Jim Butcher

Jim’s comments, from the McAnally’s list:

I’m sure that many have already heard this one, but it’s official: Paul Blackthorne is Dresden. 🙂
James would have loved to do the part, but he was unwilling to head to Toronto for five years: he has family growing up in and around LA, and he didn’t want to relocate away from them. It takes a great deal of personal integrity (and considerable wisdom) to realize which things in life are /really/ important. A lot of men wouldn’t have made the same decision when offered the temptation of a feature role, quite possibly leading to an ongoing, starring role as the absolute, uncontested core star of a show.
Ironically, James’ decision in this makes him, at least in my eyes, more Harry-like than ever, and kicks my respect for him up several notches. I’m disappointed–not that he made that decision, which I think is the right one–but that things just didn’t work out. That’s how business goes sometimes. There are no hard feelings on anyone’s side. If the movie goes to a series, though, maybe he could be talked into a guest spot. I can think of several characters, who, if used, James would be great for.
Mr. Blackthorne, according to all reports I’ve heard, is an extremely skilled actor with great presence, and able to do “dark” sorts of scenes and emotions very well. I think he looks remarkably like Connery when he was in “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.” You could do worse than a quasi-Connery for a lead actor. 🙂 With luck, I’ll get a chance to visit the set and meet some of the people working on the movie, and give you guys some inside skinny when I return. 🙂

Courtesy of the Sci Fi news wire…

Blackthorne To Play Dresden
SCI FI Channel has cast Paul Blackthorne (24) as Chicago-based wizard and detective Harry Dresden in its upcoming TV movie The Dresden Files. David Carson (Star Trek: Generations) has been tapped to direct the two-hour backdoor pilot, which will commence production in Toronto later this month, with plans for a summer 2006 premiere, the network said. Blackthorne is perhaps best known as the villainous Stephen Saunders on Fox’s 24.
The Dresden Files is based on the best-selling series of novels by Jim Butcher. It is being produced by Lions Gate Television, in association with Nicolas Cage’s Saturn Films. Hans Beimler (Profiler) and Robert Wolfe (The 4400) will serve as executive producers alongside Cage, his Saturn Films partner, Norm Golightly, and Morgan Gendel. Beimler and Wolfe wrote the script.
The Dresden Files centers on Dresden, a private eye with extraordinary abilities. Where others see typical crimes of assault, kidnapping and murder, he sees otherworldly forces at work.

It’s Halloween, and that means it’s Harry Dresden’s birthday. In honor of our favorite sleuthy wizard, we’re releasing the third chapter in the Proven Guilty preview a day early. It’s a present for anyone!
In honor of the event, please post your favorite quotable moments from the Dresden Files by adding a comment to this post…!

We are pleased to announce ButcherCon 2006, to be held next October in Oak Park, Illinois (a neighborhood of Chicago, and childhood home to this webmaster’s mom).
Here’s your chance to meet the creator of the Dresden Files and the Codex Alera…
Join Jim Butcher and Pocket editor Jennifer Heddle, Tor editor Anna Genoese, author CE Murphy, agent Evan Fogelman, game designers Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue and other Special Guests for a weekend of Butcher fun! We’ll have writing workshops, panels, games, booksale and signing and an author reception featuring Mr. Butcher himself!
If you are even a little interested in attending, please take the time to fill out our survey, so we can gauge potential attendance and make sure the Con is everything it needs to be! (If we don’t hear from you, we don’t know you’re interested!)
Salient details:

Harry Dresden has spent years being watched and suspected by the White Council’s Wardens. But now he is a Warden, and it sucks more than he thought… So when movie monsters start coming to life on his watch, it’s officially up to him to put them back where they came from. Only this time, his client is the White Council, and his investigation cannot fail — no matter who falls under suspicion, no matter the cost.
Proven Guilty, the eighth book in the Dresden Files, will be released in hardcover from Roc publishing in May 2006.
But in time for Halloween (Harry’s birthday!), we’ve got sample chapters for you! Starting today, and continuing for the next 3 Tuesdays (through November 8th), you’ll get a new preview chapter from the upcoming book.
Trick or treat? It’s all treat!