Via THR:

Jack Bender is continuing his long-standing relationship with J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, signing on to Fox’s upcoming mystery drama Alcatraz.

From executive producer Abrams and writer/exec producer Liz Sarnoff, Alcatraz revolves around the famed San Francisco prison and the police team investigating the mysterious reappearance of its 1960s inhabitants in the present.

Bender, repped by UTA, will executive produce and direct episodes of the series, from Warner Bros. Television, Bad Robot and Bonanza Productions.

Bender’s credits also include Abrams’ Lost, Alias and Felicity. This past pilot season, he directed Fox’s Weekends at Bellevue, the Lauren Ambrose starrer that did not get picked up at Fox.

Alcatraz exec producers also include Abrams, Sarnoff, Bryan Burk (Lost). Co-executive producers are Steve Lilien (Kyle XY) and Bryan Wynbrandt (Kyle XY), who both penned the pilot with Sarnoff.

Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy) stars as Rebecca Madsen, a detective who discovers a brutal murder was committed by a former Alcatraz prisoner who died decades ago. Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) as government agent Emerson Hauser and former Lost star Jorge Garcia plays Dr. Diego Soto, an Alcatraz expert and comic book fan who helps Madsen with her case. Parminder Nagra (ER) co-stars as Lucy Banerjee, a technician who works with Hauser.

Alcatraz will premiere midseason on Fox.

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Via Heatvision.hollywoodreporter.com:

J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot shingle are developing a thriller based on the teenage makeout game of snogging in the closet.

Called “7 Minutes in Heaven,” the original idea comes from Jack Bender, who most recently directed the final episode of ABC’s “Lost.” A longtime Bad Robot cohort, Bender signed a feature deal with the company in early June, and the “Heaven” project is his to helm. “Heaven” is being developed internally, but it likely will be set up at Paramount, the studio home of Bad Robot.

While plot details are being suppressed, it is known to focus on two teens who go into a closet as part of the titular game and find all their friends dead when they come back out.

Bad Robot is looking for a writer to tackle the idea.

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Via Vulture:

Looks like Paramount’s long-gestating reboot of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan spy franchise is finally coming together: Vulture has learned exclusively that Lost executive producer — and frequent director — Jack Bender is a cat’s breath away from landing the job as the director of Moscow, in which a fresh-from-the-Marines Jack Ryan goes to work as an analyst for a Russian billionaire, but winds up on the run after being implicated in a terrorist plot. (Ryan is being played by another J.J. Abrams cohort, Star Trek‘s Chris Pine.)

Bender is an interestingly bold choice to reboot Ryan, because while Bender’s worked in-house for Abrams on Bad Robot–produced shows like Lost, Alias, and Felicity, he actually has precious little feature experience: His most recent directing credit is the macabre 1991 slasher film Child’s Play 3 (which carried the Best. Tagline. Ever: “Look who’s stalking!”). But then again, there’s no bigger producer on the Paramount lot than Bender’s patron, Abrams, and so he appears to be getting his shot. (In June, Abrams’s Bad Robot also signed Bender to a one-year first-look development deal that would have him developing projects and directing a pilot for Warner Bros. TV next spring, though we have no details on what that might be — yet.)

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UPDATED: “As storytellers, you rarely get to end a story on your own terms,” executive producer Carlton Cuse tells EW. “Most shows kind of fade away or drop dead. We finished our story on our terms. Let’s face it, there were very high expectations for how Lost should end, and for us, it was enormously gratifying that we were recognized for doing a reasonably good job of ending the show.”

Executive Producer Damon Lindelof was particularly surprised by the wave of emotion he felt when Lost was announced as a contender for Outstanding Drama. “I basically started to weep,” he told EW. “I didn’t realize how much I was still holding on. My wife looked at me and asked what I was feeling, and I said ‘relief.’  You don’t want to say ‘Oh, my God I really want a nomination.’ We should just be proud of the work we did. And we are incredibly proud. But the fact that our peers still care about the show ended up meaning a lot more than I expected.

“There is kind of an out-of-sight, out-of-mind factor,” Lindelof continued. “Even with the addition of six nominees, four or five other ones easily could have been in the mix, and nobody would have said boo about it. We’re the only show in mix that is over. The fact that it got a nod in the final season is definitely gratifying.”

As for providing any kind of post-mortem about the finale, Lindelof and Cuse say they would prefer to stay mum. ”We’re not interested in dissecting our intentions and what the meaning of this or that was. It was purposeful ambiguity so fans can hopefully start to own the show for themselves.” And if they are lucky enough to take the Emmy stage come Aug. 29? Don’t expect any answers to your many burning questions then, either. Quips Cuse, “We will be so ecstatic to be on stage, we will be vapor-locked. I don’t know if, in that 30-second countdown, we’ll be able to provide a satisfying explanation for the finale.”

[Via EW.com]

Lindelof: “It sounds so cliche that it’s great to be nominated but that’s what we’re basking in now. We don’t take this for granted. And the fact that the love was spread to Michael Giacchino, Jack Bender, the sound mixers and art direction is great. It’ll be cool to put on the monkey suits again and get together one last time.”

Cuse: “My strategy is to sleep through these type of things. I checked my phone and saw there were a lot of emails. Bad news avoids you like the plague. … For Matthew (Fox) , he’s labored almost unfairly on a show that’s more ensemble-oriented than the guys he’s competing aginst. Fortunately, the finale was Matthew-centric and he was finally given a chance to be front and center in such a way that allows voters to take notice. He was so critical to our show.”

[Via Variety]

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So much for any mystery surrounding Jack Bender’s future after “Lost.”

First, the director/executive producer, who helmed the “Lost” finale, signed on to perform the same duties on Syfy’s new “Alphas” pilot. And now a TV deal with “Lost” production mastermind Bad Robot is in the offing.

The one-year first-look development deal would have Bender developing projects and helming a pilot for Warner Bros. Television next spring. While several ideas are being discussed, none has yet been locked down.

Bad Robot’s production deals are with Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. TV, which is producing the forthcoming NBC series “Undercovers” and Bad Robot’s Fox creeper “Fringe,” both co-created by BR’s J.J. Abrams. The benefit of locking Bender into the WBTV deal is that it frees him to work on a potential Paramount feature, as well. Insiders say that is a likely scenario.

[Via The Hollywood Reporter]

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[Via @DamonLindelof]

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Watch more videos after the jump.

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Here are a bunch of photos from last night’s LOST panel at PaleyFest2010.

(Click to enlarge)

[Photos via Getty Images, @Fancfl and @jessedir]

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When: Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 7:00 pm PT.
Where: Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.
Panelists: Michael Emerson, Terry O’Quinn, Nestor Carbonell, Zuleikha Robinson, Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Jack Bender, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

[Photo via Connie Cho]

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Additional panelists: Elizabeth Sarnoff, Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, Jack Bender, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz.

Sadly, the tickets for this event, which will take place tomorrow at 7 PM in Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, have been sold out.

[Via @CarltonCuse and @PaleyCenter]

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[Via Sky1]

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Anyway, let’s start this mega post with some good LOST news:

• The State of the Union speech won’t push back the LOST premiere, according to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs:

• New Season 6 promos from ABC and 7TWO:

Does anybody know the song featured on this promo?

• New Sky1 Interview with Michael Emerson:

More LOST news:

• According to my good friend DarkUFO, LOST’s final season will premiere in the UK on February 5th, 2010 (four weeks from tonight).
• EITB reported yesterday that LOST will kick off its final season on February 9th on CUATRO and FOX Spain.
• LOST gets DGA nomination for “The Incident”.
• Sneak peek at EW’s upcoming interview with Michael Emerson and Terry O’Quinn.
• Disney Actually Is Developing a Lost Ride.
• Variety: LOST is here to stay.

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Via EW.com:

[...]Another key member of Abrams’ Trek team was Damon Lindelof, who co-created Lost with him. The basic premise for the show — castaways marooned on an island; a dramatic gloss on Gilligan’s Island that melded both Survivor and Castaway — originated with ABC. Abrams and Lindelof met when then-ABC president Lloyd Braun paired them up to take a crack fleshing out the idea. “I met Damon on a Monday,” recalls Abrams, “and over the next five days, we worked on an outline for the show with two other writers, Jesse Alexander [also an Alias vet; he’s now the creator/exec producer of NBC’s upcoming sci-fi drama Day One] and Jeff Pinkner [yet another Alias vet; he’s now the exec producer of Fringe]. By Saturday, we were working on the pilot.”

Although Abrams is so identified with Lost, he takes pains to credit the show’s success to its chief storytellers, Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse, who joined the series right at the start of season one — right after Abrams decided to basically leave his just-launched enterprise to direct Mission. “Frankly, where Damon and Carlton and Jack Bender [the show’s lead director and Hawaii major domo] have taken the show could only have been hoped for back when we were first brainstorming the world and tone and characters. Whenever anyone says ’I love Lost,’ I always emphatically say that it’s all Damon and Carlton and the work their team has been doing.”

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Pre-order now: Lost: The Complete Fifth Season (DVD) | Lost: The Complete Fifth Season [Blu-ray] | Lost: The Complete Fifth Season Dharma Initiation Kit | Lost: The Complete Fifth Season Dharma Initiative Orientation Kit [Blu-ray].

[Courtesy of Buena Vista Home Entertainment. ©ABC Studios.]

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Spanish TV broadcaster Cuatro is currently interviewing the cast of LOST in Hawaii. Two days ago, Terry O’Quinn was interviewed by Cuatro‘s host Raquel Sánchez Silva. Yesterday, she spoke with Naveen Andrews and LOST director Jack Bender:

[Via Cuatro.com]

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Thanks to @Nelsondl, @Hawaii, @HIFF, Bernard Uy, Crispyteriyaki, Cuatro.com and Lostzilla.net for these photos.

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Via HIFF.org:

HIFF Celebrates LOST – October 17, 2009

Special Evening With LOST Creators, Cast & Crew – Creative Team to be Honored With Vision in Film Award

“The brilliance of LOST has forever raised the bar for future television projects. For the past five years LOST has kept TV viewers on the edge of their seats waiting for the next plot twist or turn and Hawaii has had the privilege of being the backdrop for this revolutionary show,” said Chuck Boller, Executive Director of HIFF [Hawaii International Film Festival]. “We want to celebrate this partnership and what better way than to bring the show’s creators, producers, cast and crew together with their biggest fans. HIFF’s celebration of LOST will give the public a once-in-a-lifetime chance to interface with the incredible people behind this award-winning series.”

This all-day event truly benefits Hawaii, since the show is filmed entirely on the island of Oahu. In the evening, fans will have the opportunity to pick the brains of the show’s creative masterminds, discuss the last 5 1/2 years of the show with special guest appearances from cast and crew members and perhaps find out a bit about the upcoming final season.  Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will receive the Hawaii International Film Festival’s “Vision in Film Award,” presented by Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann.  The City and County of Honolulu sponsors the “Vision in Film Award” at HIFF. Previous recipients of the Vision in Film Award include famed Chinese directors Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou.

HIFF will also honor Hawaii-based executive producer and director Jack Bender and co-executive producer Jean Higgins with the Hawaii International Film Festival’s inaugural Mahalo Nui Loa Award, created especially for Bender and Higgins.

“EVENING WITH DAMON LINDELOF AND CARLTON CUSE”

HIFF presents an exclusive appearance by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, the creative team behind LOST, as part of an evening event on October 17th, 2009 at the Royal Hawaiian Theater (formerly Waikiki Nei) from 8:00pm to 9:30pm. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Brian Lowry, Chief TV Critic for VARIETY and co-host of the popular weekly TV program “Square Off,” will act as MC for the event. Tickets are available for purchase to HIFF Ohana members Thursday, October 1 and Monday, October 5th to the general public:  on line at www.hiff.org,  in person from the HIFF Box Office, or by phone by calling (808) 548-5905.

“Master Class” tickets are $10 general public, $9 for students, seniors, children and military or $8 for HIFF Ohana members. Tickets go on sale to HIFF Ohana members Thursday, October 1 and Monday, October 5th to the general public.

12:00-1:30pm – PRODUCING AND DIRECTING A HIT SHOW

• Co-Executive Producer Jean Higgins
• Executive Producer/Director Jack Bender

2:00-3:30pm – BRINGING THE DESIGN OF EACH EPISODE TOGETHER

• Production Designer
• DP
• Construction Coordinator
• Location Manger/Associate Producer Jim Triplett

4:00-5:30pm – COSTUME & PROPS

• Costume Designer
• Propmaster

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