Nancy Drew Cover Mystery Revealed...

A fellow Nancy Drew fan, sent me this image and corresponding text along with it on the graphic regarding a cover art image for the new Nancy Drew: Girl Detective series. Thanks Jarrell!

Nancy Drew Goes Sci Fi!

Oh boy, shades of #58 The Flying Saucer Mystery!

Nancy has a close enounter--but is of the alien kind?!

Major Movie News

The release date has been pushed back further--August 10, 2007 is the projected date at this time. So, the Sleuths' convention next year will be in August.

Though I cannot comment in specifics, I recently spent time on the set of Nancy Drew and it was so much fun. There is definitely a flair for the classic Nancy Drew books!

Misinformation out there seems to indicated that Emma Roberts is too young to play Nancy Drew because she's only 15 and Nancy Drew is 18. Nancy Drew is only 16 in the movie so it's really not a big deal considering. A little factoid: Nancy Drew was 16 when she was originally introduced to readers in 1930 and this stayed that way for some time after that--she was only aged to 18 to deal with driving laws in all states--of course now, you can get your license at 16, but at one time in some states, you had to be older.

The movie is not a period piece as I've seen suggested on some message boards and forums. It is set in modern day Los Angeles. Regardless of the time it is set in, it definitely has a classic/timeless feel to it.

The image at left is a scan of a short article in Time's April 3, 2006 issue. The "clues" booklet is neato in person.

Jenn:)

Nancy Drew News & Movie Update

More cast additions:

Robert Merrill as Century Actor
Jared Weber as Henchman #3
Craig Gellis as Thug #1
Chris Kerner as Basketball Player #35
Richie Rayfield as Vintage Movie Film Crew
Thom Williams as Henchman
Joanne Barron as Costumer
Pat Carroll as Landlady
Adam Clark as Sgt. Billings
Christina Leigh as Medical Patient
Ryan Raddatz as Assistant Director

The Sleuth news: We go to a printed version in October--subscriber only format. Lots of fun Nancy Drew stuff in our zine. Check out the details and how to subscribe:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

Nancy Drew DVD News: The 1995 TV series is coming to DVD in May: 1st season. You can order it through Amazon Canada.

Nancy Drew Sleuths Convention news: Chicago, IL: Oct. 11-15, 2006. For all the details, sleuth here:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/ndsconventions.html

Jenn

Update: Nancy Drew Movie News

Added to the cast are:

Caroline Aaron as Barbara Barbara
Cliff Bemis as Chief McGinnis
David Doty as Father Murphy

Also, the release date has been set as April 2007--so look for a huge Nancy Drew Sleuth convention in Hollywood, CA in April 2007. When I have more exact dates, I'll post them.

Jenn

News & Clues

Fellow Sleuthers,

Several things of interest!

1. Have you seen this Nancy Drew game? Clues: It's in Norwegian, produced in the 70s in Norway, the game board is similar to the US in graphic style with translated words in Norwegian. I'd love to acquire one--contact me if you come across one.

2. Nancy Drew Movie News: Actress Rachael Leigh Cook has been cast as Jane Brighton in the Nancy Drew movie. It would appear the movie is going to be coming out in 2007--many sites have mentioned it as 2007 and some have suggested 2006, but it's becoming more clear it's not as likely to have a 2006 release unless it gets rushed during post production. Therefore, the Nancy Drew Sleuth convention will be in Chicago in October 2006. http://www.ndsleuths.com

(Snicker Snicker)...Please pass this info onto David Gregory, as he is apparently supposed to be the "go to boy" on "breaking news!" ;)

3. Preview of the upcoming Nancy Drew: Girl Detective book, #16 Dangerous Plays:

"Dad, Bess, and I are all set for London when Ned's Shakespeare professor asks us to do a simple favor: to take a look at his townhouse while we're there, since he can't seem to locate the housekeeper and fears something's wrong. Sounds easy enough, so I take the key.

Eager to cross the favor off our list, we stop by 53 Banbury Square shortly after we land. And let's just say things in the townhouse aren't quite tip-top. And the key? Well, it unlocks a Pandora's box of serious trouble."

Hope the townhouse is spooky!

Jenn

Nancy Drew Movie Cast

An update!

Max Thieriot as Ned
Josh Flitter as Corky
Kelly Vitz as Trish
Daniela Monet as Inga
Tate Donovan as Carson Drew
Emma Roberts as Nancy Drew
Amy Bruckner as Bess Marvin
Kay Panabaker as George Fayne
Laura Harring as Dehlia Draycott

Dehlia is the actress whose death Nancy Drew investigates in Hollywood Hills.

I'd like to take a moment to plug the Nancy Drew stationary items from Chronicle Books! They are so nicely done, I'm very impressed. About a year ago, I was contacted about lending books from my collection to be photographed for their products. Another Sleuth member had also lent them some of her books. I sent in the following book covers which were reproduced:

The Secret of the Old Clock (2nd cover art)
The Bungalow Mystery (2nd cover art)
The Sign of the Twisted Candles (1st cover art)
The Sign of the Twisted Candles (2nd cover art)
The Password to Larkspur Lane (2nd cover art)
The Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion (2nd cover art)
The Quest of the Missing Map (2nd cover art)
The Secret in the Old Attic (2nd cover art)
The Mystery of the Tolling Bell (1st cover art)
The Clue in the Old Album (2nd cover art)
The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (1st cover art)
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney (1st cover art)
The Clue of the Velvet Mask (1st cover art)
The Scarlet Slipper Mystery (1st cover art)
The Witch Tree Symbol (1st cover art)
The Hidden Window Mystery (1st cover art)

One of my favorite items out now are the postcards shown above and also the address book featuring Mysterious Letter 2nd art cover on the front. Very neat--instead of "name" it has "suspect" and then has "last known address" and also a line for "suspicious behaviors." A lot of the internal artwork from the books is featured too and also endpapers.

The quality is great--they could have just done what some companies do and just slap a cover from one of the books on and do nothing original to the inside nor nostalgic to tie in the books. Instead, they went the extra mile to create something appealing and fun.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/nancydrew

Jenn

Halloween Nancy Drew Style

I finally got around to sleuthing in my digitals saved on myriads of cds and found two pictures I took of a window silhouetted Nancy Drew silhouette this past Halloween--here's one.

I gave out Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys trick or treat bags which were a hit. These included leftover promo Nancy Drew watches.

I also found digitals I took from the NBC Today Show segment on Nancy Drew--screen caps--which I've added to the website.

MOVIE NEWS: Not confirmed yet...Barry Bostwick playing the character of Dashiel Biedemeyer?

Jenn

Emma Roberts AKA Nancy Drew

Emma Roberts as Nancy Drew during filming--source TMZ--reddish hair but darker than a strawberry blonde. George may be played by actress Kay Panabaker.

Jenn

Nancy Drew Girl Detective: Framed #15

I just read the latest Nancy Drew: Girl Detective book, Framed, #15 and had a few comments. For those of you just tuning in, this is the main Nancy Drew series in print. The original series--Nancy Drew Mystery Stories--ended with #175 in Nov. 2003. This new Girl Detective series replaced it in 2004 starting over at #1 and the biggest change was that Nancy speaks to the reader in first person.

I thought the first person concept was great at first since it would allow a reader to get inside Nancy's head as she solves a mystery and goes through life's little moments. Now, I'm not so sure at times that I'd rather have it in 3rd person where Nancy might remain a little more of a mystery to the reader. I go back and forth on this one.

I enjoyed this mystery overall, quick read. But at times, it seemed like Hannah was made to be too bossy. And snippy with this comment to Nancy after she called Nancy to the phone: "I hope my piecrust didn't burn while I was waiting for you." (pg. 2)

In the originals, Chief McGinnis was much more of an equal to Nancy and there was mutual help and respect. I realize that this was deemed to be not very realistic, so it made sense at first that making them more of rivals in the new series and her more of a pest to the police might seem more realistic. But, given the fact that River Heights is not a huge town, a place where everyone knows everyone else, it's not so far of a stretch that she would be held more in esteem with the police department. There was a comment in the book that people in River Heights didn't think Chief McGinnis could find his way out of a paper bag when it came to crime solving. To me, that's taking this reality concept a bit far with his being characterized as so bumbling. It's just very at odds with classic Nancy Drew.

I often wonder what kids think when they read some of the classic books which are still in print--1-56 in those glossy yellow spines which are still very popular sellers apparently, when they pick up one of these new books and see such a contrast in the characterization. I think most kids are smart enough to pick up on the differences.

I half way wished Bess would run off with the prince and become princess Bess!

Overall it was a fun read, typical of this series, but I do wish we could have more suspense, villain foibles and peril for our dear heroine like in the classics--these were tried and true formula hits that kept the series popular for years.

What is everyone's impression of the Girl Detective series so far?

Jenn:)

Nancy Drew Movie Begins Filming Jan. 31st

On the eve of filming commencing for Warner Brothers' Nancy Drew movie, it seems with the news of a few of the actors cast in the movie, that people are already apprehensive at what is to be done with such a popular teen sleuth that everyone has their own vision of. Ever the optimist, I say wait until the movie comes out and keep an open mind! But of course, naysayers always take offense at an optimist as someone who probably never finds fault and cannot accept criticisms. It's not that optimists can't accept criticisms, but the criticisms need to be valid ones to be taken seriously! And what's so ironic is that there is nothing much to even criticize yet--the movie hasn't even been filmed yet LOL!

Saying Nancy Drew's going to be too modern, when the movie is set in modern present day is not a valid criticism. Feeling that Nancy Drew is too young in the movie based on who has been cast might be a valid criticism considering Nancy Drew is 18ish in the books. Being that 16 is such a huge departure from 18 (yes sarcasm), I'm not too worried really. And Nancy was 16 in the original text versions and much more mature as characterized then as she was in later texts. So it's really a toss up.

Seriously folks, as long as Nancy Drew stays tried and true to who she is and what she has always stood for--through every decade and modernization she's gone through since 1930 to present day--this will be a cake walk.

Nancy Drew--whether she was wearing a cloche hat and roaring around in her roadster in the 1930s or a demure deb from the 1960s or snooping in jeans and a T-shirt in the modern books of today--has always been independent, on the go, free to seek adventure, kind to others, strove to right wrongs and seek justice for those who couldn't, always had a smile, was forever an optimist, and always had a mystery to solve with romance on the back burner. No matter the decade, the clothing, the setting--peel away all these layers and as long as Nancy Drew is the same as she has been all these years, she'll still be our Nancy Drew--she'll just look a little like Emma Roberts!

Just had to get that off my shoulders!

Onto other news, I've been debating whether or not I'll be taking the bar exam in AZ in July, but I think due to a few things going on and some consulting I'm working on, that I may just be too distracted in the next few months, so next February is looking a little less stressing at the moment. Not sure, on the fence about that one. Then there is the issue of the upcoming Sleuths' convention this fall. Probably we'll have it in Chicago if the Nancy Drew movie does get released next year. If it gets rushed into production for fall/early winter release this year, we'll be hanging in Hollywood Hills for a movie theme convention. I'll keep everyone posted!

Jenn

A Nancy Drew Blog

Fellow Nancy Drew enthusiasts,

I've decided to start a Nancy Drew blog where I can informally chat and post comments related to Nancy Drew collecting and the various books, series, and collectibles. And, anything else that thrills me at the moment.

Last year (2005) was Nancy Drew's 75th anniversary and it was quite a year for fans with two conventions dedicated to Nancy Drew. Lots of new products were introduced on the market from licensees of Nancy Drew owner, Simon & Schuster, Inc. This year should be an interesting one as far as new items go.

Also, the big Warner Brothers movie, Nancy Drew: The Mystery in Hollywood Hills. Filming begins next Tuesday (Jan. 31st.) Cast thus far includes: Max Thieriot as Ned Nickerson, Amy Bruckner as Bess Marvin, Tate Donovan as Carson Drew, Josh Flitter as Corky (a side-kick), Kelly Vitz as Trish, Daniela Monet as Inga. Filming will run through early April and then there will be the usual post production. You'll see the release date stated as 2006 and as 2007 on some sites--most likely it will be 2007, but they haven't determined that for sure.

I welcome your comments--but please, since there are kids viewing the website, keep them clean and sane! Post news as you have it!

Jenn