Sci-Fi Sunday: Dragonball, Transformers, Terminator, GI Joe + Lost, Heroes, Doctor Who, Stargate Univ. + more

We are headed towards the Summer movie season and so we have big updates with images and video on upcoming movies, including Dragonball, Terminator 4, Transformers 2. and GI Joe, and more. We also have news on future movies, including Spidey 4 and Iron Man 2. We also have details and previews from TV, including Heroes, Lost, Doctor Who, Stargate Universe, and more. Check it all out below.

 

 

MOVIE NEWS

James Marsters and Director James Wong Talk Dragonball Evolution
James Marsters, who plays Piccolo in "Dragonball Evolution", explains the motivations behind his character in an interview with Comic Book Resources:

I play a character that was in prison for two thousand years with no mirrors. I play a character who was beautiful, powerful and sexy and he gets put into prison. The prison has no mirrors, he’s in prison for two-thousand-years, he breaks out, looks into a mirror and he’s old and decrepit. He hates the sheriff who put him into prison and he wants to kill the sheriff, the sheriff’s family and kill the whole town that the sheriff was trying to protect. That’s where Piccolo is, except the whole town in this instance is the Earth… I’m playing this guy as a prison guy. He’s spent a long time in prison and he meets this little pup that thinks he’s going to stop him from getting his dragonballs. You got to be kidding me? He thinks he wants a fistfight? I’ve been in prison for two thousand years; I’m going to pants you, bro.

Meanwhile, director James Wong talked to Newsarama about the story behind the dragonballs:

By itself, each dragonball doesn’t do anything but if you get them all together, the legend is they will grant the holder one perfect wish. Goku gets this crazy gift on his birthday, but is trying to be a normal teenager. He’s interested in a girl too but what happens is his grandfather is killed by Piccolo, who is also looking for the dragonballs. We discover in Earth’s history, Piccolo was a warrior who came from another planet to conqueror us. In the past, he was captured by these mystics and entombed. Piccolo, Goku, and his band are in a race to get these dragonballs because something is going to happen when the blood moon eclipses the sun in a few short days.

And rounding out the "Dragonball Evolution" news:

  • Fox has chosen not to screen the film in front of critics before its April 10th release. [io9]
  • The second movie is already in the works, according to star Justin Chatwin…
  • …While the budget for the film has reportedly been revealed to be $45 million. [DB The Movie]
  • James Marsters says he’s signed on for three films, and talks about what he’d like to see in the second. [SCI FI Wire]

New clip: "Goku Trains"

Five more: #1 || #2 || #3 || #4 || #5

ShoWest: McG Talks Terminator Salvation + Robert Patrick on Possible T5 Cameo
McG is out and about making the rounds promoting "Terminator Salvation", which hits theaters on Thursday, May 21, 2009, and had some interesting things to say.  First up, in an interview with Fast Company, the director chats about the balance between animatronics and CGI (click to watch their two-part video interview), and there’s also a new/first look image at Serena Korgen’s character (but it’s a bit of a spoiler, so I’ll just provide the link).  McG also gave an interview with Mania, in which he discusses, among other things — he talks about turning down "Superman Returns" and also dishes a bit on "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" — what the film is really about:

I wish I could show the whole movie right now. It is really about meeting Sam Worthington’s character and how he has completely given up on himself. He has completely given up on humanity. He finds himself in this world of duress, in this world of difficulty. He finds the value of himself and the value of his fellow man which is interesting because we all come from this convenience store culture at every corner and we still get down on ourselves and down on mankind. Then in this world that is infinitely more difficult that’s where he realizes that we make great choices, do great things and that maybe there is a little value to this life after all. On top of that there is the Connor becoming story. I think people are expecting Connor to go “I am John Connor, you move to the left you move to the right” and they just scuttle around and do what they are told. This movie is about him going from one of to the one.

Be sure to head on over to Mania to read the entire interview. Meanwhile, Robert Patrick told FearNet that he’s open to the possibility of returning for "Terminator 5" as the “cell replication scientist” who helped develop the T-1000.  It’s an idea that McG pitched a while back for planned "Terminator Salvation" follow-up:

“Yeah, he talked to me about it,” said Patrick. “I’m interested. I was listening to him tell me about it. I had no idea that he thought about that. I love McG. He’s a great guy. I’ve worked with him before, had a great experience working with him both times – I did Charlie’s Angels 2 and We Are Marshall. And I certainly can’t think of anybody to tackle T4 other than him right now…. But we saw each other and he talked to me about it, so we’ll see what happens.

And rounding out the week’s "Terminator Savlation" news, footage screened at ShoWest featured a shot of either a young John Connor or Kyle Reese holding a photo of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor from "Terminator".

New images [more at SpoilerTV-Movies]

ShoWest: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Paramount screened footage of "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" at ShoWest last week, here’s an excerpt from Superhero Hype!‘s report of what was shown:

The footage, which the audience was told still didn’t have final visual FX or music, opens with quick glimpses of the various members of the crew doing things, such as Snake Eyes (played by Ray "Darth Maul" Park) leaping down from a tower. There’s a voice-over by Dennis Quaid’s General Hawk talking about how their unit technically doesn’t exist, similar to the Super Bowl spot. "We answer to no one on, and when all else fails, we don’t." To that, Channing Tatum’s Duke responds, "I want in."

The next segment deals with the accelerator suits we’ve seen in some of the commercials and footage as they’re explained to a couple of the Joes–I believe it was Duke and Marlon Wayan’s Ripcord–who are then seen running through the streets of Paris in them, chasing after a Humvee retrofitted with gear such as some sort of forked plow that morphs out from its front bumper. It actually wasn’t very clear whether they’re chasing it or being chased or a little bit of both, but it shows what the accelerator suits are capable of, even if one would assume there’d be more FX involved down the road.

Be sure to head on over to Superhero Hype! to read the rest of the report. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" hits theaters on August 7, 2009.  And in related news, Channing Tatum, who stars in Duke in the film, shared some details about the tone of the film and more, in a new interview with SCI FI Wire.

List of Robots in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Released
Paramount Pictures has released the set of robots from both from the side of the Autobots and of the Decepticons:

AUTOBOTS
Optimus Prime
Ironhide
Bumblebee
Sideswipe
Arcee
Jetfire
Jolt
Skids & Mudflap (The Twins)

 

DECEPTICONS
Starscream
Scorponok
The Fallen
Sideways
Soundwave
Ravage
The Doctor
Wheelie
Demolisher
Devastator

Megatron is noticeably absent from the list, but the writers — particularly Roberto Orci — have already implied that the character will be in the film.  In addition to that, Hugo Weaving (who voiced the character in the first film) already revealed that he’s recorded voice work for the character.  I guess we’ll just have to wait a few months to see what’s up.  And lastly, Cinema Blend caught up with director Michael Bay during ShoWest and asked him some questions about ‘Transformers 2’.  Here are some highlights:

  • Says he’s not considering using 3-D in the event he does Transformers 3.  Calls it "a gimmick"
  • Thinks Paramount is playing "studio games" with the announced 2011 date for Transformers 3, maybe using Transformers as a way of holding that date (he said he’ll wait and see how Transformers 2 does before deciding if he want’s to do 3)
  • Reveals the budget for Transformers 2 was $200 million and he came in $4 million under.  The rest of the money will be used for more effects.

New images [more at SpoilerTV-Movies]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Workprint Leaked
In what will more than likely at least depress the film’s box office cume, a workprint of 20th Century Fox’s "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" has leaked on to the Internet a full month before its official release on May 1, 2009.  The version is said to be about a month old and therefore is incomplete — missing some sfx, audio and wire work is visible in spots — and does not contain any of the Gavin Hood re-shoots.  20th Century Fox issued a statement on the leak:

Last night [March 31st], a stolen, incomplete and early version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was posted illegally on websites. It was without many effects and had missing scenes and temporary sound and music. We immediately contacted the appropriate legal authorities and had it removed. We forensically mark our content so we can identify sources that make it available or download it. The source of the initial leak and any subsequent postings will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law — the courts have handed down significant criminal sentences for such acts. The FBI and MPAA are also actively investigating the crime. We are encouraged by the support of fansites condemning piracy and this illegal posting and pointing out that such theft undermines the enormous efforts of the filmmakers and actors and, above all, hurts fans of the film.

Fox chairman Tom Rothman confirmed to EW that the leaked workprint does not include the extra scenes filmed by director Gavin Hood, but that the final version will be 10 minutes longer.  And in related-news, Nikke Finke of Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Fox has fired "Fox 411" columnist Roger Friedman after he wrote a review of the film (the article has been pulled).

New images [more at SpoilerTV-Movies]

Sony Confirms Ghostbusters 3, Also Working on Men In Black 3 (Both for 2011)
During Sony’s ShoWest presentation last week, the studio’s president Rory Bruer revealed that they are developing a third "Men In Black" film.  Bruer also briefly mentioned "Ghostbusters 3" and said that both films will be joining "Spider-Man 4" for summer 2011.

RDJ: Iron Man 2 "almost entirely about character"
Robert Downey Jr. told ET that although "Iron Man 2" will be "almost entirely about character", it will still pack "twice as much action" as the first film.  Asked about the addition of co-star Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), he told the site "we’ve been rehearsing and she’s in insane shape.  She’s getting lean and mean".  Downey Jr. also spoke to MTV about the film, shooting down early rumors that the storyline would incorporate aspects from the "Demon in the Bottle" series in the comics: “Not really,” Downey said when asked if the film would be based on that story arc, adding “As a matter of fact, I think that’s probably best saved because it’s such its own storyline.”  So what will the film be about?

“We’re going for the interim space [between the origin and “Demon”],” explained Downey, “which is more a look behind the mask of someone who says he’s Iron Man and what it really is to become a superhero.”

And in related news, Terrance Howard spoke with reporters about his character (James "Rhodey" Rhodes) being recast in the sequel.

Spider-Man 4 Script to be Ready by Summer
Speaking of "Spider-Man 4", Sam Raimi told SCI FI Wire that the script for the film, written by David Lindsay-Abaire ("Inkheart"), should be ready by summer: “Right now, David Lindsay-Abaire is working on a draft of the new picture,” Raimi said, adding, “And he’s hard at work, and hopefully we’ll see something in about three months.”  Raimi also revealed that he’ll be returning to direct.  In terms of casting, we already know that Tobey Maguire has reportedly already signed on to reprise the title role, but Raimi adds that while it’s still early to discuss other casting, he does plan to reassemble the core cast which includes Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane:

“At this point I do, but it’s really … all going to be dependent upon the script, and I’ll just have to wait and see,” Raimi said. “I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, but hopefully we can service the story in the screenplay, and whatever it demands, hopefully we’ll be its eager servants.”

And lastly, Raimi won’t discuss possible villains for the film, believing that he should wait “till the finished screenplay, and then it’d really be up to Sony Pictures and the producers to determine when they want to release that information.”

Zack Snyder on Watchmen’s Box Office and Release of Extended Cut
"Watchmen"
director Zack Snyder was at ShoWest last week to accept the 2009 Director of the Year Award and he spoke about the disappointing box office of the film, as well as if plans were still underway to release the Director’s Cut theatrically (via /Film):

“Thing thing about Watchmen is it’s a lot of craziness. It’s a long movie, it’s rated R.” “Everyone is talking about Monsters vs. Aliens, which is a cool movie, comes out and makes like $58 million and everyone is like, ‘Oh my god, it’s the hugest hit ever!’ And then a R-rated movie, two and a half hours long with superheroes raping each other makes $55 million dollars and every-one’s like ‘WHAT?’ How is that possible? I’m pretty happy with the movie”

Through 31 days of release (including Sunday’s projection), "Watchmen" stands at an estimated $105.4M domestic. "Monsters vs. Aliens" is projected to be at $105.7M by the end of Sunday through just 10 days of release.  That’s due to a much stronger second-week hold for "Monsters vs. Aliens" (-44%), whereas "Watchmen" dropped 68% in its second weekend. So that argument seems quite flawed.  Regardless, Snyder still expects to see a "limited run" of the Director’s Cut in theaters this summer:

“We’re super proud of the movie, the director’s cut is coming soon. So in July you’ll get to see more Watchmen. If you didn’t have enough in two hours and forty minutes you’ll have three hours and ten minutes, and I think there is three hours and thirty minutes coming so they’ll be a lot more Watchmen to come, regardless of how people feel about it.”

NEW IMAGES

Astroboy

New desktop wallpaper [Official Website]

Drag Me to Hell

Poster [STYD]

S. Darko

First look at the new Bunny Suit [Bloody-Disgusting]

NEW VIDEOS

Alien Trespass

Interviews with the director and cast

Angels & Demons

New clip: "God Particle"

Watch another at Yahoo! Movies

New featurette: "Science and Religion"

Battle for Terra

Clip: "Invasion"

MOVIE BITES

  • DreamWorks has picked up Chris McCoy’s original sci-fi-themed romantic-comedy "Good Looking".  The project is a twist on "Minority Report". [THR]

  • The sequel to the cult hit "TRON" may be sticking with the same name. [/Film]

  • Walt Disney Pictures and IMAX have announced that Tim Burton’s "Alice in Wonderland" will be released simultaneously on conventional and IMAX theaters on March 5, 2010. [YourEntNow]

  • Sterling Beaumon (Young Ben on "Lost") explains the character he voices in "Astro Boy" (Sludge) in a new interview with SCI FI Wire.

  • Electronic Arts and Starz Media’s Film Roman have announced the start of production on an animated film based on "Dante’s Inferno". The project is based on a video game that will be released in 2010 by EA, which in turn is based on the first part of the Dante Alighieri’s epic Italian poem "The Divine Comedy". [SCI FI Wire]

  • Simon Hunter, director of the sci-fi action film "Mutant Chronicles" says that he expects that the film will be extreme divisive in a new interview with SCI FI Wire.

  • Michael Caine (Alfred) doesn’t expect there to be a sequel to Christopher Nolan’s "The Dark Knight" for at least three years due to the director’s original sci-fi project "Inception": “…So I think another Batman film is a long long way off. Long Way. I would say three years, must be.” [/Film]

  • A trailer for Peter Jackson’s secretive sci-fi project "District 9" is expected in "a few weeks".  Read reports on the footage that was screened at ShoWest at /Film, Cinema Blend and First Showing.

  • Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who are "in the middle" of writing "Cowboys and Aliens" with "Lost" executive producer Damon Lindelof say that the film will mash up the sci-fi and Old West genre in a way that hasn’t been done before. [SCI FI Wire]

  • The tagline for James Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic "Avatar" is "An All New World Awaits". [Coming Soon]

  • Sean Connery on "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull": "I thought it was rather good. Rather long." [MTV]

  • M. Night Shyamalan has begun shooting scenes for "The Last Airbender" in Reading, PA.  Check out some set images below.

Set photos [more at Reading Eagle via Slashfilm]

CASTING BITES

  • Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy and Marion Cotillard have all joined the cast of Christopher Nolan’s original sci-fi film "Inception". [THR]
  • Weird Al Yankovic has filmed a brief cameo appearance for Rob Zombie’s "H2". [STYD]
  • Emily Browning has signed on for the lead role of Baby Doll in Zack Snyder’s "Sucker Punch".  The actress replaces Amanda Seyfried who had to drop out due to her commitment on the HBO series "Big Love". [EW]
  • "Watchmen" star Jackie Earler Haley (Rorschach) has been cast as Freddy Kruger in Platinum Dunes’ "A Nightmare on Elm Street" reboot. [Originally reported by Latino Review, confirmed by THR]

  • Will Arnett and Michael Shannon have been cast in "Jonah Hex", Warner Bros./Legendary’s action Western based on the DC Comics character. [THR]

  • Mads Mikkelsen, Gemma Arterton and Alexa Davalos have all been cast in Warner Bros./Lgendary Pictures’ Greek-god epic "Clash of the Titans" by Louis Leterrier. [Empire and THR]

 


 

TV NEWS

Richard Dean Anderson Will Guest on Stargate Universe
Richard Dean Anderson is returning to the Stargate franchise, scheduled to make what appears to be multiple appearances on "Stargate Universe", according to co-creator Brad Wright:

“Rick is doing episodes of Universe,” series co-creator Brad Wright told GateWorld. “He was just here yesterday shooting an episode of Universe with us. So that relationship is always on-going, and it’s good to have him back.”

Former Stargate SG-1 co-star Gary Jones also talked about Anderson’s involvement in the series, telling a crowd at Creation Entertainment’s official Stargate convention in Vancouver that he is appearing in an episode of the series with Anderson, and also noted that O’Neill will have been promoted to a 3-star general for the episode.  Meanwhile, check out a brand new trailer from the upcoming series, entitled "Philosophical", embedded below.

News and Rumors for Lost
Here are few various "Lost" bites, mostly all relating to the show’s season finale:

  • Sterling Beaumon, who plays Young Ben, has two theories about the show: 1) That Ben and Locke are brothers and that Miles is Marvin Candle’s son.  He was told by producer Damon Lindelof that one of those is true. [Zap2It]
  • Viewers can expect a Charlie-death-level emotional reaction to the person who dies at the end of the season. [E! Online]
  • Rumors: Sayid reportedly gets injured in the season finale and Jacob will be in the episode, as will his cabin… [The ODI]
  • And an "inside source" claims there will be two deaths: one before the finale and another during it.  We also may learn how Marvin Candle lost his arm. [SpoilersLost]

Set images from the season finale, "The Incident" [more at Hawaii Weblog]

More set images [more at SpoilersLost]

Promo for episode 12, "Dead is Dead"

Bryan Fuller Talks Heroes + Producers Answer Fan Questions
"Heroes"
writer/producer Bryan Fuller [Spoilers] confirmed to SCI FI Wire that Tracy is not dead, telling the site that while it looked like she was winking, she was actually suppose to be blinking with a tear rolling down her cheek.  Fuller promises that the actress will be back in a big way:

Tracy comes back in a really big way later on in the season. That was one of the things where it was like, "Is she going to come back as Barbara now?" I was thinking "Can we please not do Barabara, because that’s another sci-fi ghetto storytelling element with clones. How many Ali Larters are there?" I wish there were dozens, because I’m a fan of hers, but watching Ali in the first season, you know what she’s really capable of.

Writers/producers Joe Pokaski and Aron Coliete continued their weekly question and answer session with fans at Comic Book Resources.  Here are some highlights:

  • Hiro’s only ability at the moment is freezing time.
  • There will be a Matt/Danko showdown in next week’s episode, "Turn And Face The Strange"
  • Sylar and Nathan will have an onscreen interaction later in the season
  • Confirms that Daphne is not coming back

And finally, EW reports that in the season finale, Sylar will be killing a regular character who’s been on the show since the first season and the loss will be permanent.

Promotional images from episode 23, "1961" [more at HeroesTelevision]

Promo for episode 22, "Turn And Face The Strange"

Sneak peek from the episode

Colin Ferguson Talks Eureka Season 3.5 and Beyond
Actor Colin Ferguson, who plays Sheriff Jack Carter on "Eureka", spoke with SCI FI Wire about the upcoming second half of the third season of the show, premiering this July on SCI FI.  Here’s what Ferguson says is planned for season three:

What can viewers expect to see in the second half of season three?

Ferguson: Well, at the end of season three, or at the end of season 3.4, or 3.49, Nathan [Ed Quinn] dies, and Salli [Richardson-Whitfield’s] character is pregnant. So that picks up right after there, where Salli is pregnant through the whole season. One of Joe [Morton’s] … I keep using the actors’ names … One of Joe’s long-lost loves comes back. My character has a love interest all the way through. And then Jordan [Hinson], my daughter, deals with "Is she going to go to college and leave Eureka or is she going to stay?" So all that stuff gets resolved.

Unfortunately, it looks like we’re headed for a prolonged hiatus in the event the series gets picked up for a fourth season:

How ready are you for a couple of more seasons of Eureka?

Ferguson: It’s definitely in the cards. They tell us we were not picked up, but they say, "You’re coming back." So we’re coming back, although we may go on a prolonged hiatus. We may not shoot for another 11 months, potentially, sort of to get us back onto a summer schedule. We shot through winter last year. In fact, we just wrapped. And that wasn’t as fun as shooting in the middle of summer. So I think they’re going to move us back to summer.

Head on over to SCI FI Wire to read the rest of the interview.

Russell T. Davies and David Tennant Talk Doctor Who
Russell T. Davies and David Tennant gave an interview with the Times Online about their respective departures from "Doctor Who".  Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

"Your run on Doctor Who saw you bring back plenty of old favourites: K-9, the Master, Davros. Anything you didn’t get round to?

DT: We certainly ticked rather more fan-boy boxes than I expected. The second episode I shot had Sarah Jane and K-9 in it. My 10-year-old self melted rather when Elisabeth Sladen came in.

RTD: I would have loved to have done a Star Trek crossover. The very first year, we talked about it. Then Star Trek finally went off air. Landing the Tardis on board the Enterprise would have been magnificent. Can you imagine what their script department would have wanted, and what I would have wanted? It would have been the biggest battle.

Be sure to head on over to the Times Online to read the rest of the interview.  And here are some new set images from the Easter Special "Planet of the Dead" (which airs April 11th), as well as a new trailer for the spinoff series "K-9", behind-the-scenes footage of "Doctor Who" and a new trailer for "Planet of the Dead".

Set images [more via Planet Gallifrey]

Teaser trailer for "K-9" (Note: footage not complete)

Video clips from the set of filming

click here to watch another

Trailer for the Easter special, "Planet of the Dead", airing April 11th

 

TV IMAGES

The Prisoner

Poster for upcoming AMC miniseries [Broadcast Now via io9]

Smallville

Episode stills from episode 18, "Eternal" [More at OSCK]

TV VIDEOS

Ashes to Ashes

Trailer to the BBC "Life on Mars" spin-off

Battlestar Galactica

Behind-the-scenes with composer Bear McCreary

Dollhouse

Promo for episode nine, "Spy in the House of Love"

Ghost Hunters

Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson talk season five

Reaper

Promo for episode six, "Underbelly"

Smallville

Promo for episode 19, "Stiletto"

Supernatural

Promo for episode 19, "Jump the Shark"

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Promo for episode 22/season two finale, "Born to Run"

TV BITES

  • Spoiler related to "Smallville" season finale (highlight to view): Rikk Krinn (Cosmic Boy) will be the only member of the Legion of Super Heroes that will show up in the finale. [KryptonSite]
  • Last Sunday’s episode of the Fox comedy "Family Guy", which featured the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", was the most watched episode of the series since last November.  The episode drew 8.12 million viewers and a 4.2 A18-49 rating (#1 for the evening).

MISC NEWS

Dr. Horrible Dominates First-Ever Streamy Awards
The first-ever "Streamy Awards", honoring the best in Web series for 2008, were handed out over the weekend in Los Angeles, and the big winner was "Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog", which won 7 awards, including for best writing and best acting (Neil Patrick Harris).  Other winners included "Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy" (3) and "The Guild" (2).  Click here to see the complete list.

Lost and Avatar Win Peabody’s
The eighth annual Peabody Awards were announced last week, and ABC’s "Lost" and Nickelodeon’s "Avatar: The Last Airbender" were among the winners.  The judges declared that "Lost", which was a first-time winner, has "rewritten the rules of television fiction" while saying the following for ‘Avatar’: "unusually complex characters and healthy respect for the consequences of warfare enhanced this American-made, anime-influenced martial-arts adventure."  Click here to see the full list of winners.  "The Peabody Awards" ceremony will be hosted by Brian Williams and will take place on May 18th at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

MISC BITES

  • The Onion: President Obama depressed, distant, since "Battlestar Galactica" finale.
  • Comic-book writer Geoff Johns talks about "Flash: Rebirth" in a new interview with io9.
  • LG is releasing a limited-edition "Decepticon" themed cell phone. [DVICE]

OBIT  

  • Andy Hallett, who stared as Lorne on the hit TV series "Angel", passed away last Sunday night at the age of 33 after a five-year battle with heart disease. [E! Online]

SCI-FI RATINGS
The news was mostly bad for fans of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Dollhouse".  As for "Terminator: TSCC", after a solid run of week-to-week gains, the episode declined to just 3.35M viewers Friday night, down 13% from the week prior.  On the plus side, there was no decline in the important A18-49 demo (1.3 rating).  "Dollhouse", meanwhile, fell an equally poor 10% to just 3.49 million viewers, but it too stayed even among A18-49 from the week prior, drawing a 1.4 rating in the demo.  To put those numbers in perspective, last Thursday’s episodes of "Smallville" and "Supernatural" on The CW drew 3.85 million viewers and a 1.7 A18-49 rating and 3.27M viewers and a 1.5 A18-49 rating, respectively (both considered very strong ratings for the network).  In other words, the Friday night duo are seriously underperforming.

CHART

Chart (3/9/2009 to 3/15/2009)

 


 

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cool. first?

Bay: 3D is a gimmick.

Oh, really?

Yikes on the K-9 series. But good stuff!

Ha, Zach Snyder is confused as to why people are talking about Watchmen’s take? Probably because even after worldwide grosses he’s barely made back his production budget.

Will Smith as Captain Nemo? Ugh. I’ll be skipping that one.

I cannot even watch heroes anymore…….

A Dr. Who/Star Trek crossover would have been wicked cool! Of course, considering all the legal and business difficulties there would have probably been in making such a crossover, it’s unlikely to have happened. However, I would have loved to have seen a scene with T’Pol and Rose Tyler together. A scene with T’Pol and The Doctor would have been cool too. Thing is, if that scene occured, T’Pol likely would have become the Doctor’s new companion.

So watching LOST and seeing Nestor Carbonell’s great performance as Richard Alpert….I got to thinking.

What if he was cast in the Star Trek sequel as Khan.

Already has the tie-in with Damon Lindelof and JJ. Kinda has that multi-ethnic look about him that Ricardo had. And he is very, very intense.

Here’s two samples I whipped up with photoshop.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/pelcj/newkahncopy.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/pelcj/khannestor.jpg

#2 I agree with him. The glasses are annoying. 3D thus far, including Coraline and Monsters Vs. Aliens is essentially just a series of “Lets put things in your face!” Maybe Avatar is different, but thus far nobody has seen even a frame of footage from it and Cameron hasn’t done anything at all in a decade. I’d rather see a movie where the movie is the focus, not changing shots to have things OMG RIGHT IN FRONT OF FACE.

Regarding Mutant Chronicles, this sounds like it if going to be the science fiction equivalent of Moulon Rouge with non-sensical mixing of past and future…argh…I bet this flick will be so bad that it will even make Watchman look good!

Hey, everyone:

Looking forward to the new K9 series. Since the 10th doctor is leaving the series, I look towards the new torch on the doctor who saga series. Looks promising. Besides, I like K9’s new look. Nothing wrong with the classic look but it would be nice if he had a cloaking device built inside.

I am also looking forward for Kelvington’s/Spockboy’s two-parter “Trekkin Through Time”. That was the best christmas present I ever saw after a year of dissapointment that Star Trek XI was going to play on Christmas Day. Will Davros succeed at his evil scheme? Or both the Doctor and the Enterprise crew will prevail it? Stay tuned.

Well, thats all I have to say except, have a great easter everyone.

Take Care

Sam

The last few episodes of TSCC have been awesome. Too bad they wasted half a season getting to them. Probably doomed the show.

Come on, everyone knows Piccolo is the spawn of Piccolo Daimao who himself is the evil half of Kami Sama. Piccolo Daimao was indeed imprisoned, in a rice cooker by Mutaito, Roshi’s master.

LOL…guess Star Trek isn’t the only thing being re-imagined….;)

I know how the President feels. What am I supposed to do on Friday nights???? I wonder if there is a BSG support group to help those of us suffering from BSG Separation anxiety. .

I’m quite excited for Stargate Universe. It sounds really interesting…. I was really wishing for a Summer Premier, but they delayed that until fall 09. Oh well…. I think their also working on a new Stargate Atlantis and SG-1 direct to dvd movie. That should be interesting ! Wish Atlantis never was canceled. I really enjoyed watching that show.

That Serena pic looks very very fake.

The ratings system FAILS. Everyone I know RECORDS their favorite shows ad watches them at their convenience. Canceling TSSC or Dollhouse because of Friday night ratings is stupid. Poll people about what they are TIVOing!

It is such bull that Watchmen tanked… I never read the book, so couldn’t care less about the squid – which seems semi-rediculous as a concept. This film (after watching the animated novel) stayed very close to the source, a fact I judge with interest being a writer myself. The execution was a fantastic film with a brain, with showstopping visuals and pathos, characters that blead real… I was stunned, awed, marveled (or DCed as it were) by it. For me, this goes right up there with the classics! The changes? Without spoilers, the big change in the end made it seem more dramatic… On a much more personal level for me as a viewer and the characters as well. It’s that same backwards, commercial thinking that ended TOS and later ENT… I dug Transformers, but I don’t JUST want slick, fast Hollywood glam-fodder, I want heart and soul too. I loved Watchmen & that’s MHO. Can’t wait for Trek ’09 either. And how weird & funny & Earth-shattering would a Trek/Doctor Who crossover be? You think fans are crazy now? =O

@16 – they do take into account what people are TIVO-ing when they decide the fates of shows, they have that data too.

11. Will

I couldn’t agree more. I fell behind earlier in the season, but the last several episodes have been excellent.

If only Fox could do something similar to what NBC has done with Friday Night Lights, we’d be set.

That video of Mr. McCreary conducting is pretty cool, and I haven’t even watched BSG.

Trek/Who crossover = total awesome. I love Russell T Davies, he’s such a giant geek. In the best possible way.

Composer Bear McCreary’s score. Cool. Interesting. Bagpipes and sitar. Quite an exotic and eclectic instrumentation there. Not sure I’d know how to notate for some of those instruments. I could learn I guess. I like that. Would like to try.

Regarding the Wolverine movie and the guy who leaked it. What a JERK! I shant watch it. Waiting for the real thing. Shame on him and those who watch it.

#18, 16 – Don’t think people recording or TIVOing is the same as watching. Since TV is sort of public, money is provided by people wanting to advertise during shows. If the shows are being recorded, the advertisements are likely not being watched, people will probably skip them. Therefore, TIVO is not a worthwhile measure for advertiser dollars

#17

Coming from a ‘Watchmen’ fan, I ultimately didn’t care for the movie when I saw it in theaters (to be honest, the only reason I agreed to see it with my friends in the first place is because I knew the new Star Trek trailer was going to precede the film. ;D). I read the book cover-to-cover twenty times for many years. I could’ve cared less for the subtle amendments (such as the ending), but what turned me off was the fact that I didn’t need to see the film. To me, the world of “Watchmen” already came to life whenever I picked the book up, and the reason why Alan Moore backed out was because he wanted “Watchmen” to be enjoyed in its original form. Much like “A Confederacy of Dunces” (which may never see the light of day on screen), the book stood the test of time because readers could project their own cadence on the characters, the flow of dialogue, and everything in between. I believe the majority of the film’s audience was the fanboy crowd, and even that was somewhat divided. My mom isn’t a comic book fan, but she saw the film anyway and she didn’t like it because it was too much for her. In that regard, Snyder has a point. “Watchmen” was a different kind of film, based on a different kind of source material. Not once did I think it would be universally embraced by the movie-going public as well as the fanboys. I still think “The Dark Knight” is the best comic book film ever.

And while I’m typing, I just want to say that “DragonBall Evolution” is by far one of the worst ideas to hit the screen. I saw a couple of those clips and…wow, I could already see them being nominated for Razzies already. It’s one of those projects that should’ve never been spoken within earshot of an executive…but that’s Twentieth Century Fox for you. I remember when they made an effort to put out decent films on a consistent basis, but it looks like they dropped the ball ever since “X2” and now Paramount is on a roll. Go Paramount.

#17

No character in the film adaptation of Watchmen bled real, to me. The stiff characterizations were a big reason I didn’t care for it. That, and the ham-fisted attempts at humor (‘Hallelujah’ during the sex scene? Groan) as well as the glorification of violence and gore.

#7 re: Richard Alpert as Khan

Nah. The one I see as Khan is Sayid. He would be freakin’ AWESOME!

Man, Watchmen sucked BIG TIME… Supermen raping each other? Not something that I want to see, neither on big or small screen.

Those new set images from Dr.Who aren’t from Planet of the Dead,the Easter special….apparently they’re from Tennant’s last story. Won’t give ya the spoiler rumours of course,LOL!

And a Trek/Who crossover would’ve been FUN! Have FUN y’all! J-R!

Even after all of this time Im still not sure about Watchmen. I think that parts of it rocked a lot, and other things epically failed. As for the DB movie, by the sound of the story, well lets just say that I dont think us Trekkies will have much to complain about as far as cannon getting trounced compared to the DB people. I was kinda into the whole DB/DBZ thing as a kid, and from what I know of the story, this movie’s wayyyy off. They dont have time travel to explain it all away either.

Really like the look of K9.. great to see how British SCI-FI is blossoming these days…. never any mention, here on the site about PRIMEVAL… it deserves a mention… 2 episodes into Season 3 on ITV here in the UK, and already it’s brilliant! http://www.itv.com/primeval/

Dr Who and Trek exist in completely different isolated alternate universes for me, and should stay that way.

I would have love to see the TARDIS land on the Enterprise.

I think that if the new Red Dwarf specials are a hit and new series is made, they should deffinatly make a Red Dwarf/Dr Who crossover.

That could makea very intresting team up.

#31
You CAN…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JhAPkkLgtI

On Easter, RIck is releasing his sequel to the first one.

:)Paul

Interesting how after seeing set photos with Ratchet, he is not listed on the “official” roster of Autobots.

Fox has fired “Fox 411” columnist Roger Friedman after he wrote a review of the film (the article has been pulled).

i hate fox ?

People can say what they want about Watchmen, that’s fine. I personally loved it. Some things are better read, while others watched. My preference for Watchmen was the film. That doesn’t mean I don’t read, I’m on my 10th Trek book since Dec. I love Ghost in the Shell: SAC, but haven’t read the mangas, yet I do own them. And I love The Time Machine in both written and film forms, as well as Sherlock Holmes. For ME, Watchmen was killer… While I have read plenty of graphic novels, I prefer the film to the book.

#7

That is a great idea.

Don’t know if anyone with kids watches Back at the Barnyard – but check the episode “Pig Amok” – yes, it’s in reference to THAT Amok – even down to the fake death at the end :)

i see that a lot of people forget that “the dark knight” had an enormous push by the death of heath ledger. please don´t get me wrong, i love the movie and it deserved grossing a billion dollars, no doubt about that. it has its rightful place in cinematic history. but i am still convinced that it would´ve grossed less without that push.
what if heath ledger played the comedian in watchmen? :-)
i am a big fan of the watchmen comic, and also a big fan of the movie too. zack snyder did a terrific job and delivered an innovative and disturbing movie.
comic books, literature and cinema are three separate forms of art, which stand on their own. the process of transferring something from one art form to another brings necessarily changes, omissions or fixings with it.
think about it, and try not to compare the movie to the book or vice versa. try to see the movie or read the book as a stand-alone piece of art.

Regards Stargate Universe.

Big Stargate fan.

But come on RD Anderson cast already? They said this would be totally different, cut off from earth, and no way back.

Already they are having appearances from Richard Dean Anderson on earth (presumably). Does this spinoff not believe in its own premise?

@ 38: Agreed. =)

#13…..hmmmmmmmmmmm i don’t know…maybe .GET A DATE!!!

K9…Dr Who does Scooby Doo!

Hey Orci if you are seeing this, you fellows need to write in Galvatron for Transformers 3 so Nimoy can do the voice.

Serious efforts should be made to put him in every forthcoming project from now on.

His big comeback in Trek and his role in F***** is simply a good start.

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I love scifi thrillers. I write Scifi flash fiction. So I’m constantly watching and reading science fiction. Please come and visit my site http://hipriestess.com/ and check out my scifi short stories, I post a new story every week for thrill and gore seekers. Hope to see you there.

Trek tour. See below for details including a preliminary schedule of the events.

Hey Orci if you are seeing this, you fellows need to write in Galvatron for Transformers 3 so Nimoy can do the vo