This week in SciFi brings news on possible comebacks and sequels for Dune, V, Friday the 13th, Dark Knight, Fantastic Four, Green Lantern and more. Plus new images and videos, including Indy 4, Speed Racer and a scary new Wolf Man. In TV news there a few obituaries as well as some birth announcements, including a Star Trek-themed comedy! Plus there are Hugo nominations, including one for some fan-made Trek.
Hugo Nominees Announced, "Star Trek: New Voyages" Nominated
"Star Trek: New Voyages", the hit fan-based web series, has been nominated for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form for the episode "World Enough and Time" (starring George Takei) for this year’s Hugo Awards (to be held in Denver Aug. 6-10). The series will be going up against the "Battlestar Galactica" miniseries "Razor" and episodes of "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood". Click here to check out the events other nominees. Congrats to James and the New Voyages / Phase II team.
MOVIE NEWS
Dune…again
Paramount is moving forward with another adaptation of Frank Herbert’s "Dune" with Peter Berg (The Kingdom) set to direct. Film makers are currently looking for a writer and are reported see the message of "finite ecological resources as particularly timely". Paramount see this as a potential tent pole movie and with a whole series of books it could become a franchise. This will be the third adaptation of Dune, after the 1984 David Lynch film and the 2000 Sci-Fi channel mini-series. [ Variety]
Sting…unlikely to be coming back for new "Dune"
Christian Bale: Up for a Third ‘Batman’ Movie?
At ShoWest, Christian Bale talked to EW about seeing footage from the late Heath Ledger for the first time and also gave his thoughts on a third Batman film :
Entertainment Weekly: So do you think there will be a part 3 of Batman?
Christian Bale: Um, look, let’s wait and see…EW: Or, I guess it’d be part 7.
CB: No, no, no, no, no. [Smiling] Part 3 is what I’d consider it, yeah, I don’t say part 7. Batman begins — that was the beginning there, with all due respect to the others. We are re-creating this. You know, obviously the decision is out of my hands. I would, knowing the Dark Knight story, I would like very much to complete a trilogy. And I think that knowing the story of The Dark Knight, it leaves you anticipating something that really can get very, very interesting for a third. Now, the question would be: Is Chris going to be doing it? Because to me I find it tricky to imagine working on it without it being a collaboration with Chris.
Johnson Pitches New "V" Movie
Kenneth Johnson, creator of the 1983 cult Sci-Fi miniseries "V" told SCI FI Wire that he hopes to develop a new movie based on his sequel novel "V: The Second Generation", and he already has interest from studios: "A number of the major studios have approached me, very interested, about turning it into a movie," Johnson said . "We’re exploring all of those possibilities." We will believe it when we see it.
It’s not easy being green
"Fantastic Four’s" Johnny Storm Casts Doubt on Third Film
Chris Evans (Johnny Storm) told MTV that he doesn’t believe Fox will be making a third film in the series: "I’m pretty sure we won’t do [another] one. I’m assuming that one is a closed book." Evans later went into a tad more detail: "After the first one was released we got wind of potential titles and plots [almost immediately], and I’ve heard nothing from anyone at Fox [yet]."
Jared Padalecki To Star in “Friday the 13th"
Jared Padalecki ("Supernatural") is in final negotiations to star in the upcoming remake to Friday the 13th, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Padalecki will play the lead, who investigates what happened up at Crystal Lake.
The film will be produced by Michael Bay’s production arm Platinum Dunes for New Line and Paramount. Keeping with tradition, a release is planned for Friday, February 13, 2009.
NEW IMAGES
The Wolf Man
Speed Racer
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
G.I. Joe
NEW VIDEOS
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (behind the scenes)
The Andromeda Strain (A&E Original Miniseries) trailer
Superhero Movie (clip)
MOVIE BITES
-
The special features for the upcoming "Cloverfield" DVD release (April 22nd) includes two alternate endings [ Shock Till You Drop].
- Greg Berlanti is currently working on a script for a live-action "Green Lantern" movie. [ Comicology]
- Robert Downey Jr. confirmed to MTV that he filmed a cameo scene as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the upcoming "The Incredible Hulk".
- The official website for "Iron Man" has been updated with new content.
- Neal McDonough ("Minority Report" "Star Trek: First Contact") has been cast in the role of Bison in "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li"[ THR]
- Warner Bros. has acquired the film rights to the Alexis Nolent sci-fi novel "Cyclops" to be directed by James Mangold. [ Variety]
- Robert Halmi Sr. and Robert Halmi Jr. ("Tin Man", "Earthsea") have been tapped to receive life career award honors at the Saturn Awards. [ Variety]
- 17-year-older Thomas Sangster has been cast to star as the lead character in "Tintin". [ Daily Mail]
- In a piece about financial troubles, the title for the upcoming "Justice League" movie may have been revealed: "Justice League Mortal". [The Sydney Herald].
- Mathew Vaughn is looking to adapt and direct Mark Millar’s superhero comic "Kick Ass". [ AICN]
- Paul Haggis is in negotiations to be brought on board to work on the script to McG’s "Terminator IV" [ THR]
TV NEWS
Fox orders Star Trek-inspired comedy pilot
Fox has given a pilot order to "Boldly Going Nowhere", a single-camera sci-fi comedy from the team behind FX’s "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton). According to THR, Fox was so impressed with the pilot script they ordered five more scripts and hope to have the show on by 2009. ‘Nowhere’ is about the day-to-day happenings on an intergalactic spaceship helmed by a rougue captain. The trio are big Trek fans, producer McElhenney tells THR:
All of us grew up watching ‘Star Trek’ and other sci-fi series, and they’re always about these adventures. We thought a great area to explore is what happens between the adventures, how the crew members take care of daily routine stuff on the spaceship.
Moore and Eick Talk "Caprica"
Are you ready for "American Beauty" meets "Dallas"? Producers Ron Moore and David Eick referenced the film and TV series in regards to the recently greenlit two-hour backdoor pilot "Caprica"
"If Battlestar Galactica is Black Hawk Down, I would say that Caprica is American Beauty," Eick told SCI FI Wire.
"Caprica is all about the inner lives of the people on a planet and how their personal relationships as well as their professional relationships inform what will become the creation of the Cylons.""This is really more of a sci-fi Dallas," Moore said in a separate SCI FI Wire interview. "It’s a political story, a family story. It’s about the creation of the Cylons, and it’s about a company. It’s planet-based. It’s very character-oriented, very serialized and very much about the characters. It’s a whole different genre, and that’s what makes it exciting."
Casting for "Caprica" is currently underway and production will begin this spring. "Battlestar Galactica" season four kicks off April 4th at 10:00 p.m. (two half-hour specials air the week prior, see clips HERE). Here are 10 reasons why you should watch:
CBS Cancels "Jericho"
Sorry "Jericho" fans, but CBS has once again canceled the post-Apocalyptic series. CBS released the following message to the press about the cancellation: “Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more. We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high quality second season." THR The season/series finale airing March 25th will be the alternate cut, filmed to give fans a sense of closure. "Jericho" is averaging 3.07 million less viewers in its second season, a 33% drop.
Programming Slate Revealed for SCI FI Channel
SCI FI held their annual upfront presentation in New York on Tuesday and the network unveiled their slate of new programming. Here are the scripted pickups:
- "True Believer" (two-hour pilot) from Rosario Dawson, David Atchinson, Matthew Spradlin and Tom Feister: The contemporary dramedy centers on a 20-something comic-book nerd who hires a washed-up real-life superhero to be his crime-fighting sidekick and to teach him the ropes.
- "The Stranded" (two-hour pilot) from Mike Carey. Based on the SCI FI/Virgin Comics title of the same name (released in January). The show focuses on five seemingly everyday people who must face a terrifying question: What if your entire life–your childhood, your family, your memories–was a lie? For the stranded–Sisera, Endo, Drum, Tamree and Cullen–that’s true. Each of them is from another world called Standfire, and the past is returning to try to kill them.
- "Deputized" (two-hour pilot) from writer Joe Gazzam. Dramedy centers on an average guy who suddenly finds himself possessing special abilities after being accidentally fitted with an alien exoskeleton that cannot be removed. He is enlisted to serve on an intergalactic police force.
- "Alice" (six hour miniseries) from writer/director Nick Willing and executive producers Robert Halmi Sr. and Robert Halmi Jr. ("Tin Man"). A modern-day retelling of the classic story of "Alice in Wonderland".
On the reality front, the network picked up two new series ("Estate of Panic" and "Brain Trust"), one special called "Mystery of the Crystal Skulls" (based on the upcoming ‘Indiana Jones 4’), renewed "Mind Control With Derren Brown" and greenlit a new season of "Scare Tactics", with "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan at the helm. Head to SCI FI Wire for the details.
Eick Adapting "Children of Men" for TV, Confirms "Bionic Woman" Cancellation
David Eick told SCI FI Wire that he’s working on a pilot script for a TV version of PD James’ Sci-Fi novel "Children of Men" which was recently translated to the big screen in 2006’s Alfonso Cuaron directed film of the same name. "It’s really taking root more in the origins of the novels in that it will focus on the cultural movement in which young people become the society’s utter focus," Eick said. In a separate article, Eick told SCI FI Wire that "Bionic Woman" which premiered with strong numbers before fading away, has been canceled by NBC. Ironically enough, the series set record ratings on ITV (2.2 million viewers) when it debuted on the U.K. network last week.
Michelle Ryan, Lindsay Wagner could totally kick your ass
"Lost" On Break Until April 24th
This past Thursday’s episode of "Lost" was the last one finished before the writers strike and the show won’t return until April 24th, but the questions still remain. During a panel for "Chuck" at the Paley Festival [ transcript], "Lost" exec
producer Damon Lindelof (who was moderating) fielded a question about what happened to the four-toed foot statue from the season two finale:
"We did the four-toed statue on the show and basically we got a note back from the network, which was, ‘This is too weird.’ We’re like, ‘Do you watch the show? This is too weird?’ And essentially they said, ‘Could it be a six-toed statue?’ If someone could explain why a six-toed statue is less weird than a four-toed statue, that’s exactly what we will do."
Joss Whedon Sets His Sights on Musical, Spinoff ‘Buffy’ Series Still Possible
The reveal came first from Neil Patrick Harris in an interview at AICN that seemed to be more in jest, but it turns out the project is real. Joss Whedon released the following on Whedonesque: "During the strike I started writing a musical intended as a limited internet series, 3 episodes of approximately 10 minutes each," Whedon said. He managed to get interest in the project and shooting started this past week: "It’s the story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the Laundromat he’s too shy to talk to." Whedon is also telling fans that a spinoff series of "Buffy" is still possible.
New Futurama movie coming to DVD in June
The second straight-to-DVD "Futurama" movie will be named "Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs" will be released this June 24th, more details at AnimationMagazine.net. Comedy Central will be airing the first, "Bender’s Big Score" in a four-episode block this Sunday night starting at 8:00 ET. If you haven’t seen it then bite my shiny metal trailer.
TV BITES
- Sam Raimi’s "Wizard’s First Rule" has been cleared to air in syndication this fall. 22 episodes, shot in HD, will air.[ Variety]
- "Smallville’s" Kristen Kreuk (Lana Lang) confirmed on her Facebook profile that she will only be in a couple episodes of the eighth season of the CW series.
- NBC’s Sci-Fi infused comedy "Chuck" is getting a comic book series. The series will begin June 11th.
- IDW Publishing’s announced that it is expanding its hit comic series "Angel: After the Fall" with special issues, a new spinoff miniseries and new artists. [ SCI FI Wire]
- At the Paley Festival this past week, Bryan Fuller spoke about the upcoming second season of his TV series Pushing Daisies and he revealed some spoilers. The first season of the TV show is expected on DVD this June.
- Warner Bros. Animation is confirming that the just concluded season of "Legion of Super Heroes" will be its last. [ World’s Finest]
- "Ghost Hunters International" is returning this summer with seven new episodes as part of its first season. [ SCI FI Wire]
SCI-FI RATINGS
| Top 10 SF&F Broadcast Shows | HH Rating/Share |
| 1) Lost |
7.7/12 |
| 2) Medium | 4.9/8 |
| 3) Eli Stone | 4.5/8 (7.15M) |
| 4) Ghost Whisperer (R) | 4.5/8 (7.02M) |
| 5) ‘Terminator’ | 4.4/7 (7.12M) |
| 6) Jericho | 4.2/7 |
| 7) Lost ("Enhanced" Repeat) |
3.5/5 |
| 8) Reaper (R) | 1.3/2 |
| 9) Supernatural (R) | 1.2/2 |
| 10) Reaper (R) | 1.1/2 |
2/25/2008 to 3/2/2008 – Source: Nielsen Media Research
| Top 10 SF&F Syndicated Shows | Rating |
| 1) Stargate SG-1 |
1.1 |
| 2) Dead Zone | 0.9 |
| 3) Star Trek | 0.9 |
| 4) Stargate Atlantis | 0.8 |
2/25/2008 to 3/2/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
| Top 10 SCI FI CHANNEL Shows | Rating |
| 1) ECW | 1.3 |
| 2) Stargate Atlantis | 1.3 |
| 3) Ghost Hunters International | 1.0 |
| 4) The Puppet Masters | 0.9 |
| 5) Ghost Hunters | 0.9 |
| 6) Alien Hunter | 0.9 |
| 7) Pitch Black |
0.8 |
| 8) Star Trek: Enterprise | 0.8 |
| 9) Species: Awakening | 0.8 |
| 10) The Arrival | 0.7 |
2/25/2008 to 3/2/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
I would totally love to see V come back. That was the first sci-fi….anything, that got me interested in the genre. Eventually leading to my love of Trek.
I would also like to see V come back.
Richard Herd played “John,” the principal heavy in that series. He also played T.J. Hooker’s boss and was also in Trek.
Thanks, TrekMovie, for another great article.
V was really good – – for a while, then it suffered the fate of so many other shows. They ran out of good ideas and the stories were really lame. (IMO).
kg
I can’t wait for battlestar to get going. It fills my Trek void that I now have.
Woohoo! Just read that they’re coming out with a new Futurama movie, direct to DVD. (Hey, it’s a long article, all right?) “The Beast with a Billion Backs” — what a name!
Gotta love Futurama (especially with all those Trek references)!
Well it’s certainly time for a Dune remake. The old-timey 1884 version has it’s charms but these days the audience expects a talkie. Sting’s phonograph cylinders were very popular — I suppose if he’d lived when film had sound, Dune would have been done as a musical?
Wow, I love the look of the new Wolfman!! It’s basically identical to the old version, just “beefed up” and “detailed” with new prostetic techniques. Very nice!! Certainly a welcome change of pace from the fakey CGI junk we’ve been getting.
And I totally agree; Lindsay Wagner could TOTALLY kick Michelle Ryan’s ass. The epic failure of “Bionic Woman” just goes to show how “reimagining” soemthing (which just usually involves adding a hell of a lot of grit, forced drama, melodrama, and over-serious nature, and a LOT of sex) doesn’t always pay off.
good luck to Star Trek: New Voyages
if they win it will be like star trek > owned all other sci fi shows so much so that a fan based verison of it would win .
heres hoping
Fond farewell, Jericho and Bionic Woman… You will both be missed :(
New “V” would be awesome! I’ve heard the idea of a new one before but guess nothing ever became of it… Actually been wanting to rewatch the mini-series/final battle lately (and I suppose continue with the tv series).
Not sure what it would be like if it does turn out being a sequel to the first mini and doesn’t consider the second part of the story.
I’m intrigued about a new big-budget “Dune” — while each of the previous versions has its charms, both also have an abundance of failings. I’d love to see a good, high-quality version that got Herbert’s mix of religious mysticism, ecological sophistication, world-building, and myth-building (both in-universe and out of universe) just right. And one with good performances, please.
I’m also wondering if we’ll finally see a 15 -year-old Paul. Probably not, but it would be cool if they actually managed it.
I do wonder, though, about what the public reaction to such a film will be. Yes, the ecological stuff is “relevant,” but I really do wonder how the American public will react to a story that is, to put it one way, a messianic revenge fantasy wherein the hero enlists the aid of Arabic-speaking desert dwellers in a fanatical religious insurgency (which they even call a jihad) against foreign imperialists who oppress them because they can’t live without that Finite but Very Important Resource….
Wizard’s First Rule as a TV series? Interesting… I’m muddling through the fifth book, and it’ll probably be the last I read. But I enjoyed the first enough to find this intriguing.
i agree about “V” as far as it being good for the mini-series as well as a half dozen of the series shows, there wasnt anywhere to go with the show and i think money was scarce, not as bad as planet of the apes tv series and better than logan’s run tv series. i think terminator the series will suffer the same fate as bionic woman, in fact i believe that any terminator film without arnold will flop. as afr as dune, I liked the 1984 version and the longer tv version, i wouldnt be so sure a remake or retelling of the story will draw anyone other than frank herbert and dune fans.
I think that V could weave together a fairly intricate plot based on some of the stranger parts of ufology that’s out there. E.g, that there are Reptilians associated with Zeta Reticuli who are fighting other galactic forces for control of Earth. Reading some of these accounts, it’s easy to believe that all of it is a form of science fiction, but, to the contrary, their proponents are convinced that these and other aliens, such as the Grays, are real. They contend that such aliens are responsible for such things as alien abduction, crop circles, and so forth.
See, for example,
http://ufohypotheses.com/mal.htm
As a new movie or series, V could deal in depth with some of these theories and feature these descriptions — of conflicts and struggles for power — in all their complexity.
Here is my take:
Actually, I don’t really have a comment on the news up top (with all due respects to Rosario’s fine work. Kudos!). I have some things rolling around in my brain that I think wouild be cool to see live action or on the big screen or both, depending on how they appeared originally.
I loved Starblazers as a kid. I can recall being late for school along with my friends as it came on in the mornig when we were supposed to be walking to school. It was the cartoon that essentially introduced Japanese Anime to American audiences as far as I know. Excellent science fiction themes about the struggle to save the earth, really evil bad guys, and the coolest ships. Make it a big screen movie or give it a Ron Moore miniseries adaptation. Live action. “We’re leaving Mother Earth. To save the human race.”
Space :1999. I know , the premise was hokey. But what a fun show to see revisited, at least for me. This would be better on the small screen, I think. But if we can suspend our disbelief (OK, so the moon would not last a second after being blasted so hard by a nuclear explosion that it went flying off out of earth’s orbit) There could be some nifty sci-fi themes to deal with. And again, cool ships.
UFO. This one I could see getting an Austin Powers sort of retro-futuristic treatment maybe without the the over the top humor. Or with it, who knows. But a story with the threat of alien invasion, beautiful women, tough dudes, drinking, smoking, and um, er……lot’s of gettin’ it on would be awesome. And once more, really cool ships. Do you see a theme with me?
This is just a wish list of cool shows I liked when I was younger. I’m pretty sure that if anyone in Hollywood got a hold of these properties they would manage to screw it up. Who do you think would be a good fit to helm projects such as these?
NOOOOOOO!!!! JERICHO CANT GO!!! COME ON FELLOW TREKKIES/ERS, WATCH THE LAST EPISODE TUESDAY AT 10 TO BRING IN MORE VEIWERS!!! THIS IS ABOUT AS GOOD AS TREK!!!
Since Michelle Ryan’s show was cancelled, does this mean her self-esteem might be low enough to accept a date invitation? ;)
I loved Futurama, but I’m not sure about a feature-length version. Matt Groening really let me down with that awful, awful Simpsons movie. I wish they’d just bring it back on a weekly basis.
#15 – I agree that Space:1999 could be done, and done well. In fact, I could see a “reimagining” (similar to the BSG-scale revamp) that could even make the moon-as-interstellar-wanderer concept work — or at least not be quite as deeply silly. Instead of blasting the moon out of orbit, have the moon fall into some spatial/temporal/whateverthehell rift. It doesn’t really matter what it is — make it a mystery. Moon Base Alpha personnel just suddenly find that the moon isn’t orbiting Earth any more. Why? What the hell? And periodically they find themselves in other regions of space — again, not sure why — and try to get their bearings each time. Drama ensues. Meanwhile, back on Earth, the sudden loss of the moon wreaks all sorts of havoc.
In other words, put some distance between our experience and the mechanism of the moon’s situation. Blasted out of orbit? Yeah, right. Moon suddenly disappears? A season-long (or series-long) “Lost”-like mystery.
Reptilian chicks are hot….
Until they eat you!
NOOO!!! Not again! I love Jericho!
-sigh-
(1) My crush on Michelle Ryan has not been cancelled.
(2) I’ve always wondered why we didn’t have a Green Lantern film before now. He’s such a _visual_ superhero; his power ring cries out for CGI hijinks (and it’s one of the few times when even very _obvious_ CGI would still look exactly right … )
(3) Fun thing to add to the new version of “V” – lizard aliens disguised in Guy Fawkes masks.
I hope Caprica’s good. The description they’re giving of it isn’t exactly enticing, but, then, RDM described Battlestar Galactica as “a very accessible character drama,” and, while, yes, BSG has great characters, it is clear that this is not the best way to describe Galactica, and I would hardly call the show “accessible”.
Sorry, Jericho fans. I hated your show, but I’m still sorry you’re losing something you loved. And the nuts were a clever idea, I have to admit. Kudos on being a terrific fandom.
A final word: Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer Go-o!
23 — I agree about Caprica. I’ll go along with “character story,” “family story,” “character-based”, “political,” etc.
But “sci-fi ‘Dallas'” gives me the willies.
But we shall see.
Speed Racer? Who needs Speed Racer? ;-)
#11
In my opinion the scope of Herbert’s original work is too vast and intellectual to fit in one, two o three movies. Lynch scaled down the story to make a visionary sci-fi movie based on suggestions and characters. In the end, its Dune had a soul on its own and it worked very well.
Jihad, interstellar revolutions, religious mysticism, echological themes… I feel that these are not matters intended for the big screen.
#15
#19
I agree totally with you about bringing back Space: 1999. If franchises would stop selling the rights to the series all the time, some producer, might consider it good revamp material. Martin Landau, Barbara Bain could even do cameo appearances. It’s too bad what they did to Barry Morse (may he r.i.p.)by letting his character disappear in the second season.
Dune cannot work as a two hour feature film David Lynch tried in 1984 and failed, the story is just to big an complicated to work in a two hour span. It would work better as a mini series or as a limited series. The 200 mini series was good but far from perfect. One thing they might consider is to build a full series around the book like Mike and Shawn Pillar did with the dead zone on usa network.
That Futurama trailer looks much more viable than Ron Moore’s Caprica “Sci.fi Dallas meets American Beauty.” I fell asleep after the word “Dallas.” Is Larry Hagman going to lust after space-cheerleaders? Will the first spawn be a tiny shiny new Cylon? What about that secretly gay neighbor? It sounds like Moore is reading the result of a bad focus group instead of actually making a show.
He should have said “Sci-Fi Fast Times meets Re-Animator.” Same “WTF?” reference points, but many more cool memories despite the similar general lack of association with what they actually mean.
“It’s planet based (no budget) and about the inner lives of the people on a planet (sigh).” So is every other show on damn TV. Moore sounds like he’s reading his death sentence before he’s going to be hanged. You BSG fans may take a hard fall with Caprica. Moore can deliver, for sure. Hope he does. I’d like to see it, as I hear BSG is great. Just need a reason to watch the DVD’s I own.
On the positive side, I want to congratulate James Cawley for his Hugo nomination. You were up with the big guys with the TV Guide vote. Now you are in the big time. JJ Abrams doesn’t have a Hugo nomination. You and your team do, and I think it’s great. NV/Phase II is a labor of love, done with no money and a set in upstate NY. You keep it alive, sir, and here is is another New Yorker (NYC) who appreciates it.
What is worrisome is that a bright spark will, for some reason, be hired by CBS, and that he/she will hire you to run Trek for them. How cool would that be? Would you take it?
Bask in the light for a job well done. I hope you get the Hugo!
That’s ‘record ratings for ITV2’ (which is a digital only channel that mostly shows repeats and gets tiny audiences). To get record ratings for ITV it would have to have been seen by 20 Million plus people.
I don’t know if New Voyages can stand up to BSG Razor, it kicked a different level of butt!
Does anyone know who is playing the Wolfman?
We’ll be seeing more of Michelle Ryan, I remember when she was literally the only attractive thing on Eastenders, She’ll be back!
Oh and I heard that there was an attempt to revive Firefly, setting it a few years after Serenity. Interesting stuff!
What the Dune article at Variety doesn’t mention is that Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson are also apparently serving as Co-Producers/Consultants on the film. Whether that’s interpreted as good or bad, I don’t know (I’m not a fan of Anderson’s work, but love their collaboration on the Dune prequels), that’s an individual take, I guess. I’d love to see if their addition to the creative team be confirmed or not either way. Brian would defintely be able to shape the series in proper form, since Paramount has stated they want the movie to be true to the books, AND another tentpole franchise for the studio (Transformers, Star Trek, and DUNE? Ha! I’d love it.)
As for V, Ken Johnson has mentioned in a couple of interviews that he’s contacted original cast members for the miniseries, and they’ve expressed interst in returning to the movie, if it gets made. He mentioned ‘flashbacks’ of the characters, but it was not mentioned if the originals would be the focus casting group, or a secondary one. I’m not sure myself, but I do know he got confirmation from Jane Badler, Faye Grant, and Marc Singer that they’d love to return. Mmmm…. Jane… my biggest crush of the 80’s.
Articles with Ken and the novel have pretty much stated he’s ignored the events of ‘The Final Battle’ and the ensuing TV series, as he wasn’t on those projects due to creative differences. The book picks up amost immediately after they sent the radio message to the Visitors ‘enemy’. I assume his proposed movie does, too.
He’s been trying to get that movie made for years, apparently. It just took his novel form (when he gave up trying to have a return to the screen made) to get a network’s ear.
I’d love to hear anything truly official on the front, though. All these rumours and PR propaganda is driving me nuts!
Ha! Figures that as soon as I post a comment, I find something else to add.
Brian and Kevin confirmation of their involvement with the film:
http://www.dunenovels.com/blog/page031.html
Garovorkin: The director was David Lynch and the subject matter was Dune. Holy Crap! I know Lynch needed to clinch (ouch!) Blue Velvet by directing Dune. Promise to the DeLaurentis family, apparently.
It also stands as a watchable film with a 4-note soundtrack riff I can never get out of my head. By Toto, I think. It’s also the theme I hum when I engage my 5 & 7 year-olds in pillow-fights. They know when it’s over when they hear “Dum Dum De-dum,” and we go into full pillow-mode.
Nothing like a ponderous Easter Sunday away from home to make the mind wander and encourage excessive verbosity. I hope all of you who check in today have a great day .
Remake Space:1999? Nah, that show is hopeless.
How about if Ron Moore re-imagines Buck Rogers like did BSG? Naturally, he’d have one of the main character undergo a sex change and cast one of the original stars in a new role: My vote is for Erin Grey as Dr. Huer.
GOOD GRIEF…
…I like Letterman and BSG and all, but that Top 10 list was painful to watch. Everyone looked bored & miserable, and the audience didn’t exactly break into deafening applause when the name “Battlestar Galactica” was mentioned. Talk about awkward…
“SPACE: 1999″… PERFECT FOR REMAKING.
S1999 was a perfect example of a great idea, horribly executed… special effects were great (for 1976), but the writing was atrocious and the acting wasn’t much better. Try making “SPACE: 2099” and I’ll check it out.
I two would like to see a re-boot of Space 1999 ala Battlestar Galactica. Only continuing the cold and despondent themes conveyed in the first season and totally disregarding the abysmal cartoon-like stories presented in “Year Two”.
How about Planet of the Apes? I have read some of Rod Serling’s rejected scripts for the proposed TV series and they were pretty cool. A version amid at a slightly older crowd then lunchbox carrying kids might just work on TV this time (not that I still don’t have a soft spot for that 80’s TV show). But a kick-butt, “adult” adaptation of the well known series of films and TV shows could be tremendous, given today’s CGI effects, and TV’s (potentially) more sophisticated methods. As long as Tim Burton isn’t involved.!!!
Wolf Man !!!!! Yes !!!! An homage to Lon Chaney Jr !!!! No damn CGI but living breathing makeup applied by a true master; Rick Baker !!!!!!! Plus Anthony Hopkins in the Claude Rains role !!!!!! Totally stoked for this and Indy and maybe even GI JOE if they don’t puss out and leave out any Patriotic Themes.
And on to Dune,,, how do I put this,, hmmmm. For the Love of God on Easter Sunday,,, NOOOOO!!!! It’s already been done twice very well thank you and Peter Berg ????? How about Peter Jackson or Ridley Scott or Johnnie To or Alfonso Curon, someone who can do epic and also has a somewhat twisted artistic vision. Have a feeling we are instore for yet another teenage Abercrombie and Fitch Hip Hop MTV pop culture poopfest. So sad
I liked the first three Dune books, but after that they got a bit too weird for me.
I loved the 1984 Dune. It had fantastic set and costume design and a wonderful otherworldly feel. I’d rather they negotiate with David Lynch and get him to produce a proper director’s cut for the film. I thought the Miniseries was overlong and poorly edited and lacked that sense of realness. For all the touted high quality people involved in it, it really suffered from television style miniseries issues. Poor Camera direction at times, overlong cuts, etc..
Still, it would be interesting to see what a remake might do int he age of CGI and all. I would hope that they’d try to be true to the novel.
That G.I. Joe stuff looks astonishingly promising…
If the new proposed “V” movie is based on Ken Johnson’s new “V” novel, “V: The Second Generation”, it will be incredible. I just read it and it revived my love of the franchise all over again whilst elegantly updating it to fit our time (and it thankfully ignores the non-Johnson written second mini-series and TV show). As for Dune, they got it SO right in 2000 that my concern is, where can it go from there? The Sci-Fi channel mini was faithful and wonderfully surreal in its execution. To me, a remake (of a remake) falls into the DON’T NEED IT category. Speaking of unnecessary things; good-bye BIONIC WOMAN. A lesson in wasted potential. And the Del Toro “Wolf Man” make-up looks fantastic. A 180 from that CGI crapfest VAN HELSING. That’s a remake we DO need. I loved the old version, but watching it recently I was amazed how unlikable Lon Chaney Jr.’s characterization was (he was somewhat obnoxious and pushy). Needs a do-over…BAD. Good luck, Johnson and Del Toro! Peter Berg? You should really re-think that Dune re-make. Use your talents elsewhere.
Lynch’s Dune was a tremendous SciFi mess, but the best kind. I never tire of it, even though it deviated from the book a great deal (especially the ending with the rain – oi vey!).
The SciFi miniseries is one of the best things that channel has ever done besides BSG and allowing my beloved MST3K to soldier on for a few extra years. It stuck to the book more closely, and its length allowed a more in-depth examination of the complex society Herbert imagined. They did a nice job of combining Dune Messiah & Children of Dune as well, though they deviated from the latter more than I liked (plus, Susan Surandon was totally out of place. Actually, so was William Hurt).
I’m not totally sold on a new version, but whoever mentioned the timeliness of the the book’s subject matter is dead on. As you read it again, it’s shocking how prescient Herbert was in terms of our modern problems. Just substitute ‘spice’ for ‘oil’, and it is honestly scary how well the book parallels certain events.
Of course, in terms of the jihad, we have to remember that Paul immediately regretted it. It was all part of the ‘terrible purpose’ because of Makind’s stagnation, and it was ultimately his son that carried it out. For the more casual viewer, I find myself in agreement with #11 though – they’d never look deeply enough to understand the elements of the story, they’d just hear ZenSUNNI, jihad & Arabic and be turned off.
Speed Racer… yeah. Because the idea of a kid and a monkey in the trunk is such a strong plotline.
the previews are like experiencing a seizure.
and WHY did the change the car?
-Both versions of ‘Dune’ are great…!!!
As for the trek-inspired comedy, there has already been one: Quark. Loved that show.
Decloaking . . .
Remakes, Retakes, Reimaginings . . . I give up. Hollywood, once the land of imagination has become the Tomb of an Origional Idea. Or should I say the Tomb Raiders of old origional ideas. There are so many great writers in America who will never be heard. Yet, Hollywood keeps dredging up the same ole crap. It all makes me more nervous about Star Trek XI.
Recloaking.
sting would be cool in Trek
Happy Easter folks
#15
-I loved Starblazers as a kid. I can recall being late for school along with my friends as it came on in the mornig when we were supposed to be walking to school. It was the cartoon that essentially introduced Japanese Anime to American audiences as far as I know. Excellent science fiction themes about the struggle to save the earth, really evil bad guys, and the coolest ships. Make it a big screen movie or give it a Ron Moore miniseries adaptation. Live action. “We’re leaving Mother Earth. To save the human race.”-
Well I havnt kept on that front in a while. but IIRC the short answer is that Disney has the rights and no project is planed.
I think my memory gets worse every time i tell it. japanese production co set up production co in u.s. and aorund the world for intl release. cause of heavy pro japan fealings they seperasted the rights, keping their own of course and cuting tied to the american co and let them do as they wish with full U.S. rights to everything yamato. Voyager ent sold live action, motion picture rights for the first seriese only to Diseny back in the 90’s i think. A script was written by Tab Murphy and the only one known. It has not been well received by the fans (yes i have read it).
#31
-Oh and I heard that there was an attempt to revive Firefly, setting it a few years after Serenity. Interesting stuff!-
sorry but that came back as a No from Joss.
to quote the dino ‘i think we shall call it your grave’
Yeah, the Galactica Top Ten was mostly lame-except for Adama and Tigh (and I’m a HUGE fan). The lamest thing is that Letterman is still doing this tired schtick (Roslin was right!). I was a big Letterman fan in the day and haven’t watched in a long time, but what used to be great about the show was that he tried new things. The top ten list wasn’t one of this best bits and he’s been doing it now, for what, twenty years? (Like he cares anyway, I guess. He makes the big money. Neverthelss, make mine Conan).