I had no interest until I saw Joe was just cast, I only know him from Across the Universe but I am in!!! I just hope this is nothing like Paranormal Activity, even if that was the best comedy I saw in 2009.
Quote:
“The River” follows the story of wildlife expert and TV personality Emmet Cole. Emmet set course around the world with his wife, Tess, and son, Lincoln, while filming what would become one of the most popular shows in television. After he goes missing deep in the Amazon, his family, friends and crew set out on a mysterious and deadly journey to find him.
Famed explorer Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) went looking for magic deep in the uncharted Amazon and never returned. The shocking truth about his disappearance is out there, somewhere, just waiting to be discovered. To the millions of kids who grew up watching his nature show, Dr. Cole was a hero. To his own son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson), he was more of an enigma. Now, six months after he vanished, Lincoln is finally ready to bury the past when Dr. Cole’s emergency beacon suddenly goes off. At the urging of his mother, Tess (Leslie Hope), Lincoln reluctantly joins her on a search for his father. To fund the rescue, they agree to let Dr. Cole’s cagey ex-producer, Clark (Paul Blackthorne), film the mission documentary-style. The mixed crew of old friends and new acquaintances includes the sexy and resourceful Lena (Eloise Mumford), loyal mechanic Emilio (Daniel Zacapa) and lethal bodyguard Captain Kurt Brynildson (Thomas Kretschmann).
“The River” stars Bruce Greenwood (“Star Trek”) as Emmet Cole, Joe Anderson (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2”) as Lincoln Cole, Paul Blackthorne (“Lipstick Jungle”) as Clark, Paulina Gaitan as Jahel, Leslie Hope (“24”) as Tess Cole, Eloise Mumford (“Lone Star”) as Lena, Shaun Parkes (“The Mummy Returns”) as Adjay, Thomas Kretschmann (“King Kong”) as Captain Kurt Brynildson and Daniel Zacapa (“Resurrection Blvd.”) as Emilio.
“The River,” from Amblin’s Steven Spielberg, Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey, showrunner/executive producer Michael Green (“Heroes,” “Kings”), is also executive-produced by Oren Peli (creator of “Paranormal Activity”), Zack Estrin, Jason Blum and Steven Schneider. Teleplay by Michael R. Perry and Michael Green, story by Oren Peli & Michael R. Perry and Michael Green. The pilot is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and produced by ABC Studios.
Last edited by Gamma_Winstead; 05-17-2011 at 07:43 PM.
After fielding multiple pilot offers, Bruce Greenwood has signed on to co-star in the ABC drama pilot The River directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The horror thriller, from DreamWorks TV, ABC Studios and Paranormal Activity mastermind Oren Peli, centers on Lincoln Cole (Joe Anderson) who, after his famous TV explorer father (Greenwood) goes missing way up the Amazon, reluctantly abandons his medical studies and follows in his father's footsteps - accompanied by a small camera crew, and with something deadly in the water, waiting for him
24 alumna Leslie Hope has landed the female lead in ABC's drama pilot The River, a thriller/horror drama from Paranormal Activity mastermind Oren Peli, which is being directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Described as being in the mold of Paranormal Activity, The River centers on Tess (Hope), a world traveler and top-notch producer who, six months after her TV explorer husband Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) goes missing in the Amazon, receives a signal from his beacon. Convinced that Emmet is alive, Tess forces her reluctant son Lincoln (Joe Anderson) to abandon his medical studies and lead a rescue expedition. Hope, has been recurring on The Mentalist.
THE RIVER
Network: ABC
Written By: Michael Green
Draft Date: January 30, 2011
Pages: 60
Doctor Emmet Cole was the world-famous adventurer and star of a long-running wildlife and nature documentary TV show. Something like the Crocodile Hunter, but less about outrageous antics and more about the magic and wonder of nature. Doctor Emmet Cole has been missing for 6 months, ever since he took off on a trip down the Amazon River, claiming he was on the verge of a truly huge discovery. Three of his crew were found dead. He is presumed dead.
And, so, Tess Cole (Emmet's wife) tries to convince their 28-year old son, Lincoln, who was never able to find the "magic" in nature that his father forced on him as a child, to join her voyage down the Amazon to try and find her husband and his father. Tess still believes he's alive.
Lincoln is convinced his father is dead. He wants to head back to his life and finish his doctorate. But Tess reveals something: Emmet's emergency beacon's signal just went off, after six months. She's made a deal with a TV network, they'll pay for the trip which is the only way she can follow up on this lead. But they'll only pay if Lincoln goes, too. Lincoln, who wants nothing to do with being on TV again, relents.
Even though he had to be convinced to come, Lincoln is definitely the lead character here. The whole story is about activating him. Helping him discover the "magic."
So... it's on. Lincoln and Tess are joined by Emilio, who was Emmet's engine man for 23 years but was told to not come on this last trip, Emilio's similarly mechanically minded 17-year old daughter, Jahel (ha-yel), who only speaks Portugese, Clark, the longtime producer of the TV show, two cameramen Adjay and Sammy, and Reese, a bodyguard and ex-Navy captain.
These right, plus a team of crewmen, head down the Amazon on the S. S. Hopewell. They find the beacon... in an empty, submerged diving cage. It seems like a dead-end. The trip is over just as soon as it began. Until Lena Landry arrives. Lena is the daughter of Russ, one of Emmet's cameramen, also presumed dead on Emmit's trip down the Amazon. She's a fearless helicopter pilot and longtime friend of Lincoln's even though she was always much more attuned to the "magic" of nature than he was. She's pissed at Lincoln for not telling her about this trip to look for his father... and for her own.
And she has aerial pictures that she took when she was searching for her missing father and for Emmet, before the start of our story. She found the Magus, Emmet's ship. It's shoaled off a fork of the river that Google Maps dares not tread called the Boiúna. Local girl Jahel warns against going down there. No one who goes comes back. The S. S. Hopewell's crew won't go. But Tess is determined. So, split into two high impact lifeboats, the team of nine (Tess, Lincoln, Lena, Emilio, Jahel, Reese, Clark, Adjay, and Sammy) head down the Boiúna.
The rest? It's just too good to spoil. I wouldn't want to. It's pretty scary and in the grand tradition of carefully edited (perhaps "found footage" because who knows if any of them, eventually, survive) horror films with some nice character moments, especially between Lincoln and Tess as well as Lincoln and Lena.
The River is a show I can immediately get behind, with intriguing, imperfect characters that jump from the page and I want to know more about, a prescribed style (even if it's one I fear will be an immediate turn off for some due to what is sure to be an effusive amount of shaky-cam), and, well, it's just damn good.
It's also a show that seems like it would make a great horror movie... but as a TV series? How do you get multiple seasons out of this (in other words, how are they going to Lost this)?
Given the "documentary TV show" conceit, the script itself actually has a self-aware reference to this question when, stumbling on some of Emmet's secret video files and hearing Emmet say "the further we go up the Boiúna... the more physics breaks down, and reality... is so much... bigger," Adjay, the lead cameraman, says, "We just got a second season."
At the very least, The River should get a second episode out of it, as the remaining crew on the Magus continue down the Amazon in search of Emmet, following in his footsteps... the barely-glimpsed preternatural threat contained... perhaps.
The one gripe I have are the openings of acts two, three, and four, which are stark contrast "personal interviews" taken of various crew members. It's the familiar talking head interview thing. It fills us in, a little, on some character details... but mostly you just want to jump right back to the action following the act outs. So, if this pilot runs long, I suspect those would be the first things I'd cut. If I had any say over it. Even though, in the long-run, I can these personal interviews becoming necessary.
ABC has picked up three sitcoms Apt. 23, Tim Allen’s Last Man Standing, and Man Up.
ABC also picked up seven dramas including Good Christian Belles (formerly *****es), Charlie’s Angels, Once Upon A Time, Pan Am, Revenge, Scandal and The River.
Really happy River got picked up and hope we can see some footage or photos soon.
Damn, out of the 15-20 pilots I have had a lot of interest in, surprisingly all but one have so far been picked up.
Only 4 so far for me. River, Charlie's Angels, Alcatraz and Grimm. Now just really waiting on the CW as I really want Secrete Circle to get picked up. Terra Nova to for me.
Only 4 so far for me. River, Charlie's Angels, Alcatraz and Grimm. Now just really waiting on the CW as I really want Secrete Circle to get picked up. Terra Nova to for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead
2 for me. This is gonna be a GREAT year, even if most of them die lonely deaths.
I'll definitely be watching Alcatraz, The New Girl and Awake. My curiosity is at least locked into my rule of three for; Charlie's Angels, Pan Am, Tim Allen's untitled show, Apt. 23, Terra Nova, Playboy Club, Grimm, The River and Secret Circle. Right now my only causalities to have not made the fall list are 17th Precinct, and Stephen Gaghan's Metro...
I'll definitely be watching Alcatraz, The New Girl and Awake. My curiosity is at least locked into my rule of three for; Charlie's Angels, Pan Am, Tim Allen's untitled show, Apt. 23, Terra Nova, Playboy Club, Grimm, The River and Secret Circle. Right now my only causalities to have not made the fall list are 17th Precinct, and Stephen Gaghan's Metro...
Mine are 17th and Georgetown (Katie Cassidy and Joe
Mazzello!)
Hate that it's midseason but hopefully it can do good their as even though I said this for Alcatraz I think this or Alcatraz could be the next Lost or come close to to it.
Preview clip and I must say after seeing that I'm really looking forward to this show after seeing that creature or whatever it was running/flying? in the jungle
The cameraman and I shared the exact same thought at the end "What the **** was that?" I didn't recall reading anything about creatures....interesting though but I need to see full trailer.
I hadn't realized before today that the beautiful Eloise Mumford was part of the cast. She was great on Lone Star and I'd hoped to see her again.
Last edited by WyldeMan45; 05-17-2011 at 06:40 PM.
The cameraman and I shared the exact same thought at the end "What the **** was that?" I didn't recall reading anything about creatures....interesting though but I need to see full trailer.
I hadn't realized before today that the beautiful Eloise Mumford was part of the cast. She was great on Lone Star and I'd hoped to see her again.
Yeah I don't remember reading anything about this show having creatures and even jumped a little as I wasn't expecting anything to just fly out of that rock or object.
Yeah I don't remember reading anything about this show having creatures and even jumped a little as I wasn't expecting anything to just fly out of that rock or object.
The extended premise doesn't mention anything either. I believe that rock was the creature. I thought it was just a big flying beetle since it is the Amazon, until I heard the dinosaur scream that reminded me of the first episode of Lost.
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'The River'
I just hope this is nothing like Paranormal Activity, even if that was the best comedy I saw in 2009. 
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