JJ Abrams Producing Medical Comedy Pilot + Orci and Kurtzman In Talks To Produce Zombie Movie

[UPDATED] The team behind the new Star Trek continue to be hot commodities in Hollywood. Today it was just announced that JJ Abrams is producing a new medical comedy pilot for FOX. Plus it was also announced that Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman are in talks to produce a new zombie movie based on a comic book. Details below, plus we also have video of a brief video where JJ talks about viral marketing of Trek and other projects.      

 

JJ gets funny
News on the new show comes from THR, which reports that JJ will produce the pilot, written by Mike Markowitz (Becker, Duckman). So far the only details on the half hour show is that it is a "medical comedy" developed for FOX via Abrams Bad Robot deal with Warner Brothers Television. As is the last year of ABC’s (formerly NBC’s) Scrubs, that market is wide open. This would be Abrams first comedy TV show, but not his first time with the genre. He wrote and/or produced a few comedies back in the 90s, including Gone Fishin’, The Suburbans, and The Pallbearer, and he also recently produced the comedy Morning Glory starring Harrison Ford, which is in post-production. The new medical comedy for FOX will be added to the growing list of film and TV projects Abrams has going on. In addition to the next Star Trek movie, Abrams has around half a dozen other films development.

JJ talks Trek viral marketing
In other JJ news, here is an interview from last week where JJ talks about viral marketing, including the new Star Trek movie and Cloverfield.

Bob and Alex talking Zombie Movie
Speaking of other projects for the team now in charge of Star Trek, THR is also reporting that Trek exec. producer/scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are working in talks, via Dreamworks, to buy the rights to the rights to the Xombie comic book series about a cop turned Zombie. The script would be written by police-officer turned screenwriter Will Beall. Bob and Alex will be executive producers. Bob and Alex are currently in development or production on a dozen films as writers or producers.

Hey JJ, Bob and Alex, congrats on all the new projects, but never forget the the ship with the name, Enterprise.

 

 

 

37 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

But when is he doing the The Dark Tower??!

With so much on his plate, can he devote much time to a new ST film?

This is Scrubs last year. No seriously. It is. No really.

The last two times we were just kidding.

This time it is.

No really.

Is not Scrubs have a vanpire life, in two of it’s seasons it was shown a cross, and it will not die until you drive a steke in it’s heart and you see the body turn to dusk and gets a Catholic funeral in a christian grave yard that has daylight for 6 months in a row.

I know JJ likes to make money and all these new ventures are just ways to make money. And in creating them he is only keeping or making sure his creative mind does not lose talents.

And he’ll have others do all the grunt work on making the next STM:12, this so all he needs to do is step into the producers/directors shoes and the next movie will in ways create it’s self. About all that their is to worry about right now is for a good if not great script to be authored.

So after the new year starts then our ears can start hering all the garbage the fans will start tossing in the air and everyone hopes that their voices will result in the perfect movie that fills all dreams (correction, most all, because their will always be bitchers. Someone always wants to get herd how ever they can, and to some bitching is the fastest and easiest way.).

yes good call #1! i need dark tower films!!!! none of this medical comedy crap.

now lost is done j j should be doing more trek and dark tower!

JJ will produce “Star Drek (Formerly known as “Star Trek”)VII”, but someone else will end up directing. It’s just a pattern he’s established.

I just wish he’d leave “Trek” alone completely.

Who is the girl doing the interview? (I like to know that sort of thing.)

She’s sorta ditzy but cute.

I don’t really get the ‘calling card’ thing – what was that about? I don’t think JJ got it any better.

I wish JJ, Bob and Alex nothing but the best in all their future endevours. Most of what they put together I’ve enjoyed.

See “Dead Heat” with Joe Piscopo from the late 80’s.
It’s been 20 years and still no laughs from that one.

There’s nothing like a good Zombie movie.

JJ needs a director for the new Star Trek movie? I wonder what Nicholas Meyer is up to these days?

#11:

If Nick Meyer directs another Trek, I say that he bring back Harve Bennett before he passes–those two are a genius pair.

Yay, a zombie movie. Yawn. Maybe it will have vampires, too.

Same old sh*t from Hollywood.

I love zombie movies. Keep ’em comin.

Medical shows and zombie shows, like we don’t have enough of those.

Originality in Hollywood has been trumped by doing what they think is “safe”. Remake old TV shows and movies, and tried and tired genres (medical shows, legal shows, sitcoms about groups of friends talking about their relationships, etc).

There is not a brave soul left in Hollywood today. Let me retract, there is not a brave soul left in the executive ranks at the networks and studios.

@13:

I get what you’re saying about Hollywood doing the same thing over and over, but have you ever heard of the Xombified? It actually very good, and a very unique take on the whole genre. If they don’t want to leave the francise behind, this is a great way to keep it going because it completely breaks the mold.

Check out xombified.com before you start bashing it.

17 – I hadn’t heard of “Xombified” until today, and certainly did not mean to bash it, per se. But when we have another film in the works called “Zombieland,” I can’t help but think that Hollywood is not trying very hard to come up with new ideas.

Why not a film version of Lovecraft’s “Call of Cthulhu” or “At the Mountains of Madness” for something a little different in the horror genre?

Thank you for the tip about “Xombified.” I’ll check it out.

*sighs heavily*

Just what the world needs. Another show about doctors. The only doctor that matters on tv is the one with two hearts.

But… with JJ and his, quote, “growing list of film and TV projects Abrams has going on. In addition to the next Star Trek movie, Abrams has around half a dozen other films development. “, from here, it’s hard to see him directing ST XII. Unless he’s only producing/writing the other five.

@eddyman592

Thanks, buddy. It’s my comic. :)

@ Brett Campbell:

I’m glad I could point it out to you! And I definitely understand what you’re saying about Hollywood and it’s over saturation.

@James:

Great comic man. I’ve been a fan of the flash series since college.

I hoped there would be a word about the ARG, but nothing. I still hope that someday (soon?) we’ll get an ARG-related interview, BTS or something.

After a rip off of X Files, now comes a rip off of Scrubs. Very original, Mr. Abrams. What happened to the guy who wrote Regarding Henry and Forever Young?

How about a show about doctors killing zombies in a besieged hospital?

Maybe Orci & Kurtzman should put quality over quantity for a change.

Same goes for Abrams.

No wonder why Star Trek’s script felt so rushed (although it’s been 7 years since the last movie) and was so flawed.

Fringe is cool. But what that show needs is is an equivalent of the Lone Gunmen. Someone who knows his paranormalia. Somebody like this guy (shameless plug up ahead):

http://www.thekeyhoereport.com/?page_id=6#

#27

Negative.

Fringe is not a rip-off of the X Files.

“Fringe is not a rip-off of the X Files.”

FBI + Paranormal events = X-Files wannabe. And a rather dull one at that.

#29

lol

Stop making so many movies. I would like one movie done right instead of five movies done half-assed…

Zabonka (#33)

LOL!

That’s the only way JJ Abrams makes movies!

Xombie Rocks! I’ve been a fan of the flash animated series for a few years now. I can’t wait to see it up on the big screen . . . congrats James!

(#30)

richpit:

I love “Fringe.” But, not only is it a ripoff of “The X-Files”, it’s a rippoff of the “Fantastic Four” as well.

Doctor Bishop is Reed Richards, Peter Bishop is Johnny Storm, Olivia Dunham is Sue Storm-Richards, and Phillip Broyles is Ben Grimm. Not to mention, “The Observer” is a blatent ripp-off of “The Watcher!”