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January 3, 2006

Lost's Mr. Eko Reveals A Secret

dewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, the London-born actor who plays the mysterious Mr. Eko on ABC's hit series Lost, revealed to SCI FI Wire the directions he received in his pivotal scene—when he comes face to face with the island's monster—that may hint at the monster's true nature.

"I mean, it was just like, they didn't say anything," Akinnuoye-Agbaje said in an interview at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif. Rather, the actor said, he was hammered with directions: "'And here it comes! It's coming! It's coming! ... It's going to take your soul out! He's looking at your mother! He's looking at your grandmother! ... He's going right into your deep, dark past! He's showing it all right in front of your eyes!' I'm, 'What?' And they're saying all of this in a split-second, and you've got to translate all of these emotions in one-point-two of a second. 'And now he's around you! Now he's in your back! Now he's coming up through your throat!' ... I was crosseyed by the time I finished it [laughs]."

In the scene (spoilers ahead), Mr. Eko, one of the survivors of the ill-fated Oceanic Flight 815, encounters the monster, which appears to viewers as a billowing cloud of black smoke, in which flash images that appear to be scenes from Eko's past. "On top of it, you've got five cameramen with a big silver ball and a camera running at you, like, a hundred miles an hour," Akinnuoye-Agbaje said. "So I was scared, because he fell over a couple of times [laughs]. I was more afraid that he was going to hit me in the head with the camera than the damn monster [laughs heartily]."

Akinnuoye-Agbaje, an actor of Nigerian extraction who has a master's degree in law from King's College, University of London, added that his character developed differently from what was originally conceived.

"I think that the writers obviously brought this character in to be able to explore the more spiritual, mystical elements of the island," Akinnuoye-Agbaje said. "That's what they've told me about Eko. And, you know, they have the man of science, I believe, which is what Jack [Matthew Fox] represents. And then you have Locke [Terry O'Quinn], who's a man of philosophy, somewhat dark sometimes. And they wanted to juxtapose this man of faith against those. So it's like a pyramid. So that's where they originally perceived of him being placed. And I think beyond that, it's going to have to be an organic growth, because they watch how you interact, and then they see what comes from that. ... They have an idea, but who knows where it will end up?"

For one thing, the writers ended up making Mr. Eko more of an active character. "I know they originally conceived of him as a very passive character," Akinnuoye-Agbaje said. "But ... taking the shirt off of a 6-foot-2 black man and putting a stick in his hand, it doesn't matter how passive he is, it's not going to give that image. And so they got with that and implemented it, rather than fight against it, into the character." Lost airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Will Firefly Season Two Fly?

spokesman for Joss Whedon, creator of Firefly and its spinoff movie, Serenity, told SCI FI Wire that Whedon hasn't heard of Ace Underhill, an entrepreneur who said he is trying to acquire the rights to the SF TV franchise for purposes of mounting a second season to be distributed in alternative media. "Joss doesn't really know anything about that guy, and I don't really think he has a comment," Whedon's spokesman said in response to questions about Underhill's efforts.

For his part, Underhill told SCI FI Wire that he has contacted Whedon's representatives about starting up a new season of Firefly, which the Fox broadcast network canceled after a single season in 2003, but hadn't spoken with Whedon directly. Whedon previously told USA Today that he still hopes to tell more stories set in Serenity's futuristic universe, though Firefly as it was is dead. He later told Empire Online that he remains open to doing another TV series.

In response, Underhill said in an interview: "If he contacts me and says, 'Hey, we're not interested in Firefly anymore' or 'I'm not interested in Firefly anymore,' then I will abandon the project, and essentially it's over at that point. I'm not looking to create a cheap knockoff of the series without Joss' input. So that's not going to happen. ... If he's not going to be involved, then there is no project. There's no point."

Underhill said that he wants to acquire the rights to produce a second season of Firefly and has gone on the Web to solicit fans' support, though not their money. "We're looking at actually doing a direct pay-per- ... view model for this series, where the consumer could choose, if they wanted to, [to] view it on their computer, on their iPod, on direct-to-DVD sent to their house or on demand through their cable or satellite operator," Underhill said in a telephone interview. "That would be the first run of the series. And then the second run, obviously, you would go to the off-net cable channels. ... We're looking at giving choices to the audience."

Underhill said that he is also speaking with Jamie McCabe, senior vice president of worldwide pay-per-view and video-on-demand services for 20th Century Fox Television, which holds the TV rights to Firefly. SCI FI Wire calls to McCabe's office and Fox public relations representatives were not returned by press time.

Underhill added that he has contacted members of the Firefly/Serenity cast and had received a few rate quotes from agents, but he declined to say who. He acknowledged that he had not yet heard from Firefly/Serenity star Nathan Fillion.

Underhill said that he works with Brilliant Screen Entertainment, an Arizona-based company that, according to its Web site, provides TV and film production services, studio recording and DVD and CD project design. Underhill also said that he works with Cine Support International, which provides logistics and planning for film and television productions, and is on the film advisory board for the government of Costa Rica.

Firefly/Serenity fans, who call themselves Browncoats, are suspicious of Underhill's motives and methods, and the entrepreneur has gone on a Browncoat fan forum to answer questions.

Underhill admitted that his effort is a long shot: He even revealed that a bookmaker had contacted him to gauge the odds of his success for purposes of wagering. (He had no idea.) "Anything can be a long shot, and projects can be shut down at any time," he said. "But I'm hopeful and I'm keeping on it, and I'll put my perseverance on it and try to stay with it for the long haul. I understand it's not an overnight process, and I don't expect it to be, and I'm prepared for the long haul. ... At this point, I would say it's a long shot, but the chance exists."

Firefly Companion Book Due

itan Books, which previously published Serenity: The Official Visual Companion to the SF movie, announced that it has bought the rights to publish a companion book to Joss Whedon's cult television series Firefly, on which Serenity was based.

Firefly: The Official Companion is scheduled for publication this summer.

Firefly aired on Fox in 2003; Serenity, which reunited the show's cast with creator Whedon, debuted last fall in theaters and is now available on DVD. Serenity was released by Universal Pictures, which is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.

Newton To Be 007's New Girl?

ollywood North Report ran a rumor that Thandie Newton (The Chronicles of Riddick) will play Bond girl Vesper Lynd opposite Daniel Craig's 007 in the upcoming Casino Royale movie. HNR cited Sneak Peek: Casino Royale as the source of the rumor, but that site had no mention of the casting on Jan. 27.

Newton had previously worked with Casino Royale screenwriter Paul Haggis in Crash, which Haggis wrote and directed.

If true, Newton's casting would cap weeks of rumors about the role, which has been linked to actresses including Rachel Stirling, Sienna Miller, Natasha Henstridge and Kimberly Davies.

Disney Says It's Buying Pixar

he Walt Disney Co. confirmed news reports by announcing that it is buying longtime partner Pixar Animation Studios Inc. for $7.4 billion in a deal that could restore Disney's animation domination while vaulting Pixar chief executive officer Steve Jobs into a powerful role at the media conglomerate, the Associated Press reported.

Disney will buy Pixar in an all-stock transaction that makes Jobs Disney's largest shareholder. Jobs will also join Disney's board.

Pixar president Ed Catmull will serve as president of the new combined Pixar and Disney animation studios, reporting to Disney chief executive Robert Iger and Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.

Pixar executive vice president John Lasseter will be become chief creative officer of the animation studios and principal creative adviser at Walt Disney Imagineering, which designs and builds the company's theme parks.

With Pixar, Disney gains a company that has produced a long-running string of animated blockbusters, including Toy Story, The Incredibles and Finding Nemo.

NBC Pulls Daniel

BC has pulled its controversial drama The Book of Daniel from the schedule after just three weeks, network sources told the Reuters news service. Daniel, starring Aidan Quinn as a conflicted Episcopal minister with a Vicodin habit, debuted to mediocre ratings Jan. 6 and sank steadily in the Nielsens in its two subsequent broadcasts.

NBC has scheduled no further episodes beyond last Friday's telecast, and the drama, originally slated as an eight-part limited series, is not expected to return to the airwaves, network insiders told the wire service.

On Jan. 22, Kevin Reilly, president of NBC Entertainment, told reporters at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., that the network stood behind its decision to air the controversial drama in the wake of complaints from the American Family Association, but admitted that "there was some correlation" between the group's campaign and the lack of support from advertisers.

Reilly said he was disappointed with Daniel's ratings and that "it's been tough sledding on the advertising front."

A total of nine affiliates, including stations in Nashville, Tenn.; Little Rock, Ark.; and Terre Haute, Ind., refused to air at least some episodes of the show.

NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.

Acker Made An Alias Regular

my Acker told SCI FI Wire that she'll be made a regular cast member of ABC's spy series Alias when the show returns with new episodes in March. Acker, a former regular cast member on The WB's Angel, has made a strong impression as a guest star this season, playing the villainous assassin Kelly Peyton in several episodes.

"They just made me a regular, so I should be there for the rest [of the season's episodes]," Acker said in an interview at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., over the weekend. "I mean, we'll see. Unless it benefits them to kill me, which I could understand, because I'm very evil."

Acker will return to the show's set on Jan. 30, when the production resumes after a hiatus to accommodate star Jennifer Garner's maternity leave. "We haven't even filmed the next episode that's going to air," Acker said.

Acker, who previously played the demon Illyria on Angel, said that her new role as a cold-blooded killer has even her parents spooked. "I'm just pure evil," she said. "I was saying, my parents called before Christmas and said they were afraid for me to come home. That they didn't want me to come home anymore. I was, 'Ahh.' [But] it's great. I mean, it makes me laugh. Every time I read an episode, and I'm like, 'OK, I'm killing five people this week. Awesome!'"

Acker added that she expects to do at least one scene with returning guest star Lena Olin, who plays Irina Derevko. "I think I will be doing scenes with her soon, and I'm sure that will be very cool," Acker said.

And what is she doing to prepare for her return to Alias? "I'm psyching myself up," she said. "I should be going to the gym or something probably, but I've been going to the dessert table [laughs]." Alias ends its five-year run with a series finale this spring.

Nichols Hints At Alias' Finale

achel Nichols, who plays new spy Rachel Gibson on ABC's Alias, let slip to SCI FI Wire that several familiar faces will return before the popular show ends its five-year run this spring. "I think avid fans will be pleased to know that many of their favorite characters will be coming back. Many of them," Nichols said in an interview at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., over the weekend. When pressed, Nichols revealed that returning characters could include Bradley Cooper's Will Tippin, Merrin Dungey's Allison/Francie and Lena Olin's Irina Derevko.

"[Cooper's] also about to do a play in New York with Julia Roberts [Three Days of Rain], so everybody's really happy for him," Nichols said. "Lena Olin. You know, I'd really love to meet Isabella Rossellini [Yekaterina 'Katya' Derevko]," Nichols said. "I don't know if she's going to come back. Nadia [Mia Maestro] will be out of her [coma]. ... I mean, think a lot of great stuff is going to happen. And I think all will end very, very, very well. I know a few things that I'm not supposed to elaborate on, but I know that everybody will be happy, I think."

Nichols (The Inside) signed on to Alias in its current and last season, along with new cast members Balthazar Getty and Élodie Bouchez. "I kept a little secret from all of the people that I met on Alias before I got the job," Nichols confessed. "And the secret was that I was quite possibly the world's biggest Alias fan. I didn't tell anyone that I had seen every episode in the history of the show ... because I thought they would think I was some crazy, deranged fan, and then they wouldn't hire me to be on the show."

Nichols also praised ABC for announcing early on that this would be Alias's swan song, to give producers enough time to send the show off properly. "And I think that was smart, because nobody knows what to expect, because it's Alias," she said. "I mean, anything can happen." As for Michael Vartan's Michael Vaughn, who appeared to perish early in the season? "I would love him to come back," Nichols said. "But I really think they should really make me be his love interest. Come on, Sydney! You had his baby. You're both in love. But, man, he's so adorable." Alias returns with new episodes this spring.

Maestro: Alias' Nadia Will Wake

ia Maestro, who plays Sydney Bristow's half-sister Nadia on ABC's spy series Alias, told SCI FI Wire that her ailing character will finally get a chance to crawl out of bed as the show winds up its run. "Yes, I'm hoping. I'm hoping!" Maestro said in an interview at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Jan. 21. "Yeah. I'm shooting two more episodes in February and March. So I'm hoping just to get out of that bed and kick some ass [laughs]."

Since Nadia was zapped in last season's finale, Maestro's character has been seen this season only in fleeting scenes, lying unconscious in a hospital bed or waking briefly to interact with her nefarious father, Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin). But Maestro promises that her character will become a lot more active as the show ends its current fifth and final season. Maestro will return to the set Feb. 13, when the show resumes production following a hiatus during star Jennifer Garner's maternity leave.

Maestro said that she hasn't seen a script for her upcoming episodes yet. But she has ideas of how she'd like her character to wind up. "As it has been, close to Sydney and just, you know, helping with the baby and just being a good sister," she said.

How does Maestro feel about the show's end? "It's sad, but, at the same time, everyone was expecting it," she said. "Five years, you know, for a drama show, it's a long, long run. So ... everyone was expecting it. We thought it was going to be over season four, and then we had one extra season, and, yeah, ... it just lived its course. There's [only] so [many] stories you can tell." Alias returns with new episodes in the spring.

ABC Sticks With Invasion

tephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment, told reporters that the network's SF series Invasion, created by Shaun Cassidy, isn't going away. Just yet.

"Invasion, you know, is a show that I think is doing the best work it's ever done. It is a great, great television show," McPherson said in a news conference at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 21. McPherson expressed confidence in the show, about alien influences in a small Florida town in the wake of a disastrous hurricane, despite the series' lackluster ratings in the wake of its Wednesday-night lead-in, the megahit Lost.

For his part, Invasion executive producer Cassidy told SCI FI Wire that he thinks ABC will stay with the show. "I'm cautiously optimistic that they'll recognize the incredible quality of our program," he said in an interview, with tongue slightly in cheek. "I think they do, actually. My theory about our timeslot is that ... following Lost has been a good-news, bad-news proposition for us. And I wouldn't have said this six months ago, because I would have thought, 'Well, it's fantastic. What could be bad?' Here's what I think could be bad: You have a very intelligent, dense, novel-like show in Lost. I would venture to say in all humility our show is very similar in that sense. I think it requires a great deal of commitment on the part of any audience member to sit for two and sometimes three hours, because they run Lost at 8 often. Writers on my own staff say to me, when I ask on Thursday morning, 'Did you see the show last night?' 'Well, no, because I watched Lost and then I was so tired. I TiVo'd it.' L.A. Weekly said we're the number-one TiVo show in America, and I think it might be true. ... I think our show might actually benefit from being on a different night."

As to whether ABC might actually consider moving Invasion, Cassidy added: "They talked to me about moving after we premiered. Not like, 'We're going to move you.' But the conversation has always been, 'Is this a good thing or a bad thing?' Nobody was really sure."

In another context, McPherson said: "It may be the reality that what's compatible with Lost is a lighter viewing experience, either before it or after it." Invasion airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

NBC Defends Daniel

evin Reilly, president of NBC Entertainment, told reporters that the network stands behind its decision to air the controversial drama Book of Daniel in the wake of complaints from the self-styled conservative watchdog group the American Family Association. Reilly, speaking in a news conference at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., said that "there was some correlation" between the group's campaign and the lack of support from advertisers, but he added that the network is still proud of the show.

"The hard thing is that the show is not quite pulling the numbers that we had hoped for," Reilly said. "I think it's a creative show. I like the risk of it. I love the cast. I love the execution. It hasn't quite found an audience, so we'll have to see where we are on that."

The network has not yet canceled the show, which stars Aidan Quinn as an Episcopalian minister who has conversations with Jesus. The AFA objected to what it called the show's unflattering portrayal of Christianity and the main character's troubled relationships with his family and community. Daniel was pulled by at least two NBC affiliates prior to its premiere on Jan. 6 and has earned anemic ratings in subsequent airings.

Reilly said that the advertisers knew that the show would be controversial before the campaign started and had indicated they would take a "wait and see" approach to sponsorship. He added that if the show were a bigger hit, the controversy would not be an issue. "We do have some advertisers, but it's been tough sledding on the advertising front," Reilly said. "It's something that we anticipated going in and would be willing to weather if the audience, in fact, embraced the show. Certainly as of Friday, when the numbers [went] down again, it looks like the show is having a hard time finding its footing."

NBC will air the next episode of Book of Daniel on Jan. 27. After that, its future is uncertain.

Underworld 2 A Family Affair

ate Beckinsale, star of the vampire-vs.-werewolf sequel film Underworld: Evolution, told SCI FI Wire that her real-life daughter, Lily, played the younger version of her character, the vampire Selene, in flashback sequences. The movie was a real family affair in other ways as well: Her husband, Len Wiseman—whom she fell in love with while shooting the original Underworld—returned to co-write, executive-produce and direct the sequel. And Lily is Beckinsale's child with her former boyfriend and Underworld co-star Michael Sheen.

"We were quite worried, because we didn't think she would take either of us that seriously as authority figures on the set," Beckinsale said of herself and Wiseman in an interview. "It would just be like a situation, like trying to get her into her snowsuit, which is like, 'No, I won't!' And everybody would be terribly embarrassed. [But] she suddenly became highly professional to the point of even asking Len to call her Selene, which is really cute, because I certainly don't insist on being called Selene. So she didn't get that from me."

Wiseman, meanwhile, had the unusual and potentially awkward task of directing his wife in a love scene with another man, namely Scott Speedman, who reprises his Underworld role as Selene's soulmate Michael, a vampire-werewolf hybrid. "It wasn't too bad," Beckinsale said. "We were able to block out the moves together, obviously, because he was allowed to touch me at home, Len was. And then we sort of put it off a bit, because Scott's become quite a family friend, so I think it would have been easier to do something like that with somebody you haven't had 4th of July barbecues with. We kept postponing it until the following week, and actually, when we came down to it, Len and I were all right, and Scott was just tortured. I think it was much worse for him. He's the one who has the movable part." Underworld: Evolution is now playing.

Star Helped Shape Underworld 2

ate Beckinsale, who reprises her role as the lycan-hunting vampire Selene in the sequel film Underworld: Evolution, told SCI FI Wire that she helped shape the character. That, she acknowledged, had much to do with the fact that she was married to director, co-writer and executive producer Len Wiseman, whom she met while making the first film.

"I've never been involved with a movie from the moment it's a germ of an idea right through the whole editing process and the special effects, so it was a great thing for me," Beckinsale said in an interview. "Right when we started to talk about story, I was definitely a part of that. I wasn't like a Yoko Ono, sort of controlling things going on, but I was definitely consulted and involved. I couldn't not be, really, since it was all taking place in my living room most of the time. I really wanted, if we were going to have a second strike at it, to open up Selene's character a little bit. So I was glad that was what Len had in mind as well."

In the new film, Selene and Michael (Scott Speedman), a werewolf-vampire hybrid, deal both with their feelings for each other and with the threat posed by Marcus (Tony Curran), the powerful king of the vampires. Marcus aims to kill Selene, free his long-imprisoned twin brother, William, and rule the world.

"It was a difficult job, acting-wise, the first movie, because what you're trying to achieve with that character is that basically the whole thing is sold on her being this badass Death Dealer, but she's actually quite low on the food chain," Beckinsale said. "Above her is Kraven [Shane Brolly], and above that is Viktor [Bill Nighy], and she's always a little bit subordinated. In a movie like Blade or Terminator, they're not usually below 17 other people, having to toe the line all the time. It was actually quite difficult to make her as strong as a character, but at the same time, not overbalance where her role in the pecking order was."

The sequel was easier, Beckinsale said. "Selene and Michael have struck out much more on their own, and you do get a little bit more of a sense of what's happening," she said. Underworld: Evolution is now playing.

Beckinsale Clicks With Sandler

ate Beckinsale told SCI FI Wire that she hasn't quite figured out a way to explain the plot of Click, the upcoming fantasy-comedy in which she co-stars with Adam Sandler. "It actually is really fun, and every time I try and describe it, it sounds really lame," Beckinsale said in an interview while promoting her current film, Underworld: Evolution. "But it's actually very fun."

In Click, Beckinsale plays the wife of Sandler's workaholic architect, who is constantly blowing off camping weekends and family dinners to get ahead at work, Beckinsale said. "And then he goes in through the back door of Bed, Bath & Beyond and [encounters] creepy Christopher Walken, who gives him this universal remote that's going to change his life," she said. "And it works. Basically, he can speed through anything tedious in his life, lots of which is me. Then it starts to actually sort of have a memory and take on speed for him and fast-forward through things. And so he finds that he'll get into bed with his wife and suddenly it gets to the end of it before he wants it to. Everything starts to get out of control, and he misses decades and all that. It's very funny and very moving and sweet as well. It's a cool movie."

Beckinsale added that she clicked with Sandler. "He's fantastic," she said. "He's literally, like, this far behind my husband [Underworld: Evolution director Len Wiseman] in [the] how-much-I-like-a-man stakes. He's just the best. I think it probably helps that I grew up with four brothers. It was a vibe that I'm used to. He didn't give me as many wedgies as I had at home. Actually, he didn't give me any, fortunately. That would have shocked me. But he looked like he was always about to." Click opens on June 30.

Dempsey Starring In Enchanted

atrick Dempsey told SCI FI Wire that he will star in the upcoming fantasy romantic comedy film Enchanted, playing a single father and lawyer who helps a banished cartoon princess find true love. The movie is being released by Walt Disney Co., which also produces his hit ABC series Grey's Anatomy.

"Enchanted is a romantic comedy set in New York," Dempsey said in an interview at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 21. "I'm doing this one for my daughter, because it takes place as a fairy tale, as a cartoon, and the princess is banished from the kingdom and sent into the real world to find her one true love. And I help her navigate the waters of New York to find her true love."

In the movie, directed by Kevin Lima, Dempsey joins a cast that includes Susan Sarandon as wicked Queen Narissa, Amy Adams as the princess and James Marsden as the prince. Bill Kelly (Blast From the Pas) wrote the script for the film, which will mix computer animation with live action in New York.

"I play a single father, ... and his daughter sort of helps him find his heart again," said Dempsey, who has a 4-year-old daughter, Tallulah, with his second wife, Jill. "So it's like, it's about a boy, it's about a girl. And it's a really sweet, romantic comedy that's finally something my daughter can go see. I start it in April," after he wraps production on Grey's Anatomy.

Dempsey's star turn as "Dr. McDreamy" in the popular Grey's Anatomy has resurrected the '80s film idol's career. "Things are really wide open right now, and I'm really thankful and appreciate everything that's happening," said Dempsey, who will also soon appear opposite Oscar winner Hilary Swank in Freedom Writers. "I think the business is such that there's so much money at stake in these movies that they're trying to go with whoever has the most visibility and and [is] the most 'bankable,'" he said. "I haven't changed in the last year, just the people's perception of me and also the success of the show. And I'm in people's houses every week. ... When I first started, television was taboo. You didn't do that. Now you look at what's going on, you have to have the visibility for the people to get behind you, you know? And then it's up to you to see it through ... and to capitalize on it and be smart about the choices. I've been around long enough to know that. ... I've turned a lot down this year. And I'm very clear about what I want do with my career. I'm very hesitant to do things that are violent. I don't think we need to. And as a parent, I don't want to go see that. I want to make sure that the stuff is interesting intellectually."

Monster Started Online

orror writer David Wellington, author of the upcoming post-apocalyptic zombie novel Monster Island, told SCI FI Wire that the book was originally serialized online because he was unable to find a conventional publisher for it. "I've been writing since I was 13—that's over 20 years—and I never got anywhere. I published a few stories in magazines, but getting a book deal always eluded me," Wellington said in an interview. "When I moved to New York in 2002, I met with my friend Alex Lencicki, who worked, at the time, for Random House. He tried everything he could to help me: introduced me to the right people, showed my manuscripts to other people. But still nothing happened. I pretty much despaired at that point. I actually talked about giving up."

At that point, Lencicki suggested Wellington post his writing online. "We figured I would get some readers and some real feedback. I thought it sounded like it could be fun, but I never thought it would [result in a publishing deal]," Wellington said. "I had a rough idea for a book about zombies and I started writing it online, posting a chapter as soon as it was finished, sticking to a rigid schedule because I knew otherwise I'd fall behind. It got hectic! I had a full-time job and a new marriage. I nearly lost both."

Reader feedback is what kept Wellington going. "Every few hours someone would post a comment: a criticism, sometimes scathing, or a bit of praise for something they enjoyed. I got to know the readers who commented the most often. ... The readers made the whole thing worthwhile," Wellington said. "I don't know how other writers make do with fan letters written long after a book is done. I needed that constant feedback, and the book became much, much better because of it."

Though the online reader response was favorable, there were no publishing prospects until Mark Frauenfelder, co-founder of the pop culture/media blog BoingBoing.net, read the book and introduced Wellington to John Oakes, his editor at Thunder's Mouth Press. Wellington told Oakes of the book's success: namely, that approximately 38,000 people read at least part of Monster Island. "The next day he made an offer for the book," Wellington said.

Monster Island and sequels Monster Nation and Monster Planet are all available online, as is Wellington's new ongoing vampire serial, Thirteen Bullets. The print edition of Monster Island will be in bookstores in April.

Macrolife Gets New Life

F writer George Zebrowski, whose 1979 novel Macrolife: A Mobile Utopia will be re-released Jan. 31, told SCI FI Wire that he remains hopeful the worlds he created and described can exist. But he added that it would take a great catastrophe to set in motion the sequence of events that would lead to the creation of such habitats.

In the years since the book's original release, Zebrowski has become more aware that "there can be no certainty about any kind of progress," he said in an interview. "I knew that less acutely back in the '70s." Speaking by telephone from his home in Delmar, N.Y., Zebrowski said that he wrote the book because he wanted to explore what humanity is going to do once it uses up Earth's resources. "Building on other worlds would save Earth from itself," he said.

In his first hardcover novel, Zebrowski explored space habitats and their meaning to human history. He said that for these societies to exist, humanity must ask itself: What is the survival of its history worth? "Everything," Zebrowski argued. "I depicted the transition to a spacefaring culture via the midwife of catastrophe [i.e, the destruction of Earth's civilization], because that is the way all major changes have happened!"

The decision to re-release Macrolife came after Zebrowski discussed it with Lou Anders, editor of Pyr. Anders spoke to Zebrowski about his storage room full of Jack Dann books. Zebrowski said he knew of Pyr's parent company, Prometheus, "as an oasis of the enlightenment in science, history and philosophy." Anders thought Macrolife would be a perfect title for Pyr, and Zebrowski agreed. (Harper & Row originally published it.)

Since its original release, Macrolife has been hailed as a masterpiece, although Zebrowski doesn't think so: It's just the book he's best known for, he said. Still, the Library Journal named it one of the 100 best science fiction novels of all time, and Arthur C. Clarke said it's a novel he would read again.

Zebrowski said he knew this book was good, he just didn't now how good. He says his novel has received praise for its thinking, vision and writing. "Science fiction without thought is not worthy of the name," he said. "[Kurt] Vonnegut once asked if anyone ever admired an empty-headed writer for his style. Some people do. Why do I hedge? Doubt is a test of feelings."

Next up is Black Pockets and Other Dark Thoughts, a collection of older stories and a new 30,000-word novella, scheduled for a March release.

Carell Talks Evan Almighty

teve Carell, the comic star who will headline Evan Almighty, told SCI FI Wire that the follow-up to Jim Carrey's 2003 hit Bruce Almighty is envisioned as the beginning of a series of movies, each with a different star.

"It's a completely different story," Carell said in an interview at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, where he was promoting his NBC series The Office. "Same director [Tom Shadyac], same writer [Steve Oedekerk], and I know Tom Shadyac is hoping that it is a series, and then a couple of years down the road ... Will Ferrell or Ben Stiller or somebody else, God comes to them and they need to achieve something and sort of learn, and it'll be a very sweet movie. It'll be a nice family movie."

In Evan Almighty, Carell reprises his Bruce role of TV anchorman Evan Baxter, whose bumbling supporting character almost stole the show from star Carrey. ("I didn't know that scene was going to make the final cut. So when I went to the premiere, I had no idea that that would even be in it. So I was pleasantly surprised," Carell said of his key scene.)

Morgan Freeman also returns as God in Evan Almighty, which isn't really a sequel. "It involves God coming to my character and instructing him to build an ark," Carell said. "And it sort of starts from there. ... I think it will be [hilarious]. I read the script, and it's really funny. ... He undergoes a learning curve, emotionally and spiritually, in the building of this ark."

Carell booked the job before learning that his sitcom, The Office, would be renewed for a second year and before he took home a Golden Globe for best performance by an actor in a comedy TV show.

"[It was] a few months ago that I signed on," Carell said, adding: "They'd had this script for a second one. And then he came up with the idea of basing it on my character from the first one. And came to me and offered it."

Carell will wrap production on the current season of The Office in April. "Then I'm going to take off and literally the next day I'll be shooting the movie," he said. Production will take four months in Los Angeles and Charlottesville, Va.

As for whether all of his recent success has gone to his head? Carell said that he and his wife, Nancy, went home after the Golden Globes ceremony on Jan. 16, slipped into their pajamas and ate take-out hamburgers. The Golden Globe sits on a shelf next his bobblehead doll from Anchorman.

(NBC and Universal Pictures, which is co-distributing Evan Almighty, are both owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)

SG-1 Gears Up For Season 10

eau Bridges, who stars as Gen. Hank Landry in the SCI FI original series Stargate SG-1, told SCI FI Wire that he is getting ready to go back to Vancouver, Canada, to begin work in the show's upcoming 10th season. "I read the first script, and we've got our hands full with the Ori again, and it's all going on," Bridges said in an interview at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif. "It really hits the fan right at the first part of the show this time. The first episode in this 10th season really gets off with a bang. Oh, my goodness, we're in deep trouble. But don't worry. We'll get it together."

Bridges joined the series at the beginning of the currently airing ninth season, along with Farscape's Ben Browder. He said that after completing a full season, he won't be the new kid on the block when he returns to the set in February. "The regulars that were there before—Michael Shanks and Chris [Judge] and Amanda [Tapping]—they've been so nice to me and supportive in my first year. So now I can go back and give them a bad time now that I'm an old vet."

Bridges said that SG-1's 10th season will include an important landmark for the series, which he's honored to be a part of. "We'll be doing our 200th episode of the series this year," Bridges said. "It's amazing. What a great opportunity for me to be able to join this tremendously successful series. ... I'm looking forward to it. It's tough. There's big battles ahead. But that's what makes it fun." Stargate SG-1 airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

New Pan Sequel Completed

he authorized sequel to J.M. Barrie's children's classic Peter Pan is complete, but the title is the only detail the publishers are prepared to give away: Peter Pan in Scarlet, by author Geraldine McCaughrean, the Reuters news service reported. The book is the official follow-up to the well-known tale of Tinker Bell, Wendy, Captain Hook and the boy who never grew up.

Peter Pan in Scarlet is due to be published on Oct. 5 by Oxford University Press, according to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, which was given the rights to the story by Barrie in 1929.

Award-winning McCaughrean was chosen from a field of nearly 200 authors from around the world to pen the Pan sequel.

Pan Gets Picked Up

icturehouse has paid close to $6 million for the North American rights to Mexican helmer Guillermo del Toro's dark fairy tale Pan's Labyrinth, Variety reported.

Picturehouse president Bob Berney led his team to close the long-gestating deal with Wild Bunch's Carole Baraton at Sundance, the trade paper reported.

Set in fascist Spain in the 1940s, the movie centers on Ofelia, a lonely and dreamy child who tries to come to terms with an era of postwar repression by creating a world filled with mythical creatures. Maribel Verdu, Sergi Lopez, Ivana Baquero and Doug Jones star.

Picturehouse has slated an aggressive platform release in October. Pan is the first Spanish-language pickup for Picturehouse, the fledgling joint venture of HBO and New Line Cinema.

Sleep Sells At Sundance

upernatural or fantasy-tinged films including Michel Gondry's The Science of Sleep and The Illusionist were attracting suitors at this week's Sundance Film Festival, Variety reported.

Warner Independent Pictures snapped up writer-helmer Gondry's The Science of Sleep, about a withdrawn man who returns to his childhood home, where his fanciful and disturbing dream life threatens to take over his waking world. Gondry last directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

The Illusionist, about a magician in turn-of-the-century Vienna who uses his powers to win a woman far above his social standing, was being sold by the Yari Film Group and was juggling four offers after its premiere Jan. 22. An acquisition was imminent, with New Line, Sony, Lionsgate and the Weinstein Co. still interested, the trade paper reported.

Crown Of Stars Wraps Up

antasy author Kate Elliott told SCI FI Wire that her new book, Crown of Stars, concludes the seven-volume saga of the same name and achieves the ending she envisioned right from the start. "It took me longer than I thought it would to get there, and I made certain unexpected detours along the way, but I reached the place I had been aiming for all along," Elliott said in an interview. "Readers can expect closure. The story is complete. Finished. Done."

The Crown of Stars series is not episodic, but rather unfolds as a single story over the course of seven books. "[Crown of Stars] is a story of how actions and choices made in the past affect the present, even—and especially—when we least expect it," Elliott said. "[It] follows the story of two youths: a boy seeking the truth of his parentage and a girl who has been on the run with her father most of her life, fleeing a threat she doesn't truly understand, but which is, of course, herself. Their stories are set against a huge canvas of war, magic, cultures in conflict and an ancient cataclysm whose effects are not yet done with the world."

Crown of Stars will definitively conclude in volume seven, but Elliott has future plans for the world in which the series was set. "I do have at least one short story in mind to tie up the fate of a very minor character, but I don't know when I'll get around to writing it," she said. "Also, I have a reasonably serious plan to write a quartet of shorter, more young-adult-style novels set in the same universe about 500 years later. Among other things, these would deal with the long-term repercussions of certain events and outcomes in the Crown of Stars series and would also answer the question of what exactly happened to Count Lavastine."

Elliott said that she loved writing Crown of Stars, but is ready for something completely different. Next up is Spirit Gate, the first volume of a new series for Tor. "It's about a young woman forced into a marriage who must leave her family to travel into unknown lands," she said. "It's about a man who in his youth broke an ancient law with an action that, he believes, caused the death of his lover, and how he seeks to restore justice to a land where the shadows of war are growing. The series 'over-title' is Crossroads, but this is not a multi-volume novel like Crown of Stars. If all goes well (you read it here first!) the series will be a stand-alone trilogy, a stand-alone single novel and a second stand-alone trilogy. One thematic story arc will link the entire sequence; otherwise, the individual stories will be complete within themselves." DAW will publish Crown of Stars in February.

Stirling Continues The 'Change'

F writer S.M. Stirling told SCI FI Wire that the third book in his "Change" series, A Meeting at Corvallis, will appear in September and will continue in a second trilogy comprising The Sunrise Lands (2007), The Scourge of God (2008) and The Sword of the Lady (2009).

The "Change" series began with Dies the Fire and is post-apocalyptic SF, but with an interesting twist. "[It all starts with] a blinding flash of light, which appears to be a neurological phenomenon, since everyone sees it at the same time: a spike of pain in the head," Stirling said in an interview. "And when it's over, the laws of nature have undergone a change. A very specific one: high-energy-density technology doesn't work. Explosives don't explode. Electricity doesn't flow in metallic wires (although nerves continue to work fine), and high-pressure steam engines won't operate."

The consequences are a complete collapse of civilization in all but a few very isolated and very backward areas, Stirling said. "And even they are affected to some degree," he added. "Personal luck, leadership and sheer geographic location determines who survives. Most of humanity perishes miserably of starvation, disease and general chaos; the survivors are stripped of their cultural continuity amid the confusion and trauma."

The first three books deal with the first decade or so after the Change. The second trilogy will take place a generation after. "Some of the characters introduced as children or adolescents in the first trilogy are the central characters in the second, particularly Rudi/Artos Mackenzie and Mathilda Arminger, the children of the heroes and villains of the initial books, respectively," Stirling said. "They've grown up in the changed world, and it's home to them, though by this time it has become very strange to pre-Change eyes."

What caused the Change is a mystery to both readers and the characters. Stirling said he can't say much about its true nature without spoilers, but revealed that the concluding scene of A Meeting at Corvallis will at the very least frame the question differently.

The "Change" books are all published by Roc. Stirling also has two books forthcoming from Tor: The Sky People and In the Halls of the Crimson Kings. "They're set on Venus and Mars, respectively, but not the Mars and Venus we actually got," he said. "They're alternate histories in which everything is much the same until the 1950s, but we then discover that both planets are habitable, and inhabited. Venus is lush and primitive, with sabertooths and dinosaurs and humans and Neanderthals; Mars [is] a dry, dying world of ancient lost cities and half-forgotten secrets." Stirling added: "In other words, we get the pulp Mars and Venus, instead of the boring ones we actually found."

BSFA Nominees Announced

he nominees for the 2005 British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) awards were announced Jan. 22. The awards will be presented on April 15 in a ceremony at the British national science fiction convention, Concussion, which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland. The BSFA awards are the main popular-vote science fiction awards in the United Kingdom. The nominees for the awards are compiled from nominations submitted by members of the BSFA and will be voted on by BSFA members and by attending members of the convention. The list of nominees follows.

Best Novel: 9Tail Fox by Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Accelerando by Charles Stross, Air by Geoff Ryman, Learning the World by Ken MacLeod and Living Next Door to the God of Love by Justina Robson

Best Short Fiction: "Bears Discover Smut" by Michael Bishop, "Bird Songs at Eventide" by Nina Allan, "Guadalupe and Hieronymus Bosch" by Rudy Rucker, "I, Robot" by Cory Doctorow, "Imagine" by Edward Morries, "Magic for Beginners" by Kelly Link, "Soft Apocalypse" by Will McIntosh and "Two Dreams on Trains" by Elizabeth Bear

Best Artwork: cover of Brass Man by Steve Rawlings; cover of Elantris by Stephan Martinière; cover of F&SF, January 2005, by Max Bertolini; cover of Interzone number 198 by Kenn Brown; cover of Interzone number 200 by Pawel Lewandowski; We3, chapter two, pages 2-3: 'Run!' by Frank Quitely

War Surf Asks Questions

F author M.M. Buckner, whose novel War Surf has been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, told SCI FI Wire that she loves the book's cover, but understands it may mislead the reader. The cover shows a character that resembles Neo from the Matrix movies, with a little Terminator thrown in. "I guess that illustration might lead you to expect battles and cool weaponry, but War Surf is more about characters reacting together," she said in an interview. "Though there's a lot of action, overall it's a quieter book than the cover suggests."

War Surf poses questions about mortality, the rights of the next generation and how much, if any, the current generation should sacrifice for future generations, Buckner said. "I also wanted to investigate what it feels like to face the end of life: not suddenly, as in a battle, but through the slow process of aging," she said. "I wanted to think about how this end stage alters a person's outlook. We cling so tightly to our lives. What will it feel like when we have to let go? Honestly, don't we all wonder about that?"

War Surf, which was released last August, follows Nasir Deepra, a senior corporate executive bored with his life, who, along with several other like-minded friends, seeks fun by dropping into wars and having the adventures broadcast on the Internet. When he falls in love with the inexperienced Sheeba, the adventures turn disastrous, the ratings nosedive and the team considers a dramatic next move. Nasir objects to the choice because he knows the secrets that he has kept for two centuries will be revealed.

This is Buckner's second Dick nomination. She previously received one for Hyperthought in 2003. The award is named for the prolific SF writer and recognizes distinguished science fiction published originally in paperback form in the United States. First prize and any special citations will be announced April 14 at Norwescon 29 in Seattle.

Isles Series Comes To Close

F and fantasy author David Drake told SCI FI Wire that his forthcoming The Crown of the Isles trilogy, which begins in April with The Fortress of Glass, will bring his Lord of the Isles series to a close. "I've loved working in the Isles, but book nine—The Gods Return—will definitely conclude the series," Drake said in an interview. "The world that I've been exploring will change forever. There's no more going back than you and I and our neighbors across the globe could return to existence without information technology."

The Lord of the Isles books are secondary-world fantasies inspired by The Lord of the Rings. "The heroes ... are faced with a crisis in which an increase in magical power causes many individual dangers to appear at the same time. The forces of evil fight one another, as well as trying to defeat the forces of good, and much of the heroes' business is to keep civilization united against chaotic evil," Drake said. "In the past, the Isles have been shattered every thousand years by an increase in magical power. At the climax of The Fortress of Glass ... this changes forever. The conclusion of the trilogy will set the tone for the Isles' whole future: unity and peace or perpetual chaos."

Drake finds that he needs to write different kinds of books, rather than sticking to one subgenre or series. "By switching, I keep myself and the settings fresh," he said. "I just finished a space opera in my RCN series. The space operas and the fantasies are both great fun to write, but they impose different rules and are different in tone. I've also written a good deal of military SF, mostly in the Hammer's Slammers series; in fact, that's probably what I'm best known for, though it's never been more than a quarter of my writing output."

Like any writer, Drake was influenced by a number of greats—J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard and Robert A. Heinlein, to name a few—but he said that he wouldn't be the writer he is today, and might not even be a writer at all, if he hadn't served in Vietnam. "I've recently written three new Hammer novelettes, spurred (I suppose) by events in Iraq, which remind me very vividly of Vietnam and Cambodia, where I served," he said.

Although Drake won't be returning to the Isles, he said he's not leaving fantasy for good. "I've got another trilogy roughed out with a completely different setting and characters. I'm looking forward to it!"

Tamblyn To Hold A Grudge 2

mber Tamblyn will star in the supernatural horror moviel The Grudge 2, the sequel to the 2004 horror hit, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Director Takashi Shimizu, writer Stephen Susco and producers Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Taka Ichise all are returning. Arielle Kebbel and Teresa Palmer also have been cast.

Tamblyn will play the younger sister of Sarah Michelle Gellar's character, who returns long enough to pass on the movie's supernatural curse. The sequel delves into the secrets behind the grudge's wrath and introduces a seemingly unrelated host of new characters who find themselves connected by the curse. Kebbel and Palmer (December Boys) play American schoolgirls in Tokyo.

Showtime Renews Masters Of Horror

howtime announced that it has ordered a second season of IDT Entertainment's critically acclaimed anthology series Masters of Horror. IDT will produce 13 new one-hour episodes of the series, whose segments are directed by prominent filmmakers in the horror genre. The second season will premiere in the fall.

The first season featured episodes by Dario Argento (Suspiria), John Carpenter (Halloween), Don Coscarelli (Phantasm), Joe Dante (Gremlins) and Lucky McKee (May), among others.

Future Looks Good For Medium

lenn Gordon Caron, creator and executive producer of NBC's supernatural series Medium, told SCI FI Wire that he has high expectations that the network will pick the show up for a third season. "I think it's a slam dunk," Caron said in an interview at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif. "But knock wood, you know. Everyone seems very happy, so I have every expectation that we'll be here next year."

For his part, NBC's vice president of current programming, Bruce Evans, told SCI FI Wire that things look positive, though he declined to commit to a deal on the spot. (He was standing right next to Caron during the interview.) "It looks extremely good that there will be a third season of Medium," Evans said. "The show is fantastic, and we couldn't be happier with it. I couldn't imagine that they wouldn't be back. [Caron] is so amazing and such a talent. I was a huge fan of Moonlighting. And just the idea that I get to work with someone like that just makes my job so much fun." Speaking directly to Caron, he added: "I can't pick you up right now; I'm not the president of the network."

Medium is based on the supposed real-life experiences of self-styled psychic and suburban mom Allison DuBois, who is portrayed in the show by Emmy winner Patricia Arquette. Caron, a TV veteran whose credits include Moonlighting and Remington Steele, said that his writing staff is already coming up with ideas for the third season. "We're still figuring out what we're going to do," he said. "I'm very interested in the human condition. That's what I'm interested in exploring. And additionally, Allison DuBois is a real person, so we have that to draw on." Medium airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT. NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.

SF Goes Audio On MechMuse

iles Romney, editor of the new online audio magazine MechMuse, told SCI FI Wire that it will publish short stories, serialized novels, columns and interviews, all in audio format. "Each monthly issue will include between 10 and 15 hours of fresh sci-fi and fantasy content, easily downloaded into an iPod or other portable audio device," Romney said in an interview.

The short stories will come from both new and established authors, and the novels have all been contributed by best-selling authors, Romney said. The debut (March) issue, which goes on sale Feb. 15, will feature a short story by New York Times best-seller David Farland and the first part of his serial novel, On My Way to Paradise, he added. It will also include fiction from David Barr Kirtley, Richard Raleigh and Edmund Schubert, among others. The April table of contents is not set, but it will include the work of best-selling author Kevin J. Anderson.

MechMuse was primarily created to make short fiction accessible and convenient to a more general audience. "Basically, if you own a portable audio device, and you bought a ticket to see Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, MechMuse is for you," Romney said.

Most of the content will be provided in the style of audio books. But, he added, a pair of dramatized serials, complete with actors, original music and sound design and effects, is in preproduction for release this summer, in the tradition of an Orson Welles-era radio play.

Forty percent of the gross subscription receipts will be distributed among the contributors. Romney said that MechMuse authors will be compensated at more than the market rate in the magazine industry. "This means that writers can actually make a living writing short fiction," he said. "The result will be higher-quality stories for our listeners."

Each issue of MechMuse will cost $5. Six-month subscriptions are available for $25. Audio samples are now available on the site.

Fox Develops Demon Keeper

ox 2000 has bought film rights to the upcoming Royce Buckingham novel Demon Keeper for a live-action film, Variety reported. The young adult novel will be published by Putnam in the fall.

Demon Keeper focuses on a Seattle teen who inherits a house filled with mischievous demons. The youth has to keep his charges in the house and thwart the Thin Man, a creepy character who wants to free and exploit them for evil purposes, the trade paper reported.

When he's not writing, the author is a senior deputy prosecutor in suburban Seattle. AEI's Ken Atchity and ChiChi-Li Wong will produce the movie.

Douglas Blesses Priest

he Amityville Horror director Andrew Douglas will turn his attention next to Screen Gems' horror movie Priest, based on the graphic novel created by Min-Woo Hyung, Variety reported. Mike De Luca, Sam Raimi and Josh Donen will produce. Production is slated to start this summer.

Cory Goodman wrote the script, which is a vampire western that centers on a warrior priest who disobeys church law by teaming with a young sheriff and a priestess to track down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped his niece.

Priest was the first project announced under Raimi and Donen's recently created Sony-based production company, which is separate from Raimi's other production entity, Ghost House Pictures.

Fire Won't Deter Wallace Creator

nimator Nick Park told the Reuters news service that he's got more ideas for films featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit, despite a recent studio fire that destroyed props and sets from their Oscar-winning movies.

"I have got lots more Wallace and Gromit ideas in the back of my head," Park told Reuters at the London Toy Fair, where he was launching a Wallace and Gromit board game.

Last October, a fire ripped through a warehouse and destroyed hundreds of Wallace and Gromit models from the production house Aardman Animations.

Looking ahead, Parks said: "Some of the ideas I've got could make feature films, some of them might be shorts. I am not really sure."

Park has won three Oscars for best animated short film, Creature Comforts in 1990 and the Wallace and Gromit short films The Wrong Trousers in 1993 and A Close Shave in 1995.

Deschanel Crosses Bridge

ooey Deschanel has come aboard the fantasy film Bridge to Terabithia for Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gabor Csupo is making his live-action directorial debut on the movie, based on Katherine Paterson's 1978 Newbery Award-winning book.

Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb have already been cast as two classmates who, because of their outsider status, create the world of Terabithia, an imaginary kingdom filled with giants and trolls and all manner of magical beings. Deschanel is the kids' teacher, whom they admire.

Jeff Stockwell (The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys) wrote the adaptation, which is being produced by Lauren Levine, David Paterson and Hal Lieberman.

Warner Readying I Am Legend?

arner Brothers is close to a deal to rent New York's Kingsbridge Armory as a preproduction and studio set for a movie version of Richard Matheson's famed vampire novel, I Am Legend, the New York Daily News reported.

Warner is in the process of closing a deal to rent the armory for seven months for about $350,000, city officials who control the armory told the newspaper.

Warner is in the process of closing a deal with the city's Economic Development Corp. to rent the entire first-floor interior of the armory for the hefty sum of $50,000 a month. City officials said the studio plans to rent the armory's 190,950-square-foot interior from Feb. 27 through Sept. 30.

Warner officials could not be immediately reached by the Daily News on details of the film, such as who would star in it. But a city official said the studio plans to shoot the entire film in various New York City locations.

I Am Legend, which was originally set in Los Angeles, centers on the lone survivor of a plague that has transformed the world's population into blood-sucking vampires.

Surface Tension Builds

arter Jenkins, the young star of NBC's SF drama Surface, told SCI FI Wire that the final two episodes of the season will answer the remaining questions of the season, but bring up some new ones as well. "The season finale is huge," Jenkins, 14, said in an interview at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif. "It's going to be awesome. ... It wraps [the story] up mostly, but it leaves plenty of room for a second season. A lot of the questions are answers."

Surface, also starring Lake Bell and Jay Ferguson, centers on a new marine species that suddenly emerges and wreaks havoc all along the U.S. coast. Two of the 15 original episodes have yet to air, but audiences have already learned that the creatures are the result of an experiment gone awry.

"I don't think anyone guessed that," Jenkins said. "I think everyone was like, 'They're from another planet or something.' ... I think the creators have so much story that they've assured us that they have plenty more storyline for seasons to come, which is always reassuring to hear. And also the season finale definitely opens up a lot of doors."

Jenkins' character, the lonely boy Miles Barnett, will also undergo more changes as the season finale approaches. After finding and raising a hatchling creature in the pilot, he has gradually begun turning into one of them. "My character is starting to develop characteristics of the species," Jenkins said. "And there's more episodes that definitely explore that. It's really awesome. ... In terms of what my character's going through, that can lead to a lot more stuff."

Surface will air its last two episodes on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. NBC has not yet announced whether it will be coming back for a second season.

NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.

Carrey Counts On Number 23

im Carrey told SCI FI Wire that he's particularly excited about his next film, The Number 23, a mind-bender about a man who becomes obssessed with the number 23. Carrey said that it was likely fate that brought the project to him, since he himself is obsessed with the number 23.

"I've had this obsession with the number 23 for years," Carrey said in an interview, while promoting his current film, Fun With Dick and Jane. "[The script] was given to me by a friend who had the obsession with it, where he talked about the Earth's axis is on the 23rd degree and 23 chromosomes in the human body from each parent and all that, and he has books written about everything that adds up to 23. As soon as he told me, I started seeing 23 everywhere. And it's shocking how much adds up to 23; it's a primary number, but it's bizarre. But it really works out in a strange way to be very prevalent everywhere."

Carrey (Bruce Almighty) will share the screen with Virginia Madsen in the film, which Joel Schumacher will direct. Schumacher last directed Carrey in Batman Forever. But, Carrey said, The Number 23 is not a comedy. "No, it's a thriller," he said. "It's about a guy [Carrey] who finds a book that's about a character that is obsessed with the number 23, and the number 23 is haunting him and leads him to do some very bad things. And then finally it starts happening in his life, and he starts to notice parallels between the book and his life, and the character and his life."

Carrey added: "I don't want to say too much about it, but it's really an interesting movie. I was talking about all this 23 stuff. ... First of all, the number 23 thing for me culminated in ... me talking about it, and at the very same moment, someone handing me a book about the 23rd Psalm, which became like my kind of mantra a little bit. Because it's about living without fear, feeling like you're taken care of, like you're safe. And so I changed the name of my company to JC23 a couple years ago. I started telling somebody about the 23 thing, and 'the valley of the shadow of death' and all those things it means, and they said, 'I just read a script called The Number 23.'"

Carrey read the script and found it compelling. "It's so interesting, and the way the mathematics are worked out in it, it's like this guy is Rain Man, the guy who wrote it, Fernley Phillips. So I decided to do it, and I gave it to a friend of mine to read. He read it in an hour and a half, [and] when I came back in he was on page 23, circling every 23rd word, to see if there was a puzzle. That's the kind of thing that I want to do to an audience." Production on The Number 23 begins this week, with an eye toward a late 2006 release.

Crystal Uplifts Island Culture

F author Tobias S. Buckell told SCI FI Wire that his "far-future Caribbean steampunk novel" Crystal Rain is a bit of an homage to lost-colony SF novels such as The Uplift War by David Brin and Hammerfall by C.J. Cherryh. These are books in which "the world is just about to be industrialized again, with all the thrill of rediscovery of ancient secrets thrown in to provoke adventure," Buckell said in an interview.

One of the things that makes Crystal Rain distinct is that it takes place on a human-settled planet that is almost entirely peopled with Caribbean expatriates. As a Caribbean native himself, Buckell said that he always felt a bit left out when he read adventure, mystery or science fiction, because the islands he grew up on were always represented only as tourist destinations or as exotic locations. He wanted to reverse that trend, so he infused Crystal Rain with Caribbean culture, accurately depicting everything from the lifestyle and beliefs of the region to the authentic dialects.

While the protagonists are of Caribbean descent, the antagonists come from another exotic culture: the Aztecs. "The Aztecs came about due to a long-held fascination with the culture and empire that evolved with human sacrifice as its central tenet," Buckell said. "I thought they would, off the cuff, make excellent villains for a novel. Since I don't believe in shallow villains, I did my best to explore the psychology of religious belief behind human sacrifice and tried to translate it as best I could for modern readers."

Though Crystal Rain is set in a rational, logical universe, the narrative often has a very mythic feel to it. "I wanted to give readers a look into a world far removed from our own, looking back on our future through the distant haze of their past," Buckell said. "I tried to make things seem almost magical and even include traditional storytelling of their history as a way to make it seem real, and yet mythic. I do believe we all easily retreat to mythology. Even with technology today the greater part of the human population still firmly believes in mythology and superstition right now, so it didn't seem a great leap to think that it would be even more prevalent in a future where technology had been lost. It's very much a big part of human nature to try and explain the unknown through any means, and I wanted to show all the different ways people interacted with their environment in this novel."

Crystal Rain will be released in February. Readers can read the first third of the book for free at the book's official Web site. The site also features extras, such as chapter commentary, related short fiction and a reader forum. Buckell's second novel, Ragamuffin (what he called a "far-future Caribbean space opera") will be published by Tor in early 2007.

Kilmer Has Deja Vu

al Kilmer will star in the Tony Scott-directed SF movie Deja Vu opposite Denzel Washington, Variety reported.

The Disney drama will reteam Kilmer with his Top Gun helmer Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The cast also includes Jim Caviezel and Paula Patton.

Kilmer and Washington play FBI agents who get the opportunity to step back in time to stop a terrorist from blowing up a ferry. The movie will shoot early next month in New Orleans.

Mass Effect Highlights Quality

ioWare's Casey Hudson, project director of the role-playing game Mass Effect, told SCI FI Wire that his team saw developing the game for Xbox 360 as an opportunity to tell stories that are more engaging, exciting and emotionally compelling. "One of the exciting things about developing for the Xbox 360 is being able to target a much higher quality of graphic and audio quality," Hudson said in an interview. "For example, HD video resolution. With Mass Effect, we intend to create a premium experience for HD systems, where the visual and audio presentation achieves an incredible level of detail and realism. You'll see your character's brow wrinkle when he looks at someone suspiciously, and the tiniest details—such as chipped paint on your armor or even pores in your skin—are clearly visible. This means that we're able to draw players into the story with a set of tools that previously only live-action movie directors had access to."

Mass Effect is the first in a trilogy of science fiction action/role-playing games for the Xbox 360. "After completing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the team was excited to take our approach to console RPG development forward with some really exciting innovations," Hudson said. "We also wanted to take on the challenge of creating a new intellectual property: a science fiction universe that would be designed for today's audience and would be structured to allow us to tell the biggest and most exciting stories possible."

The Mass Effect team looked to films such as Alien, The Terminator, Blade Runner and Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan for inspiration. "With Mass Effect, we're applying many of the things that made those movies great," Hudson said. "We started with a story that is based on a powerful concept and is told through intelligent dialogue and emotionally driven choices for the main character. Other examples are things like generating sound effects from live recordings instead of a computer and placing an emphasis on photographic effects that give the experience a big-budget movie feel. The game as a whole is presented as a much tighter cinematic experience than we've ever been able to achieve before: Character lighting, camera movement and the integration of cinematics and gameplay put the player in control of a futuristic world of unprecedented realism."

Hudson said that Mass Effect takes place around 200 years into the future, where human beings have joined a galactic community of civilizations. "You are a member of the elite SPECTRE group. ... [As] you lead your elite team across hostile alien worlds, you uncover a [grave] threat, one that will thrust all living beings into a galaxy-wide battle for survival against a race of gigantic, super-intelligent machines," he said. "Through your actions, you will bring about the emergence of the human race onto the galactic stage, ultimately determining the survival and destiny of entire civilizations."

A trailer and other background information about Mass Effect are available at the game's Web site.

Noise 2 Shoots In March

ollywood North Report said that White Noise 2: The Light, the sequel to 2005's supernatural thriller starring Michael Keaton, will begin shooting March 7, according to Brightlight Pictures' Shawn Williamson. Williamson (The Wicker Man) will produce the new film with Stephen Hegyes.

White Noise 2: The Light will shoot three weeks in Montreal and five weeks in Vancouver, Canada. Patrick Lussier (Dracula 2000) will direct from a screenplay by Matt Venne.

The sequel revolves around a deceased man who is brought back to life with the power to see future events. Keaton is not involved in the sequel.

Williams Spends Night At Museum

obin Williams has signed on to play Theodore Roosevelt in the Ben Stiller fantasy comedy Night at the Museum for 20th Century Fox, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Directed by Shawn Levy, the big-budget, live-action/computer-generated comedy centers on a night watchman (Stiller) at a museum of natural history who discovers that its many exhibits awaken at night under the spell of a pharaoh's tablet. The exhibit of President Roosevelt, who founded the American Museum of Natural History in New York, is one of those that comes to life, the trade paper reported.

Carla Gugino, Kim Raver, Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke and Bill Cobbs already have joined the cast.

The film is scheduled to begin shooting next month in Vancouver, Canada, and is slated for a holiday release.

Narnia DVDs Due In April

he Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will come out on DVD in two versions on April 4: a one-disc edition and a two-disc special edition, Buena Vista Home Entertainment told SCI FI Wire.

Both one- and two-disc versions will include the 140-minute epic film, based on C.S. Lewis' beloved book, as well as audio commentaries by director Andrew Adamson and the movie's production staff and child stars. The first disc will also have a "popup" play mode with facts about the books, the film and author Lewis.

The special edition will also feature 10 hours of extras on a second disc, including a bloopers reel, behind-the-scenes featurettes, features on author Lewis, video on the film's characters and creatures, a 3-D explorable map of Narnia and concept art, a booklet and special packaging.

The one-disc edition will carry a suggested retail price of $19.99, the special edition $29.99.

Schneider Talks Smallville's 100th

ohn Schneider—whose character of Jonathan Kent played a key role in Smallville's 100th episode, which aired Jan. 26—told SCI FI Wire that he knew what was coming, but used his mixed emotions to fuel his performance. (Spoilers ahead!) In the episode, "Reckoning," Clark Kent (Tom Welling) watches as his father dies, fulfilling a prophecy from earlier in the season and preventing the death of Lana (Kristin Kreuk).

Schneider said in an interview that he was sorry to leave the show behind, but that he used those emotions in his final scenes with Welling. "It was very sad, which helped," Schneider said. "It really, really helped. The last scene I shot was pulling Clark out of the car when Lana had passed. ... I worked until 3:30 in the morning and it was probably 18 degrees. It was cold out there. But the last thing I did was that with Tom, which I think is very appropriate. The very last thing Jonathan Kent does in the show is tell him it's not his fault. So he's trying to protect him. The very last thing John Schneider did was pull [Clark] out of the vision of seeing Lana dead."

Schneider said that he was surprised to hear that his character would be killed off so soon this season. "[Co-creator and executive producer Al Gough] called me and said, 'Hey, John. This is a call I hate to have to make, but you kind of knew it was coming at some point,'" Schneider said in an interview at the Television Critics Association winter press tour last week. "'I said, 'Oh, I understand. When it's going to be?' I'm thinking, 'We're doing 24 shows this year. So it's going to be show 23, maybe?' No, it's show 12. And he'd called me during show nine."

From the standpoint of the story, Schneider said that he understands the need for his character to die in order for Clark to move forward toward his destiny as Superman. "It happens for great reasons," he said. "[He's] trying to live up to his father's expectations, or trying to fill the gap that was left, fill the void that was left by [the death]. The passing of Jonathan Kent in Clark Kent's life is, I think, what causes him to become Superman. Not just somebody with super powers. ... To me it was like John Wayne in The Cowboys, an empowering death, which is so important. Because if Jonathan Kent had just died, that would have been terrible. It would have been meaningless." Smallville airs on The WB Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Briefly Noted

IESB.com has reported that the upcoming third X-Men movie will have the subtitle The Last Stand, according to Fox studio head Tom Rothman.

IMAX Corp. and Warner Brothers announced that the upcoming dystopian SF movie V for Vendetta will be released in IMAX theaters on March 17, the same day it hits conventional theaters.

IGN FilmForce reported that Focus Features' upcoming film biography of TV Superman star George Reeves is undergoing a title change from Truth, Justice & the American Way.

Joan of Arcadia creator Barbara Hall has earned the green light from CBS for the comic-book adaptation Ultra, about a single-gal superhero, TV Guide Online reported.

Monsters HD, the channel devoted to horror and creature feature movies, will present an all-day, nine-film marathon celebrating Boris Karloff and his iconic role in the 1931 classic Frankenstein on Feb. 2, the anniversary of the actor's death.

Adam Goldberg has signed on to Tony Scott's time-travel thriller Deja Vu, joining Denzel Washington and Jim Caviezel in a story about an FBI agent (Washington) who travels back in time to save a woman from a murder and falls in love with her in the process.

Veteran actors Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke will play villainous security guards in the upcoming Ben Stiller supernatural family movie Night at the Museum, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

CBS Corp. and Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Brothers on Jan. 24 said they will close their respective UPN and The WB television networks and jointly launch a new network in fall 2006; the new CW network will be a 50-50 joint venture of the two companies, the Reuters news service reported.

Theresa Russell (Black Widow) has joined the cast of Spider-Man 3 as the wife of Flint Marko, aka the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures has acquired the film rights to the Japanese video game Siren, and the film version will focus on an American medical school student searching for her missing sister in Japan who finds herself trapped with an unspeakable evil that can no longer be contained, Variety reported.

Touchstone Television, which produces ABC's hit SF series Lost, has offered all original members of the large ensemble cast a substantial salary bump, to almost $80,000 each per episode next season, the show's third, from a range of about $20,000-$40,000 for most cast members this season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Columbia Pictures' adaptation of The Da Vinci Code will open this year's Cannes Film Festival on May 17 and will screen out of competition, Variety reported.

Eric Bana denied to Moviehole.net that he turned down a role in a rumored sequel to Hulk; in fact, the Australian actor said no discussions have taken place about any sequel, contrary to Internet rumors that David Duchovny has been cast in a straight-to-DVD follow-up.

CBS and Warner Brothers TV are developing an hourlong drama series based on Sandra Bullock's 1998 fantasy movie Practical Magic, centered on two sisters who struggle with the blessing and curse of magical abilities, Variety reported.

Gillian Anderson told TV Guide's Michael Ausiello that she's ready to do the long-awaited second The X-Files movie: "I think the intention is that we will and we hope to. And that, hopefully by the time we actually do, whenever that is, people will still give a damn."

A Swiss businessman won the keys to James Bond's silver 1965 Aston Martin DB5 coupe with a $1.9 million bid at an annual classic car auction in Arizona, the Reuters news service reported.

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