Gary Oldman, Dracula himself, will return to the world of vampires in a new series of novels called Blood Riders. Oldman and his manager Douglas Urbanski signed a deal to write the novel, set against the 19th century gold rush in the western United States. According to Deadline, it should be released in 2016 and will be the first in a trilogy.
So why is Gary Oldman, of all people, getting into the fantasy writing business?
Supposedly, the duo came up with the concept when Oldman was filming The Book of Eli in 2009, and pitched it as a book after getting pressure to write a memoir of their partnership.
“We met several times in my kitchen, mapped out the story and where it would go,” Urbanski told Deadline, “reinventing the rules and realities of vampires and sex and the power of love. There were rabbit trails that went nowhere, but we concluded that we had landed on something we hadn’t seen done before.”
Just in case Urbanski’s wrong and the novel is a complete and utter knock-off, the burgeoning authors might do well to remember a little respect can go a long way. Take, for example, John Carpenter, who, as The AV Club pointed out, explained that the difference between getting sued and not getting sued can simply come down to being a nice guy.
Carpenter explained in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter that, when he was approached by film studio Canal Plus about suing director Luc Besson for plagiarizing Escape From New York, the studio suggested Carpenter should also sue Hideo Kojima, director the video game series, Metal Gear Solid. The series, whose fifth entry was released last month, also takes many cues from the Escape From New York, including a protagonist named Snake, who is clearly inspired by the film. Carpenter said he decided not to sue Kojima and game publisher Konami because Kojima “was a nice guy,” and he asked for permission before using the name Snake.
It’s important to read stories like that sometimes, and remember that there is a reason to be kind and spread positivity. The Verge meditates on how the growing industry-standard anonymous rating systems for app-based “on-demand” services has “turned us into horrible bosses,” punishing our drivers (Uber), grocery store delivery guys (Instacart), and even their waiters (Olive Garden) for even the slightest decline in service. Remember, it can be easy to forget that there consequences for passing judgment on a person, even if you never feel them. Just because your waiter can’t sneer at you doesn’t mean you should give them a bad tip, right?
You never know, that waiter could be an independent film director, and maybe he’s saving that tip to make a movie that you are going to love. Want to know how much it cost? Indiewire has an interesting service feature helping filmmakers figure out what kind of budget they need to get their film made.
HBO announced that they will “hosting” a virtual midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show Saturday night via HBO NOW to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary.
For those who haven’t attended a Rocky Horror screening at a theater near you, the live experience can vary but there are generally two universal components: provocative costumes and fans yelling at the screen. According to Entertainment Weekly, HBO hopes to replicate the live Rocky Horror experience via Twitter and emoji-based lyrics for sing-alongs.