“Covert One” will be turned into a film series by Captivate Entertainment. The book series is overseen by Robert Ludlum (and actually seeded out and written by several other hacks, err, writers) and it’s about a team of political and technical experts that fight corruption in high society. Auteur Frank Marshall of “Congo” fame (you remember that gem, right?) will direct the first, titled “The Hades Factor.” Chances are it will feature frantic cutting and maybe even an ape from “Congo” will make an appearance. This will hopefully be better than the 2006 TV movie version starring Stephen Dorff and Mira Sorvino. Obviously this is just an excuse to try and cash in on the Ludlum/”Bourne” franchise name.
The upcoming film version of “MacGyver” will be written by Jason Richman, who wrote “Beverly Hills Cop 4” and did some uncredited rewrites on “Black Hawk Down” and “Rush Hour 3.” We guess nobody told New Line we were laughing at the titular handy-man. Or that “MacGruber” is in theaters. How is that picture possibly going to be relevant once it’s already been spoofed? Oh, Hollywood…
Remember “The Help,” an Emma Stone Civil Rights film set in 1960s Mississippi? Chris Lowell from “Up in the Air” is in negotiations to appear in the film, playing Stone’s boyfriend, the son of a senator who becomes uncomfortable with Stone’s progressive writing and breaks up with her. But dude, she’s an easy A.