Author Archive

One of the greatest television series of all time, The Twilight Zone, is returning to the big screen.  Thanks to Warner Bros. and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way.  There really hasn’t been much news regarding the plot line of this film, just that some of the original stories from the 1950 series will be used in the film.  

Deadline reports that up and coming film writer Jason Rothenberg has been chosen to take on this awesome task.  Currently Jason is writing The Forbin Project.  A Universal Pictures film being directed by Ron Howard, starring Will Smith.  A retelling of the 1970 film Colossus: The Forbin Project.  Sounds like Jason has a lot on his plate.

The Twilight Zone is still one of my favorite shows and I can’t wait for Thanksgiving to watch the yearly TZ marathon.  Let us know what you think about this latest news and what episodes you would like to see redone and brought to the big screen.

McMurphy Out!

Jason Rothenberg (“Body Politic”) has been hired to pen a script for a feature film reboot of Rod Serling’s classic TV series “The Twilight Zone” at Warner Bros. Pictures reports Deadline.

The original anthology series ran from 1959 to 1964 and told numerous stand alone stories featuring elements of serious science fiction, horror, suspense and fantasy. Some episodes featured adaptations of classic novels and short stories, while others were penned by genre writing greats like Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison.

The franchise was successful enough that it was revived as a series twice, once as a syndicated seres in the 80′s and once briefly as a series on UPN in 2002. Spin-offs including magazines, comics and a radio series have run for over five decades.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way will produce this new feature which is speculated to likely resemble the previous film adaptation in 1983 which combined four separate 20-25 minute segments, each helmed by different directors (Steven Spielberg, John Landis, George Miller, Joe Dante) and all of which were either direct remakes or variations on previous episodes of the series.

A 2012 release is planned for the project. Rothenberg is also penning the script for a remake of “Colossus: The Forbin Project” which Ron Howard will direct and Will Smith is tipped to star in.

There are few television shows as important as ‘The Twilight Zone.’ Correction, there are few shows as good as ‘The Twilight Zone,’ Rod Serling’s immortal science fiction, horror and fantasy anthology series that ran from 1959 to 1964 and helped define how great genre fiction could be on the small screen (and in general).

Now, after a movie in 1983 (‘Twilight Zone: The Movie’) and two series revivals in 1985 and 2002, Deadline reports that ‘The Twilight Zone’ is ready to head to the big screen again, courtesy of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way production company and their newly hired screenwriter, Jason Rothenberg, whose last script was an adaptation of the science fiction novel, ‘The Sparrow,’ which is still in pre-production.

It’s too early to know exactly what the folks at Appian Way and their scribe will be shooting for; whether it will be a feature-length adaptation of a classic episode, a new story in the spirit of the series or an anthology film with different directors tackling different segments, like the previous ‘Twilight Zone’ film. The best option is obviously anthology route, which won’t threaten to extend the 30-minute stories beyond their limit and will hopefully allow a lot of cool, talented filmmakers and actors to get involved.

Now, let’s play the fanboy game and decide which ‘Twilight Zone’ episodes would be the best choices for a film adaptation.

There are hundreds to choose and to think about. One of Rod Serling’s ironic, humanist stories? One of Charles Beaumont’s gothic horror tales? One of Richard Matheson’s gutsy, pulpy sci-fi adventures? The fact that all of these stories and storytellers live under one banner is the reason that ‘The Twilight Zone’ was such a great show, as well as why it would make a great movie.

Here are some good options (avoiding the stories used in the first film):

‘The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street‘
Although written by Serling as a metaphor for communist witch hunting and Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee, this classic episode about a small town tearing itself apart when they believe they’re being invaded by aliens remains a masterpiece, a look at man’s inhumanity to man that feels just as relevant today as it did 50 years ago.

‘Time Enough at Last‘
The story of a man with a nagging wife and a lousy job who only wants to find time to embrace his one true love: reading books. When he finds himself a solitary survivor in a world decimated by nuclear war, he happily realizes he’s finally gotten what he wanted. Although it can easily be boiled down to its ironic conclusion, a clever script could turn this story into a wonderful, pitch dark sci-fi comedy.

‘The Invaders‘
A nearly dialogue-free story about a woman menaced in her home by tiny extraterrestrials, this is an intense, suspenseful story that works so beautifully as a low-budget episode of a 1960s TV series that I can’t help but wonder what a modern filmmaker with the proper sensibilities could do with it.

‘The Odyssey of Flight 33‘
Although it may need to be re-tooled to effectively work as part of a modern movie, the tale of the ill-fated Flight 33 and its encounter with a time vortex remains completely chilling and potentially, with modern special effects, completely epic.

‘The Obsolete Man‘
Another Serling script that feels completely contemporary, ‘The Obsolete Man’ takes place in a dystopia where a man is arrested and declared “obsolete” (i.e., scheduled for immediate execution) for his crimes of being a librarian and believing in God. The bulk of the episode dealt with an extended conversation between the man and a high-ranking official and any remake would be wise to do the same. This is idea-driven science fiction at its best.

‘Nothing in the Dark‘
Famous for featuring an early performance by Robert Redford, this episode followed an elderly woman who’s barricaded herself in her home to keep “Mr. Death” from entering and taking her to the afterlife. It’s a perfect blend of horror and sentimentality that only ‘The Twilight Zone’ could pull off.

‘Five Characters in Search of an Exit‘
Not a famous (or particularly good) episode by any stretch of the imagination, but the amusing set-up and bizarre conclusion make for a memorable premise. A clown, a hobo, a ballerina, a bagpiper and a soldier find themselves trapped in in large, metal room. The revelation of what they’re doing in this space acts as the climax of the episode, but it could just as easily act as the mid-point of a more thoughtful, adventurous take on the concept.

‘Number Twelve Looks Just Like You‘
Yet another timeless science fiction story that takes place in a society where everyone is beautiful and everyone looks completely identical … because everyone is required to undergo a medical procedure at age 19 that will give them the same body as everyone else. Naturally, our protagonist resists and the result is a dark, strange look at human identity.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! What episodes would you pick? Which ones would you avoid? Sound off in the comments below

EXCLUSIVE: Leonardo DiCaprio is going to play one of the most prolific serial killers in Chicago history, the 19th Century equivalent of Hannibal Lecter. DiCaprio and his Appian Way partner Jennifer Killoran and Double Features partners Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher have joined forces to acquire screen rights to The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic And Madness At The Fair That Changed America, the 2003 non-fiction book by Erik Larson. DiCaprio will play Dr. HH Holmes, a cunning serial killer believed to have murdered anywhere from 27 to 200 people at a time when the city of Chicago was enthralled with hosting the World’s Fair of 1893. Holmes constructed The World’s Fair Hotel, an inn more lethal than the Bates Motel, especially for young single women. The sociopath used charm and guile to lure guests into what became known as a “murder castle,” a haunt that had a gas chamber, crematorium and a dissecting table where Holmes would murder his victims and strip their skeletons to sell for medical and scientific study.

In a statement, Killoran called the book “truly a one-of-its-kind American story about our nation’s first serial killer. We’re exited to bring it to the big screen.” Said Shamberg and Sher: “This is a big, entertaining thriller in an incredible setting that will appeal to worldwide audience.”

DiCaprio hasn’t played a role like this, but has long been … Read More »