After many delays, it now looks like Orson Scott Card’s 1985 science fiction classic Ender’s Game will make it to the big screen.

Variety reports that Harrison Ford has signed to play Colonel Hyrum Graff. He joins a cast that included Asa Butterfield (Hugo) as Ender Wiggin, Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), as Ender’s friend, Petra Arkanian, Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) as his sister, Valentine, and Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham.

Gavin Hood  (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Tsotsi) is the director. The film is scheduled for release on March 15, 2013.

It’s a year before the movie is to be released, but the first trailer for The Hobbit, directed by Peter Jackson and based on the book by JRR Tolkien, arrived online last night (the 3-D film opens next Dec. 14). It will be shown in theaters before screenings of Steven Spielberg’s The Advntures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.

A few movie sites are complaining that it looks too much like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, also directed by Jackson and also based on a book by Tolkien, while others found it to be just what they wanted. The most exhaustive examination of  the trailer and what it reveals about the final film is on CinemaBlend.com, “The Hobbit Trailer In Detail: 5 Things We Learned.”

For those of you not up on your Middle Earth timelines, the film is the first in a two-part adaptation of Tolkien’s renowned novel which was the precursor to his Lord of the Rings trilogy. They were made into films, the first of which, The Fellowship of the Rings, came out ten years ago. Thus, the returning actors, like Ian MacKellen, are playimg characters who are  supposed to be younger than they were ten years ago.

The second film in the series, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, which was shot back-to-back with the first, will be released in December, 2013.

The movie Albert Nobbs, starring Glenn Close as a woman passing as a man in 19th C Dublin, picked up two Golden Globe nominations this week, for Best Actress (Close) and Best Supporting Actress (Janet McTeer, who also plays a woman passing as a man). It’s probably the least-known of the films in either category, having just opened in a limited run in New York and Los Angeles this week. Reviews just beginning (the New York Times is enthusiastic, but USA Today is not). After its Oscar-qualifying run, it opens across the country on Jan. 27

The movie is based on a long short story (the tie-in is labelled a “novella”), The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs, by the Irish wirter, George Moore. It was published in his 1927 collection, Celibate Lives. Close played the character on stage nearly 30 years ago and has been working for years to turn it in to a film.

The movie tie-in releases today.

Albert Nobbs: A Novella George Moore Retail Price: $10.00 Paperback: 112 pages Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) – (2011-12-21) ISBN / EAN: 0143122525 / 9780143122524

The title of the memoir, Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, has been tamed down quite a bit for the film version. It’s called Being Flynn, which refers to both the author, Nick Flynn, and his father and is now scheduled for limited release on March 2nd.

The movie, stars Robert De Niro as a homeless writer. His son, played by Paul Dano, also a writer, works in a homeless shelter, when a familiar figure walks in.

When it was published in 2005, the book received generally strong reviews (although the papers reduced the title to Another Bulls**t Night in Suck City) and appeared on the NYT extended best seller list when it came out in paperback.

San Francisco Chronicle

… the book will probably do very well because the story is true. And that’s actually almost a shame, because that would fail to take into account where the book truly succeeds, which is as a near-perfect work of literature.

NY Times Book Review

Flynn’s talents are considerable—he has a compelling voice and a wry sense of humor, especially about himself. He avoids the pitfalls that come with his subject matter: when writing about his recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, he keeps therapy-speak at bay; when describing his work at the shelter, he’s utterly unsanctimonious.

Being Flynn (Movie Tie-in Edition)  Nick Flynn Retail Price: $15.95 Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company ISBN / EAN: 0393341496 / 9780393341492

After months of promotion, the English-language, David Fincher-directed version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opens across the country tomorrow.

According to the site Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of the 34 “top critics” give it a favorable review (although a few are a bit grudging).

Many of the reviews compare it to the earlier Swedish-language film (Time‘s critic Richard Corliss, says, it’s “like getting a Christmas gift of a book you already have”). A few hark back to Stieg Larsson’s original:

L.A. Times 

One reason Salander is catnip on the page is that she is anything but in real life. Antisocial when she’s not downright furious… she is fierce, furtive and feral…..[but the movie’s] cold, almost robotic conception of Salander as a twitchy, anorexic waif feels more like a stunt than a complete character, and so the best part of the reason we care enough to endure all that mayhem has gone away.

New York Times

Critic A.O Scott is also a fan of Lisbeth on the page, describing her as “Tiny as a sparrow, fierce as an eagle…one of the great Scandinavian avengers of our time, an angry bird catapulting into the fortresses of power and wiping smiles off the faces of smug, predatory pigs”  and believes that lead actress Rooney Mara, “…captures her volatile and fascinating essence beautifully.” He is not so enthusiastic about the book’s plot, however and feels “Larsson’s heavy-footed clumsiness as a storyteller” harms the movie. The changes from the book to the screenplay just show “…how arbitrary some of Larsson’s narrative contrivances were in the first place”  and the movie suffers from “…long stretches of drab, hackneyed exposition that flatten the atmosphere.”

Whatever the critical verdict, the publicity surrounding the movie continues to bring new readers to the book. Libraries are still showing holds queues.

It’s not certain whether Fincher will direct the next movies in the trilogy. At a recent press conference, he said he hasn’t been signed yet; “Classically, movie studios don’t make deals with directors, even if there’s a hope that there’s going to be three [films], because they want to make sure you behave.” He did, however, go on to say that if he were to direct the next two films, he would shoot them both at once. He also noted that the Dragon Tattoo shoot was “incredibly draining” for Rooney Mara because of all the “naysayers” who thought she was the wrong choice for the role.

Below is the trailer for the Swedish-language version:

NPR’s All Things Considered takes a look at the new Sherlock Homes movie, Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows, starring Robert Downey Jr., through the lens of two recent books inspired by Conan Doyle’s master detective.

As a result, The House of Silk, rose on Amazon’s sales rankings. Libraries are showing moderate holds. In its review, PW said, “The hype surrounding what’s being billed as the first pastiche ever officially approved by the Conan Doyle estate is amply justified in this authentic, if melancholy, recreation of the beloved Baker Street characters by the creator of the acclaimed Foyles War TV series.”

The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel Anthony Horowitz Retail Price: $27.99 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Mulholland Books – (2011-11-01) ISBN / EAN: 0316196991 / 9780316196994

The second book is a collection of short stories inspired by Conan Doyle, also released this fall.

A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon Laurie R King, Leslie S Klinger Retail Price: $29.95 Hardcover: 250 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press – (2011-10-25) ISBN / EAN: 1590585496 / 9781590585498

Of course, many other authors have carried on the Holmes tradition. Check this list from Wikipedia for the makings of an extensive book display.

The new movie, unlike the previous one, is based on a specific Holmes story,  “The Final Problem,” which is included in the re-released The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Penguin; other editions available in ePub and Kindle on OverDrive).

If there were an Academy Award for strangest film title, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen would surely win. It ‘s based on a book of the same title, the 2007 debut novel by British writer Paul Torday (HMH), about a sheik who believes salmon fishing will help unite the people of Yemen. Publishers Weekly called it “winningly absurdist,” an assessment echoed by both Library Journal and Booklist (which starred it). Torday’s second novel, Bordeaux (HMH, 2009) received equally strong reviews. His third book, The Girl on the Landing, has not been published here.

The film’s director, Lasse Hallstrom, has had experience adapting quirky books; he directed Chocolat, The Cider House Rules, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and My Life as a Dog.

Salmon Fishing stars Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, and Kristin Scott-Thomas and received strong reviews at the Toronto Film Festival in September.

No tie-in has been announced. The film arrives in theaters on March 2 UPDATE: Now moved to March 9.

Has Hollywood been reading the Best Books lists?

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor, swept most of the children’s Best Books lists to date (the Washington Post and the National Book Awards are the only hold-outs. The author’s Lips Touch: Three Times, however, was a nominee in 2009). Universal announced yesterday that they have acquired the rights to adapt it.

It has all the elements that Hollywood loves. It’s the first in a planned trilogy (making it franchise material à la Twilight, Harry Potter and The Hunger Games), it’s written for young adults (see previous parens), but has strong cross-over appeal (ditto) and is a supernatural romance (similarities anyone?).

The next book in the series is scheduled for publication in Sept, 2012.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Laini Taylor Retail Price: $18.99 Hardcover: 432 pages Publisher: Hachette/LBYR – (2011-09-27) ISBN / EAN: 0316134023 / 9780316134026

Hachette Audio; 9781611132977

Hollywood is wringing its hands over recent box office results. According to the AP, last weekend was “dreary” and was made even worse because it came “after a relatively quiet Thanksgiving holiday at movie theaters, despite analysts’ predictions of potential holiday records because of a great lineup of films.”

Martin Scorsese’s first family movie, Hugo, based on Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, opened on Thanksgiving and ranked only third last weekend. It was in a limited number of theaters, however. According to the L.A. Times, Paramount is “rolling out the movie slowly in hopes of capitalizing on the movie’s stellar critical reviews and awards buzz.”

Opening this weekend, also with an eye towards the Oscars, is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. While the movie is bringing renewed attention to John le Carre’s famous spy novel, it’s bringing even more to the six-hour 1979 BBC miniseries, starring Alec Guiness, now on DVD (Acorn Media). On Countdown last night, Keith Olbermann raved about it, saying he’s watched at least once every year. Not only does he love it, but, “It is to some degree playing on a permanent loop in my brain.” It also won the recommendation of critic Bob Mondello NPR’s All Things Considered Tuesday.

Libraries show growing holds on the book, and heavier holds on the video.

Surprisingly, Olbermann, says the movie lives up to his beloved BBC version; no mean feat since the film has much less time to present the story.

Olbermann has the advantage of knowing that story so well. The movie news site IndieWire warns that the movie can be confusing and suggests “Befuddled audiences may want to take a second look.”

On the other hand, they could try reading the book.

Official Web site: Tinker-Tailor-Soldier-Spy.com

Tie-in:

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: A George Smiley Novel John le Carre Retail Price: $16.00 Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) – (2011-10-05) ISBN / EAN: 014312093X / 9780143120933

David Mitchell’s 2004 novel Cloud Atlas (RH/Doubelday) is so complex that many considered it unfilmable. Financing the film’s $100 million budget is also complex, as explored in by the New York Times on Monday. It’s described as an  “epic independent film too complicated, too expensive and perhaps too risky for any conventional studio to have backed.”

The film has three directors, two separate production crews and the actors play multiple roles. Halle Berry who plays both a Jewish woman in the 1930’s and an “old tribal woman,” admits it is confusing and adds, “It’s sort of like guerrilla filmmaking…Even though there seems like there’s a lot of money, it’s not opulent. All the money’s going into the screen.”

The ensemble cast also includes Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, Jim Sturgess and Hugo Weaving. IMDB lists the opening date as Oct. 26, 2012, but that is not confirmed elsewhere.

The surprise YA hit Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs (Quirk Books, Jun, 2011) just took one step closer to the big screen. Deadline reports that X-Men screenwriter Jane Goldman will adapt the novel. Tim Burton is still in talks to direct.

Riggs used his personal collection of spooky Victorian photos as an inspiration for the novel. An as-yet-untitled sequel is scheduled for Spring 2013.

In April, HarperCollins will publish selections from Riggs’s collection of antique found photographs, annotated with evocative comments by their original owners.

Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past Ransom Riggs Retail Price: $13.99 Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: It Books/HarperCollins(2012-04-10) ISBN / EAN: 9780062099495, 0062099493

The film of The Help is true to most of Kathryn Stockett’s novel, but its version of the story of maid Minny Jackson ends on a more upbeat note. Tate Taylor directed a scene based on the darker story element, which did not make it to the final cut. It is included as bonus material on the DVD and Blu-ray editions, released yesterday.

Entertainment Weekly features the clip on their “Inside Movies” blog, along with a fascinating interview with actress Octavia Spencer, who talks about how she prepared the young actors playing her children for the scene.

Below is a still, click here to watch the scene and read the interview.

It seems the movie industry hasn’t gotten the memo that embargoes are meant to be broken. The movie news site, Thompson on Hollywood, reports that “Scott Rudin is pissed. And so is Sony,” because The New Yorker film critic David Denby reviews The Girl with the DragonTattoo, in the current issue, a week ahead of the Dec. 13 embargo.

He calls it a “a bleak but mesmerizing piece of filmmaking [that] offers a glancing, chilled view of a world in which brief moments of loyalty flicker between repeated acts of betrayal.” Just the thing for the holidays.

A new eight-minute trailer for the movie was released on Friday (see it below, or watch a high-res version free at the iTunes store). It opens on 12/21.

Released on the web late yesterday is the second trailer for the film based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s 9/11-themed novel, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (above, L to R, the movie poster, original and tie-in jackets).

The trailer includes some actual 9/11 footage. The LA Times, reports there are more such scenes in recent test screenings of the movie, as well as an image of Tom Hanks falling through the air. If they make it to the final film, it will be “one of the very few Hollywood productions to deal with the events of Sept. 11, 2001, let alone show scenes from that day.” The two that did — Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center and Paul Greengrass’ United 93, both from 2006 — were not commercial successes.

Starring Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, with newcomer Thomas Horn as the 9-year-old lead,  Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott, The Hours and The Reader). It opens on Christmas Day, in an Oscar-qualifying limited run and will open more across the country on January 20th. Max Von Sydow, featured prominently in the trailer, is getting buzz for Best Supporting Actor.

Official Movie site: ExtremelyLoudandIncrediblyClose.WarnerBros.com

Tie-in:

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Movie Tie-in Jonathan Safran Foer Retail Price: $14.95 Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Mariner Books – (2011-11-01) ISBN / EAN: 0547735022 / 9780547735023

Ralph Fiennes’ debut as a director, for the adaptation of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, is currently in a one week Oscar-qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles, (the full run begins on Jan. 20).

It was just announced that Felicity Jones will play Charles Dickens’ alleged mistress in Fiennes’ second directorial effort, The Invisible Woman, based on Claire Tomalin’s The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens, (RH/Knopf, 1991). Shooting is planned for sometime in 2012, which happens to be the bicentenary of  Dickens’ birth.

Tomalin’s new book, a full-length biography of Dickens, incorporates material from the earlier one. Other scholars, such as Peter Ackroyd have concluded that Dickens’ relationship with Ternan, whom he met when she was 18 and he was in his mid-forties, was strictly a friendship. Tomalin argues that not only was she his mistress, but they had a child together.

Tomalin talks about Dickens (but not about Ternan) in the following video:

Charles Dickens: A Life Claire Tomalin Retail Price: $36.00 Hardcover: 576 pages Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The – (2011-10-27) ISBN / EAN: 1594203091 / 9781594203091