X2 Scribes Adapt Ender
2 writers Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty will adapt Orson Scott Card's beloved SF novels Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow for the screen, to be directed by Wolfgang Petersen, Variety reported.
Warner Brothers will produce. The Hugo Award-winning book series begins on Earth after an alien attack, when gifted children are recruited for war, with a prodigy leading the assault against the aliens, the trade paper reported.
Card resisted offers to sell the books until last year, when he signed the Warner deal not only for a potential film franchise, but also for potential computer and video games with the Warners Consumer Products division, the trade paper reported.
Petersen is producing with Robert Chartoff, Diana Rathbun and Ted Ravinett.
Harris and Dougherty shared credit on X2 with original X-Men writer David Hayter. The duo will team with X-Men director Bryan Singer to create a year's worth of Ultimate X-Men comics for Marvel and then will likely move to the third X-Men film at 20th Century Fox, the trade paper reported.
Heat's On Hellboy's Perlman
on Perlman, who plays the title character in the upcoming comic-book adaptation Hellboy, told SCI FI Wire that he's feeling the pressure of his first leading role.
"I said to [director] Guillermo [del Toro] when we got greenlit finally, 'Under normal circumstances I would be on my hands and knees throwing up right now, because I would be so intimidated,'" Perlman said in an interview at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention in Pasadena, Calif. "But the screenplay [he] wrote was so delicious I couldn't wait to start playing it. And whatever nervousness there was, whatever anticipation there might have been, was totally trumped by this eagerness to go."
In particular, Perlman said he is eager to see how devoted fans of Mike Mignola's comic series will respond to the film. "These people are incredibly possessive about this particular comic book," Perlman said. "The whole world of Mignola, it's a very elite world. [They're saying,] 'We're really excited to see what you've been doing, but if you f--k this up, you'd better watch where you walk.' So there's a reserve. Maybe after the film comes out, if they dig it and they think we held our head up high with regards to adapting the material, it'll be different. But they're very conservative. I dig that, by the way. I like when people are daring you to keep the bar raised high. It makes you take better care in representing the material."
Though he's only seen a few scenes while re-recording some of his lines in post-production, Perlman said he likes what he's seen so far. "I've seen a lot of my scenes," he said. "Not all of them, but a lot. And it looks pretty much like it felt when we were doing it, only a little bit better, because Guillermo is such a beautiful filmmaker. He makes beautiful frames. [Cinematographer] Guillermo Navarro did an incredible job. Added a real elegance to the feel of it. But I reserve judgment until it's scored and all the visual effects are in and you sit down and it's a matter of you and a bag of popcorn and whatever washes over you." Hellboy opens in theaters April 2.
Star Wars DVDs Coming
s expected, Lucasfilm and Fox on Feb. 10 announced that they will finally release DVD editions of the first three Star Wars films on Sept. 21 in North America, with international release dates following closely.
Lucasfilm Ltd. and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will release the four-disc collection as the Star Wars Trilogy, which will feature the special editions of the three movies, not their original theatrical release versions.
The set will include Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, along with a bonus disc filled with all-new special features,
including a feature-length documentary about the Star Wars saga and never-before-seen footage from the making of all three films, the company said. Each of the three films has been digitally restored and remastered by THX. The trilogy will be available exclusively as a collection and will feature Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX.
Knowles Up For Superman
rammy-winning R&B singer Beyonce Knowles confirmed to the syndicated TV show Extra that she is indeed up for the role of Lois Lane in the proposed new Superman movie.
Rumors have circulated, and been rebutted, that Knowles was in line for the iconic role of the spunky reporter and love interest to Clark Kent/Superman.
"I hope so," Knowles told the show. "Everyone pray that happens for me."
No actor has yet been cast for the title role, though several hot young Hollywood stars have been linked to it.
Gellar Eyed For WW?
uffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar is rumored to be at the top of the list for the title role in a proposed Wonder Woman movie, which would put her in direct competition with former co-star Charisma Carpenter, according to a report in the tabloid Daily Star, as reported by SkyNews.
The tabloid cited no sources for the rumor.
Former Buffy and Angel star Carpenter (Cordelia Chase) earlier told TV Guide Online that she was angling for the role herself. "Charisma is a strong contender and she's equally as sexy," a movie insider told the Star.
Gellar is preparing to shoot the lead role in the upcoming supernatural thriller film The Grudge, a remake of a hit Japanese movie.
King DVD Adds New Scenes
irector Peter Jackson told Entertainment Weekly magazine that some of the hour's worth of extra footage cut from the theatrical release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King could find its way into the upcoming DVD edition.
"I'm going to work on an extended DVD version, though I don't think all of that will make it in, because the pacing would be really weird," Jackson told the magazine. "But there's some good stuff that's not in the book."
Among the excised scenes: a humorous bit between Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) and Legolas (Orlando Bloom) having a drinking competition. "I really quite liked [it]," Jackson said. "But we felt [it was too comedic] at a point when we wanted to set up the tension of the story. And there's a sequence of Sam [Sean Astin] and Frodo [Elijah Wood] disguised as orcs, where they end up in the orc army for a while."
King Leads Saturn Nods
he Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King received the most nominations—13—among the movies nominated for the 30th Annual Saturn Awards, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films announced.
The Saturn Awards honor the best in genre film, television and home entertainment. This year's awards ceremony will be sponsored by Cinescape magazine.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King received nominations for best fantasy picture, best actor (Viggo Mortensen and Elijah Wood), best supporting actor (Sean Astin, Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis), best director (Peter Jackson) and best writing (Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens).
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl got nine nominations, and X2 got seven.
In television categories, SCI FI Channel received nine nominations, including four for Stargate SG-1. The WB's Smallville and Angel each received five nominations. ABC's Alias got four.
Special award recipients this year include composer John Williams (Lifetime Achievement Award), Blake Edwards (Life Career Award), Ridley Scott (George Pal Memorial Award), Gale Anne Hurd (Dr. Donald A. Reed Award), Paul G. Allen (The Visionary Award) and Eli Roth (The Filmmakers Showcase Award).
Jackson Wins DGA For Rings
eter Jackson won the Directors Guild of America's 2003 award for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, an award that has historically prefigured the best-director Oscar, the Reuters news service reported.
Only six times since 1949 has the DGA winner not received the Oscar, and there is a high correlation between best director and best picture Oscar winners, the news service reported.
Jackson accepted the award on Feb. 7 with humility, praising his cast and co-workers and saying "I had the most amazing time" making the film, which he described as a tale of "courage, friendship and faith," Reuters reported.
Tolkien Kin Digs Rings Films
oyd Tolkien, great-grandson of Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien, told the Reuters news service that he is a big fan of Peter Jackson's film trilogy based on the beloved books.
Tolkien, who lives in north Wales in the United Kingdom, said he was worried when he first heard a Hollywood movie studio wanted to adapt his great-grandfather's fantasy books.
"When they were first being made, I thought, 'Oh, God, a Hollywood film. There will be too much crammed into one movie, so many things will be left out,'" Tolkien told the wire service. "But since seeing the films, I've had a complete reversal. It's been like a breath of fresh air, and I've watched them seven times."
The final movie installment, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, has racked up more than $940 million in global ticket sales and is leading the pack in the race for Oscars, with a hobbit-hole full of awards already.
Chadha Dreams Of Jeannie
urinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) is in talks to direct the upcoming I Dream of Jeannie, a movie based on the 1960s fantasy TV series, Variety reported.
Out of the Blue Entertainment's Sid Ganis and Alex Siskin will produce. Timing on the film isn't clear, the trade paper reported.
Cormac and Marianne Wibberley (The 6th Day) wrote the script, which is ready to shoot, the trade paper reported. In this version of the story, the genie differs from Barbara Eden's subservient character in the NBC series that ran from 1965-'70. The film opens 2,000 years ago in Persia, where a young woman's quest to become a soldier earns her the punishment of being stuck in a bottle and sentenced to serve the first person who finds her, the trade paper reported.
The trade paper also speculated that Bend It Like Beckham co-star Keira Knightley might be ideal to play the title character, but Ganis told the paper that they won't make any casting decisions until Chadha's deal is done.
Stargate Ride Opens In Bremen
GM Studios has opened the first theme-park ride based on SCI FI Channel's original series Stargate SG-1, at the Space Center in Bremen, Germany.
The theme park has allowed visitors into the Stargate SG 3000 simulator ride since a soft opening on Dec. 19, but officially launched the ride at a VIP celebration on Feb. 11.
Stargate SG 3000 features a four-minute simulation film that lets audiences experience what happens when the Stargate allows them to jump to different dimensions. Thirty-five people at a time can ride in one of three simulators, trying to recapture the Gate Key from the evil Satra, a character created especially for the ride. The attraction also includes a themed queuing area and a retail shop.
The Space Center Bremen is Europe's largest indoor adventure park, with space-themed attractions and entertainment. New episodes of Stargate SG-1 air Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SCI FI.
Enterprise Fate Uncertain
eslie Moonves, the CBS chief who also oversees sister network UPN, told the Scripps Howard News Service that the fate of UPN's struggling Star Trek: Enterprise is uncertain and will remain so for the next several months.
Despite a change in the series' storyline and the addition of Star Trek to its title, Enterprise has seen its ratings languish without improvement from the previous season, UPN entertainment president Dawn Ostroff told the news service.
"We just picked up three drama pilots. We'll pick up a few more after that," Moonves said. "You see the new stuff, you see the old stuff, and you compare and say, 'What is the better schedule?' So it's not like, 'Gee, if Enterprise is up 10 percent between now and May, it will get picked up.' ... It's, 'All right. How do we build Wednesday better?' 'Does it include Enterprise?' Very possibly. 'Does it not?' Possibly as well."
It's possible that, instead of being canceled, Enterprise could move to Friday nights, Moonves added.
Jovovich Unveils Evil 2
illa Jovovich, star of the upcoming sequel film Resident Evil: Apocalypse, told MTV.com that the movie picks up where the last one left off.
"At the end of the first movie my character survives by the skin of her teeth, and she enters this city, and it's completely destroyed, and we don't really know what's going on," Jovovich told the site. "At the beginning of this one we pick that up, and we see the back history of how the city became deserted, and we meet all of the characters."
Resident Evil: Apocalypse, like its 2002 predecessor, is based on the hit video game series. It introduces the new character of Jill Valentine, the heroine of the game series, to be played by Sienna Guillory.
"I've been told a lot about Jill, and when I tell other people I'm playing her, they're like, 'You must be scared' and 'That's such a big responsibility,'" Guillory told the site. "She's awesome, she kicks ass, and people love her."
The movie pits the two heroines against zombies, their corporate creators and a giant monster called Nemesis, the site added. Resident Evil: Apocalpyse is set to open Oct. 1.
Fowl Filming Delayed
film version of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl children's fantasy books has been postponed because of unfavorable dollar exchange rates, the British Z Review Web site reported.
The Harry Potter rival had been set to film this summer in Ireland. But the euro-to-dollar rate has increased the cost of the production by nearly 20 percent, the site reported.
There was no word as to whether Miramax would transfer production elsewhere, the site added.
Gibson Too Old For Max 4?
el Gibson suggested to the Moviehole Web site that he's getting too old to reprise one of his signature roles in the much-delayed Mad Max 4: Fury Road.
"It’s getting to the point where they'll start calling it Fat Max," Gibson told the site.
Gibson added that he still hopes to work again with Mad Max creator and director George Miller and fellow Australian director Peter Weir. "Those guys are masters, so of course I’d love to work with them again. The trouble is, will they want me?"
Mythica Canceled
icrosoft announced that it has canceled Mythica, its forthcoming massively multiplayer online fantasy role-playing game, according to a statement on the official Web site.
"Based on a careful evaluation of the competitive MMORPG landscape, Microsoft Game Studios has decided to cancel the Windows-based game Mythica," the company's statement said. "As a result of this effort, job eliminations within Microsoft Game Studios will take place, and up to 40 employees may be impacted."
"Our goal with Mythica was to create a truly innovative massively multiplayer online role-playing game," Adam Waalkes, studio manager at Microsoft Game Studios, said in a statement. "While the game looked ready to deliver advancements to the genre, after careful evaluation of the MMORPG landscape, MGS has decided to streamline its portfolio, making fewer investments in this genre. After a rigorous review of current and future projects, the decision was made that Mythica would not be one of the projects we would continue to invest in."
The title was to have been based on Norse mythology. No mention was made of a lawsuit filed in December against Microsoft by Mythic Entertainment, developer and publisher of the MMORPG Dark Age of Camelot. Mythic filed suit against Microsoft in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria for trademark infringement and unfair competition, claiming that Mythica infringed on Mythic's name and registered trademark.
Neeson Confirmed In Batman
onfirming widespread rumors, The Hollywood Reporter said that
Liam Neeson (Star Wars: Episode I) is in final talks to star opposite Christian Bale in Warner Brothers' upcoming Batman movie, which is being directed by Christopher Nolan.
Neeson would join Bale, who will put on the cowl and cape, and Michael Caine, who is appearing as Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred, the trade paper reported. Katie Holmes and Cillian Murphy also have been cast.
The studio declined comment on Neeson's role. Neeson is best known to SF fans as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace.
Thompson Talks Potter
mma Thompson told the Empire Online Web site that she had specific ideas about her character, divination professor Sybil Trelawney, in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban film.
"She was so much fun to play," Thompson told the site. "I decided that, since she was someone who saw into the future, she had to be someone who couldn’t see anything at all in the present. Like where she was going, her clothing, anything."
Thompson added, "I decided to dress her slightly differently, and had wonderful cooperation from my director [Alfonso Cuarón] and designer and everything." Prisoner of Azkaban opens June 4.
Thompson, meanwhile, will play the title role in Nanny McPhee, her self-penned adaptation of the Nurse Matilda series by Christina Brand, the site reported. McPhee is a governess who uses magic to quell seven extremely naughty children. Colin Firth is in talks to play the father, the site added. Shooting starts on April 1 in London.
Bates Joins New Popeye
athy Bates will voice a character in an upcoming computer-animated TV special Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy, which will mark the character's 75th anniversary, Variety reported.
Bates will supply the voice of Popeye's archenemy, the Sea Hag/Siren, in the Fox network special, which is due to air at the end of the year, the trade paper reported.
Former Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh will whip up a new version of the classic theme Popeye the Sailor Man, the trade paper reported. Mothersbaugh's previous credits include Pee Wee's Playhouse and Rugrats.
Hearst-owned King Features Syndicate is relaunching the Popeye franchise in honor of the anniversary. Mainframe Entertainment is animating the special, the trade paper reported. Billy West (Ren and Stimpy) will supply the voice of Popeye. Paul Reiser and Jim Hardison co-wrote the 30-minute special.
Final Nebula Nominees Named
rganizers announced the final nominees for the 2003 Nebula Awards, according to a report on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Web site.
The final ballot will be mailed Feb. 15. Awards will be announced at the 2003 Nebula Awards Banquet in Seattle on April 17. A full list of nominees follows.
Novels
•Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold
•The Mount by Carol Emshwiller
•Light Music by Kathleen Ann Goonan
•The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson
•Chindi by Jack McDevitt
•The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
Novellas
•"The Potter of Bones" by Eleanor Arnason
•"The Empress of Mars" by Kage Baker
•"Coraline" by Neil Gaiman
•"Stories for Men" by John Kessel
•"Breathmoss" by Ian MacLeod
Novelettes
•"The Mask of the Rex" by Richard Bowes
•"Of a Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" by Adam-Troy Castro
•"0wnz0red" by Cory Doctorow
•"The Empire of Ice Cream" by Jeffrey Ford
•"The Wages of Syntax" by Ray Vukcevich
Short Stories
•"Knapsack Poems" by Eleanor Arnason
•"The Brief History of the Dead" by Kevin Brockmeier
•"Goodbye to All That" by Harlan Ellison
•"Grandma" by Carol Emshwiller
•"What I Didn't See" by Karen Joy Fowler
•"Lambing Season" by Molly Gloss
Scripts
•Finding Nemo
•Minority Report
•"Where No Fan Has Gone Before," Futurama
•Spirited Away
•The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Doctor Who Plans Unveiled
he BBCi Web site reported that Phil Collinson has been hired to produce a proposed new U.K. Doctor Who TV series, with plans for an initial 13-episode run.
Russell T. Davies, the man behind the Who revival, will write seven of the proposed episodes, the site reported. Other writers will be contracted soon.
"Rose is only the first of the companions we've got planned," Davies told the site.
EA Whips Up Catwoman
lectronic Arts and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment announced that EA has been awarded the rights to develop, publish and distribute video games based on the the upcoming Catwoman movie, starring Halle Berry, which is scheduled for release July 30.
Under the multiyear agreement, EA will develop game titles for all current and next-generation video-game consoles, handhelds and the PC, the companies said.
Gamers will control Catwoman as they play the movie, using her unique catlike skills, senses and cunning to defeat her enemies. The game will take players through numerous levels set in seven different locations from the movie.
Catwoman is currently under development by EA's U.K. studio and is produced by the team responsible for the best-selling Harry Potter titles from EA Games. The Catwoman games are scheduled for release alongside the motion picture in summer 2004.
New Scribe Pens Amityville
he
Creature Corner Web site reported that writer Scott Kosar (the recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake) will draft the script for the upcoming Amityville Horror update.
The site added that MGM and Platinum Dunes/Dimension Films have joined forces to mount one Amityville Horror movie, rather than two separate ones, as originally intended.
The updated Amityville film will be released in early 2005, rather than at the end of summer 2004, the site added. No director is attached; Michael Bay is producing.
Linklater Scans Darkly
ichard Linklater (School of Rock) is attached to direct a proposed movie based on Philip K. Dick's semi-autobiographical novel A Scanner Darkly, Production Weekly reported.
The 1977 book deals with the drug crisis and the relationships between the sexes, among other things, the site reported.
The novel centers on Bob Arctor, a dealer in the lethally addictive drug called Substance D, and Fred, a police agent assigned to arrest him, the site reported. The catch is that Substance D splits a user's brain into two distinct, adversarial personalities, and Arctor doesn't realize that he's really hunting himself.
Neeson To Join Batman?
inescape Online reported a rumor that Liam Neeson (Star Wars: Episode I) is "very likely" in line to play a role in the upcoming new Batman movie, reportedly titled Batman: Intimidation Game.
Citing an anonymous source, the site reported that Neeson is on the verge of joining the cast of the film, which is set to begin filming soon.
The site speculated that Neeson could play Jim Gordon, the future police commissioner of Gotham City, or could play R'as al Ghul, the rumored main villain of the movie.
Simpsons Movie In Works
att Groening and James L. Brooks, the honchos behind TV's The Simpsons, are leading a team of writers in actively developing an animated big-screen movie based on the long-running Fox hit, Variety reported.
Active work on a concept began a few months ago, after 20th Century Fox's film division hammered out deals with key writers, the trade paper reported.
Chris Meledandri, the studio's animation chief, told Variety that the studio was "very excited about the possibility of making a Simpsons movie. However, we are in the very early stages of developing an idea for the movie."
At least seven past and present writers of The Simpsons are said to be involved. Industry insiders told the trade paper that they believe Al Jean, Mike Scully, Mike Reiss, David Mirkin and George Meyer are all on board, in addition to Brooks and Groening.
Reeve Bigger In Smallville
l Gough, executive producer and co-creator The WB's Smallville, told the Comics Continuum Web site that returning guest star Christopher Reeve will have a bigger role this time.
The series moved its production to New York in January to film Reeve's guest shot as Dr. Swann, which will appear in the April 14 episode "Legacy."
"This year, which I think is great, we shot his scenes in the New York Public Library, which doubles as his mansion," Gough told the site. "I think the scenes have a scope, which they didn't necessarily have last year when we were shooting basically in the basement. That was a fun way to introduce him, but now we're able to step it up a bit. And he's got a scene with Lionel [John Glover], which is great, because it's two titans circling each other."
Gough added, "There's an interesting scene with Clark [Tom Welling], where he sort of calls him on the carpet a little bit about his actions over the past year since he found [out] about his origins. It's a great relationship, and I think we sort of put Dr. Swann a little more firmly in our mythology, so he doesn't feel like a guy who [just drops] in every now and again. And he's certainly set up to come back in season four." Smallville airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Mission Goes To Dog
ission Entertainment and producer Robert Lawrence are developing Top Dog, a movie about an elite combat squad of talking canines, Variety reported.
Mission has hired writer Nat Mauldin (Dr. Dolittle) to draft a script.
The movie centers on a reluctant stray who gets conscripted into an elite corps of dogs, like the one that actually exists at Lackland Air Force Base, the trade paper reported.
Shadow Rights Sold
roducer Lauren Moews (Cabin Fever) has acquired film rights to Death Angel's Shadow, three short fantasy stories by Karl Edward Wagner that feature the immortal antihero Kane, Variety reported.
The first film to be produced from the collection will be Reflections for the Winter of My Soul. Other stories are "Cold Light" and "Mirage," the trade paper reported.
Moews and Dean Masserman formed Tonic Films in 1999 and produced Cabin Fever, which earned $22 million through Lions Gate Films.
Galactica Delves Deeper
onald D. Moore, executive producer of SCI FI Channel's upcoming new series Battlestar Galactica, told SCI FI Wire that the new series will develop existing characters, introduce a few new ones and take familiar ones into unexpected territory.
"Some of the dynamics between Laura [Mary McDonnell] and Adama [Edward James Olmos] are going to be different than I think people are expecting," Moore said in an interview.
Moore added, "I think people are expecting a very sort of simplistic 'she's the dove, and he's the hawk, and they're going to knock heads together, and she'll always be trying to be reasonable and he'll always be hardline, and then they'll work it out.' ... And it's going to be more complicated than that. Those two characters specifically are going to go in a direction that I don't think people will expect."
At the end of the Galactica miniseries that premiered last December, it was revealed that Boomer (Grace Park) may be a sleeper agent aboard the battlestar. Moore promised that the new series will revisit that, "but it's going to take a while to tease that out. So that won't be resolved in any way or shape or form in the first episode. [But] we're going to pick it up."
Some of the new series' stories will come out of the dynamics in the "ragtag fleet" of Colonial ships fleeing the Cylon menace. "They've got this collection of ships," Moore said. "Some are going to be in better shape than others. And who is on these ships? And who's in charge exactly in some of these cases? And I think there will be a lot of stuff that will be fun to play."
As for the miniseries' most conflicted character, James Callis' Baltar, Moore said, "Baltar is an interesting character in that he's out for himself. And that might propel him to act in the interest of the Colonials, on occasion, and sometimes it makes him act in the interest of the Cylons. But he's truly out for himself. Like he said at the end of the pilot, he's not on anybody's side. Which I think makes him an interesting person, because then you're never quite sure which way he's going to jump." Production commences next month in Vancouver, B.C.
Moore: Galactica Takes Off
onald D. Moore, executive producer of SCI Channel's upcoming new series Battlestar Galactica, told SCI FI Wire that the 13-episode first season will pick up where the hit December miniseries left off and will build on that show's characters and situations.
SCI FI on Feb. 10 formally announced a green light for production to begin on the Galactica series, which will bring back cast members Edward James Olmos (Adama), Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) and Tricia Helfer (Number Six), among others. Production commences next month in Vancouver, B.C.
As the new series begins, "a few days have passed since the miniseries, and we're in sort of a dire situation right from the get-go," Moore said in an interview. "I think one of the hallmarks of the series will be that it's always going to be a tense situation. These people are always going to be one step away from disaster. Which doesn't mean that the Cylons will be attacking them every week. But I think the nature of their situation and the reality of what they're facing out there alone, with most of them left with the clothes on their back and whatever food and supplies they happen to have on those ships when the events of the pilot occur is only, God, the beginning. And it's going to take a long time for them to get to any kind of stability or normalcy."
Moore said that he is currently assembling a writing staff for the series, which may include colleagues from Moore's old series Roswell, Star Trek: The Next Generation and HBO's Carnivale. Moore is drafting the script for the series' first episode, has roughed out stories for the first three and has written a series bible, with story and character arcs for the first season.
"The series is going to take its cues from the miniseries," Moore said. "The tone and context will be in that vein. There will be lighter moments. I'm sure there will have things that are unexpected and fun to play as time goes on. But the miniseries, that's the bar. That's what we're trying to [do]. ... We want to do that show every week."
Moore said that he may eventually adapt a few of the original 1978 series' old episodes for the new show. "I've talked about revisiting the 'Pegasus' episode, because I think that's a cool idea at some point. There's a possibility in my head we might go back and play around with the ship of lights that was in the original series. And I'm going to sit down and watch all 22 of them again, kind of go through it. But the first thing that springs to mind is that the old show did a lot of planet-of-the-week type episodes, and we're specifically not doing that on this. So a lot of those aren't going to translate very well."
Moore added that he'd like to find a place on the new show for some of the original series' actors as well. "That's something that I would like to approach them about," he said. "I'm probably going to approach a couple of the actors, if not all of them, at some point, and talk to them about that possibility, because I think that would be kind of cool and fun. And I think it would be interesting to find things for them in the new series. And not just, like, a walk-on, although you could do always do that. But it would fun to give them a role and have them bring something to the new show."
SCI FI Green-Lights Battlestar
CI FI Channel on Feb. 10 announced that it has given the green light to produce 13 episodes of a new Battlestar Galactica series, based on the channel's "reimagined" Galactica miniseries that aired in December 2003.
The network has ordered 13 one-hour episodes of the show, which will bring back cast members Edward James Olmos (Adama), Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) and Tricia Helfer (Number Six).
Production is slated to begin next month in Vancouver, B.C., the network announced. Ronald D. Moore (Carnivale, Roswell) returns as executive producer. Galactica will be produced exclusively for SCI FI, in association with Sky One and distributed by USA Cable Entertainment, where David Eick, an executive producer of the miniseries, serves as executive vice president.
Final Phone Content Here
quare Enix U.S.A. announced that owners of AT&T Wireless phones will be able to download wallpapers featuring characters from Square's hit Final Fantasy video-game series.
Users will be able to access a "Square Enix Gallery" through AT&T's mMode service.
The "Square Enix Gallery" showcases more than 200 wallpapers featuring characters, art and computer-generated images from Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XI X-2 and Final Fantasy XI X,
as well as customizable character wallpapers from Final Fantasy XI XI. The wallpapers cost $1.99 per download. Additional wallpapers featuring other Square Enix franchises will be available in the future.
Nemo Swims With Annies
inding Nemo swam away with nine awards at the 31st annual Annie Awards on Feb. 7, trouncing the competition, Variety reported.
The Disney/Pixar film won in every category in which it was nominated, with multiple mentions in the effects and character animation categories.
Nemo took home wins for best animated feature, directing, production design, writing and music, among others.
Additional awards went to the Animatrix films, for best home entertainment production; Boundin (short); The Jungle Book 2 (storyboarding, film); The Fairly Oddparents (storyboarding, TV); Lamisil: It's Alive (TV commercial); The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius (children's TV, voice acting); and Samurai Jack (production design, character design), the trade paper reported.
Comics Legend Schwartz Dies
ulius "Julie" Schwartz, the longtime DC Comics editor credited with helping to usher in comics' Silver Age, died Feb. 8 after being hospitalized for pneumonia in New York, according to a report on Mark Evanier's NewsFromMe.com Web site.
He was 89.
Schwartz was widely considered one of the driving forces behind comics' so-called Silver Age in the 1950s. As an editor at DC from 1956 through the 1970s, he oversaw the revival of the superhero genre, including The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Atom and The Justice League of America, as well as both Superman and Batman. Schwartz was also an avid fan of both comics and science fiction, having at various points in his career edited fanzines and given encouragement to a stable of writers and editors.
Before joining DC, Schwartz was an agent for science-fiction authors, where, among other accomplishments, he sold the first stories by a new author named Ray Bradbury, the site reported.
Schwartz's background as a science-fiction fan and editor served him when he presided over comics such as Strange Adventures and Mystery in Space.
New Bat-Toon Due In Fall
arner Brothers Animation will produce a new small-screen animated version of Batman for The Kids' WB and Cartoon Network, Variety reported.
The Batman will bow on The Kids' WB Saturday morning schedule this fall before moving over to sibling Cartoon Network in early spring 2005, the trade paper reported.
The series will catch up with Batman in year three, as he's in his mid-20s and adjusting to his dual life as the caped crusader and as billionaire bachelor Bruce Wayne, the trade paper reported. The young Batman will meet classic villains, including the Joker, the Penguin and Catwoman, for the first time.
The show's theme song will be performed by U2's the Edge. Former Batman TV star Adam West will lend his voice as the mayor, and Gina Gershon will voice Catwoman, the trade paper reported.
Columbia Remaking Science
olumbia Pictures has picked up remake rights to the Dutch family movie Science Fiction for producer Lauren Shuler Donner (Timeline), Variety reported.
The original 2002 movie, directed by Danny Deprez, is the story of a boy who arrives in a new neighborhood and makes friends with the local kids by convincing them that his odd parents are actually aliens, the trade paper reported.
Kevin and Dan Hageman (Charlie Dills for Steven Spielberg) have been hired to write the Hollywood version, the trade paper reported.
The original Science Fiction was released theatrically in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
TV-Based Spidey Games Coming
oymaker JAKKS Pacific announced that it has entered into an agreement with Marvel Enterprises to market and distribute "TV Games" products based on Spider-Man.
TV Games is a new game concept that allows users to play the Spider-Man game on any television set with the use of a dedicated character-based handheld device, the company said.
Spider-Man TV Games, featuring five original titles, is expected to retail for about $20 and be available at retail in the fourth quarter of 2004, the company said.
Briefly Noted
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Summit Entertainment is developing a movie based on Charles MacLean's horror/SF novel The Watcher, which is being adapted by Sean Hood, Variety reported.
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Quelling rumors that he may be replaced, Pierce Brosnan is expected to reprise the role of James Bond for a fifth time in the 21st movie in MGM's spy series, which is being readied for a November 2005 release, Variety reported.
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The WB has hired Mike Erwin (Everwood) to play Don West in its upcoming The Robinsons: Lost in Space, an update of the 1960s SF TV series, Variety reported.
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Fox will produce a hybrid live-action/animated feature film based on the Bratz line of fashion dolls, to be preceded later this year by a traditionally animated DVD premiere movie that is in production, Variety reported.
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Richard Roxburgh (Van Helsing) has been cast in the new SF thriller film Stealth, joining Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx, who play fighter pilots who are assigned to field test and then destroy a prototype jet fighter that has an artificial intelligence, Variety reported.
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ComingSoon.net has posted new images from the upcoming prequel film Star Wars: Episode III.
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The Comics Continuum Web site reported that
Rino Romano will voice the title character in Warner Brothers Animation's upcoming new animated series The Batman. Other voice cast will include Kevin Michael Richardson as Joker, Allastair Duncan as Alfred, Steve Harris as Evan Bennett/Clayface, Tom Kenny as Penguin, Ming Na as Det. Ellen Yin, Gina Gershon as Catwoman and Adam West as Mayor Grange.
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Dark Horizons reported that Lindsay Lohan (Freaky Friday) is tapped to join the remake of the classic fantasy comedy movie Herbie the Love Bug.
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The Moviehole Web site reported a rumor that director Kevin Smith is eyeing a feature-film version of the classic superhero TV series The Green Hornet.
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The WB has picked up its witch series Charmed for a seventh season, TV Guide Online reported.
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Borg Invasion 4D, the latest attraction at Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton, opens on March 18, starting with a "Borg Ball" from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. that day. Tickets are $299. The attraction officially opens to the public at 11 a.m.
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NBC will premiere the new trailer for Shrek 2 following the broadcast debut of the original Shrek in February, Variety reported. The 2 1/2-minute trailer will promote the computer-animated sequel, which opens May 21.
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Nielsen NRG is forecasting that Mel Gibson's controversial movie The Passion of the Christ will open with a first-weekend box-office take of between $15 million and $30 million, fostered by wide media coverage and a grassroots marketing campaign aimed at evangelical Christians, Variety reported.
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