After the overwhelming success of the Harry Potter film series, producer David Heyman has been searching for the next great adaptation.  He’s already got a Paddington Bear project, a feature version of the short sci-fi film True Skin, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity and adaptations of The Light between Oceans and The Odyssey.  Heyman’s latest acquisition for Warner Bros. is the 1962 post-apocalyptic thriller The Drowned World, from author J.G. Ballard.  The story takes place in the year 2145 after intense solar radiation has melted the ice caps and turned Europe into a lush tropical jungle.  The protagonist lives near the top floor of a London highrise that sits just above the water line and must deal with primordial creatures and anarchistic sects that prowl the ruined city.  Sounds like fun! Hit the jump for more.

I am baffled that Hollywood has yet to film the definitive version of The Odyssey, settling for that 1997 TV miniseries.  Homer’s epic poem is filled with cinematic set pieces—given the public domain status, it seems natural that some cunning studio would have filmed The Odyssey in 3D, split it into a two parts, and made a fortune by now.  Warner Bros. is currently developing an adaptation, but not quite the definitive version I imagined.  Instead, based on a pitch by Terry Douglas, this Odyssey is set in space.  That is actually a neat sci-fi twist that should play well with the creatures and supernatural elements of Greek mythology in the story.  I want to see this version, too, but hope it encourages a traditional adaptation rather than replace it.

Deadline reports WB hired James DiLapo to write the script.  Douglas will produce alongside Paris Kasidokostas Latsis (The Box), David Heyman (the Harry Potter series), and Jeff Clifford.  As you already guessed, Warner Bros. sees this as a potential franchise.  Hit the jump for a refresher on the story.

DreamWorks is looking to pick up the rights to M.L. Stedman’s debut novel The Light Between Oceans.  Variety reports that the studio is in exclusive talks to acquire the rights, with Harry Potter’s David Heyman set to produce alongside Jeffrey Clifford through his Heyday Films banner.  The story takes place on a remote Australian island following World War II and “follows a lighthouse keeper and his wife who are faced with a moral dilemma when a boat washes ashore with a dead man and an infant.  When they decide to raise the child as their own, the consequences are devastating.”

It sounds like a rather harrowing story, and I can see why DreamWorks was so eager to pick the book up.  DreamWorks co-chair and CEO Stacey Snider noted that they imagine the story as “a sweeping, classic film,” and Heyman definitely has a solid track record.  Hit the jump to read the synopsis for The Light Between Oceans.

Steve attended the American Film Market (AFM) last week and was able to bring back some promo posters, images, and synopses for a number of projects currently in development.  Today we’re happy to share a lengthy synopsis for the upcoming adaptation of the best-selling Paddington Bear childrens books.  The live-action/CGI-animated adaptation, titled Paddington, will be directed by Paul King and produced by David Heyman (the Harry Potter franchise).

This synopsis likens the film to E.T. and Mr. Bean, as the story centers on a young bear that was raised as an anglophile by his Aunt Lucy in Peru and is left lost and alone at London’s Paddington Station when Lucy decides it’s time to go to England in search of a better life.  While staying with a kind family who takes him in, Paddington sets out in search of an explorer who inspired his aunt years before, avoiding a sinister taxidermist and unintentionally bringing comic mayhem.  Hit the jump to read the full synopsis.

Last week we shared a new sci-fi short film called True Skin that got the internets all aflutter.  We reported at the time that director Stephan Zlotescu was set to take meetings at production companies and studios in order to adapt the short into a feature film, and boy did he find a home for the project.  Merely a week after the film went online, Warner Bros. has now acquired the short and plans to expand it into a feature film with Zlotescu at the helm.  Moreover, David Heyman—the producer behind the Harry Potter franchise—has come aboard to produce alongside the short’s producer Chris Sewall, who will be a co-producer.  Heyman’s no stranger to sci-fi, as he’s also producing Alfonso Cuaron’s highly anticipated sci-fi drama Gravity.

Hit the jump for more on the short, including how Warner Bros. plans to expand the story into a feature.

Cue that iconic opening music: Looney Tunes is relevant again!  Former SNL comedienne Jenny Slate has been tapped by Warner Bros. to pen the feature reboot.  Much like Sony’s successful adaptation of The Smurfs, the Looney Tunes reboot would blend CG and live-action in order to bring the characters to life on the big screen.  Although no word has been released as to Slate’s take on the property, fans can be almost certain of seeing Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Wile E. Coyote, Tweety Bird and more.  Hit the jump for more on Slate and the Looney Tunes movie.

The first promo poster for the feature film adaptation of the children’s book character Paddington Bear has gone online.  Paddington will feature a mix of CGI and live-action, with the titular teddy bear being created using CGI animation.  Author Michael Bond’s best selling books center on “a brown bear from Peru who is found at Paddington station by the Brown family,” and Paddington is being brought to the screen by Harry Potter producer David Heyman.  The poster boasts a 2014 release date, so it’ll presumably be awhile before we see any footage from the pic.  Paul King (The Mighty Boosh) is directing, and this poster teases Paddington’s adorable signature outfit consisting of a raincoat and hat.

Hit the jump to check out the poster.  Voice and live-action casting has yet to be announced.

Harry Potter producer David Heyman has found a new beloved literary character to bring to movie theaters.  According to THR, Paul King will direct a live-action/CGI-animated adaptation based on the children’s book character Paddington Bear.  For those unfamiliar with Paddington, Michael Bond’s best selling books center on “a brown bear from Peru who is found at Paddington station by the Brown family.”  Paddington also wears an adorable raincoat and hat.  I’m not sure why it can’t be a straight-up animated film, but I guess children will have seizures if they don’t see live-action humans interacting with a CGI creature in a family film.  Of course, I could be getting it wrong with this adaptation.  Perhaps Paddington will be live-action and the family will be CGI-animated, in which case this film would be brilliant.

Hit the jump for more on Paddington Bear, and click here for what Heyman told Steve about the project last year.

Horrible Bosses stars Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis may be reuniting for another comedy.  Deadline reports that Aniston is in talks to star in the comedy We’re the Millers, and Sudeikis is apparently eyeing a role.  The film centers on “a pot dealer who pulls together a fake wife and two kids to pose as an RV road-tripping family so that he can smuggle 1000 pounds of pot cross country.”  Aniston would play the wife, who’s actually a hooker, and Sudeikis is circling the pot smuggler role.  The pic was written by Wedding Crashers scribes Bob Fisher and Steve Faber, and Rawson Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Story) is set to direct.

Aniston is an incredibly gifted comedic actress when given the right material (see: Horrible Bosses) and Sudeikis has crackerjack charisma, so I’d love to see these two team up on this project.  The tone is described as a “warped Vacation”, and Harry Potter producer David Heyman is producing alongside Happy Walters, Vince Newman and Tucker Tooley.

Seth Grahame-Smith is quickly becoming a household name. His breakout came with the novels Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which were subsequently put into development as feature films (Vampire Hunter is already in post-production, whereas Zombies is stuck in a bit of a development hell). He wrote the initial scripts for both films, was subsequently drafted to pen Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, and created the MTV series The Hard Times of RJ Berger. Now Warner Bros. is said to be paying in the vicinity of $2 million for Grahame-Smith’s next book, the biblical-themed action-adventure Unholy Night, which tells the story of the Three Wise Men. Hit the jump for more on this Hollywoodized iteration of the biblical tale.

With the DVD/Blu-ray release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 last week, Warner Bros. Home Video invited a number of reporters from around the world to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida to help promote its release.  While there, I got to speak with the cast as well as some of the filmmakers behind one of my favorite films of the year.  Over the last week I posted video interviews with director David Yates, Rupert Grint, Warwick Davis, Jason Isaacs, Evanna Lynch and Mark Williams, and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley).  And for the last interview, I’ve got an extended conversation with producer David Heyman.

During the interview, Heyman talks about being at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and what impressed him, what fans always want to talk about when they approach him, his thoughts on WB home video pulling the Potter movies at the end of the year, his memories of making the franchise, if there’s a mega box set with new extras coming in the future, and if he thinks WB might re-release the movies theatrically in 3D down the road.  In addition, Heyman talked about other projects like Paddington Bear, Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity, his Beatles animated project, Page Eight sequels, and more. Hit the jump to watch.

Warner Bros. has picked up the rights to the new comic-book series Nonplayer with David Heyman (Harry Potter) and Roy Lee (The Roommate) set to produce.  Per Variety, “Nonplayer is a sci-fi/fantasy story about Dana Stevens, a brilliant young woman who retreats from the dismal workaday world of the future into the digital fantasy realm of Jarvath, where she’s a fearless warrior.”  The first of six issues came out in April and you can click here to read the first few pages.  Author Nate Simpson’s artwork is stunning (he previously worked as a videogame concept artist) but I’m a little confused as to why the preview would only show what takes place in Jarvath when the hook is that the heroine lives in the real world.

Hit the jump for the comic’s official synopsis.  Heyman is also adapting the Vertigo comic The Northlanders.

For the majority of the Harry Potter series, Severus Snape is simply a bully.  There are brief hints as to why he particularly hates Harry, but nothing so revelatory as to change your perception of the character until the final book in the series.  While Alan Rickman has always played the role with great relish, the final movie finally provides him with a new side to play for Snape and he does it brilliantly.  Rickman and director David Yates basically have five minutes to make you reevaluate your opinion of Snape and they pull it off.  There’s a lot to love about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, and Alan Rickman’s performance is near the top of the list.

Warner Bros. has release a new featurette about Snape and it shows plenty of footage that’s not in the trailer.  Watch at your own caution.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 opens in 3D this Friday.  Look for my full review tomorrow.

With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 getting released this weekend, Warner Bros. held a press junket in New York City over the weekend and I was able to sit down with producer David Heyman for an extended interview. Before going any further, if you were nervous the final Harry Potter movie would somehow disappoint, I’m happy to say they nailed the landing and the finale is everything I’d hoped it’d be and more.  Trust me, you’re going to love it.  And get ready to cry in the theater.

During the interview, Heyman talked about making the final movie, has JK Rowling ever told him any secrets about the Potter universe that the public doesn’t know, what props does he have, the ending of the film and why they made certain choices, deleted scenes, Warner Bros., and future projects like The Adventures of Oscar Pill, his Beatles animated movie, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, Dogs of Babel with Steve Carell, and The Northlanders (which is a Vertigo comic).  Hit the jump to watch.

Two new featurettes for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 have been released.  One featurette takes a look at the goblins and the heist at Gringotts bank while the other examines the hunt to find the final horcruxes (if you don’t know what a horcrux is, then why do you even care about this movie?).  Be warned: watching these featurettes may cause you physical pain as you realize the film doesn’t come out for another two weeks.

Hit the jump to check out the featurettes.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 opens in 3D on July 15th.