JMS To Quit Jeremiah?
. Michael Straczynski, executive producer of Showtime's SF series Jeremiah, told fans on a message board that he won't return to the series if it's picked up for a third season.
"I have zero desire to return to a third season of Jeremiah," Straczynski posted on the rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated newsgroup on July 24. "Showtime was great, no mistake, but MGM [which produces the show] has overall been the most heinous, difficult and intrusive studio I've ever worked for. I've worked for, and had great relations with, Viacom, Universal, Warner Brothers and a bunch more. But I will never, ever, work for the present administration at MGM."
Asked in a subsequent post whether the show could continue without him, Straczynski replied, "Sure, they could definitely do so. At the end of the day, it's their show, and if there should be a season three, they would have no choice but to bring someone else in. As an aside ... none of this should be taken as a diss of the coming season. I honestly think that the second season is miles better than our first season.
It's more consistent, takes more chances, it's really a very strong season. Thing of it is, you look at the quality of the work, and the amount of blood on the floor in getting to that point, and have to decide if the one is worth the other. The process is hard enough without others making it even harder than it has to be. And there we are." The second season of Jeremiah commences on Sept. 19.
Astin Joins Jeremiah
ean Astin told SCI FI Wire that he will appear in most of the second-season episodes of Showtime's SF series Jeremiah, playing an odd prophet.
"I'm really excited to see how it turned out, actually," Astin said in an interview at the recent Comic-Con International. "If Showtime picks it up [for a third season], they own me for eight more. I directed an episode of that. That was great."
In the upcoming season, Astin said that he appears in 13 of 15 episodes. "I play Mr. Smith," said the Lord of the Rings star. "He's sort of an unwitting prophet or a fool. I, Sean, was an actor, a vessel, through which [series creator J.] Michael Straczynski could sort of explore his relationship with God. And the character, you know, claims that God is speaking through him. So it was richly rewarding and stimulating to my own spiritual [nature]. ... I loved it. ... We finished a few months ago." Jermiah returns to Showtime on Sept. 19.
Spike's Angel-ic Return
he Ain't It Cool News Web site has posted a sneak peek at the second episode of the fifth season of the WB's Angel, in which James Marsters' platinum-haired vampire Spike returns from the dead, in a manner of speaking.
Since the character met his demise last spring in the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, sources have been tight-lipped as to how Marsters would make the transition to the spinoff. But according to casting pages acquired by Ain't It Cool News, Spike will return as an intangible ghost who is somehow "stuck" to Angel. The site also hinted that the episode, reportedly being written by David Fury and Ben Edlund, furthers the tension between Angel and his new employers, Wolfram and Hart. Angel returns to the WB Oct. 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Calling Is Angelic
eil Moritz, producer of Fox's upcoming SF series Tru Calling, told SCI FI Wire that production has begun on the first episode, which he characterized as "our version of what Touched by an Angel should be."
"It's much hipper," he said in an interview. "It's got a great feel to it."
Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) plays Tru Davies, a young morgue worker who receives messages from the dead, then zaps back in time to prevent their deaths. Moritz said that the show would handle the
violence tastefully. "I wouldn't say there's gruesome gore," he said. "Obviously we're dealing with death, and there are some horrific images, but it's not over the top by any means."
Moritz added that Fox has ordered 13 episodes, but that he hopes to produce a lot more. Tru Calling will air Thursdays at 8 p.m., starting in the fall.
More Alias For Garner
ennifer Garner, who stars as CIA agent Sydney Bristow in the ABC spy drama Alias, is finalizing a new deal that will keep her on the show through the 2007-08 season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The deal will extend Garner's commitment to the Touchstone Television by an additional year, through the show's seventh season, the trade paper reported.
Garner is expected to receive a substantial salary bump under the renegotiation, from an estimated $40,000 per episode to about $150,000 per episode. In addition to her two Emmy nominations, Garner's performance has earned her two Golden Globe nominations and a win in 2002. Alias, which returns for a third season in the fall, airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Campbell Hurt In Crash
enre actor and director Bruce Campbell, 45, suffered minor injuries in an auto accident this weekend in Oregon, the Associated Press and Zap2it reported.
Campbell's car was struck on July 26 by a Jeep driven by Steven Michael Sellars, 36, who was listed in critical condition with head injuries, the site reported.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Department cited Sellars for driving under the influence of intoxicants, assault, failing to maintain lane of travel, driving while suspended and for outstanding traffic tickets, the AP reported.
Campbell (Evil Dead), who makes his home in Jacksonville, Ore., was treated and released from the hospital.
Underworld Seeks Own Look
en Wiseman, director of the upcoming vampires vs. werewolves movie Underworld, told SCI FI Wire that he knows that his stylized film may draw comparisons with other recent genre movies.
"I knew that right from the beginning, OK, we've got a vampire movie, and it's got guns. Blade," he said in an interview at the recent Comic-Con International. "Or, if you dress somebody up in black leather, it's The Matrix. Even though [Terminator 2] did it. But because it was so popular, that's what you're up against."
Wiseman, who makes his feature-film directorial debut with Underworld, said that he can't worry about such comparisons. "You just kind of have to go with what you like as your style," he said. "People say, 'Is this influenced from The Crow, Blade Runner, Batman?' To me, it's influenced from my music video/commercial reel that I've been doing for, like, five [or] six years. It's just the style that I like." Underworld, starring Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman, opens Sept. 19.
DeSanto Upbeat About Galactica
-Men producer Tom DeSanto—whose own plans to produce a new version
of
Battlestar Galactica with director Bryan Singer didn't happen—said that he thinks the miniseries is in "good hands," though it differs from his own vision.
DeSanto was in the audience at Comic-Con International as they previewed Galactica, from executive producer David Eick, writer/executive producer Ronald D. Moore and director Michael Rymer.
"There's a lot of similar themes to the Ronald Moore Galactica and our Galactica, which I'm glad to see," DeSanto said during an interview for SCI FI's upcoming behind-the-scenes special, Battlestar Galactica: The Lowdown. "I just came out of the preview of seeing the miniseries and, I think to fans especially, [I'd say] 'Give them a chance.'"
DeSanto and X-Men helmer Singer worked on Galactica for 18 months before the current team took over. DeSanto said that his and Singer's version would have been a continuation of the original 1970s TV series, while the current version is a re-imagination. But DeSanto added that his version of Galactica would also have included human-looking Cylons, the robotic enemies of humanity.
"We did have human Cylons, but we did it in a different sort of twist,"
DeSanto said. "It was the old Colonials who became indoctrinated into
the Cylon society. The one way that they found they could survive was to give up their free will." In DeSanto and Singer's version, humans were turned into "de facto Cylons" by being injected with nanotechnology, he said.
DeSanto added that he was reserving opinion about the miniseries' other big change: making Starbuck a woman. He said that he would take a "wait and see" attitude about that change, but that he had his fingers crossed. "I'll be tuned in in December," he said. Cast members Jamie Bamber (Apollo), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) and Tricia Helfer (Number Six) joined executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick to answer fan questions and screen footage from the upcoming miniseries. Battlestar Galactica premieres Dec. 7.
Azkaban Is Darker
ewsweek reported that the upcoming third Harry Potter film, The Prisoner of Azkaban, will be darker than its predecessors, owing to new director Alfonso Cuarón (A Little Princess).
"Alfonso is much more gritty than Chris [Columbus] ever was," star Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) told the magazine. "He's really into the idea that [shooting] should be fluid and natural. People can be eating an apple during a take."
Among other things, the film will feature the soul-sucking dementors, who guard Azkaban Prison, the magazine said. Cuarón's design team promises that the movie's palette will reflect the gathering darkness. For Hogsmeade, set designer Stuart Craig labored to avoid a "pretty, chocolate-box" village, creating a main street that swerves zanily. Honeydukes, the candy store, is floor-to-ceiling psychedelia. And, the magazine reported, Cuarón has reimagined the role of Professor Dumbledore after Richard Harris' death. British actor Michael Gambon now plays the Hogwarts headmaster as an elegant old hippie, Newsweek reported. Azkaban will hit theaters June 4, 2004.
Jackson Wraps Episode III
he Dark Horizons Web site reported that Samuel L. Jackson has wrapped his final scenes in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode III.
Jackson, who reprises the role of Mace Windu, reportedly finished shooting in Sydney on July 24.
The site added that Jackson may return for pickup shots. Episode III, the final chapter in the prequel trilogy, continues to shoot Down Under.
Night Remake Due
liver Hudson's Workshed Entertainment has optioned the rights to remake Bob Clark's 1972 zombie thriller Dead of Night, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The original Dead of Night tells the story of a soldier who returns from the Vietnam War as a bloodthirsty zombie. The remake will see the young man return from a war in the Middle East, the trade paper reported. After a series of murders occur in his town, the people realize he has been brought back from the dead. Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) will direct.
Workshed and its parent company, Cosmic Entertainment, which is co-owned by Kurt Russell and Hudson's mother, Goldie Hawn, are also developing a contemporary horror film based on Little Red Riding Hood. The thriller, entitled Red, is loosely based on the idea that Little Red Riding Hood has grown up and become a tough werewolf hunter in New York seeking revenge on the big bad wolf who killed her grandmother, the trade paper reported.
Robocop Rumor False
representative for director Paul Verhoeven has denied a story reported by the Dark Horizons Web site in which the director is quoted as saying that he is working on a fourth film in the Robocop franchise.
According to an e-mail sent by Verhoeven's agent to the Robocop Database Web site, the quote was a fabrication.
"That quote and the entire section about Robocop is made up by the writer," the representative told the site. "Paul did speak of doing another Robocop in the past, but nothing is in the works at the moment." The e-mail went on to confirm the report that Verhoeven is currently casting the upcoming New Line film Solace, a thriller about a psychic cop tracking down a murderer.
A&E To Tell Ghost Tales
able network A&E is developing a series of supernatural films based on the work of legendary writers like Charles Dickens, according to the The Hollywood Reporter.
Producer Robyn Rosenfeld of Three Muse Productions is in talks with the network to develop screenplays based on classic literature to be directed by independent filmmakers.
Expected to be in the vein of supernatural thrillers like The Sixth Sense, A&E's Ghost Tales will likely debut in 2005, the trade paper reported. Rosenfeld was one of the executive producers of Creature Features,, a collection of remakes of 1950s-era cult horror films that aired on Cinemax in 2001. Ghost will be A&E's first foray into the supernatural realm.
Season Has Values
atthew Modine—who portrays baseball player Honus Wagner in the made-for-TV movie The Winning Season—told SCI FI Wire that the time-travel story is about old-fashioned values.
"It's about honesty, being a gentleman, [and] about manners, how perhaps people had more manners and were more polite in the past. [It's about] the values of the past and the game of baseball," Modine said in an interview. "The idea that a baseball player could make so much money today, all the [past] baseball players—Babe Ruth and Honus—they're all laughing."
Season, based on the book Honus and Me by Dan Gutman, tells the story of a boy who finds a valuable baseball card, but his parents will not let him sell it. Through the dugout of an old baseball diamond, he travels back to the 1909 World Series and finds himself transformed into an adult, played by Jerry O'Connell. His relationship with the classic ball players teaches him that money is not as important as he thought. "When he says baseball players have servants and they live in big mansions, they just can't believe any of it," Modine said. "When he tells them that they make more money than the president, they just think the kid's lost his mind."
Modine added that he is currently training with an active minor league team in preparation for the role. "It was an unbelievably difficult schedule," he said. "They play 76 games and have four days off." The Winning Season, directed by TV veteran John Kent Harrison (Helen of Troy), is set to premiere on cable network TNT in the spring of 2004.
Murphy Happy With Feet
rittany Murphy—who voices the role of a penguin named Gloria in the upcoming computer-animated musical Happy Feet—told SCI FI Wire that she was impressed with the production values of the film.
"It's definitely the most original, incredible script and storyboard and concept that I've seen since Baz Luhrmann showed me the storyboards for Moulin Rouge three years before the film came out," Murphy said in an interview.
Murphy stars alongside Elijah Wood, who provides the voice for a musically challenged penguin named Mumble. "Elijah's character can't sing and all of the rest of the penguins can," Murphy said. "The character I play is the best singer, and she just wants to hear a heart song from him. Each penguin has a heart song. They think something is wrong with him and they send him away. It's just funny and clever and witty. The music is unbelievable, and we start recording [the songs] in October."
Murphy said that she and Wood had finished most of the non-musical voice work. "Elijah and I have recorded our voices for most of the film," she said. "It's just an unbelievable musical and there are all these fabulous jokes that will go over kids' heads." The Warner Brothers film, which also features the voice of Robin Williams as four different characters, is directed by George Miller (Mad Max, Babe). Happy Feet is heading toward a 2006 release.
Mythopoeic Winners Named
inners were announced July 27 for the 2003 Mythopoeic Awards, honoring fantasy literature and scholarship.
This year's awards were announced at a banquet during Mythcon XXXIV, which took place in Nashville, Tenn., July 25-28. A full list of winners follows.
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, Adult Literature
•Ombria In Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, Children's Literature
•Summerland by Michael Chabon
Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies
•Beowulf and the Critics by J.R.R. Tolkien, Michael D.C. Drout, ed.
Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Myth and Fantasy Studies
•Fairytale in the Ancient World by Graham Anderson
Nolan Pumped For Batman 5
irector Christopher Nolan—who is in preproduction on the fifth installment in the Batman film franchise—told British newspaper the London Metro that it's been an enjoyable experience so far.
"I'm having the time of my life," the Memento director told the paper. "[It's at the] very early stages, which is where it's tremendous fun. I'm getting to watch my vision of the world of Batman. To do that and get paid for it is brilliant."
When asked for details about the story, Nolan was less forthcoming. "It's absolutely, excruciatingly top secret," he told the paper. Batman 5 is scheduled for release in 2005.
Reed Drops Fantastic
he Ain't It Cool News Web site reported that director Peyton Reed has dropped out of the proposed Fantastic Four movie.
The site quotes Marvel entertainment executive Avi Arad confirming Reed's departure, but declining to give a reason.
The Fantastic Four movie reportedly remains on track for a holiday 2004 release.
Supe's Suit For Sale
os Angeles-based Profiles in History auctioned off some 360 items of Hollywood memorabilia on July 31, including the Superman costume worn by George Reeves in the 1950s television series and Arnold Schwarzenegger's gloves from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the Reuters news service reported.
The Superman suit was the centerpiece of the auction because it is one of only two known to exist, Profiles chief executive Joseph Maddalena told the news service. It was expected to sell for around $150,000.
The majority of the items auctioned came from science-fiction movies and television shows, "hot" material for collectors, according to Maddalena. Last year, Profiles auctioned Capt. Kirk's command chair from the original Star Trek television series for $306,000, the news service said. Bids can be made in person at Profiles in History's Beverly Hills office or online at the eBay Web site.
Fans Choose Witchblade Deaths
op Cow is asking readers to choose who will live and who will die in an upcoming Witchblade comic series, the Comics Continuum reported.
The voting process will determine the deaths of two characters, the site reported.
Top Cow's Matt Hawkins told the Continuum that the voting process will begin in Witchblade number 70. A pool of 12 characters will be presented in that issue, with readers voting which two characters they want to protect. Each issue, two more characters will be protected, until the last two remaining are killed in Witchblade 75, the site reported.
Even the lead character is in jeopardy. "If Sara Pezzini is whacked, then we'll have to give somebody else the Witchblade," Hawkins told the site.
Freddy Gets In Jason's Head
obert Englund, who reprises his most famous role in the upcoming horror film Freddy vs. Jason, told SCI FI Wire that the movie allows his Freddy Krueger to get into the mind of Friday the 13th killer Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger).
"I always said, we have to have a Jason Voorhees nightmare," Englund said in an interview at the recent Comic-Con International. "We have to see what makes him tick. What a sick puppy he is."
In the film, Jason has a dream that reveals some of his background, Englund said. "It's also a way to get into the backstory, [a] real graceful, frightening and filmic way to see some exposition," he said. "And there's a point where I lure him into my world, and ... I morph ... [into] the mother. I'm pretending to be his mother, because I know he has real issues."
Englund added that he thinks the film may reinvigorate both the Friday the 13th and the Nightmare on Elm Street franchises, on which it is based. "I think they may be testing the waters at New Line to ... like put some fresh blood into both," he said. "I have a hunch that New Line has one or two great Friday the 13th scripts on the shelf. I know there's one or two great Nightmare on Elm Street scripts." Freddy vs. Jason opens Aug. 15.
Watts Back For Ring 2
aomi Watts told SCI FI Wire that she has agreed to star in the proposed sequel to last year's hit supernatural horror film The Ring.
Watts added that she expects to start shooting next year.
"I really liked that role, and it seemed to do well, so absolutely," Watts said in an interview. Watts played a journalist who discovers a videotape that kills people seven days after they view it.
In December, Ring producer Walter Parkes told SCI FI Wire that the follow-up film would be both a prequel and a sequel, telling parallel stories. Though the original Ring is based on the first film in a series of Japanese horror movies, the U.S. sequel will be an original story.
Sweepstakes Hypes Highlander
ighlander TV star Adrian Paul told SCI FI Wire that Anchor Bay Entertainment is sponsoring a sweepstakes in which the winner will drive away with the 1964 Thunderbird that his character, Duncan MacLeod, drove on the series.
"I think you just turn in a form, and if they draw your name out of the hat, you win Duncan's car," Paul said in an interview.
The actor was in Las Vegas at an event supporting the sweepstakes and
launching Anchor Bay's promotional campaign for its Highlander: Season Two DVD collection, which is in stores now. Sweepstakes entries may be obtained at retailers.
"It's a beautiful car," he said. "They've restored it. It's got a new engine, new seats, new brakes, new paint work, new everything. They've redone it from top to bottom. It's the car I had on the series, but it never seemed to work. They've made it better than it ever was when we used it on the show. They've fixed it up and made it very drivable for many years to come." Paul added that he's waiting for a script for a proposed Highlander 5 feature film.
Piller Previews Dead Zone
hawn Piller,
supervising producer of USA Network's The Dead Zone, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming episode "The Combination" would be a contemporary Rocky story in which Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall) encounters a rising boxing star.
"This guy is about to fulfill his lifelong dream of fighting in the championship fight, but Johnny sees that this guy is going to die," Piller revealed in an interview. "So Johnny has to figure out a way to help him."
"So he ends up getting in this guy's corner, and that's where the episode gets very interesting," Piller said. "It explores the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it's about confidence and whether or not an individual has the power to change his own future. I think the question, 'Do you control
your own destiny?' is a pretty cool theme." USA Network will air "The Combination" at 10 p.m. (ET) on Aug. 10, one week before the second season concludes with a cliffhanger entitled "Visions."
Piller said that he's waiting on word of a third-season pickup. "We couldn't get back on in the fall," he said. "I think the cable model is finally coming together for everyone. It's not smart to go up against the big boys. They like us on in the summer. They like us on in midseason. So the tentative plan is we'd get the pickup in the next couple of weeks, start shooting in November and start airing sometime in March or April [2004]."
USA Network is owned by Vivendi Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.
Snake Goes Interactive
ideo-game developer Namco Hometek Inc. has secured the rights to develop and publish video games based on Kurt Russell's character Snake Plissken from the feature films Escape from New York and Escape from L.A., the company announced.
Russell, along with director John Carpenter and producer Debra Hill, will work directly with Namco on the development of several game titles for multiple platforms. "Bringing Snake into the video game world should be a blast," Russell said in a statement.
Russell will lend his voice to the games, which will feature Plissken battling his way through a post-apocalyptic universe using a combination of fists, firearms, stealth and brains, the company said. Just as in the films, Plissken will face intense and challenging situations, which will require the player to make quick decisions and take decisive actions. The first title featuring the character is expected to be released by December 2005.
Wiseman Opens Black Chapter
irector Len Wiseman (Underworld) told SCI FI Wire that he and writing partner Danny McBride are developing Black Chapter, a supernatural spy movie, for Disney.
McBride and Wiseman, with colleague Kevin Grevioux, also developed the vampire vs. werewolf movie Underworld, which opens Sept. 19.
"We're doing a movie called Black Chapter, which in its pitch was The Sixth Sense meets La Femme Nikita," Wiseman said in an interview at the recent Comic-Con International in San Diego. "When you get down to it, it's really f--king cool. It's the CIA using ethereal agents. ... I've never seen a ghost movie done as a slick action film. There's thrillers. There's comedies. There's horror. Never mixing ghosts with an adrenaline-full, kick-ass action movie."
Wiseman said that no one's cast, though he'd love to sign his Underworld star (and real-life fiancee) Kate Beckinsale. "Nobody yet," he said. "Kate's way too expensive. I'm trying to talk to her about it. I'm seeing what I can do. It's been a process I've been working on for a couple months. It's with Disney. We're writing it right now."
Pride Lionizes Vegas
on Pollack, an executive producer of NBC's upcoming computer-animated series Father of the Pride, told SCI FI Wire that DreamWorks animation honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg got the inspiration for the show while watching Las Vegas magicians Siegfried and Roy.
The show, the first computer-animated prime-time network series, centers on a family of performing lions at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.
"Jeffrey was at a Siegfried and Roy show, where all great ideas ultimately come from, and ... this is probably the 15th or 20th time he'd been to the Siegfried and Roy show, and who knows exactly why?" Pollack said. "And Jeffrey kind of found his mind wandering. He thought, 'There are dancers, and things are disappearing, and there are giant monsters on the stage,' and he just thought, 'What are these animals thinking right now? What is their perspective? If I was a lion or a tiger sitting on the stage, this is just a freak show. How did I end up here? I should be in Africa. What am I doing here?' And that was sort of the genesis of the idea."
The series stars John Goodman as Larry, the father of a lion family that includes wife Kate (Cheryl Hines), two kids and a grandfather, voiced by Carl Reiner. Orlando Jones also provides a voice. "Basically, the concept is we're doing a family show, and it's about a family of lions that work for Siegfried and Roy," Pollack said. "So it's a working-class family of lions. They're in a company town, which is Vegas, and the product is entertainment. And we're trying to do a Roseanne kind of show, but the wacky boss characters are Siegfried and Roy. We have voice actors that are actually going to voice Siegfried and Roy." Father of the Pride is slated for a fall 2004 premiere.
Kingdom Cast Is Set
ndrew McCarthy, Diane Ladd and Bruce Davison will star in ABC's upcoming 15-hour series Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital, a supernatural show from the horrormeister, Variety reported.
The series debuts on Feb. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT with a two-hour premiere, the trade paper reported.
King wrote all 15 hours of the hourlong series, which is based on the Danish miniseries Riget (The Kingdom) from Lars Von Trier. Kingdom Hospital tells the story of a hospital where patients and staff have chosen to ignore telltale signs of mysticism and unseen powers. King describes the project as a cross between ER and The Shining, the trade paper reported.
McCarthy will play Dr. Hook, a surgeon who lives in the hospital basement and collects medical equipment. Ladd plays psychic hypochondriac Mrs. Druse, a regular in Kingdom Hospital's emergency room. Davison will star as Dr. Stegman, an arrogant, inept physician, the trade paper reported.
Nemo DVD Due Nov. 4
uena Vista Home Entertainment announced that it will release a special two-disc collector's edition DVD of the hit Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo on Nov. 4.
The DVD will carry a suggested retail price of $29.99. Nemo is the year's big hit, having grossed more than $312 million so far.
In addition to both widescreen and full-screen versions of the movie, the DVD edition will include an original short film with Jean-Michel Cousteau, never-seen-before scenes, a Pixar studio tour, an interactive game, virtual aquariums, an exclusive making-of documentary and other extras. The discs will also feature the classic Pixar short film Knick Knack, which screened with the movie in theatrical release.
Spy Hunter 2 Transforms
atrick Dillon, product manager for Midway's upcoming Spy Hunter 2, told SCI FI Wire that the video-game sequel introduces a new spy car, the G8511 Interceptor, that can transform into more vehicles than before.
The original game allowed transformation into a boat or motorcycle. "We're going to introduce ... the snowmobile mode and the 4X4 off-road mode as well," Dillon said in an interview.
The player will also be able to command the Interceptor to transform into a motorcycle to make a faster getaway. In Spy Hunter 1, the computer determined when the car transformed. "If you're forced into a situation where you have to abandon the Interceptor and go for the bike, you definitely are going to be able to complete all the missions," Dillon said. "Will it be a little bit more difficult? Yeah. But it will not restrict you from completing a mission."
The game also features a new character, a female spy whom the player must protect in certain missions. "She'll be integral to the plot in a number of different missions throughout the game, but she will be AI-controlled," Dillon said. Spy Hunter 2 will be released in the fall for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
Game Dampened Tomb 2?
aramount blamed problems with the latest Tomb Raider video game for dampening the box-office response to its sequel film Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, which opened to weaker-than-expected ticket sales, Reuters reported.
Cradle of Life, the second film based on game heroine Lara Croft, opened in fourth place at the U.S. box office over the weekend, with sales of $21.7 million, well below the opening weekend of 2001's first Lara Croft Tomb Raider.
Paramount executives blamed an over-abundance of sequels this summer, but also pointed to Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, the latest game in the franchise from Britain's Eidos, the news service reported. "The only thing we can attribute that to is that the gamers were not happy with the latest version of the Tomb Raider video game, which is our core audience," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen told the news service.
A spokesman for Eidos in Great Britain said the company had no comment on Paramount's argument. The game was released in the United States on June 20 and in early July in Europe after repeated delays put it months behind schedule, Reuters reported. It is currently the number-two game across all formats in the United Kingdom, according to the European Leisure Software Publishers Association, and was the number-two game in June in the United States across platforms, according to NPDFunworld, the news service reported.
But critics, at least in the United States, have bashed the game for what they said are numerous bugs that make it almost unplayable, Reuters reported. A senior Eidos development executive, Jeremy Heath-Smith, resigned days after the game was released. GameRankings.com, a site that tracks game reviews and averages scores into an overall ranking, showed a score of 58 percent for Angel of Darkness as of July 28, which puts it well out of the "Most Popular" list, Reuters reported. Most top games score better than 80 percent.
Mutant X Changes Cast
ohn Shea will not be returning as a cast member of Mutant X for its third season, but will be featured as a special recurring guest star, Tribune Entertainment told the Comics Continuum Web site.
The third season of the SF TV series will begin in syndication the week of Sept. 29.
In other casting changes, Karen Cliche will play a new character, Lexa Pierce, and Lauren Lee Smith, who played Emma, will not be returning. Victor Webster (Brennan), Victoria Pratt (Shalimar) and Forbes March (Jesse) will all return, the site reported.
In the season premiere, "Into the Moonless Night," Lexa Pierce is introduced as the unwitting subject of genetic experimentation gone awry, who has powers that allow her to manipulate light in amazing ways, the site reported. The team also learns that everything they thought they knew about their world and Sanctuary no longer applies.
Third Bionicle Film OK'd
iramax Films has given the green light to a third movie based on the Bionicle line of toys, even though the first two movies have yet to come out, Variety reported.
The first film, the computer-animated Bionicle: Mask of Light, will make a DVD premiere on Sept. 16. The second CGI film is targeted for theatrical release; it's still in story development, with a planned release in late 2005 or early 2006, the trade paper reported.
The two movies were produced by Lego Media International's Create TV & Film company, the trade paper reported. Last year, Miramax signed on as worldwide distributor of the movies.
Miramax is a producing partner on the new picture with Lego Media, the trade paper reported. The new project is targeted for an earlier release than number two. The new film will be released exclusively on DVD in the fall of 2004, at least a year ahead of the theatrical film. Budgets for the direct-to-DVD movies are estimated at $5 million each, the trade paper reported.
Briefly Noted
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According to the Smallville fan Web site Kryptonsite, actor Rutger Hauer will appear in upcoming episodes as crime boss Morgan Edge, a villain who originally appeared in the Superman comic book.
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Mike Bickford of Streetsboro, Ohio, was crowned July 27 as the 2003 Star Wars trading card game national champion at the Gen Con game fair in Indianapolis. Bickford's winnings include a seven-day trip for two to Italy and an entertainment package including a 32-inch high-definition TV, surround-sound stereo, Xbox video-game system and a host of Star Wars products.
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The Superhero Hype Web site has posted an early teaser poster for the upcoming sequel Spider-Man 2.
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A Malaysian government minister has called on Islamic authorities to ban Jim Carrey's latest film, Bruce Almighty, Reuters reported. Referring to the film's plot, which features Carrey's character taking on the powers and responsibilities of God, minister Abdul Hamid Zainal told newspapers, "We cannot equate ourselves with God—even as a joke."
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Arnold Schwarzenegger's publicist, Jill Eisenstadt, denied a report in the Sacramento Bee that Schwarzenegger would stay out of the race for California governor if former L.A. mayor Richard Riordan wanted to run, Zap2it reported. The Terminator star has not made a decision, the publicist said.
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The IGN FilmForce Web site reported a rumor that Josh Lucas (Hulk) is in the running to play a police detective named Nick opposite Halle Berry in the upcoming Catwoman movie. Benjamin Bratt (TV's Law & Order) is also under consideration, the site reported.
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The Dark Horizons Web site reported that Uma Thurman and Czech star Tomas Hanak have joined the cast of Brothers Grimm, likely taking over the roles left by Nicole Kidman and Robin Williams.
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The official Web site for the upcoming sequel film Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed has been updated with new images and a teaser poster. The movie is slated for a March 2004 release.
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The British Register news Web site reported that a consortium has bought the rights to the 1970s U.K. TV series Blake's 7 and plans to revive it as a miniseries, Blake's Seven: A Rebellion Reborn. The consortium—which reportedly includes Paul Darrow, who played Avon—bought the rights from the widow of Terry Nation, creator of the show.
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The parents of the infamous Star Wars kid are suing classmates who posted a humiliating video of their son on the Interet, according to Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper. Quebec teenager Ghyslian Raza was the target of worldwide mockery when a private video he made of himself practicing his lightsaber moves was uploaded by kids at his school.
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Talk-show host Kelly Ripa has joined the voice cast of the independent animated film Delgo, playing the handmaiden and best friend of the film's female protagonist, Princess Kyla, Variety reported. The 3-D computer-animated film follows the fantasy adventures of Kyla and Bogardus, youths from different races on a planet facing extinction.
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