Sci-Fi Saturday: Terminator, Transformers, Spider-man, Silver Surfer, Dead Zone, Fringe + more

This is kind of a slow week in sci-fi news, but there is some intriguing new info on a teaser for Terminator 4 and rewrites for Transformers 2. Plus Spider-man 4 takes another step towards reality while Silver Surfer takes a step back. We also have new previews and images and TV viral news from JJ Abrams Fringe and more.

MOVIES NEWS

Terminator teaser with The Dark Knight + description leaked
AICN has confirmed that the teaser trailer for "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" will be attached to "The Dark Knight" next month.  Turns out it won’t be just a generic title sequence, but will show actual footage. Here’s a small bit of the teaser, click here to read the complete description:

Massive drums blare the beginning of the theme (again) but this time much louder, more pumped up, as we get a metallic silver T that morphs into a 4.

We then get the big money shot of the trailer. Its Bale on a motorcycle with some girl on the back.
They speed through a door of what looks like a warehouse toward us. As soon as they
pass the screen, a huge terminator on wheels, a lot like the one they battle in the
first one, smashes through the wall, chasing them. It looks awesome.

Meanwhile, rapper-turned-actor Common told SCI FI Wire that he’s about to begin shooting his role in the film: "I play Barnes, who’s part of the resistance.  I’m a freedom fighter alongside John Connor [Christian Bale]. And I’m just about to start filming it soon." ‘Terminator Salvation’ hits theaters on May 22, 2009.

Orci and Kurtzman cramming during Transformers 2 shoot
Paramount was determined to get Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen into theaters July 2009 and a little thing like a writers strike wasn’t going to stop them. So even though Star Trek and Transformers scribes Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman whipped out a script while in ‘Michael Bay Jail’ in the spring, apparently they are still making tweaks. Megan Fox tells MTV:

You know, we’ve been having script meetings, and we’ve been reworking the script, because they wrote it fast because of the writer’s strike. And, we’ve just been going through and trying to do some character stuff for Shia and myself in the middle of this crazy world that they’re in.

Fox also said they were shooting in "some really exotic places" and the film was going to be "badass." Fox also reveals the kind of deep character motivating direction she has received from director Michael Bay: "His main note to me is just to look hot."

Um, Mr. Bay, don’t think you need to worry about Megan looking hot

Spider-Man 4 scheduled for 2011
Spider-Man producer, Laura Ziskin told theater owners on Thursday (LATimes) that the fourth installment in the franchise has been tentatively scheduled for release in May 2011.  She also confirmed that screenwriter James Vanderbilt has not yet turned in a final screenplay, but Sony is confident they’ll be ready for release by 2011. 

JMS Talks Silver Surfer
J. Michael Straczynski spoke to AMC’s Sci-Fi Scanner about his "Silver Surfer" script:

"Silver Surfer would have taken place minutes after Fantastic Four 2 ended, and his surfboard raced back to his open arms. "You find out why Silver Surfer was there and what happened to him. We would have seen Galactus, his home world, what happened and him trying to get back there, because now that he’s betrayed Galactus, he’s concerned his home world might be in jeopardy."

JMS also revealed that the film’s future, unfortunately, is very much in doubt:

Whether or not it ever gets made, I don’t know, because they were kind of disappointed in how Fantastic Four 2 did. And given how this will be a subset of FF2 in terms of the marketing strategy, I think there is hesitation there about putting it forward. The script is pretty good, I like it, but whether or not it goes into production, I have no idea."

NEW IMAGES

Dragonball

Moon

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

The Spirit (click here to hear the ladies talk to you)

NEW VIDEOS

WALL•E

The Dark Knight

(Tease of Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face) [HD Version]

(TV Spot #5)

MOVIE BITES

• A brand new story written by J.K. Rowling featuring the characters of "Harry Potter" is being adapted into a mini-movie which will be shown at Universal Studio’s The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (expected to open in early 2010) in Orlando, Florida.  All the regular cast, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, will be involved. [Sunday Mirror]
• A sci-fi short film that is connected to WALL•E, titled BURN•E will accompany the upcoming DVD/Blu-ray release of the film. [UpcomingPixar]
• The Vatican has banned the crew of "Angels & Demons" from shooting in several Rome churches. [Variety]
• The first online review of "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" is quite positive.  Read it here. [AICN]
• Spike Lee will co-write and direct a film adaptation of Ronald Mallett’s "Time Traveler: A Scientist’s Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality". [Variety]
• Hulk as the bad guy in "The Avengers"?  FirstShowing ponders the possibility.
• "Conan the Barbarian" writers Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer have just started a "contractually obligated" rewrite of the film’s script. [IGN]
• Len Wisemen has been tapped to direct the video game to film adaptation "Gears of War". [THR]
• Lexi Alexander, director of "Punisher: War Zone" gave her thoughts on the recently released trailer at her blog.
• Marvel & Paramount’s "Iron Man" became the first film of 2008 to reach the $300 million mark in domestic ticket sales.  The film reached the mark on June 18th, its 48th day of release.  "Spider-Man 3" was the first film in 2007 to hit $300 million, accomplishing the feat in just 24 days, en route to a 2007 best gross of $336.5 million.
• Lou Ferrigno chatted with USA Today about his role in the new "Incredible Hulk" movie and reflected on his role as the Hulk in the original TV series.
• MTV is asking its readers to submit questions for their interview with "The Hobbit" director Guillermo Del Toro. [MTV Movies Blog]

CASTING BITES

• Nicolas Cage, Bill Nighy, Nathan Lane and Eugene Levy have all been added to the cast of Imagi Studios and Summit Entertainment’s "Astro Boy". [Cinematical]
• Matt Davis and James Lafferty have signed onto the Donnie Darko sequel "S. Darko". [Variety]
• James McAvoy once again shot down rumors that he’s been approached to star as Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit".  McAvoy did reveal who he’s like to see play the character though: Ian Holm. [MTV Movies Blog]

TV NEWS

About that Battlestar Galactica midseason finale
So how about that BSG cliffhanger huh?  Overall I enjoyed the episode, but am slightly concerned about the season’s upcoming second half. I mean, where do they go from here?  Part of me wishes the show would have closed out with that space shot of the fleet overlooking Earth (or maybe it’s not Earth, I suppose we don’t have a clear answer on that yet either).  In terms of ratings, the episode drew a 1.4 coverage household rating, or 1.8 million viewers and 1.2 million A18-49.  If you’re interested in an insiders take on the episode, writer Jane Espenson shared her personal thoughts on the episode with TV Squad.  Read it here.

Anthony Michael Hall open to The Dead Zone Movie
Anthony Michael Hall, who played psychic Johnny Smith on USA Network’s "The Dead Zone", told SCI FI Wire that there is now talk about doing a movie, and though he’s not optimistic about its chances, is open to being in it:

"There’s talk about it.  I don’t think we had the size of a cult following that, let’s say, ‘The X-Files’ did. You look at ‘Sex and the City’ or ‘The X-Files’, these movies were done long after the shows pumped out their last episodes."

Regardless if a film gets made, Hall said that he remains grateful for his chance to be on the show.  "I would certainly be open to the potential for [a reunion feature]," he said. "I would never turn my back on what [the show’s late producer] Michael Piller did for me. He gave me this incredible opportunity. When I look back at [my] career, I view him and John Hughes as almost guardian angels of my career."

"Fringe" viral marketing
Viral marketing for a J.J. Abrams project?  Should we really be all that surprised?  According to this report, if you perform a certain series of clicks on Fox’s "Fringe" website, you’ll be brought to a video of a twelve-fingered man (six on each hand–watch it below).  The YouTube channel hosting the video is the website PortalToIndia.  Here are the details:

• Alleged creator: Stuart Sims
• To access: Hover mouse over image until it turns into a six-fingered hand, then click
• Namaste: Frequently heard phrase on Lost
• Has denied any connection to Fringe
• Site registry via Concentric’s Private Domain Registration service

TV BITES

• One of the Pontiac Trans Am’s used in the original "Knight Rider" TV series sold on eBay for $53,000. [The Bad and Ugly]
• Sam Witwer and Cassidy Freeman have joined the cast as villains in the eighth season of The CW’s "Smallville".  Click here to read what characters the two actors will play. [SCI FI Wire]
• Ever Carradine has joined the cast of "Eureka".  Lexi will play the free-spirited sister of Sheriff Carter and appear in four to eight episodes in the upcoming third season, which debuts on the SCI FI Channel July 29th. [THR]
• Janel Moloney and Patrick Breen have been tapped to co-star alongside 13-year-old lead actress Jodelle Ferland in ABC’s fantasy pilot "Captain Cook’s Extraordinary Atlas". [THR]
• AMC is developing a drama about a mysterious magician titled "Carter Beats the Devil", as part of its new slate of drama projects. [Variety]
• Paul Campbell, who played presidential aide Billy on "Battlestar Galactica", is headed to NBC’s new "Knight Rider" series.  Campbell will play the head research tech. [THR]
• DC Comics will be releasing a prequel comic to J.J. Abrams’s fall Fox series "Fringe". [USA Today]
• The NY Times has written up an extensive piece on "Doctor Who 2005" creator and writer Russell T. Davies.  Check it out here.
• William Katt, who played the lead role in the ’80s TV show "Greatest American Hero" will be making a guest appearance on NBC’s "Heroes".  Katt, who filmed his spot last week, says he plays "a really, really wonderful, seedy, swarmy-mouthed reporter that goes after Ali Larter."  [Newsarama]
• Wednesday night’s midseason finale of "Ghost Hunters" drew a 1.8 household rating and over 2.5 million viewers. It was the the #1 cable program for the day in Adults 25-54.  The show is currently enjoying its best season to date in ratings, averaging a 1.8 HH rating, and 2.6 million total viewers.

• Heroes (set photo–info here)

  

   

SCI-FI RATINGS

5/26/2008 to
6/01/2008 – Source: Nielsen Media Research

5/26/2008 to
6/01/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire

5/26/2008 to
6/01/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire