Smith Award Presented
he Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award—recognizing a writer whose work deserves renewed attention—was presented to the son of British writer Olaf Stapledon, author of Last and First Men, Star Maker, Odd John and Sirius.
On Nov. 5, John Stapledon accepted the award at a gathering sponsored by the Science Fiction Foundation at the Sydney Jones Library, University of Liverpool, which holds the Olaf Stapledon Archive and the Science Fiction Foundation.
The award, which was announced in September at the 59th World Science Fiction Convention in Philadelphia, recognizes that author and philosopher Olaf Stapledon (1886-1950) was fundamental to modern science fiction.
Endeavour Winners Named
rsula K. Le Guin and Louise Marley will share the Endeavour Award for distinguished science fiction or fantasy book by a Pacific Northwest writer.
Portland, Ore.,-based Le Guin won for The Telling; Redmond, Wash.,-based Marley won for The Glass Harmonica.
The writers share a $1,000 prize and each will receive an engraved glass plaque. The awards were presented Nov. 9 at OryCon, Oregon's annual science fiction and fantasy convention. Deadline to enter books published during 2001 is Feb. 15, 2002.
Buffy Auctions Benefit 9-11
uffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar is among the stars auctioning items to benefit victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Zap2it Web site reported.
Gellar offered up the geometric red-and-ivory silk print Valentino dress she wore to the Golden Globes this year. The auction ends Nov. 24; the current bid for Gellar's dress is $955.
Buffy creator Joss Whedon, meanwhile, llowed fans to bid on an autographed score from the recent musical episode of the UPN series, also to benefit Sept. 11 victims. Part of eBay's Auction for America project, the score remained on sale until Nov. 15; the winning bid was $7,100.
Potter Opens Very Wide
arner Brothers opened Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in a record number of theaters on Nov. 16, Variety reported.
Though the ultimate theater count was uncertain, sources told the trade paper that the studio was considering a number around the previous record of 3,715 theaters for Shrek. That would mean around 7,000 screens, given the fact that many multiplex theaters will run the movie on more than one.
Analysts expected Potter to break box-office records in its opening, raking in upwards of $80 million, the trade paper reported. That would beat previous record-holder, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which took in $72.1 million in the first three days of the Memorial Day 1997 weekend, the trade paper reported.
Potter Star Tears Up
aniel Radcliffe, star of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, told SCI FI Wire that he gets very emotional when talking about the movie—but doesn't want you to think he's a nancy boy.
When he learned he had won the coveted role of the boy wizard, "I was sitting in the bath," Radcliffe told reporters while promoting the film in New York. "My dad then came up and told me, and I just sat there, kind of like that for a while, and then I just started to cry. And then I woke up at 2 a.m. and thought it was a dream."
Later, when he saw the film and all its visual effects for the first time, "I was speechless. And again, I cried," Radcliffe said. "But I'm not a wimp! Don't let this mislead you!" he hastened to add.
The 12-year-old British actor admitted that he was not a big fan of J.K. Rowling's best-selling Potter books before he got the role. "I'd read the first two when I was eight or nine-ish," he said. "I never really liked reading any books at that time, because I found it hard to just sit down and concentrate on the book. ... When my dad read them to me, I really enjoyed them, but I wasn't really obsessed. But then, I reread them when I got the part, and now I am completely obsessed." Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone opens Nov. 16.
Coltrane Talks Future Potter
obbie Coltrane—who was hand-picked by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling to play Hagrid—told SCI FI Wire that he's appearing in the second Potter film, but hasn't committed to future ones.
Coltrane plays the hirsute gamekeeper in the first Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which is based on the first of Rowling's best-selling children's novels.
As for future Potter films, Coltrane told reporters while promoting the film, there's "no dispute at all. It's just not been sorted. ... I'm doing the second one, yeah. We've started the second one." The second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is beginning production in the United Kingdom this month.
But Coltrane enjoyed playing the genial giant opposite 12-year-old Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, who apparently had a propensity for practical jokes on the set. "I have a Motorola blah blah blah blah [cell phone], and it has 17 languages in it," Coltrane said. "And the wee bugger went into it and found Turkish, and turned it into Turkish, right? ... To go into language change, you have to know the Turkish for 'language change.' So we had to phone up one of the makeup girl's dads, [who] had married a Turkish girl. And it ... was like a bit out of Fawlty Towers. She's going, 'So what is the Turkish for "change language?" Uh huh. Uh huh. OK.' But actually, it doesn't say 'change languages.' It says, 'language options.' ... At the time it was very funny. And he sent me a very sweet little note, actually, he did. He's a nice chap." Sorcerer's Stone opens Nov. 16.
Columbus Eyes More Potter
hris Columbus, director of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, told SCI FI Wire that he wants to direct future installments in the franchise as long as the same young stars are involved.
But the idea of shooting films based on all seven of J.K. Rowling’s current and proposed Potter books daunts the filmmaker, he said in interviews to promote the movie.
“If I do them at this pace [one a year], I probably won’t survive,” Columbus said. “But I am down for the second one [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which is already in production in England], and I’d like to stick around for as long as the kids do, because, again, to let these kids go with another director, we’ve formed a tight bond, and it’s a nice repertory company that we have here, what we have in England. And I would love to do the films as long as the kids are involved.”
The kids are stars Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron). Radcliffe and Grint have already shot one sequence in the new film, involving a flying car. The first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, opens Nov. 16 in North America.
Potter Site Big Success
arner Brothers announced that the official Web site for its upcoming movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has drawn more than 25 million visitors since its launch in February.
Current traffic at the site averages 2 million unique visitors per week, with some days attracting up to half a million, the studio reported.
The site's live Webcast of the London world premiere of the highly anticipated film was seen by fans in 40 countries, Warner reported. Potter, based on the first of J.K. Rowling's best-selling Potter books, opened Nov. 16.
Rings Benefits WTC Fund
ew Line Cinema will hold a special advanced screening of its first Lord of the Rings film on Dec. 13 in New York to benefit the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund, the studio announced.
Tickets are priced at $250 for admittance to the screening, with a limited number of $500 tickets to the screening and a reception preceding the film with members of the cast.
The World Trade Center Relief Fund assists the families and dependents of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The first Rings film, The Fellowship of the Ring, opens Dec. 19.
Crowds Jam Rings Exhibit
n exhibit of props and costumes from the production of Peter Jackson’s upcoming Lord of the Rings films is attracting record crowds to Toronto's Casa Loma, the Reuters news service reported.
The show of about 200 props in the hilltop castle broke attendance records, with more than 4,000 admissions in one day, the wire service reported.
The exhibit included costumes, a hobbit's doll house, clay mugs, metal tools, jewelry and leatherwork, weapons, furniture and a torture chamber, as well as portraits, production photographs and drawings and sketches by Alan Lee and John Howe, Rings illustrators who collaborated on the films. The show, organized by Alliance Atlantis, runs to Nov. 11, Reuters reported. The first Rings film, The Fellowship of the Rings, opens in theaters Dec. 19.
B5 Fans Enlisted In Rangers
he SCI FI Channel has named one Babylon 5 fan in each of the top five TV markets an honorary Ranger to promote SCI FI's upcoming original movie Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers, the network announced.
That fan's car will be "wrapped" with the B5 logo and an ad for the movie, and the honorary Ranger will get to spread the word. Fans were selected in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
SCI FI Channel President Bonnie Hammer will have her own personal vehicle wrapped as well, in a show of solidarity with the fans. Photographs of the drivers and their newly tricked-out B5 vehicles in front of landmarks will be posted on SCIFI.COM.
SCI FI is also sending Rangers T-shirts to B5 fans who are planning on attending screenings of the upcoming first Lord of the Rings movie on Dec. 19. SCI FI is asking the fans to wear the specially designed shirts to promote the telefilm.
The fans were all chosen based on their responses to a SCIFI.COM message and for registering on the official Rangers Web site. Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers will debut on SCI FI on Jan. 19, 2002, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The fan campaign kicks off the week of Dec. 10, and the cars will be unwrapped shortly after the film's premiere.
New Episode II Trailer Live
he new two-minute theatrical trailer for Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones is entitled "Forbidden Love" and features Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala at a crucial juncture in their lives, the official Star Wars Homing Beacon newsletter reported.
The trailer is now available on the official Web site and will screen before showings of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
"In this one, we're really focusing on one of the major themes of the film—the love story between Anakin and Padmé," Lucasfilm vice president of marketing Jim Ward told the newsletter. "I think people will be able to see that it is a true love story set against a galaxy that's in turmoil. It's also set against the expectations that galaxy has of the roles and responsibilities of a Jedi and a senator. Now these two are having to confront those realities while falling in love." Episode II opens May 16, 2002.
Episode II Openings Announced
ucasfilm announced that Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones would open a day earlier than expected, on May 16, 2002.
On the official Star Wars Web site, the company also unveiled international release dates for the film. Episode II will likely open in more than 3,000 theaters domestically, Variety reported. A full list of release dates follows.
•May 16: United States, Canada, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden,
Switzerland, United Kingdom, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon,
Syria,
United Arab Emirates, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Aruba, Curazao, Puerto Rico
•May 17: Belgium, France, Greece, Holland, Iceland, Italy, Israel, Portugal,
Spain, Bulgaria, Estonia, West Africa
•May 18: Taiwan
•May 22: Norway
•May 29: Egypt
•June 14: Colombia
•June 20: Bolivia
•June 21: Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, South Africa
•June 28: Costa Rica
•July 3: Venezuela
•July 4: Argentina, Belize, Chile, Dominican Republic, Mexico
•July 5: India, Brazil, Korea, Paraguay, Uruguay
•July 10: Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad
•July 11: Nicaragua
•July 12: Ecuador
•July 18: Peru
•July 26: El Salvador
Universal Gears Up For E.T.
niversal Studios kicks off a 13-month "celebration" of Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial next week, leading up to the film's 20th anniversary re-release in March, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The initiative will start in theaters on Nov. 21, when a specially created E.T. animated logo will debut in front of Universal's Spy Game. The logo—which combines Universal's globe logo with an image of E.T. and Elliot on their flying bicycle—will appear on all Universal releases through next year and will replace Universal's usual logo companywide during that time, the trade paper reported.
New merchandise and promotions tied to the film will appear by early next year, including tie-ins with Kraft, Hershey's and Dairy Queen, the paper reported. The film will be released for the first time on DVD in its original version and an enhanced version, which will have added scenes and a remixed score. The enhanced version will also play in theaters next year.
Patrick Talks X-Files
he X-Files star Robert Patrick told SCI FI Wire that there will be conflict between Agents Doggett (Patrick) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) and surprising cooperation between Doggett and Reyes (Annabeth Gish).
"We've picked up right after the birth of Scully's baby," Patrick said in an interview. "We've introduced a couple of new characters [Lucy Lawless as Shannon McMahon and Cary Elwes as Asst. Director Fullmer], and we've closed a few doors, while opening up some whole new conspiracies and investigations."
Patrick added, "Let's see, what can I tell you without Chris [Carter] killing
me? Scully's not happy with the way Doggett's proceeding with the investigation of the supersoldiers. It's confusing to me, because she flip-flops, and it just doesn't seem like her. There's a reason for that, and I don't know what it is. Doggett's also got a conflict with Kersh [James Pickens Jr.]. I don't trust him. Reyes and Doggett are now very clearly
working together."
Speaking specifically of Doggett, Patrick reported that fans can expect Doggett to become the new Mulder in the coming weeks. "I've totally assumed that place on the show and at The X-Files," said the actor, who spent his summer hiatus relaxing with his wife and children. "And that's interesting and unnerving for Doggett. Remember, he was a fast climber in the FBI and very well respected. Now he finds himself totally alienated,
and the friends he had in the FBI are no longer his friends."
Viewers Tune Out X-Files
he ninth-season premiere of Fox's The X-Files drew a lackluster audience of about 10.6 million viewers, well below last season's average of 13.2 million, the Zap2it Web site reported.
The premiere featured new cast members Cary Elwes and Annabeth Gish, guest star Lucy Lawless—and no David Duchovny.
The show scored a 6.5 rating/10 share overall and a 5.5/12 among adults 18-49, the site reported. The series now focuses on agents Reyes (Gish) and Doggett (Robert Patrick), who's gone from skeptic to conspiracy chaser. Scully (Gillian Anderson) remains at home with her newborn son, the site reported.
New Spidey Clips Due On Web
lips from Sam Raimi's upcoming Spider-Man feature film will be posted on the official Web site this week.
The clips are now available to registered members of the site before being made available to the general public.
The clips feature the first shots of the Green Goblin flying over New York, as well as a new clip of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) as Spider-Man.
Meanwhile, Sony is preparing to revamp the official movie Web site. The movie, based on the Marvel Comics series, opens next May.
Wesley Is Back On Trek
il Wheaton, who played Wesley Crusher on the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series, told fans on his official Web site that he's going to appear in the upcoming 10th Trek film.
Wheaton will reprise the role of Dr. Beverly Crusher's son, who left the 1980s series in mid-run.
While taping the Star Trek cast edition of the NBC game show The Weakest Link, Wheaton struck up a conversation with TNG co-star LeVar Burton, who told Wheaton that he would call producer Rick Berman on his behalf.
On Nov. 9, Wheaton's agent called to tell him that Paramount had made him an offer to reprise the Crusher role in Star Trek: Nemesis. "We just needed to work out the details," Wheaton wrote. "So we spent some time negotiating it, and—get this—Rick Berman told my agent that he was 'very pleased' that I was going to be in the movie!" Wheaton had been under the impression that Berman didn't like him. Nemesis is currently in preproduction and slated to begin filming this month.
Manson Gets Evil
ock musician Marilyn Manson will provide music for the soundtrack to the upcoming Resident Evil movie, the NME.com Web site reported.
Manson told the site that music for the film would be more electronic than his usual shock rock.
"It's definitely interesting to do other things, like scoring films," Manson said. Resident Evil, starring Milla Jovovich, is based on the Capcom video game series of the same name and is slated for an April 2002 release.
Disney Beams Up Aliens
isney has bought the rights to the Aliens trilogy of young-adult SF books by Jonathan Etra and Stephanie Spinner, Variety reported.
The books—Aliens for Breakfast, Aliens for Lunch and Aliens for Dinner—follow an alien and a 12-year-old boy who team up to save the world from an evil invader—the most popular kid in the boy's school. Disney is developing live-action films based on the books, the trade paper reported.
Kerner Entertainment senior vice president Paul Neesan will serve as executive producer of the films. Kerner Entertainment recently completed a miniseries based on the classic Madeleine L'Engle children's SF book A Wrinkle in Time for Disney units Miramax and ABC, the trade paper reported.
Disney Devoted To Faithful
isney will develop the supernatural Civil War movie The Faithful, based on a pitch by twin brothers Alex and Andrew Smith, Variety reported.
No producer is yet attached to the project, which the writing duo is penning for Disney's Touchstone, the trade paper reported.
The Faithful tells the story of a sharecropper who winds up fighting in the Civil War and returns to the plantation a changed man. Strange events begin to affect his family and home, the trade paper reported.
Director Eyes Shrek II
hrek co-director Andrew Adamson told Variety columnist Michael Fleming that he is already taking the first steps to develop a sequel to the hit film.
Adamson co-directed the computer-animated film with Vicky Jenson, but will helm the sequel on his own, Fleming reported.
Adamson is working with writers David Weiss and David Stem on the sequel. "The worst thing was that we let Shrek and the princess get married, because we could have used that," Adamson told the columnist. "At the time, we were hardly thinking about the sequel—we were just so thrilled that we'd worked all that time, and people didn't think it sucked."
First, though, Adamson will direct Truckers, a DreamWorks movie that will mix live action and animation, based on the novel by SF writer Terry Pratchett.
New Shrek Races Ahead
evelopment has already begun on a new Shrek Kart-Racing game that is slated for release in March 2002, TDK Mediactive brand manager Andrea Frechette told SCI FI Wire.
The game will available for use on the GameBoy Advance system.
Players will be able to choose from characters featured in the hit film, including Princess Fiona, Lord Farquaad, Donkey and, of course, Shrek. The game is intended to be an addition to the already released Xbox game Shrek: Fairy Tale Freakdown, which shipped to stores on Nov. 6.
"TDK Mediactive got the license for Shrek before the movie was even released, and it has definitely been a big coup for the company," Frechette said. With the success of the movie and the recent release of the Shrek DVD, interest in games featuring the green ogre is high, she added. The company is targeting children who may receive the Shrek video, DVD or the Game Boy Advance system over the holidays.
Titan Adapted For Film
creenwriter Robert B. Weide told KPCC-FM radio in Los Angeles that he's working on the script for a feature-film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's 1959 SF novel The Sirens of Titan.
Titan tells the story of a rich, depraved man who takes a wild ride through space and learns about the purpose of human life. Once Weide completes the screenplay, he said he will shop it around to find financing for a movie.
Weide added that he plans to complete a documentary this year on Vonnegut's life—a project that he began in 1988.
Weide has had a long association with Vonnegut. In addition to the documentary, Weide earlier adapted Vonnegut's World War II novel Mother Night for the screen in 1996 in a film that starred Nick Nolte. Weide also told the Talk of the City radio show that he's currently directing Vonnegut's 1970 play Happy Birthday, Wanda June at the Elephant Theater in Santa Monica, Calif. Vonnegut told the radio show that he contributed a few new lines to the stage piece, which runs through Dec. 9.
Pretender Site Launched
NT has launched an official Web site for its upcoming original television film The Pretender: The Island of the Haunted, based on NBC's canceled Pretender series.
The site features a first look at the film, as well as behind-the-scenes footage, images, biographies and a game.
The Pretender: The Island of the Haunted, which premieres Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, picks up the story of Jarod (Michael T. Weiss) and Miss Parker (Andrea Parker) as they search for their pasts and the secret behind the creation of The Centre. The film reunites original cast members Patrick Bauchau, Jon Gries, Jamie Denton, Richard Marcus, Harve Presnell and Paul Dillon. The movie was written and executive-produced by series creators Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle and directed and executive-produced by Frederick K. Keller. Before the premiere, TNT will present a 19-hour Pretender Marathon, beginning Dec. 9.
Spy Kids Games In Works
ame creators American McGee and Dave Taylor will create a series of games based on the Spy Kids movies for Dimension Films and game developer Carbon6, Variety reported.
The first title will be released with next year's sequel, Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, and will represent the first video game Dimension has developed and financed on its own, the trade paper reported.
Carbon6 will produce the game for Nintendo's GameBoy Advance platform. The game will follow the plot of Spy Kids 2, which hits theaters in August. McGee and Taylor will work with Spy Kids creator and director Robert Rodriguez, the trade paper reported.
Dimension recently acquired the film and television rights for several gaming titles, including Duke Nukem, American McGee's Alice, Max Payne and Nocturne.
UPN Orders More SU2
PN has ordered a full season of its SF series Special Unit 2, the network announced.
The series, now in its second season, stars Michael Landes and Alexondra Lee as members of a secret monster-hunting squad of the Chicago police department. Evan Katz is the executive producer and creator.
UPN reported that SU2 has delivered double-digit ratings growth over its performance last spring. Ratings grew 50 percent among persons 12-34, 70 percent among adults 18-34 and 36 percent among adults 18-49, the network said. Special Unit 2 airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Galactica Dead In Space?
he remake of the 1970s SF series Battlestar Galactica has been put on hold with the departure of pilot director Bryan Singer (X-Men), Variety reported. The pilot was being readied by Studios USA for Fox and The SCI FI Channel.
Singer and his X-Men producer Tom DeSanto were working with producers Dan Angel and Billy Brown, who were writing and would run the proposed new series.
But Fox's feature-film division, which wanted Singer's attention focused on the upcoming sequel movie X-Men 2, reportedly contended with the Fox broadcast network. A potential schedule conflict prompted Singer to drop out of Galactica, prompting the Fox network to withdraw, Variety reported.
For their part, Galactica fans have organized a petition drive to keep the remake alive. More than 7,500 fans have signed the online petition. DeSanto, meanwhile, told fans that he was hopeful the project could find another director and stay alive.
Original Galactica star Richard Hatch, who has tried unsuccessfully to get his own remake launched, threw his support behind DeSanto, urging fans to write letters and sign the petition.
Sommers Gets Universal Deal
tephen Sommers, who wrote and directed two Mummy movies for Universal, has signed a multiyear deal to write, produce and direct new films for the studio, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Sommers is forming a production company to be headed by himself and film editor Bob Ducsay, who executive produced Sommers' hit The Mummy Returns.
Sommers told the trade paper that he is writing an untitled project that will be a reimagining of another classic Universal franchise in the tradition of The Mummy. "I'm reimagining one idea that I've always wanted to do, but I'm going to write the script first, then brag about it later," he said. "I'm also working on a couple of original ideas that I'm playing around with now, and over the next six months I'll narrow them down."
Nemesis Ready to Shoot
he 10th Star Trek movie, Star Trek: Nemesis, will begin filming on Nov. 19, the Trekker Newsletter reported.
Nemesis star Patrick Stewart reportedly told fans at the annual Galaxy Ball convention and fund-raiser about the start date.
Stewart was joined at the event by Next Generation co-stars Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes and Wil Wheaton. When a fan asked if the events of Sept. 11 would have any effect
on the script, Stewart replied, "The script is going ahead as planned. No changes have been made." Stewart added that given the recent situation, "there is no better time for a Star Trek movie and for this movie in particular."
Pratt Explains Mutant X Success
ictoria Pratt told SCI FI Wire that she's both "pleased and surprised" that Mutant X is a breakout hit.
"We'd been plugging away for 13 episodes and then they finally came on the air," Pratt said. "It was like, 'Wow! People can finally watch it now,' and they are watching it, which is great."
Mutant X debuted in October and quickly emerged as the top-rated dramatic
hour in first-run syndication. Based on an idea from Marvel Comics boss Avi
Arad, the show centers on Mutant X, an organization that seeks to protect a
group of genetically engineered humans from themselves and the government.
John Shea stars as Adam, the wealthy scientist who heads up Mutant X, while
Pratt plays Shalimar Fox, a mutant with feral abilities who serves as Adam's
closest ally.
Pratt — whose credits include the role of Sarge on Cleopatra 2525 and guest
stints on Xena: Warrior Princess and First Wave — thinks she can explain
Mutant X's success.
"A lot of fans came to us because Xena and Cleo are no longer on the air,"
she said. "We also have a lot of fans that came to us from La Femme Nikita,
because the same production company that did that is doing Mutant X. I also
think we got a lot of comic book fans who are watching our show because of
the comic book connection. That's a lot of people, and I think everybody's
getting something different out of it."
Rodriguez Reveals Roswell Details
dam Rodriguez told SCI FI Wire that even after Jesse Ramirez (Rodriguez) and Isabel Evans (Katherine Heigl) tie the knot in the "To Have and To Hold" episode of Roswell the groom still wouldn't have any idea that his beloved is an alien.
"She feels she's got to hide it from me," Rodriguez said. "It's a huge dilemma for her."
Rodriguez added, "Once she tells me, if she tells, my life will change
forever. Our lives will change forever, regardless of what I decide to do,
whether I decide to stay with her or leave her and Roswell. I don't know how
long they're going to play it out, but it's an interesting plot turn because
it adds tension to everything that goes on for Isabel. It's also funny
because I'm just oblivious to it all."
The actor is no stranger to genre television, having co-starred as Patrick
Fortado on the short-lived UPN series, All Souls. Still, he readily admits,
he didn't know thing one about Roswell before joining the cast. "I had to
learn about Skins and Antar and how the alien kids ended up on Earth and had
their DNA mixed with human DNA and were put in these pods and then walked out
of the desert 12 years ago and were adopted by human families," he said. "I
had to learn everything. It's been an education. The whole back-story is
really cool to me and now I'm just glad to be a part of it. I really dig it."
"To Have and To Hold" will aired on Tuesday, Nov. 13.
Belzer Hosts Conspiracy Council
ctor, comedian and conspiracy theorist Richard Belzer will host The SCI FI Channel’s upcoming one-hour special Conspiracy Council, which will look at theories about the Kennedy assassination, the death of Elvis and the crash at Roswell.
The show is slated to debut on SCI FI in 2002.
The hour will feature guest conspiracists, who will present theories; field investigators, who will present evidence, pro and con; and a council of viewers, experts, call-ins and online participants, who will vote on the validity of the theories. The show will be taped in front of a live audience.
Belzer himself authored UFOs, JFK and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have to Be Crazy to Believe. Belzer will deliver a monologue with a brief history of conspiracies in America and how it relates to that night’s topic.
Columbia Game For Jumanji 2
olumbia Pictures—which has failed to develop an original script for Jumani 2—has optioned the film rights to Zathura, a new book from Chris Van Allsburg, the author who wrote the book on which the original Jumanji film was based, Variety reported.
Columbia will reportedly develop Zathura as Jumanji 2, the proposed sequel to the 1995 hit film, which starred Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst. The book will be adapted by Eric Fogel, creator and executive producer of MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch.
Unlike the first film, in which a board game set in the jungle became terrifyingly real, the film version of Zathura will be set within the confines of an intergalactic board game—one that might be printed on the back of the Jumanji board, as Van Allsburg suggested in an online interview with Scholastic, Variety reported. Van Allsburg's Zathura is due out in the fall of 2002 from Houghton-Mifflin.
Columbia has already spent millions of dollars and more than six years developing a sequel to Jumanji, most recently hiring Big Momma's House writer Don Rhymer to pen a script. That will now likely become Jumanji 3, the trade paper reported. But if Rhymer's script is developed as Jumanji 2, Zathura could become a free-standing title in its own right, Variety reported.
Briefly Noted
-
The IGN FilmForce Web site has posted images from the upcoming Scorpion King film.
-
The Dark Horizons Web site reported that Australian actor Tony Martin will play the villain role in the upcoming Inspector Gadget 2 sequel film.
-
Castle Hill Productions has picked up domestic distribution rights to Harry Ralston's post-apocalyptic romantic comedy film The Last Man, Variety reported. The film stars Star Trek: Voyager's Jeri Ryan, David Arnott and Dan Montgomery. The film is slated for a February 2002 release.
-
A new trailer has been posted on the official Web site for the upcoming SF slasher movie Jason X. The film, the latest in the Friday the 13th series, doesn't have a release date yet.
-
UPN rebroadcast the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Once More with Feeling", on Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The rebroadcast didn't include the extra eight minutes of footage featured in the original airing last week.
-
Warner Brothers opened Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in a record 3,672 theaters domestically, Variety reported. That compares with the previous record 3,653-theater opening for Mission: Impossible 2 last May.
-
The official Lord of the Rings movie Web site has posted new video of the scoring session with Rings composer Howard Shore and director Peter Jackson, as well as new images and music from the first Rings film. The film, The Fellowship of the Ring, opens Dec. 19.
-
Pathe Distribution has picked up the U.K. release rights to Dog Soldiers, a British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall, Variety reported. The film tells the story of a group of soldiers training in a Scottish forest who become entangled in a battle with a gang of werewolves.
-
TNN will sponsor a comprehensive Star Trek chat marathon on America Online, Nov. 19 and Nov. 20 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. The Nov. 19 chat marathon will feature male actors from all Trek series; the Nov. 20 chat will feature the women.
-
Jason Lee (Dogma) has joined the cast of Dreamcatcher, the upcoming thriller movie based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Lee will play a young man who reunites with pals on an annual hunting trip, only to get involved in an effort to prevent an alien invasion.
-
Hellraiser creator Clive Barker and Spawm creator Todd McFarlane have struck a deal with Universal Pictures to produce a feature film based on Barker's Tortured Souls—Animae Damnatae line of McFarlane Toys action figures, Variety reported. Each of the six figures—Lucidique, Scythe-Meister, Mongroid, Venal Anatomica, Talisac and Agonistes—was sold individually, and each came with a chapter of an original Barker novella that filled in the Tortured Souls backstory. Barker is in the process of writing a script treatment.
Back to the top.
