Spielberg’s The 39 Clues
DreamWorks has acquired rights to The 39 Clues, Scholastic’s 10-book fantasy adventure series which will launch on September 9th 2008. Steven Spielberg is considering directing the project. Scholastic is hoping to replicate the success of the Harry Potter book series.
Benjamin Franklin, Mozart, Napoleon and Houdini are just some of the relatives of the most powerful family in the world - the Cahills. Grace, the Cahill clan matriarch is found dead just moments after she has changed her will, giving her descendants the choice between $1 million or a clue. Yes, one of 39 clues which reveal the source of the family’s powers. The series will follow two young Cahills, Amy, 14, and Dan, 11, who enter into a race against other branches of the family to be the first to find the 39 clues that will lead to ultimate power.
“The 39 Clues takes creative leaps to expand the story experience from the pages of the books to multiple stages of discovery and imagination,” Spielberg said in a statement.
The books will come out once every two or three months, released over the next two years, the multimedia adventure will include a set of collectible cards and an online game with a $10,000 grand prize. If Spielberg were to direct The 39 Clues, it would be after he finishes production on the TinTin series and his announced Abraham Lincoln biopic.
source: Variety
ABC launches Lostscape game
In honor of Lost’s return, ABC launched Lostscape, an online game, late last week. The game, which doubles as a contest, allows users to explore the island and view clips from past episodes of the show. Fans also have the opportunity to view a scene from an upcoming episode. The goal of the game is to collect significant items, like Locke’s knives and Charlie’s guitar.
Once you’ve found seven of the thirty-four items (along with a special item), you can enter the contest. The prize is a trip for two to Comic-Con in San Diego, which includes airfare, hotel accommodations, preferred seating at the Lost panel, and a meet-and-greet with the show’s cast and executives. The contest’s deadline is June 30.
It’s extremely easy to find the required items. If you want to cheat, however, Lostpedia has a list of Lostscape items (and in some cases, how to find them). On the down side, loading the game is hit-or-miss, at least right now. I had trouble getting into Lostscape a few times. Don’t look to the game for hidden clues or Easter egg value, though. The text that accompanies the episode clips doesn’t provide any extra information. It mostly tells you about the object’s background, and in which episodes the item appeared.
Lost returns on Thursday, April 24.
It was inevitable: Lost videogame is coming!
ABC’s Lost is such a hit (one of those shows that’s both a mainstream hit and a cult fetish) that it’s doing everything it can to make it even more popular. There’s the show you can watch on TV, there are the eps you can watch via iTunes, there’s the interactive online game and a tie-in book, and now comes the news we all knew was coming, a videogame. Ubisoft will make the game, and J.J. Abrams and other Lost people will help with the storyline.
Can I make a suggestion? Make the numbers a part of the game. Players have to punch in the numbers every 108 minutes - no matter what else is going on elsewhere in the game - or the game ends! Ha!
[via TV Tattle]
The Gotham Times
Update: Six New Dark Knight Viral Sites Have Launched
Last month Warner Bros ramped up their Dark Knight viral efforts with a Halloween game on WhySoSerious.com, which required visitors from around the United States to band together to solve a puzzle. The challenge was awarded with a new photo of Heath Ledger as The Joker, and a new domain name: RorysDeathKiss.com. The new site asked fans to organize large groups dressed like The Joker, and take a photo infront of the “most famous landmark in your city”.
A Gotham Times newspaper was sent out to the winners. The paper features some new website URLs which will probably result in the next leg of the online game.
- TheGothamTimes.com: The official website of The Gotham Times. The first online edition will launch on Friday November 23rd.
- WeAreTheAnswer.org: Which is not yet online.
There is also mention of the following email address: humanresources@whysoserious.com. When you send a message to that address, this is the auto-response:
See you found my little message. So, do you think you have what it takes to be a part of my circle of friends? Are you a backstabbing, self-promoting, ambitious clown who will do anything to prove yourself to me? If so, the first step of your application process awaits…if you know where to look.
Paul at FofR sent us the following photos from the publication, which can be viewed.
You can check out more photos from the newspaper on moviechronicles.
Update: Six New Dark Knight Viral Sites Have Launched