The Changeling

[Sigma]

It was mentioned in other thread, but i think this needs own thread.

"Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael Straczynski's thriller The Changeling, which is being eyed by Ron Howard (The Da Vinci Code) to direct, reports Variety"

"The story, billed as based on actual events, is about a mother who prays for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered, however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her child."

http://comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=15169

[Jan]

That *is* big news! Here's a link to the Variety article.

Jan

[AaronB]

That *is* big news! Here's a link to the Variety article.

Jan

bah! Too bad I can't read more then the first few lines...

[Jan]

Oops, sorry 'bout that. Essentially, it's the same as the ComingSoon article except in Variety's own nearly unintelligible terms.

They do have a 14-day trial version you can get that doesn't require a credit card if anybody wants to do that. Mainly I thought the link would reassure folks who might think it was a scam.

Jan

[JDSValen]

Its on aintitcoolnews.com now too.

http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=23720

[frulad]

Gah, you beat me to posting this. My fault for sleeping in...

Anyways, yowza! Sounds like it good be good fun!

[Jan]

JMS's post regarding it:

Title: from jms the announcement
Author: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 13:48:37 +0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <[email protected]. com>

It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
section:

"Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
Howard to direct.
Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
Howard is considering as his next endeavor.

Story, billed as based on actual events, is about a mother who prays
for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered,
however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her
child."

It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
from being marginally known in the film business right into the
catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
regard in this business.

Those involved were great in the deal making, and this stands to be a
huge movie.

jms

[Spoo Junky]

Maybe Ron Howard's father (Rance?) can put in a good word, being B5 alum and all

[vacantlook]

Dang, as much as I know Rance played Sheridan's father, I always seem to keep forgetting that he is Ron's father in real life. I don't seem to have that problem with other things I've seen Rance in, but I guess I just get so absorbed into the idea of him being Sheridan's father when I watch Babylon 5 that it just flies right out of my mind.

[Leto II]

Question is, how big a role is JMS writing for Clint?

[Jan]

Another post from JMS:

Title: Re: ATTN JMS: Vol 8, page 14
Author: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 22:26:47 +0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <[email protected] .com>

Wendy of NJ wrote:
> Does your "something of interest to convey in Volume 9" correlate in
> any way to the advice to scan Variety this week?
>
> hopeful,

That's one of them, yeah...remember, we're looking at multiple
announcements about all kinds of things. This is one of them.

And to clarify since there appears to be some confusion...this isn't an
option of a book, I wrote the screenplay. It isn't an if-maybe-option,
it's a full-out purchase of said screenplay, in which they back up the
money truck and big parcels come out. The purchase is a done deal, and
Imagine is going to produce it. Because if you're nost sure you're
going to make something, you option it. If you want to make it for
sure, you buy it...and as the page one article in Variety points out,
this was a purchase.

This also for those out there on various groups who so hate the idea
that my career is alive and well that they would chew off their own
arms before acknowldging this situation. Which is, of course, a large
part of the fun at my end....

jms

[sftv]

Joe's career boost

>This also for those out there on various groups who so hate the idea
>that my career is alive and well that they would chew off their own
>arms before acknowldging this situation. Which is, of course, a large
>part of the fun at my end....
>
>jms

I like that bit especially...

Hopefully this will get Joe's name in front of more Hollywood types who might decide to let him do some other projects.

Lee

[Night Marshal]

I'm happy for JMS I'm sure this will give him alot more freedom to do projects that he wants to do. As for Changeling my reading of the ARticle and the JMS posts. I think his parts is more or less done. They might bring him back to make changes as production warrents them but for now its out of this hands.

[DGTWoodward]

Can this be good for a future B5 project, TELEPATH WAR maybe, the conclusion of the CRUSADE story, a 'MEMORY OF SHADOW' type of story (just as long as he gets that rediculous re-casting idea out of his mind), from a proven and well known writer/producer etc...

[Jan]

I don't imagine it could hurt, since this sort of project makes him more 'bankable'. Just for the record, though, my information is that JMS never had the recasting idea. But that's old news now.

Jan