FOX Gives Series Order to New Action-Adventure Drama HIEROGLYPH!

High-Concept, Epic Series Features Ancient Egypt as Backdrop for Palace Intrigue, Quests for Power and World of Magic, Gods and Goddesses

20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment to Produce Series; Screenwriter Travis Beacham (“Pacific Rim”) to Write and Executive-Produce; Miguel Sapochnik (“Fringe”) to Direct Premiere Episode

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) has given a 13-episode series order to HIEROGLYPH, a fantastical action-adventure show produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment, and executive-produced by Peter Chernin (NEW GIRL, Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Katherine Pope (NEW GIRL) and Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim, Clash of the Titans), who wrote the pilot script. Miguel Sapochnik (Repo Men, Fringe) will serve as an executive producer on the project and will direct the premiere episode. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2014.

Set in ancient Egypt, where fantasy and reality intertwined, HIEROGLYPH follows a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharoah, navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers.

“We wanted to do a show about deceit, sex, intrigue in the court and fantastical goings-on – no better place to set that than ancient Egypt,” said Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment for FOX. “Travis Beacham has an inventive mind, and he has wrapped this all together in this intoxicating new drama.”

Based on his original story idea, Travis Beacham co-wrote the screenplay with director Guillermo Del Toro for this past summer’s sci-fi hit Pacific Rim, which has grossed more than $400 million worldwide since its release in July. Beacham also co-wrote the screenplay for the hit 2010 re-imagining of the classic mythic adventure Clash of the Titans, directed by Louis Leterrier. Beacham is currently writing the sequel to Pacific Rim for Legendary. He has penned screenplays for the feature films 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo and a remake of the sci-fi classic, The Black Hole.

Chernin Entertainment produces television programs and feature films. Its current television slate includes FOX’s NEW GIRL. The company’s first feature film, Rise of Planet of the Apes, was released in August 2011 and has grossed more than $480 million at the worldwide box office. Chernin Entertainment is currently producing the sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, as well as the sequel to its successful summer comedy, The Heat.

A 21st Century Fox company, Twentieth Century Fox Television is one of the industry’s most prolific suppliers of primetime television programming and entertainment content, including the blockbuster and Emmy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning Modern Family, the pop culture phenomenon and Golden Globe Award-winning GLEE, the celebrated anthology series American Horror Story, the hit comedies NEW GIRL and How I Met Your Mother and the longest running primetime scripted series in the history of television, THE SIMPSONS. The studio recently resurrected its Emmy Award-winning cult hit Arrested Development, and its cable production division, Fox 21, is responsible for the Emmy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning Homeland. The studio’s newest drama, SLEEPY HOLLOW, has garnered critical acclaim, high ratings and was the first freshman show of the season to earn a renewal.

HIEROGLYPH is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment. The series is created, written and executive-produced by Travis Beacham. Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope, as well as Miguel Sapochnik, who will direct the premiere episode, also serve as executive producers.

via Fox Press Release

FOX Cancels TERRA NOVA!

Fox announced late last night that there will be no second season of Terra Nova! It’s safe to assume the cast is already looking to book future projects. (There is no official press release at this time.) This seems to be the growing trend for Fox this year–keeping crap, ending good shows. House won’t be coming back but Alcatraz is doing okay (so far). This gives Alcatraz a fighting chance for a second season. We can hope that Bones will stay, but Touch and The Finder don’t look too healthy either.

Even though Terra Nova may have been canceled by Fox, 20th Century Television is shopping the market to bring Terra Nova to another network. The network originally had until December 31 to decide on a second season but picked up the options on the actors’ contracts to extend their time. They couldn’t wait any longer to make a decision because production needed to begin this month to complete a planned 22-episode second season.

What do you think? Should Terra Nova be saved? Comment if you like. More info to come as it becomes available.

Images from Fox’s TOUCH and Cast Photos

We are all interconnected. Our lives are invisibly tied to those whose destinies touch ours.

This is the hopeful premise of the new drama TOUCH from creator and writer Tim Kring (“Heroes,” “Crossing Jordan”) and executive producers Peter Chernin (NEW GIRL, TERRA NOVA) and Katherine Pope (NEW GIRL, TERRA NOVA).

Blending science, spirituality and emotion, the series will follow seemingly unrelated people all over the world whose lives affect each other in ways seen and unseen, known and unknown. At the story’s center is MARTIN BOHM (Kiefer Sutherland), a widower and single father, haunted by an inability to connect to his emotionally challenged 11-year-old son, JAKE (David Mazouz). Caring, intelligent and thoughtful, Martin has tried everything to reach his son. But Jake never speaks, shows little emotion, and never allows himself to be touched by anyone, including Martin. Jake is obsessed with numbers—writing long strings of them in his ever-present notebooks—and with discarded cell phones.

Social worker CLEA HOPKINS (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) believes that Jake’s needs are too serious for Martin to handle. She sees a man whose life has become dominated by a child he can no longer control. She believes that it’s time for the state to intervene. So Jake is placed in foster care, despite Martin’s desperate objections.

But everything changes after Martin meets ARTHUR TELLER (Danny Glover), a professor and an expert on children who possess special gifts when it comes to numbers. Martin learns that Jake possesses an extraordinary gift—the ability to perceive the seemingly hidden patterns that connect every life on the planet. While Martin wants nothing more than to communicate directly with his son, Jake connects to his father through numbers, not words. Martin realizes that it’s his job to decipher these numbers and recognize their meaning. As he puts the pieces together, he will help people across the world connect as their lives intersect according to the patterns Jake has foreseen.

Martin’s quest to connect with his son will shape humanity’s destiny.

TOUCH is a production of Chernin Entertainment and Tailwind Productions, in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Tim Kring created the series and wrote the pilot. Kring, Francis Lawrence (“Water for Elephants”), Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope, Kiefer Sutherland, Suzan Bymel (“The War at Home”) and Carol Barbee (“Jericho”) are executive producers. Lawrence directed the pilot.

In a Worldwide First, the New 20th Century Fox Drama TOUCH Will Launch in More Than 100 Countries, With Global Marketing Support and a Global Advertising Sponsor

Touch, the intriguing new drama series from Tim Kring (Heroes) and starring Kiefer Sutherland in his first television project since the Emmy-winning 24, will receive an unprecedented global launch for its March series premiere that includes coordinated worldwide distribution, marketing and advertising sponsorship. In a television first, Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, Fox Broadcasting Company, FOX One, 20th Century Fox Television and FOX International Channels are collaborating on a worldwide launch for the series, which will premiere nearly simultaneously in more than 100 countries. To kick off the series’ global marketing efforts, Sutherland will embark on an international media tour, stopping in several major cities across Europe and culminating in a global media event in New York City on March 18 – a date that figures prominently in Touch‘s pilot episode. In another industry first, Unilever has come on board as the series’ global advertising sponsor in a one-of-a-kind partnership designed to bring Touch to a worldwide audience.

Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution has secured deals in over 160 markets with some of the world’s leading broadcasters and pan-regional platforms. The global launch will make the much-anticipated drama available on channels all around the world, including Global Television in Canada, Sky 1 in the United Kingdom, ProSieben in Germany, Yes TV in Israel and Channel One in Russia. FOX International Channels will launch the series in 64 countries throughout Latin America, Asia and Europe.

Unilever has partnered with the series to be its global sponsor in a first-of-its-kind worldwide collaboration. The key elements of Unilever’s unprecedented marketing partnership include a media buy that covers Europe, Asia, Latin America as well as the U.S.; sponsorship of the Touch international media tour and worldwide premiere in New York City on March 18; and exclusive online content presented by Unilever brands around the world.

“Unilever is thrilled to be part of this inaugural global media sponsorship with News Corp.,” said Luis Di-Como, Unilever’s Senior Vice President of Global Media. “It’s the very type of sponsorship that enables us to connect and engage consumers with one of our billion-euro global brands – Rexona, Degree in the U.S. and Sure in the UK – with one culturally relevant content platform.”

“Our global Unilever partnership goes far beyond the scope of anything we’ve ever done,” said Jean Rossi, President of FOX One, News Corp’s integrated sales and marketing division, which worked with Unilever for more than a year to create the worldwide partnership. “Before moving forward, it was imperative that we find a property that conveyed our mutual strategic vision, and Touch has the positive message and global appeal that articulates that spirit.”

Marion Edwards, President of International Television, Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, remarked, “It’s so appropriate that a television series whose focus is the unity and connection we all share in spite of culture and language differences would serve as the springboard for this very exciting, global launch.” She added, “We are thrilled to share this special event with all our broadcast partners.”

Blending science, spirituality and emotion, Touch will follow seemingly unrelated people all over the world whose lives affect each other in ways seen and unseen, known and unknown. At the story’s center is Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland), a widower and single father, haunted by an inability to connect to his emotionally challenged 11-year-old son, Jake (David Mazouz). But everything changes after Martin learns that Jake possesses an extraordinary gift – the ability to perceive the seemingly hidden patterns that connect every life on the planet. Martin soon realizes that it’s his job to decipher the numbers his son is obsessed with and recognize their meaning. As he puts the pieces together, he will help people across the world connect as their lives intersect according to the patterns Jake has foreseen, and his simple quest to connect with his son will shape humanity’s destiny.

Touch will have a special preview this Wednesday, Jan. 25 (9:00-10:07 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Its series premiere is Monday, March 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). International launches take place the week of March 19.

Touch is a production of Chernin Entertainment and Tailwind Productions, in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Tim Kring created the series and wrote the pilot. Kring, Francis Lawrence (Water for Elephants), Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope, Kiefer Sutherland, Suzan Bymel (The War at Home) and Carol Barbee (Jericho) are executive producers. Lawrence directed the pilot.

About Twentieth Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox is a subsidiary of News Corporation. News Corporation’s diversified global operations include the production and distribution of motion pictures and television programming; television, satellite, cable and digital media broadcasting and transmission, the publication of newspapers, magazines and books; the production and distribution of promotional and advertising products and services; the development of conditional access and subscriber management systems.

About FOX International Channels
FOX International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation’s international multi-media business that develops, produces and distributes over 350 wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports and lifestyle channels across Latin America, U.S. Hispanic, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Africa, in 35 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 1.1 billion cumulative households worldwide. FIC also operates a global online advertising unit, .FOX (pronounced “dot-fox”) which specializes in online video and display, and four TV production houses. In operation since: August 14, 1993.

About Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) is a unit of News Corporation and the leading broadcast television network among Adults 18-49. FOX finished the 2010-2011 season at No. 1 in the key adult demographic for the seventh consecutive year – a feat that has never been achieved in broadcast history – while continuing to dominate all network competition in the more targeted Adults 18-34 and Teen demographics. FOX airs 15 hours of primetime programming a week as well as late-night entertainment programming, major sports and Sunday morning news.

About FOX One
Formed in 2007, FOX One is a Sales unit charged with developing and implementing strategic integrated marketing opportunities crossing the full range of News Corp.’s global assets and a variety of media platforms. Led by President Jean Rossi, FOX ONE works with individual Sales units at News Corp. divisions to cultivate marketing partnerships and develop customized, multiplatform campaigns that integrate any and all FOX/News Corp. assets.

About Unilever
Unilever works to create a better future every day. We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180. Consumers buy 170 billion Unilever packs around the world every year, and our products are used over two billion times a day. Our portfolio includes some of the world’s best known and most loved brands including twelve €1 billion brands, and global leadership in many categories in which we operate. The portfolio features iconic brands such as: Knorr, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Dove, Vaseline, Persil, Cif, Rexona and Degree. We have around 167,000 employees in over 100 countries, and generated annual sales of €44.3 billion in 2010. For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit http://www.unilever.com. Unilever is Leader in the Food Producers sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for the 13th year running. We are included in the FTSE4Good Index Series and attained a top environmental score of 5, leading to inclusion in the FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 Index. We are also ranked 7th in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, a list compiled by Corporate Knights Magazine. We achieved Platinum Plus standard in the UK’s Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index 2009, and were named Company of the Year in 2010.

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via FOX Press Release

Celebrate NAPOLEON DYNAMITE DAY Thursday, January 5 at Hollywood & Highland

“Gosh,” it seems like everyone thinks they can do an awesome NAPOLEON DYNAMITE impression. Fans can prove it by getting their “sweet bods” down to NAPOLEON DYNAMITE DAY at Hollywood & Highland on Thursday, Jan. 5 for the “NAPOLEON DYNAMITE Sound-A-Like Contest” where the best impression will win $1,000 and the entire cast – including star Jon Heder – will be on hand to judge the mad skills.

Fans should brush up on their favorite lines from the film, whether it’s Kip’s hilarious taunt “Your Mom Goes to College,” or Pedro’s campaign slogan “If you vote for me, all of your wildest dreams will come true” or Napoleon’s iconic threat “You Do, You Die.” The entire cast, including Heder, Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino, Jon Gries, Diedrich Bader and Sandy Martin will be on hand to award cash prizes and bragging rights to the best character impressions, so fans should sign up early by emailing their first name, last name and email address to NAPOLEONDYNAMITEday@gmail.com. Or show up anytime between 12:00-4:00 PM PST to enjoy a trip back to summer in Preston, ID, with free Tater Tots and quesadillas, Deb’s Arts & Crafts station, Rex Kwon Do demonstrations, a dance competition and a photo with “Tina,” the llama.

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, the new animated comedy based on the hit film, joins FOX’s ANIMATION DOMINATION(R) lineup with a double dose of all-new episodes Sunday, Jan. 15 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT and 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT).

If you aren’t a Los Angeles resident, check out all of the festivities and the contest starting at 1:00 PM PT (4:00 PM ET) by visiting http://www.ustream.tv. For more information, go to www.fox.com/Napoleon-Dynamite.

WHAT: NAPOLEON DYNAMITE DAY

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 5

TIME: 12:00 – 4:00 PM Sound-A-Like Contest Starts: 1:00 PM (Registration Opens at Noon)

WHERE: Hollywood & Highland Complex In Front of the Kodak Theatre 6801 Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90028

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE is a 20th Century Fox Television production. The series is created and executive-produced by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite,” “Nacho Libre”). Executive producer and Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Mike Scully (THE SIMPSONS, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Parks and Recreation”) developed the series for television. Dwayne Carey-Hill directed the premiere episode. The animation house is Rough Draft Studios (“Futurama,” “The Simpsons Movie”).
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via Fox Press Release

FOX Uncovers Original Episode of BONES to Air Before the Premiere of THE FINDER on Thursday, January 12

Brand new forensic cases and mysteries will be unearthed on a special night of procedural dramas, Thursday, January 12, on FOX. The all-new “The Crack in the Code” episode of BONES (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) will lead into the series premiere of THE FINDER (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

In the all-new “The Crack in the Code” episode of BONES airing Thursday, January 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), a cryptic message penned in human blood is discovered at a national monument. As the Jeffersonian team embarks on a scavenger hunt to solve the case, they realize their tech-savvy suspect (guest star Andrew Leeds) remains one step ahead of them. Meanwhile, BOOTH (David Boreanaz) and BRENNAN (Emily Deschanel) search for the perfect home for their new family.

Premiering Thursday, January 12 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), THE FINDER is a quirky one-hour procedural centering on WALTER SHERMAN (Geoff Stults), a remarkable man with an extraordinary ability to help people find the unfindable.

FOX will also air an encore of THE FINDER spin-off episode of BONES on Thursday, Dec. 15 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). In this episode, which aired in Season Six of BONES, the remains of a maritime museum security guard are found in the Florida Everglades after an attempt to steal an obsolete 17th century nautical chart fragment used to find treasures. In order to solve the crime, Booth looks to Walter Sherman (Stults) for assistance.

Currently in its seventh season, BONES is a darkly amusing procedural centered on a highly skilled forensic anthropologist whose expertise lies in her uncanny ability to read clues left behind in the victim’s bones. The series stars Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, TJ Thyne, Michaela Conlin, Tamara Taylor and John Francis Daley.

BONES is from Far Field Productions and Josephson Entertainment in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The series was created by Hart Hanson. Hanson, Stephen Nathan, Ian Toynton, Barry Josephson and Carla Kettner are executive producers. Become a fan of BONES on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bones and follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bonesonfox.

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THE FINDER is a production of 20th Century Fox Television. Hart Hanson, Barry Josephson, Dan Sackheim and Vahan Moosekian are executive producers. The series is created by Hanson and stars Stults, Michael Clarke Duncan, Mercedes Masohn and Maddie Hasson. Dan Sackheim directed the pilot. Become a fan of THE FINDER on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheFinderonFOX and follow the series on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/thefinderonfox.

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Via Fox Press Release

Locke & Key Pilot and Panel at Comic-Con

The Locke & Key screening and panel will be on Friday at 10:30am in Room 8 at Comic-Con! This will be a “one-time only screening” of the Pilot. The following information is from Deadline.

With its gigantic promotional platform, Comic-Con has become the place for TV studios and networks to introduce their new genre series to fans through screenings of their pilots and panels with creators and cast. But showcasing pilots that didn’t go to series is extremely rare. It will happen this year with Fox’s Locke & Key, a suspense thriller based on the graphic novel by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. A Locke & Key session will be held July 22 at 10:30 AM and will include a screening of the pilot, followed by a panel discussion featuring Hill, Rodriguez, the pilot’s writer/executive producer Josh Friedman and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Behind the event is the publisher of the Locke & Key comic, IDW Publishing. IDW asked the pilot’s producer, 20th Century Fox TV, for permission, and with the studio’s blessing, it moved to book space for the screening. Because the convention is so packed, there was some juggling involved, so the screening will be in Room 8, and the panel next door in Room 9. “This one-time-only screening of the entire pilot will show you just what a void there will be on your TVs this fall,” IDW’s ad materials say.

Locke & Key, directed by Mark Romanek and starring Miranda Otto and Nick Stahl, was one of the highest-profile pilots this past season. It was given an early pilot order and originally envisioned as a summer series before it was switched to fall consideration. Despite its great pedigree and top auspices involved, the pilot didn’t make the cut at Fox, and, after shopping the show to cable networks, the studio, faced with mounting costs of keeping the production alive, decided to pull the plug while signingFriedman in an overall deal. With rare exceptions (the failed Aquaman pilot was made available on iTunes), all pilots that don’t go to series die a quiet death and are rarely shown to the general public. While IDW will no doubt use the the footage to drum up interest for the next chapter in the comic book series, it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction the pilot will get. Can the power of the Comic-Con crowd make network chiefs change their mind?