Dafoe Bites Into Shadow
illem Dafoe, star of the current Shadow of the Vampire, told
Cinescape Online columnist Cindy Pearlman that pal Nicolas Cage turned him on to the role of an actor who may or may not be a vampire.
Dafoe plays real-life actor Max Schreck in a fanciful retelling of the making of the classic 1922 silent film Nosferatu. Cage co-produced Shadow.
"Nic called and said he had this script that he was crazy about, but he thought of me for it and not him," Dafoe told Pearlman. "He was very direct and said, 'Just read this thing.' Then I read the script, and it made sense to me," Dafoe says. "I knew I could have so much fun with it."
To play Shreck, Dafoe said he had to endure a daily transformation into a bald, pointy-eared bloodsucker. "I was also in makeup three hours a day, and then an hour at the end of the day to get out of it," Dafoe said. "It was a rough movie on my face."
Different Janeway To Appear
ate Mulgrew--Capt. Kathryn Janeway of Star Trek: Voyager--told Cinescape Online that viewers will see a different side to her character in the upcoming two-part episode "Work Force."
Speaking with Cinescape contributors Gregory L. Norris and Laura A. Van Vleet, Mulgrew said, "Janeway is in an altered personality. But she's terribly happy. You've never seen her act this young, this happy or this in love."
Mulgrew added, "She comes to learn in a very difficult way that this persona is not her reality, and she has to say goodbye to it. It's beautifully done." The episode is scheduled to air during February sweeps.
But Mulgrew echoed other cast members who have said that producers are keeping them in the dark about the series' finale. "As for the ending, I don't have a clue," Mulgrew said. "My suspicion would be, given the studio's input and [executive producer] Mr. [Rick] Berman's, that we may shoot a couple of endings, which would be smart, because I think it's very important that the ending be splendid, bold and unpredictable. So I'm sort of preparing myself for a couple of endings. It's been a long, pretty interesting ride, hasn't it?"
Voyager Cast In Dark
tar Trek: Voyager star Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine) told TV Guide that cast members don't know what will happen in the finale of the series' seventh and final season.
"They're afraid we'll squeal," Ryan told the magazine about the producers' decision to keep the cast in the dark, according to a report on the Associated Press wire service.
But, Ryan added, "I suspect that we'll get home." Once Voyager ends its journey, Ryan said, "I'd love to do something without special effects or rubber glued to my face. It'd be a nice change of pace."
Frakes Eager To Stop Clock
onathan Frakes--director of the last two Star Trek movies--told the official Star Trek: The Magazine that he'll be tackling a different SF challenge in the upcoming Clockstoppers, according to the Voyager's Delights Web site.
Clockstoppers, which is eyeing a summer 2002 release, is "a very ironic recipe," Frakes told the magazine. "[Producer] Gale Hurd of Terminator and Aliens fame, Julia Pistor of Rugrats and myself from the Enterprise are doing this movie, which is Back to the Future meets Ferris Bueller['s Day Off] and War Games."
Frakes added, "We're in pre-production now, and shooting starts on January 8th. We're just finalizing the script, and we're starting casting on Thursday, and it's so exciting to be doing something that's not Star Trek." The movie tells the story of a youth who can stop time.
Trek X Mindful Of History
ohn Logan, writer of the upcoming tenth Star Trek feature film, told the official Trek Web site that the movie will be mindful of the long legacy of the series.
A longtime fan of the franchise, Logan hinted that the movie may feature Federation races rarely seen beyond the original Star Trek series and may allude to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Dominion War and Worf's assignment on Qo'noS, the Klingon homeworld.
There will also be new things, including a worthy adversary for Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on a par with Khan in Star Trek II. "Picard needs an adversary or a foe that is up to his level," Logan told the site. "That's why James Bond should always fight Blofeld; that's his adversary. We hope this adversary will be every bit as memorable not only for who he is, but how and why he behaves as he does."
Logan, who was nominated for an Oscar for last year's Gladiator, confirmed earlier reports that the Romulans will appear in Trek X. He added, "I have some great new races and ships in this script, and I already have a shelf cleared off for the new merchandise for the movie."
Raimi Tackles Spidey Issues
am Raimi, director of Sony's upcoming Spider-Man movie, talked publicly for the first time about the look of Spidey's movie costume, the controversy over the film's organic webshooters, and the various rewrites of the film's script.
Speaking to reporters Jan. 4 on the Los Angeles set of the movie, which begins shooting Jan. 8, Raimi was joined by cast members Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe and James Franco and other filmmakers.
To allay controversy about changes in the look of Spider-Man's famous costume, Raimi said, "We've decided to get back to the classical look of the red-and-blue Spider-Man. But [costume designer] Jim [Acheson] has decided to update it, just to bring it into the year 2002, when the picture opens, to add some dimensionality to it, to take a ... slightly more subtle approach to the coloration of the outfit, [and] to increase the flexibility. ... What we were really after was to give Tobey an outfit where he could display maximum flexibility, really display his physical prowess. He's really been working out for this thing. And I think that's what the audience loves about Spider-Man. Not the Schwarzenegger look, but rather the fact that he's this graceful dancer. So a lot of Jim's work was in making him look like the classic Spider-Man, updated, but still making it a very functional outfit for a dancer to perform in."
Raimi also defended the controversial choice to give the movie Spider-Man organic webshooters, not the mechanical ones of the comic book. This choice has angered many loyal comic fans. "But what we're trying to do in this Spider-Man picture is not just stick to the letter of the comic book," Raimi said. "We're trying to capture the spirit of the [comic]." Raimi said that if his Peter Parker could invent the steely web fluid featured in the comics, it would undermine the audience's ability to identify with him as a regular kid. "When he can develop a material that even 3M ... can't seem to develop, it starts to distance him from a real human being," Raimi said. Providing Peter with a physical transformation also serves a character purpose, the director added. "It's another device to create alienation, because Peter Parker has always been an outcast, and Spider-Man a misunderstood hero," Raimi said. "I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. ... It's a great choice, and it was inspired by James Cameron's treatment."
As for rumors that the film's script remains troubled, Raimi responded, "The script is not in trouble. It's one of the best scripts I've had the chance to work on, actually. ... It started with a James Cameron treatment, ... really a fine piece of work. Then David Koepp [Jurassic Park] came aboard and did the lion's share of work, turning it into a screenplay and working on it for many years. And that's basically what we're working with, although Scott Rosenberg [Gone in Sixty Seconds] did some work for us ... and so did Alvin Sargent [Ordinary People. Sargent is married to Spider-Man producer Laura Ziskin]. And everybody's contributed a great deal. I'd say David Koepp is really the main writer."
Maguire's Ready For Spidey
obey Maguire, who will play Peter Parker in Sam Raimi's upcoming Spider-Man film, said during a news conference Jan. 4 that he's eager to put on Spidey's tights.
Maguire and other Spider-Man filmmakers addressed the press on the Los Angeles set of the movie, which begins filming Jan. 8.
"I'm very excited," Maguire told reporters. "I've done all kinds of training for flexibility and for acrobatic grace and also just to push up some iron. And I enjoy it thoroughly. ... I'm a little nervous, just being in that pre-movie jitters [stage]. It's been a long time in coming. I think I've been cast since July. And the anticipation of the first day of work, which is now Monday, it's all on me now. But I'm excited, and I can't wait to get into the middle of it. As far as people's expectations, I'm not too concerned. I put all that responsibility onto Sam. I just show up and do my job."
In addition to buffing up physically, Maguire said he'd done some training on wires. And he added that he read the first three-and-a-half years' worth of Spider-Man comic books. "I can relate very much to Peter Parker," Maguire said. "I think I can especially relate to Spider-Man, that side of my character, because I feel like a superhero in general in my life [laughs]. No, I think he's a great character, and one of the main themes ... is 'with great power comes great responsibility.' And I think there's great power in just being alive and being a human being, and I think within that, there's great responsibility. Every day that I wake up, I have a responsibility to myself and to others to live an estimable life and to be an example for people around me. And Peter also goes through a lot of common struggles that I think most people can relate to."
Much Rings Work Awaits
an McKellen--who plays Gandalf in Peter Jackson's upcoming Lord of the Rings film trilogy--said on his official Web site that much work remains to be done, though principal photography has wrapped.
In January, doubles of many of the principal actors may work on additional footage, including "essential linking shots, 'pickups' that [director] Peter Jackson and his editors need to mesh the final jigsaw together," McKellen said.
McKellen added, "In [special effects house] WETA's digital workshops, Gandalf's image, shot against blue screen, will be matched to backgrounds of deepest Moria or the highest sky, with a computerized battling Balrog and soaring Gwaihir carrying him to safety from the Tower of Orthanc. Andy Serkis' Gollum will take months to perfect. Even when the pictures are close to completion and Peter's final cut is ready for New Line's approval, the huge job of re-recording the dialogue has to be done, with a cast now working on or considering other projects in Australia, Europe, Asia or North America. Then there are sound effects and music to be composed. All in all a good year's work to be done--and so the world must wait." The first Rings movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, premieres in December.
Rings Stars Marked For Life
everal stars of Peter Jackson's upcoming Lord of the Rings film trilogy--which wrapped principal photography on Dec. 22--will take away permanent reminders of the production: special tattoos, according to a report on E! Online.
Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen and John Rhys-Davies were all tattooed with a Rings Brotherhood motif, designed especially by conceptual artist Alan Lee, at the production's invitation-only wrap party.
The cast also presented Jackson with a Hobbit-sized director's chair at the party, which took place on the Wellington waterfront in New Zealand, where the movies have been shooting for the last 15 months, E! reported.
The cast worked long hours and six-day weeks throughout December to make the Dec. 22 deadline, with as many as five units working at once, the site reported. The wrap ended a 274-day shoot. Post-production and digital-effects work now begins at Three Foot Six and WETA's Wellington Studios. Looping (re-recording of dialogue) is expected to take place in London and New Zealand. Sound technicians on set say only about 2 percent of dialogue recorded during filming will be usable, due to the noise of smoke machines and planes flying overhead, E! reported.
Blade 2 Bloodpack Unveiled
imothy Bradstreet, who contributed designs for the upcoming movie Blade 2: Bloodhunt, told the Comics Continuum Web site that the film will feature a stylized band of vampires called the Bloodpack.
"I ... set about creating an individual look for the eight members of the BP," Bradstreet told the site. "Some have tattoos, some are ultra-slick, and some are based on my own 'gypsy white trash' vampire look. They all bear the mark of [the villain] Damaskinos, and they are all battle-hardened vampire warriors."
Bradstreet added, "I was given a lot of room to add my own visual style to the characters. Reinhardt, the leader, wears a tattoo of a black hand on his forehead. [Director] Guillermo [Del Toro] had seen an illustration of mine that had a similar tattoo and wanted this character to have that look."
Other characters in the Bloodpack include Priest, who fought under Napoleon in the 7th Hussars; Lighthammer, a tattooed Maori tribesman; and Verlaine, the twin sister of the Traci Lords character from the first film.
Bradstreet added that Tcheky Karyo would be offered the role of Damaskinos, but said that Terence Stamp, David Bowie and Donald Sutherland were also being considered.
Expect Mulder News On X-Files
illian Anderson--Agent Dana Scully on The X-Files--told the Horror Online Web site that the show will bring back David Duchovny's Fox Mulder character toward the end of the season.
Upcoming epsides will include one featuring flashbacks of key moments in the Scully-Mulder relationship and one that addresses the night when Mulder and Scully may have conceived a child, Anderson said.
"I think it's been a fantastic season so far," Anderson told the site. "I think that the writers have come up with some really wonderful episodes. We've had some good, scary shows."
About her new co-star, Anderson added, "I think that Robert Patrick [Agent John Doggett] is doing a fantastic job. David hasn't been around very much at all. We only worked together for two days so far this whole season. He is coming around for six more episodes at the end of the season, apparently, but we don't start filming those until sometime in February. So I haven't had much of an experience with him this year. But on the whole, it's been a good year."
X-Philes Protest For Charity
ans of Fox's hit series The X-Files have donated more than $3,000 to charity to protest the series' direction in its current eighth season--specifically, the dissolution of the partnership between Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
The Preserve the Partnership campaign is urging fans to donate $8, $18 or $80 to either the Humane Society or Amnesty International to let producers know that they are willing to open their wallets to save the relationship between Mulder and Scully.
"The show is a business, so we wanted to use a businesslike approach in our campaign," spokeswoman Amanda Mason said in a statement. "However, we also wanted to make sure that a real-world cause was benefiting from our actions." The campaign will run through Jan. 15. To date, the campaign said that fans have pledged more than $3,000.
The X-Files has taken a new direction this season, downplaying Mulder's role to accommodate the wishes of actor David Duchovny, who wanted to appear in only half of the season's episodes so that he could act in movies. A new character, Agent John Doggett, played by Robert Patrick, has been teamed up with Scully (Gillian Anderson) in the rest of the season's episodes.
Gish Joins X-Files
nnabeth Gish will join Fox's The X-Files as a new FBI agent in a three-episode arc this season, with an option to return in the fall as a regular, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Gish will play an as-yet-unnamed character in the FBI's New Orleans office, where she has been working with reports of satanic cults, the trade paper reported.
Gish's character will team up with Agent John Doggett, played by Robert Patrick, with whom she has a personal history. Gish's first episode will air Feb. 25, when she joins the hunt for the missing Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), who returns to the series.
If the show returns for a ninth season, Gish will become a regular, but she will not replace anybody, X-Files creator Chris Carter told the Reporter. "It seems to me that we have benefited from the addition of Robert Patrick to the cast, and we're hoping that we can expand the cast even further and as successfully with Annabeth," he said. Patrick and co-star Gillian Anderson (Dana Scully) are contracted for the ninth season of the show. Carter is in preliminary talks about coming back next season, while Duchovny's X-Files future is not clear, the trade paper reported.
Buffy Approaches 100
he May season finale of The WB's hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer will also be the show's 100th episode, with rumors that departed cast members may put in an appearance, E! Online reported.
The 100-episode mark is important because it is the number of episodes a series needs in order for its reruns to be sold into syndication.
E! reported that departed Buffy cast members Seth Green (Oz) and Eliza Dushku (Faith) may show up in episode 100, as will current regular Marc Blucas, whose character, Riley Finn, left for regions unknown in the last original episode in December.
Buffy producer and writer Marti Noxon told the IGN Sci-Fi Web site that the finale will feature other surprises. Buffy creator "Joss [Whedon] came in early with a notion of where we were going, and it's pretty huge," Noxon told the site. "Because it's the 100th episode, he's aiming for a really huge climax. So everything's going to spin wildly out of control any minute. It's going to be cool. It's pretty major--that's all I can say!"
Giles Wants Less Buffy?
nthony Head--Giles on The WB's hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer--told the British Big Breakfast television show that he wants to scale back his role on the show, the SFX Network Web site reported.
Interviewed by Breakfast hosts Denise Van Outen and Johnny Vaughn, Head reportedly said he wants to have more time to spend with his family, which resides in Great Britain.
Head divides his time between the United States and Britain when the series is in production in Los Angeles. Head said he has spoken with producers about scaling down his involvement in the show.
Perry Clueless About Bond
atthew Perry (Friends) appeared mystified in an interview on Entertainment Tonight when told he was rumored to be under consideration to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.
"Don't you have to be British?" Perry said in response to questions about the rumor, of which he professed ignorance.
The rumor came up in a report by gossip columnist Janet Charlton and appeared on the IMDB Web site. Bond moviemakers Eon Productions have denied that any discussions have taken place about a replacement for Brosnan, who will appear in one more Bond movie.
Campbell Raps About Mummy Film
enre favorite Bruce Campbell told his official Web site that he will battle an evil mummy in the upcoming comedic horror movie Bubba Ho-Tep.
"I play a geriatric old geezer, a 70-year-old in a rest home who thinks he's Elvis," Campbell said.
Campbell added, "I team up with another old geezer at the home, Ossie Davis, who thinks he's JFK, and together we set out to defeat the evil mummy, Bubba Ho-Tep. Stay tuned." Campbell will also appear in a cameo role in pal Sam Raimi's upcoming Spider-Man movie.
Bean Denies Who Rumor
ean Bean, through a spokesman, denied to Variety that he's up for the lead role in a feature-film version of the BBC's venerable SF television series Doctor Who.
BBC Films also denied rumors that Bean was to take up the mantle of the Timelord.
The British tabloid Daily Mirror had reported that a $375 million movie was set to shoot at Pinewood Studios this spring. BBC and Pinewood both denied that report.
The BBC has been developing a movie version of Doctor Who for several years, most recently with the Mutual Film Co., but it is not thought that the project is anywhere near fruition, Variety reported.
Casting Near For Lost Girls?
he Entertainian Web site reported rumors about the casting of Joel Schumacher's upcoming The Lost Girls, the sequel to his 1987 vampire movie The Lost Boys.
Citing an anonymous source, the site reported that Rachel Leigh Cook, Tara Reid and Kate Hudson have been named as candidates to play teen-age vampires.
The site also reported that the movie will shoot in the same California town as the original movie, that shooting will start in April, and that Kiefer Sutherland--whose character died in the first movie--may play a different role in the sequel.
Clause II Put On Hold
he Walt Disney Co. has postponed production of the sequel to Tim Allen's 1994 hit, The Santa Clause, because of script problems, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The sequel was slated to begin production in the spring and was scheduled for a November release.
But Brian Reilly, who produced the original film through Allen's Disney-based Boxing Cat Productions, told the trade paper that concern over the quality of the sequel's script was behind the decision to wait. The studio still plans to make the movie, to be directed by Michael Lembeck, but had to make a decision on whether to proceed in light of impending writers' and actors' strikes.
SF Research Papers Sought
he Science Fiction Research Association, devoted to the study of science fiction as literature, is issuing a call for papers for its upcoming 32nd SFRA conference, May 24-27, in Schenectady, N.Y.
The association is seeking papers, paper proposals and panel proposals from scholars interested in any aspect of science fiction. The deadline for submissions is March 15.
The conference will focus on prospects for science fiction in the coming millennium, its historical roots and its connections to other genres. Speakers will include C.J. Cherryh, David Weber, Jane Yolen and Vincent Di Fate.
Which Batman Will Fly?
either of the two Batman films in development has an inside track to a green light from Warner Brothers, EW Online reported.
Neither is likely to begin production until after this year's impending writers' and actors' strikes, the site added.
Darren Aronofsky (Pi) is co-writing and would direct Batman: Year One, an origin story. Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans), meanwhile, is preparing to helm a live-action version of The WB's animated Batman Beyond series.
SCI FI Reports Ratings Record
he SCI FI Channel reported record ratings for the year 2000, fueled by original series and specials such as December's six-hour miniseries, Frank Herbert's Dune.
The channel reported a final year-end prime ratings record of 0.9, or 558,000 households, which at year's end put it in the top 10 among cable networks for the first time.
SCI FI's ratings were up 13 percent from a year earlier, and the number of households increased 25 percent, the network reported. In terms of demographics, SCI FI ranked No. 1 among all television networks in its concentration of adults 25-54.
In 2000, SCI FI aired 182 hours of original programming, compared with 116 in 1999. SCI FI was the largest provider of prime-time dramatic series on cable for the year. SCI FI successfully launched four new original series, all of which have been renewed for further seasons. They included Lexx, The Invisible Man, Exposure and Crossing Over with John Edward. Upcoming series include new episodes of The Outer Limits and News From the Edge.
Nikita Possible As T3 Cyborg?
he Dark Horizons Web site reported that Peta Wilson (La Femme Nikita) was under consideration to play the role of the female cyborg in the upcoming Terminator 3.
The site attributed the report to an interview given by T3 star Arnold Schwarzenegger to radio station WNCI in Columbus, Ohio.
"We are looking for an actress who could play the same kind of villain that Robert [Patrick] and I played," Schwarzenegger reportedly said. "Peta Wilson of Nikita is a strong candidate, but we haven't chosen anyone yet."
T3 Likely Delayed
t's unlikely that the upcoming Terminator 3 will begin production until after this year's impending writers' and actors' strikes, Variety columnist Michael Fleming reported.
Producers Mario Kassar and Andy Vajna have been unable to procure a completion bond because they are not sure they can finish the film before the strikes begin this spring.
Fleming added that the uncertainty renders moot rumors that John McTiernan (Rollerball) may come on board to direct the film, which will reteam Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ed Furlong. Tedi Serafian is writing the script.
Nikita Stars Not Finished
he stars of USA Network's original SF series La Femme Nikita thought they were finished with the four-year-old show at the end of last season, CNN Online reported.
"I didn't think about it," Peta Wilson (Nikita) told CNN. "I was pleased to be finished."
But then the phones rang, and they were called back to film eight more episodes, the first of which airs Jan. 7. USA and Fireworks Entertainment Productions were responding to overwhelming fan demand to tie up loose ends and keep the show alive. "I was definitely surprised," Wilson said. "I think it was about six weeks, seven weeks after we'd wrapped the last season before they told me."
What can fans expect in the upcoming abbreviated season five? "The characters are the same," Wilson said. "Nikita--you've seen her evolution over four years--she's like a phoenix, she's come into a phoenix status," rising from the victimization of the role's inception to, at the end of the fourth season, an unexpected operative of the over-agency, Center, CNN reported. "I think it's a natural progression. She's become 'what it is'--you don't kill that many people and not become a little hardened. She evolved into something else."
USA is owned by USA Networks, which also owns SCIFI.COM.
Smallville Details Revealed?
he WB's upcoming series Smallville--about the teen adventures of DC Comics' hero Superman--will add a spin to the well-worn story of 15-year-old Clark Kent, according to the Comics2Film Web site.
Citing an anonymous source, Comics2Film says the series will deal with Clark's emerging powers and his fears that he may be responsible for a string of weird occurences in his rural hometown.
The series will feature a 21-year-old Lex Luthor, the son of Metropolis pesticide king Lionel Luthor. In a departure from the DC Comics mythology, the series will blame Luthor's hair loss on an accident during a trip with his father. Lex is later sent to Smallville to turn around the family's struggling fertilizer plant, and Lex and Clark become friends after Clark saves his life, the site reported.
The series will also feature Lana Lang as Clark's 15 year-old love interest, an orphan and the most popular girl in school, the site reported.
No Grinch II Coming
on Howard, director of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, told New York Daily News columnist Mitchell Fink that there won't be any sequel to the holiday blockbuster.
"There's not a chance we'd want to do one," Howard told Fink.
Howard added, "We always knew that Universal's marketing would be good. But it's the repeat business that's the pleasant surprise. The movie works because of Jim Carrey's performance and the time of the year. But another one? No."
He Helped Holmes In The Gift
reg Kinnear, who appears in Sam Raimi's supernatural thriller movie The Gift, told TV Guide Online that he helped ease co-star Katie Holmes through her first topless scene.
"I hadn't been involved in anything like that--and she hadn't either--so I think we diffused it with some good humor on the set," Kinnear told TV Guide.
Kinnear added, "I think something like that is always percolating at total discomfort. And yet if you can have at least some sense of the silliness of it, [you] can diffuse it a little bit. It was a closed set, and it was handled with great dignity, I think, by the crew and by [director Raimi]. I think we set out to make the scene as impactful as we could, but not make Katie uncomfortable. She was great. She's a real actress; she took the role very seriously."
SCI FI Orders News
he SCI FI Channel has ordered 13 episodes of News from the Edge, an hour-long drama about a tabloid newspaper whose crazy stories turn out to be true, Variety reported.
The comedic paranormal series was originally developed for NBC by Greenblatt Janollari Studios.
Production is expected to be completed before the potential writers' and actors' strikes this spring. SCI FI is aiming to air the series this summer, the trade paper reported.
Park Makes An Iron Fist
s rumored, Ray Park--best known as Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I--has signed to play the lead in Iron Fist, a feature film based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
John Turman (Freedom) will write the script for Artisan Entertainment. Artisan is seeking a director, with plans to begin production before the possible actors' strike in June.
Park--who also played the evil Toad in last year's X-Men--will star as Danny Rand, a Westerner raised in a mystical secret temple who can channel his life force into his fist and strike with the force of iron. As an adult, Rand returns to the United States to seek revenge for his parents' murders.
Fist is the first theatrical film to come out of the joint venture between Artisan and Marvel. The duo are also developing a television show based on the character Thor. Other Marvel characters in development at Artisan include Black Panther, in which Wesley Snipes has expressed interest, and Captain America, the trade paper reported.
2001 Monolith Appears In Seattle
n an apparent New Year's tribute to Stanley Kubrick's classic SF film 2001: A Space Odyssey, anonymous artists placed a black steel monolith in Seattle's Magnuson Park, the Seattle Times reported.
The monolith--which resembled those that appeared in the movie--showed up on Dec. 31 on the park's Kite Hill, visible to the masses strolling along the lakeshore below, the newspaper reported.
News of the monolith's appearance circulated late New Year's Eve on Capitol Hill as the Infernal Noise Brigade, a marching band of anarchists, led a peaceful parade downtown, where a bonfire was lit, the Times reported.
2001 Star Honored
eir Dullea, star of Stanley Kubrick's classic SF film 2001:A Space Odyssey, will receive the Fairfield (Conn.) Arts Council's artist of the year award this month, the Associated Press reported.
Dullea, an area resident, will be honored for achieving international recognition in the visual or performing arts.
In the film, Dullea played astronaut Dave Bowman, who contends with HAL, a supercomputer that tries to sabotage a voyage to Jupiter. "We felt it was a nice year to have him as artist of the year because of that association," Ryan Odinak, the council's president, told the AP. "It just kind of seemed like a natural thing for 2001."
Clarke Sends DNA Into Space
enerable SF author Arthur C. Clarke will write a message and provide a DNA sample to be sent into outer space in 2003, part of the Houston-based Encounter 2001 project, the Reuters news service reported.
The 83-year-old author of 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of 55,000 people who have signed up to take part in the project.
"It's like a cosmic message in a bottle, an archive of humanity," Encounter 2001 spokesman Chris Pancheri told Reuters. The spacecraft is tentatively scheduled for launch by an Ariane V rocket in French Guiana in the third quarter of 2003. A giant solar sail will carry the craft on a 13.5-year journey beyond Pluto and on into deep space.
"Farewell my clone!" is the brief handwritten message Clarke will send along with the DNA sample and a photograph of himself, Reuters reported.
Will Diaz Get Bewitched?
he Popcorn U.K. Web site reported a rumor that Charlie's Angels star Cameron Diaz may be the favorite to star in a proposed feature-film version of the classic TV series Bewitched.
Diaz would reportedly play the role of Samantha Stevens, the witch who marries a mortal.
Elizabeth Montgomery played Samantha in the original show, which aired from 1964 to 1972.
Disney Develops Tron II
isney is in the early stages of developing a sequel to its 1982 cult SF classic movie Tron, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The original film's writer and director, Steven Lisberger, is working on a second draft of a script with writer Richard Jefferies. Lisberger plans to direct the sequel as well, the trade paper reported.
The first film starred Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner in a fanciful story about a video game designer who gets sucked into his computer. The new film will reportedly follow an ambitious hacker who transports himself into cyberspace to pull off the ultimate hack, the trade paper reported.
Stewart Honored With O.B.E.
atrick Stewart--best known as Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men and Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek movies--has been made an Officer of the British Empire, the BBC reported.
It's the latest honor for the classically trained 60-year-old actor.
Stewart, who was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for 27 years, has also won a New York Theater Critics Drama Desk award, the Laurence Olivier Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among other honors, the BBC reported.
Martian Walston Dies
ay Walston, who first gained TV fame as Uncle Martin in the 1960s series My Favorite Martian, died Jan. 2 in Beverly Hills, Calif., of natural causes, the Reuters news service reported.
He was 86.
Walston won a Tony Award for playing the devil in the 1956 Broadway musical Damn Yankees and reprised the role on the big screen two years later, Reuters reported. Genre fans will also recall Walston as the Starfleet Academy gardener, Boothby, from both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager. His last screen appearance was in September in the season premiere of the CBS fantasy show Touched by an Angel.
Myers Finds Inner Ogre
ike Myers--who will voice the titular computer-animated ogre in the upcoming fantasy movie Shrek--told USA Today that the movie is inspired by William Steig's popular children's book of the same name.
"He's an ogre who has yet to come to terms with his own ogreness," Myers told the newspaper. "He's in a little bit of ogre denial."
Shrek, which premieres May 18, is the second collaboration between the Antz team of DreamWorks and Pacific Data Images, USA Today reported.
It's Myers' first foray into animation. "It's a very cool world that Shrek journeys through," he said. "It's like the first time I saw Fantasia. Or Yellow Submarine."
Babe Voicer Up For Sequel
.G. Daily--the voice of the titular pig in the second Babe movie--told TV Guide Online that she'd sign up for a rumored third sequel.
"There was talk [about another sequel] a while back," she told TV Guide. "I'd do it in a heartbeat!"
Daily said not to blame director George Miller for making 1998's Babe: Pig in the City too dark for children. "After they edited it, it wound up being darker than it was originally," Daily said. "If they'd released a director's version, it would've been better. It's still a piece of art. It is dark. But I think it's a masterpiece."
Final Fantasy II Already Planned
irector Hironobu Sakaguchi plans to begin production on a second film based on Square's Final Fantasy video game franchise immediately after finishing Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within later this year, Variety reported.
The first movie is completely computer-generated and is slated to open in mid-July.
A second Final Fantasy film should take only about two-thirds of the production time as the first movie, since the team of 20 computer scientists and engineers and 150 digital artists have already developed proprietary software and techniques that can be used again, producer Jun Aida told Variety.
The first Final Fantasy film centers on a love story between scientist Dr. Aki Ross (voiced by Ming-Na) and special forces team leader Capt. Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin) in the year 2065, when Earth has been ravaged by war. Ving Rhames, James Woods, Steve Buscemi and Peri Gilpin also provide voices.
Charmed Star Doherty Busted
hannen Doherty, star of The WB's Charmed, was arrested on Dec. 28 on charges of drunken driving when a California Highway Patrol officer pulled her over for weaving across the lanes of a Los Angeles-area freeway, E! Online reported.
Doherty's black Ford pickup truck was pulled over about 3 a.m. in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Doherty was given a sobriety test at the scene, but refused to take a Breathalyzer test, E! reported. She was then taken to the Ventura County Jail for a blood test to determine her level of intoxication, the California Highway Patrol told E! Doherty was booked on suspicion of drunken driving and released without bail a few hours later. She's due in Ventura County Superior Court for arraignment Jan. 26, E! reported.
Sabrina Sister Gets Show
mily Hart, the 14-year-old sister of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart, will star in a spinoff of her big sister's show, Entertainment Weekly reported.
Emily will play Amanda, Sabrina's obnoxious cousin, in a series set in a boarding school for "magic-challenged witches," the magazine reported.
Emily's show will be launched in a special episode of Sabrina airing in the spring. "I was pretty excited,'' Emily told EW writer Dan Snierson. "But then I also was sort of upset. I don't want to take time off from school. I don't think you understand how much I love school."
Spielberg To Be Knighted
ilmmaker Steven Spielberg will be knighted on behalf of Queen Elizabeth in recognition of his contributions to Great Britain's film industry, the Reuters news service reported.
The director of Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark will receive his honorary knighthood Jan. 29 at the British Embassy in Washington from British ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer, Reuters reported.
"It's an honorary knighthood because knighthood per se is just for British citizens," Spielberg spokesman Marvin Levy told Reuters. Spielberg is "enormously honored and humbled," Levy added.
Gibson's 'Women' Has Legs
el Gibson's fantasy movie, What Women Want, came in second in the New Year's weekend box-office rankings, with $25.4 million, according to the Hollywood trade papers.
Women has grossed a total of $114.8 million after three weekends of release.
Nicolas Cage's holiday fantasy movie, The Family Man, dropped to fourth place, with $16.8 million for the weekend and a total of $43.2 million after two weekends. The animated movie The Emperor's New Groove rose one place to No. 5, with $14.5 million for the weekend and a total of $50.6 million after three weeks of release.
The season's biggest hit, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, ranked No. 6, with $9.7 million for the weekend and a total so far of about $254 million after seven weeks. Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000 dropped to No. 8, taking in $6.7 million for the weekend, with a total of about $15.3 million after two weeks of release.
Shadow of the Vampire--about the making of the 1922 German vampire film Nosferatu--opened in limited release, sucking $150,000 from six screens in New York and Los Angeles. Shadow opens wide on Jan. 26.
Briefly Noted
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TheForce.net Web site has posted photographs from George Lucas' upcoming Star Wars: Episode II, drawn from the French edition of Insider magazine.
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Fox has renewed its animated SF series Futurama, ordering another 18 episodes for next season, Variety reported. It will be the show's fourth season.
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Stan Lee, co-creator of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, will have a walk-on role in Sam Raimi's feature-film version of the venerable series, Marvel executive Avi Arad said during a press preview for the film in Los Angeles. Director Raimi's brother, actor Ted Raimi (Xena: Warrior Princess), will also have a cameo.
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Richard Donner's upcoming Timeline, the feature-film version of Michael Crichton's time-travel novel of the same name, may see production delayed until after impending writers' and actors' strikes this year, Variety reported.
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Veteran British actor Derek Jacobi is in talks to play Mr. Ollivander, the wand salesman, in the upcoming feature-film version of J.K. Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the Empire Online Web site reported.
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John Hiatt will write at least five original songs for Disney's upcoming fantasy movie The Country Bears, based on a ride at Disneyland, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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The Cell topped video rental charts in its second week of release, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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ABC and the Disney Channel bought the television rights to Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas for more than $60 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Starting in 2004, ABC will have the rights to 10 airings of Grinch, and the Disney Channel will have multiple runs.
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Fox has bought the first broadcast rights to Little Nicky, Adam Sandler's supernatural comedy movie, Variety reported. TBS/TNT acquired the first cable rights to the movie.
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Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is being considered for a part in the werewolf love story Blood and Chocolate and is also one of the candidates up for the title role in American McGee's Alice, according to the Dark Horizons Web site. Dushku will be on view soon in the supernatural thriller movie Soul Survivors.
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Blade 2 star Wesley Snipes and director Guillermo Del Toro are deferring part of their salaries to cut costs of the movie, which begins filming in Prague on March 12, Entertainment Weekly reported.
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The Coming Attractions Web site reported a rumor that Bill Paxton (Vertical Limit) may be under consideration for the role of Bruce Banner in the upcoming feature-film version of Marvel's The Hulk comic series.
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Wendy Crewson (The 6th Day) told the JAM Movies Web site that she will appear in the upcoming sequel to 1994's The Santa Clause with Tim Allen, which is slated to begin filming early this year.
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The Rollerball official Web site has posted teaser trailers for John McTiernan's upcoming remake of the 1975 SF film of the same name.
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