Hawaii May Lose Lost
he hit supernatural drama Lost may be looking for a new place to set up camp if Hawaii closes a loophole in its tax laws, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported. For the past few years, many film and television productions, including Lost, have been taking advantage of a 100 percent tax credit Hawaii offers for high-tech businesses, but the citizens and government of Hawaii feel that Hollywood is misusing the credit and cheating the state out of millions of dollars. "Nobody wants to move," Lost producer Jean Higgins told the paper. "But this is a business and we must consider options to cut expenses."
If the law is changed and the production decides to move, there are several other states which offer legitimate incentives for productions. The states mentioned by the paper included Louisiana, New Mexico and the Carolinas. But since the tropical backdrop is so essential to the series, an unnamed Touchstone representative offered another possibility. "Did you see Sky Captain?" she said, referring to that film's use of virtual scenery. Lost airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Lost Answers Are Out There
amon Lindelof, co-creator of ABC's hit series Lost, told SCI FI Wire that he and fellow executive producers J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk have carefully worked out the answers to the castaway island's mysteries, including the nature of the unseen jungle monster, some of which may be revealed by the end of the first season. "Every mystery that we present on the show—What is the monster? Where does Ethan come from? Why hasn't Claire had her baby yet?—all those are questions that we know the answers to," Lindelof told reporters at the network's winter press tour in Universal City, Calif. "But how and when we present those answers is not written in stone. ... Hopefully we ... won't betray the audience. ... All I can say is, we're trying, we're doing our best, and we think the answers that we have are pretty cool."
Lindelof said that a DVD set of the first season will come out this summer, before a second season begins in the fall. As the show progresses, he added, it won't venture too far into science fiction as its mysteries unfold. "We're still trying to be ... firmly ensconced in the world of science fact," he said in an interview. "I don't think we've shown anything on the show yet ... that has no rational explanation in the real world that we all function within. We certainly hint at psychic phenomena, happenstance and ... things being in a place where they probably shouldn't be. But nothing is flat-out impossible. There are no spaceships. There isn't any time travel."
As the first season winds up, expect guest stars, including former The X-Files star Robert Patrick, Lindelof said. "I think part of the fun of our show is that guest stars can pop up in flashbacks, and it'll be a real surprise to the audience," he said. "Instead of stunting it or promo'ing it that way, to suddenly see Robert Patrick on an episode of Lost, I think, is potentially very exciting for people. I'm kind of sorry that slipped out." Patrick appears in a scene during a flashback involving Sawyer (Josh Holloway). What about Keri Russell, who starred in Abrams' earlier series, Felicity? "Well, I don't know if she'll turn up on Lost or [Abrams' other ABC show] Alias or anything, but her and J.J. are always threatening to work together again, so it could happen anytime or anywhere. Keep your eyes peeled." Lost airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Abrams Eyes Grunberg For M:I3?
.J. Abrams, who is directing the upcoming third Mission: Impossible film, told SCI FI Wire he's hoping to find a role for his longtime friend and frequent collaborator Greg Grunberg, who has played parts in all three of Abrams' TV series, Felicity, Alias and Lost. "I'm sure there will be a role somewhere for a shameless actor," Abrams said in an interview, with tongue in cheek. "I can't figure out what part it is yet, but I look forward to it."
For his part, Grunberg said he'd love to be part of the production, which will star Tom Cruise and is slated to go before the cameras in August. "I sure hope so," Grunberg, a friend of Abrams' since childhood, said in a separate interview. "I don't know. He keeps mentioning it, and Tom's been really generous and said, 'Yeah, we hope you're in the movie.' So, yeah, we'll see. I mean, it would be great. ... I would love it if it was like I was part of the [IMF] team. But it's not [likely]. ... They have such incredible people in those movies, and just to be a part of the movie in any way would be great. If it doesn't happen, I'm [still] thrilled for J.J."
Grunberg is currently on view in Abrams' Alias as Agent Eric Weiss. He had a small part in Lost as the injured airline pilot who meets an untimely demise in the show's pilot—and who may reappear in a flashback in a later episode, Abrams said. Grunberg also played college student Sean Blumberg in Felicity.
Episode III Crawl Revealed
he words which will introduce the upcoming prequel conclusion Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith in the familiar opening-title screen crawl have been posted at the official Star Wars Web site.
The first paragraph of the introduction reads, "War! The Republic is crumbling under attacks by the ruthless Sith Lord, Count Dooku. There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere." It goes on to relate the kidnapping of Chancellor Palpatine, leader of the Galactic Senate, by the droid leader General Grievous, and the mission led by two Jedi Knights to rescue him. The site also includes an interview with visual-effects supervisor John Knoll on how the opening crawl was created. Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith opens May 19th.
Minear: Serenity Will Surprise
im Minear, executive producer of the short-lived Fox SF television series Firefly, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming feature-film version of the show, Serenity, will have treats for the devoted fans. "If you loved Firefly, then you will love this movie," Minear said in an interview while promoting his upcoming CBS series, The Inside. "Fans are certainly not going to sit there and be bored while they learn about these people. They won't."
Minear said that he is particularly impressed by the new developments in the character of River, played by Summer Glau, who is revealed to be extraordinarily skilled at martial arts. "She's amazing," he said. "And the way Joss shot it, you can tell it's her—long, continuous takes, the camera moving around a certain fight. And it's Summer. It's her."
Other characters will take some surprising turns as well, Minear promised. "Oh, yeah," he said. "Oh. Yeah. It's pretty shocking." Serenity opens in theaters Sept. 30.
Gaiman Talks Beowulf
antasy and SF writer Neil Gaiman talked more about the proposed Beowulf film he is developing with Roger Avary and Robert Zemeckis in a post on his blog on Jan. 21. Zemeckis will direct the film version of the medieval epic poem, making use of the "facial-capture" computer animation techniques the helmer developed for his last film, The Polar Express.
"After the motion-capture experience of Polar Express, he wanted to take the techniques on a bit and make a film intended for adults with them," Gaiman wrote from the Sundance film festival. "He and [producer] Steve Bing approached us about the script, ... and, after a certain amount of to-ing and fro-ing over the last month, Bob Zemeckis will be making a film of Beowulf from our script. Roger and I are signed on to do any rewrites necessary (I suspect that some things that were easy to write for live action would be impossible or extremely costly to do as motion capture. But then, things that would have been impossible to do as live action may be easy as motion capture, so overall it should work out.)"
Gaiman added: "No, it won't look or feel anything like Polar Express. When Bob Zemeckis told us the art style he had in mind, our reaction was 'Well, of course.'"
Gaiman said that Avary, a film director in his own right, first approached him to co-write Beowulf in 1998. The pair came up with a "a sort of Dark Ages Trainspotting, filled with mead and blood and madness, and we went all the way from the beginning of the poem, with Beowulf as a hero battling Grendel, to the end, with Beowulf as an old man fighting a dragon," Gaiman said.
"Roger and I are also executive producers on the film, and from what I've heard so far we're expected to work, it's not just a courtesy title," Gaiman said. "Roger's a little downcast about not directing Beowulf, though, so I've just agreed to go somewhere odd and write another film (a remake of a film I love, but wouldn't mind updating) with Roger for him to direct."
Skarsgard Sails To Caribbean
wedish actor Stellan Skarsgard (Exorcist: The Beginning, King Arthur) has joined the cast of the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean sequel as "Bootstrap" Bill Turner, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported.
The sequel, which also stars Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in the roles they originated in the first film, is scheduled to beginning shooting next month. Skarsgard will play the long-lost pirate father of Orlando Bloom's character, Will Turner. Curse of the Black Pearl Director Gore Verbinski is also slated to return, as well as writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio.
Asteroid Named for Adams
ouglas Adams, the late author of the classic SF Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy BBC series and subsequent novels, was honored by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center with an asteroid bearing his name, MSNBC.com reported. Asteroid Douglasadams was among the 71 newly named celestial objects announced on Jan. 25 in Cambridge, Mass., the Web site reported.
The asteroid in question was chosen because of its original name, 2001 DA42, which references the year Adams passed away, his initials and the number 42, which, as fans of the author know, is the answer to "life, the universe and everything" according to the Hitchhiker stories.
The asteroid is not the first to have a connection to Adams. In 2001, just days after the author passed away, the organization named an asteroid after Arthur Dent, the earthling protagonist of the Hitchhiker series.
Catwoman Leads Razzie Noms
atwoman, the critically assailed superhero film starring Halle Berry, received a leading seven nominations for the Golden Raspberry awards, which identify the worst films of the year, the Golden Raspberry Foundation announced. Nominations for the costly box-office flop include worst picture, worst actress for Berry and worst supporting actor and actress for co-stars Lambert Wilson and Sharon Stone.
Other science fiction, fantasy and supernatural nominees include the family film Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, which was nominated for worst picture, Vin Diesel, who received a worst actor nod for The Chronicles of Riddick, and Arnold Schwarzenegger for worst supporting actor for his cameo role in Around the World in 80 Days. Genre films also dominated the worst remake or sequel category, which included Alien vs. Predator, Anacondas: Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Around the World in 80 Days, Exorcist 4: The Beginning and Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.
The winners of the 25th annual Golden Raspberry awards will be announced Feb. 26, one day before the Academy Awards ceremony.
Brooks Heads To Drawing Board
el Brooks, who co-wrote and directed the 1987 SF spoof Spaceballs, is working on a new animated television series based on the film, Variety reported. Brooksfilms will develop and produce an hourlong pilot and 13 half-hour episodes in partnership with Berliner Film Companie and MGM Domestic TV.
Brooks and co-writer Thomas Meehan will write the pilot based on the adventures of the reluctant hero Lone Starr, his hairy pal Barf and the feisty Princess Vespa, who must use the power of the schwartz against the evil Dark Helmet. Brooks will also provide voices for the characters he portrayed in the film, President Scroob and Yogurt.
Harris Onboard Pirates
aomie Harris, who starred in the independent zombie thriller 28 Days Later, is the latest to join the cast of the upcoming back-to-back sequels following the bockbuster film Pirates of the Caribbean, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The British actress will play a gypsy queen alongside original cast members Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, as well as recently announced newcomer Stellan Skarsgard. Director Gore Verbinski, writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are also returning for the sequels. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 begins filming in early March in Los Angeles and the Caribbean. It is scheduled for release in the summer of 2006.
Raimi, Tapert Developing Grudge 2
am Raimi and Rob Tapert, who produced The Grudge, are already working with director Takashi Shimizu again on a sequel to the American remake based on his Japanese horror film Ju-on, according to the Now Playing Magazine Web site. "We just came from a big story conference this whole last week," Raimi told the site. "[Shimizu] came to America, to Los Angeles, and we met with him in a little room on the Columbia Pictures lot and hammered out an outline for the first draft of part two. And he's planning, I think, on working in the same subtle, elegant way that he made the first film in."
In the same interview, Tapert said that The Grudge 2 will not be based on the Japanese sequel Ju-on 2, and will stand apart from the previous films in the series. "The second one is much more of a standalone movie than [the first one] was," Tapert told the site. "In fact, there are very few elements in the second one, at least where it is right now, that are derivative of previous works. [The first one] kind of borrowed from all of the previous movies that have gone before. [And this one is going in a new direction,] and that's one of the reasons that the director is interested. He's kind of told the story so many times that he didn't want to go back and revisit what he's done, and it was only that [he and] the writer had some new ideas that they wanted to explore in terms of The Grudge [that brought them back]."
There is no word yet on whether star Sarah Michelle Gellar will return for the sequel, but like the last film, it will be filmed in Japan, the site reported.
Cameron's Battle Is High-Tech
ames Cameron, director of the upcoming SF adventure Battle Angel, told SCI FI Wire that the feature-length 3-D project will boast better images than those captured on his current project, the IMAX documentary Aliens of the Deep. "There's a lot of aesthetic issues," Cameron said in an interview. "In Aliens of the Deep, the 3-D experience is a little more challenging in the theater than I would expect it to be for an actual feature where we can control it. For something like Battle Angel, we'll be able to control it and make it a very, very smooth and easy-on-the-eyes kind of experience, and a very rich experience as well."
Cameron said that the unpredictability of his recent project, which explores underwater habitats, led to some imperfect images. "You have to shoot good 3-D," Cameron said. "But when you're two miles down and a giant squid swims in front of you, you don't have a lot of control. You're just shooting what's there, and if it's a good enough shot you're going to use it, even if it's not the best stereo."
Cameron also said that recent projects like Robert Rodriguez' Spy Kids 3-D used his cameras, but suffered despite commercial success because of poor presentation. "There are a couple of pretty positive data points for the last couple of years," Cameron said. "Spy Kids 3-D was a fairly modestly budgeted film that made $120 million, [and] Rodriguez actually used my cameras. Unfortunately, he released it in red-blue 3-D, which I consider to be a setback because it's not great stereo. Anybody over 10 years old can't watch it for more than fifteen minutes, so that's bad. We don't want people having a bad experience in the cinema with 3-D, so people have to remember that the way you capture your 3-D is completely uncoupled from the way you display your 3-D."
Revelations Premiere Set
BC announced that its upcoming supernatural drama Revelations will premiere April 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. From executive producer Gavin Polone (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and executive producer/writer David Seltzer (The Omen), the series is a six-hour event that foretells an apocalyptic, end-of-the-world scenario centering on the final conflict between God and the devil, the network said.
Bill Pullman stars as Harvard astrophysicist Richard Massey, and Natascha McElhone plays a nun, Sister Josepha Montifiore. They attempt to determine if the end-of-the-world confrontation is at hand and can be avoided. Michael Massee and Tobin Bell also star.
Revelations is a production of Pariah, in association with NBC Universal Television Studios.
Meanwhile, the network announced that its fantasy miniseries Hercules, starring Sean Astin and Leelee Sobieski, will air at 9 p.m. ET/PT on May 22 and 23 . The miniseries, from executive producer Robert Halmi Sr. and starring Paul Telfer as the legendary Greek hero, is directed by Roger Young from a screenplay by Charles Edward Pogue.
NBC and NBC Universal Television Studios are owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.
NBC Develops SF&F Series
BC announced that it is developing two new SF&F series, Fathom and Book of Daniel, for the 2005-'06 season.
Fathom centers on the discovery of a new form of sea life that is actually a species of invaders from the planet Venus, the network said. Fathom is written and will be directed by Jonas and Josh Pate.
Book of Daniel deals with a family led by an Episcopalian minister who finds himself speaking routinely with a hip, modern Jesus, who appears as a vision and offers valuable guidance to help him navigate through family issues, church politics and his own personal issues. Jack Kenny is the writer.
NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.
Dog Soldiers Gets Fresh
og Soldiers: Fresh Meat, the sequel to the werewolf-vs.-military thriller film Dog Soldiers, will begin filming in Hungary in April, Kismet Entertainment honcho and producer David Allen told SCI FI Wire. The sequel will have a 36-day shooting schedule, with a story that begins right after the fiery explosion that ended the first film, Allen said in an interview.
"In the first film, it was a family who were the werewolves," Allen said."In this one, it's an actual team of werewolves who are true military men. So even though they are now werewolves, they act like a trained military unit."
In Fresh Meat, Pvt. Laurence Cooper, the sole survivor of the werewolf slaughter, is picked up by a team of American soldiers who are on maneuvers. Cooper's story of werewolves in the woods is met with skepticism until the soldiers return to the now-destroyed farmhouse and discover evidence that something strange indeed went on. They discover a soldier from Capt. Ryan's special ops team (who were mentioned in the first film, but never seen), who explains that his company was also slaughtered by werewolves and have "become the werewolves of the new movie," Allen said.
No cast members have been announced. Allen said that the director will be British, in keeping with the very British tone of the first film. Dog Soldiers: Fresh Meat will be released in December. Allen is also planning more films, including a Dog Soldiers prequel and another sequel already in the planning stages. "In a perfect world, we'd like a long-running franchise like the Howling series," he said. "The only difference is that we'd make good movies."
Angel Author Winds It Up
yda Morehouse, whose novel Apocalypse Array is nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, told SCI FI Wire that she had expected the book to be her last hurrah. She had received positive notices and the Shamus Award for Archangel Protocol, the first book in the AngeLINK series, but the next two books, Fallen Host and Messiah Node, were disappointments and have been remaindered. Apocalypse Array is the final book in the series. Morehouse said that she scrambled to obtain advanced reviews for the book by begging reviewers she either knew or could be introduced to. One of those was with Romantic Times/Bookclub, and it led to her being nominated for its critic's choice award.
"I expected this book to fade into obscurity and, perhaps, myself along with it," Morehouse said in an interview. "I don't know why. All I can guess is that perhaps a series of books that humorously attack fundamentalism of nearly all religions isn't really viable in this post-reelection era. I imagine my books are an acquired taste. My humor is odd, my politics are radical, and my religious sensibility tends toward blasphemy. That doesn't really scream best-seller."
Apocalypse Array follows Amariah McMannus, a teenager whose mother is a legend in the cybernetic and law-enforcement communities and whose father is the Archangel Michael. Morehouse hopes the Dick nomination will revive interest in the AngeLINK series so she can write a prequel to Archangel Protocol. In the meantime, her next project is Lilith Rising, the first book in a "chick-lit vampire series," she said. It will come out in 2006.
The Dick award, named for the prolific SF author, is presented annually to distinguished science fiction published originally in paperback in the United States. The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society. First prize and any special citations will be announced on March 25 at Norwescon 28 in Seattle.
Lee May Return To Housewives
arc Cherry, creator of ABC's hit comedy-drama Desperate Housewives, told SCI FI Wire that he's hoping to bring back actress Sheryl Lee (Twin Peaks) for a guest role, since Lee's role in the pilot was recast for the series. Lee played the character of Mary Alice, who kills herself, then provides the voice-over narration for the show from beyond the grave. When the series was picked up, Lee was replaced with Brenda Strong because producers decided they needed a warmer narrator, Cherry said.
"So, sadly, Sheryl couldn't continue with the series, although I'm going to have her back as a guest star at some point, because I just love her," Cherry told reporters at ABC's winter press tour in Universal City, Calif. Later, Cherry elaborated in an interview with SCI FI Wire. "I'm just looking for something as plots come up," he said. "So we'll get something for her. ... As long as we have something good, I would love to have her on, and if it ends up being recurring, that'd be great."
Cherry said that the first season of Desperate Housewives will end with a resolution of the mystery surrounding Mary Alice's suicide. But, he added, more questions will be raised. "There will be some cliffhanger aspects to it," he said. "There will be huge truths revealed, and there will be some cliffhangers." Desperate Housewives airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Von Garnier To Helm Blood
atja Von Garnier is in talks to direct the horror-thriller film Blood and Chocolate, based on Annette Curtis Klause's young-adult novel about a teenage werewolf, Variety reported. Shooting is slated to begin this spring, the trade paper reported.
The film went through a short list of directors before von Garnier came onboard. Originally Po-Chih Leong was set to direct, followed more recently by Rupert Wainwright, the trade paper reported.
Ehren Kruger (The Ring) is adapting Klause's book.
Potter Author Gives Birth
.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series of novels, has given birth to a baby girl, the Associated Press reported.
The 39-year-old British author gave birth to her third child at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in the United Kingdom on Jan. 23, a hospital spokesman told the wire service. The baby girl hasn't been named.
Rowling and her husband, Neil Murray, have a 22-month-old son, David. The author also has an 11-year-old daughter, Jessica, from a previous marriage.
Cube Gets Action In XXX2
ce Cube, star of the upcoming SF action movie XXX: State of the Union, told SCI FI Wire that the sequel takes the story in a different direction from its 2002 predecessor, which starred Vin Diesel as an extreme sports athlete hired by the government to fight crime. "I'm a totally new agent," Cube said in an interview. "I'm not trying to be the same guy. It's a whole other assignment that's needed, and they need a whole other guy to do it."
Cube said State of the Union is part of a plan for the franchise to continue recasting the lead for each sequel. "What's smart is that they're going to use a different XXX each time," he said. "Each time it's going to be a different movie about a different guy, unless it sells like $200 million. Then they'll probably ask me to come back."
Cube co-stars in State of the Union with Samuel L. Jackson, who reprises his role as Agent Augustus Gibbons. Cube, who first gained fame as a rap artist, said that he never discussed Jackson's comments that he didn't want to prop up unproven rappers aspiring to act in movies. "We never even talked about it," Cube said. "I heard him say it was something that was blown out of proportion, and I believe him, because that was never an issue with us working. Sam is one of my favorite actors, so I was kind of hurt the most from hearing stuff like that. But given a chance to really work with him, sit down with him and kick it with him and talk to him and learn from him, I don't really think he has a problem. At least I didn't detect anything. I hope to work with him again sometime in the future." XXX: State of the Union opens April 29.
Medium Gets Early Pickup
BC announced that it has given an unusual early 22-episode renewal to its midseason hit supernatural series Medium, which stars Patricia Arquette as a reluctant psychic who helps solve crimes. In its first four weeks on the air, Medium has averaged a healthy 6.2 rating among adults 18-49, drawing 15.7 million viewers overall to double NBC's average audience in the time period, compared with earlier in the season, the network said.
In addition to renewing the show early, NBC ordered three additional episodes for this spring, bringing the total number of episodes ordered for its first season to 16 and guaranteeing original episodes through May sweeps, the network said. Medium, from creator Glenn Gordon Caron, airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT. NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.
Real Medium Inspired Arquette
atricia Arquette, who portrays real-life psychic Allison Dubois in the NBC supernatural series Medium, told journalists at the network's winter press preview that she appreciates having Dubois as a consultant on the show, but that her performance is not a direct impersonation. "I chose to actually not play her like herself," Arquette said in a news conference. "We had that whole discussion beforehand, and she was very cool with it. She was like, 'No, I know what my real life is and the life of this character, how different they are.' Also, she's much more comfortable with who she is today than I wanted my character to be."
Medium is based on Dubois' life and career as a self-described psychic consultant on unsolved criminal cases. Arquette said that although the cases depicted on the show are based on true stories, the details have been changed out of compassion for the victims. "[There] are certain things that we change about our show," she said. "I wouldn't want to do a show that was specifically about this child and really what the parents had to go through and how that child was killed and what that murderer looked like, because I wouldn't want to make gross entertainment out of someone's trauma and pain." Medium airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT. NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.
Smallville, Superman Won't Conflict
iles Millar, executive producer of the WB series Smallville, told SCI FI Wire that the formerly chilly relations between the show's creative staff and the feature development team at Warner Brothers have thawed since Bryan Singer signed on to direct a new Superman Returns movie. "It's been much better," Millar said in an interview at The WB's winter press preview in Burbank, Calif. "Bryan Singer's a fan of the show, and we sat down and had dinner with him and the writers of the movie [Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris], who we know as well. There's been much more of a dialogue than there was with the J.J. [Abrams] and McG movie. So it's been much better, and we really feel that we're attuned and aligned and know what each other is doing so we don't step on each other's toes. So we're really happy with how it's going."
Millar said that the writing staff of Smallville has always taken the future of the Superman universe into account when writing stories, but they have had to work within strict guidelines established by the studio. At least one of the studio's edicts—that no Kryptonian characters be shown on-screen—is still in place, according to Millar. "Jor-El will feature later on this season," he said. "He's not going to be [on screen], but we're cool with that now. It's fine."
Millar confirmed that the voice of Superman's father will once again be provided by Elektra actor Terence Stamp, who also played the villainous General Zod in 1978's Superman movie and its sequel, Superman II, and voiced Jor-El in Smallville's second and third seasons. Smallville airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Neverland Scores 7 Oscar Nods
cience fiction, fantasy and supernatural movies fared well in the 77th annual Academy Award nominations announced Jan. 25, with Finding Neverland receiving seven nominations, including best picture and best actor (Johnny Depp). Depp's Finding Neverland co-star, Kate Winslet, also received a best actress nomination, but for a different role: her performance in the SF film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The Oscars will be presented in a live broadcast on ABC at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 27.
Finding Neverland was also nominated for best adapted screenplay, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind nabbed a nod for best original screenplay, along with the computer-animated superhero film The Incredibles.
The Incredibles was one of three films nominated for best animated feature film; the other two were Shark Tale and the sequel film Shrek 2.
SF&F movies were also well represented in the nominations for best visual effects, which included Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; I, Robot; and Spider-Man 2. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events got a nod for best makeup.
The best score music nominations featured five SF&F films: Finding Neverland, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Passion of the Christ and The Village. The best song nominations included "Accidentally in Love" from Shrek 2, "Believe" from The Polar Expres and "Learn to Be Lonely," the new song from the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera.
Tapert Raises Dead Again
ob Tapert, producer of the upcoming remake of The Evil Dead, told SCI FI Wire that he and director Sam Raimi deliberated for a long time before deciding to redo their cult-favorite 1981 supernatural horror movie. "It took a long time to get to the point where we wanted to remake it," Tapert said in an interview. "The funny thing is, nothing is as you would expect. Our original investors and I think [original Evil Dead star] Bruce [Campbell] and myself were more resistant to remaking the movie than Sam."
The low-budget Evil Dead launched the careers of Michigan high-school friends Tapert, Raimi and Campbell and was the first of three movies featuring the zombie-fighting, time-traveling Ash (Campbell). Tapert went on to produce such TV shows as Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and with Raimi formed the production company Ghost House Pictures (The Grudge), which they run with Senator International.
Tapert said that Raimi (Spider-Man) initiated discussions about remaking Evil Dead, which has spawned hordes of fans since its initial release. "Sam, in his own special way, kind of led that charge," Tapert said. "I think Sam was really the one who said, 'Gee, I would love to give a new filmmaker an opportunity to use that title and use their skills to retell this in a new way for a new audience.' I talk to Bruce Campbell every other day, and he says, 'You should see the message boards and all of the stuff I get saying "Please don't do it!"' So we're certainly going to have to tread carefully."
Tapert said that he is confident that with Raimi and himself on board as producers, the remake will live up to fans' expectations. "As long as we stay true to what was the original model of the first Evil Dead, which was that we want to hurt and punish the audience, then those who love it will be satisfied," Tapert said. "We mean to bring that out to a whole new generation in something that honors all of the people that loved it and yet gives them a new and thrilling ride that they weren't expecting. That's the challenge, and hopefully if we succeed that's kind of the glory."
Blair Witch Team Gets Probed
duardo Sanchez, co-director of The Blair Witch Project, has been signed to direct the upcoming horror film Probed, Haxan Films announced. Blair Witch producers Gregg Hale and Rob Cowie will produce the film, from a screenplay written by Jamie Nash.
Details about the story have not been released, but in a statement on Haxan's Web site, Sanchez said that there is a monster in the film. Unlike Blair Witch, the film will not be shot by the actors. Mike Williams, who starred in The Blair Witch Project, will also have a role in Probed. Principal photography will begin in May at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla.
Murray Unfazed By Set Fire
had Michael Murray, who stars in the upcoming SF remake House of Wax, told SCI FI Wire that he was working on the set in Sydney when it caught fire last July, but he never felt in danger. "I was in the middle of a scene," he said in an interview during the Television Critics Association press tour, where he was promoting his WB show One Tree Hill. "It was scary, yeah. I guess you could say that. But everyone got out all right and we were safe. We made it."
Murray said that the fire incident didn't change anything about the production, except the shooting schedule. "We didn't rewrite," he said. "We just rebuilt the set and went and did it again. ... We took two days off, let things cool off, and went right back to it."
The film, a remake of the classic 1953 movie starring Vincent Price, follows a group of teens who are stranded by car troubles in a small Iowa town that is home to a wax museum curated by a madman. Murray said that he was pleasantly surprised when he saw completed footage from the film. "It looks incredible," he said. "It looks about 10 times better than I ever thought it would. It's really impressive." House of Wax opens June 3.
Watson Scares Up Boogeyman
arry Watson, star of the upcoming supernatural suspense movie Boogeyman, told SCI FI Wire that he related to the fears his character faced in the film. "I thought that there are things in my own life that maybe I can draw upon to make it work," Watson said in an interview. "I think a lot of people can relate to that, because everybody's had fears when they were younger, whether they faced them or not growing up as adults."
In Boogeyman, Watson plays Tim, a young man who returns to his childhood home to face his fears after witnessing his father's being abducted by the title creature. Watson said that he enjoyed how the film plays with reality and manipulates the possibility that Tim's visions might be in his imagination. "I think really it was just the character, just so much of what's going on with him, and you're thinking, 'Some of it might be going on in his head,'" Watson said. "Some of it might be in his head, but it's kind of this guy facing these fears that he's had since he was a child, and just never being able to get over them."
Watson added that he thrilled at the chance to work with director Stephen Kay (Get Carter) and producer Sam Raimi. "Those are always pluses when you get to work with people you always wanted to work with," Watson said. "It was great working with Stephen Kay, who I'd known for about five years before we did the movie. I had never done anything where I was so involved with a movie with him directing it and also Sam Raimi being involved." Boogeyman opens Feb. 4.
Watson Polished Boogeyman
arry Watson, star of the upcoming SF horror film Boogeyman, told SCI FI Wire that he contributed to some of the changes made during the development of the script. "When I first got the script, there were a couple of little things that needed to be worked on," Watson said in an interview. "You always wonder [whether] this has been done before, because there are so many horror films that are just rip-offs of another. So getting a chance to do one, you always want to be involved with stuff that's good, and it's always a crapshoot because you never know how things are going to turn out."
In Boogeyman, Watson's character, Tim, confronts a creature that may have abducted his father when he was a child. Watson said that he frequently discussed the story and characters with director Stephen Kay (Get Carter) to make the film scarier. "It was a difficult thing trying to come up with an ending for it," Watson said. "Working out the end, [deciding] what are the things that actually made him afraid of the boogeyman, trying to come up with all of those things. I still think there's always stuff that we could have done to make it better, but sometimes you just kind of have to step away and let everybody else do their job." Boogeyman opens in theaters Feb. 4, 2005.
Final Highlander Season DVD Due
nchor Bay Entertainment will release the sixth and final season of the cult television series Highlander on Feb. 8, the company announced. The eight-disc set will contain the final 13 original episodes plus more than 11 hours of bonus material.
The collection includes six featurettes, deleted and alternate scenes, interviews with the cast and crew and a final retrospective on the 400-year history of the show's main character, Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul). Highlander: The Series—Season Six will carry a retail price of $89.98.
Ubisoft Signs Deal With Sony
bisoft has announced an agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to develop and publish games based on the first two feature-length animated films from Sony Pictures Animation, the Reuters news service reported. Ubisoft's Montreal studio will be developing games based on the titles Open Season and Surf's Up, working in close collaboration with the production teams at Sony Pictures Animation to ensure the video games are faithful renderings, both artistically and narratively, the company said.
Open Season centers around a domesticated grizzly bear (voiced by Martin Lawrence) whose life is turned upside down when he meets a mule deer (voiced by Ashton Kutcher) and winds up in the woods just days before hunting season. Surf's Up is an animated "mockumentary" based on the concept that surfing was invented by penguins. Both games will be released in conjunction with the theatrical release of the films. Open Season is scheduled for September of 2006, while Surf's Up is slated for the summer of 2007.
Ex-Beatle To Become Superhero
usic legend Ringo Starr is teaming up with comics legend Stan Lee to create a new superhero based on the Beatles drummer himself, the Associated Press reported. "Ringo is beloved worldwide for his commitment to people and his singular wit," Lee told the wire service. "Our Ringo superhero character will combine these qualities, along with Ringo's secret powers, which people generally didn't know about because he has kept them secret—until now."
The Ringo character, described as an "evil-battling, Earth-saving—though reluctant—superhero with a great sense of rhythm," will star in an animated series produced by Lee's POW! Entertainment. Production is expected to begin this year, with a DVD planned for release in early 2006, the news service reported. In a statement, the former Beatle said he was excited to become a "reluctant superhero" and that he is looking forward to adding a musical soundtrack to his adventures.
Krause Wants More Charmed
rian Krause, who stars as Leo in the WB series Charmed, told SCI FI Wire that he hopes the current seventh season will not be the last. "I really don't want it to end, for the WB and for Charmed and for the fans alike, " Krause said in an interview during the Television Critics Association press tour. "We have a hundred more shows in us, for sure. It would be a shame. It's hard to even think in the realm or in the terms of how I would like to see it end."
Executive producer Brad Kern has said that he would write a season finale if he doesn't hear from the network about the show's renewal by the end of February. Should that be the case, Krause said he would like to see a happy ending for the show's main characters, the three sister witches played by Holly Marie Colms, Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan. "If we were to end the show, [I'd like] to see the charmed ones get what they've always been after," he said. "It's that normal life and being able to contain it all and have the lovelife, where everybody finds what they want. Kind of a happily-ever-after kind of scenario."
Krause said he believed the show just might draw a few more viewers later this season, when guest star Billy Zane joins the cast for a few episodes. "Piper and Leo's life are in limbo and we decide to take a world-tour trip while we're waiting on our sentence to get away from everything," Krause said. "That's when everything kind of falls apart and enter Billy Zane. It's really pretty fun. ... He's all over the place, just creative and wacky and fun. I mean, he's pretty awesome." Charmed airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Heinlein Trust Announces Contest
he trustees of the Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust are sponsoring a new competition for researchers and students in the field of space exploration, the organization announced. The competition will identify, support and promote innovative projects by these researchers. Winners will receive a cash award, a prize diploma and international recognition of their work, the organization said in a statement.
The contest was created by the trust in honor of the memory of author Robert A. Heinlein with the objective to "forward the shared dream of a future of humankind expanding ever outward into space," the organization said. The Russian Aviation and Space Scientific Innovation Educational Complex (RASSIEC) will assist in the contest.
The competition is open to citizens from European, African and Middle Eastern nations. Also eligible to enter are students and post-graduate students, regardless of nationality, attending any European, African or Middle Eastern school. All contest entrants must be less than 30 years old on July 7, 2005. Entries may be submitted by individual authors or by teams of no more than three authors. Academic advisors may be associated with the development of the contest works, the organization said.
Contest entries should include scientific, technical and economic substantiation (business plan) of the proposed project. Entries must describe the peaceful use and practical applications of the work in the field of space exploration. Entries will be judged by an international team of experts. The entered works will be judged on a basis of the novelty and originality of the proposal, the economic and social benefits, the technological substantiation and profoundness of research, and the veracity and investment attractiveness of project.
The competition is part of the Heinlein Prize, a substantial cash award created to encourage commercial activity in space. The awards will be presented on the author's birthday, July 7, at a yet-to-be-determined European center for space research and industry, the organization said. More information on the competition is available at www.heinleincontest.info.
Konami Unveils New Titles
ideo-game publisher Konami announced its upcoming development slate—including an all-new Castlevania game and a new installment in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise—at the company's Gamers' Day in San Francisco, the GameSpot Web site reported.
The upcoming Castlevania: Curse of Darkness will be released exclusively for the PlayStation 2 platform this fall. It will feature a new main character, the Devil Forgemaster Hector, who was formerly in the service of Count Dracula himself, the Web site reported. Players will control Hector as he travels through a plague-infested Europe on the hunt for another Devil Forgemaster seeking revenge for the destruction of Dracula, the company announced.
The latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle game, TMNT Mutant Melee, will be available for the PC, Xbox and GameCubes platforms in March. The game will sport over 20 characters controlled by up to four players in either adventure or melee mode. TMNT Mutant Melee will also feature several mini-games—including "King of the Hill," "Last Man Standing" and "Knock Out"—and will also contain unlockable content, the Web site reported.
Briefly Noted
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Danny Elfman will provide the musical score for two upcoming fantasy films based on popular children's books—Charlotte's Web by E.B. White and A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce—according to the Music From the Movies Web site.
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The franchise-blending action film Alien vs. Predator sold about 1.9 million combined DVD and VHS units on its first day of release Jan. 25, nearly matching its opening-weekend domestic box-office total of $38.3 million, the Reuters news service reported.
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Scarlett Johansson, who stars in the upcoming SF film The Island, will host the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony on Feb. 12 at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif.
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A film based on the preschool book The Krazees, about a girl hitting puberty whose emotions manifest as computer-generated characters, is developing at Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies as a starring vehicle for Robin Williams, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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The first season of the 1980s superhero show The Greatest American Hero comes to DVD on Feb. 15 in a three-disc DVD set that includes the original two-hour pilot, a spinoff pilot and new interviews with the cast and crew.
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Christian Slater (Alone in the Dark) escaped a knife attack after a performance of his show in London's West End, with his bodyguard taking the brunt of the attack outside the theater, the Reuters news service reported.
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French actress Audrey Tautou (A Very Long Engagement) will reportedly play opposite Tom Hanks in the film adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, the French Le Parisien newspaper reported.
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Former Angel star Amy Acker and her husband, actor James Carpinello, have a new son: Jackson James Carpinello, E! Online reported.
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France will allow director Ron Howard to shoot scenes in the famed Louvre museum for a film adaptation of the worldwide best-seller The Da Vinci Code, which begins shooting in May, the Culture Ministry told the Reuters news service.
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NBC announced the renewal of its supernatural soap opera Passions for a seventh season and added that show creator James E. Reilly will continue as consulting producer and head writer.
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NBC estimated that it raised $18.3 million in aid for victims of the South Asia tsunami in its broadcasts of Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope on its networks, including SCI FI Channel.
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