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Settlers of Catan to be made into a movie or TV show
Settlers of Catan was perhaps the first board game I ever played that made me think board games were cool. The goal? To rule the fictional island of Catan. In order to do this, you build roads, settlements and cities with resources like brick, wood, sheep and ore, all while hoping you don't get robbed. It's a surprisingly strategic game, which is perhaps why it's won so many awards and gained quite a cult following, even spawning iOS and Android adaptations in recent years. But is it cool enough to be a movie? Gail Katz certainly thinks so. A producer known for movies such as Pawn Sacrifice, Air Force One and The Perfect Storm, Katz recently bought the film and television rights for the German-style board game, stating that she's excited by the "vivid, visual, exciting and timeless world" of Catan. Really?
Netflix picks up fourth season of popular A&E series 'Longmire'
Fans of A&E's Longmire were pretty vocal when the network announced it would part ways with the series after a massive cliffhanger at the end of season 3. Well, the show will live on at the hands of Netflix. The streaming service nabbed the rights to the fourth season that's set to include ten episodes arriving in 2015. As Deadline Hollywood reported back in August, the show's demographic is much older than most A&E shows, but Longmire had the highest viewership of any scripted series on the channel. If you aren't familiar, the plot centers around rural Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire and his crime-fighting chronicles based on the novels of Craig Johnson -- including a series-spanning search for his wife's killer. The set of new episodes will air in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand when they stream next year.
Resident Evil is getting its own TV series
If you love Zombies, but find The Walking Dead's narrative a little too serious, pay attention: a campier option is coming soon. Constantin Film, the production group behind the Resident Evil movies has announced that the franchise is being adapted for television. It's part of a larger movement to put the company's properties on the small screen: Mortal Instruments and Perfume are also being re-worked for television. It's not clear if the Resident Evil series will be based on the movies or a new storyline derived from the video game source material, but you'll get at least one more adventure in the current film's universe before it debuts -- Constantin Film says the TV show won't launch until after it completes the 6th Resident Evil feature film. [Image credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy]
Microsoft reportedly looking to revive 'Heroes' TV show on MSN/Xbox
It may not be remembered quite as well as Arrested Development, but it looks like Microsoft is aiming to bring back another big network TV show on a service that's decidedly outside the bounds of traditional TV. According to TV Line, that show is Heroes, which was cancelled by NBC in 2010 after a four-year run, and the video service is MSN (itself part of Microsoft's broader push into original programming for Xbox). While the talks for Heroes are still said to be preliminary, the revived show would apparently focus on new characters and stories, with some of the original cast only making cameos in the new series. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that Heroes found its way onto an Xbox 360: the show was one of the few series to be released on HD DVD, and briefly found its way into some bundles with Microsoft's HD DVD player add-on for the console.
'Defiance' blends basic cable sci-fi, MMO shooter action when it launches in spring 2013
With shows like Battlestar Galactica, all of the Stargates and even Eureka on ice, where will Syfy go when it runs out of places and/or marginal celebrities to tell ghost stories about? One answer may be a show slated to debut next spring called Defiance, which will depict an Earth populated by humans and aliens alike trying to pick up the pieces after years of war between the two have left the planet in pieces. The twist here is that the show will run along concurrently with a massively multiplayer shooter being developed for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 from the makers of RIFT that takes place in the same world. The team behind it has been posting content about the making of both sides of the project recently (check out Massively by Joystiq's coverage for more info), as well as a trailer for the TV show, which you can check out after the break. We're not sure if this will go over with any more of a splash than Syfy's usual Saturday night monster-of-the-week flicks, but at least they're trying. We'll be keeping an eye out for this one in April one way or another because really what else would we do, watch Revolution?
Google Knowledge Graph explains related content, finds the six degrees with less Bacon
We had a bit of a laugh with Google's Kevin Bacon calculator. Not everyone needs to tie their searches to the star of Footloose, though, which is partly why Google is pushing out an update to its Knowledge Graph that explains how searches turn up related items. The effort is starting with actors, celebrities and their links to any movies and TV shows they've starred in. Looking for Orson Welles and mousing over Rita Hayworth's portrait reminds us that the two luminaries were married for years, for example. We won't know when the more intelligent searches will expand, but at least we won't be quite so confused if the animated Transformers movie appears next to Citizen Kane.
Amazon Studios expands into TV series, looks to load up on content for streaming
Amazon has had a content development division for some time but today it's announced plans to expand from just movies to developing (and distributing, via its Instant Video service) original comedy and children's series. The new focus follows the competition like Netflix and Hulu which have both dived headlong into developing original TV show-style content that mirrors the content consumers seem to gravitate towards on streaming services. According to the press release Amazon Studios is willing to option one "promising project" per month for $10k and pay $55k to a creator if their series is selected for distribution. Submissions of 22-minute pilot scripts for comedies and 11-minute pilot scripts for children's shows are being accepted, which Amazon will either option within 45 days or the creator can choose between pulling it back and leaving it up for community feedback. There's more info at the site or in the press release after the break, but just remember: if we see any series picked up about dashingly handsome tech bloggers and the fast-paced lives they lead, we're coming for our cut.
Project Glass makes a TV appearance on Charlie Rose, flashes its rear for the cameras
Google fellow, founder of Project X and self-driving car pioneer Sebastian Thrun became the latest to publicly rock a Project Glass prototype (after company co-founder Sergey Brin) on a recent episode of Charlie Rose, and managed to show off a whole new side of the project in the process. While the 19-minute interview was mostly unremarkable product-wise with a focus on higher education and his Udacity project, we did get to see him take a picture of the host (about a minute in) by tapping it, then posting it on Google+ by nodding twice. Also, as Electronista points out, in a brief reverse shot (17:20) of Thrun we see for the first time what appears to be a small battery pack / transmitter portion lodged behind his ear. Of course, we're still not any closer to rocking the latest in bionic man-chic ourselves, but at least we can start getting fitted for one now.
Wikileaks announces Julian Assange TV show, world governments fire up their DVRs
Ready or not, Julian Assange is heading toward a TV set near you. Wikileaks announced this week that its controversy-embroiled founder will be getting his own TV show, in which he'll be interviewing "key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries." Information on the series is light at present -- the largely unknown Quick Roll Productions will apparently play a role in its creation. The show is set to begin airing in the middle of March and will run as ten 30 minute weekly episodes. Assange for one, clearly has grand ambitions for the series, stating that it "will explore the possibilities for our future in conversations with those who are shaping it. Are we heading towards utopia, or dystopia and how we can set our paths?" Check out a preview of Dancing with the Leaks after the jump.
Apple TV updates stream purchased TV shows to Australia, Canada and the UK
Apple TV users (the hockey puck, not the pie in the sky rumored flat panel with magic fairy dust inside and an extra unaired season of Firefly) in Canada, Australia and the UK were gifted a download today, bringing iCloud-streamed TV show purchases (which debuted back in August Stateside) out to their box. The shows had been available but only via iTunes on a computer. We haven't heard anything official from Apple yet, but the usual per-episode price structure price structure of a couple bucks per episode still applies, so while entire groups of people that use the word "holiday" to describe a vacation browse the catalog, we'll keep an eye out for any official word from Apple or word of other areas suddenly turned on. [Thanks, Ben]
Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on
It was a pretty busy day for the Disney-ABC Television Group yesterday, as the company announced a new licensing deal with Amazon, while renewing its pre-existing agreement with Netflix. The Amazon deal will allow Amazon Prime members to access all prior seasons of Grey's Anatomy, every episode of Lost, and all previous seasons of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, among other series. Amazon expects to add a total of some 13,000 titles to Prime Instant Video by "early next year," and just in time for the holiday season (as well as the release of the Kindle Fire). The renewal of Netflix's deal, meanwhile, ensures that the company will continue to offer episodes of shows like Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters, and Ugly Betty, as well as new additions, including Switched at Birth, Kick Buttowski and Alias. Basically, though, it's just more of the same. But at a time when Netflix is losing customers in the wake of its price hike and Qwikster debacle, maybe stability isn't such a bad thing. Surf past the break for a pair of dueling PRs.
CinemaNow strikes deal with Intel, adds new movies in 1080p HD
CinemaNow's movie library is about to get a bit larger and a good deal sharper, thanks to a new deal with Intel. Yesterday, the video on-demand service announced that it's now offering a slate of 1080p HD movies for the first time, available on PCs packing a second generation Intel Core CPU. According to the company, "several hundred" new releases and other popular films from 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. have already been added to its library, in addition to the 15,000 movies and TV shows already on file. CinemaNow didn't offer an exact number of titles, nor did it provide names of any specific films, but you can stream through the entire press release for yourself, after the break.
Screen Grabs: Engadget makes its prime time TV debut on XIII
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com. It's been a long time coming but after years of cataloging various gadgets in TV and movies, we finally got our own starring role on the small screen. Our HTML code stood in for the usual computer gibberish pretending to be a dangerous hacking program on an episode of the French / Canadian TV series XIII and was spotted by a keen-eyed (and HDTV-equipped) reader as seen above. US viewers might recognize the title since it was also the source of a videogame in 2003 and a miniseries that aired on NBC in 2009; in its current iteration, the tale of a conspiracy in the US government airs strictly outside our borders. A clip of the scene is included after the break, check for the "5 years old, highly encrypted source code" at about 1:29. Nice job Prodigy Pictures but next time we expect a speaking role, two scenes with co-star Aisha Tyler, a trailer and a bowl of M&Ms -- but only the green ones. Have your people talk to our people, we've been looking for a new career. [Thanks, Dennis] %Gallery-127870%
Pac-Man reality TV show coming, and not a moment too soon
Not since Hollywood Reporter told us about a possible Asteroids bio-pic have we been excited about a film or TV show: Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Merv Griffin Entertainment has hammered out a deal with Namco Bandai to develop a reality TV show based on Pac-Man. Envisioned by Merv Griffin Entertainment's president of TV Roy Bank as something "big" and "crazy" like Wipeout or Fear Factor, the company wants "to take what Pac-Man is and bring it to life, to bring what is essentially the world's biggest game of tag to television." If this doesn't sound like the definition of a mid-season replacement, we don't know what is.
Fuji TV in Japan will launch a 3D drama 'Tokyo Control' January 19th
Just in case rumors that The Great Gatsby would be shot in 3D weren't enough, apparently Fuji TV has worked with Sony on a new broadcast drama shot in 3D which will debut next week. Ten episodes of Tokyo Control will be broadcast in 3D for cable subscribers, showing a slice of life of air traffic control workers. We'll have to wait and see how the broadcast is received, but nightly 3D simulcasts of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are probably right around the corner.
Screen Grabs: Nokia N8 endorsed by homicidal maniac
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. Just look at that cold-blooded killer up there. And Dexter's no choir boy either! Yes, the Nokia N8 is well and truly out and about now, as evidenced by its first appearance on American television, serving as Dexter von Murderink's trusty sidekick. Nokia does deserve kudos for the subtle product placement here -- you wouldn't even know it was an N8 if you weren't looking out for that portly lens compartment and the signature shade of dark grey. Which, of course, we were. Video after the break. [Thanks, Luis]
Amazon streaming 99-cent ABC and Fox shows... right now (update: purchases, not rentals!)
Eager to get on the new Apple TV's cheap 99-cent TV show rentals but not so pumped to wait four weeks for it to ship? No worries: Amazon's also now offering 99-cent rentals purchases of various ABC and FOX shows, which means a whole host of Amazon VOD-compatible devices just got some cheaper streaming options as well -- and hey, Roku just cut prices on its entire lineup of Amazon- and Netflix- compatible players, so you can get in the game for as little as $60. Of course, the Apple TV also features day-and-date movie rentals, local streaming, AirPlay, and that slick iPhone / iPod touch Remote app, but only your heart truly knows if those are worth an extra few bucks and a month of fevered desire. Update: As our astute commenters are pointing out, these are actually listed as 99-cent purchases, making this a far better deal entirely. We don't know if that's for real or just an error right now, though -- we're double checking and we'll let you know. Update 2: Yep, we've confirmed that these are 99-cent purchases, making this a much better deal than Apple's rental model -- although only you can decide whether you actually need permanent streaming access to Dollhouse Season 2. [Thanks, Stephen]
Apple reportedly in talks with networks for 99 cent TV show rentals
We've already heard rumors that Apple was working to convince networks to offer 99 cent TV show rentals on iTunes -- and possibly on a forthcoming Apple TV / iTV as well -- and it looks like things might now be starting to firm up a bit. According to Bloomberg, "three people familiar with the plan" say that Apple is now in "advanced talks" with News Corp about offering Fox TV show rentals for 99 cents apiece, and it's reportedly talking with CBS and ABC-parent company Disney as well, although the state of those talks apparently aren't as clear. No mention of streaming-only episodes this time around, but those same people familiar with the matter do say that the episodes would only be viewable for 48 hours.
CBS promises to sell some TV shows on iTunes for 99 cents
We'd already heard that Apple hoped to bring at least some TV shows down to the 99-cent mark on iTunes in time for the iPad launch, and it looks like CBS is now the first to officially come on board. While a final deal apparently isn't done just yet, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves has flatly told the Financial Times that there "are certain shows that will be sold on Apple for 99 cents" -- not exactly much wiggle room there. Other networks aren't speaking on the record just yet, but the Financial Times has previously reported that some have already agreed to similar terms, and are expected to start selling shows at the lower price -- possibly coinciding with the iPad launch. Update: Peter Kafka at All Things Digital has some more info on this -- sources tell him Moonves was speaking off the cuff, and while CBS is open to a deal with Apple, there's nothing in place quite yet. Unfortunately, no one's going on the record here, so the situation remains hazy -- we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Top Gear team builds EV, shows how complex car production really is
The presenters of Top Gear, among the finer specimens of British television talent (Dr. Gregory House being another), were this past week engaged in designing and building an electric vehicle purportedly intended to compete with the likes of the Chevy Volt. Set a time limit of a mere 18 hours, they produced the marvel of rushed engineering and shoddy workmanship you see above. The Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust (believe us, you'll have no reason to remember the name) was even put through its paces by Autocar magazine, whose video "review" can be found after the break. We won't spoil the details for you, but if you want a conclusion, this one's pretty unequivocal: "there's a really good chance you could kill yourself" riding in this car.
