Shawn Levy Developing Fox TV Comedy for Comedian J.B. Smoove

Producer/director Shawn Levy is a busy man. On top of his forthcoming robot boxing movie, Real Steel, Levy is getting involved in television production. Lucky for him, it looks like he may have picked a winner.

According to a Deadline report, Levy, along with business partner Marty Adelstein, is producing a new comedy for FOX featuring comedian/actor J.B. Smoove. The series, which was developed by Smoove and The Office writer-producer, Aaron Shure, revolves around a recently divorced dad who can’t afford to move out of his family’s home, so he moves into the basement instead.

On the surface, the premise may sound somewhat hackneyed, but there’s real room for comedy there if handled correctly. The Deadline article notes that the show shares similarities with Roseanne, which, while not beloved by all, was ahead of its time in presenting a truly blue collar family experience.

Smoove has had a varied career in the entertainment business, working as a stand-up comedian, Saturday Night Live staff writer, and guest star on a variety of films and TV shows (such as the cab driver in Date Night, where he first worked with Levy). Smoove is most famous, however, for his recurring role as Leon Black on the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Playing a vulgar, uninvited houseguest whose bluntness runs directly parallel to Larry David’s passive-aggressive behavior, Smoove turned the Leon Black character into a fan-favorite within a few episodes. Clearly, Smoove’s work on his FOX show will not be like his work on Curb, but I wouldn’t worry about that too much. The man is a talented comedian, and this show seems like a smart pickup by Fox.

In addition to getting his own show, Smoove has also been busy with work on the big screen. The actor recently finished filming The Sitter, opposite Jonah Hill, and is also in the supporting cast of We Bought a Zoo, Cameron Crowe’s upcoming film starring Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, and Thomas Haden Church. Smoove will also lend his voice talents to Ice Age 4.

Source: Deadline

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Disney Developing Movie for Scrapped Park Attraction ‘Museum of the Weird’

Those that’ve been neurotically wringing their hands, waiting for news about Disney’s next theme park ride-turned movie project – rejoice! The company has another one in the production pipeline, but it’s not based on Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or one the company’s better-known rides, but an attraction known as The Museum of the Weird.

Chances are that attraction name doesn’t ring a bell and with good reason – The Museum of the Weird failed to make it past the conception stage, despite winning the approval of Walt Disney himself.

Disney “imagineers” Claude Coats and Rolly Crump were involved in the development and design of numerous famous Disney park attractions, including The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. The two fashioned plans for an attraction to compliment their Haunted Mansion – one titled The Museum of the Weird. It would be populated by oddball objects like talking chairs, enchanted carts, and organ-playing specters. While the museum never came to fruition, certain components were incorporated into the mansion itself.

24 Frames is reporting that Disney has been talking to screenwriter Ahmet Zappa about developing a script based off the abandoned Museum of the Weird. Zappa has already been brought onboard by the company to pen Tiki, a project that is reportedly not based on the Enchanted Tiki Room (though we suggest you take that claim with a grain of salt).

Museum of the Weird would be the latest addition to the upcoming slate of Disney rides-turned cinematic adventures, whose ranks include next year’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides; Guillermo del Toro’s Haunted Mansion reboot; Jon Favreau’s Magic Kingdom; and technically even the book-turned-movie-turned-ride-turned-David Fincher project, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

This whole place is literally coming soon to a theater near you.

Disney has hired on quite the motley crew of talented filmmakers to realize its famed theme park rides on the big screen. The idea of del Toro crafting a haunted house movie or Fincher tackling Jules Verne’s dark tale of sea serpents and maniacal submarine captains would be quite appealing on its own, while Favreau’s enthusiam for the Magic Kingdom project is admittedly kind of infectious.

All of these films are cash cows in the making for the company – as they could make for popular fare at the box office and come with already built in marketing ties. The first Pirates of the Caribbean turned out to be a rollicking fun bit of blockbuster adventure – could any of these new theme park attraction-based projects be the same?

We’ll keep you posted on the development of The Museum of the Weird as more news comes our way.

Source: LA Times

“Museum of the Weird” conceptual art by Rolly Crump

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Vampire Diaries Co-Creator Developing New Paranormal ‘Companion Series’

If you’re an ardent lover of quality vampire flicks, don’t sweat the news that Joss Whedon passed on a Buffy the Vampire Slayer remake. There’s a good chance you can take comfort in an entirely new vampire-centric project – brought to you by someone well-versed in the bloodsucker genre.

The Vampire Diaries co-creator Kevin Williamson is sinking his teeth into a freshly signed development deal with Warner Bros. TV. Before the ink had even dried Williamson reportedly began work on a new project that is already being called a potential “companion series” for his juggernaut vampire show which remains the CW’s highest rated series.

Already generating comparisons to the The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the hour-long weekly drama in development centers on a group of (presumably attractive) researchers who dare to study and boldly investigate paranormal happenings (those of which likely involve your not-so-friendly array of neighborhood vampires). Furthering hype about the vampire overtones is the hot rumor that Vampire Diaries executive producer Julie Plec will also be involved, in some capacity, behind the scenes of the new show.

If you’re wondering, like many other TV fans are, if this project could prove a logical replacement for Supernatural, now in its sixth season on the CW, you may be on to something. With contracts set to expire for the Supernatural cast at the end of this season, as well as the show’s move to the dreaded Friday night ratings dead zone, it’s quite possible that many will go the way of creator Eric Kripke – who has already abandoned ship. What’s more, the new Williamson project sounds very Supernatural-esque.

In the absence of concrete casting news, some are naturally speculating about the prospect of one or more characters from The Vampire Diaries possibly doing some cross-over promotional work – to give the new show an initial ratings jolt. What is for certain, however, is that the pilot will be under consideration by the CW for possible launch during the 2011-12 season.

Kevin Williamson, who only signed a new development deal with Warner Bros. in early November, is enamored with the paranormal and his penchant for such seems poised to direct his forthcoming endeavors. This will definitely please television audiences that still can’t seem to get enough of vampires, zombies, and other assorted vile creatures of the night.

Source: E! Online

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