John August

News

Anthony Minghella

News

I was very surprised and saddened to read that writer-director Anthony Minghella [has died](http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8VG2U900&show_article=1). His adaptation of [The Talented Mr. Ripley](http://imdb.com/title/tt0134119/) is both justly acclaimed and criminally under-appreciated: every shot, every line, every performance is dead on. Every time I watch it, I’m filled with envy and self-doubt — a strangely empowering combination when seen through the lens of Minghella’s needy and murderous hero.

Minghella himself couldn’t seem more different. The two times I sat down with him, he was funny, charming, and much too polite to make me feel stupid. Both occasions were award-season panels, potentially awkward sessions in which filmmakers are asked to talk about their movies in relation to each other. But I could only gush about how much I loved his work, and pitch him my plan to do a mash-up of the Aliens quadrilogy with his Ripley. (It’s still on the to-do list.)

Just this week, the trades announced that Minghella was doing a series with Richard Curtis based on [No 1 Ladies Detective Agency](http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982157.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&query=Detective+Agency), which had already shot its pilot in Botswana. Here’s hoping that project and his other work can make it to the screen. But I already miss all the other movies he won’t be making.

Heroes: Origins

News, Television

I’m writing and directing one of the Heroes: Origins episodes.

News of this leaked out over the past few weeks — it even shows up on my [IMDb page](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0041864/) — but it wasn’t official until quite recently, so I didn’t want to blog about it.

For those who haven’t been obsessively following All Things Heroes, Origins is an anthology series that takes place in the same universe as [Heroes](http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/), but doesn’t correlate directly to the main season’s plotlines.And when I say “directly,” I should probably say, “at all.” I have no idea what’s going to be happening this season. Modeled after shows like [The Twilight Zone](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052520/), each week’s episode stands on its own, with new characters and self-contained situations.

I’m being careful not to say too much, because it’s not my show. It’s Tim Kring’s show. I’m just delighted to get to muck around in it.

How did I get the gig? I asked. Repeatedly. From the moment it was [first announced](http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964868.html?categoryid=14&cs=1), I knew I wanted to do one. I love writing one-hour dramas — act breaks are amazing tools — but I didn’t want to write a pilot this season. And it’s almost impossible for a writer to drop in for just one episode of an ongoing series. Not only is it like trying to grab a moving train, but it would ruin all the enjoyment of watching one of my favorite shows.

So, an anthology series is incredibly appealing. I’m grateful they said yes.

Kevin Smith, Eli Roth and Michael Dougherty have already been announced for the series. The plan as I understand it is to air all of the Origins episodes after the main season concludes. (So, April?) With looming labor uncertainty, I don’t want to assume that calendars are set in stone. In fact, everything these days feels a little bit wobbly. But I’ve already enjoyed plotting out my episode with the Heroes folk, and look forward to shooting it. Fingers crossed.

Strike authorization vote

Film Industry, News

This afternoon, the WGA announced a [strike authorization vote](http://wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2482) — which is a very different thing than calling a strike. But it’s apt to be misreported wildly in tomorrow’s papers.

If voted through, a strike authorization allows (but does not require) the WGA to call a strike after the contract expires October 31, 2007. Another obvious use? As leverage in ongoing negotiations. The Hollywood Reporter points out:

Such votes are common prior to contract expirations and don’t necessarily indicate pessimism over prospects for a settlement.

For instance, the Teamsters took such a vote mere days before settling on their most recent contract with the AMPTP (HR 8/2). Leaders of Teamsters Local 399, who negotiate jointly with four Basic Crafts locals, simply sought to underscore the seriousness of their intent in buttoning up several deal points as the calendar counted down toward a July 31 contract expiration.

Cannibals in canoes

News, Projects, The Nines

Honestly, I feel like I’m cheating on all of you when I guest-blog for EW.com. [But I did it again.](http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/08/guest-blogger-1.html)

And then there are the non-Nines variables: babysitting grandparents, geriatric pugs, and the Tim Burton retrospective I want to attend. Plus eight more lessons of Pimsleur Italian, so I can politely explain why I’m throwing myself in a canal.

[Click here](http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/08/guest-blogger-1.html) to read the rest. I can only hope you’ll forgive me once all this Nines business is over.