Report 42A. This is a digest of recent Sci-Fi- and genre-related news as of 19th June 2001.
News & Notes
Group News:
Bad Tapes
It seems that for a day or so, one of my converters was not behaving itself. It may have been just a dirty head, as the problem seems to have disappeared now (I am currently checking ever tape as it comes out of the machines), but I have had several reports of unwatchable tapes – either very dark, or unstable – rolling and flickering. It seems to have been the day I did most of the Voyager finales, although it is not restricted solely to Voyager eps.
If you get one of these bad tapes, please don’t just sit on it. It is my responsibility to ensure that you receive decent watchable tapes, and if I send out crap, then I need or replace it. This is a bit of a point of honor with me, so if you do get one, let me know immediately and I will replace it as quickly as possible.
Genre Series Based Pop Videos
Over the years I’m sure many of us have seen a number of these “pop” videos that are shown at conventions. For anyone who hasn’t, these are videos edited together from episode clips of a favorite TV show or movie and set to the soundtrack of a popular or appropriate song. The most common ones are Star Trek videos, such as the famous “Captain Beaky” Classic Trek video, but there are many others – Babylon 5, Blake’s 7, etc.
In a recent exchange with one of my regular correspondents, we discussed the possibility of collecting a number of these videos and making up a tape for anyone who runs a club or convention, or even just for the fun of watching them – they range from the hilarious to the ingenious, some of them being of award-winning standard.
I used to have several tapes of these, but they disappeared over the years, usually given away to various convention committees, so I currently have none available. However, if anyone does have any of these videos, I would be very grateful for copies.
If anyone in the US has any of these, would they be so good as to send me a copy? I will gladly either return the tape, or give you something in trade. For UK fans, I am negotiating with Colin Gunn (who I am sure will agree) to have them sent to him at which stage he will collate all the ones coming from there and send them on, and I could do with a volunteer from Australasia if anyone would be willing.
The majority of these videos are old and of fairly poor quality, so they need to be copied on equipment that is not going to degrade them further. Now I know that I am going to get a load of offers, but please don’t come forward unless you have the equipment to do the job. I love the enthusiasm that everyone shows for these hair-brained ideas of mine, and I hate to turn anyone down.
Once collated, this tape could also provide very useful filler material for anyone who doesn’t have a preference for anything else and as most of the items are just a few minutes long, it could fill a gap of any length.
Where do I get these ideas? Whatever – let’s see what we can come up with. I wonder if I am going to get any that I edited myself? I have made a pile of these things over the years and it’s always fun.
Of course, if anyone wants to make some new ones, that would also be welcome. These things are always welcome at conventions. If you would like to try and don’t know where to start, drop me an e-mail and I will give you some pointers.
TV News:
UPN Fall Dates Not Firm
A UPN Exec denied various reports about airdates for the fall premieres of its upcoming Star Trek series, Enterprise, and other genre shows. "Those are all unofficial dates," the spokesman said in an interview. "Nothing is set yet."
Several Web sites have variously reported that Enterprise is slated to premiere on Sept. 23 or 26. It has also been suggested that UPN would premiere Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Oct. 9, Special Unit 2 on Oct. 3 and Roswell on Oct. 16.
Obviously, you know where you will get your accurate information from when the time comes.
Duchovny Disses X-Files End
The X-Files star David Duchovny shares fans' disappointment with this season's finale episode, which had his character, Mulder, kissing Gillian Anderson's Scully, TV Guide reported. "We were doing the last two episodes, and I felt like, 'This isn't a resolution for my character,'" Duchovny told the magazine. "We're resolving things that had nothing to do with Mulder. I felt like it was a lost opportunity. I felt like the last two episodes could have been a real send-off for Mulder."
Duchovny added that he had very little warning that the season would end with a kiss. "They have this idea over at The X-Files that stuff might get stolen and put on the Internet," he said. "It pisses me off, because I'm an actor, and I'd like to have the scenes more than two hours before I play it. It's all a big mystery. I think it was written that Scully gives Mulder a kiss on the forehead. I was so confused at that point that I didn't trust my feelings about it. I have so many personal feelings about it; it was eight years of my life. I didn't know what would be an appropriate ending. [Director] Kim Manners and I were discussing it, and he said, 'We've done that a hundred times, the whole hand-holding and kiss on the forehead. We should do a real kiss.' And I thought, 'Yeah, that feels right. At least it's something different at the end.'"
And Duchovny left open the door for a reappearance on the show, though he has said he's through with it for good. "If they wrote a good X-Files script, I would look at it the way I look at any script, which is, I would really want it to be good," he said.
Exec Confirms Earth Changes
Philip Segal, Tribune Entertainment's senior vice president of scripted programming, told fans of Earth: Final Conflict in an official chat that Leni Parker (Da'an) and Anita La Selva (Zo'or) would be leaving the show and that original star Kevin Kilner would return as William Boone in the upcoming fifth season. Segal did not comment on the status of current series star Robert Leeshock, who is also rumored to be leaving.
Kilner left the series after the first season, and his character died. Segal would not discuss how Kilner's character will return to the show. La Selva will appear during the coming season only as a special guest star.
It had been previously reported that Leeshock has been auditioning for other television series, including a failed bid for the new UPN Star Trek series, Enterprise.
Fans, meanwhile, have been upset with the series' continuing cast and story changes and are petitioning The Sci-Fi Channel to restore the cast and original storyline should the network take over production of original episodes in the future.
Editor’s Note: SFC is due to air EFC from the beginning starting in the fall, and has already suggested that it may take over the show should it be canceled in syndication.
Roswell Preps For Season 3
Ronald D. Moore, one of the producers of UPN's teen alien series Roswell, said in a media interview that the show's staff is back at work on its third season. Roswell makes the move to UPN from The WB on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m., right after fellow WB expatriate Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"We're in a good place," Moore said. "Buffy's a tremendous lead-in for us, that's for certain. We're in the perfect slot in the schedule at the moment."
Not returning are Colin Hanks, whose character Alex died last season, and Emilie de Ravin, who’s pregnant character, Tess, left for the aliens' home planet in the season finale.
"We sat down and plotted out the opening episodes for season three before the season was over," even though Roswell's fate was uncertain right up to the end, Moore said. He added, "The template for what we want to do is where we ended up in the last six episodes of season two. That's the groove where we want to be. The character relationships were up front. The mystery was there, but it wasn't too complicated." Next season, the human and alien teens will be seniors in high school, except for Isabel (Heigl), whose brainy character has graduated early, the site reported. Will she be going to college? "We're talking about that," Moore said. "She'll hang around. The show is Roswell, so she's going to be in Roswell, by hook or by crook
McGowan Gets Charmed
The WB announced on June 14 that Rose McGowan will replace Shannen Doherty on its witch series Charmed, the Reuters news service reported. McGowan had been rumored to be under consideration for Doherty's job.
Doherty left the series after three years amid rumored disputes with cast member Alyssa Milano.
For a look at Rose, try this link:
http://www.thewb.com/news/charmed/mcgowan/
Courtesy again of Adrian Oakes in Tasmania.
Giles Could be the New “Master”
Anthony Stewart Head--Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer--has been approached to play The Master in a future Doctor Who story. Big Finish Productions, which has a BBC license to make Doctor Who audio adventures, has approached Head, and the actor is understood to be considering the offer seriously, the source said.
Talks with Anthony Ainley, who previously played the role in the television series, were unsuccessful, and Big Finish hopes to use Head's desire to remain in Britain for work as a hook to land the actor. Eric Roberts last played the Master in the 1996 television movie.
Hasselhoff Promises Knight Rider Return
In a quick news bit in this week’s Entertainment Weekly, the once and future Michael Knight, a.k.a. Actor/producer David Hasselhoff, promised a new version of his 1980s action show Knight Rider would be hitting the air in the future.
“We’re taking it way into the future with my character… coming out of retirement and hiring a couple of young kids. I’ll be the older, cool boss who oversees this incredibly updated car.”
Does that mean the Kitt we all knew and loved is no more? Yes and no. Hasselhoff has already talked to William Daniels, the voice of Kitt, to provide his smooth voice-over for the new car. Daniels is now the president of the Screen Actors’ Guild.
“So the president gave me his word. It’s going to happen,” Hasselhoff promised. No word on when the new Knight Rider will hit the air.
More Black Scorpion
A recent NY Post article suggested that Roger Corman is going ahead with a second season of Black Scorpion. He's even going to act in it, portraying a corrupt politician named Sen. John Flinton in at least 13 of the 22 new episodes. That's one way to keep costs down.
There's no word if Sci-Fi will pick up the second season or not, however. Corman obviously must be getting good sales overseas.
Movie News:
Cyber Love Story Coming
Dean Devlin's Electric Entertainment, Roland Emmerich's Centropolis Entertainment and Bob Cooper's Landscape Entertainment have teamed to produce the SF film Cyber Love Story, Variety reported. Emmerich will direct from a script by Ron Bass.
Cyber takes place in the future, when chat rooms have become synthetic environments. Devlin and Emmerich previously collaborated on Godzilla and Independence Day.
Jewison Blasts New Rollerball
Norman Jewison, who directed 1975's cult SF movie Rollerball, told the New York Post that John McTiernan's upcoming remake glorifies violence, which he satirized in the original. "They sent me a script to see if I was interested in directing," Jewison told the newspaper. "But I passed on it, because it was clear they were embracing the violence, which I used in the original to comment on the activities of multinational corporations."
Jewison added, "They've invited me to a screening, but I'm not sure I even want to see it." The remake stars Chris Klein and takes place in the near future, where the organizers of a violent arena sport use deaths to boost TV ratings, the Post reported. The new Rollerball opens Aug. 17.
Ford Won't Do Indy IV?
Harrison Ford won't be making the fourth Indiana Jones movie in 2002, or perhaps ever, syndicated columnists Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith reported. The hang-up: Producer George Lucas has yet to strike a deal for the film with Paramount, and until he does, a writer can't be hired for the film.
The delay leaves Ford--who limits himself to one film a year--open to other offers, the columnists reported. The Sixth Sense filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan had reportedly been tapped to write an Indy IV script, as had Traffic screenwriter Stephen Gaghan, the columnists reported.
Fox Preps 28 Days Later
Fox Searchlight is developing the SF movie 28 Days Later, with director Danny Boyle attached, Variety reported. Novelist Alex Garland wrote the script, about a deadly virus that sweeps the planet.
DNA Films' Andrew Macdonald will produce, the trade paper reported. Searchlight is co-financing 28 Days Later with the U.K.'s Film Council, suggesting that the budget could exceed the usual $15 million cap for films funded solely by Searchlight, Variety reported. Under the deal, Searchlight will retain worldwide distribution rights. Production is slated to begin near London in August.
Minority Report Is 'Wild Ride'
Bonnie Curtis, producer of Steven Spielberg's upcoming SF movie Minority Report, said that the Tom Cruise film will be a "wild ride" akin to Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark. "It's an action film that's a real ride, but it's a wonderful story as well," Curtis said during press briefings for Spielberg's upcoming A.I. The film has "a lot of humor."
Curtis added, "It is this future where murder no longer exists. This team of people, led by Anderton [the Cruise character], goes out and arrests murderers before they commit murder. The question of whether or not they actually would have done it if they had been given the choice comes into play. [The story] really twists and turns. ... Steven talked about it not as science fiction, but as a future reality." She described Cruise's character as "a man on the run from a system he believed in."
Minority Report is based on a short story of the same name by renowned SF author Philip K. Dick. Like A.I., which was based in part on a short story by SF author Brian Aldiss, Spielberg is using Dick's story only as a springboard for a new story, Curtis said. "I would say the journey Steven went on in A.I. prepared him for how he wanted Minority Report to look," she said. Spielberg is currently shooting Minority Report. A.I. opens June 29.
Spoilers For Trek X Below
If you don’t want to know, Scroll Down to “Spoilers End”
No Tragic End for Picard
Marina Sirtis has been spilling beans at the Star Trek & Sci-Fi Media Convention in North Carolina.
Sirtis, who played Deanna Troi in The Next Generation, revealed that Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) does not get killed off, in spite of rumors to the contrary. She didn't stop there, though. She went on to note that Data doesn't get knocked off either (another rumor scotched) and that, in fact, no major characters get the weepy farewell. Oh, and Troi and Ryker get married. So much for the suspense.
She added that the script, penned by Michael Dorn (Worf), is much better than Star Trek IX: Insurrection and will probably be the last one for the Next Generation characters, though she didn't absolutely rule out another voyage.
Spoilers End
Odds and Ends: Short items not worthy of an article in their own right.
· The premiere of original episodes of TNT's Witchblade on June 12 set a record as basic cable's highest-rated summer series launch, with an audience estimated at 2.2 million households, Nielsen Media Research told The Hollywood Reporter. Witchblade averaged a 2.7 rating during its 9-10 p.m. ET timeslot, 60 percent higher than TNT's 1.7 year-to-date primetime average.
· Julie Benz has withdrawn from her role as the ex-girlfriend of the lead character in the new WB drama Glory Days (described by critics as “Ed” for Teenagers), and will remain on ANGEL as the vampire Darla.
· Anthony Hopkins and director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Family Man) are reportedly in negotiations to work together on a new adaptation of Thomas Harris' 1981 novel Red Dragon. The thriller, which is the first in the series that continues with Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, was previously adapted for the screen in 1986 with Michael Mann’s Manhunter.
Part B Follows Shortly.
Best wishes,
David Gerhard
Eastlant Sci-Fi Group
Fans Working for Fandom, Not for Profit.
News & Notes
Group News:
Bad Tapes
It seems that for a day or so, one of my converters was not behaving itself. It may have been just a dirty head, as the problem seems to have disappeared now (I am currently checking ever tape as it comes out of the machines), but I have had several reports of unwatchable tapes – either very dark, or unstable – rolling and flickering. It seems to have been the day I did most of the Voyager finales, although it is not restricted solely to Voyager eps.
If you get one of these bad tapes, please don’t just sit on it. It is my responsibility to ensure that you receive decent watchable tapes, and if I send out crap, then I need or replace it. This is a bit of a point of honor with me, so if you do get one, let me know immediately and I will replace it as quickly as possible.
Genre Series Based Pop Videos
Over the years I’m sure many of us have seen a number of these “pop” videos that are shown at conventions. For anyone who hasn’t, these are videos edited together from episode clips of a favorite TV show or movie and set to the soundtrack of a popular or appropriate song. The most common ones are Star Trek videos, such as the famous “Captain Beaky” Classic Trek video, but there are many others – Babylon 5, Blake’s 7, etc.
In a recent exchange with one of my regular correspondents, we discussed the possibility of collecting a number of these videos and making up a tape for anyone who runs a club or convention, or even just for the fun of watching them – they range from the hilarious to the ingenious, some of them being of award-winning standard.
I used to have several tapes of these, but they disappeared over the years, usually given away to various convention committees, so I currently have none available. However, if anyone does have any of these videos, I would be very grateful for copies.
If anyone in the US has any of these, would they be so good as to send me a copy? I will gladly either return the tape, or give you something in trade. For UK fans, I am negotiating with Colin Gunn (who I am sure will agree) to have them sent to him at which stage he will collate all the ones coming from there and send them on, and I could do with a volunteer from Australasia if anyone would be willing.
The majority of these videos are old and of fairly poor quality, so they need to be copied on equipment that is not going to degrade them further. Now I know that I am going to get a load of offers, but please don’t come forward unless you have the equipment to do the job. I love the enthusiasm that everyone shows for these hair-brained ideas of mine, and I hate to turn anyone down.
Once collated, this tape could also provide very useful filler material for anyone who doesn’t have a preference for anything else and as most of the items are just a few minutes long, it could fill a gap of any length.
Where do I get these ideas? Whatever – let’s see what we can come up with. I wonder if I am going to get any that I edited myself? I have made a pile of these things over the years and it’s always fun.
Of course, if anyone wants to make some new ones, that would also be welcome. These things are always welcome at conventions. If you would like to try and don’t know where to start, drop me an e-mail and I will give you some pointers.
TV News:
UPN Fall Dates Not Firm
A UPN Exec denied various reports about airdates for the fall premieres of its upcoming Star Trek series, Enterprise, and other genre shows. "Those are all unofficial dates," the spokesman said in an interview. "Nothing is set yet."
Several Web sites have variously reported that Enterprise is slated to premiere on Sept. 23 or 26. It has also been suggested that UPN would premiere Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Oct. 9, Special Unit 2 on Oct. 3 and Roswell on Oct. 16.
Obviously, you know where you will get your accurate information from when the time comes.
Duchovny Disses X-Files End
The X-Files star David Duchovny shares fans' disappointment with this season's finale episode, which had his character, Mulder, kissing Gillian Anderson's Scully, TV Guide reported. "We were doing the last two episodes, and I felt like, 'This isn't a resolution for my character,'" Duchovny told the magazine. "We're resolving things that had nothing to do with Mulder. I felt like it was a lost opportunity. I felt like the last two episodes could have been a real send-off for Mulder."
Duchovny added that he had very little warning that the season would end with a kiss. "They have this idea over at The X-Files that stuff might get stolen and put on the Internet," he said. "It pisses me off, because I'm an actor, and I'd like to have the scenes more than two hours before I play it. It's all a big mystery. I think it was written that Scully gives Mulder a kiss on the forehead. I was so confused at that point that I didn't trust my feelings about it. I have so many personal feelings about it; it was eight years of my life. I didn't know what would be an appropriate ending. [Director] Kim Manners and I were discussing it, and he said, 'We've done that a hundred times, the whole hand-holding and kiss on the forehead. We should do a real kiss.' And I thought, 'Yeah, that feels right. At least it's something different at the end.'"
And Duchovny left open the door for a reappearance on the show, though he has said he's through with it for good. "If they wrote a good X-Files script, I would look at it the way I look at any script, which is, I would really want it to be good," he said.
Exec Confirms Earth Changes
Philip Segal, Tribune Entertainment's senior vice president of scripted programming, told fans of Earth: Final Conflict in an official chat that Leni Parker (Da'an) and Anita La Selva (Zo'or) would be leaving the show and that original star Kevin Kilner would return as William Boone in the upcoming fifth season. Segal did not comment on the status of current series star Robert Leeshock, who is also rumored to be leaving.
Kilner left the series after the first season, and his character died. Segal would not discuss how Kilner's character will return to the show. La Selva will appear during the coming season only as a special guest star.
It had been previously reported that Leeshock has been auditioning for other television series, including a failed bid for the new UPN Star Trek series, Enterprise.
Fans, meanwhile, have been upset with the series' continuing cast and story changes and are petitioning The Sci-Fi Channel to restore the cast and original storyline should the network take over production of original episodes in the future.
Editor’s Note: SFC is due to air EFC from the beginning starting in the fall, and has already suggested that it may take over the show should it be canceled in syndication.
Roswell Preps For Season 3
Ronald D. Moore, one of the producers of UPN's teen alien series Roswell, said in a media interview that the show's staff is back at work on its third season. Roswell makes the move to UPN from The WB on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m., right after fellow WB expatriate Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"We're in a good place," Moore said. "Buffy's a tremendous lead-in for us, that's for certain. We're in the perfect slot in the schedule at the moment."
Not returning are Colin Hanks, whose character Alex died last season, and Emilie de Ravin, who’s pregnant character, Tess, left for the aliens' home planet in the season finale.
"We sat down and plotted out the opening episodes for season three before the season was over," even though Roswell's fate was uncertain right up to the end, Moore said. He added, "The template for what we want to do is where we ended up in the last six episodes of season two. That's the groove where we want to be. The character relationships were up front. The mystery was there, but it wasn't too complicated." Next season, the human and alien teens will be seniors in high school, except for Isabel (Heigl), whose brainy character has graduated early, the site reported. Will she be going to college? "We're talking about that," Moore said. "She'll hang around. The show is Roswell, so she's going to be in Roswell, by hook or by crook
McGowan Gets Charmed
The WB announced on June 14 that Rose McGowan will replace Shannen Doherty on its witch series Charmed, the Reuters news service reported. McGowan had been rumored to be under consideration for Doherty's job.
Doherty left the series after three years amid rumored disputes with cast member Alyssa Milano.
For a look at Rose, try this link:
http://www.thewb.com/news/charmed/mcgowan/
Courtesy again of Adrian Oakes in Tasmania.
Giles Could be the New “Master”
Anthony Stewart Head--Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer--has been approached to play The Master in a future Doctor Who story. Big Finish Productions, which has a BBC license to make Doctor Who audio adventures, has approached Head, and the actor is understood to be considering the offer seriously, the source said.
Talks with Anthony Ainley, who previously played the role in the television series, were unsuccessful, and Big Finish hopes to use Head's desire to remain in Britain for work as a hook to land the actor. Eric Roberts last played the Master in the 1996 television movie.
Hasselhoff Promises Knight Rider Return
In a quick news bit in this week’s Entertainment Weekly, the once and future Michael Knight, a.k.a. Actor/producer David Hasselhoff, promised a new version of his 1980s action show Knight Rider would be hitting the air in the future.
“We’re taking it way into the future with my character… coming out of retirement and hiring a couple of young kids. I’ll be the older, cool boss who oversees this incredibly updated car.”
Does that mean the Kitt we all knew and loved is no more? Yes and no. Hasselhoff has already talked to William Daniels, the voice of Kitt, to provide his smooth voice-over for the new car. Daniels is now the president of the Screen Actors’ Guild.
“So the president gave me his word. It’s going to happen,” Hasselhoff promised. No word on when the new Knight Rider will hit the air.
More Black Scorpion
A recent NY Post article suggested that Roger Corman is going ahead with a second season of Black Scorpion. He's even going to act in it, portraying a corrupt politician named Sen. John Flinton in at least 13 of the 22 new episodes. That's one way to keep costs down.
There's no word if Sci-Fi will pick up the second season or not, however. Corman obviously must be getting good sales overseas.
Movie News:
Cyber Love Story Coming
Dean Devlin's Electric Entertainment, Roland Emmerich's Centropolis Entertainment and Bob Cooper's Landscape Entertainment have teamed to produce the SF film Cyber Love Story, Variety reported. Emmerich will direct from a script by Ron Bass.
Cyber takes place in the future, when chat rooms have become synthetic environments. Devlin and Emmerich previously collaborated on Godzilla and Independence Day.
Jewison Blasts New Rollerball
Norman Jewison, who directed 1975's cult SF movie Rollerball, told the New York Post that John McTiernan's upcoming remake glorifies violence, which he satirized in the original. "They sent me a script to see if I was interested in directing," Jewison told the newspaper. "But I passed on it, because it was clear they were embracing the violence, which I used in the original to comment on the activities of multinational corporations."
Jewison added, "They've invited me to a screening, but I'm not sure I even want to see it." The remake stars Chris Klein and takes place in the near future, where the organizers of a violent arena sport use deaths to boost TV ratings, the Post reported. The new Rollerball opens Aug. 17.
Ford Won't Do Indy IV?
Harrison Ford won't be making the fourth Indiana Jones movie in 2002, or perhaps ever, syndicated columnists Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith reported. The hang-up: Producer George Lucas has yet to strike a deal for the film with Paramount, and until he does, a writer can't be hired for the film.
The delay leaves Ford--who limits himself to one film a year--open to other offers, the columnists reported. The Sixth Sense filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan had reportedly been tapped to write an Indy IV script, as had Traffic screenwriter Stephen Gaghan, the columnists reported.
Fox Preps 28 Days Later
Fox Searchlight is developing the SF movie 28 Days Later, with director Danny Boyle attached, Variety reported. Novelist Alex Garland wrote the script, about a deadly virus that sweeps the planet.
DNA Films' Andrew Macdonald will produce, the trade paper reported. Searchlight is co-financing 28 Days Later with the U.K.'s Film Council, suggesting that the budget could exceed the usual $15 million cap for films funded solely by Searchlight, Variety reported. Under the deal, Searchlight will retain worldwide distribution rights. Production is slated to begin near London in August.
Minority Report Is 'Wild Ride'
Bonnie Curtis, producer of Steven Spielberg's upcoming SF movie Minority Report, said that the Tom Cruise film will be a "wild ride" akin to Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark. "It's an action film that's a real ride, but it's a wonderful story as well," Curtis said during press briefings for Spielberg's upcoming A.I. The film has "a lot of humor."
Curtis added, "It is this future where murder no longer exists. This team of people, led by Anderton [the Cruise character], goes out and arrests murderers before they commit murder. The question of whether or not they actually would have done it if they had been given the choice comes into play. [The story] really twists and turns. ... Steven talked about it not as science fiction, but as a future reality." She described Cruise's character as "a man on the run from a system he believed in."
Minority Report is based on a short story of the same name by renowned SF author Philip K. Dick. Like A.I., which was based in part on a short story by SF author Brian Aldiss, Spielberg is using Dick's story only as a springboard for a new story, Curtis said. "I would say the journey Steven went on in A.I. prepared him for how he wanted Minority Report to look," she said. Spielberg is currently shooting Minority Report. A.I. opens June 29.
Spoilers For Trek X Below
If you don’t want to know, Scroll Down to “Spoilers End”
No Tragic End for Picard
Marina Sirtis has been spilling beans at the Star Trek & Sci-Fi Media Convention in North Carolina.
Sirtis, who played Deanna Troi in The Next Generation, revealed that Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) does not get killed off, in spite of rumors to the contrary. She didn't stop there, though. She went on to note that Data doesn't get knocked off either (another rumor scotched) and that, in fact, no major characters get the weepy farewell. Oh, and Troi and Ryker get married. So much for the suspense.
She added that the script, penned by Michael Dorn (Worf), is much better than Star Trek IX: Insurrection and will probably be the last one for the Next Generation characters, though she didn't absolutely rule out another voyage.
Spoilers End
Odds and Ends: Short items not worthy of an article in their own right.
· The premiere of original episodes of TNT's Witchblade on June 12 set a record as basic cable's highest-rated summer series launch, with an audience estimated at 2.2 million households, Nielsen Media Research told The Hollywood Reporter. Witchblade averaged a 2.7 rating during its 9-10 p.m. ET timeslot, 60 percent higher than TNT's 1.7 year-to-date primetime average.
· Julie Benz has withdrawn from her role as the ex-girlfriend of the lead character in the new WB drama Glory Days (described by critics as “Ed” for Teenagers), and will remain on ANGEL as the vampire Darla.
· Anthony Hopkins and director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Family Man) are reportedly in negotiations to work together on a new adaptation of Thomas Harris' 1981 novel Red Dragon. The thriller, which is the first in the series that continues with Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, was previously adapted for the screen in 1986 with Michael Mann’s Manhunter.
Part B Follows Shortly.
Best wishes,
David Gerhard
Eastlant Sci-Fi Group
Fans Working for Fandom, Not for Profit.
posted by Catherine Jemma at 8:44 PM
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