The New Line boys are back, albeit in a new form. Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne — old New Line execs that rose to promises by shepherding in money making franchise like, “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “The Lord of the Rings”trilogy, “Austin Powers ” and the “Rush Hour” series — may have been ousted/ quit last year when New Line folded into Warner Bros., but the moguls are back in their scrappy nascent beginnings as producers and a company called, Unique Features which has a three-year first-look deal at Warner Bros. (apparently the split was not acrimonious).
According to Variety, the duo have 11 projects in the pipe including two Broadway musicals, one of which will be an adaptation of the Will Ferrell-vehicle “Elf” (Jon Favreau’s probably thinking, “do I get any of that kickback?” Probably not) which they’re hoping to open in 2010.
A bit more interesting to us is an animated project called, “High In the Clouds” that Paul McCartney has already committed to write an original score for. The novel, is actually a kids book that McCartney penned himself with Geoff Dunbar and Philip Ardagh.
Rob Minkoff (“The Lion King”) is set to direct and Caroline Thompson (the screenwriter of “Edward Scissorhands “) will adapt it for the screen. The book chronicles a squirrel’s quest to find an animal sanctuary and it’s McCartney’s first major involvement in a animated film since, “Yellow Submarine” (Macca’s done lots of little score work here and there and too much to track).
Some of the other projects are thus:
– “7th Son,” a drama based on a trio of graphic novels by J.C. Hutchins
– A meta-like sci-fi comedy called, “Alt-Delete” about two guys who work at a videogame company who realize they are characters in a larger game.
– “Thieves Of Baghdad,” a swords and sandals family drama that will weave the tails of Sinbad, Ali Baba and the 40 thieves, magic flying carpets and all that good stuff.
– a musical called, “Secondhand Lions”
– Barry Levinson’s “City of Angels”
– a sports feature based on the formative years of Bart Scott, a rags to riches story for Baltimore Ravens linebacker who just signed with the New York Jets at $48 million for six years.
– a bestselling young-adult fantasy trilogy called, “The Mortal Instruments”
– an undercover Royal Navy intelligence operative goes on the run after being framed for murder in “Even.”
Sounds like these guys will be hella busy. We’re curious about “Elf” and the McCartney scored animated picture. Things to watch on the horizon as they develop.