight', Harry Dean Stanton as 'Caterpillar', Alessandro Juliani as '9 of Clubs', Timothy Webber as Carpenter, Alex Diakun as 'Ratcatcher' and Eugene Lipinski as 'Doctors Dee' and 'Dum'..

"Alice" premieres on Syfy, December 6, 2009...

Stake Out "Vampirella: The Second Coming"

"Vampirella: The Second Coming" is written by Phil Hester and illustrated by Al Rio with covers by Arthur Suydam, Simone Gabrielli, Erik Jones and Jenny Frison, featuring the 'Army of Vampirella' striking back at 'Gore'.

'Vampirella' was created by Forrest J Ackerman of "Famous Monsters Of Filmland" fame as a 'horror hostess' for Warren Publishing's black-and-white comics magazine "Vampirella" #1 (Sept. 1969), developed by editor/writer Archie Goodwin with artists Frank Frazetta and Tom Sutton.

Vampi was originally presented as an inhabitant of the planet 'Draculon', a world where people lived on blood that flowed from rivers.

Draculon orbited twin suns causing river droughts and certain doom for Vampirella and the 'Vampiri' race. As the last few inhabitants lay dying from the heat, a spaceship from Earth crash landed on the planet.

Vampirella, sent to investigate, is attacked but retaliates, discovering that the astronauts have blood in their veins. Determined to survive, she pilots the ship back to Earth where her adventures begin, becoming a 'good' vampire, devoting her energy to ridding the world of 'evil' blood-suckers.

A direct-to-video was produced in 1996, effectively killing the potential for a "Vampirella" film franchise, but Harris Comics, publishers of the current "Vampirella" comic book series continue to believe in the resurrection of the property for another shot at the big screen...

Lena Heady Hearts "Tell Tale"...

"Tell-Tale" is the $12 million feature inspired by author Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart", directed by Michael Cuesta, starring Josh Lucas, Lena Headey and Brian Cox.

Producers are Tony and Ridley Scott for Scott Free.

Premise of the horror film begins when a man's recently transplanted heart leads him on a frantic search to find his donor's killer before a similar fate befalls him.

Sneak Peek "Tell Tale"...

Sir Ridley Boards "Monopoly"...

Director Ridley "Blade Runner" Scott, producer Frank "There's Something About Mary" Beddor and toys/games manufacturer Hasbro, continue developing their feature film adaptation of the board game "Monopoly".

Screenplay is by Pamela "Corpse Bride" Pettler.

Giannina Facio and Hasbro's Brian Goldner are also on board to produce.

Published by Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of Hasbro, the board game is named after the economic concept of a 'monopoly', or the domination of a market by a single entity.

Patented by Charles Darrow in 1935, Monopoly is noted as the most commercially-successful board game in the world, where players compete to bankrupt their opponents by the acquisition of real estate, utilities and cash.

The mascot for the game is a mustachioed man wearing a monocle named 'Mr. Monopoly', formerly known as 'Rich Uncle Pennybags'.

The board consists of forty spaces containing twenty-eight properties, three 'Chance' spaces, three 'Community Chest' spaces, a 'Luxury Tax' space, an 'Income Tax' space and the four corner squares 'GO', 'Jail', 'Free Parking' and 'Go to Jail'.

There have been numerous variations on the game including the recent "Transformers" and "Star Trek" themed games.

Hasbro said that the longest single game of Monopoly ever played lasted 1,680 hours, or 70 days...

Lawrence Enlists With "Sgt. Rock"...

DC Comics' WW II war character 'Sgt. Rock' will be adapted as a Warners feature film by director Francis "I Am Legend" Lawrence, from a screenplay by Chad "The Days Before" St. John.

Producer Joel Silver is teaming with producer Akiva "The Da Vinci Code" Goldsman, to develop the film for Warners.-based Silver Pictures with producers Andrew Rona and Weed Road's Kerry Foster.

'Sgt. Frank Rock'. a non-commissioned officer during World War II, debuted in DC Comics' "Our Army at War" #83 (June 1959), by writer Robert Kanigher and illustrator Joe Kubert.

During World War II, Rock fought for the infantry branch of the US Army in the European Theatre.

He rose to authority within his own unit, 'Easy Company', a rugged collection of soldiers and managed to participate in every major action in Europe throughout the war...

"Last Of The Mohicans": I Will Find You...

"The Last of the Mohicans" written/directed by Michael "Miami Vice" Mann in 1992, is a historical feature set in 1757 during the French and Indian War, based on author James Fenimore Cooper's classic novel.

Cast includes Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe, with Russell Means, Wes Studi, Eric Schweig and Jodhi May.

The soundtrack, featuring music by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, featured the haunting song "I Will Find You" by Clannad.

"Last Of The Mohicans" won an Academy Award for Best Sound.

Mann's film, like the novel is a romance, set against a turbulent era, with authentic wardobe and weaponry of the period.

"Last Of The Mohicans" opened in North America, September 25, 1992. By the end of its domestic run, the film earned $75,505,856.

Sneak Peek "Last Of The Mohicans"...

Scorsese Scores Mol For "Boardwalk Empire"...

Actress Gretchen "The Notorious Bettie Page" Mol, has joined the cast of the new HBO TV series "Boardwalk Empire", produced by Martin "Mean Streets" Scorsese.

Mol has a recurring role as a showgirl alongside actor Steve "Reservoir Dogs" Buscemi.

Set in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the gangster Prohibition era, "Boardwalk Empire" was adapted by Emmy-winning writer/producer Terence "The Sopranos" Winter from author Nelson Johnson's novel "Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City."

The pilot episode, directed by Scorsese, was picked up by HBO, who ordered an additional 11 episodes, for a 12 episode season run.

"Boardwalk Empire" debuts Fall 2010...

Lautner Gears Up For Paramount's "Max Steel"...

Taylor Lautner, the US actor that played werewolf 'Jacob Black" in the Vancouver-lensed "Twilight Saga" movies, will play the lead in producer Joe Roth's upcoming Paramount feature "Max Steel", based on the Mattel toy brand, from a screenplay by Chad Damiani and J.P. Lavin.

Mattel introduced the character in North America in 1999 as an action figure, then branded the characater in an animated TV series that ran from 2000-2002.

17-year old Lautner would play 'Josh McGrath', a 19-year-old extreme-sports athlete accidentally exposed to 'nanotechological' machines that become a part of him, increasing his strength, providing 'near-invulnerability' and the ability to disguise his appearance.

"...When a diabolical empire threatens to terrorize the world, there's only one hero who can stop it...'Max Steel'. Working for a secret global security force, agent Max Steel must eliminate the enemy and its most terrifying villains, 'Psycho', 'Bio-Constrictor' and 'Vitriol'.

Join Max Steel on his awesome adventures as he voyages across the globe battling the forces of evil, completing different missions to save the world, on the beach, mountainside, in the air, through the city and beneath the oceans depths...

"Anvil!" Wins @ Documentary Awards Show....

Director Sacha Gervasi's 2008 documentary feature focusing on the comedic antics of Canadian heavy metal rock band "Anvil", won the 'Distinguished Feature Award', December 4 at the International Documentary Association's annual awards show.

"Anvil!: The Story Of Anvil", from Australian producer Rebecca Yeldham, won over competing features "Food, Inc." and "Mugabe and the White African," both short-listed in the Oscar documentary feature category.

The IDA show was hosted by Ira Glass, host of the TV/radio series "This American Life." In his opening remarks he described a documentary filmmaker as a person who uses "...all the tools and tricks to get an audience to care about something it has no interest in at all."

Then he introduced clips of the best docs of 2009, including Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story", James Toback's "Tyson" and the 'mock doc' "Bruno".

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil", has been likened to a real-life "Spinal Tap", including interviews with metal musicians influenced by the band, the likes of Slash from 'Guns N' Roses', Lemmy from 'Motörhead' and Lars Ulrich from 'Metallica'.

Gervasi first met Anvil in 1982 at The Marquee Club in London, where he became a 'roadie' for the band on their tours over the next three years, then reunited after a break of 20 years to begin shooting the documentary in 2005.

Sneak Peek "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil"...