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News for: December 4, 2000 - January 5, 2001
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Raimi has Spiderman press conference |
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The Master, Friday, January 5, 2001 |
Sam Raimi, director of Sony's upcoming Spider-Man movie, talked publicly for the first time about the look of Spidey's movie costume, the controversy over the film's organic webshooters, and the various rewrites of the film's script.
Speaking to reporters January 4 on the Los Angeles set of the movie, which begins shooting January 8, Raimi was joined by cast members Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe and James Franco and other filmmakers.
Raimi reavealed details about Spider-Man's costume, saying, "We've decided to get back to the classical look of the red-and-blue Spider-Man. But [costume designer] Jim [Acheson] has decided to update it, just to bring it into the year 2002, when the picture opens, to add some dimensionality to it, to take a ... slightly more subtle approach to the coloration of the outfit, [and] to increase the flexibility. ... What we were really after was to give Tobey an outfit where he could display maximum flexibility, really display his physical prowess. He's really been working out for this thing. And I think that's what the audience loves about Spider-Man. Not the Schwarzenegger look, but rather the fact that he's this graceful dancer. So a lot of Jim's work was in making him look like the classic Spider-Man, updated, but still making it a very functional outfit for a dancer to perform in."
The movie Spider-Man will have organic webshooters instead of the mechanical ones created by the hero in the comic book. This choice has angered many loyal comic fans, but Raimi defended the change. "What we're trying to do in this Spider-Man picture is not just stick to the letter of the comic book," Raimi said. "We're trying to capture the spirit of the [comic]." Raimi said that if his Peter Parker could invent the steely web fluid featured in the comics, it would undermine the audience's ability to identify with him as a regular kid. "When he can develop a material that even 3M ... can't seem to develop, it starts to distance him from a real human being," Raimi said. Providing Peter with a physical transformation also serves a character purpose, the director added. "It's another device to create alienation, because Peter Parker has always been an outcast, and Spider-Man a misunderstood hero," Raimi said. "I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. ... It's a great choice, and it was inspired by James Cameron's treatment."
As for rumors that the film's script remains troubled, Raimi responded, "The script is not in trouble. It's one of the best scripts I've had the chance to work on, actually. ... It started with a James Cameron treatment, ... really a fine piece of work. Then David Koepp [Jurassic Park] came aboard and did the lion's share of work, turning it into a screenplay and working on it for many years. And that's basically what we're working with, although Scott Rosenberg [Gone in Sixty Seconds] did some work for us ... and so did Alvin Sargent [Ordinary People. Sargent is married to Spider-Man producer Laura Ziskin]. And everybody's contributed a great deal. I'd say David Koepp is really the main writer." |
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source: Scifi.com |
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The Lost Girls |
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The Master, Thursday, January 4, 2001 |
Fandom.com's Entertainian is reporting a possible (sort of) sequel to the 80's vampire flick The Lost Boys.
"It appears that Joel Schumacher is currently casting some of Hollywood`s young and talented actresses to play female vampires in the non-sequel sequel to The Lost Boys. Word has it that actresses Rachel Leigh Cook, Tara Reid and even Kate Hudson have been named as potential shoe-ins for the vampire roles, also it was reported that the shooting locations will take place in the same California town as the Lost Boys was filmed in and that the Frog Brothers from the first film may return in this film as well. No word on whether or not actors from the original film will make cameo appearances or have roles in the film but sources say that Schumacher may be trying to bring Kiefer Sutherland in to play a major role in the film but as a different character since his character, David, in the first film was killed. The film may start shooting in April." |
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source: Entertainian |
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Cleopatra 2525 officially dead |
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The Master, Wednesday, January 3, 2001 |
Cleopatra 2525 stopped production several months ago, but was rumored to be returning in a retooled one-hour format to take the place of Xena: The Warrior Princess. Not a chance.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Studios USA Domestic Television, the show's producer, has offically announced that the show will not returne, explaining "because of the current environment, with newer broadcast networks expanding into time slots once held by hour shows, Cleopatra 2525 will not be coming back."
The studio also said that because it is now so hard to launch one-hour weekly shows in syndication, all their future programs will have duplicate sales to cable.
The studio also said that, in part, this was their reasoning for ending Xena. "We cannot continue to do weekly hours in the form we have always done them and invest the kind of money into them when it comes to producing weekly shows in the future...We want to follow the dual-platform production model we developed for Invisible Man, which airs successfully on both syndicated stations and on the Sci Fi Channel."
Fans of Cleo launched an ill-fated campaign to try and save the series, but had already acknowledged that their efforts were probably for naught. |
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source: Hollywood Reporter |
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Mulgrew interview |
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The Master, Wednesday, January 3, 2001 |
In a recent interviw with Cinescape Star Trek: Voyager star Kate Mulgrew discussed work on a new two-part episode, which she describes as, "unprecedented."
"I'm right now in the middle of doing this two-parter, which is called 'Work Force,'" Mulgrew said. "I think viewers will be surprised and delighted by it. Brian Fuller helmed this piece, with the assistance of Ken Biller. In it, Janeway is in an altered personality. But she's terribly happy. You've never seen her act this young, this happy or this in love. She comes to learn in a very difficult way that this persona is not her reality, and she has to say goodbye to it. It's beautifully done."
With the seven-year Voyager adventure about to end, Mulgrew also shed some light on the oft-asked question "Will the lost starship make it back to the Federation?"
"As for the ending, I don't have a clue," Mulgrew said. "My suspicion would be, given the studio's input and Mr. Berman's, that we may shoot a couple of endings, which would be smart because I think it's very important that the ending be splendid, bold, and unpredictable. So I'm sort of preparing myself for a couple of endings. It's been a long, pretty interesting ride, hasn't it?"
"Work Force" is scheduled to air during February sweeps. |
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source: Cinescape |
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Dark Angel and Buffy get Golden noms |
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The Master, Thursday, December 21, 2000 |
The Golden Globe nominations were announced December 21, 2000, and there's good news for genre fans. Dark Angel star Jessica Alba and Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar were both nominated for best performance by an actress in a dramatic television series.
Other genre nominations include Willem Dafoe for best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture for Shadow of the Vampire, and Jim Carrey, for best male performance in a comedic motion picture for his work in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Grinch is tops for 2000 |
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The Master, Thursday, December 21, 2000 |
On December 21 Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas officially became the top-grossing movie of 2000, taking in $216.4 million in only 33 days of release, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The movie passed the previous No. 1, this summer's Mission: Impossible 2. MI2 took around four months to gross $215.4 million domestically.
Grinch's final domestic box-office total could be as high as $250 million, estimates the trade paper. The movie has already become the 25th highest-grossing film of all time in North America. |
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source: Hollywood Reporter |
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Campbell confirmed for Spiderman |
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The Master, Wednesday, December 20, 2000 |
Scifi.com is reporting that Bruce Campbell will play a cameo role in Sam Raimi's upcoming Spider-Man movie, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter. Campbell will play a ring announcer during a fight sequence in the film, which begins production next month.
Raimi had previously told Scifi.com that he would reteam with Campbell, Raimi's star from the Evil Dead trilogy of films. |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Marie Jakober chat |
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The Master, Tuesday, December 19, 2000 |
Marie Jakober, author of The Black Chalice (an historical
fantasy published this year by EDGE Science Fiction and
Fantasy Publishing) will be interactive, available and appearing live Friday (December 22, 2000) on Essentialtalk.com at
10:00pm EST / 7:00pm PST.
You can listen to the live interview (using Windows Media Player) and leave your comments or ask questions (about almost anything) simply by typing them into a "comments" box on the site.
To listen and/or participate:
Go to the following URL: http://www.essentialtalk.com (Note: you do not have to "join" essentialtalk to participate.):
Click "CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE" to bring up your Media Player.
Click "GO TO CURRENT HOST" to enter your comments and questions.
The show you want to listen to is THE BIG BRAIN SHOW - Sci-Fridays. "Sci-Fridays" covers all aspects of science fiction and the paranormal. Your favorite authors, actors and directors all show up sooner or later on "Sci-Fridays". If you are not sure if you have the "right stuff" to listen to this live interactive interview, check out the "HELP" section of the web page the day before the show airs. |
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source: Edge Science Fiction |
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Jeri Ryan on Dracula 2000 |
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The Master, Friday, December 8, 2000 |
The official fan site for Jeri Ryan has reposted an interview of the star by UNLV's student newspaper, "The Rebel Yell".
In the interview, Ryan discusses her role in Wes Craven's latest thriller, Dracula 2000. Ryan described "Dracula 2000" as a way to "add a very cool, very unique twist to the origins of Dracula." Ryan described the cast, which includes Omar Epps, Jennifer Esposito, and Christopher Plummer, as "a really great mix." She said she is a long time fan of Plummer's, and that working with him was "a thrill," and "fascinating."
Ryan also talked about her role as Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager. She said she has been "very fortunate" to play Seven of Nine, and that show placed her in a "lucky position," because they have done "a beautiful job writing the character." Ryan said she admires Seven of Nine, particularly "how intelligent she is, how strong she is, and what a wonderful female portrayal she is."
Nevertheless, Ryan admits that Star Trek roles have typecast some actors exclusively to science fiction related projects. To avoid this, she said she is "looking for projects that'll break me out of what I've done for the past four years." Dracula 2000 was a great opportunity for the actress because she "was always a (horror) fan as a kid."
Star Trek: Voyager ends it run this season, so Ryan will soon find herself out of a steady paycheck. On her future, Ryan said she's had some TV offers, and would be interested in doing a comedy series. |
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source: Jeri Ryan Official |
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UPN cancels Freedom |
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The Master, Friday, December 8, 2000 |
The dystopian scifi series Freedom has been canceled by UPN because of low ratings. Six episodes of the poorly received series were aired, and two more are in the can, according to Variety. During its run, Freedom averaged a dismal 1.7 rating, and drew approximately 2.6 million viewers.
Despite similar "bottom dweller" ratings, UPN is keeping the series' companion show, Level 9, which is about a top-secret team of computer crime investigators. |
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source: Variety |
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Dune huge success for Sci Fi Channel |
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The Master, Thursday, December 7, 2000 |
The Sci-Fi Channel has announced that its original miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune, which ran from December 3 - 5, was the most-watched program in the its history. Dune pulled in a 4.4 rating and 2.9 million households, putting it in the top 10 of all original basic cable miniseries in the past five years.
Dune nearly doubled all previous viewership records for the channel. "The incredible success of this epic miniseries caps off a stellar year at Sci-Fi," Bonnie Hammer, Sci-Fi's executive vice president and general manager, said in a statement.
Sci-Fi previously indicated they would not rebroadcast the epic until mid 2001. However, they are replaying the entire mini-series on Sunday, December 10 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET/PT.
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source: Scifi.com |
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Jada Pinkett Smith confirmed for Matrix 2 |
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The Master, Thursday, December 7, 2000 |
Jada Pinkett-Smith has been confirmed to co-star in the much anticipated sequel to The Matrix, according to Variety. The announcement confirms weeks of rumors about the star's involvement.
Variety also indicated that producers are talking to singer Aaliyah (soon to been seen in Queen of the Damned) and actors Harold Perrineau Jr. and Harry Lennex about playing roles in The Matrix 2. Shooting on the sequel is scheduled to begin in March in Australia.
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source: Variety |
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Heston denys Apes appearance |
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The Master, Wednesday, December 6, 2000 |
Yesterday, we reported that Charlton Heston may appear in a cameo role in the upcoming Planet of the Apes remake. Maybe not. Today, Scifi.com is reporting a denial of that as rumor by a friend of Heston on the Ananova news service saying, "Chuck didn't want to distract the audience away from what was probably a very good dramatic plot with what he thinks is a fun gimmick. Fun gimmicks have their place, but not this time."
Scifi.com repeated the report that Clooney will appear on a bet, apparently in an Ape crowd scene. |
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source: Scifi.com |
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JLA development details |
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The Master, Wednesday, December 6, 2000 |
An "inside source" has provided the Comics2Film site with a breakdown of the "magnificent seven" team for the long rumored new DC Comics based series:
- Superman: Portrayed as a natural leader. He's a bit of a boy scout, but without being cheesy about it.
- Batman: The show will play up the Dark Knight's detective skills as opposed to the brooding, somber creature-of-the night take that's been used in the other animated shows.
- Wonder Woman: The Amazon princess angle will be emphasized. Wonder Woman is new to man's world. She sometimes displays a condescending attitude towards others.
- The Flash: The Flash is Wally West under the mask. The character is more a mix of West and Bart Allen/Impulse. The Flash is seen as a fun-loving, impulsive guy.
- Green Lantern: This Green Lantern is John Stewart. He's been hand-picked by the Guardians to be the Green Lantern for this sector. Stewart has spent a number of years in space and only recently returned to Earth. He sees himself as a very experienced cop and tends to look down on the rest of the JLA as amateurs. He has little understanding or tolerance for earthly prejudices and petty injustices.
- Martian Manhunter: The last survivor of an underground Martian race. Martian Manhunter is the only one who lives in the JLA watchtower full time.
- Hawkgirl: A member of the Thanagarian police. Hawkgirl is transported to Earth by a mysterious beam (we're told it's not called a zeta-beam in the show, but it's basically the same concept). She has deductive skills that even Batman is impressed by, but also has that warrior woman side to her.
Comics2Film further reports that the team will operate out of a satellite orbiting the Earth called the Watchtower. Aquaman will make an appearance in an early episode, but will not be a part of the program's regular team. The Manhunters are expected to be early villians, and Despero and Vandal Savage may be in later shows. |
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source: Comics2Film |
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Jovovich in Resident Evil |
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The Master, Wednesday, December 6, 2000 |
Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) will play the lead in the upcoming Resident Evil movie.
Jovovich has been rumored to be one several actresses possibly involved with the project for some time. She will reportedly play the lead, Alice the Zombie Killer, who is part of a special military unit that fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer. To save the world, the unit must fight hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating zombies because of a laboratory accident.
The $40M film will be directed by Paul Anderson (Event Horizon) from his own script. Production is expected to begin in February on location in Berlin. |
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source: Cinescape |
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Dungeons and Dragons sequels planned |
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The Master, Wednesday, December 6, 2000 |
Courtney Solomon, producer and director of the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons movie, says he's already worked out the stories for two potential sequels to the soon-to-be-released movie. "We read a thousand different things for Dungeons and Dragons ... as source material before we ever wrote the script," Solomon said during a press briefing. "When we wrote it out, it was a six-hour movie. ... So we made the first movie end, and we knew where the second and the third movies were going to go in a rough form. And so we have treatments for [parts] two and three."
Solomon added, "In the second one, the characters actually progress to a different level. ... Also ... I can show much more of the world in the second one--because obviously I'll have more money--that the D&D fans want to see. And I can even go harder-edged in the next one. But the first one has got to be an intro to a fantasy world."
The cast of Dungeons & Dragons (including Thora Birch, Jeremy Irons, Justin Whalin and Marlon Wayans) has signed on for two more sequels according to Solomon. If the first film succeeds, Solomon say he looks forward to filming at least one sequence he cut out of the first movie. "There's a big dungeon sequence we were supposed to have in the movie. They made me cut it on set. That's my biggest disappointment. Because ... being a big D&D fan myself, it was such an elaborate, great sequence. ... So, guess what, if we get to a sequel, you're going to get that sequence, OK?"
Dungeons & Dragons opens December 8th. |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Dune sets Sci Fi Channel record |
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The Master, Tuesday, December 5, 2000 |
The Nielson's ratings are in, and the news is all good for the Sci Fi Channel. The December 3 airing of part one of Sci Fi's original miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune drew the largest audience in the cable channel's history. With an average Nielsen rating of 4.6 for the 9 p.m. broadcast, Dune reached 3.06 million households.
That is almost double the number of households chalked up by Sci Fi's previous ratings record holder, the June premiere of The Invisible Man. Sci Fi has already committed to a sequel to Dune from writer and director John Harrison.
Dune will not air on Sci Fi again until the second quarter of 2001. |
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source: Scifi.com |
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Heston and Clooney in Apes |
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The Master, Tuesday, December 5, 2000 |
More news on the Planet of the Apes front: Empire Online is reporting that Charlton Heston will play a geriatric ape who bemoans human nature from his deathbed.
At the same time, Empire says George Clooney, who has appeared in other films with Apes star Mark Wahlberg, is has been confirmed to play an ape cameo...for a bet. |
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source: Empire Online |
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Reno talks about Rollerball |
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The Master, Monday, December 4, 2000 |
In an interview with Empire Online, Jean Reno talks about hs appearance in John McTiernan's upcoming remake of Rollerball.
"Rollerball was great. John McTiernan's a fantastic director and I was very happy to have the chance to work with him," Jean said.
The 1975 Norman Jewison film was a cautionary tale about the corporate takeover of world society that is set in the near future. Like its predecessor, Rollerball revolves around the public's thirst for a violent sport, and one player's rise to iconic status within the ranks of the Rollerball league. "Our version mainly differs from the original in rhythm," Reno said. "That, and point of view. It doesn't have the same violence as the original and there's more of a connection between the game itself and the people. That's really the centre of the movie - the meaning of the game to the people watching it."
About his character, Reno said, "I play the guy who owns the media rights to the game. You know - the cool guy."
Rollerball stars Chris Klein and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and is set for a summer 2001 release. |
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source: Empire Online |
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Episode II will have a dark storyline |
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The Master, Monday, December 4, 2000 |
George Lucas told the official Star Wars magazine that the upcoming prequel will begin to deal with Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader.
Skywalker is "cursed by the same flaws--and issues that he has to overcome--that all humans are cursed with," Lucas told the magazine. "There's a lot going on there. It must be a real challenge to handle the transformation from the kid we saw in Episode I to the Darth Vader that we see in Episode IV."
Lucas added, "The whole point is--and the reason I started the story where I did--is that Anakin is a normal, good kid. And how does somebody who is normal and good turn bad? What are the qualities--what is it that we all have within us--that will turn us bad?"
Lucas said the Episode II will be darker than its predecessor. "It's definitely getting a little bit more intense," Lucas said. "The next one will probably be the darkest of all of them. Ultimately, I have to tell a story. So the story comes first. And I can't really play it to an audience. I mean, the story is what the story is. I knew that it was going to go very dark. You know, it may not be very successful when I get down that dark. But, you know, at least the thing will be finished, and it will have been good to me. There's not much I can do about that. I can't take a story that's basically very, very dark and make it happy. Because it's not. ... You're going to find that there's a lot of similarity between what Anakin goes through and what Luke goes through. They follow the same path. And it's a similar situation with some of the other characters, such as Boba Fett."
Thanks to Fort Tusken for posting a transcript! |
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source: Fort Tusken |
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 I knew that would happen! |
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