A ‘Downton Abbey’ Prequel in the Works By ROBIN POGREBIN (NEW YORK TIMES)

How did the distinguished Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley, hook up with the American Countess Cora? Did he marry for love or her inheritance?

Stay tuned. The “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes is writing a prequel that recounts how the couple first met, the BBC reported Friday.

While currently writing in book form, Mr. Fellowes said at the Bafta Screenwriters’ Lecture series, a TV adaptation is expected.

READ MORE: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/28/a-downton-abbey-prequel-in-the-works/

Jullian Fellowes Wants to Make a “Downton Abbey” Prequel

By Bryan Hood

The third season of “Downton Abbey” has yet to make it to our shores, and already creator Julian Fellowes is hinting at what’s to come after the television series completes its run. While the mega-popular drama will see at least two more sets of episodes (though certain actors, like Dan Stevens, are rumored to be on their way out), the BBC reports that Fellowes plans to work on a prequel to the show once it’s complete. The project, which Fellowes spoke of as a book, would most likely be adapted for the small screen and would focus on the early days of Earl and Countess of Grantham’s relationship.

As he told the crowd at a BAFTA Screenwriters’ Lecture series event earlier this week:

“I do actually have an idea of doing a prequel of the courtship of Robert and Cora, when all those American heiresses were arriving in London.

“They had a slightly troubled courtship, because she was in love with him before they married, as we know, and he married her entirely for her money.”

READ MORE: http://blogs.artinfo.com/spotlight/2012/09/28/jullian-fellowes-wants-to-make-a-downton-abbey-prequel/

Prometheus: Is It Any Good? Early Reviews Are In! Today 10:32 AM PDT by PETER GICAS (E ON LINE)

When it comes to Prometheus, the critics have spoken.

Well, a few of them have, at least, as early reviews are already starting to trickle in for director Ridley Scott's highly anticipated supposed prequel-of-sorts to Alien starring Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender and Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace.


"Ridley Scott's third venture into science-fiction, after Alien in 1979 and Blade Runner in 1982, won't become a genre benchmark like those classics despite its equivalent seriousness and ambition," writes The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy. "But it does supply enough visual spectacle, tense action and sticky, slithery monster attacks to hit the spot with thrill-seeking audiences worldwide."

While "elaborately conceived from a visual standpoint," notes Variety's Justin Chang, it nevertheless "remains earthbound in narrative terms, forever hinting at the existence of a higher intelligence without evincing much of its own," adding that "the film conspicuously lacks the long, drawn-out silences and sense of menace in close quarters that made Alien so elegantly unnerving."


Read more:http://www.eonline.com/news/prometheus_it_any_good_early_reviews/319912

Michael Fassbender reveals the creepy secrets of his Prometheus character. (MORNING SPOILERS)

Prometheus

Michael Fassbender gives the latest take on just how Prometheus connects back to Alien in ways a mere prequel couldn't possibly hope to:

What I will say is that the first Alien film had an intelligent, slow-burning, sinister element to it — there's this feeling in this. Before I read the script, I thought the concept had already been exhausted. I'd seen so many of them — AVP: Alien Vs Predator, Alien here, Alien there. But I can tell you there's no Predator. I came dressed one day as the Predator and was like, "What do you think?" I tried to get him in [laughs]. But it's amazing. It's really about strong characters again. And I love the fact that Noomi [Rapace] is a strong leading female, like Sigourney Weaver was.

He also explains what he found so fascinating about his character, the android David:

What I thought was interesting was him being programmed to react in a certain way. And part of that is him blending in with humans, so does an ego develop to facilitate that? He's there to serve them, but he's sort of disliked because they think he might be superior to him. Or just different. Because humans have that thing where they're like, "Something's different? Persecute!"

Finally, he compares his character to Ian Holm's android in Alien:

He's less developed than Ian Holm [laughs]. That's the way I'm going to describe him from now on. Ridley said, "He's like the butler," but there's a vanity to him. And he always has the answers so there's a swagger to him, too. In fact, I think he might be kind of creepy. I do creepy well.


READ MORE:http://io9.com/5913227/michael-fassbender-reveals-the-creepy-secrets-of-his-prometheus-character-plus-thor-2-and-iron-man-3-villain-rumors

Most Awaited Book-to-Movie Adaptations THE HOBBIT

Most Awaited Book-to-Movie Adaptations

BySiliconIndia, Friday, 28 October 2011, 05:15 Hrs

Bangalore: Books have been a key stone of human communication, pipeline of education, and books today serve as an important source for splendid movies. Books read today are movies of tomorrow.

The union of books and movies was never that stronger, before movies like "Harry Potter", "Twilight" and "The Lords of the Rings" hit the theatres. Keeping this in mind, we decided to give you a sneak peek through all the much awaited book-to-movie adaptations. These coolest books will soon get a life as they turn into major motion pictures.

The Hobbit

Prequel to "The Lords of the Rings" trilogy and an adaptation of the 1937 novel by J. R. R. Tolkien, "The Hobbit" is much awaited by all Hollywood pundits as they all have thousand speculations in their minds regarding how director Peter Jackson will pull it off. Jackson returns as a director again with this epic fantasy film and he also serves as producer and co-writer.

Martin Freeman will star as Bilbo Baggins and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Several actors from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy will reprise their roles, including Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, and Orlando Bloom. Fans have to wait a while asthe movie is being divided into two parts, begun production has just begun in New Zealand and will be hitting theaters almost after two years. The movie will probably be released on 19th December 2012 worldwide.