TNT, Spielberg & Kennedy Team on Talisman

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=17835

Source: TNT
December 5, 2006


After a successful collaboration on the critically acclaimed "Into the West," TNT is teaming once again with DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg, this time for an epic, six-hour adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straubs' other-worldly adventure "The Talisman," according to an announcement by Michael Wright, senior vice president of original programming for TNT and TBS. This project also returns the drama network to King territory after such high-profile projects as "Salem's Lot," one of cable's most popular movies of 2004, and this year's "Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King." Frequent Spielberg partner Kathleen Kennedy will join him in executive-producing "The Talisman," along with Ehren Kruger (The Skeleton Key, The Ring, Arlington Road and currently adapting Nightline for DreamWorks Features), who will adapt the King/Straub novel. "The Talisman" will be co-executive produced by Darryl Frank ("Into the West," "Taken") and Justin Falvey ("Into the West," "Las Vegas"), who head up DreamWorks Television. "The Talisman" is slated to premiere on TNT in summer 2008.

"We are so happy and proud to be working with DreamWorks Television and Steven Spielberg after such a tremendous experience making 'Into the West,'" said Wright. "We've also had excellent results working with Stephen King's material of 'Salem's Lot' and 'Nightmares & Dreamscapes,' so the opportunity to bring these talents together on our network is just about as good as it gets. Like those previous projects, 'The Talisman' is a truly epic production, but one that will present all new challenges and opportunities. We look forward to working with this top-notch team of filmmakers as we create what is certain to be a television event to remember."

Written in 1984, "The Talisman" marks the first collaboration between bestselling authors King and Straub. It tells the story of Jack Sawyer, a boy who goes on a quest through this world and through a parallel world known as The Territories, experiencing both good and evil in each. His goal is to obtain a mysterious talisman that will save his dying mother's life, as well as the life of her twinner, the Queen of The Territories.

TNT's prior work with DreamWorks Television and Steven Spielberg, the 2005 production of "Into the West," was an critical and popular success. The epic, all-star tale of westward expansion, which was watched by more than 81 million viewers over its six-week run, earned 16 Emmy nominations, an ad-supported cable record for a limited series and more nominations than any other 2005-06 program.

TNT's previous adaptations of Stephen King works include this years eight-part critically-acclaimed limited series "Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King," which featured dramatic storytelling and an all-star cast, including stand-out performances from Oscar winner William Hurt in "Battleground" and Emmy winner William H. Macy in "Umney's Last Case." In 2004, TNT premiered "Salem's Lot," a four-hour production starring Rob Lowe, Donald Sutherland, James Cromwell and Andre Braugher, which also received abundant critical praise and ranked as one of ad-supported cables top movies of the year.

 

[Galactus]

Nice to see they're finally making this, even if I would have prefered a theatrical movie.

 

[spdrknight]

Glad to see another King adaptation. To be honest though, I really would like to see The Dark Tower Series come to life. One day... one day...

 

[Superman: Idols]

Sounds great--but who's directing. I'd prefer someone from "Nightmares and Dreamscapes", those were fantastically filmed.

 

[Superman]

I'm happy that it's going to be a TV mini-series. This way they can put more of the story in the movie. If they had done a theatrical movie they would have had to cut alot from the story to get it in 2 hours. Now they have all the time they need to get it right.

 

[GoldGoblin]

I can't wait to see this movie.

 

[Galactus]

Ehren Kruger talks Talisman
Posted: December 15, 2006, 11:17:41 | Section: Film » The Talisman

Ehren Kruger spoke to Fangoria about The Talisman, here is what he said:


Ehren Kruger talks TNT’s TALISMAN

Fango recently spoke to screenwriter Ehren Kruger about his script for TNT’s six-hour miniseries based on THE TALISMAN, the 1984 horror/fantasy novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Steven Spielberg serves as an executive producer on the project, which is expected to air in 2008, and Kruger (whose credits include the RING films and the upcoming BLOOD & CHOCOLATE) has been involved with a Spielberg-produced film adaptation of THE TALISMAN for several years, though initial drafts envisioned the end result as a theatrical feature. However, like all previous attempts to bring the book to the screen (film versions have been announced since its initial printing), Kruger says that the two-hour version he was involved with “didn’t quite get its act together with actor and budget. But Steven Spielberg and [fellow executive producer] Kathleen Kennedy really wanted to take another crack at the project, so we held some meetings to sit down and take another look at the material.”

The creative team discovered that the best approach for the book’s vast storyscape—which concerns a boy’s epic journey to a parallel world in order to retrieve the title object, which will heal his dying mother—was to expand the production to a miniseries. In doing so, Kruger says that he “was able to put a lot of the scenes from the source material back into the story, and that’s all for the good.” Kruger adds that the project is “still in the scripting phase—we’re not there yet in terms of director or cast.” We’ll be keeping you posted as THE TALISMAN gets closer to rolling

 

[Galactus]

The Talisman as both a miniseries and a TV series?
Posted: March 14, 2007, 11:37:32 | Section: Film » The Talisman

The Talisman may be both a miniseries and a TV series:


Turner Broadcasting System executives told advertisers that The Talisman, a limited series from Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks Television that will air on TNT in 2008, could become a series in 2009, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The announcement was made March 6 at New York's Museum of Modern Art. It was part of a presentation on TBS, TNT, Court TV, Turner's broadband site Super Deluxe and Turner Sports.

Spielberg will executive-produce a six-hour miniseries based on Stephen King and Peter Straub's best-selling supernatural thriller The Talisman for the summer of 2008, with DreamWorks Television producing. Spielberg, who produced Into the West for TNT, will be joined by his longtime partner Kathleen Kennedy as executive producer, along with Ehren Kruger (Skeleton Key, The Ring), who will adapt the King/Straub novel. Darryl Frank, who heads up DreamWorks Television, will be co-executive producer, along with Justin Falvey.

The Talisman, which was published in 1984, marked the first collaboration between King and Straub. It tells the story of Jack Sawyer, a boy who goes on a quest through this world and through a parallel world known as "The Territories" on a mission to obtain a mysterious talisman that will save his dying mother's life and that of her "twinner," the Queen of the Territories.

 

[Galactus]

Spielberg's The Talisman Hits a Snag
Source: The Hollywood Reporter September 13, 2007


Steven Spielberg's latest attempt to bring "The Talisman" to the screen has hit a snag, says The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the trade, TNT's six-hour adaptation of the Stephen King-Peter Straub novel, executive produced by Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, has been put on hold because of budgetary issues.

The limited series, from DreamWorks TV, was announced by TNT in December and slated for a summer 2008 premiere.

After all scripts were recently completed, it became clear that their execution would require a larger budget than previously allocated.

The fantasy-horror project, about a boy's quest through this world and a parallel world known as the Territories to find a talisman that will save his mother, is said to involve elaborate special effects. TNT and DreamWorks are now addressing the financial issues and looking for ways to make the series.

 

[JackBauer]

According to the trade, TNT's six-hour adaptation of the Stephen King-Peter Straub novel, executive produced by Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, has been put on hold because of budgetary issues.

read: after the pathetic embarassment that was On The Lot, they're thinking twice before throwing money for a new Spielberg TV project.

 

[GoldGoblin]

This sucks,I was really looking forward to seeing this movie.

 

[:eek:]

Stranger Things Creators & Spielberg Team On Stephen King's The Talisman (superherohype.com)