The ODI

Jack Bender in Talks with JJ's Bad Robot for Movie Deal??

Risky Business has learned that Bender has signed a television development deal with JJ Abrams’ production company Bad Robot/Warner Bros television, and “insides say” that he will now be free to work on “a potential feature” film for Paramount Pictures. Of course, no details are known at this time.

Remember, Matt Reeves wrote and directed on over 70 episodes for the Abrams-produced television series Felicity before getting his big break with the Bad Robot produced feature Cloverfield. Now Reeves is directing the Let The Right One In remake/adaptation Let Me In.

Bender’s television credits also include 4 episodes of The Sopranos, 2 episodes of Carnivale, 11 epsiodes of the JJ Abrams-produced show Alias and a few epsidoes of Felicity.

Source: SlashFilm

Source: Sky One
Posted by DarkUFO

Paul Terry hosts the second instalment of our Lost Initiative pre-season special. This week Paul talks to Lost Executive Producer and Director Jack Bender about the enormous challenge of shooting a show such as Lost.


Source: Sky One
Posted by DarkUFO

Thanks to Claudio for the heads up.

Hey All,
There is a great new article about the Production of LOST in Hawaii and about how it will effect the islands once production ends and how great it was to have LOST there.

LOST Director Jack Bender was interviewed and talked a bit about Season 6. Nothing major new but here is his portion of the article:

Filming began Aug. 24, and the final season — 18 hours of programming — will run from January to May.

"I think it will be a thrilling, satisfying season that is not going to be without controversy," he said. "Life is messy. Our ending, although there will be answers, every bow may not be tied up. But there will be enough answers to the bigger questions."

Bringing the series to a finale is a bittersweet assignment for the cast and crew, said Bender, who joined "Lost" after the pilot was finished.

"The local crew has become family," he said. "I really adore these guys, and I am hopeful that I will be back with a show in the future. I hope there will be another show that comes in that lasts as long and is a wonderful experience."

The show — and working in Hawai'i — changed those who were involved, especially Bender, who said living in the Islands agrees with him.

"None of us will be the same after 'Lost,' " said Bender, who lives in L.A., where his wife is a rabbi, but spends much of the year working in Hawai'i. "I've learned so many things being executive producer. I am a better person than I was when I started."

Source: Honolulu Advertiser

Thanks to SL-Lost for the heads up on this series of interviews with Bender, Cuse, Lindelof








Posted by DarkUFO

Jack Bender Interview About S6 at Roma Fiction Fest

Thanks to Karen for the heads up and Roberto79it from Lost-Italia for sharing this video with us

Interview with Jack Bender About Season 6

Confirms filming beginning on August 24th, that there will be 18 hours (16 episodes) and more!

Thanks to SL-LOST and Digital Spy for this interview.

NOTE: Full audio and summary of the Curzon Q&A Session with Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse and Jack Bender with some of the same info is posted in the spoilers section here:

http://lostspoilers-odi.blogspot.com/2009/07/curzon-q-with-darlton-and-jack-bender.html

Hey All,
Over the last couple of weeks, we have posted several different interviews by several of the LOST cast and crew including Matthew Fox and Director Jack Bender.

Both of them at some point have mentioned that there are "18 hours left" in the show. Of course most of us knew that there were 17 Episodes left and I assumed that meant the finale was two hours making it 18 hours and not 17.

Well our good friend DarkUFO is reporting that based on a new Matthew Fox interview that there is a possibility that Season 6 will be 16 Episodes with a Two-Hour Premiere and Finale!!

So it seems either way we might be getting an extra hour of LOST in Season 6!!

As soon as we have more information we will keep you all informed.

Hey All,

Here is a good article about Jack Bender and how he feels LOST is probably the last epic TV show that will air for a very long time. He also says the end of the show is "satisfying" and that there are "18" hours left. The 18 hours is something we have seen pop in a few different interviews, but as far as we knew there are 17 hours left.

Thanks to Deanne for the heads up.

Enjoy!!

Jack Bender Says LOST Will be Last Epic TV Show

When "Lost" airs its final episode next year, it won't just be the end of the popular serial.

Jack Bender - a producer and director on the hit drama - says it'll likely mark the end of epic TV shows in general, at least for awhile.

"It's going to be one of the last huge television shows in terms of size of cast and scope of production," predicts Bender, in town to lead a master class at the Banff World Television Festival.

"Given the fact that network television is changing, it may be one of the last great rides of this kind of big epic storytelling."

This he attributes to a combination of factors: the collapsed economy, what the networks are looking for in new programming, and the sheer cost of mounting a show like "Lost."

Since it shoots in Hawaii, where sets and materials must be flown in, the expense is significant, notes Bender.

"Lost" wraps its puzzling storyline with 18 episodes next winter and its creators have repeatedly promised that all will be resolved by the time the last hour has aired.

"There will be an ending to our show and I trust it will be a stimulating, satisfying ending," says the bespectacled Bender, acknowledging at the same time that for much of its life, the series was known for infuriating twists that seemed to go nowhere.

"This show needs to be building toward a story finish. The audience can't feel like the creative wheels are spinning and critically, there were times during the seasons before ... where we were critically, and in terms of our audience, getting busted for spinning wheels a little bit."

Season 5 wrapped up last month with the long-awaited appearance of the mythical Jacob, an explosive bid by Jack to erase the past (or was that the future?), and Locke's identity muddled.

Likening the series to a large literary work comprised of six books, Bender says the plot will close definitively next year. No window will remain open for a movie, or some cheesy comeback.

Bender says TV's thematic pendulum is swinging away from serial television towards more stand-alone dramas. Procedurals are popular with networks, he notes, because it's easier for audiences to drop in at any time.

"That's not to say there won't be another great big old show that is a serialized show in the future," he says. "But for awhile I think it's going to be smaller and more procedural."

That said, Bender predicts a robust life for "Lost" after its TV run, noting its serial format lends itself well to what's become a lucrative arm for the industry.

"The life of 'Lost' will eventually be viewed on DVDs and it will be read and viewed like a big novel," he says.

Bender also credits the advent of technologies like personal video recorders, digital downloads and broadband viewing with keeping audiences tuned in through the twists and turns of the series. He credits online fandom in particular with generating continual buzz about "Lost."

"I think 'Lost' in many ways was the first big Internet success story on television because the game of our show (is that) people play it once our show is over. You know, people talk about it all week, write about it, argue about it. So in many ways the Internet was part of the success of our show."

As for details on the final season, Bender reveals nothing. He does say that despite there never being a "big grand plan," the writers have known "for a while" what the ultimate ending would be.

"We love toying with the audience, we love the complexity of the storytelling and the fact things are building toward a finish and not getting there too soon," admits Bender.

"By calling it quits at the end of Season 6, which no hit television show has ever done historically, especially a show that's had this worldwide success, popularity.... it allowed (executive producers) Damon (Lindelof) and Carlton (Cuse) and the rest of our writer/producers to really guide the show toward a creative, satisfying ending, which we've been doing."

Well know LOST Director and producer Jack Bender was signed by ABC to direct a new show called The Prince of Motor City.

More details bleow:

"Lost" director Jack Bender has signed on to helm ABC's drama pilot "The Prince of Motor City."

Project, set to start shooting at the end of June, is a gothic family sudser set in the world of Detroit's auto business. Hour-long project, from ABC Studios, also contains "Hamlet" undertones.

Beyond "Lost," which Bender both directs and exec produces, the helmer's recent credits include "Dirty Sexy Money," "Carnivale," "Boomtown" and "Alias."

Chris Brancato and Bert Salke are behind "The Prince of Motor City" as exec producers; Jessica Goldberg is also an EP. Goldberg wrote the pilot with thesp Hamish Linklater.

Andie MacDowell, Piper Perabo, Aunjanue Ellis and Warren Christie are all set to star in "Prince of Motor City."

Source: Variety