All things graphic and gothic fill this week’s Script Bits, with the exception of one decidedly chipper tale about the heartwarming true rescue story of a marine mammal. All this and more in this week’s news about what scripts are being bought, sold, and generally chattered about in this week’s trade papers.

 

A film based on the graphic novel, “Earp: Saints for Sinners” is headed to the big screen. Sam Raimi has recently signed on to direct the project, which will be adapted into a screenplay by the comic’s creator, Matt Cirulnick. Cirulnick will also be producing and is set to reveal artwork done for the film at Comic-Con. The film will follow the plot of the comic, in which Wyatt Earp is envisioned as a modern day man in a society where Las Vegas is the only viable city still thriving commercially.

 

John August has been hired by Dreamworks to draft a screenplay based on the board game, “Monsterocalypse”. Dreamworks has very recently announced that Tim Burton has signed on to direct the project. The film will follow the plot of the game which follows characters amidst the chaos of a future world where humans have invented giant robots to defend Earth against giant aliens threatening to take over the planet.

 

Speaking of Tim Burton, a project buried in development hell for years is finally moving forward for Burton again. “Dark Shadows” a film based on the old dramatic television series about vampires will be written by Seth Grahame-Smith, a recent hire who has brought the project some fresh media attention. Johnny Depp is already set to star as the lead vampire.

 

Jane Goldman’s screenplay adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel, “The Woman In Black” is headed into production with a full cast in place. Including Daniel Radcliffe, who will continue to establish himself as a dramatic actor outside of the Harry Potter series. Goldman previously adapted, “Kick Ass” for the screen, and the story for this film is described as a “gothic thriller”.

 

On the heels of all this gothic news comes word on an original family film set to enter production. “Dolphin Tale” will begin filming soon from an original treatment by Noam Dromi and a screenplay by Karen Janszen, director Martin Smith, and “March of the Penguins” scribe Jordan Roberts. The film will follow the true story of Winter the dolphin who lost her tail in a crab trap and the young boy who lobbied to save her by having a prosthetic tail created for her.

 

The script for an original cartoon has recently been financed, allowing the indie flick to move forward into production early this fall. The script, “Trouble Down Under” follows the chaos in the Australian Outback when a group of lost African meerkats somehow find their way to the bush. Tony Findlay and Howard Jackson worked together to write the screenplay, which is being produced by Fastlane Entertainment.