Sci-Fi Saturday: World War Z, TR2N, Avatar, Terminator, Superman, Caprica, BSG, Lost, Heroes + more

This week in SciFi movie news brings updates the plots of World War Z and TR2N, trailer news for Avatar, runtime news for Watchmen, and much more with tons of trailers and images including the next Terminator. On the small screen there is big news on Ron Moore’s Caprica and Brannon Braga’s Flashforward, plus Lost and Heroes updates and a bunch of previews, including BSG.

MOVIE NEWS

J. Michael Straczynski Talks World War Z
J. Michael Straczynski ("Babylon 5") recently spoke with MTV about Marc Forster’s adaptation of Max Brooks’ "World War Z".  JMS, who wrote the screenplay, discussed how he would classify the film, the large scale aspect of it, how he plans to preserve the original storyline and more:

“We talk about it as a thriller, the closest comparison being ‘The Bourne Identity,’” explained Straczynski, who’s also penning a “Forbidden Planet” revisiting. “Most zombie movies to this point have been small, focusing on a few people in a house. And this has got real scare. You’re in India with hundreds of boats trying to get out of there with a tidal wave of zombies. The scale of what we’re doing here is phenomenal.”

“The fictional concept of the book is that its written by someone with the UN, so let’s tell that story,” he explained. “Let’s show the book being written. We follow this guy all over the world as he goes on these interviews, and he has his own personal story as well. You’re cutting between the past and the present, how he got to this point.”
…Read more here.

Watchmen Runtime Shortened + ‘epic’ version planned for DVD
Zack and Deborah Snyder, the husband and wife directing/producing team behind the film adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s "Watchmen" (March 6, 2009), told SCI FI Wire that the film has gotten a little shorter:

“We’re getting really close,” producer Deborah Snyder said in a telephone interview on Nov. 18. “We’re at two hours and 35 minutes.” Zack Snyder added: “The movie’s pretty long … compared to 300, which was an hour and 58 minutes. The director’s cut [of Watchmen] is about three hours and 10 minutes long. It has even more than the theatrical version, as far as the detail that gets even closer to the graphic novel.”

But those hoping for a extra-long cut of the film need not worry.  Snyder still plans to edit the "Black Freighter" material directly into "Watchmen" for an eventual "huge epic version" of the film on DVD (and likely Blu-ray):

“The Black Freighter version of the movie that we’re working on–which has the ins and outs of the Black Freighter comic book woven through it, with an animated version of the Black Freighter–will be about three hours and 40 minutes,” Zack said. “So there’s a huge epic version of Watchmen, which will probably come out after the movie’s theatrical release, for hardcore [fans].”
…Read more at this link.

Bryan Singer NOT Involved in Superman Talks
"Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer tells, who once said his follow-up film would be the ‘Wrath of Khan of the Superman franchise’ told UGO Movie Blog that he is not involved in any talks in regards to the new "Superman" film, and apparently doesn’t expect to be, saying:

Well it’s, you know, I have relationships with Warner Brothers and with the character and, and, and, and it’s just the way things work out.
…more at UGO.

Will Smith Talks I Am Legend PREQUEL
This should finally put an end to the sequel/prequel rumors that have been circulated via various outlets in recent weeks and months.  While at a press junket for his upcoming film "Seven Pounds", star Will Smith revealed that the film will be a prequel, and will deal with the fall of the last city, Manhattan.  Via Collider:

“We’re still trying to work through a couple of bumps in the story,” said Smith. “It’s essentially the fall of the last city – the last stand of Manhattan. The movie would be… within the body of the movie D.C. and then Manhattan would fall as the last city. It’s a really cool idea trying to figure it out… there’s a reason why we have to take a small band and we have to get into D.C. So we have to make our way from New York to D.C. and then back to New York.”

Name Change and New Plot Synopsis for Tron 2
The latest issue of Production Weekly reports that Disney’s Tron sequel has been renamed from "TR2N" to TRZ". Production Weekly also has a short plot synopsis for the film:

“After being transported into the surreal landscape of a mainframe computer to destroy an intruder, a programmer finds himself allied with the leader of a rebellion against a corrupt cyber-entity.”

Twilight Director Catherine Hardwick Talks New Moon
"Twilight" director Catherine Hardwick chatted with ShockTillYouDrop.com about "New Moon", the follow-up to the successful film.  Here is some of what she had to say:

Shock: Is there an element of the second book you’re especially intrigued or excited by, as far as bringing it to life on screen?

Hardwicke: New Moon’s really taking a whole other leap with this new story and there’s really a lot of new characters in it. There’s the werewolves which is pretty crazy. All the wolves. Then there’s also going to Italy in the second book and there’s motorcycle riding and cliff-jumping and diving. I love jumping off of cliffs. So it’s kind of up my alley – into water, yeah.

Avatar Trailer Expected by Early Spring 2009
James Cameron ("Avatar") criticized Tim Burton for not shooting "Alice in Wonderland" in 3-D (it will be converted in post production from 2-D) and also attacked the film industry for releasing 3-D films on DVD/Blu-ray with the red/blue anaglyphic glasses, believing that the practice is “stunting 3D growth”.  "Alice in Wonderland" producer Richard Zanuck defends the 2-D to 3-D conversion, telling reporters that moviegoers will not be able to tell that the film was shot in 2-D.  Also, in an interview with MarketSaw, Cameron revealed that the first trailer for "Avatar" could be attached to "Monsters vs. Aliens" (March 27, 2009). And rounding out the "Avatar" news for the week, there are two corrections that need to be made: 1) The photos that were released on the internet purporting to be film canisters that housed the trailer for the film were fake, 2) And so was the concept art that was posted on MarketSaw, well sort of at least.  Here’s a brief bit of what the artist, Jonay Bacallado, said about the situation: "I’m Jonay Bacallado, the author of the images. They are part of my artwork, my personal artwork, and it has nothing to do with the actual concept art of the film."

WB Sets January 23rd Date for The Dark Knight Re-Release
Less than six weeks after the release of "The Dark Knight" on DVD/Blu-ray, the film will be returning to theaters.  Warner Bros. has announced that January 23, 2009 will see the re-release of "The Dark Knight" on the big screen.  The move all but guarantees the film will become one of only four to reach $1 billion in worldwide box office.  It’s total cume today stands at $996.2 million ($530.3 million domestically and $465.9 million overseas):

Dan Fellman, president of Warner’s domestic distribution, made the announcement Thursday. “We wanted to provide one more opportunity for moviegoers to experience it on the bigscreen as it was meant to be seen,” he added.

NEW IMAGES

Friday the 13th

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Knowing (super high-res version at this link)

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li (more here)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (more here)

Wonder Woman (another image here)

NEW VIDEOS

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (here and here)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (more here and here)

Friday the 13th [HD Version]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Monsters Vs. Aliens

The Punisher: War Zone

null – Watch more free videos

Race to Witch Mountain

The Spirit (more here and here)

Terminator Salvation

Watchmen

MOVIE BITES

• "Terminator Salvation" producer Jeff Silver says that the movie is "an Arnold-free Terminator, although I do have a surprise there." [Sarah Connor Society]
• Disney’s proposed third "Chronicles of Narnia" film, ‘The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’, may be delayed or scaled back as a result of ‘Prince Caspian’s’ disappointing box office performance.  Walden Media reportedly wants Disney to fund half of the film’s $140 million production budget, but Disney is apparently pushing for a $100 million version instead.  It’s likely the film’s release will be pushed back from its current slated date–May 7, 2010–to sometime in 2011. ‘Prince Caspian’ made $419.6 million worldwide on a $200 million production budget, significantly less than the $745 million grossed from the first film which had a $180 million budget. [Jim Hill Media]
• DreamWorks has hired Len Wiseman ("Underworld") to direct a big screen adaptation of the apocalyptic sci-fi comic book "Atlantis Uprising".  The project was brought to DreamWorks by writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and while the two will produce, it’s unclear if they will write the screenplay. [Variety]
• Will Smith tells JoBlo that there will "definitely" be a sequel to "Hancock", telling the site that there are still a lot of unexplored characters in the "Hancock" universe that would be a perfect fit for the sequel.
• Sigourney Weaver ("Ghostbusters", "Ghostbusters II") say’s that she’s "supposed to get in touch with Bill [Murray] next week".  She’s not sure if ther will be a place for her in the new film, but is hopeful that at least one member of the Venkman family gets a spot: "I would hope that my little Oscar would be one of the Ghostbusters even if I’m not in it!" [MTV]
• Keanu Reeves would entertain the idea of a ‘Bill & Ted’s’ sequel: “Well you know, never say never…Maybe we could do it with them both grown up — they haven’t saved the world and they’re just living their lives as middle-aged men. That sound’s quite funny.” [IGN]
• Kyle Newman ("Fanboys") has been tapped to direct a big screen adaptation of the cult comic book series "Emo Boy".  The project is being described as a cross between "Napoleon Dynamite", "Harold and Maude" and "Zoolander". [THR]
• "Twilight" "Knowing" and "Push" are among the several dozen Summit Entertainment films that will be broadcast on Showtime between 2008 and 2012 thanks to a new deal that has been struck between the studio and premium cable network. [Variety]
• Darren Aronofsky tells MTV that he would like to recut "The Fountain": “It wouldn’t be a ‘director’s cut,’” he said — more like an alternate story told with the addition of unused footage from the first go-round. This would be a complicated project on a couple of levels, though, and it’s at least a few years away.”
• Frank Miller ("The Spirit") says he has already written "Sin City 2" and can be ready by as early as next April to re-unite with Robert Rodriquez and begin shooting: “Sin City 2 is written,” he proclaimed. “It’s mainly a matter of working out the details of the production. I’m hoping to do it with Robert Rodriguez again in the same circumstances that we did the first one, and we could be shooting as soon as April.” [IGN]
• Steven Sommers and writer Stuart Beattie will be ditching the boy-raised-by-apes "Tarzan" origin story for a 1930’s-set action film in the style of "Pirates of the Caribbean": Think Pirates of the Caribbean with buffed-and-tanned actors flying through the jungle and sprinting up trees, parkour-style. (Entertainment Weekly)
• Alex Cox’s "Repo Man" sequel "Repo Chick" is going into production January 2009.  The follow-up will “unfold against the background of the credit crunch and the subprime mortgage crisis in the US…The repo business has expanded to everything from boats, houses, aero planes, small nations…children”. [/Film]
• Universal Studios and Strike Entertainment ("Dawn of the Dead" (2004)) are in negotiations to acquire the film rights to remake John Carpenter’s 1988 cult film "They Live". [THR].
• Dark Horizons retracted a story that stated George Miller was off Warner Bros.’ "Justice League" project.  Miller is still attached. [Dark Horizons]
• Kevin McKidd ("Journeyman") confirmed that he is still a contender for the lead role in "Thor" and that there’s been "a lot of back and forth" about the project as of late.  McKidd also confirmed that Kenneth Branagh is directing it. [IGN]
• Producer Lauren Shuler Donner is ready to get started on the ‘Magneto’ film: "David Goyer, who wrote and is going to direct it, also did another movie. So now, he’s done with his and I’m done with two of mine, so when I get back that’s my first order of business to say: ‘Come on, let’s go and make Magneto’". [Filmonic]
• 20th Century Fox has extended the title of its upcoming "Dragonball" adaptation to "Dragonball Evolution". [ComingSoon.net]
• Producer Richard D. Zanuck revealed that Tim Burton’s next project will be an adaptation of the 1960’s supernatural TV series "Dark Shadows".  Johnny Depp will star. [Collider]
• "Green Lantern" co-screenwriter Marc Guggenheim tells MTV Splash Page that the film is moving along nicely.  Guggenheim said that he and fellow screenwriters Michael Green and Greg Berlanti (who’s also directing) are on their third studio draft, and they’ve just been refining the script based on notes and locations: “[The changes are] nothing that’s affecting the storyline, really,” he said. “It’s pretty well set.”
• The first teaser trailer for Michael Bay’s "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (June 26, 2009) may be attached to next Friday’s "The Day the Earth Stood Still".  The trailer has apparently been finished for about a month. [Transformers Live Action Blog]

CASTING BITES

• Jay Baruchel ("Fanboys") is in talks to play the lead role in Disney’s "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice". Directed by Jon Turteltaub, the film is based on the 1940 classic "Fantasia" and tells the story of a powerful sorcerer (Nicolas Cage) who seeks out an apprentice in modern day New York City. [Variety]
• Ray Stevenson has joined Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis in "Book of Eli".  Stevenson will play an enforcer dispatched to kill Eli (Washington) as he fights his way across the American wasteland, protecting a sacred book that may hold the key to saving humanity. [Variety]

TV NEWS

SCI FI Greenlights BSG Prequel Caprica, Will Premiere in 2010
The SCI FI Channel has decided to greenlight the "Battlestar Galactica" prequel series "Caprica", but the show will not premiere until early 2010, with production set to begin around the middle of next year.

“ ‘Battlestar Galactica’ was absolutely our flagship show. It put us on the map and helped transform the perception of the network,” said Sci Fi prexy Dave Howe, noting that the cabler hopes to draw a broader audience to a series it sees as more compelling family drama than “space opera.”

“We want people to come to this who have never heard of ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ ” he added. “I think, because (’Galactica’s’) backdrop was space and spaceships, there was a barrier to entry for some viewers. ‘Caprica’ has none of that. It’s an intense family drama set on an Earthlike planet, in the near future, speaking to a lot of the ethical dilemmas that we as a human race are going to have to face very shortly.”

"Caprica" stars Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, Paula Malcomson and Polly Walker, and will be set 50 years prior to ‘Galactica’s’ seminal attack on human civilization by the Cylons. Family-drama-themed series will focus on the Earthlike planet of Caprica as two rival families deal with, among other topical issues, the broader implications of their society’s emerging artificial intelligence technology sector.  The decision to hold off until 2010 was made because the producers need time to regroup the core of the ‘Galactica’ staff, who have been working on other series since production on the show has been finish for some time:

“One of the other things we have going for is, this is one of the first shows we’ve done in conjunction with our new cable studio,” said SCI FI programming executive Mark Stern. “There will be a lot of coordination between the studio and the network, not just on production, but how the series is launched, as well.”

The final 10 episodes of the fourth and final season of "Battlestar Galactica" begin airing on January 16th, culminating with the series finale on March 20th. There is also a two-hour movie adaptation, "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan", that is slated to air in early summer.

Goyer and Braga’s Flash Forward Adds Cast
Cast has been added to ABC’s sci-fi drama pilot "Flash Forward".  Courtney B. Vance and Jack Davenport are the first actors to join the series, which has been rumored to be a companion series to "Lost".  From David Goyer and Brannon Braga, "Flash Forward" is based on Robert J. Sawyer’s sci-fi novel about the chaos that ensures after everyone in the world passes out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds and has a mysterious vision of the future that changes lives forever.  Joseph Fiennes and John Cho are also in talks to star in the series.  Here’s how The Hollywood Reporter describes the four parts:

Mark Banford (Joseph Fiennes): An FBI agent who is patching up his life and his marriage after winning a long struggle with the bottle. Disturbed by the harrowing premonition during his blackout, he races to unravel the mystery, fearful of the murky future that might spell disaster for himself and his loved ones.

Dominic Witten (John Cho): A dedicated FBI agent who is Mark’s partner and friend. His experience while unconscious was an absolute blank, which doesn’t bode well for his own future as he realizes he might be murdered.

Stan Wedeck (Courtney B. Vance): Los Angeles bureau chief of the FBI.

Lloyd Simcoe (Jack Davenport): Trapped in Northern California when the event occurs and struggles to reach his son in a Southland hospital.

Lost Co-Creator Damon Lindelof: No Lost Movie
During an online roundtable discussion, "Lost" creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse were asked if they were considering a "Lost" movie, which has been hinted at in the past by J.J. Abrams:

Question: With the end of the series looming in 2010, is a feature film being considered at all?

Damon Lindelof: The answer, Brian, is no. At least not by us. We’ve always felt that the show should definitively end the same place it started… on television. To bring our characters to some sort of cliffhanger where the audience gets none of the answers that they really care about and then say, "Now give us ten bucks. buy some popcorn and we’ll give you the rest!" would pretty much be the worst thing ever.
..more at Collider.

Bryan Fuller’s Heroes Return Confirmed
"Pushing Daisies" creator/executive producer Bryan Fuller is heading back to "Heroes".  Fuller is currently wrapping post-production on the final episodes of "Pushing Daisies", which was not picked up by ABC and will end after 13 episodes, and is expected to officially rejoin "Heroes" starting with Episode 20. His exact role has not yet been determined, but he’s expected to play a key role in the writers room alongside "Heroes" showrunner Tim Kring.

Mixed Review for Whedon’s Dollhouse
Time Magazine’s James Poniewozik has seen the first episode of Joss Whedon’s Fox series "Dollhouse" and came away mixed.  Here are some parts of the review (via io9)

It was both better and worse than I expected, in different ways… Yes, this is certainly Joss Whedon trying to do What People Think Works on Broadcast TV Today—the legendary serial-procedural hybrid. But the first episode—in which Echo is imprinted with a kidnapping-negotiator’s personality to secure the return of a rich man’s abducted daughter—is well enough written to be absorbing. Writing a crime hour doesn’t seem like Whedon’s thing, but the episode is tight, suspenseful, with intriguing psychological twists and flashes of Whedonesque humor.

Dollhouse as conceived (a heroine plays a different "person" every week) is less a series concept than an actress’ showcase, a sort of extreme version of an Alias undercover premise. (In fact, the reports of how the show was conceived have said that Dushku essentially broached the idea as a showcase.) And the actress being showcased is Eliza Dushku. Now, I have nothing against Dushku. I thought she was fine on Buffy. But she’s not exactly Toni Collette (who’s playing a multiple-personality case on Showtime’s The United States of Tara, which I have not seen). Watching her inhabit her imprinted "personality"—a tough negotiator with secret vulnerabilities—I did not see her becoming another person. I thought: Oh, look! There’s Eliza Dushku with glasses and her hair in a bun!

Speaking of Eliza Dushku, the actress chatted with SCI FI Wire and spoiled some upcoming episodes of the series.  Read it all here.

Knight Rider Order Cut from 21 Episodes to 17 Episodes
This could be the end of the line for "Knight Rider".  THR is reporting that NBC has informed the cast and crew that the 17th episode will be the show’s last of the season.  The cutback suggests that despite a planned overhaul, which will be reflected in upcoming episodes, the end is likely near.  When NBC awarded the show a surprising full-season order, only four episodes had aired (averaging a 4.5/8 household rating/share, 7.36 million viewers and a 2.4/7).  Since then, an additional four episodes have aired and the ratings have gotten worse: 3.6/6 household rating/share, 5.72 million viewers and a 1.7/5.  Overall, "Knight Rider" has averaged a 4.1/7 HH rating/share, 6.54M viewers and a 2.0/6 A18-49 rating/share.

TV IMAGES

Doctor Who (more here)

Lost (more here)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

TV VIDEOS

Battlestar Galactica (another here)

Doctor Who (another here)

Dollhouse (watch parts two and three here)

Fringe

Heroes (another here)

Kyle XY

Lost (more here and here)

Smallville

TV BITES

• Programming Notes: The third film in ‘The Librarian’ series, "The Librarian: Curse Of The Judas Chalice" premieres this Sunday on TNT at 8pm ET, while ABC Family has a special "Harry Potter" ongoing throughout theh weekend.
• CBS has ordered an additional five episodes of "Eleventh Hour", bringing its season order to 18 episodes.  Through seven episodes, "Eleventh Hour" has drawn solid and consistent ratings, averaging a 7.4/13 HH rating/share, 11.36 million viewers and a 3.0/8 A18-49 rating/share.
• The CW’s just-announced midseason schedule includes the returns of both "Smallville" and "Supernatural" on Thursday, January 15, 2009 and the second season premiere of "Reaper" on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 9pm.
• Meanwhile, ABC announced that Rob Thomas’ update to his short-lived 1998 series "Cupid" will premiere Tuesday, March 24, 2009.
• SCI FI’s "Battlestar Galactica" You Will Know the Truth website has been updated with two new clues since last week: a short clip from earlier in the season of Baltar and Six and the previously released Last Supper-like picture with a noticeable change: it’s missing a castmember…
• The producers of "Smallville" are excited about a possible ninth season of the show, but Tom Welling may be ready to move on, a sentiment expressed by Alaina Huffman (Black Canary) who says fans are going to get a "big payoff" in the ‘Clark-becoming Superman’ department.
• Amanda Tapping talks to SCI FI Wire about what’s in store for upcoming episodes of the original series "Sanctuary".  Also, check out this new video below featuring the cast and crew talking about the show.

COMIC NEWS

First Look at New Farscape Comic
Check out this preview of the first issue of the new "Farscape" comic book series, written by show creator Rockne O’Bannon.  The series picks up immediately after the last scene in the TV series.  Check out a few photos below, and click here to see the rest.  ComicBookResources also has an article up on the comic book series.

DC Comics To Release Six-Issue Superman: Secret Origin Series in Early 2009
Next year, DC Comics will be releasing a six-issue series called "Superman: Secret Origin", which will retell the origin story of Superman.  Geoff Johns and Gary Frank have been hired to bring the project to life.  Here’s some of what Geoff Jones told Newsarama about the project:

"To me, origin stories – particularly "Secret Origin" stories in the DC Comics universe – are vital to the introduction of characters and mythology to the larger audience, and I think they can be to the long time audience as well. We haven’t seen a modern day retelling of Clark’s first adventure as Superboy with the Legion of Super-Heroes, or the day Superman met Jimmy Olsen or the origins of Superman’s long time enemies like the Parasite and Metallo. More importantly, Clark Kent himself will be explored in his earlier years in a way I don’t think he’s ever been explored before. And freaking Gary Frank, one of the greatest Superman artists in history already, is illustrating it. Every cover, every panel, ever line."

MISC IMAGE

MAD Magazine: Issue #497 (Joker Cover)

MISC VIDEOS

Ghostbusters: The Video Game

Lost ("The Oceanic Six Hoax" Documentary)

MISC BITES

• J.K. Rowling’s "The Tales of Beedle the Bard", a new book by the "Harry Potter" author, was released on December 4th.  While the release has been rather low key, expectations are high (it has a global printn run of 8 million copies). [via SCI FI Wire]
• The soundtrack to Danny Boyle’s "Sunshine" is finally available to download on iTunes (click here to download). [The Playlist]
• io9 has assembled a catalog of some of the many items that will be available at January’s "Battlestar Galactica" auction including life-size Cylon raider’s ($30,000 to $40,000) and a Cylon Resurrection Hot Tub ($2,500 to $3,500).  Both are pictured below, click here to see more.

SCI-FI RATINGS

11/10/2008 to
11/16/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire

11/10/2008 to
11/16/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire

11/10/2008 to
11/16/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire