File this under the “Why Not?” category: Avatar part two, three, and four, all in development with James Cameron and a handful of co-writers. Early box office estimates are approximately $7 gillion. Also getting the sequel special, The Bourne Identity 5. Some dramas and period scripts were in the mix as well, including The Esperanza Fire, from Legendary Pictures, based on the true story, as well as the Ron Howard project In the Heart of the Sea, a survival tale about a stranded whaling ship in the 1800s. And on a lighter note, a fully animated Scooby-Doo film is in the works.
Other script sales include:
– Vertigo taking the wheel on Stephen King’s epic story The Stand.
– The Twilight Zone movie seems to be on the right track, at long last.
– Comedian Amy Schumer bringing her talents to the big screen, both writing and acting, in an as-of-yet untitled comedy with Judd Apatow.
– Warner Bros. helming Merlin, from the novel series about the young wizard.