10:43 pm ET, 23-Jan-98
It's A Wrap For Beowulf
The Kushner-Locke Co. reported that principal photography on its upcoming SF action film Beowulf wrapped earlier this month. The film stars Christopher Lambert (Highlander, Mortal Kombat) as a tormented warrior who is destined to fight evil, wherever it may be found.
According to Kushner-Locke, Beowulf is based on an ancient Norse legend, but in this film version the story will be set against a "techno-futuristic" backdrop. It is being produced by Lawrence Kasanoff, the chairman and CEO of Threshold Entertainment, whose most recent film was Mortal Kombat Annihilation.
10:27 pm ET, 23-Jan-98
Emmerich Forms F/X Co. For 13th Floor
Movie producer Roland Emmerich's company Centropolis Streamline will be creating a sister business in Cologne, Germany, to handle the special effects for Emmerich's upcoming SF cloning thriller The 13th Floor, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The deal is being driven in part by a $2.3 million grant Emmerich received from the Nordrhein Westphalia Film Foundation, which specifies that effects production for the film must be centered in Germany.
Emmerich, who is best known for the blockbuster film Independence Day he created with his partner Dean Devlin, is producing the film for Columbia TriStar. Josef Rusnak will direct the feature, which reportedly goes into production next month.
10:07 pm ET, 23-Jan-98
Westwood Revamping Dune 2
Game publisher Westwood Studios is remaking the classic PC game Dune 2 into a head-to-head real-time strategy title that will sport new graphics, the ability to play over the Internet, and a new interface along the lines of Command & Conquer. The game will be relaunched with the name Dune 2000 and should be available in stores this April.
In Dune 2000 players lead one of three political factions into battle against up to two opponents: the noble Atreides, the evil Harkonnen or the sneaky Ordos. Like the original version of the game, individual combat units include deviators, sonic tanks, ornithopters, Fremen warriors, the elite Sardaukar and many others, and huge sandworms prowl the battlefields looking for unwary troops to devour.
Both Dune 2 and Dune 2000 are based on Frank Herbert's classic SF novel Dune.
4:17 pm ET, 23-Jan-97
SF TV Continues To Improve
Speculative fiction TV shows continued their ratings rebound during the week of Jan. 5-11, led by perennial front-runner The X-Files, which--with a 12.9--posted its highest rating since mid-November of last year. Third Rock from the Sun recovered from a dismal 4.5 New Year's Eve rating to earn a healthy 8.2 for the week, while Early Edition returned to the CBS line-up with a 6.6, significantly improving the 5.8 rating it earned when it last aired in late December of last year.
Although NBC's The Pretender finished third in the Sci-Fi Wire top 20 list of speculative fiction TV shows for the week of Jan. 5-11, its rating actually dropped a full point from the week before, down to a 7.4 from an 8.4. And while UPN's Star Trek: Voyager improved its rating from a 2.2 to a 2.9 over the same period, it's still well under the high 3.0 and low 4.0 ratings it was earning last November. UPN's other SF staple The Sentinel didn't even make the top 20 list this week.
Below is our complete top 20 list for the week ending Jan. 11, based on the Nielsen Galaxy report. The HH Rating is the average number of households tuned in to a particular show, expressed as a percentage of all television households.
| RANK |
NETWORK/
SYNDICATOR |
PROGRAM |
HH RATING |
| 1 |
Fox |
The X-Files |
12.9 |
| 2 |
NBC |
3rd Rock |
8.2 |
| 3 |
NBC |
The Pretender |
7.4 |
| 4 |
CBS |
Early Edition |
6.6 |
| 5 |
NBC |
The Profiler |
6.5 |
| 6 |
Fox |
Millennium |
5.6 |
| 7 |
Universal TV |
Xena |
5.6 |
| 8 |
Universal TV |
Hercules |
5.1 |
| 9 |
Paramount |
Star Trek: DS9 |
5.0 |
| 10 |
Fox |
The Visitor |
4.5 |
| 11 |
Tribune |
Earth: Final Conflict |
3.6 |
| 12 |
Buena Vista TV |
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids |
3.4 |
| 13 |
Warner |
Buffy |
3.1 |
| 14 |
MGM |
The Outer Limits |
3.1 |
| 15 |
UPN |
Star Trek: Voyager |
2.9 |
| 16 |
Tribune |
Nightman |
2.9 |
| 17 |
Paramount |
Viper |
2.7 |
| 18 |
Universal TV |
Team Knight Rider |
2.3 |
| 19 |
Rysher |
F/X |
2.1 |
| 20 |
Rysher |
Highlander |
2.1 |
| Source: Nielsen Galaxy 1/5-1/11. Nielsen data subject to qualifications to be supplied upon request. |
5:05 pm ET, 22-Jan-97
Contact Still Strong In Rental Market
For the third week in a row Contact led the Sci-Fi Wire top 10 SF video rental list, pulling in $3.34 million for the week ending Jan. 18, almost double the sales of second-place finisher Men in Black, which took in $1.87 million over the same period. Meanwhile, Spawn continued its strong showing in the rental market, earning $1.62 million in its fourth week of release and finishing third in the top 10 list.
Competition among SF video rentals should pick up next week with the Jan. 27 release of the SF/horror flick Event Horizon. Below is the complete Sci-Fi Wire top 10 SF video rental list for the week ending Jan. 18:
| RANK |
TITLE |
STUDIO |
WEEKS IN
RELEASE |
WEEKLY
EARNINGS
(Millions) |
TOTAL
EARNINGS
(Millions) |
| 1. |
Contact |
Warner |
5 |
$3.34 |
$21.20 |
| 2. |
Men in Black |
Columbia TriStar |
8 |
$1.87 |
$41.80 |
| 3. |
Spawn |
New Line |
4 |
$1.62 |
$8.16 |
| 4. |
The Fifth Element |
Columbia TriStar |
12 |
$1.25 |
$22.76 |
| 5. |
The Lost World |
Universal |
11 |
$.66 |
$27.69 |
| 6. |
Batman & Robin |
Warner |
15 |
$.41 |
$19.87 |
| 7. |
Mars Attacks! |
Warner |
31 |
$.16 |
$17.60 |
| 8. |
Asteroid |
Live |
19 |
$.11 |
$3.84 |
| 9. |
DNA |
Cabin Fever |
8 |
$.11 |
$1.12 |
| 10. |
Star Trek: First Contact |
Paramount |
35 |
$.08 |
$16.50 |
Source: Video Software Dealers Association and VidTrac |
10:54 am ET, 22-Jan-98
Gallagher, Rogers Star In ABC's Host
Peter Gallagher (While You Were Sleeping) and Mimi Rogers (Someone to Watch Over Me) will star in ABC's upcoming SF television movie Host, which is set to air at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26. ABC described the movie as a romantic thriller about a scientist whose experiments into human immortality turn deadly when a mysterious woman enters his life.
Host was directed by Mick Garris, who also helmed Stephen King's The Stand and Stephen King's The Shining. The film's cast includes Jake Lloyd, Andy Comeau, Lee Garlington, Michael O'Neill, Dan Martin, Robert Vaughn and Bridgette Wilson.
6:07 pm ET, 20-Jan-98
Betaville Debuts On Sci-Fi In June
A new one-hour anthology series called Betaville will debut on the Sci-Fi Channel in the 10 p.m. Monday timeslot beginning in June. The series, created by Chesler/Perlmutter Productions (The Hitchhiker) in association with Alliance Communications, explores classic SF stories that deal with advances in both science and technology that take place faster than humans can comprehend their implications.
"Although Betaville is set in the near future, we can all relate to the story topics," said Rod Perth, president, entertainment, for USA Networks, the parent company of the Sci-Fi Channel. "This is the perfect show for the Sci-Fi Channel since it stimulates the viewers' imaginations about life's many possibilities and the impact that each new discovery holds for us individually and collectively."
Betaville will follow original episodes of Sliders, which will also debut in June (reruns of Sliders begin airing on the channel in March). The series will feature stories by James Tiptree Jr., William Neal Harrison, Karl Schiffman, Miguel Tejada Flores and Jeremy Lipp.
5.27 pm ET, 20-Jan-98
Clarke Shortlist Announced
The shortlist for the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award--given to the best SF novel whose first U.K. edition was published in 1997--has been announced, according to Locus Online. This year's list includes:
- Titan, by Stephen Baxter
- Glimmering, by Elizabeth Hand
- Days, by James Lovegrove
- Nymphomation, by Jeff Noon
- The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell
- The Family Tree, by Sheri S. Tepper
The award will be presented this spring during a ceremony at the Science Museum in London. This year's judges include Tanya Brown and Dr. Andrew M. Butler of the British Science Fiction Association, and John Clute and Farah Mendelsohn of the Science Fiction Foundation. The administrator and chairman of the judges is Paul Kincaid.
The award, first given in 1987, was founded by famed British SF novelist Arthur C. Clarke. Winners receive an inscribed plaque and a check for £1,000.
5:39 pm ET, 19-Jan-98
Asimov's Debuts On The Web
Asimov's Science Fiction, one of the leading SF literary magazines in the field, made its long-awaited Web debut today on SF Site. The Asimov's site features columns by James Patrick Kelly, Paul De Filippo and Robert Silverberg, as well as a story excerpt from the current print edition of the magazine, subscription information, a short history of Asimov's, and more.
"The purpose of the site is to reach out to new people, to let them know about the magazine and that we exist, and who we are and what we are," said Sheila Williams, executive editor of the publication. "It's also to enter the 21st century and catch up with a new medium."
Although the Asimov's site doesn't currently feature any short fiction published in its entirety, Williams said they will eventually be posting a section of classic short stories from past issues. She added that Analog, the sister publication of Asimov's, will make its Web premiere in a few weeks.
3:29 pm ET, 19-Jan-98
X-Files Wins Golden Globe Award
For the second year in a row, The X-Files took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series on television, besting fellow nominees Chicago Hope, ER, Law & Order and NYPD Blue. The award was the only gold earned by an SF show this year, in contrast to the five Golden Globes awarded to SF shows last year, which included three for The X-Files and two for Third Rock from the Sun.
3:26 pm ET, 15-Jan-98
Connery, Moore Bond With Merlin
Jason Connery and Deborah Moore, the respective children of James Bond actors Sean Connery and Roger Moore, have been signed to star in the new syndicated series Merlin: The Quest Begins, according to Merlin producer Kaleidoscope Media Group. The series' two-hour premiere will debut later this month at the NATPE '98 conference, while an additional 20 one-hour episodes are in the works for a fall release in the United States.
The Arthurian drama chronicles the adventures of Merlin the magician--played by Connery--as a young man first coming into his powers. Moore will co-star in the series as Nimus. The show has already been cleared in the Far East, Latin America, Germany, France and Eastern Europe.
3:16 pm ET, 14-Jan-98
Paramount Opens Star Trek Site To All
Bowing to demands from Star Trek fans around the world, Paramount Digital Entertainment has decided to open the official Star Trek Web site Star Trek: Continuum to all Internet users, rather than continuing its policy of making the site available exclusively to members of The Microsoft Network. As part of its revised plans, PDE has dumped Microsoft as its technology partner and charter sponsor, instead teaming up with technology giant IBM.
"IBM intends to enhance Star Trek: Continuum by making this already successful entertainment Web site available to fans on a global basis," said Bruce M. Polichar, vice president of entertainment for IBM Global Telecommunications and Media Industries. "Star Trek fans spoke, and we listened," added David Wertheimer, president of PDE.
Although Continuum will eventually be fully available to all Internet users, PDE has said the process will take several months to complete.
1:17 am ET, 14-Jan-98
SFWA Releases Nebula Prelim Ballot
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Inc. has released the preliminary ballot for the 1997 Nebula Awards, which are given annually to the best novel, novella, novelette and short story as voted on by active SFWA members. To make the preliminary ballot, works must receive 10 recommendations by active SFWA members during their eligibility period, which is 12 months from the date of their first publication.
Active SFWA members will then vote for the top five works in each category to obtain a final ballot. Two special Nebula juries--one for short fiction and one for novels--can add a sixth work to the final ballot in each category at their discretion. This final ballot will then be put to a vote by active SFWA members to determine the 1997 award winners, which will be announced during a ceremony to be held in Sante Fe, N.M., from May 1-3.
5:09 pm ET, 13-Jan-98
Levinson Refitting Sphere
Director Barry Levinson has recalled the cast and crew of the movie Sphere in order to shoot a new ending for the film's Feb. 13 release, according to Variety. The current ending apparently left test audiences cold to the underwater SF thriller, which stars Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone and Samuel L. Jackson.
While it's in port for the refit, Sphere will also get some new dialog and new special effects, according to reports. Sphere is based on Michael Crichton's book of the same name, which is a story about a Navy mission to explore what appears to be an alien craft that crashed deep at sea.
2:43 pm ET, 13-Jan-98
Branagh, Boyle Join Alien Love Triangle
Kenneth Branagh (Dead Again) and Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) have agreed to join Miramax's upcoming SF comedy Alien Love Triangle, according to published reports. Boyle will direct, and Branagh will act in, one segment of the three-part anthology film, which is about a man who finds out that his wife is actually a male alien.
The film is expected to begin shooting this spring in the United Kingdom. Director Bill Forsyth has reportedly been approached to write and direct the second segment of the compilation story, but it's unclear whether he's interested in the project.
11:27 am ET, 13-Jan-98
Anne McCaffrey Signs Game Deal
Best-selling SF&F author Anne McCaffrey signed a deal with Tom Clancy's Red Storm Entertainment to create a game based on her Catteni series, according to Red Storm. The title, which could hit stores as early as 1999, will involve a futuristic Earth fighting against an alien race that is bent on enslaving humans.
"My new venture with Red Storm Entertainment will allow me to take my work to the exciting new world of interactive computer gameplay," McCaffrey said. "Red Storm Entertainment's vision and creative development team greatly impressed me, and I'm looking forward to working closely with them to invent a new medium in which to tell my stories."
11.42 pm ET, 12-Jan-98
Duchovny, Anderson Sign Until 2000
X-Files co-stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny have agreed to stay with the show until the year 2000, according to TV Guide. The announcement came shortly after Fox said it would air at least two more seasons of the series, with or without its current stars.
The pair's decision to stick with the hit show was likely helped by Fox's recently announced plans to move the X-File's shooting location from Vancouver, B.C., to Los Angeles, Calif., something first Duchovny and then Anderson had demanded. Duchovny has said he would like to be closer to his L.A.-based wife and The Naked Truth star Téa Leoni, while Anderson is said to be interested in pursuing a movie career, which would all but require a move to L.A.
In still more Files news, today Fox announced that an interactive road show based on the series--dubbed "The X-Files Expo"--will begin a 10-city U.S. tour in March. "The Expo will be a place for people who like the show to get together and have a great time," said X-Files creator Chris Carter.
The tour is tentatively scheduled for the following dates and cities: San Francisco, March 6-8; Los Angeles, March 13-15; Dallas, March 20-22; Atlanta, March 27-29; Miami, April 3-5; Chicago, April 17-19; Detroit, April 24-26; Boston, May 1-3; New York, May 8-10; and Washington, D.C., May 15-17. Tickets for the tour go on sale Jan. 20 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling 1-888-397-6849 or online by visiting http://www.thex-files.com.
10:51 pm ET, 12-Jan-98
King, Gibson Pen X-Files Episodes
Best-selling authors William Gibson and Stephen King have each co-written upcoming episodes of The X-Files that will air on Fox during the crucial February Nielsen sweeps month, according to published reports. Gibson, best known for his groundbreaking SF novel Neuromancer, penned his script--about the bizarre death of a computer genius--with fellow SF author Tom Maddox.
Meanwhile, horror guru King co-wrote the episode "Chinga" with none other than X-Files creator Chris Carter. Their story takes FBI agent Dana Scully on vacation to King's home state of Maine, where she discovers people suffering from self-inflicted wounds, apparently at the direction of a young girl. The episode is slated to air on Feb. 8.
In addition to these special episodes, Fox will air a behind-the-scenes X-Files feature on Feb. 1, which may feature scenes from the upcoming Files movie, according to TV Guide.
1:14 pm ET, 12-Jan-98
U-Haul Creates Roswell Tribute Truck
Today U-Haul International Inc. unveiled a new U-Haul truck image that pays homage to what many believe was a UFO crash landing that took place in Roswell, N.M., in 1947. The graphic, which will adorn the side of about 300 U-Haul trucks in service, depicts a UFO, a large alien figure pining for home, and the slogan "What happened in Roswell?"
The Roswell truck graphic was created in conjunction with the International UFO Museum and Research Center as part of U-Haul's "Salute to America" campaign, and a special version of the image with the tag line "Everyone has to move sometime" will be donated to the museum for permanent display. In honor of the event, which included the unveiling of the first UFO U-Haul truck in front of the museum, Roswell Mayor Tom Jennings proclaimed Jan. 12 "U-Haul UFO Day" in his city.
"It's a euphoric feeling here in Roswell," Jennings told Sci-Fi Wire by phone from the unveiling ceremony. "It looks great."
