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20th Century Fox Television is going into business with New Regency, inking a pod deal with the producer to develop projects for cable and broadcast. Under the pact, 20th TV and New Regency will adapt Man on Fire and the best-selling graphic novel Cyclops for Fox as well as the previously announced The Kingkiller Chronicle.
New Regency (Shutter, Jumper, Love & Other Drugs) will be housed at 20th TV, with the company’s chairman Arnon Milchan, New Regency president and CEO Brad Weston and exec vp television Andrew Plotkin set to executive produce all series.
Traveler creator David DiGilio will bring A.J. Quinnell novel Man on Fire to the small screen. The drama revolves around former CIA operative/force recon Marine officer-turned-bodyguard who goes on a revenge rampage after a young girl is abducted in Mexico. The Fox take revolves around former CIA op Creasy as he reconnects with Pita, the girl he saves in the movie, 18 years later to dismantle the cartel responsible for ruining their lives.
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The novel was first adapted for the big screen with a 1987 French-Italian film and again in 2004 when writer Brian Helgeland teamed with director Tony Scott on the Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning starrer from 20th Century Fox. The latter adaptation, which had an estimated $70 million production budget, grossed $130.3 million worldwide.
DiGilo will pen the script and executive produce the 20th Century Fox Television entry alongside New Regency, who produced the Washington movie. New Regency’s Milchan, Weston and Plotkin will also executive produce.
DiGilo most recently penned the Tron: Legacy sequel for Disney with director Joe Kosinski. He’s currently rewriting action-adventure film Low G for Universal Pictures with Mark Gordon and Film 360 producing. On the small screen, DiGilo most recently developed young adult book adaptation Mila 2.0 for ABC with Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers‘ Shondaland banner. DiGilio is repped by UTA and Stephen Crawford at Industry Entertainment.
Man on Fire marks the latest big-screen adaptation to surface this development season. NBC is readying Reality Bites; the CW is prepping a Fame-like drama from Debbie Allen; and Syfy ordered its take on 12 Monkeys to pilot, among others.
For its part, Cyclops is based on the best-selling graphic novel and will be produced by New Regency in association with 20th TV. Todd Komarnicki (Perfect Stranger, Elf) will pen the script and exec produce alongside Milchan, Weston, Plotkin and Komarnicki. Based on the graphic novel, Cyclops will explore the human cost when war becomes entertainment.
Cyclops and Man on Fire join the previously announced New Regency/20thTV adaptation of Kingkiller Chonicle. Eric Heisserer (The Thing, Final Destination 5, Nightmare on Elm Street) will pen the script and executive produce alongside Milchan, Weston, Plotkin and Robert Lawrence. Based on the best-selling book series, the fantasy/period drama chronicles the rise of the world’s most notorious magician. Heisserer is repped by UTA, Art/Work Entertainment and Jackoway Tyerman.
“Arnon and Brad are master showmen with impeccable taste in material and fantastic relationships in the creative community,” 20th chairman and CEO Gary Newman said. “The features they make share the same spirit of creative risk taking that is a hallmark of our studio so it made perfect sense to align with them as they begin to develop for TV. We are incredibly excited about the potential of this partnership.”
Added New Regency’s Weston: “With our recently announced and future TV projects, we want to work with the best in the business. So we are thrilled to be partnering with Dana, Gary and the team at 20th to deliver audiences innovative, unique and exciting television that will also enable us to bring our strong feature filmmaker and talent relationships into the television space.”
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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