Before the film industry’s movie strike, Rawson Marshall Thurber was approached to write the Rifts® movie. That means Disney will be renewing the movie option next month for one more year, and when the strike is over, Mr. Thurber will get to work on a treatment and screenplay.
Palladium staffer, Alex Marciniszyn, found an online interview with Rawson Marshall Thurber that really got people excited at the Palladium offices. It turns out Rawson Marshall Thurber, age 32, is a FAN of RIFTS®!
When the interviewer closed the discussion with the question: "Do you have a dream project? Is there another novel out there you'd really like to adapt?"
Rawson said: "I guess, in terms of dream projects, there's a property that Jerry Bruckheimer has that I've loved for a long time. It's a role-playing game called Rifts® that I used to play a lot in junior high school with my friends - that's okay to admit, right? Ladies, line up. Anyhow, it's sort of a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thing that I'd love to get my meat hooks into. We'll see what happens."
Find the full interview here.
“From what I can tell, Rawson Marshall Thurber is a budding, new force in Hollywood,” said Kevin Siembieda. “I can’t help but be excited that he’s a Rifts® fan too. The fact he knows Rifts® as a gamer can only help him capture the look, feel and fun of the RPG. I think this is awesome news.”
Rawson Marshall Thurber’s breakout movie was the comedy, Dodgeball, an Underdog’s Tale. His current film, in post production, is The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (an adaptation of a novel), he’s been tapped by Universal to write and direct the film adaptation of Magnum P.I., is doing a comedy for Dreamworks, and will be working on the Rifts® movie script after the Hollywood writers’ strike is resolved.
A number of friends and fans have asked if Mr. Thurber will be contacting Palladium Books and talking with Rifts® creator, Kevin Siembieda. We don’t know, but Kevin said he would sure welcome the opportunity.
You’ll know more when we know more.
Anyone who knows Kevin Siembieda at all, knows he has a bad habit of pushing himself too hard. Well, it finally caught up with him on Tuesday and kicked him in the teeth on Wednesday, when he felt sick and feared he was coming down with the flu. However, it appears to have been exhaustion more than anything else, and after some much needed sleep, he’s back up and working away on both Dyval™ and Robotech®.
Even with the good news about the movie and hot excitement for the return of the Robotech® RPG, Dyval™ and the rest of the Hell/Minion War series (not to mention Dead Reign™, Warpath: Urban Jungle™, Mysteries of Magic™, and other projects), Palladium’s not out of the woods yet. We very much need to get new product released, and that’s been difficult these past six months. We are still shorthanded and everyone is handling heavy workloads, Kevin Siembieda most of all. “Gotta get Dyval and Robotech finished and to the printer” has become something of a mantra for him.
Both books are coming along nicely, but both are about a month behind schedule. Dyval should see release the end of November or early December, and though Kevin vows he is still trying to get Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles RPG out before Christmas, it is likely to be literally just before Christmas or a week or two after. We hope you understand.
Palladium staffers and Game Masters, Jason Marker and Julius Rosenstein, will be running games at U-Con on the campus of U of M.
Jason is running Friday and Saturday evening, Julius on Friday. In addition, Josh Hilden and Joshua Sanford (the two gents behind the zombie RPG, Dead Reign) will be at U-Con Friday and Saturday. Get ‘em to run something for you! Unfortunately, Kevin Siembieda, Wayne Smith and Alex Marciniszyn can’t make it. They will be working hard on Dyval while you are having fun gaming.
Visit www.ucon-gaming.org for more info.
Monday’s Gateway to the Megaverse® podcast is likely to be an open discussion about events and interviews over the last 8-10 weeks. Thoughts about the Rifts Movie, the return of Robotech, Dyval and the Minion War series, Christmas Bags, writing, and the future of Palladium. Carl Gleba and other Palladium folk are likely to chime in. Join the fun.
Kevin Siembieda should be back on Monday, November 19, to talk more about the craft of writing and the production/publishing side of things. Those of you with dreams of starting your own game company will want to listen and ask questions, but even those of you with no such aspirations are sure to enjoy a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes. The live discussion should be lively, full of ideas, stories, fun and laughs.
And remember, all podcasts are downloadable so you can listen to them anytime. Click here.
Christmas Grab Bags continue to put smiles on the faces of fans around the world. This week we had a lot of orders from all across Canada, as well as Germany, Great Britain, Texas, Virginia, and elsewhere.
An overview of China and the Hell of the Yama Kings brought to Rifts Earth. Elder gods, ghosts and spirits have returned to walk the Earth. China is an exotic and dangerous realm, and it’s back in print. A funny story: It turns out that China One should have arrived two days ago, but our regular service rep was out of the office and the books got misplaced! It took half the day for the printer to located them today. Funny.
The secrets of the Cyber-Knights revealed: Summon Psi-Sword, Psionic Powers, Cyber-Armor, Cyber-Knight Zen Combat, Dream Visions, Squires and Mentoring, their Code of Chivalry, variant Knights, and more. Also learn about the fractured fellowship – the schism within the knighthood caused by the Coalition’s Siege on Tolkeen, as well as Fallen Knights. More detailed information, background and equipment than what is touched upon in Rifts® Ultimate Edition.
Naruni Enterprises is a famous, trans-dimensional weapons dealer from the Three Galaxies. Despite their weapons, armor and vehicles being blacklisted by the CS and Naruni Arms Dealers the target of CS bounties and assassins, Naruni Enterprises has returned to Rifts Earth.
This time it’s personal as the Naruni are looking to stick it to the Coalition States, Northern Gun and others who helped the CS oust them from the planet before the Siege on Tolkeen. And they’re doing it by selling weapons and armor to all of the Coalition’s enemies.
One of the most popular and requested Rifts® World Books, Juicer Uprising is back in print. It remains the definitive guide to Juicers and has been updated to be 100% compatible with RUE.
Dyval™ is another dimension of Hell, the next book in the Minion War™ series, and is every bit as fantastic as Hades. Deevils as you have never imagined them before. A hellish dimension different from Hades, but just as horrible. Deevil Hosts, evil monsters and minions, Deevil society, monstrous War Steeds, magic and more. Much, much more. Should go to the printer soon.
The artwork is assigned and being created, the cover is being tweaked, the research and note making continues, and bits of first draft writing are finished. Can we get this new RPG out before Christmas? We’ll try. If not, it will be soon after.
The role-playing game will pick up where the DVD movie begins. The return of the Robotech Expeditionary Force, the separation of the SDF-3 from the rest of the fleet, and everything else that is part of Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles®.
More rare, out of print, fun, autographed, and one-of-a-kind items from the Palladium Archives and Kevin Siembieda’s private collection.
Palladium Collectibles Auction
This auction is a bit larger and has a good range of items, from Gold Editions and out of print books, to the Rifts® Licensing Bible, proof copies and original artwork. Think Christmas presents, birthdays and filling your own collection with cool, unusual, rare and collectible items. Signed, packed and shipped with loving care.
- The Rifts® Licensing Bible (the last one we offered a couple auctions ago sold for over $100). This is exactly what we sent Jerry Bruckheimer, Nokia, and a number of other prospective licensees. Something like 16 were created. This is probably the last time the Rifts® Bible will be offered, though Kevin is thinking about putting one more up in the December auction. He hasn’t decided.
- Shadows of Light, the fourth Nightbane sourcebook, a Nightspawn poster, and two “test sheet” cover variations. All signed.
- Trans-Dimensional Ninja Turtles sourcebook (ultra-rare; found two copies tucked away in a box with convention stuff, go figure).
- A set of TMNT sourcebooks, signed by Erick Wujcik, Siembieda and others.
- A proof sheet for the Valley of the Pharaohs box cover (1984).
- Beyond the Supernatural Gold “Printer Proof.”
- Rifts® Ultimate Gold “Printer Proof.”
- Rifts® Ultimate Gold #607 signed by more than 25 Palladium creators.
- Rifts® “Silver” Hardcover (only have around 20 copies left).
- Rifts® Machinations of Doom Gold HC “Printer Proof.”
- First printings of Rifts® RPG, Rifts® Underseas & Conversion Book One, Revised.
- A set of The Rifter® #1-14; missing #2 and 8.
- Select out of print issues of The Rifter® (down to the last few file copies).
- A few sets of covers.
- Artwork by Breaux, Siembieda, Perez and others
- A bunch of rare prints and posters, including Cybertron Now, a 1981 Techno-Music poster designed for Rick Davis by Kevin Siembieda.
- Another beautiful, handmade, Palladium and Rifts® leather book jacket created by Roger Cartier. So far, he’s made a total of six, four are being offered in auction. Each of the Palladium jackets features a different dragon.
- A couple of proofreader copies of books and more.
- The Rifter® #40 – Available now!
- $50 Zeleznik HC Art Book, signed by Zeleznik & Siembieda – available now.
- Coalition Wars® Book 4: Cyber-Knights™ – back in print.
- Dimension Book 8: Naruni™ Wave 2 – back in print.
- Rifts® China One – back in print – ships on Monday, November 12.
- Rifts® World Book 10: Juicer Uprising™ – back in print end of Nov.
- Wolfen Empire™ – back in print December.
- Dimension Book 11: Dyval™, Hell Unleashed – November.
- Robotech®: The Shadow Chronicles® RPG – December.
- Heroes of the Megaverse® – December (or January).
- Dimension Book 12: Dimensional Outbreak™ – December (or January).
- And we will still try to squeeze in one or two other titles, but no promises.
- Plus downloadable material, therifter.com, and a few surprises up our sleeves in the way of special items available only online.
- Palladium Art and Collectibles Auction starts Saturday.
Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.
© Copyright 2007 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, and Coalition Wars® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Dyval, Minion War, Dead Reign, Naruni, Cyber-Knights and other titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc.
This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.