Under the Banner/TTSS Poster Part Deux/Moneyball Spot/The Master and Moby

Live from Lawton, Oklahoma...It's Wednesday!

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN

Multiple sources all over the place yesterday with the news that Ron Howard will direct and Dustin Lance Black (Milk) will write the film adaptation of "Under the Banner of Heaven."  The Telluride connection comes from the book's author Jon Krakauer whose "Into the Wild" (directed by Sean Penn and featuring Emile Hirsch who would also appear in "Milk") was a well received feature at the 2007 Telluride Film Festival.

The book delineates the real life tale of murder and mayhem in a Mormon family in Utah.  Think of it as the antithesis to the Broadway hit show "The Book of Mormon" currently running in NYC.

The flood of posts/stories came yesterday after the collapse of plans for Howard to shepherd the development of an adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series.  despite the fact that Howard reportedly is on record as saying that "The Dark Tower" project still has a pulse...he seems to have lined up a number of other projects to keep himself occupied over the next few years in addition to the announcement of this project.

You can find various versions of the "Under the Banner" story at The Wrap here:
http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/warner-bros-wants-ron-howard-dustin-lance-black-adapt-under-banner-heaven-29251

At The Hollywood Reporter here:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ron-howard-brian-grazer-adapt-213094

and at The Playlist at Indiewire here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/ron_howard_dustin_lance_black_are_under_the_banner_of_heaven/#.TiYd-TAH-NM.email

TTSS ONE SHEET...MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE?

Yesterday we posted this one sheet for the upcoming Tomas Alfredson production of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy."  Looks good.  The article mentions that it could be on the Telluride lineup.  Cool.

Then we stumble across this Anne Thompson (Thompson on Hollywood/Indiewire) post yesterday that says that the poster is coded.  WHAT???

Maybe so.  After debate camp (yes, I'm at debate camp this week) I'm going to have to take a run at the thing and see if I can decipher anything.

The Anne Thompson story is here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2011/07/19/decode_the_tinker_tailor_soldier_spy_poster/#.TiXW25ghQFg.email


MONEYBALL SPOT

The Playlist (at Indiewire) has a story up that introduces us to a 30 second TV spot for "Moneyball."  "Moneyball" stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman in the story of the real life transition that was undertaken by the Oakland A's major league baseball team.

You can find the story and the spot here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/watch_brad_pitt_delivers_his_field_of_dreams_in_new_tv_spot_for_moneyball/#.TiXYzKoOB8I.email

THE MASTER AND MOBY

And finally, Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere had this blurb yesterday about Paul Thomas Anderson's new film "The Master" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix.  The comparison is stunning and, not surprisingly, teases that Anderson is painting on a very, very big canvas.  Very exciting.

The Wells blurb is here:
http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2011/07/touch_of_melvil.php