A biopic of famed rock icon Janis Joplin is moving forward, and Martha Marcy May Marlene director Sean Durkin has been tapped to helm.  Deadline reports that Durkin will direct Joplin, a feature that looks back on the final six months of the 1960s singer’s life.  The film will include cradle-to-grave elements, as we’ll see bits of Joplin’s early career through flashbacks.  Tony-winner Nina Arianda has been tapped to tackle the lead in the $20 million pic, which is schedule to start production early next year.

Arianda recently won the Best Actress Tony for her work in the play Venus In Fur, and has drawn considerable attention for her talent on the stage.  Producer Peter Newman and his partners have been trying to get Joplin going for over a decade. Durkin is certainly an intriguing choice to take the helm, and his involvement makes this project one to keep an eye on.  His drama Martha Marcy May Marlene took Sundance by storm last year, and he recently signed on to spearhead a TV series adaptation of The Exorcist.  I’m sure we’ll hear more casting news concerning Joplin soon.

The 40th anniversary of the classic 1973 horror film The Exorcist is right around the corner, so it only seems appropriate that William Peter Blatty‘s story will be revamped for a new audience. No the film isn’t being remade or getting a new big screen adaptation, but instead, it will be heading to TV. After making a splash with the indie hit Martha Marcy May Marlene, a film that deserved much more Oscar love earlier this year, writer and director Sean Durkin is turning his attention to turning The Exorcist into a ten-episode  TV series with Roy Lee, the executive producer of The Ring, as producer.

Hit the jump for more.

Martha Marcy May Marelene is the ultimate Sundance movie (not an insult). It offers a breakout performance by a new performer (here Elizabeth Olsen) familiar character actor faces from the supporting cast (Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes), and a strong directorial tone and style from first timer Sean Durkin. It’s also a small movie – but not in a bad way – that tells of how a woman survived the cult she was in, and how she tries to adjust to the outside world. Our review of Martha Marcy May Marlene on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

[This is a re-print of my review from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival]

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a powder keg of tension, paranoia, and regret that will have you captivated with incredible direction and amazing performances. Centering on a young woman who escapes from a cult only to discover that she can’t re-assimilate, the storytelling is always restrained, intelligent, and compelling. In his debut feature film, director Sean Durkin brilliantly ties together haunting cinematography, intense sound design, and smart editing. Elizabeth Olsen gives a breakthrough performance as the haunted Martha, and costar John Hawkes continues to amaze. Never showy but always compelling, Martha Marcy May Marlene is one of the best films I’ve seen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

One of the best films I’ve seen so far this year is the haunting and emotionally complex drama Martha Marcy May Marlene.  Now Fox Searchlight has released a trailer for the flick and it does a good job of selling how the story jumps around in time and showing the fractured psyche of its protagonist (Elisabeth Olsen in a breakthrough performance).  I also love how it closes out with John Hawkes singing and giving you a hint of how disturbing he is in this film.  I honestly believe he’s headed towards another Oscar nomination for his work in this film.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and click here to read my Sundance review.  Martha Marcy May Marlene will play at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.  It opens in the U.S. on October 7th.

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a powder keg of tension, paranoia, and regret that will have you captivated with incredible direction and amazing performances.  Centering on a young woman who escapes from a cult only to discover that she can’t re-assimilate, the storytelling is always restrained, intelligent, and compelling.  In his debut feature film, director Sean Durkin brilliantly ties together haunting cinematography, intense sound design, and smart editing.  Elizabeth Olsen gives a breakthrough performance as the haunted Martha, and costar John Hawkes continues to amaze.  Never showy but always compelling, Martha Marcy May Marlene is one of the best films I’ve seen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

With the Sundance Film Festival premiering in a little over a month (48 days to be exact), new images from the films in competition have begun to emerge. As such, we are pleased to bring you a few screenshots from Gavin Wiesen’s Homework, starring Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Rita Wilson and Blair Underwood; and Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene, with Elizabeth Olsen, Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, John Hawkes, and Sarah Paulson.

Homework finished shooting in New York last April and marks Wiesen’s feature length debut as writer and director. Likewise, Martha Marcy May Marlene is the first for Durkin, who wrote and directed the film. Hit the jump to see the pics and for a brief synopses: