Sci-Fi Movies Sunday: Battlestar Galactica, Avatar, Green Hornet, Alien Prequel, Underworld 4, Surrogates + more

The big genre movie news this week in that Superman Returns helmer Bryan Singer is going to take on another big franchise, this time Battlestar Galactica. We have that, plus the first official image from Avatar, no Sigorney for the next Alien, Cato casting for Green Hornet, and much more, plus the latest trailers and images, including Fourth Kind and Surrogates.

 

GENRE MOVIE NEWS

Bryan Singer Directing Battlestar Galactica Movie
Bryan Singer has been hired by Universal Pictures to produce and direct a big-screen version of "Battlestar Galactica".  The film is not expected to have any connection to the recently ended Syfy series from "Star Trek" alum Ronald D. Moore and will instead be a complete re-imagining.  Glen Larson, who created the 1978 original series, is also on board as a producer.  This is actually Singer’s second crack at the property. He and Tom De Santo had developed a TV sequel to the original series and were just months away from filming the backdoor pilot before the attacks on America on September 11, 2001 happened.  The network grew nervous and the project fell apart.  A few years later a new project from David Eick and Ron Moore and the rest is history.  You can check out details of the De Santo/Singer version here and here [via
HitFix, who originally broke the news before it was confirmed by EW].

Avatar Day Ticket Giveaway Details + First Official Image
Tickets for Avatar Day, the promotional event for James Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic "Avatar" will be released tomorrow. The LA Times reports that at noon tomorrow (Monday, August 17th, tickets will be given away online at 3:00pm ET/ noon PT), Fox will give the tickets away through the official website avatarmovie.com.  More than 100 3-D IMAX theaters worldwide are participating — It’s not completely clear whether it’ll also be shown in regular 3-D theaters — but a list hasn’t been made available so you’ll just have to check the website for yourself and see if the 15 minutes of footage will be screened in your area. The preview will be screened twice on Friday, August 21st at 9:00pm and 9:30pn ET. Don’t forget that the 21st also marks the worldwide debut of the official trailer (both online and in theaters–conventional, IMAX, 3-D and 3-D IMAX). The studio has also released the first official image from the film:

Image Description courtesy /Film (click to see it in higher resolution)
Sam Worthington
Jake Sully a paraplegic war veteran, who gets the opportunity to travel to another planet, Pandora, to work with a mining operation. Because the planet is so harsh, traditional armor and envirosuit solutions are not good enough to protect miners, and a clone program has developed in which DNA from humans and Na’vi, the natives that inhabit Pandora, are combined. The result is essentially a cloned Na’vi that can house the consciousness of an individual with human DNA. This means that Jake will be able to walk again. The photo above shows Sully in front of the tank that houses his Avatar.

Meanwhile, the LA Times’ Hero Complex Blog interviewed James Cameron about the film.  Here’s an excerpt of Cameron talking about the potential of creating a brand out of the film:

It’s simultaneously one of the great strengths and one of the potential weaknesses. We have no brand value. We have to create that brand value. “Avatar” means something to that group of fans that know this film is coming, but to the other 99% of the public it’s a nonsense word and we have to hope we can educate them. Well, I shouldn’t say a nonsense word – it doesn’t mean anything specific in terms of a brand association. And in fact there may be even a slight negative one because more people know about the Saturday morning cartoon, the anime, than about this particular film. We’ve got to create that [brand] from scratch. On the other hand, ultimately, it is probably the film’s greatest strength in the long run. We’ve had these big, money-making franchise films for a long time, “Star Trek” and “Star Wars,” you know, “Harry Potter,” and there’s a certain sort of comfort factor in that; you know what you’re going to get. But there’s no kind of shock of the new that’s possible with that. It’s been a while since something that took us on a journey, something that grabbed us by the lapels and dragged us out the door and took us on a journey of surprise.

And here’s a bit from Cameron on capturing emotion through the CG characters:

That was the biggest challenge of the film. No matter how much art and technology we threw at this thing, if it wasn’t in the eyes of the characters – if you didn’t see a soul there – it would just be a big clanking machine. And I think that’s what people were responding to with … well I don’t want to throw a particular movie under the bus here, but let’s just say we’ve seen examples of motion-capture not quite getting it. It’s called the uncanny valley. We’ve seen movies never quite get out of the uncanny valley. That’s a reference to a negative effect that is created when something approaches human [in appearance] but isn’t quite there, it creates this creepiness. Our goal right from the get-go is that we had to get over the uncanny valley. These characters have to be real, they have to be alive. And what the actors do has to come through 100%. We didn’t want to get in and come back and muck around with a lot of key-framing where we would be animating over what the actors did. Our goal was a pure translation of the actors’ performance, at least as much as the physiology of that character allowed. The actors can’t act the tail, the actors can’t ears, so there is a layer of animation on top of what they are doing. But if I showed you the reference video track of what [lead actors] Zoe [Saldana] and Sam [Worthington] did, I think you’d be astonished at how closely it maps to the final performance that you see. I think it’s one-to-one. You know, and, we expected that maybe we’d get to 90%, maybe 95%, but I don’t think we dreamed that we’d get to 100%. But we did. There’s absolutely no diminishment.

Read the two-part interview here and here, and check out an interview with CCH Pounder who plays a character named Moha who is the head of the Na’vi at this link"Avatar" hits theaters on December 18, 2009.

No Sigorney for Alien Prequel
Sigorney Weaver is in Cameron’s Avatar, but she will not be returning for Ridley in the Alien prequel. Here’s Weaver talking about how she expects a "classy" prequel to "Alien" from director Ridley Scott.  She doesn’t expect to be involved in the film. [MTV]

District 9 Opens in First Place
Benefiting by both a strong viral and conventional marketing campaign and critical praise — 88% on Rotten Tomatoes — the Neill Blomkamp-directed/Peter Jackson-produced R-rated sci-fi film "District 9" opened its first week at the box office with an impressive estimated $37 million from 3,049 theaters, easily holding off second place "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" which fell 59% to $22.5 million ($98.8 million cume) and "The Time Traveler’s Wife" which opened in third place with $19.2 million.  The opening for "District 9" is all the more impressive when factoring in its relatively tiny budget of $30 million.  Many have likened its opening — and the buzz leading up to it — to 2008’s "Cloverfield" ($25 million budget; $40.1 million opening weekend).  Although it should be noted that "Cloverfield" had the benefit of opening in more theaters (3,411 vs. 3,049) and had a more audience friendly PG-13 rating.

Jay Chou Cast as Kato in Green Hornet + Edward James Olmos Joins Cast
This week we have two new additions to the cast of Michel Gondry’s "The Green Hornet" to report on.  First up, Jay Chou has been cast as Kato, replacing Stephen Chow who bowed out shortly after deciding not to direct:

“It’s an overwhelming experience to take on a role made famous by Bruce Lee. I won’t try to be Bruce Lee’s Kato – I will try to bring my own interpretation to the part. Of course, it’s a dream role, and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Chou said.

Another addition to the film is Edward James Olmos ("Battlestar Galactica").  Olmos made the announcement while at Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con last week [via ComingSoon]:

"I’m on my way to do ‘The Green Hornet,’" Olmos told me. "It’ll be a lot of fun with Seth [Rogen], Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz."

It’s unclear which role he’ll play.  "The Green Hornet" hits theaters on July 9, 2010.

Screen Gems Moving Forward With Fourth Underworld (in 3-D); Beckinsale May Return for Trilogy
Sony’s Screen Gems is moving forward with a fourth installment in the "Underworld" vampire franchise and are targeting a January 21, 2011 release date for the film which will be shot in 3-D.  Additionally, the film may serve as the first of a new trilogy based on the character Selene (played by Kate Beckinsale in the first two films).  While Beckinsale hasn’t officially signed up to reprise her role, BloodyDisgusting is reporting that the actress is attached to return.

NEW IMAGES

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant [SCI FI Wire–more at io9]

Poster [Cinematical]

The Fourth Kind [SCI FI Wire]

I, Frankenstein

Concept art [IESB, ShockTillYouDrop, BloodyDisgusting and AICN]

Legion

New poster [ShockTillYouDrop]

The Lovely Bones [more at SCI FI Wire]

Pandorum

New poster [io9]

Surrogates [more at IGN]

Zombieland

New Poster [ComingSoon]

NEW VIDEOS

Astro Boy

New trailer

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

New trailer

The Fourth Kind

New trailer

Gentlemen Broncos

New trailer

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

New trailer

Jennifer’s Body

"Peer Pressure" PSA

Kick-Ass

Click the image below to watch the four clips that were shown at Comic-Con [io9]

Legion

Red Band trailer

Theatrical trailer

The Lovely Bones

New trailer

Shorts

New clip: "Then You Better Not Lose"

Six more clips: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Where The Wild Things Are

Trailer #2

Zombieland

Red band trailer

Theatrical trailer

Rule #15: Bowling Ball

Check out more clips at this link

CASTING BITES

  • Jon Heder will star in "Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede", Robert Rugan’s adaptation of the sci-fi comic series from Bradley Denton.  Rugan wrote the script and will direct. [Variety]
  • Sam Rockwell, who stars in Duncan Jones’ "Moon", says that he will have a part in Jones’ next film: "Yeah. I think it’s a cameo. Something like that. I think so, yeah." [Cinematical]
  • Liam Neeson is in negotiations to star in the Dark Castle thriller "Unknown White Male" that will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.  The film is based on the Didier Van Cauwelaert novel "Out of My Head".  The script was written by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell. [Variety]
  • Jodelle Ferland ("Silent Hill") has joined the cast of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". The teen actress will play a vampire who has just been turned… [Variety]
  • …Also joining the film will be Catalina Sandino Moreno, who has been cast as the vampire Maria. [Risky Biz Blog]
  • Maggie Q is joining Paul Bettany and Cam Gigandet in the post-apocalyptic horror project "Priest", directed by Scott Stewart. [THR]
  • The cast of Robert Rodriguez’s "Machete" has been confirmed, with Robert DeNiro, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson, Steven Segal and Jessica Alba all signed on for supporting roles. [Variety]
  • Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to play the vampire Lestat in Universal Pictures’ "The Vampire Chronicles", the studio’s reboot based on the popular series of novels from writer Anne Rice. [BloodyDisgusting]

MOVIE BITES

  • While we were away, "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" became the highest-grossing animated film ever overseas (it was at $551.4 million through last Sunday, but as of today it sits at $578.6 million).  The film has benefited greatly from 3-D theaters.  Worldwide cume stands at $769.5 million as of today.  The previous best for an animated title was 2003’s "Finding Nemo" which grossed $524.9 million in foreign receipts ($864.6 million worldwide). [Variety]
  • Diablo Cody ("Jennifer’s Body") will produce an adaptation of the zombie novel "Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament".  Geoff LaTulippe is writing the script. [SCI FI Wire]
  • Legendary Pictures is reportedly in early discussions on developing a reboot of the Japanese monster movie "Godzilla". [BloodyDisgusting]
  • Eli Roth hopes to dive back into working on his PG-13 rated sci-fi film "Endangered Species" this September.  He wants to make a scary movie more in the style of "Jurassic Park, Transformers, Cloverfield. I love those movies."  [SCI FI Wire]
  • Christopher McQuarrie has been signed to write the script for Fox’s sequel to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". As has been reported in the past, Hugh Jackman is set to return in a story line based on the early 1980’s Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Wolverine arc that was set in Japan. [THR]
  • "Trick ‘r Treat" will hit DVD and Blu-ray on October 6, 2009.  The DVD release will contain just the movie and a "Trick ‘R Treat: Season’s Greetings" feature with optional commentary by Director Michael Dougherty.  You’ll have to pick up the Blu-ray for additional features: audio commentary with the director, additional scenes, special effects comparison, a featurette on the legends of Halloween and more. [DVD Active]
  • Other sci-fi films dated for release include "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (September 15, 2009), "Land of the Lost" (October 13, 2009), "Blood: The Last Vampire" (October 20, 2009) and "Up" (November 10, 2009) (click the titles for details/cover art).  Also check out cover art for "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" here.
  • James Spader talks about his role as the bad guy in Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming family fantasy film "Shorts"… [SCI FI Wire]
  • …And Director Robert Rodriguez talks about the format that the story is told in: "a series of shorts, and we tell them out of order, so it’s like Pulp Fiction for kids, and you have to figure out the whole puzzle," in an interview with SCI FI Wire.
  • Nimrod Antal is scheduled to begin filming on Fox’s reboot of "Predators" on September 28th at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas. [Production Weekly]
  • Ridley Scott is developing a film based on Aldous Huxley’s 1931 novel "Brave New World" and may direct, while Leonardo DiCaprio is on board as a producer and the possible lead.  The script will be written by Farhad Safinia ("Apocalypto"). [Risky Biz Blog]
  • Universal Pictures has acquired the film rights to the Dark Horse Entertainment comic book miniseries "Criminal Macabre", created by Steve Niles.  Kyle Ward will write the script.  Dark Horse’s Mike Richardson will produce with Neal Moritz of Original Film. [Variety]
  • Steven Spielberg is reportedly in active negotiations to develop a feature film based on the hit video game "Halo".  According to the report, Spielberg was blown away by writer Stuart Beattie’s script, which is based on the "Halo: The Fall of Reach" prequel novel. [IESB]
  • Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of the Mark Millar comic "Kick-Ass" looks close to acquiring a distributor. Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures are all said to be in the running for the rights to the film, which Vaughn financed independently after studios opted not to board it at the script stage because some objected to its high level of violence and dialogue… [Risky Biz Blog]
  • …Meanwhile another film, Terry Gilliam’s "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus", also looks headed for a distributor, with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group in advanced talks to pick it up.  If the pickup is secured plans are for it to be released theatrically via Sony Pictures Classics. [Variety]
  • Warner Brothers and the producers behind "The Dark Knight" and "300" are developing "a futuristic action adventure" version of "Robin Hood" that will "both inspired by and pay homage to the legend of Robin Hood." Commericial director Nicolai Fuglsig, who pitched the project, is signed on to direct.  The film would be set in a dystopian London and center on a band of thieves whose activities restore hope to the city’s embattled population. [Risky Biz Blog]
  • Producer Jerry Bruckheimer says to expect a trailer for "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" in the fall or Christmas. [SCI FI Wire]
  • Paul W.S. Anderson’s "Death Race" is getting a prequel.  Tony Giglio has been hired to write a script which will be based on a story by Anderson and is expected to delve into the past of the driver Frankenstein.  Giglio may also direct. [ShockTillYouDrop]
  • Director Adam Shankman provided an update on the status of "Sinbad": "We are very close, but it’s still in the script phase right now," Shankman said. "The Wibberleys [National Treasure, G-Force] have been writing it. We are, I hope, very close to cast, so we’ll see." [SCI FI Wire]
  • MGM’s planned remake of Tobe Hooper’s classic 80’s film "Poltergeist" has been given a release date of November 24, 2010. [ShockTillYouDrop]
  • Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman say they turned in their first draft of "Cowboys & Aliens" on August 5th: "We literally handed it in yesterday," Kurtzman said. "We’re waiting to hear from the principals. We try not to turn it in until we think it’s ready. Obviously, there are always things you can improve," Orci said.  [SCI FI Wire]
  • Warner Brothers is developing a "family comedy that will mix live action and animation" based on the Lego toy. [Variety]
  • The sci-fi comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine" earns its R-rating, says co-star Chevy Chase: "It has to be [R] because I’ve never heard so many F words in my life. I guess that gives it an automatic R. In fact, I’m the only guy who doesn’t swear, frankly." [SCI FI Wire]
  • Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, creators of the 1999 horror hit "The Blair Witch Project" say they are interested in making a sequel: "…we’re thinking about going back and and seeing what happened directly after the first film finished," said Sanchez. [BBC via io9]
  • Michael Fassbender talked about his role as the charismatic henchman Burke in Warner Brothers’ upcoming "Jonah Hex" in an interview with SCI FI Wire.
  • In addition to prepping "20,000 Leagues’, director McG reveals that he is concurrently prepping "Terminator 5" and is very excited about continuing the story. [IESB]
  • "Scream" writer Kevin Williamson is writing the proposed fourth film in the franchise, and he says the next film will be the start of a new trilogy.  He expects to finish the script in the next few months. Director Wes Craven wants to read the script before he signs on. David Arquette (Dewey) and Courtney Cox (Gale) will be the only original cast members returning.  The story will pick up 10 years after the events of 2000’s "Scream 3"… [SCI FI Wire]
  • …Courtney Cox talked about returning to the franchise and says she’s excited at the prospects of another trilogy in an interview with SCI FI Wire.
  • "Twilight" nearly swept the "Teen Choice Awards", winning 11 of the 12 categories it was nominated for. [LA Times]
  • Tim Roth, who played Emil Blonsky/The Abomination in 2008’s "The Incredible Hulk" may be reprising his role in future Marvel films: "I don’t want to get into it, but they signed me up for three [films]."  When pressed for clarification on which films he’d be in, he responded by saying "It could be anything." [SCI FI Wire]
  • Robert Rodriguez’s remake of "Barbarella" may have fell through, but Universal Pictures is still moving forward with plans for a remake.  Joe Gazzam has been tapped to write a screenplay with Robert Luketic confirmed as director. [THR]
  • Peter Berg hopes to bring a different approach to his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel "Dune": “I think I had a much more different experience, I think, with the book than David Lynch did,” Berg said. “To me, I think my interpretation will feel significantly different from that and the [Syfy] Channel miniseries that aired. I have a different experience than both of those filmmakers did.” [SCI FI Wire]
  • James McTeigue’s next film will be a period thriller titled "The Raven".  It’s a fictional account of the final five days of writer Edgar Allan Poe’s life: “It’s like the poem, The Raven, itself, crossed with Se7en. It should be pretty cool. The script is really good and everyone responds to it really well. I’m in the middle of casting.” [/Film]
  • Terry Gilliam expressed interest in adapting Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novel "The World Jones Made" and has met with Dick’s daughter about the possibility. [HitFix]
  • Fran Kranz shared a few details about the still-secretive horror movie "Cabin in the Woods" from writer/director Drew Goddard and co-writer/producer Joss Whedon in an interview with SCI FI Wire.
  • Brian Henson, son of "The Muppets" creator Jim Henson and co-CEO of the Jim Henson Company, revealed that a movie version of "Fraggle Rock" (the final season of the show hits DVD on November 3rd) is "still in very active development. Very active development. That has a very strong script."  Meanwhile, Henson says that a sequel to "Dark Crystal", called "The Power of the Dark Crystal", is also in the works and he says it "has a very strong script."  "Both of those projects… are very close to going into pre-production," Henson said. "They’re both really ready to go. [The studio is] just [in the process of] putting together the final finance pieces and the final distribution pieces." [MTV]
  • If all goes well Cliff Curtis, who plays Fire Lord Ozai in M. Night Shymalan’s "The Last Airbender", expects to "be back for the second and the third installment". [SCI FI Wire]


Follow Russ on his blog: Your Entertainment Now and on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourEntNow.

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So I’ve seen this about the Galactica movie already and–while I’m not a fan of Moore’s version–it seems weird and a bad idea to me.

Avatar looks like it should be good. I’ll have to watch for it.

Curious to see how the BSG holds up on the big screen. A little nervous being a fan of the recent tv series, but I was never a fan of the original show so my mind is still open about a second reboot so to speak. Perhaps a little too soon though..

Bryan Singer and Galactica reunited… hmm… Singer still has to be feeling cuckolded by the Superman franchise, which is floundering in development and judiciary hell. The wind-up of Moore’s BSG was somewhat disappointing after the excellent 3 1/2 season ‘buildup’…

The timing is weird and if Singer goes back to Glen Larsen’s vision of Galactica like he went back to Donner’s vision of Superman, it can only lead to a mild to major disappointment.

a reboot this early?!?! i just finished watching the recent one and am eagerly anticipating The Plan and Caprica.
can we please wait a couple years and let me get over ron moore’s version.

also not a bryan singer fan
he bombed the superman franchise (it’s $5 at wal-mart)

Agreed with #3, seems a little odd to have a third version of BSG so soon, but I’ll certainly give it a shot. Might have been interesting to perhaps revisit Hatch’s Second Coming concept instead. (And I say that as a huge fan of nuBSG.)

I’m really looking forward to Avatar, but hearing Cameron going on and on about brand awareness makes me roll my eyes just a bit. If it’s an awesome movie, people will come.

Bring on the remakes?

A new Godzilla?!?! HA. YES.

I’m all for a film version of “Cattle Car Galaxica,” the Mad magazine spoof.

But *another* reboot of BSG, which will be missing such powerful characters as President Roslin and Caprica Six? Pass.

Bryan Singer was at one time working on a remake of “Logan’s Run,” which was supposedly going to adhere closer to the original novel. Now, *that* I’d pay to see.

But a new BSG? Gimme a break.

“Terry Gilliam expressed interest in adapting Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novel “The World Jones Made” and has met with Dick’s daughter about the possibility. ”

YES PLEASE! :D

Bryan Singer did a horrible job on Superman Returns! The only good part of that movie was Brandon Routh who played Supes! Keep him in the next carnation of the Superman franchise!

I’m still waiting for Singer to make the real X3,, but I’d be curious to see what he does with Galactica.

“Peter Berg hopes to bring a different approach to his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel “Dune”: “I think I had a much more different experience, I think, with the book than David Lynch did,”

If Dune taught him to string together phrases like “much more different,” then yeah, that sounds unique. Wasn’t David Lynch vocally on record as having never read the book, anyway? Maybe that’s what Berg means: he had a much more different experience with it by reading it at some point :)

Peter Jackson lost a lot of weight. He looks great. Almost didn’t recognize him introducing The Lovely Bones trailer.

Oh, and Singer doing a Battlestar movie: YAWN.

Sigourney seemd kinda disappointed. I know she wanted to do another sequel for a long time.

Glad to see something like District 9 doing good. Seems like its the first movie since Star Trek this year to be made for people with their higher brain functions intact, at least from what I can tell by the previews. Zombieland looks outstanding, I have a feeling I’ll love it.

Anything that moves BSG away from the Mooreverse and back to the Larsonverse is good with me. So I’m excited that they’ve progressed to hiring a director. Of course, I’ll reserve judgment until I know more about the story and production approach.

BSG: BattleBorg Apollico. Lame idea. Moore’s BSG redux was infinitely better than the original, or any attempt to continue it. Singer should find something new to do.

And the novels by Richard Hatch did a good enough job with continuing the stories of the original. Galactica 1980 did a good enough job with the *one* episode with Starbuck. It’s over. Let it rest in peace, Bry.

Alien: Perhaps there will be a way to work Sigourney in, but as Ripley seems unlikely. An Alien prequel… how can it even have an alien in it? Would it be something leading up to the Nostromo launching? Corporate intrigue inside Weyland-Yutani? I think Sigourney could play a great antagonist, a true “anti-Ripley” and in particular even a Mrs. Yutani.

If Toho’s not involved in a new Godzilla movie, I likely won’t see it.

American filmmakers need to leave Godzilla alone…example, Roland Emmerich. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about his version.

Personally I prefer the Moore version of BSG as it was trying to tell us something, and the storylines were good too. Remaking something that has been reimagined isnt really gonna work, not especially when the Moore series just ended.

There’s something very strange about the timing of the announcement for the BSG movie remake. The fact that Glen Larson is on board, too, makes it seem all the more strange. My guess is that he didn’t, ultimately, like Moore’s interpretation of his brainchild, and was probably further offended that Caprica deviated even further from it by trying to unravel the mystery of where the antagonists originated. That’s just my interpretation though.

As for the Alien prequel: it can easily be set on LC-475, the planet where the Nostromo picked them up in the first place.

As an aside: the whole Sigourney Weaver thing is kind of comparable to people bemoaning Shatner’s absence from the Star Trek re-make. It’s not going to happen, and would be next to impossible to come up with a story that didn’t seem to clutch at straws, furthermore. People should be excited enough that Ridley Scott’s attached to direct (not a big fan of his outside the Alien franchise, all the same).

For a prequel I think we’re going to find out why they became dormant on LC-475. It’ll be nice to see some of the H.R. Giger inspired production design again, apart from anything else. Including *that* painting ( http://www.the-artfile.com/gallery/artists/giger/pilot.jpg ).

And I can see the final shot now – panning down to see the unopened eggs and very ominous music in the background.

Singer doing a BSG movie already? A reboot? Why? IMO Ronald D Moore did a fine job with the SyFy series. This just proves my point that I’ve said all along, Hollywood has no kahoonas when it comes to doing something with originality.

That Galactica-thing sounds like a very big mistake. Even if I’m not a fan of Moore’s Galactica, I couldn’t imagine how Singer’s project could be sucessfull, if it excludes the reboot-show. A waste of money in my opinion.

BTW: I’m start to get sick about all that based-on-comic-movies or all the reboots and remakes. Come on Hollywood, bring back original ideas – like Avatar!

#11 I guess you enjoyed a more silly version ?

#24

On the contrary! I always hated the silly aspects to the Superman films! That’s why I despised the last film. The entire Luthor plotline was CRAP! They had a great opportunity to take the franchise in a more serious direction, a la Brainiac attacking Earth, but instead decided to rehash the absurd notion of Lex Luthor trying to get his hands on land! YAWN!! Nobody cares about that baloney! This is why, in my post, I stated that the only thing I DID enjoy was the Superman character aspect of the film. Brandon Routh did a superb job of embodying the right tone of Superman, which is a miracle considering he had a MORON for a director. Keep Routh and dump everybody else! Yes, that includes getting rid of a much too young Lois Lane!

The second BSG remake is a strange idea. Most fans of the original BSG are now fans of Ron Moore’s BSG vision, and would not want to see a big screen version of the original concept. The rest (majority) of the new BSG fans were not fans of the old BSG (and do not know anything about it), and many were not even born back in 1979. So who are they trying to please here. Today’s BSG fans will just be confused. They’ll ask, why are Starbuck and Boomer men? You mean, the Cylons don’t look human? Colonel Tigh is sober? “Apollo” is the guy’s real name, and not his call sign? What’s with the Egyptian motif?

Basically, “Battlestar Galactica” is now Ron Moore’s BSG.

Then again, it is possible that they might take it in some totally different direction. One that is as different from the original BSG as Moore’s version, and equally as different from Moore’s version. That might be interesting, creative, and worthwhile.

I’m kinda looking forward to a “Fraggle Rock” movie. But it’s been 22 years! Gobo, Wembley, Red, Boober and Mokey are all WAY too old now. (In fact, have any of them done *anything* lately?)

So – who to cast as the new Fraggles?

#26 ” Most fans of the original BSG are now fans of Ron Moore’s BSG vision, and would not want to see a big screen version of the original concept.”

Well, I can only speak for myself, but I was one fan of the original that never warmed at all to the Moore version. I watched a couple of episodes and checked out. Tuned back in once or twice and saw nothing that appealed to me.

As far as a big screen version, I wouldn’t mind seeing Larson and company get a try at the ORIGINAL concept (not what hit the airwaves in 1978). In Larson’s original version, the Cylons were not robots but reptiles. The silver suits were intended to be a convenience to limit the number of articulated lizards they had to do. But the “suits” (at ABC) were afraid that the audience wouldn’t like heroes that went around blasting sentient beings every week – hence the robotic Cylons.

if they are major fans they will look up the original

so 26 the fans would check out the originals

I like the fact that new fans of Trek will watch TOS and the spin offs and see that a great majority is better than the new film.

I hated the new BSG. I found it miserable, nonsensical and depressing. The original was silly mindless fun.

I really hope the reboot is based on the old BSG, which may me the case seeing as this looks like a reaction to the sucess of the new Star Trek.

Too soon for another BSG remake. We just had a run with a new spinoff coming out.

But that Fourth Kind, no way I am missing that.

I am all for some REAL Battlestar Galactica. Ron Moore’s reimagined BG was a travesty…don’t get me wrong – it was not a bad show in its own right, but it had precious little to do with the real Battlestar Galactica.

Ron Moore’s version could have had ANY name and it still would have been the same…it’s just a totally different show, on every level, from the 1978 Battlestar.

Let’s get the real stuff!

i really couldnt get into the new bsg, but i wont denounce the people that did, if we all liked the same thing, it would be a boring old world. but i did enjoy spotting the references to the old show. i nearly let out a bit if wee when i heard the original bsg theme tune on the news feed on the reboots pilot.
i had the same experience with the new star trek film, didnt really enjoy it but loved the nods. if the new film gives me a few hairs stand up on back of neck moments catering my old stick in the mud ways, then that will do me.
only the music did that for me in superman returns, the film was pants no matter how hard it tried to be a continuation of the reeves era. thats one franchise that really does need to be of the now, this worlds seen to many horrors to be bothered about some hammed up villain trying to acquire real estate. what a waste of the talented mr spacey that was a man capable of making you wish he was your dad in one film to making you believe he’s definition of evil in the next.

Exactly what #3 said,
way too soon , though if it’s completely different than the old and Moore’s series, and the script was written before Moore’s BSG, so that could be quite interesting. I’ll most certainly give it a try (I’ll never repeat the mistake I did when I saw TV ads for Babylon 5: I just thought “meh, just some alien shooter”, and it turned out to be my fav series of all time).

And anyway, spaceships and space battles look best on the big screen.

re: Singer’s Superman

Me too, I liked Routh as Superman, though he was a bit too young-looking IMHO, which is not an issue anymore now, as a few years have passed since the last S movie. I’m still hoping for a new S movie, but from what I’ve read on Imdb, right now, any more S movies are on hold.

There’s a lot of exciting news out there, but Where The Wild Things Are looks AWESOME!

…nothing here that would make me go to the movies….I’ll wait for all of it to come on cable.

Being mindful, however, that the last movie I actually went to a theater to see before Trek was Revenge of the Sith…

Took my daughter to see the Simpsons Movie, but that doesn’t count.

12 – “If Dune taught him to string together phrases like “much more different,” then yeah, that sounds unique. ”

That’s hilarious!

I certainly don’t want to pee on anybody’s parade, as I’m well aware that there were plenty of folks who never were able to get in to Moore’s BSG and want something more along the lines of Larson’s original, but I can’t help but think that it might have been wise to wait at least a little bit longer before jumping in with yet another version (or a continuation of the original, for that matter). It just seems like a felgercarb-y idea…

#32 I can’t agree with you here – as far as I’m concerned, the real BSG for me is Moore’s version, as I’ve never seen the ’78 version (it never aired here, and never will). I’m sure there are a lot of other people like me who watched only the new BSG, so I second what #22 said. The best way for Singer would be to make a totally original take on BSG, as it would appeal for both old and new BSG fans.

BTW, I love the new BSG (except the 4th season which was totally messed up by the writers’ strike), and I know I will go see Singer’s version. Unless they’ll have reptile Cylons…

Why can’t we have original ideas from Hollywood? “District 9” and “Avatar” are examples of the kind of new thinking that La-La Land needs. Yet they’re constantly trotting out retreads. “Battlestar Galactica” AGAIN? I don’t think anything can top RDM’s version, which I find much more compelling (at least the mini-series and the first two seasons) than the original. (And, okay, the two-hour finale wasn’t all that bad, but lost some steam near the end.)

Let’s have a telethon to donate some brain cells and creativity to Hollywood, shall we? Bill Shatner would be the perfect host. :-)

– A new reboot in T.N.G. style for ..Star Trek…with klingons and cardassians….a …no..it’s just a new begining..(-already..?!?) for that freak show called B.S.G. …!!!…

Seems like all Hollowood can do now is ‘reboot’….

I really don’t understand how a reboot of BSG could possibly add anything new to the saga. Universal saw the success of the newest Star Trek and decided to reboot their property. Greed is guiding their hand here.

And it is to my understanding that Singer’s vision is NOT the same as the original, so sorry to disappoint you die hard classic series fans. It is also to my understanding that his idea is a piece of crap and that is why it was never made. So this 9/11 excuse is a moot point.

But if Hollywood is on a rebooting rampage, with time factors not withstanding, they should reboot that miserable excuse called the Star Wars Prequels… Now that’d I’d be up for.

#40: “Let’s have a telethon to donate some brain cells and creativity to Hollywood, shall we? Bill Shatner would be the perfect host. :-)”

Sometimes, so much truth rests in a couple of sentences that it threatens to shut down the whole Internet. Your post is an example.

I thought the new BSG was dreary drek with not one likeable character. I look forward to a fun new big-budget spin on the corny classic.

And District 9 is not an “alien invasion” movie. Far from it!

Cowboys and aliens? Is that even orignal? I mean Star Trek has done it at least once (in season 3 of enterprise).

I am a fan of the new BSG and couldnt stand the original. If this so-called remake for the big screen is anything like the original, you can count me out. Moore’s version is so much better and it takes more than one or two viewings here and there to really get into the story. I for one dont want to see a bigger version of a “corny classic”.

#43 Amen. When these old-BSG fans–the ones who threw around the GINOs–get a hold of Singer’s script, and where he’s planning to go with it, they’ll puke. A cylonified Apollo leading the final attack against the rag-tag fleet… in other words, A Borgified Picard leading the final attack against the Federation fleet.

That’s not where the original should have gone. The original would have found Earth, much like nu-BSG did. RDM at least “finished” the story in the manner Larson actually intended. I get tired of you people around here claiming that RDM didn’t do BSG “right”. Ever read the original Larson concept for “Adam’s Ark”? All it was was von Daniken + Adam’n’Eve + Noah’s Ark. The worst science fiction story ending ever “…and Adam looked at Eve and smiled, we’ve made it home.” That’s all he had going. Yet, as RDM figured out… you can actually do that story once, if you’re invested in the characters along the way. Heck, we get to see Starbuck as an angel both in the original, and the new. Do we really need to remind you folks of Galactica 1980? Your “original” was already finished.

#47 ” I for one dont want to see a bigger version of a “corny classic”.”

I don’t know, it could be a lot of fun. Anything would be an improvement over Moore’s gloomy “lets all cut our wrists” soap opera.

#25 …You’re right, Harry. Aside from the use of John Williams’ majestic theme, and Brandon Routh himself, SR was a dreary bore. Allowing Kevin Spacey to pick up where Gene Hackman left off was just a bad, bad idea, and the casting on Lois was all wrong. Oh, well. There won’t be a sequel. And at least Batman is in good hands.