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News for: January 31, 2001 - February 23, 2001
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Sci Fi juggles schedule |
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The Master, Friday, February 23, 2001 |
The SciFi Channel has announced several planned changes to its schedule beginning in March, and only Farscape is escaping the moves.
A Farscape special will air on March 16 at 8 p.m. to kick off the third season of the highly rated space drama and to launch the new programming schedule. The special will be followed by the third-season premiere of Farscape at 9 p.m. and the seventh-season premiere of The Outer Limits at 10 p.m.
A huge surprise is the apparent abandonment of SciFi's Monday lineup of original programming, which they only launched a few short months ago:
Starting March 23, The Invisible Man will move to Friday's at 8 p.m. spot, followed by Farscape in its regular time slot of 9 p.m. and The Outer Limits at 10 p.m.. SciFi obtained original production rights to The Outer Limits from Showtime last year.
Starting March 24, First Wave will air at 9 p.m. Saturdays, followed by The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne at 10 p.m. and Black Scorpion at 11 p.m.
First Wave and The Invisible Man are currently aired on Mondays; Black Scorpion and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne are on Fridays.
Sci-Fi's other Monday program, Lexx, will have its season finale on February 26 at 10 p.m., then show one repeat on March 5. Lexx will then go into reruns buried in a 2 a.m. Sunday time slot. When Lexx returns for the new season on July 2, it will take over the Saturday 10 p.m. spot from Jules Verne, which will have completed its season.
SciFi did not say what would fill the soon to be empty Monday night schedule.
In a related story, Chris Brancato, creator and co-executive producer First Wave, told Science Fiction Weekly that he doesn't yet know whether the low rated show will be renewed for a fourth season. Brancato indicates that the show's ratings suffered dramatically when it was moved from its old Friday time slot (and the Farscape ratings juggernaut) to a Sunday spot with repeats of Highlander and The Crow. Ironically, Brancato expressed his hope that being on Monday nights with other original programming would boost the show. A refocusing of the plot direction and the addition of sultry seductress Traci Lords to the cast (a move SciFi Channel promotes heavily) have not produced strong ratings improvement for the troubled show. |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Lucas bails on Eps 7-9 |
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The Master, Friday, February 23, 2001 |
In what is sure to be a disappointment to fans, George Lucas told USA Today that he will not make any more Star Wars movies after episode III.
"No way," Lucas told the newspaper. "I guarantee that. After the next one [Episode III], I'll move on."
Lucas said he was lured back to the Star Wars saga because of technology. "When I came back to do Episode I, I'd reached a point where I could tell the story I always wanted to tell in a way that I wasn't able to before, because of the technology required. So, I thought, 'This will be fun.' I can tell the story any way I want, as if I were writing a book. In the other films I was constantly saying, 'I can't do that. It's too expensive, too hard or technically impossible.' I wanted to tell the story of Darth Vader, because he'd become such an icon. And I was driven by being able to move around in his world technically. It's been enjoyable taking a new medium and pushing it to its limits."
Star Wars had always been billed as a 9 part story. Lucas previously indicated that the back story of episodes 1-3 would be followed by the third and final trilogy, which would take place sometime after the fall of the Empire in Return of the Jedi.
Episode II is currently in post-production and is due in theaters in May 2002.
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source: USA Today |
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Galactica moving forward |
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The Master, Friday, February 23, 2001 |
Studios USA television executive Dan Pasternack, who is working on Bryan Singer's proposed new Battlestar Galactica series, told SciFi Wire that the show will likely pick up the story after the events of the original 1970s series. "It's a little bit premature, and we're in the very early creative inception," Pasternack said. "I will tell you that Bryan Singer's intent is to be very faithful to the spirit and legacy of the original show. I think his intent is creatively to go forward in time as the saga has continued in his mind."
Pasternack said it's likely the show will not feature characters from the original series, except the Cylons, but no scripts have been written yet. "I think it's safe to say you can't do Battlestar Galactica without Cylons," he said. "But what our relationship to the Cylons will be, I can't say."
Pasternack stated that no one has talked with original Galactica star Richard Hatch (Apollo), who has been trying to mount his own revival of the series. Series creator Glen Larson is on board in an advisory capacity. "Bryan and Glen sat down," Pasternack said. "We wanted to make sure this union was very blessed by Glen. ... He has blessed this and wants to see it go forward. ... We want to make sure that respect is paid."
Pasternack says the series will have an epic scale and make use of the latest special-effects technology. "I can assure you [Singer] is very committed to adhering to that which came before," he said. "He's not looking to take it in any direction that would be disappointing to the fans of the original show." Among other things, Pasternack said it's possible the Galactica will find itself on an entirely new mission. "I don't know if [finding Earth] is the goal in this show. ... We could be on a different exodus."
Pasternack told the Wire that Studios USA hopes the show will air on a broadcast network and also on The SciFi Channel (which is also owned by USA Networks) similar to how Law & Order: Special Victims Unit airs on both NBC and USA Network. Because of the lag time in producing a special-effects heavy show, and the prospect of writers' and actors' strikes this year, Pasternack said that Battlestar Galactica won't appear any earlier than mid-season 2002. "It's pretty epic stuff we're going to do," he said. "We're committed to doing it right, now that we have Bryan. It's waited some 20-odd years to be reborn. We're committed to doing it right." |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Tick pushed back |
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The Master, Wednesday, February 21, 2001 |
SciFi Wire reports that Fox has bumped it's upcoming live-action version of The Tick, based on Ben Edlund's comic series and animated show of the same name, to either summer or fall. The Tick was originally slated as a midseason replacement to debut in March, and some early promos for the show have already aired.
The Fox spokeswoman told SciFi Wire that Fox was now holding it for later so that it will have something new to air in the event that writers' and actors' strikes take place this spring. Fox also doesn't have a current slot for the show, which wrapped production of its initial nine episodes on February 16.
The Tick is being directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black), and stars Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld's Puddy) as the big blue superhero.
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source: Scifi.com |
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Hitchikkers Guide movie planned |
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The Master, Wednesday, February 21, 2001 |
In a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Spyglass Entertainment Group confirmed that it is planning to make a movie version of Douglas Adams' novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The film will be made through a co-financing deal with Disney's Buena Vista distribution arm, according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter.
Adams is will write the screenplay and Jay Roach (Meet the Parents) is set to direct.
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source: Hollywood Reporter |
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Sixth Sense II planned |
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The Master, Wednesday, February 21, 2001 |
Hollywood Entertainment reports that Spyglass Entertainment Group has revealed plans to develop a sequel to The Sixth Sense. Spyglass outlined its plans in a 525-page document filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with an initial public offering.
In that filing, The Sixth Sense II is listed as one of Spyglass' films that are "currently in development, preproduction and production." Spyglass revealed that it has begun to "selectively exploit" the original film through other media projects, including a deal with Scholastic Inc. to create a series of spinoff books.
Whether director M. Night Shyamalan is attached to the project was not mentioned. |
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source: Hollywood Reporter |
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X-Files may have ninth season |
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The Master, Wednesday, February 21, 2001 |
The X-Files creator Chris Carter told free-lance SF columnist Ian Spelling that the show could go on for a ninth year. David Duchovny returns this month for the arc building to the season finale, "as a cliffhanger for season nine or perhaps even the end of the show," Carter told Spelling.
Carter added, "My preference is to do The X-Files next year, if we can find a way to do it right, to make it creatively interesting for ourselves. I think the stories are out there to be told, but when you get to the ninth year of a show, you need resources to keep doing the same good work. The costs go up. So my preference is do The X-Files next year, but there are things that need to be hammered out between all the participants in the process." |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Time Machine in Production |
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The Master, Wednesday, February 21, 2001 |
Dreamworks Pictures has announced that production has begun on director Simon Wells' movie version of his grandfather's classic SF book The Time Machine. Principal photography began on location at Vassar College in upstate New York, with additional location filming to be undertaken in Albany, Troy and Schenectady. Shooting will finish at Warner Brothers studios in Los Angeles.
Previous film versions of H.G. Well's classic include the George Pal directed 1960 version starring Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux that won the Academy Award for Special Effects. The new movie is based on Wells originial story and is not a remake of Pal's movie.
The Time Machine stars Guy Pearce as Alexander Hartdegen, a scientist and inventor who tests his theories about time travel by hurtling 800,000 years into a future. The cast includes Jeremy Irons, Mark Addy, Philip Bosco, Phyllida Law and Sienna Guillory. John Logan (Gladiator) wrote the screenplay. |
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Xena Sings |
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The Master, Tuesday, February 20, 2001 |
Lucy Lawless says fans should expect the unexpected as the Xena: Warrior Princess ends its run in May. "We're doing one of the last four episodes as a musical. I know musicals don't rate particularly well, but we don't care. We always made the show to express our ideas."
Lawless added, "There is no stopping us now. Plus, I think what has made us so successful are the wild ideas. On Xena, you'll have heavy drama and then slapstick comedy. And then every now and then you'll do a musical. We're going to do a takeoff of The Donkey Show, which is a disco version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. There are all sorts of relationship mix-ups and gender-bending. All kinds of crazy stuff."
Xena featured one previous all-musical episode in which Lawless proved she can belt out a tune. |
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source: Cinescape |
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Chi-Chian Wins Award |
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The Master, Tuesday, February 20, 2001 |
Scifi.com's original animated series Chi-Chian won the "People's Choice" Award of the Flash Film Festival of the flashforward2001 conference in San Francisco. Chi-Chian was one of 55 finalists for the award, which was chosen by a public online vote.
Starring Bai Ling, Chi-Chian tells the story of a young Japanese girl living in war-ruined Manhattan in the year 3000. Raised a pacifist, she takes up arms to protect her friends, a race of good-natured, six-foot-tall cockroaches.
Flashforward is an educational conference dedicated to supporting the Flash community of designers and developers. |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Mothership Dies |
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The Master, Monday, February 19, 2001 |
We've just taken note of the following notice on the Mothership.com website:
To Our Users: Mothership.com is in the process of merging operations with SCIFI.COM in order to bring you a single online destination for everything SCI FI. While the merger is taking place, Mothership.com will be available in its present state, but it will not be updated. This will allow you to browse the features and reviews that already exist on the site.
It is unclear what "merging operations" may entail, however we have not yet noticed any new features added to the Scifi.com website.
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source: Mothership.com |
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Interview with Ron Moore on Pern |
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The Master, Friday, February 16, 2001 |
The WB has given the go ahead to a pilot for a series based on Anne McCaffrey's popular Dragonriders of Pern novels. Sci Fi Wire talked to the writer, Ronald D. Moore (who also produces Roswell), about the project.
Moores says he hopes to remain faithful to the books, with some concessions to TV. "The show will be an interpretation of Anne's books, my take on Anne's world," Moore told the Wire. "It's how I see it successfully moving into television. I have a great deal of respect for what she's done and the world she's created. I want to make the transition successfully into the filmed environment, which does require some interpretation and moving pieces around. But by no means do I want to reinvent the world or throw things aside."
Moore indicated that The WB has green-lighted a pilot episode and he is now in pre-production for a planned shoot beginning in March or April. The cast, crew and filming location are still up in the air.
The series will be live-action, with computer-animated dragons. "We're going to be pushing the envelope on what we can do on TV, and deliver creatures that haven't been seen before and in a way that hasn't been seen before," Moore said. The series' fall start could be delayed by impending writers' and actors' strikes this spring, Moore added.
The pilot is based on McCaffrey's first Pern novel, Dragonflight, and introduces the central character of Lessa, the daughter of a noble family of Ruatha Hold. Her family is killed, and she journeys with F'Lar, F'Nor and Kylara to Bendan Weyr to reclaim her title and eventually return as a dragonrider, Moore said. "Lessa is the character who stuck with me the most when I read the first books," he said.
Moore's series is not related to a previous Dragonriders series that was in development at Alliance Atlantis Entertainment and Zyntopo Teo. But that show's champion, Eric Weymueller, will act as an executive producer on Moore's show.
Moore said that fans should reserve judgment on the TV show. "I just want to get people in the mindset that, look, we want to bring this property to television, but we want to give you what you love about the books. ... Anything you hate about [the TV show], you can lay at my doorstep. ... I'm not trying to outdo Anne at her own game, or improve the books, because I don't think they need improvement. ... It's a translation into a different medium. ... It requires looking at it through different eyes. ... You have to make choices: which characters to include, which not to, which standing sets you have, where's the home of the show, who do we follow each week, what span of time."
Moore added, "I'm very excited. It's a unique property. ... When we pitched it, I had the pleasurable experience of pitching something they've never heard before. There's this really interesting sort of science-fiction take that she found, this thing that looks like fantasy on its surface, but is really science fiction underneath, with really strong and interesting characters. ... The response to the pilot script is very gratifying. ... People walk away saying, 'Can you really do it?' And we said, 'Yes.' ... It's really an exciting time. It's been really fun. We're trying something new and really different. I guarantee there's not going to be another dragon show on the air. It's not like we're doing another cop show. ... This is going to be the only one, so it will be kind of cool, and will get a lot of attention, and I think we have a real shot at making it a success." |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Sci Fi Channel picks up Crusade |
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The Master, Thursday, February 15, 2001 |
Good and bad news for Babylon 5 fans. The good news is the Sci-Fi Channel has bought the rights to the short lived Babylon 5 sequel, Crusade. The bad news is they won't be making any new episodes.
Crusade originally ran on TNT in June 1999. The show told the story of the Ranger ship Excalibur and its search for the cure to a plague that threatens humanity. Gary Cole starred as Capt. Matthew Gideon. Unfortuanately, fan fever for the show didn't inspire TNT to pursue the project, and its cancellation was quickly announced even as the short lived series began to air.
Sci Fi will begin showing all 13 produced episodes in April. |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Elektra Woman and Dyna Girl is a go |
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The Master, Thursday, February 15, 2001 |
1970's Saturday morning kids programming continues to be the source of new series. The WB has approved the remake of Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, according to Variety. The new show will update Dyna Girl as a young college student going to Las Vegas, where she finds Electra Woman.
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source: Variety |
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Millennium movie possible |
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The Master, Thursday, February 15, 2001 |
Frank Spotnitz, head of Millennium creator Chris Carter's Ten Thirteen Productions, told Fandom that there may be a feature-film version of the canceled TV series. "You know, I don't know," Spotnitz told the site. "I know it's something that Chris would like to do and Lance Henriksen would like to do, so it's really, like, if your audience is there to support the idea. I wouldn't say it's impossible."
Spotnitz added that it's possible Henriksen's Frank Black character could show up on the X-Files spinoff series, The Lone Gunmen. "I wouldn't say that's impossible either," he said. "Anything is possible. ... What's funny about Millennium is that it was kind of hard-core in a way. It's just a certain audience. It's like we couldn't get beyond a certain size. I don't know why." |
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source: Fandom.com |
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UPN Dead Zone |
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The Master, Thursday, February 15, 2001 |
UPN has green-lighted a pilot for a television series based on Stephen King's novel The Dead Zone, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The approval is contingent on casting for the drama, the trade paper reported.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine co-creator Michael Piller will executive produce Dead Zone with his son, Shawn Piller. Lion's Gate Television will produce the show, according to the trade paper.
David Cronenberg directed a 1983 feature-film version of the story, which starred Christopher Walken as a man who awakes from a coma to discover he has the power of clairvoyance.
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source: Hollywood Reporter |
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Sci Fi Channel and Battlefield Earth |
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The Master, Thursday, February 15, 2001 |
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The Sci Fi Channel has obtained exclusive broadcast rights to the critically lambasted and box office bomb Battlefield Earth. According the Variety, the three-year deal for the film was said to be for an amount in the $2M range. The network 's contract begins in December 2002. Neither Warner Bros. nor the network would comment on the deal to the trade. |
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source: Variety |
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Lone Gunmen will premiere in X-Files timeslot |
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The Master, Tuesday, February 13, 2001 |
The Lone Gunmen will take advantage of The X-Files high profile Sunday timeslot for its premiere on March 4th. Gunmen will then move to its regular Friday timeslot on March 16th.
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source: Hollywood Reporter |
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Battlefield Earth tops Razzie noms |
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The Master, Tuesday, February 13, 2001 |
The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation has released its nominations for this year's Razzies. The group gives its "award" to the worst films, actors, etc. of the last year. Genre films scooped up the bulk of this year's nominations (which is all too common with the Razzies), with the dreadful Bafflefield Earth leading the pack.
This year's nominations:
WORST PICTURE:
Battlefield Earth (Warner Bros.)
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (Artisan)
The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas (Universal)
Little Nicky (New Line)
The Next Best Thing (Paramount)
WORST ACTOR:
Leonardo DiCaprio -- The Beach (20th Century-Fox)
Adam Sandler -- Little Nicky
Sylvester Stallone -- Get Carter (Warner Bros.)
Ah-nold Schwarzenegger (As The REAL Adam Gibson) -- The 6th Day (Columbia)
John Travolta -- Battlefield Earth and Lucky Numbers (Paramount)
WORST ACTRESS:
Kim Basinger -- Bless the Child (Paramount) and I Dreamed of Africa (Columbia)
Melanie Griffith -- Cecil B. Demented (Artisan)
Madonna -- The Next Best Thing
Bette Midler -- Isn't She Grating (Universal)
Demi Moore -- Passion of Mind (Paramount Classics)
WORST SCREEN COUPLE:
Any 2 Actors -- Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Richard Gere & Winona Ryder -- Autumn in New York (MGM/UA)
Madonna & EITHER Rupert Everett OR Benjamin Bratt -- The Next Best Thing
Ah-nold (As The REAL Adam Gibson) & Ah-nold (As The CLONE of Adam Gibson) -- The 6th Day
John Travolta and Anyone Sharing the Screen with Him -- Battlefield Earth
WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Patricia Arquette -- Little Nicky
Joan Collins -- The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
Thandie Newton -- Mission: Impossible 2 (Paramount)
Kelly Preston -- Battlefield Earth
Rene Russo -- The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (Universal)
WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Stephen Baldwin -- The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
Barry Pepper -- Battlefield Earth
Keanu Reeves -- The Watcher (Universal)
Ah-nold Schwarzenegger (As The CLONE of Adam Gibson) -- The 6th Day
Forest Whitaker -- Battlefield Earth
WORST REMAKE OR SEQUEL:
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Universal)
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
Get Carter
Mission: Impossible 2
WORST DIRECTOR:
Joe Berlinger -- Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Steven Brill -- Little Nicky
Roger Christian -- Battlefield Earth
Brian DePalma -- Mission To Mars (Disney)
John Schlesinger -- The Next Best Thing
WORST SCREENPLAY:
Battlefield Earth
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Little Nicky
The Next Best Thing |
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source: Golden Raspberry Award Foundation |
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Reviews of Invisible Man and Farscape |
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Crowe, Wednesday, January 31, 2001 |
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For those of you who don't know, Cinescape has a pretty good review section. Though their annoying Javascript errors get in the way at times, you can access the reviews directly at www.cinescape.com/reviews and avoid the trouble. They are worth checking out, especially the most recent Farscape and Invisible man reviews! |
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source: Cinescape Reviews |
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 I knew that would happen! |
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