Gunmen Isn't X-Files Clone
ruce Harwood and Dean Haglund--Byers and Langly of The Lone Gunmen--told SCI FI Wire that their upcoming spinoff of The X-Files will differ a lot from its predecessor.
"There are no aliens, no fat-sucking vampires, no inbred brothers with their mom under the bed," Haglund said in an interview. "Nothing dark. It's more government conspiracies, corporate conspiracies, urban myths. We're fighting the Man for truth, justice and the American way."
Gunmen premieres on Fox March 4. "It's like the funniest episodes of The X-Files, only funnier," Haglund said.
"I'd say it's in the action-comedy genre, though the details are odd," Harwood added. "I'd put it in the same class as Wild Wild West."
"Or The Man from U.N.C.L.E. or Our Man Flint," Haglund said. "My wife says every time I wear a turtleneck I look like Illya Kuryakin."
"The premise is simply taking The Lone Gunmen--known as the three characters who helped Mulder and Scully occasionally when they were stumped--this is what we do when we're not helping our friends at the FBI," Harwood said. "We have a weekly newspaper known as The Lone Gunman, after the Kennedy assassination lone-gunman theory. ... And we investigate conspiracies of all shapes and sizes. In theory, every episode represents a story that gets front-page treatment in our newspaper." The trio is joined by newcomers Zuleikha Robinson as Yves Adele Harlow (an anagram of Lee Harvey Oswald) and their dense benefactor Jimmy Bond (Stephen Snedden), Harwood said.
Why no aliens? "I think it was a conscious attempt on the part of the producers and writers to differentiate the show from The X-Files," Harwood said. "Though our characters came around to the idea of UFOs on X-Files, when we first came around, we didn't believe in them, and we laughed at Mulder for believing in them."
Haglund added, "If we did include storylines about UFOs and aliens, we'd have to acknowledge Mulder's abduction and Scully's abduction and acknowledge the whole arc of the alien genetic takeover of the planet, which really doesn't say comedy to me."
Pygram Talks Season 3 Scorpius
ayne Pygram--who plays the villainous Scorpius on The SCI FI Channel's original series Farscape--told free-lance SF columnist Ian Spelling that the third season opens with not one, but two of the creepy bad guys.
Farscape's third-season premiere, "Season of Death," airs March 16.
"The opener starts with the Scorpy clone" from the season-two cliffhanger, Pygram told Spelling. Scorpius has placed Crichton in a vegetative state with an image of Scorpius in his mind, which Pygram called "the Scorpy clone." "What we're dealing with in the opener--and what we'll be dealing with for the major arc of series three for me--is wormholes and also John Crichton's brain. Also, we'll deal with the notion of Scorpius and John Crichton being one, and what that means to both Scorpius and Crichton. I hope that's a good teaser. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I may actually have said too much already."
Pygram added, "Now that we have the Scorpy clone, in a sense, they've put Scorpius to rest for a minute and have allowed this Scorpy-clone character to exist in Crichton's brain, unsupervised by Scorpius, kind of like a rudderless ship. So I've been given a chance to play a little, because the Scorpy clone is not Scorpius. It's a delicate thing, because I don't want to undermine everything I've set up. What's important is that, when you see Scorpius, he continues to surprise you. If the audience is ahead of me, then we're in trouble."
McNeill Talks Voyager Security
obert Duncan McNeill--Lt. Tom Paris on Star Trek: Voyager--told SCI FI Wire that security on the set is extremely tight to prevent leaks about the show's upcoming two-hour finale. "It's like we work for the CIA lately," McNeill said in an interview.
"We're getting some scenes as we shoot them, because they don't want anyone to know." The series is filming the last few episodes leading up to the finale, which airs in May.
McNeill added that he has "no idea" how the series will wind up its seven-year journey to return home. "I know that I got married this year on the show, and B'Elanna [Torres, played by Roxann Dawson,] is pregnant, so I'm hoping we resolve that pregnancy. ... But I honestly don't know if we're even going to have the baby. ... I have to say, even though it's a bit irritating sometimes not to know, it makes it exciting for us, for the cast ... in the way the audience feels [anticipation]. There's a lot of anticipation among the cast and crew as to what's going to happen. We're getting very close to getting back to the alpha quadrant."
McNeill admitted that he's got mixed feelings about wrapping up the show. "It's always easy to say the grass is greener when you've got a great job like this, ... to say, 'I wish I could do movies or whatever.' ... [But] now that we're at the end, I think people are appreciating what we have, and we have a lot of fun. That's the thing I'll miss the most. We laugh, and we have a lot of fun, and that's not the case everywhere. ... It's very sad. I think in many ways, it feels like we've been doing this forever, but seven years have flown by in other ways."
Final Voyager Details Reported
he official Star Trek Web site has updated information on the final episodes in Voyager's seven-year run.
Episode 268, "Natural Law," is the first of three episodes preceding the two-hour finale. In it, Seven of Nine and Chakotay find themselves marooned in a hostile primitive environment.
Episode 269, "Destiny," is directed by LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge on The Next Generation) and reunites Neelix with his people as he tries to save an imperiled Talaxian settlement. Episode 270, "Renaissance Man," features The Doctor, who must become a master of disguise to save Capt. Janeway.
The site reported no details about the final episode, in which the ship presumably makes its way back to Earth.
Designers Confirmed For Trek V
he official Star Trek Web site confirmed that longtime Trek production designers Herman Zimmerman and John Eaves have begun work on the upcoming fifth Trek series, which is in development at Paramount.
Zimmerman has the title of production designer/illustrator on the as-yet-unnamed new series; Eaves is the senior illustrator.
Zimmerman has worked on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and the last five Trek movies. Eaves worked on DS9 and on the last three movies. Zimmerman and Eaves together designed the U.S.S. Enterprise-E seen in First Contact and Insurrection.
The fifth Trek series is still in the embryonic stages of development, but could possibly debut as early as fall 2001, according to a recent statement by executive producer Rick Berman, the site reported.
Earlier rumors had suggested Eaves was designing the central ship that will figure in the new series.
Trek-Andromeda Tie Disputed
eith Hamilton Cobb--who plays Tyr Anasazi in Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda--told free-lance SF columnist Ian Spelling that the show's not Star Trek.
"I think we disproved that comparison," Cobb told Spelling. "And we will continue to disprove it. I don't think it was an astute analogy early on anyway--it was a knee-jerk reaction."
Cobb added, "People made judgment calls about that and several other things early on. It's a new show. The Nietzscheans were not meant to be anything like Klingons, and, in fact, they are not. Anybody who still wants to make that analogy will make it--it's easy, but it's just not so. We're privy to the evolution of the Nietzscheans, and we will see it more and more as we go along with the show."
Series co-executive producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe created Tyr and his race, the Nietzscheans, specifically for Cobb. "The fans are half-justified in saying that we haven't seen a great evolution in the character, because it hasn't been explored yet on camera," Cobb said. "But the foundation is there. Tyr has a history. His people have a history. He is removed from that history, which is a good thing. It allows him to be more profoundly affected by what other people do and say, to consider concepts beyond himself and his needs. It also causes him psychological turmoil that is interesting to watch on camera." Andromeda airs its first-season finale in May.
Activision Offers Trek Add-On
ctivision and Raven Software announced an add-on pack for the PC game Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force, which will allow new gaming experiences.
The pack will be released in the spring.
The pack will feature two new single-player campaigns--a Capt. Proton "holo-novel" and an assault on a Klingon compound. Gamers will also get new multiplayer options and will also be able to explore an interactive 3-D recreation of Voyager's interior in "tour mode."
Buffy Creator Not Worried
uffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon told the TV Guide Web site that he's not worried about the stalemate in contract renewal talks between The WB and Fox, which produces the hit show.
Talks ended at the March 1 deadline without resolution, leaving Fox free to shop the series to another network.
"I'm not optimistic that anybody in any suit will be happy with anything," Whedon told TV Guide. "I think The WB will not reach an amicable arrangement, but I believe they will reach an arrangement. ... And I believe whatever happens, I will make the show."
Whedon is aware that Buffy's departure from The WB would leave its spinoff, Angel, all by itself. "I don't think it would help Angel, but I believe Angel can stand on its own," Whedon said. "I'm not particularly worried. I'm never particularly worried. I'm either going to make the show, or they're going to tell me to stop. As long as I'm trying hard to make it good, I don't notice anything else."
Buffy Contract Deadline Comes
he March 1 deadline for contract renewal talks between The WB and Fox over Buffy the Vampire Slayer has come, with no resolution in sight, leaving Buffy's future on the network uncertain.
The WB's rights to air the show expire at the end of this season, according to trade reports.
WB chief Jamie Kellner told reporters that the network has offered to pay Fox "all the revenue that the show generates," after subtracting minor costs needed to support the series, according to a report in the New York Post. Sources told the Post that the offer translates to about $1.6 million per episode, while Fox is asking for about $2.5 million.
For its part, Fox said in a statement, "We feel very strongly that [Buffy creator] Joss Whedon, who has given five years of his life towards Buffy and helped build and brand The WB in the process," should be rewarded. "He has earned the right to a network license fee that not only reflects his commitment and contribution to the series and the network, but would also enable him to produce the show at a level to which we believe he should be entitled," a Fox spokesman told the Post.
If no contract agreement is reached, Fox is free to shop the series to the highest bidder; both ABC and UPN have expressed interest. The WB may match any other offer.
SFX Site To Close
he British company Future Publishing told SCI FI Wire that it will suspend its SFX Network Web site due to "tough market conditions."
"The decision has been made as part of a worldwide rationalization to improve profitability," SFX assistant publisher Andy Ford told SCI FI Wire.
Suspension of SFX "is one of a number of worldwide changes in the
company's structure, made necessary by incredibly tough market conditions," Ford said. "We are now considering the future of our online sci-fi content. We have entered a 30-day period of consultation with all the staff involved. That consultation will include discussions on every aspect of the site and their employment with Future Publishing. Only after that consultation process is complete will any final decisions be made." Iain Hepburn and Tom Mayo are the editors who provide SFX's Web content.
Ford added that Future's SFX Magazine is unaffected by the decision. "I'm proud of the Web site Iain Hepburn and Tom Mayo have built, which is both one of the world's hottest entertainment news sites and a busy meeting place for thousands of sci-fi fans," Ford said.
On Feb. 16, Future announced that it would close or sell 20 money-losing magazines out of a total portfolio of 134 titles, close five Web sites and reduce its Internet development costs.
Baker Monkeys Around In Apes
ick Baker--designer of the monkey makeup in Tim Burton's upcoming Planet of the Apes movie--told Fandom's Smilin' Jack Ruby that he has a cameo on the much-anticipated film.
"You would have to look for me to know I was in the movie," Baker told the site.
Baker added, "There's a scene where, when the human carts--we'll see if it even ends up in the movie--comes by, and they're looking out at Ape City here, and I'm in there. I thought, 'I've got to be in here somewhere, you know?' And the script said 'a group of older apes,' and I thought, 'OK, that's me.' So it's like an old ape is playing some kind of game and smoking a hookah, so I thought, 'OK, I'm the old ape smoking a hookah.' But it goes by pretty quickly. But it was fun."
Chimp Holds Up Apes Filming
ichael Clarke Duncan--who plays a silverback gorilla in Tim Burton's upcoming Planet of the Apes movie--told the Empire Online Web site that a chimpanzee co-star has been delaying production.
"I am co-starring with Jonas, my particular chimp furry friend, and he has taken a bit too much to me," Duncan told the site.
Duncan added, "The trouble is when they get attached to you, they don't concentrate on what they're supposed to be doing. And then they turn violent. The next thing I know, he swung at Helena Bonham Carter. Tim Burton said, 'Michael, don't mess with the chimp.' I said, 'I promise I won't.' But [the chimp] was so cute. He had on this little-bitty space suit with little boots on. And you want to just hug him and play with him. ... But Helena is not so easily impressed. She's a sassy girl. She just took me to one side and said, 'Michael, look,' she says, 'if this thing injures me,' she says, 'I'm getting you.' I've told the chimp, 'If you know what's good for the both of us, don't mess with her, buddy.'"
Duncan's Ape Is Conflicted
ichael Clarke Duncan--who plays Attar the silverback gorilla in Tim Burton's upcoming Planet of the Apes remake--told the Cinescape Online Web site that his character is both good and bad.
"I have this split thing going on," Duncan told Cinescape columnist Cindy Pearlman. "Tim Roth is the leader of the Red Ape Army, and I'm second in command. Tim hates all humans, and I do, too. But the secret is I have a little soft spot in me for mankind."
Duncan added, "Tim's like, 'Kill 'em all!' But I don't feel that way. I feel there are some good humans out there. We go through our little thing, and near the end ... well, I won't ruin it. But it's a big ending."
Reeves Re-Enters The Matrix
eanu Reeves--who reprises the role of Neo in the Wachowsky brothers' two upcoming Matrix sequels--told Entertainment Weekly that production is finally set to start.
"Filming starts late in March in Oakland," Calif., Reeves told the magazine. "I've read both scripts, and they're fantastic."
As for the much-anticipated fights, Reeves added, "there are some weapons now. ... Before, all the fights were one-on-one, and now there's going to be more multi-fighting. ... There's going to be much more wire work, because the characters can fly. With this one, I'll fight in the sky."
Filmmakers are planning on 200 days of shooting, which could stretch out if an expected actors' strike materializes this summer, EW reported. The sequels will shoot for 12 weeks in California, then shut down in anticipation of a strike, during which time post-production can commence. Filming will resume later at Warner Brothers facilities in Australia. As for a release date, Reeves said, "From what I've heard, I'm working until September 2002. I'm going out to sea for awhile, and I hope when I come back I'm bearing great gifts."
Bellucci Enters The Matrix
talian actress Monica Bellucci (Malena) is in talks to star opposite Keanu Reeves in the two sequels to The Matrix, which are slated to begin production in Oakland, Calif., in March, Variety reported.
Bellucci--a native of Perugia, Italy--recently graced the cover of Esquire magazine, draped only in caviar, the trade paper reported.
Bellucci joins Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving in the Matrix sequels, which will be directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski.
Matrix Makers In Oz Tax Dispute
hooting of The Matrix 2 and 3 may be delayed while filmmakers hash out a dispute over tax breaks with the Australian government, Variety reported.
Producers had expected to take advantage of a law that would have provided up to $30 million in tax incentives to the two films, which are scheduled to shoot back-to-back in Sydney starting in September, Variety columnist Michael Fleming reported.
But the government has reportedly tightened loopholes in the law, and filmmakers are now exploring the possibility of shooting the sequels in Canada. In the meantime, directors Larry and Andy Wachowski will begin production in Oakland, Calif., before an impending actors' strike this spring.
Batman: Year Two In Works?
he Comics2Film Web site reported a rumor that a sixth Batman film is in development, to follow either Darren Aronofsky's upcoming Batman: Year One or Batman Beyond.
The site reported that the 4Filmmakers database now has a listing for Batman: Year Two, with the note, "Fifth sequel to the 1989 original, but sequel to the 2002 release. Based on the Batman: Year One graphic novel."
Aronofsky and graphic novel author Frank Miller are prepping Year One, but it's premature to say when the film might be released.
Foley Gets Deep In Below
cott Foley (Felicity) has landed a role in Below, director David Twohy's World-War-II haunted-submarine movie, Variety reported.
Twohy (Pitch Black) co-wrote the upcoming movie with Pi helmer Darren Aronofsky and his partner, Lucas Sussman, for Dimension.
Below, which also stars Bruce Greenwood and Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), is slated to begin production in mid-March in London.
Rowling Receives OBE
.K. Rowling--author of the best-selling Harry Potter series of children's novels--received the Order of the British Empire on March 2 from Great Britain's Prince Charles, the Reuters news service reported.
Rowling was honored for services to children's literature, Reuters reported.
Rowling also praised the new teaser trailer for Warner Brothers' upcoming feature-film version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which went up on the Web March 1. "I saw the trailer early and thought it was absolutely wonderful, so I was really happy," Rowling told ITN news. The film opens Nov. 16.
Hobbit Actors Bonded On Rings
ominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd--British actors who play Merry and Pippin in Peter Jackson's upcoming Lord of the Rings film trilogy--told the E! Online Web site that their Hobbit characters undergo a transformation in the course of their quest.
"At the beginning, the Hobbits are naïve," Boyd told the site. "They live in their own country, which is like a paradise, and they don't have much interest in the outside world. But they get thrown into this quest and do 20 years of growing up in 13 months away from the Shire. They find there's evil as well as good. It's like the young men who went off to World War II or Vietnam--they're not the same when they return."
Monaghan added, "They develop an inner strength, which is infinitely stronger than how good they are as warriors. Hobbits are never really competent with swords. They're not great horsemen, but they rely on their Hobbitness--stealth, cunning and bravery."
The relationship between the two actors mirrored the onscreen bond between the two Hobbits, who accompany Frodo and the fellowship. "Even before filming, we were all together--training at the gym, swordfighting, in canoes or just just hanging out," Monaghan said. "Then Billy and I got split up, which mirrors Merry and Pippin being separated. It was weird. But it meant that for every scene we filmed and every emotion we portrayed, we were able to draw from real things."
Boyd added, "They're so close; it's like one completes a side of the other's personality. Then they get split up, and both of them go through hell. That's one of the most interesting things to explore as an actor--to see a character separated from all the people he trusts and relies on, then to be put back together again." The first Rings movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, opens Dec. 19.
FX Crew Scrambles On Rings
eams of graphic and digital artists are working furiously to add high-tech creatures and special effects to Peter Jackson's upcoming Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies, E! Online reported.
The special-effects house WETA Digital is cranking into overdrive--a task complicated by the sudden departure recently of WETA Digital's head, Mark Stetson, the site reported. The production is scrambling to maintain schedules, and sources told E! Online that the search has begun for Stetson's replacement.
Several directors of photography are working in the miniatures department on tiny replicas of the film sets. Coming up is the filming of the flooding of Isengard in an enormous custom-made studio set. Jackson, meanwhile, is back inside a helicopter, overseeing aerial photography in the mountainous South Island of New Zealand; the Rings crew filmed in a national park in Queenstown last year, the site reported.
In the meantime, New Line will launch the publicity campaign for the first Rings movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, at the Cannes Film Festival in May, E! reported.
Roswell Fans Petition WB
ore than 4,300 fans of The WB's teen alien series Roswell have signed an online petition asking the network to renew the series for a third season.
The petition is being shown to The WB, Warner Brothers, Fox, Regency and Time Warner "to show them how many fans want Roswell to come back for a third season," the fans write.
A letter-writing campaign last year--in which fans mailed tiny bottles of Tabasco sauce, the teen aliens' favorite condiment--helped persuade WB executives to bring Roswell back this season for a sophomore run.
Roswell Fans Party For Charity
ans of The WB's teen alien series Roswell raised about $17,000 for charity at an auction and party in Los Angeles, organizers told SCI FI Wire.
About 210 fans attended the second annual "Roswellian Gathering" at Q's Billiards in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles on Feb. 24.
Items auctioned included Max's hospital scrubs from the episode "A Roswell Christmas Carol" ($1,800), a Max and Liz photo strip from "End of the World" ($1,800), and the blue "gandarium" crystals from the recent "Hybrid Chronicles" mini-arc ($1,000). Proceeds benefited the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Guests included executive producers Kevin Kelly Brown and Jason Katims, co-producers Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg and writer Russel Friend.
Rock Reveals Scorpion Details
wayne Johnson--the pro wrestler known as The Rock--said on his official Web site that producers of his proposed Mummy prequel, The Scorpion King, are courting Chow Yun-Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) for a role.
"I don't know where we're at with that," Johnson said.
Johnson added that the movie deals with events much earlier than those in 1996's The Mummy and its upcoming sequel, The Mummy Returns. "We are about 5-10 years before the Scorpion King actually became a king," he said. "Before he was a king, he was an assassin. An Akkadian assassin. Their belief is once they are given an oath to kill somebody, they will die making sure that it's done. There's so many twists and turns, fantastic surprises within the film. He had to kill a sorcerer. I don't want to get into it, because I'd have to tell you everything."
Vader Actor Prowse Paralyzed
avid Prowse--the actor who inhabited Darth Vader's costume in three Star Wars films--has suffered a mysterious paralysis, the SFX Network reported.
Prowse was admitted to a London hospital last week after suddenly suffering paralysis in his arm while on an overseas visit, the site reported.
"The paralysis he had has now spread to his back, so it is not looking good at the moment," Prowse spokesman Phil Day told the site. "They don't think it is a stroke, and it might be something to do with the blood. He said to me, 'I've no idea what is wrong with me--people haven't been able to tell me.' He can still move his legs, but he has not been able to walk, because he can't apply any pressure on the walking stick. He is still a very sick man. He's been very touched by everyone's thoughts."
Star Wars RTS Game Coming
ucasArts announced a deal with Ensemble Studios to develop a new real-time strategy gaming franchise, based in the Star Wars universe, for the digital interactive gaming market.
The initial release under the venture is Star Wars Battleground, to be built on a PC-based technology created by Ensemble and used in the Age of Empires game series.
Designer Bruce Shelley will help develop Star Wars Battleground, which is slated for a fall release.
Lee's Episode II Name Disclosed
eorge Lucas has revealed that Christopher Lee will play the dark side's Count Dooku in his upcoming Star Wars: Episode II, according to the Empire Online Web site.
Lucas reportedly made the revelation in the introduction to the book Christopher Lee: The Authorized Screen History by Jonathan Rigby, Empire reported.
"When it was time to cast the role of Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II, my casting director suggested Christopher Lee, and I jumped at the opportunity to work with him," Lucas wrote. "I knew that I needed someone who could convey evil. But in addition, I needed someone to bring stature, strength and wisdom to the role. His villainous résumé speaks for itself."
Lee himself remained circumspect. "As far as Star Wars is concerned, we have not finished photography," the actor told Empire Online. "Principal photography? Yes, but there will be pickups, and I believe that George has revealed the name of the character I play in his introduction [to the book]. I haven't said anything, and I still haven't. ... If George has revealed it, that's where I leave it. I don't want to get into trouble with George, because there's number three, don't forget!"
Lee Opposes Wicker Remake
hristopher Lee--star of 1973's The Wicker Man--told the Empire Online Web site that he's aghast at news director Joe Berlinger (Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2) wants to remake the cult horror film.
Last year, Berlinger told SCI FI Wire that he has talked with Blair distributor Artisan Entertainment about helming the remake.
"I read a review that mentioned that this person, whoever he is, had directed Blair Witch 2," Lee told Empire Online. "Then it mentioned right at the end of this review that there is talk that he is intending to remake The Wicker Man. There were three words after that: Somebody stop him!" Lee added, "It simply wouldn't work in America. I think it is a unique film."
Director Robin Hardy reportedly made the original Wicker Man for Lee, who plays Lord Summerisle, the leader of a pagan cult on a remote Scottish island, which becomes the subject of a murder investigation by a policeman (Edward Woodward).
Oblongs Square Off On WB
he WB will premiere its fantasy animated comedy series The Oblongs on April 1, before it moves to its regular 8:30 p.m. Sunday time slot on April 8, the Comics Continuum Web site reported.
The show is based on the works of underground San Francisco cartoonist Angus Oblong. It will be executive produced by Bruce Helford and Jace Richdale.
Will Ferrell (Saturday Night Live) voices the patriarch of the Oblong clan, a bizarre family at the bottom of a warped society's caste system. Living in a toxic valley downstream from an industrial waste site has given the family a variety of physical and emotional abnormalities.
Milius Writing Conan 3?
he IGN FilmForce Web site reported a rumor that original Conan the Barbarian director John Milius has begun writing the screenplay for a third film, to be called King Conan: Crown of Iron.
The Wachowski bothers--creators of The Matrix--are reportedly interested in reviving the series with Milius.
It's still unclear whether original Conan star Arnold Schwarzenegger is interested in reprising the role. Milius has said he prefers Schwarzenegger to return, but the actor has remained noncommittal. Rumors have also suggested that Ralph Moeller (Gladiator)--who played Conan in a short-lived TV series--might be a candidate for the role.
Eminem Offered Lazarus Role
apper Eminem has been offered more than $4 million to join fellow rap artist DMX in Lazarus, a film that began as the fourth installment of the Crow franchise, but which has evolved on its own, Variety columnist Michael Fleming reported.
Music video veteran Joseph Kahn will direct the movie, which was written by James Gibson and rewritten by Joe Ide, Fleming reported.
In Lazarus, two young men die and are brought back from the dead. One is good (DMX) and the other evil (Eminem), and they battle for dominance in the hip-hop world.
Mabius Stars In Resident Evil?
he Cinema Confidential Web site is reporting a rumor that Eric Mabius (The Crow: Salvation) has been cast in the lead role in Resident Evil: Ground Zero, the feature-film version of the popular Capcom video game series.
If true, Mabius would join stars Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez in the movie, which has started production in Germany.
The film tells the story of a Special Tactics and Rescue Squad called to investigate strange murders near Raccoon City. The team stumbles upon a deserted mansion, only to find that a secret biological experiment has turned the living into the walking dead.
Benigni Revives Pinocchio
scar-winner Roberto Benigni will write, direct and star in an Italian-language Pinocchio, the latest feature-film treatment of Carlo Collodi's 19th-century fairy tale, Variety reported.
Shooting is set to start in early May in Italy.
Benigni will write the film with Vincenzo Cerami. Benigni appears as the wooden puppet-boy, with his wife Nicoletta Braschi co-starring as the Blue Fairy.
Cleopatra Has No Future
leopatra 2525--the SF half of the Back2Back Action hour on syndicated television--has been canceled, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Because of the current environment, with newer broadcast networks expanding into time slots once held by hour shows, Cleopatra 2525 will not be coming back," Studios USA Domestic Television said in a statement.
Cleopatra was a half-hour SF action comedy featuring female warriors; Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi and R.J. Stewart at Renaissance Pictures (Xena: Warrior Princess) produced. Jack of All Trades, the other half of the Action hour, was cancelled in September.
Studios USA is owned by USA Networks, which also owns SCIFI.COM.
Myers In Austin 3 Talks, Baby
ike Myers is in talks to appear in Austin Powers 3, in exchange for a $25 million advance against 21 percent of gross profits, Variety reported.
Sources at New Line Cinema told the trade paper that Myers has all but closed the deal to star in the third installment of the wildly popular spy-spoof franchise.
Also near returning is Mike McCullers, who teamed with Myers to write Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, the 1999 sequel to 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. New Line is also talking with Jay Roach about directing his third Powers film, Variety reported.
It's an open question when Myers would have time to do the movie; he's also in talks to star in The Pink Panther for MGM and director Ivan Reitman, Variety reported. Myers recently voiced the lead ogre character in Shrek, a computer-animated film that premieres in May.
Exhibitors To Screen Shrek
reamWorks said that it will screen its upcoming computer-animated fantasy feature Shrek to theater owners at ShoWest, Variety reported.
The screening is set for 7:30 p.m. March 6 in Las Vegas. The movie was created by PDI, the DreamWorks subsidiary behind Antz.
The movie features the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow and is slated for a May 18 release.
Cameron Unveils Fox Genre Slate
ames Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, has extended its deal at 20th Century Fox with another five-year, first-look pact, covering several genre films, Variety reported.
Lightstorm will provide two to four movies annually for Fox.
Current projects include Brother Termite, an SF drama to be directed by Stephen Norrington (Blade) from a script by John Sayles, adapted from a novel by Patricia Anthony. Guillermo del Toro, meanwhile, will direct The Coffin, a suspense noir thriller movie based on the comic series of the same name. And special-effects master Stan Winston will direct the romantic fantasy comedy Damned If You Do. Lightstorm also plans to adapt Anne Rice's supernatural novel Ramses the Damned, about an immortal pharaoh.
Tomb Helmer West Sued
omb Raider director Simon West is being sued by the woman who worked as his personal assistant, the Popcorn U.K. Web site reported.
Dana Robinson has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles claiming she was fired after complaining about unwelcome sexual advances from one of the movie's co-producers, Bobby Klein, the site reported.
There has been no official comment on the lawsuit by Paramount, Bobby Klein or Simon West. Tomb Raider, based on the Eidos video game series of the same name, opens in July.
Craven Helms Jekyll and Hyde
es Craven--who reinvented the Dracula story last year--will direct an updated feature-film version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, based on Robert Louis Stevenson's novella of the same name, Variety reported.
Dimension Films will produce. Craig Rosenberg (Jurassic Park 3) will pen the script based on his pitch, which puts a few twists in the well-worn story.
Craven will also direct Alice for Dimension, a Gothic horror version of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, based on the Electronic Arts video game Alice, the trade paper reported.
Chicken Run Honored
hicken Run was chosen outstanding film of 2000 by the Ark Trust, an animal-rights group, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The hit claymation film will be honored March 10 at the group's 15th annual Genesis Awards, presented to news and entertainment media for championing animal issues, the trade paper reported.
The Ark Trust selected Chicken Run for its "creative and empathetic insight into chicken farming from the chickens' point of view."
KC SF Club Fetes 30th Anniversary
he Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a banquet at the Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, Kan., on March 24.
The event will recognize Susan Satterfield, Becky Rickert and Sally Osgood for services to the club.
The banquet and presentation will be followed with a public meeting and a dance.
Osment Says No To Sense 2
he Sixth Sense star Haley Joel Osment told the Popcorn U.K. Web site that he's not interested in appearing in the proposed sequel to the 1999 hit film.
The 12-year-old star told the site that he won't be taking up any offers and believes a second film is unnecessary, because the original "does without a sequel."
Earlier, Sixth Sense director M. Night Shyamalan said he wasn't interested in directing a sequel. It's an open question whether Osment's co-star, Bruce Willis, will sign on.
Osment is currently starring in Steven Spielberg's upcoming SF movie A.I.
Law Chose A.I. Reluctantly
ude Law--star of Steven Spielberg's upcoming SF movie A.I.--told the British magazine Time Out that he chose a genre project only because of the movie's pedigree, the Empire Online Web site reported.
A.I. is directed by Spielberg, based on a treatment by the late Stanley Kubrick.
"Had it been Jurassic Park 3, I don't know whether I would have done it," Law told Time Out. "Initially I wanted to do [A.I.] because of Steven's involvement and Kubrick's involvement, but actually primarily because it's a really, really great part." Law added that Spielberg is "a consummate actor's director. He was just quite extraordinary to watch. And he filmed so fast. It's awesome. We did 30 setups a day. He goes like the clappers."
Beyond that, Law was circumspect about the top-secret project. "I'm under this terrible contract not to talk about A.I.," he said.
Minority A Family Affair?
he Coming Attractions Web site reported rumors that Steven Spielberg's family members may play roles in his upcoming SF film Minority Report.
Both Spielberg's wife, Kate Capshaw, and stepdaughter, Jessica Capshaw, will appear in the film, based on the Philip K. Dick story of the same name, the site reported. Citing anonymous sources, Coming Attractions also reported that the film is expected to start production in the third week of March.
Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell are expected to star in Minority Report, which tells the story of a cop pursued by an assassin for murders he has yet to commit.
Ford Worth $40M For Indy IV?
arrison Ford could take home close to $40 million to reprise the title role in the fourth Indiana Jones movie--one of the highest paydays ever for an actor, according to the New York Post.
Ford and producer-director Steven Spielberg have been in talks to make the movie.
"Steven thinks Harrison is worth every cent," a studio source told the Post. "The film would bring a classic end to the series."
Showtime Shooting Teenage Faust
obert Townsend and Morgan Fairchild are set to star in Showtime's original fantasy movie I Was a Teenage Faust, which begins filming Feb. 28 in Vancouver, Canada, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Townsend plays Five, one of the devil's henchmen, who is charged with converting souls by making them sign pacts with the devil, the trade paper reported.
Five targets a high-school geek who wants desperately to capture the heart of the most beautiful girl in school. Fairchild plays the devil's right-hand woman, who cracks the whip over Five and his co-workers. Faust is written and directed by Thom Eberhardt (Honey, I Blew Up the Kid), the trade paper reported.
Nebula Anthology Re-Issued
tealth Press announced that it has re-issued the out-of-print first volume of Nebula Award Stories, containing the first stories to receive the Nebula Awards as the best science fiction of the year.
Damon Knight--founder and first president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America--edited the anthology, which was originally published by Doubleday in 1966.
The anthology includes "The Saliva Tree" by Brian W. Aldiss, "He Who Shapes" by Roger Zelazny, "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth" by Roger Zelazny, "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" by Harlan Ellison, "The Drowned Giant" by J.G. Ballard, "Balanced Ecology" by James H. Schmitz, "Computers Don't Argue" by Gordon R. Dickson and "Becalmed in Hell" by Larry Niven.
Stealth will follow up the first anthology with eight more over the next 18 months. Each embossed, cloth-bound book's full-color dust jacket will feature artwork by Frank R. Paul.
Witchblade Show Sticks To Comic
op Cow comics executive David Wohl told the Comics Continuum Web site that TNT's upcoming Witchblade television series will continue to incorporate elements of the comic on which it's based.
Witchblade--starring Yancy Butler as NYPD detective Sara Pezzini--began production of its initial 11 episodes in Toronto this month.
"There are a few story elements from the comics that will make their way into the first season of the TV show," Wohl told the site. "The two that will be seen early on are a version of Dannette Boucher, the fashion mogul with a connection to Kenneth Irons and the Witchblade, and the White Bulls, which is a group of vigilante cops within the police force. Other than that, a lot of the background information on the Witchblade that we introduced in the comic will be shown over the course of the series. There will also be other elements that we haven't shown in the comic yet, but are relevant to the origin of the Witchblade in both the comic and the TV show." Witchblade premieres in June.
Gamemaker Sues Over Diablo Name
akers of the popular Diablo video game are suing New Line Cinema, claming that the studio's upcoming feature film of the same name may cause confusion among consumers, Inside.com reported.
Davidson & Associates, which does business as Blizzard Entertainment, and its parent, Havas Interactive, filed suit Feb. 23 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against New Line.
New Line's Diablo film is an action movie starring Vin Diesel (Pitch Black), which went into production Dec. 12. A New Line spokesperson said the company does not comment on pending litigation, Inside.com reported.
King Previews Novel On Web
orror novelist Stephen King will preview his upcoming Dreamcatcher novel on the Web, the Reuters news service reported.
Time magazine's Web site will run a 6,000-word excerpt starting on March 5, a few weeks ahead of its publishing date, Reuters reported.
Excerpts will be released in three weekly installments. Dreamcatcher is scheduled to be published by Scribner's, a unit of Simon & Schuster, on March 20.
Cat In Hat Heads For Film
magine and Universal have hired the team of Alec Berg, Jeff Schaeffer and Dave Mandel to adapt the classic Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) children's book The Cat in the Hat as a live-action film starring Tim Allen, Variety reported.
Imagine and Universal were behind last year's hit Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, based on the Geisel book of the same name.
Cat tells the story of a cat with a striped stovepipe hat who ruins the home of two bored children. Berg, Schaeffer and Mandel are veterans of the Seinfeld TV series.
Constantine Writer Reconsiders
onstantine screenwriter Frank Cappello told fans on a posting board that he's backing off his original plan to convert the protagonist, John Constantine, to an American from a Brit, as he's depicted in the Hellblazer comics on which the film is based, according to the Comics2Film Web site.
Fans had protested the proposed change.
"I'm going to request that I rewrite [the character as] English," Cappello reportedly said. "I'm serious about this. Maybe I've seen the light, or maybe it's the Guinness, or maybe it's my wife watching Notting Hill for the 20th time, but there is no reason not to make John English. None. Even if it means an American plays him."
Cappello added, "Not only would it be proper for realizing the true character, but the flavor of his rantings wouldn't have to include American cuss words, which would make John more crude and less cool. There are so many English cuss words that get right by the censors here. I will bring this up as soon as everyone regroups. Right now, it is scheduled as an after-strike picture, which means no one knows when it will go."
Warner To Get Smart
arner Brothers is developing a feature film based on the 1960s spy-spoof television series Get Smart, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
John Whitesell is on board to direct from a script by Bill Collage and Adam Cooper, the trade paper reported.
The movie tells of the battle between a coalition of terrorists, known as CHAOS, and a heavily gadgeted anti-terrorist offshoot of the CIA, known as CONTROL. The movie reteams the characters of the Chief, Agent 99 and Maxwell Smart, Agent 86.
Hatch Reacts To Galactica News
riginal Battlestar Galactica star Richard Hatch (Apollo)--who has been trying unsuccessfully to revive the franchise on his own--posted an open letter on his Web site to X-Men director Bryan Singer and partner Tom DeSanto in reaction to news that they would spearhead a new Galactica series.
Neither Singer nor DeSanto--nor series creator Glen Larson, who is also involved in the new show--have contacted Hatch about participating in the Studios USA project, which is in development.
"First of all I'm elated that two such talented and passionate artists have decided to bring this beloved show back to the world," Hatch wrote. "What a wonderful surprise that someone of their stature in the industry seems to understand what all of you fans out in the world have always understood and have been screaming at the studios for years."
But Hatch challenged the men to live up to statements that they would listen to fans' concerns. Many Galactica fans supported Hatch's efforts to revive the show on his own terms, which included bringing back the original series' actors. "Tom and Bryan are entitled to their vision for the show. I have always respected any creators' right to explore their own, unique ideas. I believe that the fans' job is to share opinions and give honest feedback. Hopefully the new producers will be open to listening and taking them all into account."
Hatch added, "I will always support Battlestar Galactica, and BattlestarGalactica.com will always reflect the fans' opinions and creative ideas. ... I know Glen thinks that I have tried to steal his show, but the truth is, I have always believed in his story and have only wanted to honor and give life to his original premise and wonderful characters."
Fans Will Like Crow: Salvation
irsten Dunst--star of the straight-to-video The Crow: Salvation--told the Comics Continuum that fans will enjoy the latest installment of the franchise.
"I think they'll love this movie so much," Dunst told the site. "Even though it's got the same feel as the others, it's got a major love story going on underneath it all. I think that everyone will enjoy it--Crow fans and even people who have never seen a Crow movie before. Because I think it takes a step out of the genre, and it's almost better than the others. I think the Crow fans will be very, very pleased."
Dunst added that she had "a really amazing chemistry" with co-star Eric Mabius. Dunst plays Erin Randall, the murdered sister of the new Crow, Alex Corvis (played by Mabius), who is accused of murder and put to death. "Every time I worked with him, it was so intense," Dunst said. "His eyes are amazing to look at. With that Crow makeup on, you have to express so much with your eyes and everything--and I think he's very intense." Salvation turns up on video March 20.
Fine Line Goes Outlaw
ew Line's Fine Line Features unit has signed a deal with British comic publisher 2000 AD to bring its Outlaw series to the screen, according to the SFX Network Web site.
The SF series tells the story of a reformed criminal who is forced by a weapons-design company to come out of retirement and compete in their Deadliest Man Alive gun-fighting contest, SFX reported.
Andrew Upton will direct the $10-$15 million movie later this year, from a script by Lloyd Foneville (The Mummy), the site reported.
Monkey Boned At Box Office
he new Brendan Fraser film Monkeybone slipped on a banana peel in its opening weekend, failing to crack the top 10 in the Feb. 23 weekend box-office rankings, the Hollywood trade papers reported.
Monkeybone opened at No. 11, with an estimated $2.6 million in earnings. The film cost about $70 million to make.
Chris Rock's Down to Earth continued to ring up heavenly business, remaining No. 2 in its second weekend, with an estimated $11.6 million in sales and an 11-day total of about $34.6 million.
Briefly Noted
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Universal has posted a full trailer for its upcoming sequel, The Mummy Returns, which opens May 4.
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Fox has posted a teaser trailer for Tim Burton's upcoming Planet of the Apes remake, which opens July 27.
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Charlotte Ayanna has joined the cast of Miramax's time-travel romantic comedy Kate & Leopold, Variety reported.
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Warner Brothers has posted the teaser trailer for its upcoming Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie, based on J.K. Rowling's best-selling children's novel of the same name. Potter opens on Nov. 16.
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Warner Brothers announced that it would attach copies of the teaser trailer for its upcoming Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to prints of See Spot Run in theaters March 2. Potter opens in November.
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James Schamus, producer of the upcoming feature-film version of Marvel Comics' Hulk series, told Entertainment Weekly magazine that he and director Ang Lee are considering making the titular green monster a computer-generated effect. "If we do it, it's only because we believe that we can create a superhero/monster movie nobody has ever seen before," Schamus told the magazine.
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The official site for Fox's upcoming The Lone Gunmen is active. Gumen premieres March 4.
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Columbia-based production and distribution concern Escape Artists has signed a deal to develop Chris Morgan's feature-film script The Bermuda Triangle, about a crew for a transatlantic fiber-optic company that discovers what's at the bottom of the ocean in the mythic triangle, Variety reported.
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Artisan Entertainment has picked up video distribution rights to Mattel's recently announced video premiere title Barbie in the Nutcracker, a stop-motion animation film featuring the company's doll in the Tchaikovsky ballet, as choreographed by Peter Martins of the New York City Ballet, Variety reported.
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The WB will pre-empt its teen alien series Roswell for a month starting March 5 in order to showcase Gilmore Girls. Roswell returns to the network in mid-April.
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The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America will sponsor a series of book signings across the country during the weekend of the Nebula Awards, April 27-29.
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Star Trek's William Shatner has purchased a home for use as a sober-living facility in honor of his late wife, Nerine Shatner, who drowned in the couple's swimming pool 18 months ago in an alcohol-related accident, the Associated Press reported. The Nerine Shatner Friendly House will provide a residential home for 11 women recovering from alcoholism.
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The upcoming Tomb Raider movie will be the first international production to benefit from the new Icelandic tax incentive scheme, Variety reported. Tomb Raider, starring Angelina Jolie, shot for 10 days in Iceland before finishing at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom.
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Johnny Knoxville, star of MTV's controversial Jackass, will appear in Barry Sonnenfeld's upcoming Men in Black 2, according to Variety. Knoxville will play a two-headed alien in the sequel to 1997's hit film Men in Black.
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Jennifer Grey, Craig Sheffer and Tim Curry will star in Dimension Films' Revelation, a remake of the 1943 horror movie I Walked With A Zombie, the C.H.U.D. Web site reported. Avi Nesher scripted and will direct the film.
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The Coming Attractions Web site reported that the first teaser trailer for Tim Burton's upcoming Planet of the Apes movie will debut on the Web on Feb. 28 and in theaters on March 2.
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Sony has posted a teaser trailer for its upcoming vampire movie The Forsaken, starring Kerr Smith, Brendan Fehr and Jonathan Schaech. The movie opens April 27.
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Neve Campbell will star in and co-produce Understanding Virginia, a movie about a hooker-stripper convinced she's carrying God's child, Variety reported. The independently financed $12 million picture is slated for a May 7 production start.
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won four British Academy Film Awards Feb. 25, including best director for Ang Lee, best film not in English, best costume design and best original score.
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Jessica Alba, star of Fox's Dark Angel, was voted breakout star of the year in the TV Guide Awards, which were announced over the weekend. Fox will broadcast the awards ceremony March 7.
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