Sci-Fi Sunday: Terminator, Transformers, Venom, Tron + Lost, Heroes, Stargate, V, Fringe + more

Today we have details, clips, and images for Summer tentpoles like Terminator 4, Transformers 2, Wolverine and others. Plus we have news on projects further down the road like the Venom spinoff and more preview images and vids (including a look at Michael Myers. For TV we have lots of details on upcoming Heroes and Lost episodes, a synopsis for V, cameo news for Stargate Universe, and pics and vids from all sorts. Check it all out below.

 

MOVIE NEWS

Michael Bay Talks Transformers 2 in IMAX + Orci and Kurtzman Interview
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" director Michael Bay told MTV something that will surely please Bay-haters: there won’t be a car chase scene in the sequel.  On the more substantive front, Bay revealed that “[Several scenes] are going to be on IMAX, which is awesome.”  One of those scenes will involve Devastator, and another will be the opening shot of the movie.  Bay says that opening shot will feature Megan Fox and promises that it’ll be even better than the actresses’ ‘hood opening scene’ from the original.  Meanwhile, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman told THR (via Transformers Live) that their goal was to top the first movie and show how the government and sentient robots would interact and maintain secrecy.  Watch both the interview with Bay, and the Orci/Kurtzman interview below.

CGI images of The Fallen and Devastator (more images of these two robots and others at Flickr)

New image of the Decepticon Ravage [SpoilerTV-Movies]

News on Tron 2’s Budget + First Set Photos
An article in the Vancouver Sun (recently discovered by FilmDrunk) talks about the budget for Disney’s "Tron" (still without an official name):

Vancouver post-production units are salivating at the prospects presented by the Disney remake of Tron, which carries a whopping $300 million budget and opportunities aplenty for effects and digital polish.

The 1982 version of the film starring Jeff Bridges blazed new trails in computer graphics and you can bet Tron 2.0 will push much further down the pixel path.

Because many were running with the budget story (in that it would be the most expensive movie of all time), I decided to contact the reporter for clarification.  It turns out that the figure reported is in Canadian dollars and includes both production and promotion and other miscellaneous expenses (the reporter’s source is local).  Converted to U.S. dollars, the figure is about $244M.  Expensive, but not as high as was originally reported by other outlets.  In other news, the first set images have emerged from shooting in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada:

Terminator Salvation Rated PG-13 + Arnold Cameo Confirmed?
It looks like "Terminator Salvation" will be rated PG-13.  Pizza Hut has a section on their website devoted to the film, and you can see the PG-13 rating there (via AICN).  And in other ‘Terminator’ news, Terry Crews told MTV Movies Blog that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be doing a cameo in the film: “That’s it,” he said. “And so am I.”  And finally, you can turn yourself into a Terminator over at the new viral site TerminateYourself.com.

New posters: Domestic and Japanese [ScreenRant]

Concept art of the Harvester robot [DVD-Forum.at]

New TV spot

Two more: #1 || #2

Sony Moving Forward With Venom Spinoff; Two Writers Hired
"Zombieland" writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese told reporters (via SCI FI Wire) that they’ve been hired by Sony to write a script for "Venom", a spinoff from the "Spider-Man" franchise:

“We had a really great relationship with Sony on [Zombieland], and so that was a nice in for us there,” Reese said in a group interview. “It gave us a leg up.”

“We’re under strict orders on Venom,” Wernick said. “We can’t talk about it. It’s just super secret.”

“We read [Venom] growing up, but we were not experts,” Reese said. “We certainly know the mythology of Venom, but went back and learned more when it became clear that we could actually get this job.”

Over 1 Million Have Downloaded ‘Wolverine’ + Other Bites
The unfinished work print of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" that was leaked onto the internet shortly before April Fool’s, has been downloaded by more than a million Bit Torrent users.  Here’s a round-up of the other bites of news related to the film:

• 20 minutes of finished footage from "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" was screened for IGN.  See what they said about it at this link.
• Fox has narrowed down the list of possible host cities for the world premiere to Davis, Calif.; Hastings, Neb.; Austin, Texas; Melbourne, Fla.; Dallas; San Antonio; Las Vegas; Tempe, Ariz.; Chicago; and Philadelphia.  The winning town will be announced on April 20th.  Vote here. [SCI FI Wire]
• Hugh Jackman told reporters in Sydney, Australia that he was "heartbroken" upon learning that the film was leaked onto the internet.  Jackman was in Syndey as part of a world tour to promote the film.  You can watch the BBC video of Hugh Jackman’s promo stunt at this link.

New images [more at AceShowbiz]

New poster [Marvel]

New TV spot: "That’s Cool"

Two more: "Taken" || "Welcome to the War"

Teaser Trailer for Sandy Collora’s Hunter Prey
The teaser trailer for "Hunter Prey", the upcoming original feature film from fanfilm artist Sandy Collora ("Batman Dead End") has been released.  Here’s what Collora has to say about the trailer (via io9):

Following the whole 70’s motif, just like we have with everything, the trailer is very much what I feel it should be: A brief glimpse of the characters, the world, and what the story is about. Not everything about the movie is revealed. I didn’t feel the need to tell or show it all, it’s not just all the "greatest hits" moments, believe me. I wanted to give everyone a taste of the film and get them excited about it, but I want them to discover the magic of the movie as they’re watching it, and not ruin the experience for them. After all, you can only see a movie for the first time, once.

The teaser trailer is embedded below.  And head on over to QuietEarth.us to check out the full synopsis. [via /Film]

NEW IMAGES

2012

New poster [ScreenRant]

H2

First official look at Michael Myers [Rob Zombie]

Iron Man 2

Set images (includes our first look at Don Cheadle as Rhodey) [more at SpoilerTV-Movies]

Moon

Revised poster [AICN]

They Came From Upstairs [Rope of Silicon]

Where the Wild Things Are

New poster

NEW VIDEOS

Angels & Demons

New clip [HD Version]

The Battle for Terra

New video clip

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

New international trailer

Iron Man 2

Set video (confirms Garry Shandling casting)

Moon

First official trailer

Mutant Chronicles

New clip: "Any Last Words?"

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Edgar Wright behind-the-scenes video blog

Shorts

Teaser trailer

Up

UPisode #3: "Snipe Trap"

MOVIE BITES

• Terrence Howard talks about being recast in "Iron Man 2" plus his thoughts on other comic book characters he’d like to play. [MTV Splash Page]
• Michael Caine believes that "there might be a part" for him in Christopher Nolan’s original sci-fi feature film "Inception". [MTV Movies Blog]
• Effects and make-up artist Wayne Toth says that Michael Myers, played by Tyler Mane, will be without his mask for more than 70% of "H2". [ShockTillYouDrop]
• Screenwriter Dave Kajganich says that the big-screen remake of Stephen King’s "It" will be "set in the mid-1980s and in the present almost equally — mirroring the twenty-odd-year gap King uses in the book”.  Kajganich also revealed that the movie “will not be PG-13. This will be R.”  [Dread Central via SCI FI Wire]
• Sony is adapting the 2005 PlayStation 2 video game "Shadow of the Colossus" into a big-screen action movie.  The studio has set Justin Marks to write the screenplay, and Kevin Misher is in negotiations to produce.  [THR]
• A press release and photos of the cast of "The Last Airbender" will be out in June. [Frank Marshall]
• Faran Tahir (Capt. Robau in "Star Trek"), who played the terrorist leader Raza in "Iron Man", says that he doesn’t yet have a role in the sequel, but that his character may appear in a later installment. [SCI FI Wire]
• Gore Verbinski will not be directing "Pirates of the Caribbean 4", instead choosing to focus on other projects, including "Bioshock", Universal Pictures’ adaptation of the bestselling video game.  Production on "Bioshock" is expected to begin in 2010. [Variety]
• Jon Favreau has been tweeting (and posting pictures) from the set of "Iron Man 2", which began shooting last week.  Here’s one such tweet: "First day went great. I’ve never worked on a sequel before. It’s like we picked up where we left off." [Jon Favreau]
• The release date for "Green Lantern: First Flight", the next installment in the DVD/Blu-ray series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies, has been moved to July 21, 2009. [SCI FI Wire]
• Fox has announced a June 16th release date for "Spaceballs" on Blu-ray.  Check out the cover art below. [DVD Active]

CASTING BITES

• Kyle Gallner has been cast in Platinum Dunes’ reboot of "A Nightmare on Elm Street".  Gallner will play Quentin, one of the lead teens in the film. [Originally reported by Bloody-Disgusting; Confirmed by Variety]
• Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes have been cast in Warner Bros. and Legendary’s "Clash of the Titans", by director Louis Leterrier.  Neeson will be playing Zeus, the king of the gods. Fiennes, who is still in negotiations, will be playing Hades, ruler of the underworld who is aiming to overtake Zeus and rule all. [THR]
• Leonardo DiCaprio is reportedly considering casting Japan’s SMAP entertainment group as the main leads in Warner Bros. and Appian Way’s proposed live-action adaptation of the "Ninja Scroll" anime. [Anime News Network via SCI FI Wire]

 

 

TV NEWS

Heroes Hits Series Low Again, But Was Most-Pirated Show on the Net + News and Bites
While NBC’s "Heroes" continues to struggle in the broadcast ratings hitting series lows week, after week –last week’s episode drew just 6.11M viewers and a 2.6 A18-49 rating — the show seems to be faring well in one medium: illegal online downloading.  According to ShowInsider — a site that monitors download data for Bit Torrent sites — last week "Heroes" was downloaded 1.76 million times, just above the torrent downloads for ABC’s "Lost" (1.70M).  Another SF show, Fox’s "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" rounded out the list at #10 with 400,000 downloads. [via THR, esq] Moving to other news related to "Heroes", here are some highlights from the weekly Q&A session at Comic Book Resources with writer/producers Joe Pokaski and Aron Coliete:

• Sylar can’t teleport
• Explaining why Martin (the shapeshifter) didn’t shift back into his normal form:  "Bryan Fuller came up with the term “pop-and-lock” to help understand why the shapeshifter Martin would convert truly to Sylar (physiologically, anyway) and when he died, he would lose the ability to shift from that Sylar form to anything else."
• We’ve "pretty much seen the limit" of the abilities of Matt’s baby
• Micah has been working alone, but we’ll see him meeting up with some familiar faces for the summer webcomics
• Season four will be a "good mix" of old and new characters
• No plans for Sylar-centered spinoff

Some more news: Here’s the synopsis for the season finale, "An Invisible Thread".  Note that the episode will feature the return of Michael Dorn as the President (via Spoiler-TV):

Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) faces off against Sylar (Zachary Quinto) to keep him from meeting the President (guest star Michael Dorn). Sylar has his own plans for his new partner. Meanwhile, Hiro (Masi Oka) learns that there are repercussions to regaining his ability. Elsewhere, Matt (Greg Grunberg) is forced to go to extraordinary lengths to protect his future with his family.

Here are a couple other bites:

• While Daphne is definitely dead, we may see here again via flashbacks. [TV Guide]
• Actors James Kyson Lee (Ando) says that all ten original Heroes from the third season will be back for the season finale, and we’ll be getting a glimpse at the fifth volume, "Redemption". [E! Online]

And finally, there’s a short video interview up on NBC.com (watch it below) of creator Tim Kring discussing “shocking details” about someone dying in an “interesting way”, plus he talks about the new "Heroes" webisode series "Nowhere Man", which stars Doyle (David Lawrence).

Tim Kring interview

Promotional images from episode 24, "I Am Sylar" [more at The ODI]

Promo for episode 23, "1961"

Sneak peek at the episode

SCI FI Casts Leads for Riverworld and The Phantom
The SCI FI Channel has cast the lead roles for both of the network’s upcoming four-hour original movie events: "Riverworld" and "The Phantom".  Tahmoh Penikett ("Battlestar Galactica") and Laura Vandervoort ("Smallville") will star in "Riverworld", while Ryan Carnes has been cast as the lead in "The Phantom".  Carnes will be joined by Isabella Rossellini, who will guest star as the villainous Lithia.  Other cast additions for the miniseries include Cameron Goodman and Sandrine Holt, while Jeananne Goossen and Mark Deklin have also been added to the cast of "Riverworld".  Both projects began production this past Monday.  They’ll air on the network next year.  I’ve included some concept art from both miniseries below:

Concept art from Riverworld [more at SCI FI Wire]

Sneak peek at the title character, The Phantom [more at SCI FI Wire]

Russell T. Davies Talks "Planet of the Dead" + Q&A With David Tennant
Russell T. Davies was on the British show "Breakfast" and talked about the new "Doctor Who" special "Planet of the Dead" as well as other upcoming episodes.  Davies revealed that the next special will air in November (and according to Den of Geek, will reportedly be called "The Waters of Mars") and that Wilf (Bernard Cribbins) will be the companion for the final two-parter.  Watch the video below.  In other news, BBC has a Q&A with the Doctor, David Tennant, who has six weeks left of filming.  Tennant tells the site that he got emotional while reading his final moments as the 10th Doctor. And in other "Doctor Who" news, Freema Agyeman, who played Martha, tells Digital Spy that she doesn’t expect a Martha return anytime soon.

Set images [more at Planet Gallifrey]

Also, check out this new set video [Planet Gallifrey]

Another here and more here

Amanda Tapping On What To Expect For Sanctuary: Season Two
Echoing Robert Carlyle above, Amanda Tapping tells E! Online that the second season of the SCI FI series "Sanctuary" will "darker" and "edgier":

"We ended with a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of the first season and this first part of this season is really dark. It’s darker and edgier, and we’re dealing with a force that could potentially destroy Sanctuary, so there’s a huge edge to it. I think we’ll see a lot more of the dark, angry side of [my character] Helen Magnus in the first part of the season."

Production on the show began last week, and the series has added a new character: Agam Darshi.  Darshi will be playing Kate Freelander, who is described as follows (via SCI FI Wire):

Witty and sarcastic, with a gift for persuasion, Kate Freelander is a swindler, con artist and thief who finds herself in an uneasy alliance with Dr. Magnus (Amanda Tapping) after her business relationship with the Cabal goes sour.

Kings Banished to Saturday Nights
Terrible news for fans of the NBC series "Kings".  Due to poor ratings — last week’s episode drew just 3.62M viewers and a 1.1 A18-49 rating — NBC has yanked the series from Sunday nights and moved it to Saturday, effective immediately (which would be episode five: April 18th).  While you can’t blame NBC for making the move (based on the current ratings), you can place blame on the network for their overall poor promotion of the series.  After all, it was very poorly sampled at just 6.08M viewers and a 1.6 A18-49 rating for the premiere.  Oh well, enjoy it while it lasts. And who knows, with virtually no expectation of good ratings on Saturday nights, there’s always a chance (however unlikely).

Promotional images from episode 5, "Judgment Day" (also our first look at Macaulay Culkin’s character) [more at io9]

Promo for episode six, "Judgment Day"

Final Episodes of Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone To Air This Summer
ABC has officially announced their summer schedule and it includes a burn off of the final episodes of "Pushing Daisies" and "Eli Stone".  Both shows will air on Saturday nights at 10:00pm, with "Pushing Daisies" running from May 30th through June 13th, and "Eli Stone" airing its final episodes from June 20th through July 11th.

RDA Confirms SGU Appearances + Shanks Cameo, Third SG-1 Film Green-lit and Caryle Talks
Richard Dean Anderson (Gen. Jack O’Neill) has confirmed to his official fansite RDAnderson.com (via GateWorld.net) that he’ll be making multiple guest appearances on "SGU: Stargate Universe":

"I was up there doing a snippet of a scene with Robert Carlyle and I’ll be going back March 17 for another scene in part 2 of the two-hour. I had told Brad that if he wanted help in the launch of Universe I’d love to be a part of it. (Truth be known, I missed those guys ‘n gals.) So I’ll make a few slim appearances in the first half-dozen episodes, or so. Again, details are sketchy, but I’ve already shot the first of my scenes so the ball is rolling. Andy Mikita is directing the two-hour, so we had a good hug and huge laugh."

In other casting news, producer Joseph Mallozzi confirmed on his blog that Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson) will be making an appearance on the show: “Michael will have a cameo in the premiere.”  On the gaming side, a representative for Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment tells GateWorld that the MMO-RPG video game "Stargate Worlds" is still in active development and will be released.  Back on the TV side, producer Brad Wright told GateWorld that the third direct-to-video film based on "Stargate SG-1" has been green-lit by MGM:

“When we start shooting the Stargate SG-1 movie depends on whether we do the two movies back-to-back,” Wright elaborated during his on-stage Q&A with executive producer Robert C. Cooper at the Creation convention Sunday. “The Stargate SG-1 movie will probably start shooting in the fall. I say ‘probably’ because there are a lot of deals that have to be finished being put in place before that can actually happen. That would leave the summer [of 2010] as the release time, roughly around the same as Continuum.”

And lastly, Robert Carlyle, who plays Dr. David Rush, tells E! Online what fans should expect out of the first several episodes of the upcoming series:

"In the first three hours [of the first episode] there are three deaths. By episode six, there is a suicide, so people are really struggling up there. Of the first six episodes, the first three are all in one [story] called "Air." The next one is called ‘Fire,’ the next one is called ‘Earth,’ and the next one is called ‘Water.’ What makes this different from the previous Stargate franchise pieces is that it’s a lot darker."

Fox Only Airing 12 Episodes of Dollhouse; 1 Short of 13 Produced
In the "well, that’s not surprising" category, comes this news from Fox: They won’t be airing all 13 episodes of "Dollhouse".  The first bit of this news came from actress Alicia Day ("Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog") who twittered the following message on her Twitter account (don’t forget, you can follow Anthony and the gang here at TrekMovie on Twitter as well):

"Man, day getting worse and worse. Found out my Dollhouse ep, #13 isn’t gonna air. Only on DVD. Such a great part too. Thx Fox. :("

Which led to creator Joss Whedon himself posting a message on his account:

"It’s true. Dollhouse ep 13 isn’t going to air. This makes @feliciaday sad. How do you feel? Why don’t share those feelings with FOX?"

So what’s going on? According to THR, Fox believes that because two pilots had to be shot, they don’t have to air the final episode to fulfill their commitment (12 episodes + 1 extra pilot = 13 episodes).  There is some slightly good news on the extra episode front though, with this explanation of what the episode is about — and promise — from producer Tim Minear that it will show up on the DVD:

“Okay. So maybe I can help clarify this somewhat. Because we scrapped the original pilot — and in fact cannibalized some of its parts for other eps — we really ended up with 12 episodes. But the studio makes DVD and other deals based on the original 13 number. So we created a standalone kind of coda episode. Which is the mythical new episode 13. The network had already paid for 13 episodes, and this included the one they agreed to let us scrap for parts. It does not include the one we made to bring the number back up to 13 for the studio side and its obligations. We always knew it would be for the DVD for sure, but we also think Fox should air it because it’s awesome.”

Promotional images from episode 10, "Haunted" [more at The ODI]

Promotional images from episode 11, "Briar Rose" [more at SpoilerTV]

Promo for episode 10, "Haunted"

Nimoy Cast in Fringe + Plus Other News and Bites
In case you missed it, or if you still have some things to say about the surprise casting of Leonard Nimoy as the mysterious character William Bell on the show, then be sure to make your voices heard here at TrekMovie in our "Fringe" column.  Here are a few other news bites related to the show:

• We’ll learn more about Agent Sanford Harris, including what side he’s on and his motivations, in an upcoming episode. [TV Guide]
• In a video interview, John Noble says that upcoming episodes of the series will deal with what would happen if you could, and did, make other choices; and that we’ll find out the reasons for Peter’s health concern. [TV Guide]
• The Fringe Icon Code, as explained in the video embedded below, has been solved [via SCI FI Wire].

Promo for episode 16, "Unleashed"

Lost: Lindelof and Cuse Video Podcast + Other News and Bites
Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse did a video podcast ahead of next week’s episode, "Some Like It Hoth".  Here are some highlights (via SpoilersLost):

• Desmond’s wound will put his life in danger
• There will be more to come with Locke’s "resurrection", especially in regards to Ben
• "Some Like It Hoth" gives the show a sense of comedy, but be prepared for several major events after the episode
• For more, including another explanation of the time travel laws on the show, you can watch the full podcast below:

And rounding out this week’s "Lost" coverage, here are some bites, followed by the promo for next week’s episode:

• The code word for the season finale has been revealed: "The Fork In the Outlet" (suggested by fan Spindrift Beck). [Doc Arzt]
• Some good news for fans of these two characters, confirmation that neither (highlight to view) Jack nor Sayid will be dying this year. [E! Online]
• An anonymous source is claiming that we’ll be seeing a third Eloise Hawking (one who’s between the ages of the two Ellies we’ve seen thus far). [SpoilersLost]
• ABC and Mathew Perry’s publicist are shooting down rumors that the actor will be appearing in the season finale. [Zap2It]
• The character Naomi will be making a return appearance (in a flashback involving Miles). [TV Guide]

Promo for episode 13, "Some Like It Hoth"

Synopsis for ABC’s V Released
ABC has released the synopsis for "V", the network’s re-imagining of the 80’s miniseries (via VisitorSite.net):

Today, the world woke up to find spaceships over every major city. The Visitors claim to have come in peace, bringing gifts of medical miracles and technological breakthroughs. They promise to do no harm. They’re lying. Most people believe the aliens have arrived just when we needed them most. We’re eager to embrace their generous offers of help, but while tracking a terrorist cell, Homeland Security agent Erica Evans stumbles upon something far more sinister. When her partner tries to kill her, Erica discovers that the aliens have plans to infiltrate our governments and businesses, planting seeds for their plot to control mankind. Convincing anyone of the truth will be impossible because the Visitors have two powerful weapons. First, they’ve given the people faith with their reassuring presence and gifts. Second, they’ve rallied our youth. Thousands of teens, including Erica’s son, have been recruited as ‘Peace Ambassadors’ but they’re actually serving as unwitting spies. Erica’s violent introduction to the truth thrusts her into the resistance movement, where she joins forces with Ryan, a rogue alien driven to save humanity. She’ll have to balance her covert activities with her job, and her role as a mother, fighting to protect her son Tyler even as he joins forces with the enemy.

And in related news, two actors have been added to the cast of the pilot (also via VisitorSite.net):

• Stefan Arnigrim (playing Roy): Roy is one of the few people who still attends Father Jack’s church. He is paralyzed and is confined to a wheelchair, and comes with the announcement that the Visitors have been able to make him walk again. But, at what cost has he been healed?
• Christopher Shyer (playing Roy): Right-hand man to Morena Baccarin’s character Anna.

TV IMAGES

Smallville

Set images [more at ComicBookMovie]

Supernatural

Promotional images for episode 20, "The Rapture" [more at SF Universe]

TV VIDEOS

Chuck

Promo for episode 20, "Chuck Versus the First Kill"

Reaper

Promo for episode seven, "The Good Soil"

Interview with Tyler Labine (Sock)

Syfy "Sizzle reel" (shown during SCI FI/Syfy’s upfront presentation). Includes footage from Alice, Caprica, Eureka, Stargate Universe and Warehouse 13 [io9]

TV BITES

• Previously covered on TrekMovie: Watch the trailer for the upcoming Star Trek-themed episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" at this link.
• Allison Scagliotti ("Drake & Josh") has been cast in the upcoming SCI FI dramedy "Warehouse 13".  According to the press release, Scagliotti will play Claudia Donavan, a young, hip, brilliant techno-wiz, who manages to successfully breach the Warehouse’s complex security system in order to track down Artie (Rubinek). [SCI FI]
• Clark won’t be flying this season on "Smallville" but "there will be a Smallville ‘leap’ that goes above and beyond a tall building—but it isn’t actually flying". [E! Online]
• Hundreds of items from "Battlestar Galactica", including a full-size Viper Mark II ship and full-size Blackbird Stealth ship, will be auctioned off on the weekend of May 8th. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit United Way. [SCI FI Wire]
• Xander Berkely has joined the cast of NBC’s sci-fi drama pilot "Day One" as a regular. [THR]
• "Reaper" creators/executive producers Michel Fazekas and Tara Butters have signed a two-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV.  The CW series "Reaper" is produced by Fox rival ABC Studios, which may be an indication that the show won’t be back for another season. [THR]
• Cartoon Network has announced "Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Decoded".  The full 22-episode slate, airing beginning on May 1st, will feature text windows to provide in-the-moment insights from trivia to background on characters and storylines.  A screen grab is provided below. [StarWars.com]

MISC NEWS

Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Being Adapted Into Comic Series
Boom! Studios has announced that they are adapting Philip K. Dick’s "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?" into a new 24-part comic book series.  The 1968 novel was the inspiration for Ridley Scott’s "Blade Runner". Laura Leslie and Isa Dick Hackett, daughters of the late author, are excited about the possibilities (via io9):

We are thrilled that Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? is being adapted for this audience by such a talented team. We’ve been incredibly impressed with Boom!’s ability to create such a faithful interpretation of the original work without sacrificing their own original instincts and artistic sensibilities… Through this medium, readers will now have visual access to parts of the novel not explored in the film adaptation Blade Runner.

The first issue, which also includes an afterword about Dick and the novel, will be released in June.

MISC VIDEOS

Bioshock 2

First gameplay footage of the video game

The Dark Knight Meets Superman (Part 2) [via /Film]

MISC BITES

• The nominations for this year’s "Eisner Awards", honoring the best in Comics, have been unveiled.  You can check out the complete list of nominees at this link. [via io9]
• Topps has announced that they will be producing trading cards based on "Terminator Salvation". [/Film]

More at /Film

OBIT

• Dave Arneson, an American game designer and teacher, and co-creator of the "Dungeons & Dragons" role-playing game, passed away on Tuesday, April 7th after a battle with cancer.  He was 61. [SCI FI Wire]

SCI FI RATINGS
Friday night’s episode of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles", which was the show’s second season (and perhaps series) finale, was flat from the week prior (based on fast affiliates).  The episode drew 3.56M viewers (+3%) and a 1.3 A18-49 rating (n/c).  Lead-out "Dollhouse", now having aired nine episodes, wasn’t any better (again based on fast affiliates), drawing an identical 3.56M viewers (+3.5%) and a 1.4 A18-49 rating (-7%).  As was predicted by many from the moment it made the transition, ‘TSCC’ just couldn’t find an audience on Friday night.  For the full season (22 episodes), the show averaged 4.63M viewers and a 1.7 A18-49 rating, but it did best on Monday night’s where it averaged 5.39M viewers and a 2.1 A18-49 rating (13 episodes).  The show’s remaining nine episodes (all on Friday night) averaged just 3.54M viewers and a 1.3 A18-49 rating (-34 and -38 percent among viewers and adults 18-49, respectively, from its Monday night average).  The prospects for "Dollhouse" aren’t any more promising.  Through nine episodes, that show has averaged just 4.00M viewers and a 1.6 A18-49 rating. 

In terms of other SF shows, "Reaper" was down from the week prior to 2.11M viewers (and a 0.9 A18-49 rating), although it did beat lead-out "90210" among viewers again for the second week, while "Fringe" returned strong with 9.88M viewers and a 4.0 A18-49 rating.  You saw my note above about "Heroes", which hit a series low, yet again, while "Chuck" (featuring a Scott Bakula guest spot) was slightly above average with 6.10M viewers and a 2.1 A18-49 rating.

CHART (3/16/2009 to 3/22/2009)