POLL : Which new show featuring LOST actors/writers are you most looking forward to?

Michael Emerson Reunites With J.J. Abrams

Thanks to Bruce for the heads up.

Lost alum Michael Emerson is set as a lead in Jonah Nolan’s CBS pilot Person Of Interest, which is being executive-produced by Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams.

The project, directed by Heroes‘ David Semel, is a crime drama centered on an ex-CIA agent, presumed dead, who teams up with a mysterious billionaire (Emerson) to prevent violent crimes in New York City.

Source: TV Line

Person of Interest - CBS Picks up JJ Abrams Pilot

CBS has given a pilot pickup to J.J. Abrams' crime drama Person of Interest, written by The Dark Knight co-writer Jonah Nolan.

The project, from Warner Bros. TV and Abrams' Bad Robot, centers on an ex-CIA hitman and a scientist who team up to prevent crimes before they happen.

Abrams and Nolan are executive producing with Bad Robot's Bryan Burk.
Nolan wrote Dark Knight with brother Christopher Nolan. He also is credited as a write on The Dark Knight Rises, due out next year.
Person of Interest is the second pilot order this season for Bad Robot following Fox's pickup of Alcatraz.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Terry O'Quinn & Michael Emerson Project Put On The Backburner

Thanks to Omar for the heads up.

Meanwhile, the J.J. Abrams produced Odd Jobs is being put on the backburner and will be looked at as a potential project for the next pilot season. Odd Jobs would re-team Lost stars Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson, in the story of two retired black-ops agents. Deadline notes that the script to that project, by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (whose collaborations with Abrams include Alias and the upcoming Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol) came in very late this pilot season.

Source: IGN

Alcatraz - JJ Abrams casts Jorge Garcia

Thanks to DarthLocke and JFSawyer for the heads up.

Lost alum Jorge Garcia has been cast in J.J. Abrams' Fox drama Alcatraz, reports Deadline.

The hush-hush storyline line focuses on mysteries involving the infamous, hard-time federal penitentiary at Alcatraz, which closed nearly a half-century ago.

The 37-year-old Garcia, who will play Alcatraz expert Diego Soto, is best known for his role as Hugo "Hurley" Reyes on Abrams' ABC drama Lost.

What do you think of the casting?

Source: TV Guide

NBC lands J.J. Abrams' Project With Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn

Thanks to everyone for the heads up.

What do you know -- the Lost castaways have found new primetime land. A fresh hourlong project starring Lost alums Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn and executive produced by Lost co-creator/exec producer JJ Abrams has landed at NBC with a big put pilot commitment. Lost's home network, ABC, did bid aggressively on the the show and came close to locking it in. But, after the show went down to the wire with ABC, NBC ultimately snagged it. Life on Mars co-creators/exec producers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, who worked with Abrams on his ABC spy drama Alias, are writing the pilot for Warner Bros TV and Abrams' Bad Robot. Appelbaum and Nemec are executive producing with Abrams and Bryan Burk. Like with all JJ Abrams projects, the premise for the show, called for now Odd Jobs, is being kept under wraps. But Emerson and O'Quinn are expected to play former special ops agents.

After having done no projects with Abrams until last year, NBC has now picked up 2 in a row: last year's Undercovers and the now untitled Appelbaum/Nemec drama. NBC landed both after a bidding war with ABC. This marks the first sale for Appelbaum and Nemec under their overall deal with Warner Bros TV signed earlier this year. On the feature side, they are writing Mission Impossible: 4 for Abrams. It's been a strong selling season for Bad Robot with 3 production-size commitments. Its drama Alcatraz has already been officially greenlighted to pilot at Fox. The Appelbaum/Nemec one at NBC and another one with Jonah Nolan at CBS are both looking good to get to the pilot stage.

Source: NBC

JJ Abrams Interview

Thanks to Chris for the following.

The KROQ-FM morning show Kevin & Bean talked to J.J. Abrams this morning. He said there fun LOST references in the film Cloverfield which comes out on 01/18. Kevin & Bean pointed out that a listener had spotted some of "the numbers" in the trailer, and J.J. said there were some nods to LOST in the movie, but they were just for fun.

The J.J. Abrams interview runs from 13:58 to 23:59

J.J. Abrams: The mystery box

Thanks to Mark for finding this video. Whilst it is quite old, March 2007, I'd never seen it before and thought I'd share it here.

J.J. Abrams traces his love of the unseen mystery -- the heart of Alias, Lost, and the upcoming Cloverfield -- back to its own magical beginnings, which may or may not include an early obsession with magic, the love of a supportive grandfather, or his own unopened Mystery Box.

King Confirms Dark Tower News

Stephen King, the prolific best-selling horror author, confirmed to New York Comic Con fans that Lost co-creators J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof will adapt his epic multi-volume book series The Dark Tower for the screen. "I said no to everybody until recently, because I didn't think much of the chances of it being a good movie," King said in a panel discussion launching Marvel Comics' new Dark Tower comic books at the New York City Comic Con on Feb. 24. "I mean, this is my life's work, since the time I was 22 years old. It's very important to me. Usually, with the other [books], I don't give much of a s--t. My attitude is, 'Go make a movie, and if it's good, that's terrific, and if it's bad, then it will go to the video stores and back shelves of Blockbuster, and I still get royalties on the book.'"

King also revealed that he even turned down an offer from his longtime collaborator, writer/director Frank Darabont, who previously adapted The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile and is at work on other King adaptations. "Frank did come to me, and I know Frank from before either one of us had a pot to piss in," King said. "Frank said, 'Gee, I'd like to do Dark Tower.' I said, 'Frank, give me a break! You've got The Mist, The Monkey. You've got the prison stories. ... Stop putting so much on your plate!'"

King, who is an avowed fan of Lost, only agreed to relinquish the film rights to The Dark Tower when Abrams (Mission: Impossible III) and Lindelof approached him. "I know J.J. Abrams' work and Damon Lindelof, who is his collaborator on Lost," King said. "Damon is just a total comic-book freak, and he loves the Dark Tower books. I trust those guys, and they have a lot on the ball. When they said they wanted to talk about doing this, I said, 'You know what? Why don't you buy the option on this and see what you can come up with.' They asked, 'How much do you want for an option?' I said, '$19.' [It's a key amount that comes up frequently in the books]. And that's what they paid me, and that's where it is." Marvel and King's Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born number one is available in stores now.

Source: SCIFI