X-Files Secrets Revealed
recent report in the New York Post has revealed several secrets about a special two-part episode of The X-Files that will air in February, according to numerous online reports.
Among the revelations comes word that Special Agent Dana Scully will finally begin believing in UFOs, and that Special Agent Fox Mulder will find out what really happened to his sister.
Files creator Chris Carter will also reportedly introduce a new race of faceless aliens into the series, but it's unclear whether they will help save humanity from the other extraterrestrials already on the scene. The Post also claims that two series regulars will die, and that viewers will learn who Agent Alex Krycek works for.
E.T. Says: 'Buckle Up'
.T., the lovable star of Steven Spielberg's 1982 hit movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, has a new role to play.
According to Variety, the famous alien will be a mascot for the Buckle-Up America campaign, a series of public service announcements from Progressive Insurance that are designed to promote safety on the roads.
"I'm extremely pleased that the values symbolized by E.T. will be used to aid and address the issues of safe driving," Variety quoted Spielberg as saying. Along with asking people to fasten their seatbelts when they're on the road, E.T. will also reportedly address such concerns as drunk driving and road rage.
Barbarella Creator Dies
ean-Claude Forest, the man who created the futuristic comic book vixen Barbarella, died Thursday, Dec. 31, 1998, at the age of 68, according to AP.
Barbarella made her first appearance in V Magazine in 1962, though she was the victim of censors in Forest's native land of France until the early 1970s.
Barbarella came to worldwide attention in 1968 when Jane Fonda brought her to life on the silver screen in a campy self-titled B-movie that has since become a cult classic. She made her last appearance in 1981, in a final episode penned by Forest.
Cooper Joins Austin Powers II
cott Cooper, who recently finished shooting the upcoming film Takedown, will appear in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Cooper will play Bobby, a man who makes an appearance on a Jerry Springer-like talk show.
Austin Powers II is the sequel to the 1997 hit film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, about a 1960s secret agent who is cryogenically frozen and then revived in the '90s. Austin star Michael Myers is set to reprise his title role in the second film, which is being directed by Jay Roach.
Furbies And Gremlins Make Peace
oymaker Hasbro paid Warner Bros. a seven-figure sum to settle a lawsuit over the similarity between Hasbro's Furby doll and the animatronic gremlins that starred in Warner's 1984 hit film Gremlins, according to Variety.
As part of the agreement, Hasbro will reportedly be redesigning its Furby line, which has sold an estimated 2 million units since October.
Furbies are interactive toy characters that stand about seven inches high and that come out of the box speaking "Furbish." Among their other abilities, they can be taught a limited number of English words, making them something of an educational gift for children. The Furbies proved to be the hot toy of the 1998 holiday season, with the $30 gizmos often selling second-hand for more than $100.
The Faculty Scares Up $11.8 Million
imension Films' SF/horror flick The Faculty earned $11.8 million during its first weekend in release, finishing No. 5 at the box office for the period between Dec. 25-27, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Disney's remake of Mighty Joe Young debuted the same weekend with ticket sales of $10.9 million, placing it squarely in the No. 6 box-office slot.
Meanwhile, A Bug's Life pulled in another $10.1 million over the Christmas weekend, taking the No. 7 spot at the box office and pushing its total earnings up to $114.6 million. Star Trek: Insurrection finished in the No. 8 position with $7.5 million, for total earnings of about $47.9 million.
The disappointing holiday film Jack Frost rounded out the weekend box office at No. 10, with earnings of just $4 million. Its total haul to date is a meager $22.6 million.
Moorcock To Write More Elric
enowned SF&F author Michael Moorcock has signed a deal with publisher Warner Aspect to write three more novels in his famous Elric fantasy saga.
The books--titled The Dreamthief's Daughter, The Silverskin and Mournblade--will be published in hardcover format beginning in late 2000 or early 2001.
"The most common question I ever get asked is when I'm going to write a new Elric book," Moorcock said. "I'm very, very pleased to be working with Warner on these new books...and I'm looking forward to the day when the runesword howls again!"
The new novels will continue the stories of Elric, the wandering Prince of Ruins; Rose von Bek; Kirla, the Dreamthief's Daughter; Duke Arioch of Chaos; and other characters both familiar and unfamiliar to fans of the series.
Briefly Noted
- Canadian SF author Robert J. Sawyer has resigned as president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. SFWA vice president Paul Levinson will assume the vacated post.
- Actor/director Don Taylor, who helmed the 1977 flick The Island of Dr. Moreau, died on Dec. 29, 1998, at the age of 78.
