King's Dark Tower Complete
n a joint venture, publishers Donald M. Grant and Scribner will release the long-awaited completion to Stephen King's Dark Tower series in three volumes beginning in the fall of 2003, the publishers announced.
The first of the final three books, Wolves of the Calla, will be published on Nov. 4, with the subsequent two, Song of Susannah and The Dark Tower, following in the summer and fall of 2004.
The books will be released jointly by Grant, which released the prior four Dark Tower books, and Scribner, publisher of King's recent novels. Prior to the publication of the first book, there will be a special promotion of the previous Dark Tower books, in hardcover as well as paperback editions. The new hardcover editions will feature an introduction written by King.
In a statement, King said, "I started writing the Dark Tower when I was still in college. It's been a major part of my life and my writing career. I wanted to finish it both for the readers, who have been so devoted, and for myself. In the upcoming books you'll meet new characters and you'll see familiar faces like Ted Brautigan from Hearts in Atlantis, Father Callahan from Salem's Lot ... even Dinky Earnshaw from Everything's Eventual. For me, it's like a finale and a reunion, all at once. I've put everything I've got into these three books, and I think it shows. I can say something about them I've only been able to say about a handful of my previous novels: They work, they're good, and I'm proud to have written them."
Angel Battles Angelus
ngel star David Boreanaz told Entertainment Weekly Online that an upcoming episode will feature his eponymous character battling an inner demon in the most literal sense.
"There's an episode coming up where I'll be playing Angel and Angelus side by side," Boreanaz told the site. "And they battle each other. It's cool, like Adaptation."
Boreanaz also hinted that the end of the season will contain a surprising twist. "We're coming to a point in the show now where all of the questions about the Big Bad are about to be answered, which is strange for all of us, because there's a big twist happening. And all I can tell you is that it's really weird." Angel airs Wed. at 9 p.m. on the WB.
Towers Tops F/X Awards
he Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers dominated the Visual Effects Society awards, winning eight of the nine categories for which it was nominated, Variety reported.
The film's only loss was in the area of matte painting, an honor which went to Industrial Light & Magic for Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones.
The eight awards earned by New Zealand-based Weta, the company which created the effects for Towers, included best special effects, effects art direction, visual effects photography, models and miniatures, performance by an actor in an effects film, character animation in a live-action motion picture, compositing and visual effects in an effects-driven motion picture.
The other multiple winner was ABC's Dinotopia, which won four awards in the television category for best visual effects, character animation, matte painting and compositing.
Other genre winners included the following:
Character Animation in an Animated Motion Picture
•Stuart Little 2 and Sony's Imageworks unit
Visual Effects in a Series
•Firefly pilot episode Serenity
Models and Miniatures in a Televised Program, Music Video or Commercial
•Enterprise episode Dead Stop
Star Wars Cartoon Coming
he Cartoon Network announced that it will be airing a series of original animated shorts set in the Star Wars universe, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The series, entitled Clone Wars, will include 20 shorts, each about three minutes in length. It will be set in the time period between Star Wars: Episode II and Star Wars: Episode III, the trade paper reported.
Cartoon Network Studios, headed by Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of Samurai Jack and Dexter's Lab, will produce in association with Lucasfilm Ltd. Clone Wars is set to premiere on the Cartoon Network in November.
HBO Gets Clones
able channel HBO has purchased the exclusive pay TV rights to Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones for an estimated $15 million, Variety reported.
The deal also encompasses exclusive windows for HBO on the previous four Star Wars movies and a first negotiating position on the upcoming Star Wars: Episode III, the trade paper said.
The cable channel will premiere the film in late summer and will retain exclusive rights for a period of 18 months before it is made available to other networks.
DiCaprio Suited For Iron?
GN FilmForce reported a rumor that Leonardo DiCaprio is the top choice to play Marvel comic-book hero Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in New Line Cinema's upcoming film.
Although DiCaprio has reportedly not been offered the role yet, he is at the top of the filmmakers' wish list, the site said.
The film is currently being developed by Angry Films with Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar writing the screenplay. New Line has not chosen a director yet, but has slated the film for release in 2005.
Spidey 2 Doc Is In
he Coming Attractions Web site reported that actor Alfred Molina has signed on to play Doctor Octopus in the upcoming sequel The Amazing Spider-Man.
According to the site, an anonymous source confirmed an earlier report that Molina had been offered the role of the notorious villain. The film is set for release in May of 2004.
Moore's Killing Reissued
vatar Press announced that it will bring Alan Moore's A Small Killing back into print in May, the Comics Continuum Web site reported.
The upgraded new edition includes completely remastered artwork and lettering, a commentary article by both Moore and artist Oscar Zarate, and new cover art for both the regular and hardcover editions, the site reported.
In a statement, Moore said, "A Small Killing, of all of the works that I have done over the course of my career, is the one I think of as the one that almost got away. I've always thought it was a wonderful work, one of the best things I've ever done."
Avatar describes the book as "the story of Timothy Hole, a successful adman who has just been handed the biggest assignment of his life, marketing a major cola in Russia. But his smooth life begins to unravel as he is stalked by a demonic child that makes him question not just who he is, but how he really effects those around him."
Lee's Forever Due
omic-book legend Stan Lee has signed a deal to bring his newest creation Forever Man to the big screen, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Based on his own idea, the project will be produced by Lee through his POW! Films along with the newly launched Idiom Films, the trade paper reported.
While Lee did not provide any details about the plot, he did tell the paper that the film will center on superheroes in a "different type of situation" than such previous comic adaptations as Spider-Man and Daredevil. "It has to do with crime and punishment in the not-too-distant future and a unique way of punishing people who are menaces to society," Lee told the paper, adding that he came up with the story in two days. "It's a concept that hasn't been seen before, with tremendously interesting villains with unique powers."
Malaysia Bans Daredevil
ensors in Malaysia have determined that the Marvel adaptation Daredevil is not suitable for movie audiences due to its violent content and other "unhealthy elements," the Reuters news service reported.
Malaysia's Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung told the news service that "most of the time, censorship is adequate if only some portions of the film require censorship, but if too much censorship is required, making the film meaningless, it is best banned."
The film's distributor, Twentieth Century Fox, has appealed to the Censorship Board for a review of the decision, Reuters said.
Two Catwomen Better Than One
ormer Catwoman Lee Meriwether told TV Guide Online that she will make an appearance in the upcoming CBS movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, but not as Catwoman.
"I was hoping that I would get to play Catwoman along with Frank Gorshin as the Riddler," Meriwether told the site. "But darn it, Julie Newmar was available. My daughter [stuntperson Lesley Aletter] got to be her double, though, so that was cool."
Meriwether will appear in a cameo role as a waitress in a Mexican restaurant. She told the site that she has no hard feelings toward Newmar and that there was no animosity on the set. "Julie and I actually get along just great," Meriwether said. "Besides, we worked on separate days." Return to the Batcave airs on CBS March 9.
Trek Far From Over
tar Trek executive producers Brannon Braga and Rick Berman told TV Guide in an upcoming issue that the franchise may be ailing, but it's not dead yet.
The issue, which hits newsstands on Feb. 24, also features suggestions from TV Guide editors on how to improve the Enterprise television series as well as the declining Trek film franchise.
Despite disappointing box office numbers for Star Trek: Nemesis, Berman told the magazine that he "can't imagine numerous other movies won't occur." He also hinted that future films may include a combination of characters from various Trek television series.
Krige Back As Borg Queen
lice Krige told SCI FI Wire that she will reprise her role as the Borg Queen in a 3-D theme park attraction entitled Borg Encounter.
"The people who did the Terminator ride for Universal are in the process of completing this ride, and the process is even more sophisticated and intricate and complex now," Krige said in an interview. "So I got to do the Borg Queen in 3-D."
The actress originated the character in Star Trek: First Contact, played her again in the Star Trek: Voyager finale and provided the character's voice for the video game Star Trek: Armada II.
"I have no idea what it will be like," Krige said of the attraction. "It was me completely alone for three days on a blue-screen stage, surrounded by blue screens and two 3-D cameras. The interaction is different because there was no adversary. In both the Voyager finale and First Contact there were good, powerful protagonists there with me. But I did my best and we'll see what emerges."
Although Krige filmed her scenes alone, she will be joined on screen by Star Trek: Voyager cast members Robert Picardo and Kate Mulgrew, as the Doctor and Admiral Janeway respectively. "As I say, I didn't work with anyone else, but I know that Robert Picardo and Kate Mulgrew both are in it. Bob sets it all up and goes throughout, while Kate makes a very brief appearance at the end. I believe it was made for a theme park in Germany, but it will also go to Las Vegas and become part of Star Trek: The Experience."
Krige will next be seen as Lady Jessica in the six-hour miniseries Children of Dune, airing March 16-18 on the SCI FI Channel.
UPN In The Zone
n episode featuring back-to-back remakes of two popular stories from the original Twilight Zone boosted UPN's new series to ratings victory, the network announced.
The episode, which aired on Feb. 19, was viewed by 3.3 million viewers and earned the series its highest rating since Oct. 23, 2002.
The episode's two half-hour segments included It's Still a Good Life, a sequel to a 1961 episode in which Billy Mumy played a boy with the power to make whatever he wished come true, and The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, a timely remake of an episode which first ran in 1960.
Enterprise, which precedes The Twilight Zone, also benefited from the increased viewership, garnering 4.6 million viewers, the largest Wednesday night audience since Nov. 4, 2002.
Cronenberg Avoids Remakes
riter-director David Cronenberg told SCI FI Wire that he's ambivalent about Artisan Entertainment's plans to produce a remake of his 1981 SF horror film Scanners.
"That would be good because I might get a little bit of money from it," Cronenberg said in an interview. "But I prefer my movies not be remade."
Cronenberg added, "I had the same experience as [Stanley] Kubrick. He did The Shining and then there was The Shining miniseries. I did The Dead Zone and now there's a Dead Zone series. I don't think anybody really wants to see another version of what they've done, done."
Scanners is not the only Cronenberg film that has been considered for a remake, the director said. "It would be strange to see Scanners redone, and there's talk about redoing The Brood also. I don't know if it's Artisan for that, but there are discussions. But I'm not likely to have anything to do with [the proposed remakes]. I certainly wouldn't want to remake those myself." Cronenberg's most recent film, Spider, starring Ralph Fiennes and Miranda Richardson, is currently in theaters.
Grimm Cast Is Set
att Damon, Heath Ledger and Robin Williams are in negotiations to co-star in Terry Gilliam's period fantasy Brothers Grimm, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The project will be released by MGM and is set to begin production in June in Prague.
Damon and Ledger will tentatively play the titular brothers, who "travel the countryside pulling off exorcisms but soon come upon a real fairy tale curse requiring genuine courage," the trade paper reported. Williams plays a villain alongside Jonathan Pryce, who is also attached to the project. Gilliam can currently be seen on screen in Lost In La Mancha, a documentary account of the director's disastrous attempt to film an adaptation of Don Quixote.
Miramax Plans Halloween IX
studio source told Moviehole.com that Miramax plans to continue the Halloween horror franchise with a ninth film.
The proposed film is currently without a confirmed cast or director, but is tentatively scheduled for release in the summer of 2004, the site said.
Last year's Halloween: Resurrection, starring rapper Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks, featured the return of homicidal maniac Michael Myers from the dead. The film earned $28 million at the box office, making it the third-highest grossing film in the franchise behind John Carpenter's original Halloween, with an estimated $47 million, and 1998's Halloween: 20, which earned about $55 million.
Herc And Xena DVDs Due
nchor Bay Entertainment has bought the home video rights to syndicated TV sensations Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Variety reported.
The company also plans to release additional seasons of the TV series Highlander to follow up last year's boxed set, which included the complete first season and a special edition of the original 1986 film.
Hercules bowed in 1994 as a made-for-TV movie and went on to six seasons and 100 episodes. Xena, a spinoff that debuted as a series in 1995, aired 130 episodes, also through six seasons. The Highlander feature has spawned three sequels and 140 TV episodes. Dimension is planning a fifth feature film in 2004, and an animated series is also in the works, the trade paper said.
Scarlet Game Coming
atfish Studios announced that it is developing a PC game entitled Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, based on the classic 1970's puppet-animated TV series from Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson.
The tactical strategy game will be published and released by Digital Workshop this summer in the UK.
Players will guide the indestructible Captain Scarlet or Captain Blue as they struggle to save the Earth from Captain Black and the Mysterons using futuristic weapons and vehicles. Early screen shots of the game are available on the company's Web site.
THQ Unveils Sphinx
ame publisher THQ announced that it will release Eurocom's action-adventure game Sphinx in the fall of 2003.
The game is currently being developed for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube systems and will feature original characters in a setting inspired by the mythology of ancient Egypt.
Players of the game will guide the character of Sphinx through magic portals to foil the evil plans of Set and find the stolen mystical crowns of Egypt, the company said.
Dimension Holds Water
imension Films has optioned the film rights to the proposed survival-horror video game Backwater, Variety reported.
Although the game has yet to be released, the studio purchased the rights to the property based on the game-design document, which includes a scenario and characters as well as more technical, game-oriented material, the trade paper reported.
The premise of the game revolves around the player's attempt to escape from a swamp inhabited by a killer named Mr. Jangle. Backwater creators Flint Dille and John Zuur Platten of Bureau of Film and Games retain video game development rights, which they will continue to shop to game publishers, and will be credited as producers on both the game and any movies. Previous concepts developed by the team include Dead to Rights, which is published by Namco, and Eidos' horror franchise Fear Effect.
Fishburne Into Alchemist
atrix star Laurence Fishburne has signed on to write, direct and star in the film adaptation of Paulo Coehlo's widely-read fable The Alchemist, Variety reported.
The best-selling book follows a Spanish shepherd boy on a philosophical journey to the Egyptian pyramids, where he meets an alchemist who can turn iron into gold. Warner Brothers is set to produce and distribute the film.
Briefly Noted
-
Matrix star Carrie-Anne Moss announced that she is expecting a child with her husband, Stephen Roy, in early fall. It's the first child for both of them.
-
Dark Horizons reported that the title of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean film has changed to Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl in order to distinguish the film from the theme park ride on which it's loosely based.
-
TheOneRing.net reported a rumor that video stores may be stocking the DVD release of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as early as June of 2003.
-
Sabrina the Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart revealed on The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn that her summer wedding to musician Mark Wilkerson, and the period leading up to it, will be filmed and aired as a reality series on ABC.
-
Disney has announced that it is not renewing its deal with UPN to provide animated shows to the network. Poor ratings due to cable channel competition were listed as a major factor in the decision.
-
Twentieth Century Fox has released a new trailer for the upcoming X-Men sequel, X2, on the film's official Web site, the studio announced. The film opens May 2.
-
The Digital Bits Web site has posted tentative cover art for a potential release of the Indiana Jones trilogy on DVD.
-
Actress Kate Hudson has been tapped to host the upcoming sci-tech Oscar ceremony, according to the Associated Press. The March 1 event honors the year's technological advances in motion picture arts and sciences.
-
Universal Pictures has launched the official Web site for its upcoming horror film Van Helsing. The film is set to open May 21, 2004.
-
A trailer for the upcoming Twentieth Century Fox film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen has been added to film's official Web site. The film, starring Sean Connery as Allan Quatermain, opens June 6.
Back to the top.
