This week in movie news:
Night of the Living Dead, Trick ‘r Treat and Krampus are getting graphic novel adaptations; an Alien Nation remake is in development; a Boardwalk Empire star joins Independence Day 2; Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall will release in fall 2015; Key & Peele’s Substitute Teacher to become a film; Simon Kinberg and Neill Blomkamp are producing The Leviathan; and a Game of Thrones director will helm Narco Sub.
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Double Take will release three new comics set in the world of George Romero’s 1968 zombie classic Night of the Living Dead. Jeff McComsey will write two of the titles, Rise and Z-Men, in the Ultimate Night of the Living Dead universe, and Peter Aquero will write the third one, titled Home. These comics mark the beginning of a continuing expansion to the franchise, for which Double Take has a dozen series in the works.
In addition, Legendary Comics is releasing two graphic novels based on 2007 cult horror film Trick ‘r Treat and the forthcoming Krampus film. Both Michael Dougherty-directed films center on horrific tales that take place during the holidays of Halloween and Christmas, respectively. The Trick ‘r Treat book will release in October and feature four all-new stories in the anthology tradition of the film. Krampus follows the titular character, an ancient Christmas demon, and will hit stores in November.
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Fox is developing a remake of 1988 science fiction film Alien Nation, which took place in a world where humans and aliens are forced to co-exist. Art Marcum and Matt Holloway – who worked on the original Iron Man – are writing the new film.
A riff on the mismatched buddy cop team, Alien Nation featured James Caan and Mandy Patinkin as human and alien police officers, respectively, who come together to solve a case. The remake, however, is being compared to the studio’s recent Planet of the Apes relaunch and will reportedly address how and why the aliens came to Earth in the first place.
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Travis Tope (Boardwalk Empire) has joined the cast of next year’s Independence Day 2. Tope – who recently appeared in films like The Town That Dreaded Sundown and Men, Women & Children – will play Charlie, though no character details have been revealed at this time.
The actor is the latest new cast member to join returning stars Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox and Bill Pullman in the sequel to the 1996 smash hit. Liam Hemsworth, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Jessie Usher are already set to join the cast for the sequel.
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Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall has found U.S. distribution with Roadside Attractions and will now hit theaters this fall. It is headlined by Jeremy Irvine (War Horse), along with a cast that includes Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ron Perlman and Jonny Beauchamp.
The film centers on the riots of June 1969 that occurred after a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. Tackling the subject of gay rights, Stonewall is one of a few serious dramas on Emmerich’s filmography; he’s best known for big-budget disaster films like Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow.
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Paramount Pictures is developing Substitute Teacher, a feature-length pitch based on the popular skits from Comedy Central’s Key & Peele. The skit focuses on an inner city substitute teacher in a class of white suburban high school students.
Keegan-Michael Key will reprise his role as the title character, Mr. Garvey, and Jordan Peele will play a rival teacher. Rich Talarico and Alex Rubens – both of whom are co-producers of Key & Peele – will write the film.
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Simon Kinberg (writer of X-Men: Days of Future Past) and filmmaker Neill Blomkamp (Chappie) have joined director Ruairi Robinson’s science fiction project The Leviathan as producer and executive producer, respectively. The film is based on the recently released proof-of-concept video that has since amassed 1.2 million views on Vimeo.
Jim Uhls (Fight Club) will write the film, which centers on 22nd-century slave laborers tracking down a monstrous creature. Due to Kinberg’s first-look deal with Fox, the project will likely be pitched to that studio first.
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Game of Thrones director Brian Kirk will helm action thriller Narco Sub for Fox, with Liam Neeson reportedly attached to the lead. The film tells the story of an American naval officer forced to navigate a submarine loaded with drugs past the U.S. Coast Guard.
David Guggenheim (Safe House) penned the script for the film (once a project for the late Tony Scott), with Ridley Scott and Simon Kinberg among its producers. Kirk previously directed 2006 indie drama Middletown, which starred Matthew Macfadyen.
