When They Come Marching In: Meg Ryan, John Lithgow, 50 Cent, Anthony Anderson, Esai Morales, and others will start shooting for Chris Rossi’s Lives of the Saints next month. The drama “tells the intertwining stories of a group of Angelenos seeking redemption for past mistakes, only to find that forgiveness comes from unlikely places.†At least on paper, it sounds like Magnolia, which means we all get to imagine 50 Cent as Frank T.J. Mackey. [Variety]
Pinhead Is a Go: Dimension is moving forward with a remake of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, the 1987 horror movie with the demon-villain named Pinhead that spawned seven sequels. Patrick Lussier, who started out as an editor of Scream, is still on tap to direct the film, while Todd Farmer will write the script. Production will start at the end of next year, and it is unclear whether Doug Bradley, who played Pinhead, will return. [Variety]
A Demographic of a Certain Age: TBS has picked up two hour-long pilots for comedies. The first, Hound Dogs, will be written and produced by Ron Shelton (Bull Durham). It will go back to Shelton’s roots and will focus on a minor-league baseball team “as they try to handle life’s ups and downs, both in and out of the locker room.†The second pilot is for a show called The Wedding Band, which will be written and produced by Josh Lobis and Darin Moiselle (South Park). It will follow a “group of guys anchored by 2 lifelong best friends … who try to escape the stress and craziness of their lives by performing in a wedding band.†[Deadline]
Pixar animator Rodrigo Blass is in negotiations with Dreamworks to turn his short film Alma, which he made during his spare time, into a full-length feature. Guillermo Del Toro would also come in as executive producer. Alma is about a girl who is lured into a toy store with beautiful dolls, including one that looks just like her, and “she discovers only too late that the shop is nefariously intent on adding her to its permanent collection.†Blass and Del Toro are also co-directing the animated feature Trollhunters. [HR]