movie news

You know I always promise that I will give you guys movie news at the very moment I am allowed to do it and this is that moment! So hold on, several things coming at you at once:

1) A movie studio has teamed up with Constantin Film and Unique Features to develop City of Bones as a film. That studio is Sony Pictures. The specific branch of Sony that's teaming with Constantin Film and Unique Features is Screen Gems — they've produced a lot of science fiction and fantasy films like Underworld, and (unrelatedly) my favorite film of the past couple months, Easy A. (And wouldn't Emma Stone make a great Clary?) I'm just saying.*) This is one of the the, if not the, most important steps in getting a a film greenlit - studio involvement. Constantin and Unique are both fantastic production companies but without studios films don't get made.


The actual press release below for those excited to read that kind of thing!


MORTAL INSTRUMENTS



* Screen Gems has teamed with Constantin Film and Unique Features to develop the motion picture franchise MORTAL INSTRUMENTS based on The New York Times Bestselling book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. Jessica Postigo penned the script which is based on the first book in the series, City of Bones.** Constantin Film’s head of Film & TV Martin Moszkowicz will executive produce and Robert Kulzer will produce the project via the Constantin Film banner along with producing partners Michael Lynne, Robert Shaye, and executive producer Dylan Sellers via their Unique Features banner.



* In City of Bones, set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager Clary Fray, discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of warriors dedicated to driving demons out of our world. When Clary's mother disappears, she must join a daring group of young Shadowhunters on an adventure, which leads her through a city filled with mischievous fairies, eccentric warlocks, werewolf gangs and other strange creatures.


* The Mortal Instruments is a series of novels published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., including City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, and the upcoming City of Fallen Angels.


* Clint Culpepper, Screen Gems’ President, and Eric Paquette, Screen Gems’ SVP of Production, will oversee the project for the studio.


Notes:
* Please don't slam on Emma Stone in the comments. She may not be the Clary in your head but she's a talented actress, and the fact that she looks right to me is nothing to worry about — remember, I'm not involved in casting.
** The screenplay is based on the first book in the series; all fears/internet rumors that they were planning to squash all 3 books into one movie to the contrary.
*** (Whoops, so apparently the news about the director made reference to in the comments is meant to be a separate announcement; stay tuned for director/screenplay news.)