Raising Hair On Episode II
ue Love, hairstylist on George Lucas' upcoming Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones, told the official Homing Beacon newsletter that Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) gets to let her hair down this time around.
No longer queen of Naboo, Amidala will sport "more of that old Hollywood glamor," Love told the newsletter. "People get confused and think 'space-age and futuristic,' but it's not. It's actually completely the other way around. All the costumes and the hair, there's a period feel to them. So I reference old films when I work."
Often, the actor's hair is either completely obscured by a wig, or built upon and incorporated into the piece. A particular challenge is maintaining the pieces in the changing climates of location shooting, the newsletter reported. "It's a battle," Love said. "When we were at [Italy's] Lake Como, it poured rain, and Natalie Portman had her long curls, which don't go very well in the rain. It was a constant battle to keep curling it up all the time and to keep it looking the same. Then, the mornings in Tunisia are very, very humid. If I took her hairpiece out, all those lovely curls would just go straight." Episode II opens May 16.
Episode II Influences Games
om Byron, director of product marketing for LucasArts, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming Star Wars games Racer 2—Revenge and Jedi Starfighter will incorporate elements of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones.
Racer 2 is the sequel to the game based on Episode I's pod racing scene. This time, the Anakin character is a teen-ager, reflecting his approximate age in Episode II.
"The basic story is that in Episode I, Sebulba lost, and he's been wanting a rematch ever since," Byron said in an interview. "He's finally getting it, so that's the context, and that's why there's some relevance that Anakin is older. It's kind of like 'What has Anakin been doing in that time period [between Episode I and II]?' This is probably one of the things he's been doing."
Jedi Starfighter, the flight simulation sequel, will allow players to fly some of the spacecraft from Episode II, including the Jedi Starfighter of the title. The story of the game will also intersect with the story of Episode II the same way Starfighter's story intersected with Episode I. "In some cases, the activities or events of the film might be happening at a distance, and in some cases you're actually in the thick of it," Byron said. Racer 2 debuts on PlayStation 2 in February; Jedi Starfighter follows on PS2 in March.
Force Moves Star Wars Games
om Byron, director of product marketing for LucasArts, told SCI FI Wire that players will be able to control the Force in new and unique ways in upcoming Star Wars video games.
Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast for the PC will offer Force powers similar to Xbox's Obi-Wan: push, jump and Jedi mind tricks.
"There's one called Jedi Confusion, and what happens is you can make a room so that everyone slows down, but you are still at your regular speed and frame rate," Byron said. "It's almost like you've petrified your enemies around you."
Jedi Starfighter for PlayStation 2 will be the first flight game to incorporate Force powers, such as Force lightning, Force shield, Force reflex and shock wave. As an example, Byron said, "You know that cool blue lightning that shot out of the hands of the emperor in Return of the Jedi? You can shoot blasts like that [in the game]. So you can do a lot of remote destruction." Jedi Starfighter will hit stores in March. Jedi Knight II is scheduled for spring 2002.
McGregor Praises Episode II
wan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones, told the Empire Online Web site that the sequel is shaping up nicely.
"Star Wars II is looking really, really good," he told the site. "I saw a lot of my stuff while we were doing the looping, and it looks really full-on."
But McGregor remained dubious about the film's title. "The title's not a good title, but there we are," he said. "He keeps that completely to himself, George [Lucas]. No one ever knows what it's going to be called, and then one day it's just announced, and he doesn't let anybody know. When I initially heard about it, I was doing a press line up in America, and somebody went, 'What do you think of Attack of the Clones?' and I said, 'I didn't see it.' So they said, 'No, what do you think of that?' And they hadn't even f-cking told me, you know? So I said, 'I think it sounds terrible, because it does sound like a sort of '40s ... . It sounds like Flash Gordon in ATTACK OF THE CLONES.' But I suppose in a way it is a kind of [a] serialized science fiction thing, so maybe that's just the way it should be." Episode II opens May 16.
Episode II Coming To GameBoy
ame developer THQ announced that it will create a GameBoy Advance video game based on George Lucas' upcoming Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones.
The game will follow the plot of the movie and is slated for release in the spring, coincident with Episode II's opening on May 16.
The game is being touted as the first hand-held game allowing fans to experience all the drama of Episode II from start to finish. THQ is working with LucasArts to develop the title, which will feature three different modes of gameplay. Players will be able to ride swoop bikes, Republic fighters and speeders in 3-D-scrolling, third-person racing. They'll also be able to engage in space combat. And they'll be able to take part in side-scrolling lightsaber battles.
Episode II Plot Revealed
he official Star Wars Web site has summarized the plot of Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones—that is, the plot of the upcoming novelization by R.A. Salvatore.
In the book, a decade has passed since the events of Episode I, the site reported.
Palpatine's Republic is crumbling. Separatists are carving the galaxy apart, and the beleaguered Jedi struggle to maintain the peace. The beautiful young senator from Naboo, Padmé Amidala, finds her life in danger. The Jedi assign a guardian for her protection—the courageous, if reckless, Anakin Skywalker.
Salvatore adapted the screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales and worked closely with Lucas to expand the story, offering insights into character and events through scenes that won't be seen in the upcoming movie, the site reported. The book will be available on April 23 in hardcover from Del Rey Books, with a cover illustration by Steven D. Anderson.
The March 2002 edition of Vanity Fair, meanwhile, will showcase photos from the set of Episode II by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz and an interview with Lucas and stars Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen, the site reported.
Enterprise Unmasks Odo
tar Trek: Deep Space Nine regular Rene Auberjonois told the TrekWeb fan site that his upcoming guest spot on UPN's Enterprise won't require him to wear as much alien makeup as he endured for seven years as Constable Odo.
In "Oasis," Auberjonois will play Elcazar, the father of an alien woman who becomes the love interest of Cmdr. Tucker (Connor Trinneer).
"It's an interesting, very nice character; I don't wear any heavy makeup," Auberjonois told TrekWeb. "I'm an alien, but I have sort of spots on my forehead, so it took a lot less time than Odo." He added, "My two big scenes were with Scott [Bakula (Capt. Archer)], which were great, because he's one of the warmest, most welcoming [actors]. He has really influenced the whole feeling of the show. Compared to Avery [Brooks (DS9's Capt. Sisko)], who was so intense and [played] such a complex and dark character ... from the beginning—he didn't want to be there—and who went through such difficult emotional relationships, Scott is ... more laid-back, kind of humorous, ... more relaxed. I like that a lot. I think it's a nice twist on the captain."
Writers Leave Enterprise
he TrekWeb fan site reported that Enterprise writer/producers Antoinette Stella ("Terra Nova") and Tim Finch ("Cold Front") have left the show.
The site offered no reason for the departures, though it added that it's not uncommon for Trek series to see writing staff turnover.
The writing staff now consists of the series' co-creators, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga; longtime science consultant Andre Bormanis; Voyager veterans Mike Sussman and Phyllis Strong; and Fred Dekker, Steven Beck, Chris Black and Maria and Andre Jaquemetton, the site reported. Enterprise airs on UPN Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Nemesis Cameos Confirmed
ick Berman, producer of the upcoming Star Trek: Nemesis film, confirmed for the official Trek Web site the widely reported news that Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) and Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan) will make cameo appearances in the movie.
"John Logan, who wrote the script, very much wanted Kate to portray an admiral that we had, and Kate was delighted to do it," Berman said.
Berman added, "We have a wedding in the movie, and guests at the wedding include Wil Wheaton and Whoopi Goldberg." Berman added that Majel Barrett Roddenberry will not reprise her role as Deanna's mother, Lwaxana Troi. "There's a plot point I don't want to give away, but there's a reason." Nemesis is currently in production with an eye to a Thanksgiving release.
First Trek Nemesis Dies
eg Wyllie, the actress who played the swollen-headed alien in the Star Trek pilot, died Jan. 1 in Glendale, Calif., the official Star Trek Web site reported.
She was 84.
Wyllie had the distinction of being Star Trek's first alien nemesis. She played the Keeper, a Talosian who used powers of illusion to imprison Capt. Christopher Pike, James Kirk's predecessor, in a menagerie in the pilot episode "The Cage," which did not air during the original series' initial broadcast run. The footage was incorporated in 1966 in the two-part episode "The Menagerie."
Nemesis Halfway Shot
rincipal photography is about halfway done on the upcoming Star Trek: Nemesis movie, the official Star Trek Web site reported.
The film is currently shooting on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles.
The main cast, led by Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, has completed most of the scenes taking place on the Enterprise-E bridge, and they are currently scheduled for shots in miscellaneous ship sets, such as the ready room, the corridors, the Jefferies tubes and the turbolift, the site reported. In February, the bulk of the shooting will take place in Romulan and Reman sets, including the ship controlled by Shinzon (Tom Hardy), the villain referenced in the movie's title. Nemesis is slated for a Thanksgiving release.
Trek Net Package Offered
nternet service provider EarthLink is offering a new Star Trek-themed Internet package through StarTrek.net.
The new service offers users Internet access, a StarTrek.net e-mail address, a Trek-themed browser, a personal start page and a host of Trek-themed content.
Current EarthLink subscribers can use StarTrek.net at no additional cost. New subscribers can sign up for the services for $21.95 per month.
Burton To Direct Blizzard
tar Trek: The Next Generation star LeVar Burton makes his feature-film directorial debut with Blizzard, a fantasy movie starring onetime Trek actors Whoopi Goldberg and Christopher Plummer, as well as Kevin Pollak and Zoe Warner, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Brenda Blethyn is also in talks to join the live-action/computer-animated film, which will shoot in Toronto and Quebec City beginning Feb. 18, the trade paper reported.
No domestic distributor has yet been secured, though the filmmakers are planning for a Christmas release date.
Murray McRae wrote the script, which tells a Christmas story about a young girl (Warner) and her relationship with Santa's most magical reindeer, Blizzard, voiced by Goldberg.
Perry Talks Jeremiah
ormer Beverly Hills 90210 heartthrob Luke Perry, star of Showtime's upcoming series Jeremiah, told TV Guide Online that it's a hoot teaming up with former Cosby kid Malcolm-Jamal Warner in the SF show.
"I think people will love to see that, and at the same time, I think we're showing them something they haven't seen before," Perry said.
Perry and Warner play street orphans in a post-apocalyptic world in the series, which was created by Babylon 5's J. Michael Straczynski. The series marks a return to an unshaven look familiar to fans of Perry's 90210 character, Dylan. "Well, it's just hard to keep up the hygiene in the world of Jeremiah," he said with a chuckle. "There's no running water or soap. Occasionally, I get to shave with a straight razor. It's like Survivor, only nobody's getting voted off this thing." Jeremiah premieres March 3.
History Informs Jeremiah
. Michael Straczynski, creator of Showtime's upcoming SF series Jeremiah, told the MGM Sci-Fi Newsletter that he looked to history for inspiration for the post-apocalyptic show.
"I sat down and said, what might make this interesting is to do what hasn't been done before, which is a post-apocalyptic show about hope," he told the newsletter. "And that kind of show is like designing a submersible cat. The concepts don't really work that well together. But I thought, as with the Black Death, which hit in the medieval period, they thought it was the end of the world. People were dying left, right and center. This was going to be it. But in point of fact, what followed the Black Death was the Renaissance. In fact, some historians said if you hadn't had the Black Death, which kind of cleared the field a bit, you wouldn't have had the Renaissance. So I wanted to do a show where that event became a catalyst for a new beginning rather than an end."
Based on a European comic series, Jeremiah stars Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in a story of a near-future world in which a plague has killed off adults, leaving behind only those who have not yet reached puberty. Straczynski said he used the comic as "a leaping-off point, because I needed to adjust the concept. So I took away from the concept ... the two guys. I took the names, that it was a post-apocalyptic environment, although theirs was a racial war. This was something else. And they end up driving around this environment and sort of seeing what's there. And the rest of it came out of my head." Jeremiah premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT March 3 with a two-hour movie, then moves to Fridays at 10:45 p.m. with one-hour episodes.
BSFA Short List Announced
he British Science Fiction Association announced the final nominees for its annual BSFA Awards, recognizing works published in 2001.
The awards, which are voted for by the BSFA membership and the
attendees of the British Annual Science Fiction Convention, Eastercon, will be presented at the 2002 Eastercon in Jersey, U.K., from March 29-April 1. A list of nominees follows.
Novel
•American Gods by Neil Gaiman
•Pashazade by Jon Courtenay Grimwood
•Bold as Love by Gwyneth Jones
•The Secret of Life by Paul McAuley
•Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds
•Lust by Geoff Ryman
Short Story
•"Under the Saffron Tree" by Cherith Baldry
•"First to the Moon" by Stephen Baxter and Simon Bradshaw
•"Children of Winter" by Eric Brown
•"Myxamatosis" by Simon Ings
•"Wind Angels" by Leigh Kennedy
•"Isabel of the Fall" by Ian MacLeod
Artwork
•Roach Motel by Dominic Harman
•Cover of Omegatropic by Colin Odell
•Cover of Gridlocked by Steve Rawlings
•Heart of Empire CD-ROM by Bryan Talbot
•Cover of Pashazade by The Whole Hog
Nonfiction
•Omegatropic by Stephen Baxter
•Terry Pratchett by Andrew M. Butler
•Tim Burton by Michelle LeBlanc and Colin Odell
•Storming the Bastille by Justina Robson
•The Best Introduction to the Mountains by Gene Wolfe
Connery To Play Quatermain?
he IGN FilmForce Web site is reporting that Sean Connery has signed to play H. Rider Haggard's "great white hunter" Allan Quatermain in the proposed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen film.
The movie, based on Alan Moore's graphic novel, is set to begin filming in Prague, Morocco and Iceland, starting in June.
IGN FilmForce cited an anonymous source confirming that Connery is on board. Stephen Norrington (Blade) will direct from a script by James Robinson.
LucasArts Whips Up New Indy
ucasArts announced that it is partnering with The Collective to create the next Indiana Jones video game, which is expected to be released in the fall.
The game is being designed for several next-generation console platforms and the PC.
The as-yet-untitled game will follow in the tradition of LucasArts' previous Indiana Jones action-adventure titles, the company announced. The game will use The Collective's proprietary engine technology.
Buffy Stars Sing Again
nthony Stewart Head, who plays Giles on UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has enlisted several Buffy colleagues—including series creator Joss Whedon—on his upcoming CD, Music for Elevators, created with composer George Sarah, the AllPop.com Web site reported.
Head provides vocals for the CD, which electronic musician Sarah produced. Head also wrote the lyrics.
Head is joined on some tracks by Buffy co-stars James Marsters (Spike), Amber Benson (Tara) and Alyson Hannigan (Willow). Whedon, who composed the music for this season's musical Buffy episode, also wrote a song on Head's CD.
Buffy Writer Scores Four
oug Petrie, a writer for UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has been hired to write a draft of the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name, the BBCi Web site reported.
Petrie's proposed Fantastic Four script follows on previous rejected drafts by Sam Hamm (Monkeybone) and Michael France (Goldeneye).
Petrie landed the job after meeting director Peyton Reed (Bring It On) through a mutual friend—Christophe Beck, who composed Buffy music scores for several years, the site reported. Fantastic Four is aimed at a 2003 release.
Singer Hints X2 Start
-Men director Bryan Singer, who is helming the upcoming sequel, X2, told Cinescape Online that he's starting to shoot soon.
Singer stopped by the Sundance Film Festival before beginning production on the sequel.
"I have some friends who have shorts here, and I just wanted to catch some films before heading up to Vancouver," Singer told Cinescape. "The first one made money, so we're doing another. That's how they tell me it works." As for the movie, Singer added, "We're rebuilding all the sets in Vancouver from [when we shot in] Toronto, and then blowing them up!"
Arad Readies Spider-Man
vi Arad, president and chief executive of Marvel Studios, told SCI FI Wire that of all the big-screen versions of Marvel comic series on the way, he's most excited about Sam Raimi's upcoming Spider-Man movie.
"People are going to go absolutely crazy over Tobey Maguire," Arad said in an interview. "He is wonderful [as Spider-Man and Peter Parker]."
Arad added, "The relationships in this movie are extremely well developed. You're going to see the Peter Parker that you've always loved. You're going to see the Mary Jane [Kirsten Dunst] you've always loved, with her issues. That's one side of it. From a special-effects standpoint there has never been a movie this size, with this size action. It's going to be fantastic. It's a great movie. We are so excited about it."
Arad said to expect other movies based on The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Cloak & Dagger, Werewolf By Night, Punisher and Iron Fist. But is Spider-Man the jewel in the Marvel crown? "I have many children," said the ever-diplomatic Arad, who is also involved in the upcoming Blade II and X2, the sequel to X-Men, as well as a Spider-Man cartoon series, the popular X-Men: Evolution and the syndicated live-action hit Mutant X. "Spider-Man is a jewel," he said. "It's one of the triple crowns, obviously." Spider-Man will begin casting its web on May 3.
Danna To Score Hulk
he Coming Attractions Web site reported that director Ang Lee has chosen film composer Mychael Danna to write the score for the upcoming Incredible Hulk movie.
Hulk associate producer David Womark reportedly confirmed the choice in remarks to journalists visiting the movie's San Francisco location.
Danna (Hearts in Atlantis) steps in for John Williams, who was rumored to be up for the job, but had to withdraw because of scheduling conflicts. Danna previously worked with Lee on the score to The Ice Storm.
Goyer Sharpens Blade II
lade screenwriter David Goyer told SCI FI Wire that the long-awaited vampire sequel, Blade II, will resemble a classic World War II film.
"It's basically The Dirty Dozen," Goyer said in an interview. "A threat emerges that could potentially wipe out both the vampire and the human races. Blade [Wesley Snipes] is put in a situation where he's forced to team up with the vampires because it's for the
good of both races."
Guillermo del Toro, who helmed Cronos, Mimic and The Devil's Backbone, assumed the Blade II director's chair after the original film's director, Stephen Norrington, elected to pursue other projects—among them the oft-postponed Goyer-scripted Ghost Rider. But Blade II finds Snipes back in action, along with Kris Kristofferson, who reprises his role as Blade's mentor, Whistler.
Cast newcomers include Norman Reedus as Blade's sidekick, Scud; Thomas Kretschmann as Damaskinos, leader of the vampire nation; Luke Goss as Nomak, head Reaper and the mutual enemy of Blade and Damaskinos; and Ron Perlman, Matt Sculze, Tony Curran, Donnie Yen, Marit Velle Kile and Daz Crawford as Damaskinos' warriors, referred to as the Bloodpack.
Goyer reported that Blade II will be scarier than the first film and feature better special effects. He also noted that despite the fallout from the events of Sept. 11, Blade II will reach theaters with an R rating. "There wasn't that much pressure [to tone down the violence]," said Goyer, who also co-executive produced Blade II. "It's such a stylized world that I don't think anyone can misconstrue it for reality by any stretch of the imagination. It really wasn't a consideration. New Line felt that nobody would point a finger at this movie. It's [based on] a comic book. If it was a movie that was firmly set in the real world, it would have been more of an issue." Blade II will open nationwide on March 22.
Bluth Readies New Lair
nimator Don Bluth will unveil Dragon's Lair 3D, a sequel to his best-selling laserdisc video game Dragon's Lair, in July for all gaming platforms, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Bluth is also reportedly developing a Dragon's Lair animated movie, which is in preproduction in Phoenix at Don Bluth Films, the trade paper reported.
Bluth and screenwriter Rob McFarlane have completed the script for the feature, which is a prequel to the previous games and will follow Dirk the Daring from his birth through his early adventures. Christopher Stone, who composed 40 minutes of original music for the new game as well as the two original laserdisc games, will score the feature. The film is seeking a distributor and is expected to begin production in the next three months, aiming at a 2003 release, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the original game, the trade paper reported.
Isaacs Gets Odious In Potter 2
ason Isaacs, who will play Lucius Malfoy in the upcoming sequel film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, told Empire Online that his character is "as odious a character as I've ever read, and so this year I'll be despised by children the globe over."
Malfoy is the father of Harry Potter's Hogwarts nemesis, Draco Malfoy.
Isaacs has yet to begin shooting his part, he told the site. "No. They're filming, but I don't think I'm allowed to go there until I've signed my secrecy agreement in blood." Chamber of Secrets is slated for a November release.
Potter DVD Due In May
arner Brothers will release the DVD and video versions of its hit Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on May 28, backed by a $25 million marketing campaign, Variety reported.
Warner expects the video to be one of the biggest releases ever. The theatrical release grossed $294 million in 2001, the trade paper reported.
The videocassette ($24.99 suggested retail price) will feature five minutes of extra footage, and the two-disc DVD set ($26.99) will offer hours of extra material, the trade paper reported. The discs will include deleted scenes, such as one in which the young wizards and witches have trouble with a spell that causes one of their classmates' legs to lock together. But the DVD will have no audio commentary track, the trade paper reported. Other features: a 360-degree self-guided tour of Hogwarts, including the Gryffindor common room, the Great Hall, Harry's room and Hagrid's hut; never-before-seen footage; interviews with director Chris Columbus; a montage of Quidditch matches and a guide on playing the game; and an introduction to the ghosts of Hogwarts.
E.T. Sneaks New Matrix Films
ntertainment Tonight previewed the upcoming Matrix Reloaded sequel film, showing star Keanu Reeves engaged in martial-arts fighting, and revealed that the third Matrix film has been tentatively titled The Matrix Revolutions.
The MovieHeadlines.net Web site posted a clip from ET on its own site.
"The sequel carves a continuation of [my character] Neo's journey and his quest to find out the truth," Reeves told ET. "It's more about the conflict with the machines and the humans." He added, "We are trying to do some crazy things out here. The kung-fu sequences are more sophisticated and more challenging than the first film. Some of the wire work [allows me to] do backflips and cartwheels all in one shot. It's pushed me to my limits. Before it was like, 'Can you do two kicks?' and now it's like, 'Can you do three kicks, but with a jumping backspin hook-kick?' So it's like you have learned to walk—now can you fly."
After shooting some preliminary scenes in San Francisco, Reloaded started filming on Sept. 24, 2001, at 20th Century Fox's Sydney studios. Filming of the two sequels is expected to wrap in Sydney this August, and The Matrix Reloaded is due for release in the summer of 2003, ET reported. The Matrix Revolutions is due November 2003.
Williams Conducts E.T. Gala
niversal will host a special gala for the 20th-anniversary re-release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium on March 16, with original composer John Williams conducting a live 100-piece orchestra, Variety reported.
The event will benefit the Special Olympics and will include a reception at the Shrine Exhibition Hall. E.T. opens nationwide on March 22, with new footage, computer enhancements and a remixed soundtrack, the trade paper reported.
Separately, Williams—who celebrates his 70th birthday on Feb. 8—told the Los Angeles Times that he has finished recording 110 minutes of music in London for George Lucas' upcoming Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones. Williams will also compose the score for Steven Spielberg's upcoming Minority Report film and possibly the next Harry Potter movie, the newspaper reported.
Macy Goes To The Cooler
illiam H. Macy will star in The Cooler, a quirky comedy with a supernatural edge, for New York production company ContentFilm, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Macy will play Bernie Lootz, a man plagued by virulent bad luck who is hired by a Las Vegas casino to "cool" hot hands at gambling tables.
Wayne Kramer and Frank Hanna wrote The Cooler, and Kramer is set to direct, the trade paper reported. Cooler will be shot in digital video.
Arnold Likes Chyna For T3
rnold Schwarzenegger told reporters that he's open to the idea of former professional wrestler Joanie Laurer, aka Chyna, taking on the role of the female cyborg in the upcoming Terminator 3 movie, according to a report on the Latino Review Web site.
"I'm a big fan of hers," Schwarzenegger said while promoting his upcoming film, Collateral Damage.
Schwarzenegger added, "I hope she comes in for an interview. Is she coming in for an interview? ... It's being debated right now, and it's a very interesting debate. Do we go with a woman that is petite, that is young, that looks innocent and that looks like a very ordinary beautiful girl, and then create a certain drama when she walks innocently to the woman in a car on Beverly Boulevard or Rodeo Drive and—crack!—kills her. ... Or should it be Chyna? Should it be a woman ... [whom] you know, ... 'This is the female Terminator!'"
WGA Nominates Rings
he Writers Guild of America on Feb. 7 nominated The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen.
The screenplay, by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and director Peter Jackson, which was based on the first of J.R.R. Tolkien's Rings books, was nominated for best screenplay based on material previously produced or published.
The prestigious awards honor films that were released in 2001 under the jurisdiction of the Writers Guild of America, West, and the Writers Guild of America, East, and their affiliates in Australia, Canada, French Canada, Great Britain, Ireland and New Zealand. The 54th Annual Writers Guild Awards will take place March 2 simultaneously in Los Angeles and New York.
Blair 3 Not Coming Soon
an Myrick, co-creator of The Blair Witch Project, told the Moviehole.net Web site that there's precious little movement on a proposed third installment in the horror franchise.
Myrick told the site that he is prepping the third film, a prequel, but added that it's still a long way off.
"Right now all we've committed to is exploring the possibility of doing a prequel to Blair," Myrick said. "We don't have a script written yet, so it's impossible to tell right now, but the budget will most certainly be higher than the first." As for the second film, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, which he had no part in, he added, "Personally, I didn't like it."
Pike Is New Bond Girl
osamund Pike, who will play a new Bond girl in the upcoming 20th 007 movie, told Empire Online that her character won't have one of the signature outrageous female names.
"She's called Miranda Frost, which is a good name," Pike told the site. "It was going to be Gala Brand, and then we created this new one. She's an MI6 agent, which is a cool thing to be, sent to work alongside Bond by M and not very happy about it. She would rather go it alone and doesn't quite approve of Bond's methods. He seems to be all fire where she's all coolness and reserve. And then she keeps showing different sides all the way through. It's a lot of fun."
Rosamund was thrown into the deep end when production first began, she told the site. "It's like doing a nine-to-five job, because I'm in training and kind of building up this character through every angle—through sport, hair, through clothes."
Superhero Flies On Chronicle
rian Poth, who guest-stars as an unusual superhero in the Feb. 8 episode of the SCI FI Channel's original series The Chronicle, told SCI FI Wire that the part fulfills a fantasy for him.
"My manager was telling me, 'Oh, you know, it's this superhero thing,'" Poth said in an interview. "And I thought, 'Are you kidding me? That's exactly why you do this. That's exactly why you do this acting business, so that you can do those things.' I grew up watching Superman and wanting to fly and all that stuff, so it was like a dream come true."
In the episode, "Man and Superman," Poth plays a comic-store geek who discovers he has unusual powers. "I was harnessed, they built this entire superhero costume for me, and I got to fly around and have bullets shot at me and lift cars," said Poth, who has also performed guest spots on such genre TV shows as The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. "It was very fun. I just saw the trailer for it last Friday, because I ended up watching the show to see if there was a preview, and it was pretty hysterical seeing myself in a cape and tights and body armor." The episode airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Chronicle Wraps In March
he SCI FI Channel announced that it is canceling The Chronicle, which will air its last episode, "Snitch in Time," on March 22. "The Chronicle was a good show with a talented cast and creative production team that unfortunately didn't find the audience it deserved," SCI FI president Bonnie Hammer said in a statement.
"SCI FI continues its commitment to original programming with Firestarter: Rekindled in March; new seasons of the hit series Farscape and exclusive originals of Stargate SG-1 this summer; the original movie Riverworld, based on Philip
José Farmer's classic books; and Steven Spielberg's Taken, an unprecedented 20-hour, 10-night epic miniseries. SCI FI is increasing its commitment to original programming in 2002 and 2003, with a development slate of series, movies and miniseries that reflect the current mass popularity and broad appeal of the sci-fi genre."
The Chronicle, about a tabloid newspaper that covers real pararnormal phenomena, stars Chad Willett, Rena Sofer, Reno Wilson, Curtis Armstrong and John Polito. The first of the series' 22 episodes debuted July 14, 2001. The Chronicle will continue to air new episodes through March in the same timeslot, Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Disney Gets Second Wind
isney will develop a futuristic version of the classic Wind in the Willows stories for the big screen, based on a treatment by a pair of newcomer writers and their artist partner, Variety reported.
The film will take Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's tale as the basis for a live-action film with computer-generated characters or CGI-enhanced costumed performers, the trade paper reported.
Corey May, Michael "Dooma" Wendschuh and artist Baruch Inbar pitched the idea to Disney. The Wind in the Willows was the basis of Disney's animated Mr. Toad's Wild Ride short.
ABC Orders More Dinotopia
rik von Detten (The Princess Diaries) and Shiloh Strong will lead the cast of a new TV series based on ABC's upcoming miniseries Dinotopia, Variety reported.
The network officially ordered 13 one-hour episodes of the series, which features an entirely different cast from the miniseries, which debuts in May.
Like the miniseries, the Dinotopia series is based on James Gurney's best-selling children's books, about a secret island where people and dinosaurs coexist peacefully. The series will pick up the storyline of the miniseries, the trade paper reported.
Von Detten and Strong will play teen brothers. Georgina Rylance has been tapped to play a love interest for both. The cast also includes Michael Brandon, Sophie Ward, Jonathan Hyde and Lisa Zane. Principal photography on the series gets under way this month in Budapest, and it may be ready to air as soon as mid-season 2003, Variety reported.
Fincher Wants To Stay
avid Fincher is developing and may direct Stay, a supernatural thriller film for Regency Enterprises, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
David Benioff wrote the script, about a psychologist at an Ivy League university who tries to prevent one of his students from committing suicide.
Tom Lassally and Michael Bay are attached to produce. Fincher directed The Game, Seven and Alien 3.
Mr. Mysterious Developing
AW Entertainment will develop Mr. Mysterious, a fantasy Western movie based on a spec script by Brandon Bodie Beaver, Variety reported.
Simon West's Wychwood Productions is attached to produce, the trade paper reported.
Mr. Mysterious is set in the 1880s and tells the story of a blind magician and his traveling troupe of carnival performers who are forced to return to London to stop an evil sorcerer from implementing an ancient alchemist's plan to plague the world with black magic, Variety reported. West most recently directed Lara Croft: Tomb Raider for Paramount Pictures.
Miller Tells Dark Secrets
ark Angel co-star Valarie Rae Miller (Original Cindy) shared with SCI FI Wire some scoops about the second-season finale.
Series co-creators "James Cameron and Charles [Chic] Eglee are participating in the writing of it," Miller said in an interview. "I think they're kind of re-directing some things. I think they're taking more of an active role overall. I don't know that Chic is coming back as the actual show runner, but I know that they are helping a lot more with the storylines. I know that Jim has already gone in and overseen and rewritten some of the stuff that's in some of the other episodes we're shooting right now."
Miller has publicly said that her character fell from prominence during season two, as the stories focused on the Max (Jessica Alba)-Logan (Michael Weatherly) relationship and several new characters, including the assorted human-animal experiments and a fresh villain (Martin Cummins), rather than the characters at the Jam Pony delivery service. But the actress remains hopeful that will change in the coming weeks and next year, if Fox renews the SF series for a third season. "There's more stuff happening [for Cindy], but I don't know anything specific," she said. "I actually told them. I said, 'I did an interview and they asked what kinds of things I'd [done] that were challenging or whatever for me this season, and I said nothing.' They were like, 'Oh, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. It's changing. It's changing.'" Dark Angel airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
New Line Gets Dark Materials
ord of the Rings studio New Line Cinema has bought the film rights to His Dark Materials, the celebrated children's fantasy trilogy of books by Philip Pullman, Variety reported.
New Line got the rights from Pullman's U.K. publisher, Scholastic, which has controlled film rights to the series for six years, the trade paper reported.
The Amber Spyglass, the third book in the series, became the first-ever children's book to win Britain's prestigious and lucrative Whitbread prize recently. Comprising The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, Pullman's trilogy centers on two children who live in parallel worlds surrounded by a huge cast of shape-shifting creatures, the trade paper reported.
Glover Starring In Willard
rispin Glover has signed to star in New Line Cinema's upcoming horror remake Willard, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Glover (Back to the Future) will play the title character in the updated version of the 1971 horror film, which starred Bruce Davison as an outcast whose only friends are his pet rats, the trade paper reported.
Final Destination creators James Wong and Glen Morgan are behind Willard; Morgan will make his feature-film directorial debut with the remake.
No UPN For Galactica?
he SyFy Portal Web site reported a rumor that UPN is not considering picking up a proposed new Battlestar Galactica series, despite reports to the contrary.
An anonymous source told the site, "They showed some interest in it in the past, but there hasn't been anything new brought to them that they are willing to fund."
The source added, "One of the things that networks have to be careful of is being typecast, so to speak, into being some type of network. While UPN has a lot of sci-fi and sci-fi-related programs, if they picked up a series that seems a lot like Enterprise, some viewers might see the network only as a sci-fi outlet and nothing more."
Fox had been developing a Galactica pilot, but cooled on the idea when X-Men director Bryan Singer dropped out of the project because of scheduling conflicts.
Magic Figures Coming
izards of the Coast announced plans to release limited quantities of the first Magic: The Gathering action figures, starting in the fall.
The figures are based on characters and creatures from the competition-based trading-card strategy game.
Each action figure will include a randomly inserted seventh-edition card from the Magic trading-card game, which was invented by Richard Garfield and first released in 1993. The action figures will include The Serra Angel, Lord of Atlantis, Sengir Vampire, Erhnam Djinn, Kamahl and Shadowmage Infiltrator.
Muertos Going To Video?
he Moviehole Web site reported a rumor that Vampires—Los Muertos, the sequel to 1998's John Carpenter's Vampires, is done, but is likely headed straight to video.
"It is a shame, because I think it is a really good movie," an anonymous source told the site.
The sequel stars Jon Bon Jovi as Derek Bliss, a new vampire slayer.
Robinson Cooks Up Rice
im Stanley Robinson told SCI FI Wire that his new novel, The Years of Rice and Salt, posits that a final wave of the Black Death killed off 99 percent of the
European population, and then follows world history up to the present and about a century beyond.
"It's an alternative history, which has been a sub-genre of science fiction for about 70 years now," Robinson said in an interview. "Classic examples include Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle, Keith Roberts' Pavane and Ward Moore's Bring the Jubilee."
Robinson added, "The idea is to pursue the ramifications of making some major or strategic change in history. It may not be obvious at first why this should be regarded as any part of science fiction, but I think it does make sense, if you define science fiction as being stories set in the future that have implied or explicit histories connecting them back to our moment. Alternative histories make the same operation, but run their histories back to some moment of our past. So they are all historical speculations."
The popular author noted that he's currently working on a near-future science fiction novel, set in Washington. But there are no plans for Robinson to revisit his Mars saga. "No, I'm done with Mars," he said. "The short-story collection The Martians was my revisiting and ends with the poem I Say Goodbye to Mars. It's possible that short story ideas might occur to me, and if so I'll write them and add them to future editions of The Martians. But right now I don't think that's likely. Off to new worlds!" Bantam Books will release The Years of Rice and Salt on Feb. 27.
Signature In Development
erry Bruckheimer Films will develop Signature, based on the SF pitch by husband-and-wife writing team Cormac and Marianne Wibberly (The 6th Day), according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Marianne Wibberly told the Reporter that the film is a psychological thriller that centers on the way violent serial criminals are rehabilitated in the future.
Marianne Wibberly added that she and her husband were eager to return to the SF genre. Signature "is something we've been thinking about for a couple of years. We love both the sci-fi genre and the buddy-comedy genre, but we haven't done a sci-fi project since The 6th Day, so we are excited about going back to that."
Bantam Buys New Jesus Series
antam Books has paid close to $45 million for four new novels by Tim Lahaye, the Baptist pastor who co-authored the best-selling Left Behind series of Christian apocalyptic novels, Variety reported.
Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins wrote nine installments of the series, the latest of which appeared last year. Illinois-based Christian publisher Tyndale House has sold nearly 50 million copies of the Left Behind series, which was also adapted as a movie produced by Peter and Paul Lalonde.
Bantam acquired a new, four-book series about a Christian archaeologist-professor in the vein of Indiana Jones, the trade paper reported.
Lima To Helm Dogs 2
arner Brothers has hired Kevin Lima (102 Dalmatians) to direct Cats & Dogs 2, the live-action/computer-animated sequel to last year's hit film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Original Cats & Dogs writers John Requa and Glenn Ficarra will write the sequel, which will continue the wars between canines and felines. Many of the original film's characters are expected back, the trade paper reported.
The original film, budgeted at about $60 million, was released July 4, 2001, and grossed $93.4 million domestically, making it the studio's third highest-grossing film of the year, following Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Ocean's 11, the trade paper reported.
Briefly Noted
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The Dark Horizons Web site reported that filmmakers will shoot additional footage for the upcoming Men in Black 2 movie for about six weeks. The film opens July 3.
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US Weekly reported that Madonna is in talks to record the theme song to the upcoming 20th James Bond movie.
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Lance Henriksen told the Arnold Fan Web site that his Terminator character, Detective Vukovich, might make an appearance in the upcoming Terminator 3 movie. Vukovich might return in a wheelchair, as his character didn't die onscreen in the first film, the site reported.
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Rick Berman, producer of the upcoming Star Trek: Nemesis film, confirmed for the official Trek Web site the widely reported news that Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) and Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan) will make cameo appearances in the movie. "John Logan, who wrote the script, very much wanted Kate to portray an admiral that we had, and Kate was delighted to do it," Berman said. Also, "we have a wedding in the movie. and guests at the wedding include Wil Wheaton and Whoopi Goldberg." Berman added that Majel Barrett Roddenberry will not reprise her role as Deanna's mother, Lwaxana Troi. "There's a plot point I don't want to give away, but there's a reason."
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DreamWorks has expanded the official Web site for its upcoming SF film The Time Machine. The film opens March 8.
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The Ananova Web site reported a rumor that French actor Vincent Cassel (Brotherhood of the Wolf) has pulled out of the upcoming Sin Eater movie because of artistic differences with director Brian Helgeland. Cassel was to play the title character, a priest who absolved people of their sins by literally eating them.
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The Comics Continuum reported that Marsha Griffin (Starship Troopers) will serve as a story editor and writer for MTV's upcoming Spider-Man animated series.
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Dr. Pepper will launch a major cross-promotion with Columbia Pictures' upcoming Spider-Man film, coinciding with the film's May 3 release. The promotion will include a contest with a grand prize of a trip for two to an exclusive, insider party in New York. The promotion is slated to begin in mid-April and run through July.
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Games Day USA, an annual two-day series of events keyed around tabletop hobby games such as Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Warhammer 40,000 and the like, takes place at the Baltimore Convention Center, June 28-29.
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Ballantine Books announced the creation of a new joint book development agreement with Microsoft's Xbox video game system to create a fiction-publishing program. Under the agreement, Ballantine's Del Rey imprint will publish books based on Xbox game titles developed by Microsoft Game Studios. Del Rey has already published Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund, based on the Halo video game.
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The WB has ordered a couple of genre pilots among its slate of new shows in development, Variety reported. The frog network ordered Do Over, a comedy pilot about a man who gets the chance to return to the 1980s and relive high school, and The Black Sash, a drama pilot about a former cop who becomes a martial-arts superhero.
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Lord of the Rings star Christopher Lee, 79, won a special achievement award Feb. 3 from the Evening Standard British Film Awards, the Reuters news service reported. Lee will play Count Dooku in the upcoming Stars Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones, due in May.
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Alejandro Amenabar's supernatural horror film The Others swept eight Goyas at the 16th Spanish Academy Awards, the country's equivalent of the Oscars, on Feb. 2, Variety reported. The nods included film, director, original screenplay and cinematography.
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The 13th Street Web site reported that the alternative band Alien Ant Farm will provide a new song for the score of Sam Raimi's upcoming Spider-Man movie. The insect-themed band will provide the appropriately titled song Bug Bytes, the site reported.
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The Mothman Prophecies dropped to No. 6 in its second weekend of release, taking in about $7.5 million, for a total of about $21.4 million, the Hollywood trade papers reported. The only other genre film in the top 10 for the Feb. 1 weekend was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which slipped to No. 7, with $6.6 million for the weekend and a domestic take so far of $267.2 million.
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Showtime has posted a new Web site for its upcoming SF series Jeremiah, from Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski. Jeremiah premieres March 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
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To promote its upcoming sequel movie Men in Black 2, Sony has partnered with Burger King, Mercedes-Benz, Mountain Dew, Sprint PCS, Ray-Ban and Hamilton Watches, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The sequel to the highest-grossing film of 1997 opens July 3.
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