Criminal Splatterings

Congratulations go to crime writer Pauline Rowson! According to Book2Book translation rights have been sold to China for six crime novels in the popular marine mystery crime series, featuring the flawed and rugged DI Andy Horton.

Brilliant and interesting blogpost by Lindsey Davis at the Bookseller in her role of current Chair of the Society of Authors.  In her first post she talks about readers and what they want.  She also points out that crime writers are more in tune with their readers due to the habit they have of chatting to their fans in bars at conventions.

According to The Bookseller Harvill Secker have acquired two books from CWA Debut Dagger-shortlisted author, Martie D Villiers.  The first book Western Deep focuses on McCarthy Letswe, notorious South African crime lord, who has returned to Johnannesburg after years in exile, seeking revenge on Abaju, a Nigerian gangster. Siphiwe is the 19-year-old orphan at the centre of the story, caught between two gang leaders, who is forced to seek help from both criminals and the police. The publication date is still to be confirmed.

In other rights news Oneworld have acquired a real-life thriller which tells the story of a £300m hedge fund con.  More information can be found in The Bookseller.

Film / TV News -

As earlier reported by Shotsblog John Grisham’s eighth legal thriller The Partner is due to be filmed.  Now according to Variety  Mark Whalberg is in early talks to play Patrick Lanigan, a young partner in a prominent law firm who fakes his own death to steal a fortune from his company before starting a new life in Brazil.  It also appears according to Variety that Adrian Lyne ("Fatal Attraction," "Flashdance") is in talks to direct the John Grisham adaptation of "The Associate" for Paramount.

Warner Bros have according to Variety nabbed the screen rights to Roger Hobbs' debut thriller novel "The Ghostman",which will be published by Knopf later on this year.  The Ghostman tells the story of Jack one of the most successful armed robbers in the world, whose persona has been neatly disguised through years of stagecraft. A casino heist gives him the chance to make a killing in cash -- or be killed in the process.  Deadline.com also have some news about the film as well.

According to Cinemablend Terrence Howard is set to join Colin Farrell and Noomi Repace in the action thriller Dead Man Down.  Howard is set to play the villain who sees his criminal empire being taken apart from within.

First came the first official poster for the Quentin Tarantino directed film Django Unchained and now according to Cinemablend the official synopsis has been revealed.

With The Avengers film due to go on general release in a couple of weeks most of us are looking forward to it immensely.  Yahoo have released a very brief clip below.  This new clip from the film shows Thor and Captain America in the heat of battle.

If you are like me a fan of the television drama Sons of Anarchy then you will be pleased to hear that Jimmy Smits (Dexter, LA Law, NYPD Blue, The West Wing, Star Wars Episode II:  Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith) will be appearing in Season 5 of the series where he will be taking on the role of a tattoo-covered gangbanger named Neron “Nero” Padilla.

According to Deadline.com Dennis Lehane’s new novel Live by Night has been acquired by Warner Bros for Leonardo DiCaprio to star in.  Acquired by his production company Appian Way, Live by Night stars some of the characters from The Given Day and brings them into Prohibition era.  Live by Night is due to be published later on this year.

HBO are (according to Deadline.com) in talks to acquire Phillip Kerr’s Berlin Noir series featuring Police Detective Bernie Gunther.  The series is set in 1930’s Germany.

In more news from Deadline.com Stephen Fry is set to star in Doors Open a 2 hour ITV commissioned drama based on CWA Diamond Dagger author Ian Rankin’s novel Doors Open.  Shooting is due to start towards the end of this month in Scotland.

Due to start production this summer, Paranoia which is based on Joseph Finder’s novel of the same name will see The Hunger Games Liam Hemsworth play the lead.  Also in negotiation to join him are Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman.  Paranoia, is a corporate espionage thriller set in the world of dueling telecom giants.

According to Digital Spy, French actor Jean Leon best known for films such as Léon, Ronin and The Da Vinci Code is set to star as an elite homicide cop in the drama Le Grand. Each episode will revolve around an iconic location in the French capital of Paris, including Nôtre Dame, the Place de la Concorde and the Opéra.